Tag Archives: holidays

Happy Birthday, Fiance!!

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Happy Birthday, Fiance!!

Hello!! Today is a happy wonderful day because it is my darling fiance, Johnny’s, birthday! Johnny and I have very close birthdays to each other with his being June first and mine on the seventh and it is such fun to have joined birthday celebrations with him. With our birthdays and upcoming wedding, I think we will be celebrating all month long and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Johnny is, truly, one of the best things to ever happen to me and I cannot wait to be his wife. Everything is just so easy with Johnny and I always feel like my best self around him. My life has felt so complete ever since our first date and every day with him is my favorite day because it feels like a brand new adventure. My Johnny is the most talented, funny, handsome (Wa wa woo we wa!) man on the planet and I still get butterflies every time he looks at me.

While I will never tire of our fabulous date days together, my favorite times with Johnny are when we’re just having a night in in our apartment. Our go to option is playing video games together and the laughter is nonstop the entire time. Then, if I’m lucky, Johnny will get out his guitar and play and sing for me. From private concerts and sing alongs to oldies but goodies and the Family Matters theme song, I could listen to him play all day.

I cannot recall ever being this happy before and I have Johnny to thank for that. I am over the moon to be his bride and to love (And slightly annoy!) him every day for the rest of our lives! 😀

Happy birthday, Johnny!

I love you! ❤

Happy Early Birthday To Me!

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Happy Early Birthday To Me!

Hi! If you know Lil Red, then you will know that I simply cannot wait to give people their presents for gift giving occasions. My fiance, Johnny, on the other hand prefers to open gifts until the day of the birthday or holiday or at least get fairly close. So, imagine my surprise when Johnny wanted to give me my birthday presents super early. Our birthdays are one week apart from each other in June and this was an excellent development for me because I had been dying to give him his gifts!

Earlier in May, Johnny gifted me with an amazing standing makeup holder for all of my bits and baubles. And, this past week, he gave me my main gift… the original Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64!

For our one year anniversary, Johnny got me Paper Mario: The Origami King for the Nintendo Switch and this past Valentine’s Day, he gifted me with Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for the GameCube. Can you tell what one of my favorite video games is? To complete my collection, I needed the Paper Mario for the N64 and I also need the one for the Nintendo 3DS. With my early birthday prezzie, I am one step closer to having all of the Paper Mario games and I am eager to give my new (old) one a try as I have never played it.

Time and time again, I am blown away by Johnny’s thoughtfulness more than anything on gift giving occasions. Whenever we give each other presents, it always seems to be exactly what we both wanted. This shows me that we are actually listening to each other when we talk and that is the best gift of all. Johnny is such fun to shop for and he received some Legend Of Zelda Amiibos as well as a blazer from his favorite website, Phix, for his birthday. Nothing was better than seeing the look on his face when he opened them and I can’t wait for a lifetime of birthdays and holidays with him. ❤

What is your favorite video game? Who is your favorite person to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

3 Tips For Buying Gifts In A New Relationship

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3 Tips For Buying Gifts In A New Relationship

You’re in a new relationship and things are going well even though you haven’t been together for long. But then, disaster strikes. Their birthday or a holiday is coming up and you have no idea what to get them. You don’t know them that well yet and it’s tough to work out how much you spend or how romantic you should be with your gifts. Buying gifts in a new relationship is difficult and it can lead to some awkward situations if you miss the mark. But if you follow these rules, you should be able to find the perfect gift:

Talk About Gifts:

Communication is key in relationships, especially when things are new and you are still learning about each other. Before buying gifts for the first time, ask them about it so you can both set expectations. Do they like big gifts or are they happy with something small? Should you set a price limit on gifts? What kind of things do they normally like? Asking these questions means that everybody is on the same page and there are no awkward situations where one person spends way more than the other or you make a big fuss when they don’t like gifts.

Speaking of communication, really pay attention to your partner’s hobbies or when they mention something they would love. For example, if your significant other is an avid golfer, new gloves and golf balls would be very well received. Or maybe there is a movie coming out that they are dying to see? Gift a date night!

Don’t Go Too Romantic:

Some people have a tendency to go for over the top romantic gifts early on in relationships. They want to demonstrate to the person that they really like them and they are invested in the relationship. However, this isn’t always the best way to go because it can put a lot of pressure on that person. It might make them worry that things are moving too fast or that they are less invested than you. So, it’s best to avoid anything too romantic and over the top in the early stages. Look for funny t-shirts for sale rather than a big stuffed bear with a heart. Picking something like a funny t-shirt shows them that you understand their sense of humor and their interests, which demonstrates that you care without putting too much pressure on. Or, you can give a gift that taps into their favorite fandom, which shows that you really are listening to their likes and dislikes. A Game of Thrones fan would love a dark sister sword while a Harry Potter fan would be over the moon with their own wand – no over the top romance required!

Of course, you should never discount flowers as “too romantic” of a gift because everyone loves receiving them! These options for gift hamper delivery Melbourne (or something similar in your local area) are a great place to start for inspiration. Your significant other will receive gorgeous blooms as well as a candle, wine, or candies depending on what you choose. Gift baskets are an excellent gifting idea as they offer a little bit of everything for your partner to enjoy!

Don’t Leave It To The Last Minute:

When buying gifts in a new relationship, it’s important to show that you care and you put thought into your gift. If you come up with something at the last minute, that suggests that you are not invested in the relationship and are not putting effort in. If you do find yourself in a bind, this list of last minute gifts can help you find something good. However, you should try to avoid this situation and start thinking of gift ideas early. Pay attention to your partner and start listing things they are interested in or things that they talked about buying. Other than hobbies, it’s also a good idea to remember certain scents or flavors that your partner loves. A gift like bath and body care or fragrance gift sets could be very well received if you know just what they like! The whole process will be far less stressful if you start early and have plenty of ideas.

Buying gifts in a new relationship can be difficult and you might worry that you gifted the wrong thing. But if you follow these rules, you will be able to make the best choice!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Happy Birthday, Sister!!

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Happy Birthday, Sister!!

Hello!! The birthdays in my family just keep coming because today is my beautiful sister, Kristen’s, big day! My sister is my absolute best friend and I cannot even put into words how proud I am of her. She is a legit wonder woman and I am constantly amazed by her motherhood journey. Her and my brother in law’s daughter, Valerie, is a huge light for me and I have seriously never met a happier, more loved little girl in my life.

Not only is Kristen an incredible mom to her daughter but she is a pet parent and advocate, as well. She has two dogs and two cats and her newest passion is fostering senior dogs from One Of A Kind Pets, the shelter that she works at. Her empathy and love truly knows no bounds and she is so dedicated to giving the best life to the animals who haven’t had it easy. In fact, her most recent senior foster named Baby just got adopted into her Furever Home!

Kristen inspires everyone that she meets – myself especially. As my big sister, I have looked up to her my whole life and that is still the case to this day as twenty-somethings. A sister is a built in best friend and Kristen is always there for me whether I need a laugh, girl time, or to vent. Everything we do together is like an adventure to me – whether it be going to concerts, Taco Bell dates, or taking her daughter to the park to play. I am, honestly, the luckiest girl in the world to be able to not only call her my big sis but my BFF. 

Happy Birthday, Kristen!!

I love you!!!!!!!!! ❤

Happy Birthday, Dad!

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Happy Birthday, Dad!

Hello! As soon as March hits, it becomes a birthday extravaganza in my family. By June 7th, we will have celebrated seven birthdays and each one is extremely special. In fact, today is a very happy wonderful day because it is my dad’s birthday! I am a huge daddy’s girl and can always count on my dad when I need a laugh, advice, or some good company. CHARLES is a man of many talents and I feel so lucky to have spent my life enjoying his beautiful gardens, incredible vacations, and infamous laugh attacks.

Despite my dad’s injury this past month of a broken arm and dislocated shoulder, he still takes care of his animal friends outside every day by filling their feeders. My dad’s appreciation for the outdoors has instilled a “stop and smell the roses” attitude in me and whenever I see spring flowers or hear birdsong, I always think about him and smile.

I love watching my dad be a grandpa to my niece and nephew and, even as an adult, I can still come to him with all of my problems knowing that he will help me. My dad inspires me, humors me, and encourages me and I simply cannot wait for him to walk me down the aisle when Johnny and I get married. I am so proud to be his daughter and it is an honor for him to be proud of me too. ❤

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

I love you!!!! ❤

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!!!

Hi everyone! Today is a happy, wonderful day because it is my amazing mom’s birthday! My mom is my best friend in the whole world and I love spending time with her. She is my partner in crime for everything and we are both really looking forward to her “mother of the bride” status when Johnny and I get married. I am already having so much fun planning out the preparations in my head that her and I can do together.

I treasure every minute I have with my mom and always think back on our pre-pandemic TJMaxx shopping trips fondly as well as the countless hours spent in the kitchen talking, cooking, or playing Scrabble. When something exciting happens, my mom is the first person I want to call and she is always there to comfort me on the not so good days too. Some days when I see her, it just doesn’t feel long enough and we both love to laugh when we end up on the phone with each other an hour later. 🙂

My mom is my hero and I admire her to no end. She is the most caring, strong, resilient, beautiful person I have ever known and I am so lucky to be her daughter. I love you so much, mom!

Happy Birthday!!!! ❤

momm1

Valentine’s Day Celebration

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Valentine’s Day Celebration

Hello! On Valentine’s Day this past Sunday, Johnny and I didn’t do too much of anything because there really isn’t much to do! But that’s A-okay with me since we both still had a great day. Our Sundays have always been what we call “Lazy Sunday” and, as you can guess, we just stay in our pajamas all day and catch up on all of our TV shows or watch a couple of movies. This particular Lazy Sunday which Valentine’s Day happened to fall on was relaxing, as per usual, and a huge treat for me because Johnny got us Taco Bell for lunch which is literally all I wanted since we had already given each other our gifts the week before.

We spent our Valentine’s Day watching the new Saturday Night Live, King Of The Hill, Demon Slayer, and Mad Max: Fury Road at Johnny’s request. We were both so full from lunch that I don’t think we would have done anything even if it was safe to do so! Mad Max was pretty good, despite it just being a two hour long car chase (lol), and Johnny thought it was the funniest thing every time I would yell or gasp about an explosion or close calls with the main characters. I couldn’t help it – Even though it was definitely not my kind of movie, it was still intense AF!

Prior to mine and Johnny’s lazy day, I also got to see my parents, brother, and my lil niece who they were babysitting. I had such a wonderful time making masterpieces with dot markers with Valerie and have her handy work proudly displayed on my fridge. We also had a blast dancing to our favorite songs from Moana, spinning around on our bums on the kitchen floor, and practicing colors and animal noises. My Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without seeing my Val Gal, after all. ❤

Last year’s Valentine’s Day when Johnny and I spent a weekend in Marietta, Ohio while Johnny’s band played a show was, obviously, a lot more exciting. But, despite the circumstances this year, we both still had an awesome day gorging ourselves and getting to know all of our streaming services even better, haha. Any time spent with him is my favorite thing whether it be watching his band play live or just watching an action movie on the couch. Lazy Valentine’s Day was, in our opinion, still a huge success and I am so thankful for every holiday that we celebrate together!

How did you spend Valentine’s Day? What is a typical Sunday like for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Fun & (Video) Games: Valentine’s Day Edition

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Fun & (Video) Games: Valentine’s Day Edition

Hello! Johnny and I are both avid gamers. In fact, we just got done playing about an hour and a half of Diablo III on the Switch before I sat down to write this, lol. My absolute favorite video game of 2020 has to be Paper Mario: The Origami King, which Johnny gifted me with for our one year anniversary this past September. When I first learned that there was a Paper Mario game for the Switch, I was so eager to play it and devoured it in about a month.

I was looking forward to that game so much because, way back in the day, I rented Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door from Block Buster (That just aged me so much!) and never forgot how much fun it was to play. I also never forgot the fact that I got to the final boss but was never able to beat it, smh. After enjoying The Origami King so much, I told Johnny that I would give anything to play The Thousand Year Door again for the GameCube. However, I knew this was unlikely because the GameCube is no longer made, therefore, the used games are uber expensive.

I had come to terms with the fact that I would probably never play my favorite childhood game again – Until Johnny gave me my Valentine’s Day present, that is. My darling boyfriend surprised me with The Thousand Year Door a week before V-Day!

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Johnny spent the Saturday afternoon prior to Valentine’s Day running errands, but he wouldn’t tell me where he was going. I knew he was going to be getting me my V-Day gift, though, through girlfriend instinct and I couldn’t wait for him to come home so I could maybe sneak a peak at what kind of bag it was in! I wasn’t expecting him to give me my gift when he walked in the door but he was so proud of visiting two different Exchanges to get the game that he just couldn’t wait. 🙂

After I gifted Johnny with his prezzie of the LEGO Architecture Paris skyline set, we spent the afternoon with him building our own mini Paris while I played my new game. It was absolutely perfect and The Thousand Year Door was just as fun and adorable as I remember it being. Whether Johnny and I are trying to beat an impossible seeming level of Mario Galaxy or slaying hell’s demons in Diablo III, I love our video game time together.

I am so blown away by Johnny’s gift and how thoughtful it was because it shows me that he listens when I tell him about my favorite things and that’s what means the most to me. Celebrating holidays with Johnny never gets old and I can’t wait for infinite more Valentine’s Days with him. ❤

What was your favorite childhood video game? What video game are you currently playing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat!

LEGO Architecture Paris Skyline Set

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LEGO Architecture Paris Skyline Set

Hi! My boyfriend, Johnny, and I love building with LEGO and we have quite the collection of Harry Potter and Star Wars sets. For Valentine’s Day, Johnny and I never really go overboard with gifts for each other and one of the two things that I got him was the Paris skyline LEGO set from their Architecture collection. Paris is, easily, one of the most romantic places in the world and it is somewhere that I would love to go with Johnny.

Given the world’s current conditions, it will be a long time until we make it there so, for now, our own little Paris on our knick knack shelf will suffice! Check it out:

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When building with LEGO, Johnny and I have our process down to a science. He handles all of the little pieces and details while I build with the bigger bricks because putting the small ones together are impossible with my nails! As you can see, the Paris Architecture set is completely made up of teeny tiny bricks so Johnny built it in its entirety in a matter of an hour while we talked and listened to music. I was blown away by how quickly he got it done!

Our Paris set is the first one that we have gotten together that is not inspired from a movie and it was the perfect introduction to the LEGO Architecture collection. I am so looking forward to when Johnny and I can travel together because I would love to have a LEGO skyline set of the places that we visit. Each skyline set boasts the most recognizable landmarks in each city. For Paris, this included the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Tour Montparnasse, Grand Palais, Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs-Elysees.

Johnny really enjoyed building this set because it was so different than anything that we already have. I am so happy that my Valentine’s Day gift to him was a success and be sure to keep it posted to see what Johnny surprised me with!

Where would you love to travel to? Which LEGO sets do you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sweet Treats For Valentine’s Day

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Sweet Treats For Valentine’s Day

Hi! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and if you are still struggling to come up with some fun ways to celebrate at home, then how about spending an afternoon baking all of the desserts with your SO? Creating confectionery treats together will give you a chance to showcase how well you work as a team and decorating your masterpieces will be a blast. Taste testing them will be even better, though!

If you are lacking inspiration for delicious desserts to try your hand at – fear not! You can extend your date by enjoying a carefully-crafted dessert menu at your favorite restaurant. Who says you can’t eat dessert first?! You might find that delightful treat that you just have to make for yourself! For more ideas on Valentine’s Day sweets, how about trying your hand at making the following?

Chocolate:

Who needs a heart shaped box of chocolate when you can make your own, instead? Two Christmases ago, I made chocolate with my boyfriend’s mom and not only was it tons of fun but the end results were delicious! You can find all kinds of cute chocolate molds, get creative with your color choices, and add on to your pieces of candy with peanut butter, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut. Don’t forget that you can also make chocolate covered pretzels and fruit too. Hello, chocolate covered strawberries!

While chocolate is fun to make, it is also fun to drink too. To add even more chocolate deliciousness to the mix, how about a hot chocolate bar? You can use ceremonial cacao for a rich, bold flavored drink and include all of your favorite toppings. Whipped cream, marshmallows, peppermint bits, and chocolate sprinkles are all excellent options! 

Cake Pops:

If you and yours aren’t big chocoholics, you could try your hand at making cake pops, cupcakes, or just a plain old cake for dessert. Investigate over YouTube and Pinterest for some ideas on how to decorate and see who is the Cake Boss in your kitchen! Red Velvet, angel food, and strawberry cakes are ideal for Valentine’s Day and I love a whipped frosting, myself. And, if whatever form of cake you go with is super successful, you can try this idea again on one of your birthdays. Store bought cake, what?

Ice Cream Sundae Bar:

Ice cream sundae bars are ideal for those who have a sweet tooth and aren’t trying to wait around for a cake to bake! Head to the store together and grab what you both need to build the perfect sundae. Fruits, candies, syrups, and whipped cream are all great starters. If you’re looking for a boozy treat, don’t forget that black or blueberry wine is awesome over vanilla bean ice cream! Love the sundae idea but want more of a challenge? You could make your own ice cream! But, it might be good to have a pint of Ben & Jerry’s for back up. 🙂

If you want to try your hand at making your own ice cream, it’s a great idea to find some inspiration first. Check out the flavors at your local ice cream parlors or you can view Banana Daddy for amazing soft serve and sundaes that are sure to please. If each of you are making your own batch, you could each go for a flavor that compliments the other for a swirl treat. There is nothing better than homemade ice cream so save me a scoop!

Lava Cakes:

I am not a huge fan of cake (the texture bothers me) but I do love a chocolate lava cake every once in a blue moon. The rich chocolate and the gooey hot fudge center topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Forget about it!! Lots of brands have make your own lava cake kits if making it from scratch seems like a daunting task. Homemade or from a box, you will still experience the joy of baking something delicious with your SO.

Don’t Forget:

To add some atmosphere, whether it be fun or romantic, both of you could create a playlist to listen to while you bake. Be sure to grab champagne or sparkling cider when you are picking up your ingredients too!

What is your favorite dessert? How do you plan on celebrating Valentine’s Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah