Tag Archives: love

Warm Fuzzies

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Warm Fuzzies

Hiiii everyone! We interrupt today’s scheduled post on the Huda Beauty Emerald Obsessions palette to report some Warm Fuzzies bestowed onto Lil Red compliments of my beloved mother. As you guys know, I had some major surgery complications this past month and was a hot mess express for basically all of December. I was in a lot of pain and I’m just now feeling like I’m on the mend.

During the first day of my upswing, I spent it watching TV and reading in a big comfy armchair in my living room instead of being cooped up in my bed too groggy to move. My mom was home from work that day and sat on the futon next to me to fold some laundry.

While she was going through the clean clothes, I noticed a new towel that she scored through a JCPenny or Kohl’s Cash coupon FO FREE (A classic mom trick!). I had used that towel a few days ago after struggling through a shower and told her that it was nice and soft and that I liked the color, a dark heather grey. She told me that she liked it too and that I should have it in my bathroom.

When I woke up the next morning, this is what I noticed on my towel rack:

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I am in the worst pain of the day when I wake up and going into my bathroom and seeing the soft towel waiting for me made my misery slightly more tolerable. I was so touched by such a simple gesture and it can really only be described as the Warm Fuzzies. I love sweet little somethings like this so much and, despite hurting so badly, it made me happy. Moms always seem to know just what to do, even in the worst of times and I think my mom knew that one extra warm hug is just what I needed that day. ❤

What is something that gives you the Warm Fuzzies? How do you show kindness in simple ways? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Haulidays: Mom & Dad Edition

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Happy Haulidays: Mom & Dad Edition

Hi! In today’s Haulidays post we will be looking at some polar opposite prezzies from my mom and dad. This year, things were a little bit different becauuuuuuse *drum roll please* my dad actually picked a present out for me! Haha, my dad is notorious for the ol’ presents “from mom and dad” trick and I think that he’s always just as surprised to see what my mom picked out as we are. So, it was an extra special touch that I got the perfect daily calendar from my beloved dad! Take a look:

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The Haul:

  • Daily True Crime calendar
  • Betsey Johnson gemstone snake wrap around necklace

My dad knows me all too well, because I couldn’t have asked for a better day by day calendar if I tried. He knows that I am an absolute horror junkie so I guess when he saw these daily factoids about crazy killers, it spoke to him. And, I don’t see why it wouldn’t, with a caption like “wife cannot recall cutting off his penis” on the front! My dad seemed very pleased with his purchase and, as morbid as it is, I’m flattered that this made him think of me. 😀

And, from my mom, came a gorgeous Betsey Johnson snake necklace that I’ve had my eye on from TJMaxx. I have a pretty sizeable collection of snake themed jewelry and I am so happy to be able to add this necklace to it because I freaking love it. It’s just beautiful! The dazzling colors and the slithering surprise of what the necklace actually is shaped as is so me and I cannot wait to break this baby out!

How do your parents buy your Christmas presents? What is one of the most thoughtful gifts you received this hauliday? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Your Checklist To Prepare Your Home For A New Dog

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Your Checklist To Prepare Your Home For A New Dog

Getting a dog and bringing it to your home can be a huge milestone for the entire family. From a new puppy to adopting a dog, there is so much fun and excitement that comes with a new pet for the family. The environment that you bring them home to is so important, though, and the first day that you bring them back is crucial, too. Your dog is going to be full of nerves and excitement, as they are brought into something so different than what they have been used to. So being able to make them as comfortable as possible is key. With all of that in mind, here are some things that you can do to make sure that the transition to getting a new dog goes well:

Prepare All Household Members:

If you have other family members in the home, even if it is just you and your partner, you all need to be prepared for the new arrival. If you have children at home, then it is a good idea to talk to them about what is going to be happening. It is also wise to assign out the expectations of welcoming a new dog into the home, as well. If you expect the children or teenagers to help with walking the dog, then they need to know ahead of time that it is what you expect of them.

Get The Right Equipment:

Before you bring the dog into your home, you need to make sure that you have all of the right equipment in to make things more comfortable for your dog. A dog bed, bedding, bowls, toys, and food is a must, of course. The food can be trial and error with a new dog but starting with something like TreeHousePuppies could be a good idea. Vitamins can be a good for your dog, too.

Puppy-Proof:

All dogs are going to react differently to different things and the new environment that they are going to presented with. But it can be made much simpler by making sure that you have done your bit to puppy-proof the home. It could be simple things like putting houseplants out of reach for your dog or moving things like roach traps out of the way, too. If you don’t want them to go upstairs, then getting gates for the stairs, much like baby gates, is going to be a great idea and using them right from the start is a must to avoid confusion.

Getting a vet for your dog is one of the things you should do once they’re all settled. This can be especially important if you are adopting a dog as you won’t know what the state of their health could be. But most of all, enjoy your time with your new addition to the family!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Helping An Elderly Relative With Their Medical Needs

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Helping An Elderly Relative With Their Medical Needs

Unfortunately, age comes for us all, and is coming for us right now. Some age like a fine wine in terms of health, while others struggle. Most have at least one issue they need to manage, and do so with care. However, as someone ages it can be harder to keep up this maintenance, as well as dealing with new issues that are sometimes natural, sometimes not depending on their circumstances. The best thing that you can do for your elderly relative is provide love and support in this time. Doing so requires more than words and smiles. Helping them manage conditions, even if you need to split the care giving throughout the responsible adults in your family can be a true blessing for them, and is always a beautiful thing to do for anyone, family or not.

Of course, it would be wrong to assume that you can help them with everything. In the following article, we hope to explore a range of systems or assistance you could give to help your elderly relative through this time. Consider:

Help With Medication:

Your presence or an extra helping hand from in home aged care services can sometimes be the most important thing depending on your family needs. This way you’re not forcing them to head to a retirement community, or bringing them to the doctor everyday. Simply having someone to quickly check in and help with their medication or wash themselves can be all the help in the world that they need, at least for the time being. Simply reminding them through texts or calls can be worthwhile. but it’s also likely that they’d appreciate some human contact, especially if they live alone.

Help With Living A Normal Life:

Living a normal life is completely subjective, but sometimes your elderly relative might not have the capacity to live how they might like due to a medical issue. Spending time with them, taking them out for the day, or baking with them might seem like a small act of kindness and joy to you, but it can make their entire week if you plan it right. The most precious resource anyone elderly has is time, especially if ill. This means giving them this is the most potent form of love you can gift them.

Another way that you can help your loved one is by seeking out activities, stores, libraries, and a doctors office nearby. Giving up independence can be a struggle for elderly people so things that they can get to on their own if they are able will give them a huge boost! Care professionals can also assist with adding normality back into your loved one’s life. There are resources like local aged care software that will help in-home carers update progress notes on your loved ones well-being, enhancing the overall quality of care they receive.

Finding The Right Family Medicine Practitioner:

Finding the right family medical professional might take a little time, but figuring out what you need can help. It might be you require the potential for urgent medical care, continual appointments, or someone who your relative trusts and enjoys being around. Search until you find this, and accept no compromises. This can truly help take the sting out of the care that is given and needed. A great family doctor can ease the burden so dramatically it can be hard to overstate.

With these tips, and the ability to never rule out medical community housing depending on your relative’s needs, you’ll be sure to find the best approach possible.

Featured Image By: Pexels

New (Short!) Glitter & Black Nails

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New (Short!) Glitter & Black Nails

Hiiii everyone! After a disastrous trip to LT Nails last month, I changed salons to Elysian Nails and had a most pampering few hours getting my nails worked on. And *gasp* they’re short! It was due time to give them a cut down and begin the growing out process again so now I have cutesy tiny daggers instead of my normal long claws. Annnnd, my new nail tech, Sam, convinced me to change my color palette up so check out my New (Short!) Glitter & Black Nails:

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Ahhh! So crazy, right?! Originally, I was just going to do a glitter nail for the accent color and my normal all black everything for the rest. But, Sam (Who is such a doll!) encouraged me to try something new. We both agreed that the glittery white is perfect for an Ohio winter, especially since it was snowing fairly hard out while we were tucked away in the salon. And, for good measure, Sam let me have a black accent nail on a different finger, no less! Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Elysian Nails definitely proved to be worth the hype, because it got amazing reviews on Facebook and every opinion giving platform that I could find. The salon was decorated beautifully, it was spacious, and all of the nail techs were as nice as can be. The prices were good, the service was fabulous, and I can’t wait to go back next month. 🙂

What color of nail polish do you have on right now? How do you deck your nails out for the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Selfie Spam & An Accessory Story

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Selfie Spam & An Accessory Story

Hello! The broadcast of the Naked palette swatches has been interrupted by some Selfie Spam & An Accessory Story. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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Wow, I guess I’ve been really feeling myself lately!

The pictures that I love the most are the ones with some very special accessories. In two of the above pictures, I am rocking some of the hats from my late grandma’s collection and never have I felt so beautiful. My beloved grandma had a stock pile of over one hundred hats, and that love single-handedly got passed down to me in what is known as the “Hat Gene”. Hats are an obsession for me but it’s a healthy one, I promise! This love has helped kick start quite the collection of my own but, my most prized ones are my grandma’s, of course.

Hats are something that require great confidence to pull off and, for a good long while, I just didn’t have it. And, like many things, my self esteem and image got better with time and popping a hat on my head as I walked out the door seemed like an easy thing rather than a nerve wracking feat. Once a better sense of confidence was instilled in me, wearing hats became an exciting staple in my personal style, because nothing screams chic more than a well dressed woman in a beautiful hat.

No matter which hat I choose from my collection to wear, whether it be a vintage piece of my grandma’s or a new purchase of my own, I always feel like I have this warm halo of love around me. I know that my grandma would be so happy to see me wearing her own favorites as well as the new ones that I picked out, all because of her and her timeless elegance. ❤

What is one of your favorite accessories to wear? How about your favorite style of hat? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Blank NYC Faux Leather Skinnies

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New Blank NYC Faux Leather Skinnies

Hi! While on PANTS PATROL, I was able to invest in a wonderful pair of faux leather skinny jeans by Blank NYC. I have been on the prowl for a good pair of faux leather skinnies for a while now, but they are so hard to find. I don’t want them coated, I don’t want something crazy expensive, and I want something that it going to fit me well. At forty bucks, these new skinnies matched all of the listed criteria and then some! Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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I ordered these bad boys in my actual size off of TJMaxx’s website, but they were SO. FREAKING. TIGHT. that I had to return them and reorder in a bigger size. Once I sized up, they fit perfectly. The fit was tight, but not so tight that I felt like I was vacuum sealed into them! And, I’m sure that after I wear them around for a day or so, they will break in a little more. I am not sure if all Blank NYC bottoms run small or just this one, but Lil Red definitely recommends sizing up.

I adore all of the details that these skinnies have like the zippered ankles, the zippers on each hip, and the ribbed knees and lower thighs. All of these extras add even more edge to an already badass material and, we all know how much Lil Red loves that! The quality of my new pants and the fine attention to detail make the forty dollar price tag so worth it and, although sizing was an issue, I would happily buy Blank NYC clothing again.

Faux leather skinnies are awesome, because you can toughen up a rocker look even more or you can add some spunk to a sweeter garment like a flowy blouse or cardigan. Pairing them with my favorite black moto jacket and boots is an obvious must. But, they will also look just as cool with a peacoat and heels for a holiday get together.

How would you style these jeans? Where do you get the best jeans from? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Almost Famous Skort

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New Almost Famous Skort

Yo! As we all know, Lil Red has been on PANTS PATROL and I am honestly so happy about it. There’s a few things that I hate shopping for and they go as follows: Bikinis, bras, and PANTS, PANTS, PANTS. Pants are a pain in the ass to shop for and they always have been. Your girl suffers from the figure skater booty and thighs but a tiny waist, which makes getting a pair of pantelones that actually fit well really difficult. The same goes for shorts. Literally anything that you can wear on your bottom half that you have to put both legs through. Lol, so that’s why I was thrilled to snag this adorable Almost Famous skort seen below:

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Hopelessly out of season, I know. But, I just couldn’t help buying this cute as a button skort on TJMaxx’s website. I only own one other pair of shorts, so this actually was a really necessary purchase for when summer rolls around. I thought that this little number would make a really sweet addition to my summer wardrobe, because they are so different than your basic booty shorts, which will definitely add that Lil Red flare to any outfit, even if it’s just paired with a T-shirt or crop top.

Of course, I’m looking forward to wearing this in the summer but, I also plan on incorporating it into my spring wardrobe with some sweater tights underneath. The material of my new skort is nice and thick so it will do just fine. Then, I will pair it with a blazer on top and some cute little booties for a cool look for work or play. Love it!

Which type of clothing do you struggle shopping for? How would you style this skort? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Free People Pinstripe Pants

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New Free People Pinstripe Pants

Hello! I will tell you what, I have been on PANTS PATROL lately, because all of my black skinnies are fading into grey and I just won’t stand for it. Luckily, TJMaxx has got my back with all of the best fashions and I’ve been able to restock the bottoms department in my wardrobe so I won’t have to run around in my SKIVVIES! Although these new Free People pants seen below are navy instead of my beloved black, I still like them just the same. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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TJMaxx began carrying Free People shoes and clothing within the past year or so and my quality of life has increased tenfold since this happened. As you can see from the price above, their clothing is nowhere even close to my budget, so I just admire them from afar. But, a new pair of SLACKS for twenty bucks was a deal that I couldn’t pass up on so here we are now chatting about them!

I have been on the prowl for a paper bag style of pants like these for a while now. And, the nice thing about my Free People pair, is that they are made from a cloth material instead of that weird filmy kind that the paper bag style uses. That material does no favors for my body type and I wouldn’t want it close to my skin, anyways! I also like that the fit of my pinstripe pants isn’t high waisted like the paper bag style traditionally is. These are a normal rise pant with a baggy fit and a dipped crotch so they are obviously crazy comfortable but, they still manage to look chic, which is important.

I’m looking forward to pairing my new pantalones with a plain white T-shirt and my black Urban Outfitters boyfriend blazer for a cool and relaxed look. I then plan on dressing up the outfit with a long in length gold necklace and rings for a pop of bling. And, to finish it off, a nice pair of heels will do for a look that is perfect for a day at work or a night out for drinks with the girls.

What is a brand name that you admire from afar? How would you style these pants? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Living Microbladed

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Living Microbladed

Helloooo everyone and welcome to one of two follow up posts from Lil Red’s Adventures In Microblading! As you all know, I visited La Marie Brow Club in Pittsburgh in October to have my brows finessed by my cousin, Laura. And, now that my makeup routine has been literally cut back seventy-five percent and I never have to buy an eyebrow pencil again, I simply cannot believe that I didn’t have Laura do my brows when she began her business last year. Take a look at my result pics and let’s discuss:

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Living Microbladed is the best thing that ever could have happened to my face, lol. Seriously, the time that is saved from having perfect brows is second to none. I can sleep in longer or I can get up at my normal time and finish an extraordinary amount of work on my blog before I leave for work because I’m not wasting my time trying to get both eyebrows to look exactly the same with makeup.

My new eyebrows make me feel SO freaking confident. They frame my face in a way that my natural brows never could, with or without makeup, and they make my eyes pop, pop, pop! Even my boyfriend thinks that they make me look “more sophisticated” and I totally agree – I love it!

Laura is going to touch my brows up in mid December and during this session she is going to add any extra hair strokes that she might have missed. I am also going to have her darken them to the color that they were when I first got them done. The color that Laura chose is perfect because it’s the exact same color as the pencil that I was using. But, now that they have lightened to that color, I now know that I prefer them to be a bit darker. I’m excited! 😀

I cannot wait to visit La Marie Brow Club again in December and do be sure to check out my last blog post on my adventures and schedule your appointment with Laura today!

Would you ever get microbladed? What is your eyebrow makeup routine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah