Tag Archives: hobby

Jul15

Johnny’s Record Shelf

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Johnny’s Record Shelf

Hello!! One of the gifts that I gave to Johnny for his birthday this past June was a new record player. Oddly enough, we had three in the apartment that were his old relics and none of them worked lol. It has been so nice to have a functional record player again and we have loved playing music and board games and hanging out in our game room. The only thing that wasn’t ideal was housing the records. Johnny’s collection is extensive and by that I mean, he has over three hundred vinyls! Thankfully, Johnny came up with an ingenious solution to this issue and he built it all by himself – and some help from his dad. 🙂 Check it out:

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Ever since our new record player arrived in the mail, Johnny got to work by organizing his collection and giving the game room a deep clean. We soon found that no amount of rearranging or condensing was going to give the records a true home, though. So Johnny turned his attention to the closet and decided that it would work perfectly. He definitely had big things in mind because rather than going to the store to buy some shelves, he thought he would make them instead. He took measurements, sketched a plan, bought all of the lumber and supplies, and dedicated a day during our staycation to build them with his dad. Johnny is a handy guy, but this was on a whole other level and I was very impressed!

Johnny’s dad has an amazing workshop and they spent an afternoon cutting, drilling, and doing what needed to be done so Johnny could take the parts home and assemble them with screws. When I returned home from my outing later that day, I found Johnny in the game room putting the final touches on his handiwork. I honestly couldn’t believe my own eyes when I saw it! The shelves were sturdy, fit just right in our closet, and turned the endless crates of records into an actual display. I know I was proud of the accomplishment, but it was even better to see Johnny so proud of it too. He put a lot of time and effort into this project and worked really hard to make it happen. Our game room is the best ever because of it. ❤

The record shelves Johnny built were a win in so many ways. He got to spend time with his dad, our game room looks awesome, and he found a new hobby too. Johnny enjoyed the build so much that he plans on trying his hand at cornhole boards next. I can’t wait!

Have you done any projects around the house recently? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

Lil Red’s Book Club: None Of This Is True By Lisa Jewell Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: None Of This Is True By Lisa Jewell Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to *finally* a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club. Between the craziness of life and my new job, it was difficult to find time to read and I preferred to spend my limited downtime watching Degrassi lol. Then, my sister texted me asking if I wanted to borrow a book that she considered to be unputdownable. It is called None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell. I must say, my sister was spot on because I couldn’t put it down if you paid me and my hunger for reading has come back a thousandfold. Before we begin our discussion in a spoiler free setting, I will be placing a big fat trigger warning on None Of This Is True for abuse in all forms, murder, and highly disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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On the day you were born, countless other children were being born on the same day in the same hospital as you. Have you ever met any of those birthday twins before? This is where our story begins. On the day of Josie Fair’s forty-fifth birthday, she decides she would like to do something different to celebrate. She suggests to her way older husband, Walter, a dinner out at a posh bar – a place they would never step foot in before. As they enjoy their meal, another birthday girl is having a large gathering with friends. She is named Alix Summer, a famous podcaster who is also turning forty-five.

Josie is instantly drawn to glamorous Alix and visits the ladies room at the same time as her, sparking the introduction as “birthday twins”. Upon returning home from dinner, Josie can’t stop thinking about Alix and does a deep dive for her online. She listens to all of her podcasts, scours social media, and fantasizes about the wonderful life Alix lives with her handsome husband, beautiful children, and luxurious home. This is in stark contrast to Josie’s life with a geriatric husband, adult children who want nothing to do with her, and a shabby flat. Josie wants to do something different for her forty-fifth birthday and she decides that Alix is the one to help her. Alix is going to make a podcast about Josie’s life.

Thanks to social media, Josie knows just where to track down Alix and make it seem like another chance encounter. She plans their “bump in” for when she takes her dog on a walk, right by the school that Alix’s children attend. From there, Josie and Alix meet the following day. Josie pitches her idea to Alix about a podcast that talks about women who are in the process of breaking free from an unhappy life. The star being none other than Josie herself. Alix is strangely captivated by Josie and her odd disposition and, with her previous podcast series just wrapping up, she figures “why not?”.

The birthday twins begin meeting up regularly to record episodes in Alix’s swanky recording studio. But, to get a sense of where Josie is at now, they must start at the beginning. Josie’s entire life has been riddled with hardship, a sense of not belonging, and situations that would break the coldest of hearts. Alix can’t get enough – so much so that she is blinded to anything off about Josie. Strange comments are brushed off, missing items throughout the home are chalked up to the kids misplacing them, and a general sense of unease gets pushed to the side.

As Josie and Alix delve deeper into the podcast, plot holes develop through the other people in Josie’s life that Alix interviews. They paint Josie as unstable. As someone who lives in her own world and tells her “truth” liberally. Josie officially becomes the “unreliable narrator” to her own life story. Was Josie’s life truly a series of unfortunate events? Were some of these events calculated and crafted by Josie herself? Or maybe, just maybe is she covering up for someone? Read None Of This Is True to find out!

I absolutely LOVED this book, devoured it in three days, and have not stopped thinking about it since. There was so much that I enjoyed about it, especially how it shifted between the narration of the book to the text of the eventual Netflix documentary made from the podcast. The tale went back and forth with Josie, Alix, and other people being interviewed and it really kept you on your toes. With each new interview came new information that you had to analyze and decide for yourself who was really telling the truth with each situation being discussed. None Of This Is True was a true psychological thriller from start to finish.

I have never read about a character quite like Josie Fair before. Even though I absolutely hated her, I couldn’t get enough of reading about her. Her brusque, irrational behavior was beautifully complimented by Alix. Alix was kind, soft, empathetic and the perfect person to craft the podcast. Through their interactions, Alix was still able to paint Josie as a sympathetic character despite everything that happened in the course of recording the podcast. This made the book even more thought provoking. Yes, you were trying to come to your own conclusion but it also made you question who in the cast of characters is deserving of sympathy.

None Of This Is True covered really heavy subjects and was quite difficult to read at times. However, if you choose to read it, prepare for your mind to be absolutely blown. Mine sure was. I am going to rate None Of This Is True with an eight out of ten stars and kind of want to read it again knowing what I know now. Highly recommend!

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

May24

Bowling Bonanza

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Bowling Bonanza

Hello!! On Sunday, I did the impossible. What is it? I went bowling with fake nails! Lol, granted, I employed the rolling/throwing technique to protect the talons but I still think it counts! For my brother’s birthday, we want bowling at Clutch Lanes, a cool little bowling alley down the street. It was the perfect atmosphere for a party and they had phenomenal pizza, which I feel like you can’t say about many bowling allies. This was the first time I had gone bowling in close to a decade and even though I wasn’t bowling properly and getting hella gutter balls, it was still a blast!

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Bowling is one of those things that Johnny has suggested before and I had no interest in. It definitely takes me back to the dreaded years of middle school when the classes would go bowling before summer break. I always hated it lol and the last time I went bowling was on a date with an awful person. Needless to say, bowling is never high on my list of potential weekend activities. Until now, that is. I guess you just have to go bowling with the right people because that made all of the difference!

For close to two hours, Johnny, Andrew, and I dominated the lanes. Well, Johnny and Andrew did really good and I was humbled by my score of 27 on game one. I am pleased to report that I improved during our time and had a high score of 51. Not too bad for someone who is basically just throwing the bowling ball lol. Regardless of if we did well on our turns, we celebrated hard. Victory dances, cheering, whooping – the whole nine yards. And, whenever a strike or spare was scored we celebrated harder. If this is what bowling is, I deeply regret waiting this long to try it again.

During our time at the bowling alley, we all decided that this is going to be our new thing. The way Johnny and I see it, there is no other sport that encourages you to eat and drink booze while playing! Our plan is to start doing monthly or bimonthly trips to the bowling alley with Andrew and our bestie Cliff to form an informal friendship league. Maybe we’ll even shoot some content for a fake bowling documentary we made up called “Ballz: A Bowling Story”. We have several ideas for this and I think it would be hilarious if we turned it into a web series. We’ll see what happens. 😀

Not going to lie, I was sore AF the following day after hurling a bowling ball for two hours straight. But, it was so worth it and fun and I can’t wait to go again!

What is your favorite sport to play with friends? Do you go bowling often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar16

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Mystery Guest By Nita Prose Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Mystery Guest By Nita Prose Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club. Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. This is the sequel to a book that I love so very much called The Maid and I simply devoured it. It was so nice to be reunited with our delightfully quirky heroine, Molly, and I honestly miss her already. She is one of my absolute favorite literary characters and The Mystery Guest puts her smack dab in the middle of another murder in the Regency Grand Hotel. Before we begin the review, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Mystery Guest for murder and sexual assault. Now, let’s get to it:

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We begin The Mystery Guest in the Regency Grand Hotel where Head Maid Molly is prepping for a very important day. In the newly renovated tearoom, the hotel will be hosting an esteemed guest for a lecture. His name is J.D. Grimthorpe and he is a world famous mystery author who skyrocketed to fame thanks to his novel, The Maid in The Mansion. Not only will J.D. be giving a speech, but he will also be making a surprise announcement and everyone is on pins and needles for it – especially his diehard fan group of middle aged mystery novel aficionados.

As J.D. takes the stage, Molly is in awe of the beauty that was created in the hotel’s new tearoom. She is also beaming with pride as her Maid In Training, Lily, delivers J.D.’s tea cart to him. Before he begins his announcement, he takes a cup of tea with a heaping spoonful of honey, sips, and drops dead. Yet again, another man of power has expired in the Regency Grand. Unlike last time, however, Molly is more closely related to the deceased than she originally leads on.

Once the celebrated author hits the floor, all chaos ensues and before she knows it, Molly is face to face with her arch nemesis, Detective Stark. She is a brusque woman who never quite understood Molly’s quirks or her eye for details. She’s more focused on how Molly always seems to miss the obvious. Oh, and how Molly and Lily both had handled the tea cart that J.D. died after drinking from. Whoever committed the deed is still at large at the Regency Grand and it is up to Molly to protect herself and Lily. Will the murderer be found? Or will the repeated phrase throughout the book “the maid is to blame” ring true? Read The Mystery Guest to find out!

Cracking open The Mystery Guest was like being reunited with old friends. I was elated to be back in Molly’s world with the people and places that bring her joy. The Maid series features characters that are just impossible not to fall in love with. Kindly Mr. Preston, Molly’s beloved Juan Manuel, and the other maids on her staff were welcomed back into my heart with open arms and it was like a warm hug. Even the Regency Grand felt like a familiar place to me and it was so easy to imagine myself there with Molly through her vivid descriptions.

The Maid series is your classic whodoneit and The Mystery Guest was no exception to the formula. It lacks in the true suspense of my usual “LifeTime movie thrillers”, but is there in a different way. Molly is finally finding her footing in the world at the start of this book and it was painful to know that it might be taken away from her. She is such an unlikely heroine and that just adds to her charm. Sometimes, it’s the most unlikely people who surprise us all, though, and Molly’s transformation throughout this book is a testament to that. So much so, that she might even be considering a change of career?! Fingers crossed for a third Maid book ASAP!!

I am going to award The Mystery Guest with the coveted ten out of ten stars. If you enjoyed The Maid as much as I did, you will be head over heels for its sequel. And, if you haven’t read the series, I can’t recommend it enough!

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

Mar1

5 Hobbies You Need To Try This Year

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5 Hobbies You Need To Try This Year

What are your hobbies? How many times have you been asked this question? Both on a personal or professional level? Not everyone has hobbies they want to share with others for various reasons. But what if you don’t? What if you need a new way to spend your time to stop your doom scrolling online before bed or to replace bad habits with new ones? Whatever your reason for needing to find a new hobby this year, these suggestions could be exactly what you need:

Reading:

These days, you can read in many formats; you don’t even need a book in front of you, and you can listen to audiobooks if picking up a book doesn’t appeal. Or you can purchase physical copies of books or read digitally if you prefer. And the context doesn’t even matter. You can read fiction or nonfiction. Choose to learn more about history, pick autobiographies, read science fiction, romance books, or anything else you wish. There is no one right or wrong way to read as long as you’re enjoying the content you’re consuming.

To start reading, you can simply buy a book from a bookstore. Find a good bookstore with a Sandwich Shop to help you find a reading community if you prefer to be more social with your new hobby. Alternatively, you can borrow books from a library, read on a Kindle, or listen to audiobooks. It’s entirely up to you. Why not look for book clubs in your local area to add to the social element if you wish?

Cooking and Baking:

Everyone needs to eat, and cooking is a handy skill pretty much everyone needs. It doesn’t matter what your starting point is; you can always pick up new kitchen tips, try new cooking methods, and try new foods. From baking cakes to creating desserts, experimenting with fine dining options, perfecting your traditional classics, getting to grips with the basics, learning new knife skills, or perfecting the prep work and cutting ingredients there is so much to learn. Cooking is the ideal hobby to take up this year and will be one of those skills you are always going to need for yourself, family, or guests.

Camping:

If you’ve never tried it before, why not make 2024 the year you get back to basics with nature and spend a night or two under the stars? Camping can be a great way to help you unplug and relax in nature. It isn’t for everyone, and if the thought of sleeping on the ground in a tent isn’t for you, you can try glamping, sleeping in your car at a pitch, or spending a weekend in an RV, maybe.

Plenty of options like Camping in the New Forest (or a similar campsite in your local area) offer so much more to do than just camping. Your site could be located a short walk away from wineries, night hikes might be offered, or activity stations for archery or axe throwing could be featured. There is something for everyone when you go camping! Taking time away from the world to fully relax in beautiful surroundings can help you find a new lease on life and a hobby that can become a permanent feature in your life.

Get Creative:

If you like to express yourself, then why not try your hand at one of the many different creative hobbies out there? You can try drawing, painting, writing, photography, sculpting, upcycling clothes, and so on. Use your creative license to help you think outside of the box and express yourself in a way that only art and creative hobbies can allow. You don’t even need to be any good at it; you simply need to enjoy what you are doing. You can do this at home on your own, rope family or friends to take part alongside you, or find classes or groups in your local area to help you pick up new skills and meet new people at the same time.

Look at what you could spend your money on to get creative. From refurbished machines for embroidery projects to adult coloring in books, there’s plenty out there to get creative with.

Learn A New Language:

Have you always wanted to learn a new language or pick up a few phrases to help you navigate foreign countries when traveling? There are over 7,000 languages spoken in the world, and you can choose to learn as many as you wish. If you want to be able to learn a different language, you are more likely to come across one of the top spoken languages in the world: Chinese, Spanish, English, Arabic, and Hindi. But you can learn any language whether you plan to use it regularly or not. Why not consider learning ASL? Sign language is an underrated skill, and being able to converse with and include the deaf community in conversations is something that will be appreciated and helpful in many situations, whether you know anyone who is deaf personally or not.

Finding a new hobby for this year can enrich your life in so many ways. You can start plenty of hobbies for free and make them a regular part of your life. And if you don’t enjoy it? Then, you simply go back to the drawing board and start again!

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Feb23

Lil Red’s Book Club: No One Can Know By Kate Alice Marshall Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: No One Can Know By Kate Alice Marshall Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today we are going to discuss a thriller by Kate Alice Marshall called No One Can Know in a spoiler free setting. It has been a minute since I had the chance to read one of my beloved “LifeTime Movie” books, as Johnny likes to call them lol. Hey, he’s not wrong – the books I tend to like do read exactly like a LifeTime flick! No One Can Know was a recommendation from my big sis as we tend to both read the same things. She gave this book rave reviews, but it wasn’t my fave. Before we begin our review, I will be placing a trigger warning on No One Can Know for murder, child abuse, animal cruelty, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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Emma Palmer and her husband, Nathan, are officially down on their luck. Nathan lost his job, meaning they can no longer afford the house they planned on purchasing. They have to vacate their current housing and to top it off, Emma is pregnant. With no family to turn to and no other options available, they end up in Emma’s childhood home which hasn’t been occupied in a long time. The only thing remaining there is the horrible memories that Emma endured throughout her life.

Emma and her two sisters, Juliette and Daphne, lived in a gorgeous mansion with their parents in their youth. They had everything and wanted for nothing. Well, except for normal, loving parents that is. Emma and her siblings were subjected to physical and verbal abuse from their mom and dad. Juliette, as the eldest, did what she could to appease her parents to avoid their beatings. Daphne, the baby, was her father’s favorite and didn’t get the worst of it. That was all left to the middle child, Emma, who refused to obey the rules. Rather, she laughed at them.

All of the girls had had enough of their parents. But, enough to kill them – who’s to say? One night, when the girls were “sleeping” in their tree house, Irene and Randolph Palmer were shot to death. Although she was never arrested, Emma was the prime candidate for the murders in the name of protecting her siblings. Unsurprisingly, Emma isn’t popular in her original neck of the woods and, although it is expected, it is a harsh reality to return to after all of these years with her husband.

As Nathan and Emma set up their new digs, they are treated to vandalism and a near obsession with the cop who tried to arrest Emma as a teenager. Instead of constantly running from her past, Emma decides to face it head on to try and find out what really happened the night of her parents’ murder. Her sisters have to know something but, then again, Emma wouldn’t know because they have been estranged for fourteen years. Until now. If Emma didn’t kill her parents and she believes her sisters didn’t either, then there is still a killer at large. Can Emma, Daphne, and Juliette solve the case? Or will Emma finally be behind bars for her parents’ murder? Read No One Can Know to find out!

Based on the synopsis, No One Can Know sounds exactly like a book that I would like. I thought it was well written and the ending was pretty good even though I figured it out almost immediately. My major qualm with this book was the characters because they were, truly, nothing to sneeze at. To me, a book just isn’t great if I can’t get behind the main character and that’s how I felt about Emma. During the entirety of reading this book, I wanted Emma to get that bite back that she had in her youth. Rather, she was vague, distant, and read as weak. There was nothing exciting about her and nothing particularly likeable about her either.

I think I would have liked this book more if any of the characters had any redeeming characteristics, but that wasn’t the case. Juliette came off as insanely arrogant and sneaky and Daphne was just all together off putting. And, don’t even get me started on Nathan because he actively sucked. Perhaps the only person likeable was Gabriel, Emma’s old high school crush, but he was so rarely in the book that it didn’t even matter. With this combination of one of the worst casts in a book I have read recently, it certainly dragged on and I was SO ready for it to be over.

I am going to rate No One Can Know with a three out of ten stars. I thought it to be lackluster, at best, and wouldn’t recommend it. Whomp, whomp.

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

Feb6

Cooking Extravaganza

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Cooking Extravaganza

Hello!! To me, there is nothing better than grocery shopping. I love that first week of groceries feeling when you have all of the ingredients you need to make delicious meals. Despite a crazy busy schedule, I try to cook dinner as often as I can. Cooking is something I take a lot of joy in and it makes me feel good to make something that other people are going to enjoy. Whenever I make anything, I like to bring a serving to my beloved downstairs neighbor and parents too and I live for when the food is praised! I am seriously one of those people that ask “Do you like it?” ten times during a meal lol. What can I say, I thrive on positive reinforcement!

This past week, I truly outdid myself with fried mozzarella sandwiches, jalapeno popper quesadillas, and baked cacio e pepe. Everything turned out amazing and we had leftovers for days! Check it out:

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When I go grocery shopping, I like to get the ingredients to try at least one new recipe. Other than that, Johnny and I have a lot of tried and true meals and will both be happy whenever I make them. This is my second time making the baked cacio e pepe and it turned out even better than my first attempt. I thought the sauce turned out much creamier, it wasn’t as overpoweringly peppery, and the gnocchi was cooked to perfection. I was thrilled about this because I hosted a friend for dinner when I made it and I never want to serve anything that is less than awesome.

Last weekend, Johnny and I had some friends over for a viewing of the Royal Rumble. Jalapeno popper quesadillas were the way to go to feed our guests and they are always a huge hit. Although the prep work is a bit tedious, it’s such an easy meal to make and turns out fabulous every time. Literally all you have to do is cut the jalapenos and broil them. Then you assemble the quesadillas with cream cheese, shredded cheese, crushed up tortilla chips or Nacho Cheese Doritos, and the jalapenos. All that’s left is to fry them up!

While I love cooking for just me and Johnny, it was a huge treat to be able to share meals with our friends too. And also a huge treat to have tons of leftovers! 😀

What are some of your favorite meals to make? What is something that you take pride in? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb4

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Woman In Me By Britney Spears Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Woman In Me By Britney Spears Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! After attempting to read the most boring book of all time, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into the much anticipated memoir by Britney Spears called The Woman In Me. My sister and I are diehard Britney fans and have been since our youth. She is and always will be the Princess of Pop and the news of the abuse she suffered under her conservatorship simply devastated us. Being able to read Britney’s story in her own words after she was silenced for so long was a gift and this book was truly unputdownable. Before we begin our spoiler free review, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Woman In Me for physical, mental, and emotional abuse and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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The Woman In Me chronicles Britney Spears’ life from her youth to the end of her conservatorship. Growing up, Britney lived with her parents and older brother (Jamie Lynn wouldn’t be born until years later). They were extremely poor and Britney’s mom and dad had a tumultuous relationship. Her father, Jamie, was an alcoholic who would disappear for days on end. Her mother, Lynne, shared a love for the drink as well and was extremely vocal in her displeasure towards Jamie. Britney can recall being kept up at night listening to her mother scream, padding into the living room, and begging them both to be quiet and go to bed.

Despite the sadness of growing up in a family so broken, Britney found joy in singing and entertaining her family and neighborhood friends. Everyone knew she was someone special and Britney was determined to make her dream to be a singer and dancer come true. Britney’s mom signed her up for dancing and acting classes and began signing her up for talent shows that her daughter shined in. She soon had an agent and auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club. She was rejected for being too young and ended up working in New York City as an understudy for a Broadway show.

After a year or so, Britney auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club again and earned the part. She spent long hours in rehearsal and enjoyed her time with her follow cast. Especially her soon to be love, Justin Timberlake. After the Mickey Mouse Club ended, Britney and her parents decided that she should pursue a career as a solo artist. She began working on her single “…Baby One More Time”, which would elevate her into pop stardom.

After the raging success of her first song, Britney became a household name and was on cloud nine. Tours, awards, having fun, and living her dream. She began dating Justin and believed in her heart of hearts that she found love. Unfortunately, her and Justin didn’t stay together for forever like she imagined. He ended up breaking up with her and she was left in pure shock from the betrayal of the man she wanted to marry. While Justin lived his best life, she described herself as “comatose” in her family home in Louisiana.

The breakup left Britney in a bad place and began her public downward spiral. She had one unsuccessful relationship after the next and was consistently hounded by the paparazzi. Her light during this time was finding Kevin Federline, marrying him, and having her two beloved sons. Things were great with Kevin for a while, until they weren’t. He would deny her access to her children and they filed for divorce. During this time, Britney was suffering from severe postpartum depression and was breaking down in front of the world.

Her public outbursts led people to believe that she was mentally unstable and incapable of caring for herself. So her dad did what any father would do and placed her under a conservatorship. In this arrangement, he had complete control of not only her finances but her entire life. When Jamie said jump, she had to ask how high. She was worked to the bone, denied the food she wanted to eat, and could barely see her children. Britney was subjected to unwanted treatment in rehab facilities that led her to be put on lithium. All the while, the lawyer who she was appointed to was less than helpful and she was never made aware that she could request her own counsel.

After the rehab stint that put Britney on lithium, she was done. She was hurt, angry, and completely traumatized and realized that she had enough. Britney also found that she had the strength to change things and was uplifted by the #FreeBritney movement. She fought tirelessly to come out from under her father’s thumb after thirteen years of living as a prisoner and won. After living for other people for so long, Britney is now learning to live for herself, have fun, and be her own woman.

Reading The Woman In Me was a heart wrenching experience. I was well aware of everything that was touched on in her memoir, but it is so different when you’re reading it and it’s coming directly from her. The book was honestly like reading something that was written by a high school student and that made me sad. It really was a direct reflection of how stunted she was in her life and made it hard to remember that she’s a woman in her forties. While this book was upsetting to read in that sense, it was also extremely endearing and her words and humor still made me smile.

What amazed me in this book was Britney’s strength. It was something that she didn’t believe that she had, but it’s so apparent on every page that she has always been a warrior. Even on her darkest days, she still found something to hope for and dream about. It was empowering when Britney chose to fight rather than continue to be victimized by her father. She has always been someone special to me and even though The Woman In Me made me an emotional wreck, it made me proud most of all. My biggest hope for her is to find her happiness and I know that she will be able to achieve it. ❤

I am going to rate The Woman In me with the coveted ten out of ten stars. Britney’s memoir was worth the hype and so much more. I cannot recommend it enough and it is a must read if you are a forever fan of the Princess of Pop!

What is your favorite celebrity memoir? What is your favorite Britney Spears song? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Jan27

Lil Red’s Book Club: Ghost Story By Peter Straub (Partial Review) Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Ghost Story By Peter Straub (Partial Review) Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! It has been a fat minute since our last review because I was plugging away at the longest, most boring book I have ever read. It is called Ghost Story by Peter Straub and is one of the few books that I have given up on. Normally, I refuse to not finish a book that I have been reading, but I just couldn’t take it anymore lol. This book is the literal worst and I genuinely can’t understand why Stephen King said it was one of his favorites!! In fact, this was the only reason I wanted to read it in the first place smh. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Ghost Story for violence in all forms and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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LONG story very short… In the quaint town of Milburn resides four old men who call themselves the Chowder Society. During their meetings, each member takes turns telling a scary story. The prompt is “what is the worst thing you have ever done?” The response: “I can’t tell you that, but I’ll tell you the scariest thing I experienced.” Or something along those lines, but you get the point. These stories can be entirely made up or based on fact and the goal is to scare the pants off of each other. Little does the Chowder Society know, their ghost stories are going to come to life and wreak havoc on Milburn and it is up to them to stop it.

Now, with this brief synopsis, one would think that this would be a pretty good read. The plot is decent and has the potential to be truly frightening. However, this was just not the case whatsoever. Ghost Story moved along slower than a snails pace. It was a tedious read and time consuming too. I consider myself to be an incredibly fast reader and I could only finish thirty pages per hour. This book is five hundred and eighteen pages and after almost a month of reading it, I threw in the towel at page three hundred and ninety-eight. Like I said, I literally could not take it anymore.

What I consider to be a saving grace in a book is characters that you can really root for and that was something I didn’t experience in Ghost Story. None of the characters were likeable nor had anything special about them to make things more interesting. And the horror for what is considered a horror book? Minimal, at best. I was hoping for more of the supernatural and what I got was a tired retelling of werewolves and vampires to the point that it was almost comical. If you’re interested in werewolves and vampires, you’re honestly better off reading Twilight!

Ghost Story made me break my golden rule of never giving up on a book and I detest it even more for that. But, with one hundred and twenty pages to go, I refused to spend four more hours on it. Ghost Story will receive no stars and unless you’re a masochist, then I do not recommend it.

What is the worst book you have ever read? What is the scariest book you have ever read? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec28

Hobbies That Are Guaranteed To Beat Stress

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Hobbies That Are Guaranteed To Beat Stress

Stress is a normal part of life, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing things to help to let it go. We need to have healthy methods for coping with anxiety and stress. One of the best ways to do this is to have a hobby. Whether you are crafting with friends or you are choosing to go to the movies, you need a hobby that’s going to make you feel happy. Let’s take a look at the hobbies that are guaranteed to beat your stress for a healthier lifestyle:

Start a collection:

One of the hobbies, as old as time itself, is collecting. When most people think of a collection, they envision someone collecting expensive antiques. But it doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, you could start a very simple collection, especially if you love to travel. You could pick up a key ring at every city you visit and eventually build up a whole world’s worth of key rings on a pegboard. It doesn’t matter what you choose to collect but pick something that you’re passionate and excited about.

Do more with music:

Whether you’re playing an instrument or just listening to more music, it is one of the best hobbies that is going to guarantee that your stress will be beaten. You can pop on some noise canceling headphones and let your favorite songs play through them or you could decide to start some lessons so that you can learn how to play an instrument. There is plenty of music in the world that’s just waiting for you to pay attention to it!

Work on puzzles:

An amazing way to unwind is to start puzzling. Even if you haven’t put together a puzzle in years, you’ll find that working through the challenge of one can be incredibly relaxing. Playing by yourself is a good way to enjoy some solo downtime, but you can grab a friend to do the puzzle with you and still have just as much fun. The best part is, there are so many beautiful puzzles out there and when you’re done, you can either frame them for your house or box them back up again to enjoy another time.

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^^^ Pexels Image

Start baking:

Whether you like to bake cakes or biscuits, it doesn’t really matter. Baking is an amazing way for you to beat your stress. You’ll be able to have easy access to delicious treats, but you’ll be able to watch the pile of ingredients become something beautiful. You can decide to sell them and make a business out of it, or you can just continue to bake at home for your own fun.

Work with your hands:

Sometimes, putting your hands to work can make a massive difference. Whether you are rebuilding a car or you are crafting, you’ll find that your mental health improves when you can put your mind and concentration into something amazing. Building something from the ground up is a huge achievement and it helps to promote patience at the same time!

Learn a new language:

It doesn’t matter whether you only know one language right now, you can still Learn a new language. Everybody has the capacity to learn something new. So start with the basic vocabulary and take your time to understand the history and the culture behind each language you choose to learn.

Not only is having a hobby great fun, but it is a wonderful stress reliever. Try any of the above and shake that stress away!

Featured Image By: Pexels