Tag Archives: hobby

Sep24

Having FUN With Your Content

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Having FUN With Your Content

Hello! I have been a content creator for over a decade and I have yet to grow tired of the joy of writing, taking pictures, and recently videos for my TikTok. I have striven to create daily content for the past six years and change and continue to make good on that goal every single day. I mainly continue this streak out of spite… I kid! I have maintained this because I simply have way too much FUN creating content! Although it is a gift to make money from my craft, I would continue to publish without monetary gain because I have enjoyed every minute since starting lifewithlilred. How have I kept the spark alive? Let’s discuss:

What are your goals?

My goal when I created lifewithlilred was not to make money at all. It was to have a space that is special to me to get out my thoughts, interact with new people, and make friends. In fact, I met my best friend in the whole world shortly after my page was live! If your goal in the content game is to strike it rich, it automatically takes the fun out of it. Then, you fall into the pattern of creating what you think other people want to see or read instead of what you want to do. When you start a blog or social media profile, go into it with the mindset that you are making something that no one else can. Anything that comes next like new friends or some extra scratch is just an added bonus!

What’s Trending?

Let me fill you in on a little secret… I have never paid attention to trending topics. I much prefer to do my own thing! When I shop, I am always looking for pieces that not everyone and their brother owns and that is exciting to me. I view my content in the same light. I don’t want to post about what everyone is already posting about and hope what I am doing gets seen in the void. I want to create my own trends and content that is completely unique to me. The content you post is like your own journal. Do you want your pages to feel like you or a compilation of a bunch of other people’s ideas? When you stay true to yourself is when you can create that corner of the internet that is yours and yours alone.

Just Go For It!

There is no scientific formula for creating content so don’t let overthinking get in your way. If you have an idea, an awesome outfit, or a thought you want to extrapolate on then go for it! You can go back and fine tune later but if you get that spontaneous surge of creativity then harness it rather than shy away. You will be amazed at the content you can make by just going off of a random thought and seeing what happens. Look for beauty in every day situations, write about something you can’t shake from your mind, and soon enough you will be finding ideas for posts every time you turn your head. This is very much the case for me and it keeps content creating fresh and new rather than a chore.

Keep Your Head Up:

The fact of the matter is, your goal of a million followers in a week or a hefty paycheck in a day might not be possible and that’s okay! Set achievable goals instead and revel in that feeling when you meet them. I started my TikTok very late in the game and it was just one of those things I did on a “why not” whim. I will admit, it was a bit disappointing when my first videos weren’t getting a ton of views. Then I remembered that my blog didn’t get a ton of views either when I first started it. Now, I view every new follower or like on TikTok as a GREAT SUCCESS! Content creating is a marathon, not a sprint. There are going to be highs and lows and if you let yourself be discouraged and give up, you will never know what you can achieve next. ❤

Creating content should always be FUN and if you aren’t having a blast, then I highly recommend reevaluating because something is going haywire. Strive to find the joy in what you are making every time you write a post or film a video because what you are doing is important. I know you can do it!

What do you struggle with when it comes to content creating? What is your favorite piece of content you have ever made? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep21

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Girl With No Shadow By Joanne Harris

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Girl With No Shadow By Joanne Harris

Howdy and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! I recently learned that there was a new prequel to the Chocolat series by Joanne Harris and was very interested in that. I have always loved the thriller books by Harris and thought it would be fun to revisit everyone’s favorite chocolateer again. Rather than starting out with where it all began by rereading Chocolat, I delved right into the sequel called The Girl With No Shadow. I read it forever ago and forgot everything about it! It took me a minute to find my bearings again in the magical world of Chocolat but once I found my footing, I was SO in. As this is such a light and friendly read, there will be no trigger warning on this book. And, as always, no spoilers either! Let’s get into it:

After the incidents in Chocolat, Vianne Rocher seeks anonymity and refuge with her young daughters, Anouk and Rosette, and they find themselves opening a small chocolaterie in an even smaller village. She is no longer the Vianne of magic and delight but lives under the practical pseudonym of Yanne. Tiny Rosette is too small to remember the world of the extraordinary but Anouk does all too well and misses it fiercely. No more reading runes, no more spells – no more Anouk because she is now Annie. The chocolate shop is bland and a far cry from the wonderful space they created and had to flee.

Yanne is now a woman who only seeks to protect her daughters from the changing winds and the Kindly Ones as all magic used will come back to them in a negative way eventually. For financial support and companionship, she entertains an older man named Thierry who wants her hand in marriage more than anything. He tolerates the children and covets a woman who he can control and turn into his perfect little wife. And, with no word from Yanne’s beloved Roux since their departure, she lets him. Anouk’s world has been turned upside down and, as chance would have it, a beautiful stranger attempts to turn it right side up again.

Her name is Zozie and she is simply fabulous. She wears the best shoes, has amazing personal style, and a joyous personality that would give the old Vianne a run for her money. Zozie takes an instant liking to Anouk because there is something special about her – a magic so powerful that she can feel it when she is merely passing by. A magic that should be harnessed, nurtured, and used by someone like Zozie who has countless tricks up her sleeves in her own right.

Zozie begins to work at the chocolate shop alongside Yanne. She cares for the girls, charms every customer that walks in the store, and redecorates the place so that it is unrecognizable of its original drab appearance. When she is not playing hostess at the shop, she is a teacher to Anouk. Zozie teaches her about ancient gods, powerful spells, and the delicious feeling of using magic to seek revenge. As Anouk and Zozie grow closer and the customers only come to the shop to see her, Yanne sinks into the background. Zozie is doing a better job at being Vianne than she ever has.

Of course, Yanne is grateful for Zozie albeit slightly resentful but she is in no position to refuse help. Yanne has a lot on her mind – her daughter’s growing distance, her youngest daughter who is delayed in development, and the arrival of her former love. Roux hearkens the Vianne of old but she is Yanne now. Homely, magic free, and a ghost of her former self to please Thierry. Behind closed doors, Anouk is growing more powerful by the moment and Zozie wants her desperately. Her plan? Read The Girl With No Shadow to find out!

The Girl With No Shadow was a delightful read from start to finish and it was so nice to be reunited with the core four: Vianne, Roux, Anouk, and Rosette. Joanne Harris has such a marvelous way of creating characters that you genuinely care about and want to get to know more. Even the colorful side characters in this book felt like old friends by the time I completed the last page. The Girl With No Shadow alternated between Vianne, Anouk, and Zozie’s point of view and watching their stories weave together so seamlessly was magic in itself.

As I read, I couldn’t help but feeling like I was there too. Harris has the gift of crafting such vivid imagery that you get lost in it. The smell of chocolate, the warmth of the small shop, the way the snow sounds as it falls. It was so intoxicating that it was hard to pull myself away! And, of course, for all of the beautiful prose there is an engaging story unfolding. A love triangle, a new witch in town, and a preteen who is at a crossroads. To dare to be different or to conform to a passionless life. I am about to start the third book in the series and I cannot wait to see what happens next to the owner of the best little chocolate shop in all of Paris!

Overall, I am going to rate The Girl With No Shadow with an eight out of ten stars. It was magical, whimsical, and a book that not only entertained but transported you. Highly recommend giving this lovely series a try!

What are you currently reading? Have you read the Chocolat series before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep8

Snap & Switch Trick ‘r Treat Sets

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Snap & Switch Trick ‘r Treat Sets

Hello! A few months ago, I saw a preview of 5 Below’s Halloween collection on social media and one thing in particular really caught my eye: A pseudo Lego set called Snap & Switch featuring precious Sam from one of mine and Johnny’s favorite Halloween movies, Trick ‘r Treat. I was on pins and needles to finally snag a set for myself and was keeping my fingers crossed that it would be available during a recent 5 Below trip. Despite the fact that it wasn’t there, I still had a fabulous Halloween haul but, of course, Sam was weighing heavily on my mind.

With my eyes on the prize, I returned back to 5 Below two days later and could not believe my good fortune: The box containing the Trick ‘r Treat builds were on the shipment cart, I asked an employee if I could have one, and actually got two sets. Snap & Switch made a Trick ‘r Treat candy set too! There were only three of each set in the box and I got mine before they even went on the shelves. GREAT SUCCESS. AND Johnny and I built them over the long Labor Day weekend. DOUBLE GREAT SUCCESS! Check it out:

^^^ His lil sucker!!!!

^^^ My lil builder hard at work!

^^^ My Sam plushie has a friend now!! ❤

^^^ Very aware that random black piece doesn’t belong there! -_-

^^^ All done!!! 😀

The first build we tackled was Sam himself and that was easy peasy. It had less than one hundred pieces and we finished it in about fifteen minutes. However, Snap & Switch is obviously no Lego lol. The bricks in the Snap & Switch sets were tiny and I mean TINY and they also were a pain in the butt to snap together. Not a snap at all! Pieces kept flying off constantly and a lot of them were difficult to fit into the build correctly. But, hey, for five bucks what do you expect? I think it’s a great thing that little sets like these are available for on the cheap! You can get a taste for building with bricks without spending an arm and a leg because I guarantee if this were a Lego set, it would be thirty dollars bare minimum. And, regardless of the ease of use for this product, we were still very pleased with the end result!

After quickly building Sam, we expected the candy Snap & Switch to be, well… A snap lol. We couldn’t wait to build Sam’s sucker and then things went horribly wrong. About five steps into the build, we were stumped. The directions were showing one thing but it was very much impossible with the pieces they allowed. Johnny and I tried several different approaches to no avail and we ended up having to use an extra piece to supplement for what couldn’t be done. That left us sans a piece we needed later on, hence the random black Lego brick. For such a small build, this one was frustrating AF and buyer beware that the directions in this set are wrong and you will need an extra piece to complete it fully.

Once we were done with our makeshift sucker, all that was left to do was make the razor blade chocolate. Thankfully, this one went without a hitch because we couldn’t take much more Snap & Switch after the sucker debacle lol. The candy bar was thrown together in under ten minutes and we loved the fact that the piece of chocolate slid off so you can see the danger that looms underneath. This candy set was a surprise because I wasn’t aware of it at all and I am still happy with it although it caused some difficulty. Yes, it bites that the directions weren’t accurate and pieces were missing but, hey, what do you expect for five dollars?!

If you are a Trick ‘r Treat fan, the Sam build is available on 5 Below’s website as far as I know. Definitely worth it for an hour or so of fun with an adorable end result!

Do you like to build with Lego? What is the best off brand Lego? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep3

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Homemade God By Rachel Joyce Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Homemade God By Rachel Joyce Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing the newest novel by Rachel Joyce called The Homemade God. Like my last book club review, this was a far cry from my normal thrillers but an absolutely delightful read. I already knew I was in for a treat before even reading the first page because Rachel Joyce authored one of my all time favorite books, The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry. Of course, nothing will beat the best of the best but I very much enjoyed The Homemade God! Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning for addiction, self harm, miscarriage, and the death of a parent. Now, let’s get to it:

Netta, Susan, Goose (Gustav), and Iris are quite possibly the closest siblings you will ever meet. They talk on the phone constantly, see each other as often as humanly possible, and know each other better than they know themselves. This close knit group is held together by the glue of the family, their father who is a world famous artist named Vic. Perhaps, they are held together in spite of him. As their mother died when the children were young, Vic was the only parent they knew but he was an absent one.

In their youth, Vic would be gone for days on end. He could be on a bender. He could be locked away in his studio drunk and working on a painting. This left the care of the siblings up to the eldest child, Netta, and in each of their own ways they were parenting their own parent too. As adults, this sentiment remains the same because Vic is still an alcoholic and when they speak, it is usually about him. Regardless of their sad upbringing, each child fully believes that the world revolves around their dad and his world revolves around them and his art. Until it doesn’t.

At a family lunch, Vic declares that he is in love, getting married, and will be creating a new masterpiece. The children are dumbstruck as they didn’t even know their father was dating. But it gets worse. His bride to be, Bella-Mae, is only twenty-seven years old and they have only been together for six weeks. Their pleas to reconsider are meaningless to seventy-six year old Vic because his mind has already been made up. He and Bella-Mae will be married at their beautiful villa on Lake Orta in Italy and when his kids meet her, they will be crazy about her too.

The only problem is, the children don’t meet her. Every plan for luncheons or tea are foiled to last minute cancellations and their minds begin to swim. Is she a grifter who is eager for Vic’s substantial fortune? Is she forcing him into something he doesn’t truly want? For all they know and which they really do consider, she could be a porn star. The siblings decide that the best thing to do is to drop contact with their father. The fling will fizz out, he will realize he was being ridiculous, and will eventually return to them when he has dealt with the embarrassment. Vic does contact his kids again. With an invitation to Lake Orta to celebrate the wedding that has already transpired.

Of course, the siblings have no intention of traveling to their home away from home until their hands are forced. Vic has died and it is up to them to arrange for his body to be transported back to England and finally meet Bella-Mae. They do have their inheritances to sort out, after all. Heartbroken and exhausted, the kids arrive at Lake Orta and can’t help but to be suspicious. Their father died of unusual circumstances and Bella-Mae’s eccentric cousin has made himself at home in the villa. Who is this mysterious woman who is now their father’s widow? And is she the one to blame for his death? Read The Homemade God to find out!

The Homemade God was a wonderful study on the inner workings of a dysfunctional family. The toils, the tender moments, downfalls, and reunions that can change the trajectory of the lives of all effected. Rachel Joyce did an incredible job of creating the characters of the children of the eccentric but deeply troubled father. While some were larger than life than others, it was easy to see yourself in at least one of them. Are you strong willed and brazen like Netta? Maybe you are more of a follower like Susan. Could you be approval seeking like Goose? Or perhaps you are like Iris, a delicate flower who has yet to fully bloom. Their individual relationships with their dad molded them into the caricatures they are today and his death allows them to discover themselves for the very first time.

There were plenty of sad parts to go around in The Homemade God but there was so much good too. The way the light hits the lake surrounding the villa, the stories the children share that still makes them laugh, and the confirmation that life will continue to go on in any way you choose. The Homemade God is also a friendly reminder to never judge a book by its cover with an ending that I considered to be perfect. An ending that invites new beginnings and a celebration of life, art, and love.

Overall, I am going to rate The Homemade God with a seven out of ten stars. I don’t think it was one of Rachel Joyce’s strongest novels and I have read almost all of hers. It is, however, well worth the read especially if you are a fan of her work!

What are you currently reading? What is one of your favorite books? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep2

Amazing Elote Recipe

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Amazing Elote Recipe

Howdy! During a grocery shopping trip, I couldn’t resist buying a few ears of corn before the summer is out. On a whim, I decided to kick things up a notch by trying my hand at making elote. I was feeling very inspired by the amazing elote I had at the Italian Fest that Johnny and I attended in July and knew it couldn’t be that hard to make. I am SO glad that I gave it a go because not only was it easy peasy but it was absolutely delicious. In fact, I’m like ninety-nine percent confident that the food truck I purchased elote from used the exact same recipe I did and I thought mine turned out even better! Check it out:

Recipes I Used:

To bake the corn: cipherbabe on Food.com

Elote: Love and Lemons

I don’t make corn on the cob very often and the few times I have, I boiled it. I genuinely had no idea if you could bake it in the oven or not so after giving it a Google, I thought that was the best way to go. After removing the husks, I wrapped each one in foil, painted them with butter and olive oil, and let it bake in the oven for about twenty-five minutes and turned them halfway through. My one note is that I wish I let them bake a hair longer at thirty minutes. The corn was fully cooked and easy to sink your teeth into but it wasn’t quite as tender for my liking.

As the corn baked, I began making the aioli to coat the ears with. This consisted of mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, and cilantro. I used more than the recipe called for for the lime juice and zest and am glad I did because the flavor was so tangy despite the creaminess of the cojita cheese. I also added additional chili powder for good measure for an extra kick. After the aioli was made and the corn was baked, all that was left to do was the assembly.

I coated the corn generously with the sauce, cojita cheese, and chili powder. I love the flavor of lime so I squeezed a couple of wedges onto my elote for good measure. The end result was just fantastic if I do say so myself. So good, in fact, that I had two ears of elote along with my veggie burger! I couldn’t believe I made something that tasted even better than the original elote I tried and was very proud of myself. The lime and chili powder were bold but not overpowering and the pairing with cojita cheese provided a sweet heat that I couldn’t get enough of. Now I know that whenever I have a craving for elote, I can make it myself and enjoy every bite.

If you love a good ear of elote too, then I truly can’t recommend this recipe enough. You will be the star of end of summer barbecues!!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did it turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug21

Lil Red’s Book Club: My Friends By Fredrik Backman Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: My Friends By Fredrik Backman Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing the newest novel by Fredrik Backman called My Friends. This book is a major change of pace from my normal thrillers but is easily one of the best ones I have ever read and I truly cannot recommend it enough. It has been several days since I finished it and I can’t stop thinking about it and talking about it to literally any and everyone! Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on my friends for domestic and child abuse, violence, and sexual assault. Now, let’s get to it:

Louisa has run away from her foster home but as she says, she will turn eighteen tomorrow and technically that doesn’t make her missing. It simply makes her gone. Her only person in the world, Fish, has returned to Mother Earth and she is completely alone. Minus one thing that makes her happy, a postcard of her favorite, most beloved painting in the world. It is called The One of the Sea and was the first painting ever made by the artist, C. Jat. It is being sold at an auction this very night and she will finally be able to see the only beautiful thing she has ever had with her own eyes.

Granted, being in the auction is easier said than done. Sure, she can pass as a waitress for the uber rich but they know. They know she is not one of them and a bitter old woman declares her a cockroach. Louisa does not take kindly to that at all and her sharp mouth gets her instantly thrown out of the gallery and a call is made to the police. So, she takes her backpack full of her meager belongings that is primarily made up of spray paint, goes to the alleyway behind the gallery, and begins to decorate it.

In the alley, she meets a homeless man and what she presumes to be his cat. He appears to be desperately sick and frail and can barely speak. The man likes what she is painting very much and he is the nicest adult Louisa has ever met. As he was so kind to her, she decides to be kind to him and offers him her postcard that provides her only source of comfort. Now, he can have something beautiful too and they paint together. With his spray paint, the man creates his signature until they are rudely interrupted by the police and a wild chase ensues. Before Louisa runs away, she promises the man she will find him tomorrow and they can paint again.

As Louisa makes her getaway, the police are questioning the homeless man when they are interrupted again. This time, by a friend. His name is Ted and he tells the police that the man isn’t homeless at all. He is the artist whose painting, The One of the Sea, is being auctioned off. The artist passes out, wakes up in the hospital with Ted by his side, and with his dying breath tells him to find Louisa because she is one of them. And that is when the real story begins.

Ted finds Louisa in the alleyway where she promised the artist she would meet him and has something for her. He hands her a box that contains the most wonderful painting in the world. The artist said that artists should die poor and he sold all of his belongings to buy back his painting and see it hanging up one more time. Rather than be delighted, Louisa is affronted. How can she possibly be responsible for a painting so beautiful and valuable? And what in the world is she going to do with it? Everyone will think it was stolen.

After copious amounts of bickering, Ted goes against his better judgement and agrees to let Louisa come with him back to his hometown. There is someone there who might be able to help sell the painting. The unlikely pair board a train. Louisa who knows no fear and Ted who is afraid of everything. Ted isn’t just a random person though, he is one of the people in the painting. You see, The One of the Sea isn’t of the sea at all. Sure, there is the sea and a pier, but it’s a painting of laughter. A painting of three teenagers that you can just barely make out who look like they are in stitches together. Barely anyone notices them in the painting because they are looking at the sea but they are all Louisa can think about.

Every night, Louisa would go to sleep thinking about those friends. Thinking that when she woke up, she would be at the pier with them and they would teach her how to swim. They were her friends too. She asks Ted to tell her all about them and he does. He tells her of the summer when three people changed his life for forever. Rather, how they changed each other’s lives. And after that summer, none of them will ever be the same. Who were these remarkable people? And who was the artist, really? Read My Friends to find out!

Reading My Friends was like reading a book of poetry. Fredrik Backman crafted every single word in this book with the most tender care and you could find something that moves you in every sentence. Something that makes you laugh out loud, something that makes you cry, something that makes you happy to feel anything at all. And, believe you me, I did a lot of crying while reading this book. But I also laughed and fell in love with each character and it was such a cathartic experience.

My Friends goes back and forth from real time to Ted’s story twenty-five years ago and you could swear that it just happened yesterday. And, in a way, it is because Louisa is hearing it for the very first time too. And, through his story, Louisa is able to see real beauty for the first time in her life. She is able to be wrapped in words by an adult who doesn’t raise his voice or fists. She drives Ted absolutely crazy but is simply impossible not to love. Louisa reminded the artist of his own friends and through their journey, Ted learns that she is one of them indeed. Maybe more than anyone else in the whole world and it was a gift to read both of their worlds expand. To learn that no one is really as alone as they may seem.

I am going to award My Friends with a ten million out of ten stars. This is a book for everyone and should not be skipped on. I think you will love it just as much as I did!

Have you read My Friends yet? What did you think of it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug19

App Obsessed

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App Obsessed

Howdy! I am a HUGE fan of social media and enjoy posting on my Facebook and TikTok so much. As a word girl through and through, I rarely watch TikTok videos and leave my social media intake to scrolling through Facebook. However, let’s be real – Facebook has become a massive buzzkill and it only gets worse by the day considering the political climate in the USA. Scrolling for fun became doom scrolling and I just couldn’t take it anymore. So, I post a bunch of BS, avoid what upsets me like the plague, and call it a day.

Normally, my social media time is when I get home from work and Johnny is playing video games. We’ll do our own thing, chat about our day, and then go on to having dinner and watching our favorite shows. With my usual source of entertainment on the outs in the past couple of weeks, I have been left with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs. It’s hard to cozy up in my favorite chair with a book when video game noises are reverberating throughout the living room! So, I decided to do something different and downloaded a couple of apps called Finch and Flutter. I had seen several ads for both of them when I was on the hunt for funny memes on FB and figured it couldn’t hurt to give them a go. I’m so glad I did because I have been LOVING them!

Let’s start by discussing Finch. Finch is an app that revolves around mental health and well being as you care for a little bird. After you download the app, it does a mental health screening. What are your challenges? What would you like to improve? Then, it creates goals that revolves around that which will help your bird grow, earn points, and go on adventures. For example, if you struggle with focus, one of your goals might be to turn off your phone notifications when you are working. If you are working through anxiety, your goals could include doing some breathing exercises which the app will walk you through. It’s pretty cool!

When I was little, Neopets was the website to be on and my siblings and I were obsessed with it. In fact, I can remember racing each other after school to the computer room to be the first in line to check on our virtual pets. Having Finch is really like having a pocket pet or Tamagotchi and it hits right in the nostalgia. It might not have the best games ever like Meerca Chase but it is still a lot of fun and fulfilling too! It feels good to check off goals as you complete them and I do feel better when I use it. As a caffeine queen, I have several goals a day to drink more water. And when I spend my mornings working on the computer, stretch break or stepping outside goals come in very handy. It’s nice to check in with my little bird every day and I always look forward to when my Poppy comes home from her adventures to tell me about her new discoveries. Highly recommend! ❤

The other app I have been using daily is called Flutter. Long story short, you are in a lovely forest that plays the most soothing music and your goal is to fill it with moths. You can expand your surroundings with the points you earn, decorate it with flowers and mushrooms to attract different species, and nurture your moths by feeding them pollen and leveling them up. There are challenges to complete like missions the wise owl in the forest sends you on, growing mushrooms for the resident ant, and feeding a gigantic frog fireflies to earn flowers.

Flutter is extremely mindless but incredibly pleasing. Your forest and the music is absolutely charming and it’s nice to watch your moths flit about as you wait patiently for a new one to grow. It’s exciting to continue leveling up because your moths just keep getting better and better and you can learn all kinds of interesting facts as your insect encyclopedia expands. Flutter is definitely not as goal oriented as Finch but I still really enjoy using it. So much so, that I haven’t even tried their butterfly or under the sea expansions because I am so invested in my forest! 😀

If you are sick of doom scrolling during your spare time, I cannot recommend giving Finch or Flutter a try enough. It has been a welcome change of pace from my usual routine!

What is your favorite app? Have you used Finch or Flutter before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug13

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Woman In Suite 11 By Ruth Ware Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Woman In Suite 11 By Ruth Ware Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing the long awaited sequel to Ruth Ware’s The Woman In Cabin 10 called The Woman In Suite 11. I have to admit that it has been a phat minute since I read The Woman In Cabin 10 – it was six years ago so I was a little blurry on the details that were referred to throughout The Woman In Suite 11. However, after reading a summary or two, it all came back to me and this was a fairly decent follow up to one of Ware’s best sellers. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Woman In Suite 11 for violence and sexual assault references. Now, let’s get to it:

We are reunited with Laura “Lo” Blacklock in New York City with her beloved husband Judah and precious children Eli and Teddy. Since her traumatizing experience aboard The Aurora, Lo had her fifteen minutes of fame with her best selling memoir, Dark Waters. However, she has been out of the travel journalist game since having children and processing her near death experience. She’s not over it completely, but she’s doing so much better than before. With her children now preschool age, Lo finds herself seeking purpose and has a hankering for a new writing gig to sink her teeth into.

Like magic, an invitation arrives in the mail for a soft launch of The Hotel du Lac located on beautiful Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The ultra posh property belongs to businessman, Marcus Leidmann, who is expanding his empire to luxury resorts. A handful of influencers and food and travel journalists will be there and Lo considers it a fine tip of the hat to be thought of after not writing for so long. With encouragement from Judah, Lo decides to go for it and hops a flight to assist in the success of the launch with the best of the best in the business. Not only will she be creating articles for the new hotel, but she even has a request from an old contact from the Financial Times to do a profile on the elusive Leidmann who keeps his life totally private.

The Hotel du Lac is more incredible than Lo could have ever imagined and she is ready for an amazing time and to reignite her career. As the other guests arrive, Lo is shocked to find that several people who were aboard The Aurora are also at the hotel. She chalks it up to a coincidence – the travel journalism sector is quite small, after all. It doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it, though, and after a fairly awkward banquet, Lo can’t wait to retire to her room and decompress. R&R will have to wait because in her room there is a note that requests her immediate presence in Suite 11. Thrilled by the prospect of scoring an interview with Leidmann, Lo hightails it to the suite and isn’t greeted by Marcus but the ghost of Christmas past… Carrie.

Lo has not seen or heard from Carrie since they saved each other aboard The Aurora ten years prior. Rather than catching up on the past decade, Carrie divulges a dark secret. Her and Marcus are together and their union is anything but loving. Marcus is a monster as are his plethora of henchmen and employees. As terrible as he is to her, Carrie can’t leave. Marcus knows about what happened on the yacht to Norway and will turn her into the authorities should she escape his grasp. That’s where Lo comes in.

Carrie has a plan that she deems to be foolproof to get her freedom back. Lo doesn’t have to do anything dangerous. All she has to do is let Carrie use her British passport, Lo will use her American one, they will take a train to England, and rendezvous at a fancy hotel as Carrie’s way of saying thank you. What could possibly go wrong? A murder, perhaps? Before she knows it, Lo finds herself as the prime suspect for the suspicious death of one of the world’s most powerful men and Carrie is nowhere to be found. Will Lo solve the mystery in time before she winds up in jail for a crime she didn’t commit? Read The Woman In Suite 11 to find out!

I have read a ton of Ruth Ware books and I have found the majority of them to be incredibly… fine. They always fall under the category of “good but not great” and that is exactly how I feel about The Woman In Suite 11. I found Lo to be super cool in The Woman In Cabin 10 and that sentiment remained in the sequel. She’s an excellent leading lady and is such an easy character to root for, especially in this plot. After all she has been through, of course you want to see her succeed and protect her from the mess she finds herself entwined in. Every time another foot was about to drop in The Woman In Suite 11, I felt so scared for her!

As much as I like Lo, I really found this sequel to be unnecessary. Honestly, it was the same plot as The Woman In Cabin 10 with different details. It made the predecessor feel like a regurgitation of the OG without adding anything fresh or new. And, I’m sorry to say it, I couldn’t freaking stand Carrie who played a major role this time around. She was just SO extra all the time and while I understand the juxtaposition between Carrie being too much and Lo’s steely confidence, it became irritating to a fault. Try as I might, she was a difficult character to get behind fully and that’s how the reader should have felt. And, when Carrie left Lo high and dry with murder charges looming over her, all I could feel was downright resentful.

Overall, I am going to rate The Woman In Suite 11 with a five out of ten stars. If you really want to read the sequel to The Woman In Cabin 10, go for it. You will not be missing out on anything if you don’t though!

What are your thoughts on The Woman In Suite 11? How do you feel about Ruth Ware’s other books? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul31

Lil Red’s Book Club: Don’t Let Him In By Lisa Jewell Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Don’t Let Him In By Lisa Jewell Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing the latest thriller by Lisa Jewell called Don’t Let Him In. This was a particularly fun read because I had the pleasure of attending a special Zoom conference with Jewell through the library system to talk about this book prior to its release last month. It was really cool to read this book with knowledge straight from the author herself and I read ravenously. I finished it in two sittings! Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Don’t Let Him In for violence and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Ash is in her mid twenties and had her life upturned once before due to an intense struggle with mental health. One year later, just as she is getting her bearings in her parents’ home, life throws another curveball. Her beloved father, Paddy, was pushed onto train tracks by a man suffering from schizophrenia. In the midst of the family’s despair, it is up to Paddy’s widow, Nina, to maintain his business as an owner and chef to a popular chain of restaurants. As time passes, Ash continues to struggle with the loss of her dad. Nina, on the other hand, is getting back into the swing of things. She has been messaging with a man named Nick, an old colleague of Paddy, who sent a letter offering his condolences. Of course, Ash finds this to be moving too quickly, but Nina is ready to take back her life and that means dating too.

Ash begrudgingly meets her mom’s new suitor and is instantly put off. Nick is tall, handsome, successful, and perfect. So why hasn’t he been married or have any children of his own? All Ash has right now is her own feelings that something isn’t right but she is keeping them to herself. Her mom is happy – glowing even and she might chalk up Ash’s concerns to her mental illness. These feelings, however, cannot be pushed aside and she fears that Nick doesn’t really have her mother’s best interests at heart. Is he truly as perfect and in love as he presents himself to be or is he after something else entirely? Money, perhaps from the Paddy’s empire?

Rather than live with her suspicion, Ash begins to dig. She snoops in Nick’s pockets and finds nothing but questions. A doggy bag to collect waste although Nick has no dogs. A pacifier clip but Nick has no kids. He offers reasonable explanations to each item but it’s just not good enough. So, Ash digs deeper. She enlists the help of Paddy’s ex-girlfriend, Jane, under the guise of wanting to learn more about her dad and his old coworker Nick. Jane, who was certifiably obsessed with Paddy claims to have no knowledge of an acquaintance named Nick and every red flag in Ash’s being goes up. This is proof right here and now that Nick is not who he claims to be. So, the newly found team digs deeper. What they find? A web of lies that have been spinning long before Nick and Nina ever began speaking. How many other people have fell victim to Nick? And who is he really? Read Don’t Let Him In to find out!

I realize that this synopsis is incredibly vague. BUT, Lil Red’s Book Club is a spoiler free setting and sharing anymore is going to ruin Don’t Let Him In. I would so hate to do that because it really was a gripping read. It was fast paced and filled with absolutely delicious twists and turns. As you all know, I fancy myself an amateur sleuth when I read. Normally, I despise when I can call every shot in a book before it happens and that was very much the case for Don’t Let Him In. Surprisingly enough, I still enjoyed the hell out of it. I’m not sure if it’s because I attended the talk about this book with Lisa Jewell or if it was truly that good. Maybe a little bit of both?

I wouldn’t say that I was particularly attached to any of the characters in this book. For all of Ash’s determination to find the truth, I found her to be quite boring. Having said that, every character in this book was in a dangerous situation. A situation that could go from bad to worse based on mood alone and, as a reader, all you could do was sit back and watch it happen. This made each victim SO easy to root for because we saw clearly who the “bad man” was and they were none the wiser. Lisa Jewell is brilliant at bringing urgency to every single page and it certainly kept me turning them!

Overall, I am going to rate Don’t Let Him In with a six and a half out of ten stars. Upon further reflection, I do think attending the talk with Jewell impacted my opinion of this book. That doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a great story, though, and I would still highly recommend giving it a shot!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

Lil Red’s Book Club: Fresh Off The Boat By Eddie Huang Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Fresh Off The Boat By Eddie Huang Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing a memoir by Eddie Huang called Fresh Off The Boat. A memoir is a far cry from the fast paced thrillers that I normally read. However, Fresh Off The Boat is a book that I have been most eager to sink my teeth into. Johnny and I absolutely love the TV show of the same name and I was so curious to see how accurately the Huang family was portrayed after reading the book. I was SHOOK to find out that the family friendly comedy sitcom took A LOT of liberties lol. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Fresh Off The Boat for child abuse and general violence. Now, let’s get to it:

Eddie Huang is the eldest son of Jessica and Louis and big bro to Emery and Evan. His parents immigrated from Taiwan and China, respectively, and were Fresh Off The Boat in America trying to create a better life and, of course, make lots and lots of money. Louis found his fortune by opening restaurants in Orlando, Florida and his family joined him there after his businesses began turning a hefty profit. Eddie became the new kid and not just any new kid. A Chinese-American kid and one of the very few in the area.

As Eddie grew up, he struggled to find a place to belong. His parents were not merely strict but abusive and everything about Eddie stuck out like a sore thumb. He was called every slur in the book by his peers, got beat up consistently, found no comfort at home, and turned to hip-hop music as not only his favorite thing but his friend. Eddie was an angry child and couldn’t understand what was so different about him to warrant treatment like that. So he took to using his own words and his fists to keep him from getting hurt.

Eventually, Eddie did make friends but they were constantly getting in trouble. He was in detention on the daily, suspended nonstop, and loved drinking and drugs. However, one fateful conversation with his insanely stern father after his little brother narc-ed on him for drug use helped change his destructive downward spiral. Eddie began actually trying in school, became interested in his roots, and was determined to be a Chinese-American in his own way. Not how his parents want him to be, but how he wants to be.

After graduating high school, Eddie moved on to college and obtained his degrees. The problem was, he found no passion in the jobs that he could snag with his education. So he made a list of jobs that he wanted to have instead. Some of them were far fetched. Some of them were achievable and that was all the encouragement he needed to dive in. Eddie found solid footing as a stand up comedian but he wasn’t up to telling the same jokes night after night after night. After ditching comedy, Eddie turned to a new goal on his list: Open a restaurant.

Not only did Eddie love to eat, but he had a true love of cooking too. Everyone in his family was an excellent cook and all his life, he watched and learned. Eddie knew what he wanted in his own restaurant: A place where people could come to kick it and enjoy Chinese-Taiwanese food with sustainable ingredients and an affordable price. Thus, Baohaus was born on the Lower East Side of New York… The rest? You’re just going to have to read for yourself!

Holy WOW was Fresh Off The Boat a fun, occasionally heartbreaking, consistently hilarious, and inspiring read. As an avid fan of the TV show, I was expecting a lot of similarities between that and the book. While there were a fair amount of things that the show got right, the book turned what I thought I knew about the Huang family on its head. They weren’t a picture perfect family at all. Rather, a family that fought, hurt each other, and never had those classic heartwarming sitcom moments in the slightest. All the while, Eddie was in the middle just trying to find his own way.

I absolutely loved the way that Eddie wrote this book because it is written exactly how he speaks. It’s not perfect and that’s okay. What it is is real. A real person speaking about his real experiences as no one but himself. And who Eddie is is a driven, creative, talented, and damned funny to boot dude. There were countless instances as I read Fresh Off The Boat where I wasn’t just laughing out loud but cackling lol. Eddie told his own story in his own style and wasn’t afraid to make jokes at his own expense or anyone’s expense for that matter. For all of his shit talking, Eddie has a lot of heart and will inspire anyone, no matter where they’re from, to make their own way too.

Overall, I am going to rate Fresh Off The Boat with an eight out of ten stars. I really enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to digging into his other book, Double Cup Love, next!

What are you currently reading? Do you have a favorite memoir? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah