Tag Archives: lifewithlilred

Jun3

On Fire!

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On Fire!

Hi! Once I give myself a goal, I try my darnedest to stick to it – especially when it comes to my blog and practicing five different languages on Duolingo. I am proud to say that I have accomplished a two hundred and twenty day streak on Duolingo since my last update and I cannot wait until I hit one full year of daily practicing. I also reached a major milestone on WordPress, when a notification let me know that I am on an eight hundred and ninety day streak for posting on lifewithlilred. Woah!!!

When I am on the Duolingo app, the streak counter updates every day once I complete one lesson, so I always know where I stand. However, I have never received a notification for days of writing on WordPress and was blown away when my writing streak was announced. I never really thought about how many days straight I had been blogging on lifewithlilred and felt so proud of myself when I was able to put an actual number to it – which amounts to two years and a hundred and sixty days.

For eight hundred and ninety days, I have wrote before work and on the weekend and have been true to my goal of daily blogging. And, since the pandemic, I have made good on practicing with Duo every day too! These habits have become so ingrained in me and, now, I can’t imagine a day without my morning writing sessions and language learning. Writing and trying my hand at different languages have always been my favorite hobbies and it feels so good to accomplish such big milestones on the things that I am most passionate about.

I am very much looking forward to hitting a one year streak on Duo and a one thousand day streak on WordPress and I don’t plan on stopping there! Here’s to countless more days for all of us to reach our goals – I know we can do it. ❤

Do you have any goals for yourself? How do you stay motivated to achieve your goals? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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May11

Summertime Q & A

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Summertime Q & A

Hi! In Akron, Ohio it has been nonstop rain day after day and I am so over it! The grey, chilly days have left me yearning for summertime weather and fun – especially after my family enjoyed a beautiful preview of what could be when we all went to the zoo together two weekends ago. To put myself into a sunny state of mind as the rain pours down on my apartment skylight, I decided to do a little summertime Q & A so let’s get to it:

What is your ideal weather in the summer? Although I am really looking forward to summertime, I absolutely hate super hot weather. In Lil Red’s perfect world, it would be seventy or so degrees and sunny all season long with a couple of eighty degree days peppered in for swimming.

What are you most looking forward to this summer? My wedding, of course! And Johnny and I share June birthdays exactly one week apart from each other so it’s fun to have combined celebrations for our big days. While there are, obviously, major events that I am looking forward to, I also can’t wait to be more active in the community again now that Johnny and I are both fully vaccinated. His band will begin playing their first outdoor shows in well over a year, which is so exciting!

Where is your dream summer vacation destination? As mentioned before, really hot weather is not my bag at all so a location where it’s a bit cooler would be ideal for me. I would skip the sandy beaches and head for New England. I loved the mild temperatures and the scenic terrain when my family visited Vermont and New Hampshire in my youth.

You won a contest to select three headliners for a music festival. Who are you picking? Well, my whole family was supposed to see the Rolling Stones last year so they would definitely be on the list so Johnny could finally see them live. Then, I would pick Cardi B to keep the party going followed by AFI so we could all have a good cry afterwards.

Do you have a summertime wardrobe staple? Can we all just agree that shaving our legs constantly is such a hassle? Lol, that’s why I love maxi skirts and dresses during the warm weather! They are cute, cool, and cover up my legs when I am too lazy to shave. 😀

Favorite warm weather outdoor activities? Let’s see, I enjoy going for hikes. I like farmers markets and outdoor shopping centers. Zoos and swimming are also always fun. One of the things I love the best during the warm weather is playing outside with my niece with bubbles and sidewalk chalk. There are also a lot of wonderful parks in my area for her to explore too!

Favorite summer memory? One of the best family vacations that we ever took was, easily, Universal Studios in Florida and I often think back to that trip and how much fun we had. I would love to go back!!

How would you answer any of the above questions? Do you have any exciting plans this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar19

Guess What?!

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Guess What?!

Hello everyone! I have got some big news for all of you so I am going to get right to it… JOHNNY AND I ARE ENGAGED!! He proposed to me on Saturday the thirteenth and I am still floating on cloud nine. You guys will have to tune in tomorrow for the full proposal story but here’s a little sneak peek of our day:

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I am, truly, the happiest, luckiest girl in the universe and this past Saturday was one of the best days of my life. I just melt every time I think of how Johnny proposed and we are so excited to share our joy and story with all of you. See you tomorrow! Much love. -Sarah

Mar14

Random Lil Red Fun Facts

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Random Lil Red Fun Facts

Hi! I bet none of you knew before my recent post about my old school phone that I was using such an outdated model. Meanwhile, I am constantly getting comments on it whenever people notice it in public in my neck of the woods! I am very open on both my blog and Facebook page (Sarah Mushenheim) about all of my little quirks and favorite things but I’m sure there are many that I have overlooked. So, today, I am going to share some Random Lil Red Fun Facts that you might not have known before:

  1. My favorite fast food restaurant on planet Earth is and will always be Taco Bell forever and ever, Amen.
  2. I am a Diet Coke fiend and I always have to have it in my apartment.
  3. I never don’t want to watch America’s Next Top Model and freaking love Tyra Banks even though she butchered hosting on Dancing With The Stars.
  4. I used to despise listening to the radio a few years back but now I keep fairly up to date on all of the top forty hits. My current favorite is Dua Lipa – I loved watching her perform on Saturday Night Live!
  5. It’s no secret that I am a die hard TJMaxx Maxxinista and my favorite thing to shop for is definitely shoes. Mainly because you don’t have to worry about them not fitting when you online shop lol.
  6. I worked retail for a good four and a half years as well as participated in theater throughout high school and my early twenties. I still have dreams to this day that I am running late to open up the clothing store I worked at or have forgotten all of my lines before a big show.
  7. I have worked in the care field for people with special needs for over five years now and enjoy my job so much!
  8. I am a really organized and clean person. However, there are just some chores that I freaking hate doing – taking out the trash and cleaning the bathroom, blegh.
  9. Saying I am obsessed with soup is a severe understatement and I will crave a big bowl of French Onion even in the summertime. Don’t even get me started on minestrone, tomato, broccoli cheddar, cauliflower cheese, butternut squash, and lentil soup… The list goes on!
  10. My boyfriend is currently on a huge Popeye’s kick and, I kid you not, just ordered it four times in one week lol. Their biscuits are heaven on Earth. ❤
  11. The things I miss the most during the pandemic include figure skating, seeing family and friends regularly, and going to see my boyfriend play shows with The Outside Voices.
  12. My blog will have its seven year anniversary in September!

What are some fun facts about you? Do you have any questions for me? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar11

This Old Thing

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This Old Thing

Hello!! A fun fact about me that shocks many people is that, at almost twenty-seven years old, I have never owned a smartphone. Rather, I have been steadily rocking a slide up or flip phone for the past thirteen or so years. This is pretty uncommon for someone who works in the social media field but I have stood by my signature catchphrase of “when keyboard phones are no longer made, you can call me on the landline” for over a decade. As you can see, I am pretty old school and this is my current model:

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My whole reasoning behind never owning a smartphone is that I fail to see the point of having immediate internet access wherever I go. Pre-pandemic, I would gain inspiration for my daily blog posts by being out and about and seeing what catches my eye and that would be hard to do if I were scrolling through social media instead of observing and enjoying my surroundings. I also never want to be the friend who is constantly on my phone when I am hanging out with someone. My phone allows me to call and text and that is really all I have ever needed especially because all of my blog pictures are just taken using my iPod Touch.

I have always had a low maintenance “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” approach to technology. However, I’m not saying that it wouldn’t be nice to have a better camera and an Instagram! I just discovered that if I wanted to use the Like To Know It program for my viewers to shop my outfits that I would need an Insta if I don’t want to upgrade to a business plan on WordPress. I am super interested in Like To Know It and don’t necessarily want to change my current plan on WordPress so a smartphone might be the next logical move.

For now, I am fine with the phone that I have had since I was like fourteen lol and I enjoy the novelty of having an actual keyboard to text with. It’s actually a major step for me to even consider wanting a smartphone but I will definitely think more about it if any of you would be interested in shopping my style! So please let me know in the comments and I will stay using Johnny’s phone for OOTD pictures in the meantime. 🙂

What kind of phone do you have? What is your approach when it comes to technology? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar9

Let’s Go Shopping Together!

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Let’s Go Shopping Together!

Hello!! If I had to plan a day in my neck of the woods for a blog reader who has never been to Akron, Ohio before, I always say that we would go shopping at TJMaxx, mani/pedis at Elysian Nails, a trip to the Shear Shop to get our hair done, and Taco Bell to end the day. Sounds perfect, right? While we may never enjoy Taco Bell or some pampering together, that doesn’t mean we can’t shop together because Lil Red just got approved to the Reward Style program Like To Know It!

Like To Know It provides influencers with a way to share links to all of their favorite clothing, accessories, and beauty products and if someone purchases anything, they get a commission. I have been interested in Like To Know It for a while now and I finally decided to apply to it after some encouragement from a fellow blogger who is also on LTKI. I was so happy to have been approved and it really couldn’t have happened at a better time because it coincides beautifully with my Reimagine Your Wardrobe series.

Be on the lookout for lots of fun new fashion on lifewithlilred as well as the potential to shop similar pieces on all of my OOTDs. It will be like we are going shopping together every time you visit my page. If anyone is ever interested, I can also try my hand at styling a look for you for your next big event too!

Who else uses Like To Know It? Do you have any advice for getting started? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar8

Reimagine Your Wardrobe Guest Bloggers Wanted!

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Reimagine Your Wardrobe Guest Bloggers Wanted!

Hello! As I mentioned in my Goddess Style OOTD, I am beginning a new series on lifewithlilred called Reimagine Your Wardrobe. If there is one thing that I miss during the pandemic, other than literally everything, it’s getting dressed up and going out… And TJMaxx, of course. It used to be my favorite thing to put together outfits for work and dates with Johnny or going shopping to pick out something new for his next concert.

Now, for the past year, I have been in an endless cycle of black leggings, skinny jeans, and the same five hoodies lol. I just fail to see the point of getting dressed up or putting makeup on to sit on my couch! My Goddess Style OOTD shoot was the first time I had done myself up since Christmas and it felt so good to play around in my closet and put my makeup on in the, albeit, poorly lit bathroom mirror.

I had, honestly, almost forgotten how truly fun fashion is for me and that is shocking. I never want to have that realization again and that is why I am so excited for this new series. Like getting dressed up to sit at home, shopping for new clothes also seems kind of pointless too. Any wardrobe can start to feel blah without a few refreshers so the focus of this series is to make your closet feel new without doing any shopping. And, with spring just around the corner, it means we can socially distance step out in style!

For me, this will mean finally styling some of the pieces I have that I just never got around to wearing as well as mix and matching textures and patterns. For you, it could be something totally different like incorporating more accessories or colors that you rarely wear. Whatever it is, I would love to feature your Reimagined Wardrobe OOTD on lifewithlilred! If this is something that you are interested in, then please shoot me an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com

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Also, be on the lookout for my OOTD posts because I will also be trying my hand at styling men’s fashion with Johnny! I. Can’t. Wait!!!!

Mar7

What I Wear To Feel Like A Goddess

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What I Wear To Feel Like A Goddess

Hi! I have always enjoyed having guest bloggers on my page because I love interacting with new people in the blogging community. I was so happy when Libby of The Goddess Attainable answered one of my call to actions and in a short time, we have had numerous collaborations. Yesterday, you got to see my Goddess Style OOTD and today we are going to check out Libby’s! Let’s take a look:

What I Wear To Feel Like A Goddess:

This is another lifewithlilred inspired post, and I have to say, Lil Red moved me slightly out of my comfort zone for this one – which is why it’s a perfect Goddess Attainable topic. The life of a goddess is not about remaining static and staying stuck (although of course, that’s always part of life, so don’t panic if you’re feeling stuck), but rather taking chances, embracing opportunities for growth, and essentially, risking making a complete ass of yourself.

Lil Red suggested we each write a post about an outfit that makes us feel like a goddess and, even though I love fashion, I love my style, and I love putting lots of Aphrodite energy into my appearance. I have to say that since quarantine began (almost exactly a year ago), I feel like I have forgotten how to dress myself. I truly have not strayed from the pajama bottom, cotton top, snuggly socks, oversized wool cardigan since probably April 2020. I call this look my Quarantine Uniform and it has served me well. I work from home and I can’t really rationalize stuffing myself into jeans or any kind of cute outfit if I’m just home all day with no one around but my partner (who luckily, happens to think I look adorable in just about anything, including my QU).

The Dress:

I almost never wear dresses. You know why? Because I feel INCREDIBLY feminine, beautiful, powerful, and vulnerable in them, and that’s a difficult way for me to feel in my day to day life (pre-quarantine commuting, working, running around, tasking, etc.). When I put on a dress, I instantly feel like a different woman, and truly do feel like a legit goddess. Dresses are sensuous and drift across my flesh like a wispy, spring-scented breeze. Dresses don’t hold anything in and, for the most part, allow for lots of FLOW. Dresses are essentially portals to goddess galaxies which is why I chose the following:

The Awkward Photo Shoot:

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So, something about me is, I’m pretty super confident about my looks, but get me in front of a camera and ask me to be comfortable…nope…I wilt like a flower in August and just can’t get comfortable. The dress made me feel 100% like a goddess. Getting photographed in the dress made me feel like an ass. But, this is me, The Goddess Attainable, with all of my highs and lows for you to see, and I’m happy to share. Okay, maybe not happy, but willing 🙂

The Accessories:

Another super important subject that I always consider when I’m putting together a look and constructing a goddess outfit, are the accessories. I’m a details girl, and the kind of jewelry I choose is just as important as everything else. I love my accessories and these are the ones that I chose for this look…

Left: Gold hoop earrings that are tarnished and scuffed from keeping them in my jewelry dish and not wearing them for over a year. Middle: The opening at my cleavage was just a bit too open so I cinched it with one of my pearl earrings (love the makeshift accessories!). Right: One of my favorite rings I got from I don’t know where, but do you see how the blue in the stone compliments the blue in the dress?!

Thanks so much lifewithlilred for proposing this joint goddess-bonding article. This was actually super fun and I appreciate the opportunity to explore a bit more of my vulnerabilities, my insecurities, my quirks, and my true beauty. No matter our brand of woman, I think taking the time to explore our femininity and our appearance is a super spiritual act, and yet grounded in the sensuous body. This activity tagged all of the chakras for me (from root to crown) and I feel so complete after writing this post. I seriously can’t wait to do another one of these with you! Tag, I’m it!

Thank you so much again to Libby for sharing her goddess outfit with all of us! Please be sure to check out her page and give it some love. 🙂

What do you wear to feel like a goddess? What is your favorite piece of clothing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar6

Goddess Style OOTD

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Goddess Style OOTD

Hi! You might remember Libby from The Goddess Attainable through her guest post for lifewithlilred or our collaboration article. Libby has become a great friend and is so fun to work with that I just couldn’t wait to do another collab with her and, today, I am going to share an outfit that I feel like a goddess in. This particular outfit was one of the few that I made an effort to put together in the past year due to the pandemic and wore it to visit my cousin’s microblading studio in October. However, I never got a chance to have someone take pictures of it.

Cue: My boyfriend, Johnny! This past weekend when I asked him if he could take my blog pictures for the first time, he happily obliged and with a bit of coaching turned out to be a formidable iPhone photographer. It was impossible to not laugh every time he did his goofy photographer routine of “be a cat, be a tiger”, though!

My Goddess Style OOTD is one that I have no shame in wearing again and again and you might recognize quite a few of the following pieces from previous pictures and posts. But that’s okay! I would like to start doing a new OOTD series to help people re-imagine what they already have in their wardrobe and, because of that, this is the perfect place to start. Let’s take a look at an outfit that makes me feel confident and completely goddess-like:

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Who? What? Wear?

This outfit is really amazing to me for a few reasons and the first one being: How visually interesting it is. My Goddess Style OOTD is like a master class in mixing patterns with like colors and it makes your eyes dance between each different piece. When done correctly, mixing patterns can create outfit magic. However, when done wrong it can look sloppy and we don’t want any of that!

Just remember when mixing patterns that there has to be a similar color linking each piece of your ensemble together. For example, the horizontal striped sweater wouldn’t have worked against the vertical plaid stripes of the pants if they weren’t both of a navy base color. Just like the Sugar Thrillz platforms would have looked out of place if the pink didn’t mesh with the dark rose stripes in the pants and my hair.

You also never want to overwhelm the outfit with multiple loud patterns or accessories. My sweater was bold because the pattern on the jeans used muted colors and thinner lines. I also kept my accessories to a minimum other than simple dangle earrings to keep the outfit looking sleek. You want your outfit to flow as a cohesive look and jewelry, clashing patterns, or unmatched colors all can take away from that.

My OOTD was insanely fun to style but it is even more fun to wear! The first time I sported this look, my sister told me that I looked like a Bratz doll and it was basically the best compliment I have ever received. From that point on, it has since remained in one of my top favorite outfits and I think it’s because of how perfectly it captures my personal style. I love to have fun with fashion and create statement outfits that not only look good but make me feel good and this OOTD legit makes me feel like a model.

While Goddesses aren’t afraid to show their outer beauty, they have inner beauty that speaks for itself and part of what makes this outfit special to me is how well it reflects my personality too. I am a bright, bubbly, outgoing gal who always tries to see the positive in a situation. I also love to make people smile and laugh and I truly feel like you can see all of that in this look.

My personality and fashion sense are two of my favorite things about me and I would consider them to be personal Goddess qualities. My Goddess Style OOTD showcases both of these attributes beautifully and I feel proud to be me when I am wearing it. If that isn’t goddesslike, then I don’t know what is!

I want to thank Libby of The Goddess Attainable so much again for having some fashion fun with me and you can check out her look now or tune in tomorrow to see it here. If you have any OOTDs that you are proud of and would like featured, you can always shoot me an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com 🙂

What makes you feel confident? How would you describe your personal style? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb14

Celebrating My Inner Goddess

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Celebrating My Inner Goddess

Hi!! I love making new friendships through lifewithlilred and I am so thankful to have “met” Libby from The Goddess Attainable who so graciously guest posted on my page a few weeks ago. I was so honored when she contacted me shortly after her post published asking if I would guest blog for her and am excited to explore her prompts of what being a goddess means to me.

Libby encourages and inspires people to not only be the best version of themselves but to love who they are, too. In my post, I wanted to touch on two of her topics, one of which is how I access my inner goddess and the other is how my mom helps determine my definition of a goddess. Let’s get to it!

Celebrating My Inner Goddess

The word “goddess” is often affiliated with a beautiful woman and, while I do feel like a goddess when I am all dressed up, I feel even more so when I am working hard to achieve my goals. Goddesses aren’t just a pretty face but they are also ladies who are determined, strong, and motivated to keep going forward even when things are difficult. A goddess strives for greatness for herself and loved ones while letting her inner beauty shine brightly every step of the way.

My life has been dedicated to working with people with special needs and I have still been seeing all of my clients throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other than when I’m just hanging out with my boyfriend on the couch, I feel most like a goddess when I am at work. I love the families who I help and seeing my clients smile or hearing them laugh makes all of my hard work one hundred and fifty percent worth it. I know that I am doing something meaningful for my clients and myself and the passion I feel for the field I work in and improving people’s lives feels like goddesshood to me.

From sitting down at my laptop to write to the good old days pre-pandemic when I could hit the skating rink for practice, exploring my passions makes me feel immensely proud of myself. I have struggled with mental health issues for a majority of my life and being able to acknowledge that I am doing a good job is something that has never come easy to me. Goddesses not only love the world around them but they love themselves and continuing on with my passions has given me a newfound appreciation for myself that I have never had before. Who knew that that feels like goddesshood, too?!

As I continue on in my own life journey, I turn to a seasoned goddess when I need encouragement: My mom! I am so lucky to say that my mom is my best friend and there is really nothing that a quick phone call or text to her can’t fix. My mom is strong, smart, and simply beautiful inside and out. As a doctor, she has been dedicated to seeing her patients online throughout the pandemic and she was still working even as she underwent cancer treatment. Goddess much?

My mom is so beloved by everyone she meets because she takes the time out of her day to chat with, compliment, and get to know whomever she encounters. She shares her inner light generously and it is absolutely infectious. Whenever I am feeling down, I think about my mom (and dad!) and my favorite memories with them that I treasure so much. My mom sees the best in everyone and not only does that make her a goddess but it makes me feel like one, too, whenever I am around her. ❤

I want to thank Libby so much again for giving me this opportunity of reflection and I highly encourage all of you to get in touch with your inner goddess on her page. You will be glad you did!

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What makes you feel like a goddess? What is something that you’re proud of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah