Tag Archives: holiday season

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Standard
Merry Christmas!!!!!

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas to all of you!!! What a year it has been and I am SO ready for quality time with my family and time off. Other than Thanksgiving day, I have not taken time off since having Covid in September. Minus a few random shifts, I will be taking a whole week off and I could not be more excited if I tried. I can’t wait to watch all of the reality TV, hang with my bunnies, read, and relax. It is going to be just what I need and I hope that you will be able to find the time to recharge and enjoy the holidays too!

I know I say this literally every time a holiday rolls around, but it needs repeated: I am so beyond thankful to all of you wonderful people throughout the blogosphere. Wherever you are, you are special to me and words cannot express how happy I am that out of all the blogs online, you stumbled onto mine. Every day, I am motivated to create content for all of my dear friends and readers and I feel immensely proud of everything we have accomplished together. At the end of the day, I couldn’t do it without each and every one of you. ❤

Merry Christmas and thank you for being you! Much love. -Sarah

image_50461953(8)image_50447105(6)image_50763009(1)image_50459137(11)

Surprise Christmas Trees

Standard
Surprise Christmas Trees

Howdy!!! This past Wednesday, I went on a wonderful walk with my brother at the Overlook hiking trail. At this particular trail, you can stay on a paved loop that takes you to an overlook area that looks down on the Cuyahoga River or you can go rogue on a dirt path that takes you all the way down to the river. We opted to do a few rounds on the half mile loop and I am so glad that we did! During our walk, we saw two Surprise Christmas Trees and I thought it was such a cool and fun idea that I had to share it with all of you. Check it out:

image_50767873(3)image_50769665(4)

The Overlook trail is completely laden with deer and it is nothing out of the ordinary to see them running through the woods or grazing in a clearing. I always say that I am on “deer patrol” on this trail and keep a vigilant eye on the wooded areas for my four legged friends. You can only imagine my surprise when we rounded a curve and it wasn’t a deer I saw, but the littlest Christmas tree (second image) tucked back behind the bigger trees. I was simply enamored with this discovery and loved the fact that someone went out of their way so creatively to spark a bit of holiday spirit for their fellow hikers.

I thought that this tiny taste of holiday magic was a one off until we found another tree (first image) with Christmas ornaments on it. I found myself wondering if it was the original tree decorator or someone else who was inspired by it and decided to do more of the same. Either way, it inspired me and my brother and we both agreed that we should bring some ornaments of our own the next time we hit the Overlook trail. Something tells me that we will be seeing a lot more ornaments upon our return because I think a lot of people will be sharing our sentiments too!

These Surprise Christmas Trees really made me smile and I hope they did the same for you. This was such a unique and special idea and maybe you’ll feel the urge to decorate on your favorite hiking trail too!

Do you like decorating for the holidays? What is your favorite holiday decoration (I love the twelve foot skeletons dressed as Santa!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

New Glitter Gold & Ruby Nails

Standard
New Glitter Gold & Ruby Nails

Hello!! This past week hasn’t been the best for yours truly so it was super nice to take a pause on Tuesday afternoon to get my nails done. I needed a new full set in the worst way and, as always, my nail tech hooked it up! Prior to my appointment, my acrylics felt dangerously close to a break with one wrong move. Now, they feel sturdy and durable and look amazing too. I am loving the glitter color combo I selected and my claws look perfect for the holiday season! Check it out:

image_50424321(12)image_50415361(8)

When I get my nails done around the winter holidays, I like to do something seasonal without being too obvious about it. I have never been one for nail art (way too expensive!) and the only holiday I go all out for is Halloween. To give a subtle tip of the cap to the holiday season, I wanted to steer clear of the traditional red and green motif. That’s not to say that red couldn’t be in the color palette, however, and I opted for a gorgeous glitter ruby and gold, instead. The ruby red had me feeling all of The Wizard of Oz vibes a la Dorothy’s slippers and the gold was like tinsel for a Christmas tree. This color combo feels festive without being too in your face about it and that is exactly what I was going for.

I spent a wonderful almost two hours at Elysian Nails getting all of the pampering done. It always takes a bit longer when I get a full set because soaking my nails off beforehand is an absolute must. I am a huge baby and I cannot stand it when my nails are taken off without a soak. It hurts!! Once my nails were soaked off, it was so weird to see my real nails beneath the acrylics. At this point, acrylics are my real nails so that will forever come as a shock lol. Thankfully, it wasn’t long until my nail tech created brand new nails for me and she crushed. They are strong, shaped to perfection, and I couldn’t be happier with the end result!

These Glitter Gold & Ruby Nails are about as festive as it gets for Lil Red, but I would be a liar if I said they didn’t make me think of Christmas every time I look at them. I can’t wait to celebrate with my family! ❤

Do you get nail art when you get your nails done? How do you incorporate the holiday season into your personal style? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Gifts Of Experience Ideas

Standard
Gifts Of Experience Ideas

Hello!!! It is definitely crunch time for finishing holiday shopping and that can be a difficult place to be. Stores are probably picked over, perhaps some gifts won’t arrive on time for a celebration, or you have no idea what to get someone. But, fear not because there is a solution! We’re talking about the gift of experience. Gifts of experience are an amazing way to go if you are in a bind or are shopping for someone who has everything. Let’s take a look at some ideas to get you started:

Art Classes:

Whether you’re young or old, it’s always fun to try something new and that can be done with art classes. It could be pottery, watercolor, sketching, even glass blowing! No matter what form of art you choose, it will provide a brand new experience for your giftee and that is the whole point. You could even take the class with your giftee for some extra quality time. This is a great option for adults and kids alike and you might just be introducing them to their new favorite hobby.

Gym Membership:

If your giftee has a passion for fitness, why not pay for a month or two of a gym membership? It could be to their own gym or a new one if they don’t have a set place. Most gym memberships include being able to take the classes being offered so you could join in as a guest too! While this is a gift that is more geared for adults, it can be tweaked for kids too. Maybe they want to take swim lessons or a little movers class? The gym can help with that! This is a perfect gift with New Year’s Resolutions being right around the corner!

Scent-sational:

How about some pampering for your giftee? There are lots of specialty boutiques that can help you create your own signature scent for a candle or bath and body care. This is an ideal option for someone on your list who appreciates the finer things in life or who lives for a trip to Bath & Body Works. Bath and body care is always a popular choice for presents and making your own puts a unique twist on a classic gift. I would love something like this!

Date Night:

Do you have any couples on your holiday shopping list? Treating them to a date night will be a huge hit! This could be anything from a nice dinner out to a ballroom dancing class or tickets to a play. You can also make a date night in kit if you can’t find anything out and about that would strike the fancy of your giftees. This could include a bottle of wine and some new board games, a grocery store gift card to cook a meal together, or a few months of a streaming service to watch all of their favorite shows. Whichever way you go, this is a thoughtful gift for the couples in your life.

Body Mods:

There is nothing quite like the experience of a new piercing or tattoo! If there is someone on your list who has an affinity for body mods, then I cannot stress enough how well a gift card to their favorite tattoo or piercing shop will go over. You will have won the holiday celebration, period. Lol, this is coming from my personal opinion as a gal with more tattoos than she can count. Nay, I am a personal expert because I know for a fact your body modded giftee will be psyched!

Gifts Of Experience are a fun take on traditional holiday presents and are a surefire way to go if you are experiencing shopping stress. These gifts are also a lovely way to show that you are actively listening when your giftee talks to you about their hobbies and interests!

What is a gift of experience you have received? Are you all done with your holiday shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Standard
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!!! I have ALL of my beloved green bean casserole to eat and I am sure all of you have gatherings to get to, so I will be brief. On this day of being thankful before everyone goes buck on Black Friday, I want to extend my gratitude to my wonderful friends and readers throughout the blogosphere. Your interest, likes, comments, and everything in between is what keeps lifewithlilred going strong and I couldn’t do it without each and every one of you! ❤

I am especially grateful this year to be celebrating the good health of one of my loved ones and to be able to share in this day all together. Last year was trying times, indeed, so it can only go up from here, right?! I am thankful for my darling Johnny, my family, friends, clients, and all of the amazing opportunities my jobs have given me over the past year. I feel so excited for everything that’s yet to come and that is a pretty excellent place to be on Thanksgiving. 🙂

No matter how you spend your day today, have the best day ever. I know I will!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤

Holiday Shopping – It’s A Wrap!

Standard
Holiday Shopping – It’s A Wrap!

Hello!! One thing that I simply pride myself on is getting my holiday shopping done early AF. I have just a handful of prezzies left to buy, but I am pretty much as good as done and I am thrilled about it. To me, there is nothing better than being able to go into December with nothing to do but relax and wrap gifts up in my apartment workshop. And, let’s be honest, who really wants to go into a store as the holidays approach? They’re all madhouses and the selection is always picked over. If you need a bit of inspo to complete your shopping, here are a few of the things I purchased this year:

Art Gifts:

My nieces and nephew have plenty of toys, so I wanted to steer away from that. Other than just a few toys from TT, I bought some sand art and painting kits for the kiddos that are old enough to do them. Both my older niece and nephew love doing crafts and this was a perfect compromise of something fun that isn’t a new toy to add to their collection. Craft kits aren’t just great for children, but for adults too. There are paint by number kits, rhinestone art, or even supplying the goods for a wine and paint night. No matter your age, it’s exciting to make something by yourself so this is an excellent route to go if you’re in need of ideas.

Gift Cards:

To some people, a gift card is considered a “thoughtless” gift and I say FALSE. Gift cards are the bomb and I am totally fine with giving and receiving them. Don’t let the idea of it being a not well thought out gift deter you from using them because I literally don’t know anyone who isn’t happy to get one during the holidays. Gift cards make a wonderful add on or main gift and it is so nice to be able to treat someone to dinner, a movie, or a shopping trip compliments of you.

Ornament Kits:

During my last shopping trip to TJMaxx, I knocked out a lot of the remainder of my shopping. I was most excited to find ornament kits including one for your pet and one for baby’s First Christmas. If you have a proud pet owner in your life, this would be a really sweet gift for someone to be able to commemorate their fur baby with a paw print ornament. The baby’s First Christmas one was also an awesome find because it will be the first Christmas for my new niece. Thoughtful, effective, done and done.

Books:

The world is filled with an infinite number of books so use them! I purchased quite a few books for this holiday season and I know that they will be a hit with my giftees. Even if the person you’re gifting for isn’t a huge reader, coffee table books on one of their favorite things can make for a unique gift. Or maybe your giftee loves to cook? Pick out a new cookbook and a gift card to their local grocery store for ingredients to cook with! Books are a cool gift because you can add another gift that might fit that book’s theme for a really thoughtful surprise.

Food Gifts:

Food gifts always go over well and I was psyched to have found some nice chocolate gift sets at TJs for my clients’ families. A food gift could be a gift set, sure. But, it could also be a home cooked meal, a mason jar with ingredients for soup or cookies, a gift card to a favorite restaurant, or a meal delivery service. Everyone has to eat and I know your giftee would love a gift basket filled with their favorite ingredients, snacks, or candy!

The holidays are fast approaching and it honestly gives me anxiety that a lot of people aren’t done with their shopping yet lol. I hope these tips will better assist you as you continue to check people off of your shopping list!

When do you start holiday shopping? Are you an early or last minute shopper? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Early Holiday Shopping Pro Tips

Standard
Early Holiday Shopping Pro Tips

Hello!!! I constantly have Halloween on my mind, but I am also thinking about the holiday season something fierce. With a big family to shop for, I like to begin my Christmas shopping early and have already begun as of last month! The mere thought of last minute holiday purchases gives me anxiety and come December, I love being able to fully enjoy the season thanks to a fully complete shopping list. If you are an early holiday shopper too or are trying to get a head start for the first time, here are some of my pro tips:

Make your list:

Before I begin my holiday shopping, I write out a list of everyone I need to shop for. Then, I add vague gift ideas and the hobbies of each giftee for inspiration. This is one of the most obvious tips, but it really does help! With gift ideas clear in my mind, I can then pick up items that fit the bill in stores I’m already going to go to like TJMaxx and Target. Without a solid game plan, it makes it easy to pass by options that would be perfect. Chances are that if you think about it after the fact, the gift you could have bought will be out of stock.

Establish a budget:

After making my list, I create a budget that works for me. This usually looks like “spending X amount per person” and I tend to follow the formula of one bigger gift and a few smaller ones. Of course, I may go over or under budget a little and that’s okay! Having clear guidelines established through a shopping list and budget sets you up with a perfect game plan before you start shopping. A strict budget will also keep you from overspending, which is SO easy to do during the holiday season!

Make the most of rewards:

Every little bit helps during holiday shopping and rewards programs are my best friend. For example, I stockpile my points on Amazon that I receive from my credit card throughout the year. By the time I’m ready to start purchasing presents, I can get some of them for free! If you are a gift card giver, your grocery store might offer bonus points on your rewards card like mine does. The moral of the story? Learn about the rewards from each place you plan on shopping at and other stores too. Just by signing up, you can usually get a free product or a percentage off of your first purchase. Even if you never shop there again, it’s great to get deals and you can give yourself some extra wiggle room on your budget.

Peck away:

What helps me the most with managing my budget is making purchases here and there. While I might do some bigger hauls later in the season, I try to buy a handful of gifts each month leading up to the holidays. There is nothing worse than being stuck with a huge bill and breaking up your buying into pieces eliminates that possibility. Throughout September until mid November, I peck away at my list and then do a bigger order or shopping trip for the remainder of what I need. This has always worked really well for me!

My heart says Halloween, but my mind says shopping smart for the holiday season. All of the tips above are what I use to make my early holiday shopping successful. There is nothing better than being done way ahead of time! 😀

Are you an early or last minute holiday shopper? What are some of your holiday shopping pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy New Year!!!!

Standard
Happy New Year!!!!

Hello everyone and a very Happy New Year to all of you!!! I am so thrilled to be able to celebrate another holiday here on lifewithlilred and continue on with another year of daily content and fun on my page. Most importantly, I’m excited to share it with all of my dear friends and readers and I thank each and every one of you for stopping by! I don’t know about all of you, but 2022 mainly sucked eggs for me so here’s to lots of good things in store for 2023. And, yes, I definitely did type 2022 first instead of 2023 lol I’ll be doing that for a while. *Face palm*

I have never been one for making New Year’s Resolutions like working out or eating less Taco Bell and when I have, I didn’t keep them. Rather, I like to set goals that I want to accomplish in the new year and see what happens. For example, it would be awesome if the followers on lifewithlilred and my social media platforms (Instagram @lifewithlilred94 and Facebook is: Sarah Mushenheim) increased and I will be working hard to achieve that. I would also LOVE to take a mini vacation of some kind with Johnny, which would be our first time doing so. Maybe this summer?!

As you might have deduced if you keep up on my page, the last several months of 2022 were not good for me in any way shape or form. So, I am trying to manifest all of the positive things to come mine and my family’s way in 2023. I think we could all use a break! During happy or sad times, however, it always brings me joy to sit down and write a post for my blog and I am so thankful to have that and all of you as a constant in my life – no matter what the year is! ❤

I hope that all of you and yours have the happiest, most prosperous, and safe new year. Have a blast celebrating and keep it locked for another year of your favorite Lil Red blogger! Here’s to 2023 – Let’s make it our best year yet!

Happy New Year!!!!

image_50735105(1)

Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions? Was 2022 a good or bad year for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

Standard
Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

Hello! On Christmas Eve, Johnny and I celebrated with his wonderful parents and Aunt Elaine and it was a hoot! We had a delicious dinner, opened gifts, and continued on with the thirty year strong Miller family tradition of watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We spent a fantastic day together and it felt so warm and fuzzy – both from the family love and the fact that it was way warmer at Chez Miller than it was in mine and Johnny’s apartment! As always, Johnny’s family spoiled us rotten and we are so appreciative for their way too generous gifts. Check it out:

image_50429953(7)image_50733825image_50431233(3)image_50391041image_50444033(3)image_50418433(5)image_50443265(5)image_50461697(3)

This is my third Miller Christmas and just when I thought that my second family couldn’t outdo themselves any more in their holiday game, they proved me wrong. Johnny and I were blown away by our gifts under the tree and in our stockings and our gifters truly know us too well. Three or so days before we celebrated, Johnny was so close to buying the Willie Nelson Chia Pet at Walgreen’s! I was really surprised that Johnny didn’t make the purchase and part of me thought he was holding off to make it a post Christmas treat. That’s one future errand to cross off the list. 😀

My favorite gift from this haul has to be the hilarious mug my father-in-law gifted to me. I haven’t been tempted yet to send Johnny off to the circus but this mug has certainly given me some ideas to think about. 😉 Johnny’s dad also gifted us with the spray fire extinguishers. He is the king of funny and practical gifts! And, can we talk about how adorable the Son’s Survival Kit is that Johnny’s mom got him as a stocking stuffer? I thought that it was so sweet and had to include it in this post even though it’s not mine. ❤

Aunt Elaine gifts me and Johnny with our absolute favorite chocolates from Boston every year. They are simply the best and we have been making very quick work of our Christmas candy selection! Candy is synonymous with Christmas at the Miller home. My mother-in-law makes amazing homemade chocolates that are seriously to die for. I actually have one of her huge homemade candy trays at my parents’ house that I can’t wait to dig into later today!

I am lucky enough to celebrate every holiday with two families that I love so much and this Christmas was a GREAT SUCCESS. I’m already excited for next year’s celebration! 😀

What kinds of gifts did you give this holiday season? What is your favorite gift that you received? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Presence Is A Present OOTD

Standard
My Presence Is A Present OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This little fit was worn during my Christmas celebration with my family and it was such an amazing day. My Presence Is A Present might be a cocky title for a holiday outfit, however, I had to let it be jokingly known to everyone since I was sporting an adorable bow headband! This outfit isn’t the most exciting but it was perfect for the day of running around after three small children and kept me warm with the frigid temp of negative four. Yikes! Check it out:

image_50397441image_50375169(1)image_50364673image_50386945(2)image_50349825image_50402049(4)image_50411009(3)

Who? What? Wear?

This outfit is actually a very far cry from what I had in mind. Originally, I was planning on wearing a skirt and jacket combo to my family Christmas extravaganza. Obviously, it didn’t end up hitting the way I had hoped for and, honestly, it was a good thing. It was SO. Freaking. Cold. and rather than spend time trying to make a less warm outfit work, I scrapped it entirely for a look that I wouldn’t completely freeze my nads off in. I also wanted an outfit that kept me comfortable as I tried to keep up with my nieces and nephew!

With simplicity, warmth, and comfort being the new focus, my striped sweater by Philosophy was the optimum choice. It is so soft and I love the way it fits. It has just the slightest touch of slouch in the sleeves while being more form fitting in the torso, which is refreshing after endless aisles of oversized cold weather apparel. And, although this holiday fit ended up being basically All Black Everything, the poppy bright stripes added some festive cheer. This sweater was an awesome purchase and it served me well in the clutch when my first fit was an epic failure.

Since a skirt wasn’t in the cards, the only other option for bottoms was a pair of jeans and I wore my old standby from American Eagle. I sure as hell wasn’t going to be wearing the distressed pair with under zero degree weather! As always, the jeans from AEO are the absolute best. They fit so well and hug the curves of my body without being too tight. I have never owned a better pair of pantaloons in my life and can’t recommend them enough if you are on the hunt for a good pair of skinnies.

For accessories, not only was my original outfit a bust but so was my hair. It just wasn’t behaving the way I wanted it to and I was getting so annoyed lol. After what felt like forever of mussing and tussing my hair in the bathroom mirror, I threw my hands up and said “Screw it, I’m getting a headband”. The green bow band that I selected was bought for a dollar at a local discount store and it was just what I needed to tame the beast of my mane and incorporate some holiday fun.

With a headband on, I didn’t want to overdo it with a flashy pair of earrings to avoid looking cluttered. So, I kept things simple with a pair of Betsey Johnson earrings in a lovely teardrop shape. This pair was ideal because it didn’t hang too low and, of course, I like anything with skulls on it! These earrings were a gift from my mom two Christmases ago and I was happy to break them out for our celebration this year. ❤

Finally, it was time for shoes and I selected my pair of Olivia Millers. I purchased these for twenty dollars last winter and they are adorable and of such good quality despite the discounted price. The white stitching around the chunky base is such a cool detail and the bold silver chain turns the basic shape of the boot into something special. Granted, I did slip a little outside in these babies in the snow and ice but that’s neither here nor there. 😉

Even though my presence wasn’t a present in the OOTD I had planned for, I still like this one all the same! Keep it posted for bloopers from this look tomorrow!! ❤

How did you celebrate the holidays? What did you wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah