Tag Archives: love

Being Female Isn’t Easy, But You Can Make It Fun!

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Being Female Isn’t Easy, But You Can Make It Fun!

As a woman, you can often feel like life is either on your shoulders or an absolute blessing – we never really spend a lot of time in-between (thank you hormones). Although we have some tough times to deal with, it’s not all that bad. Being a woman has it’s woes – think childbirth, periods, and taking longer to get ready in the morning, it also has it’s highs. When you’re female, you get to have a whole lot of fun and be girly in ways that really highlight the little perks in life. So, if you’ve all but given up on being a girl, these little reminders should pick you back up and perk you up on your (high heeled) toes.

You Get To Dress Up: What girl doesn’t love to dress up? We all did it as children, and sometimes, being able to raid your mom’s closet was the best fun you could ever have. But now, you get to do it all in your own closet – and who wouldn’t want that. Sometimes, we get wrapped up in the idea of looking good and shaming our own bodies, that we forget how fun it is to get all dressed up!

And Play Around With Makeup: If the whole idea of wearing an incredible outfit isn’t enough, we also get to wear makeup, too. To some people, it will be a chore. But, when you have enough time to do it, playing around with makeup is a whole lot of fun. Not only can you experiment with different looks and try out different hacks, but you also get to feel beautiful throughout the entire process.

We Have More Clothing Options: Whoever invented the dress and skirt should be given a medal! Not only does that mean we can explore more options to choose from in the morning (and who doesn’t love options), we also get a lot more choices than men do. Skirts and dress are huge wardrobe staples. They have the power to make you feel girly and sexy and they can be pretty exciting to buy, too.

Feeling Sexy Is Fun: And while we’re on the topic of feeling sexy, let’s talk underwear. As women, we’re well and truly spoiled. Men usually have a total of three underwear options to choose from! But us, we have so much more. Choosing sexy underwear can be just as fun as wearing it. Whenever you’re feeling down, you can buy a new set, like the Freya underwear and lingerie options and completely change your panty drawer game.

And So Is Wearing Heels: Being female really does become the ultimate treat when it comes to fashion. We’ve talked about clothing, underwear, and beauty too. But it all really kicks up a notch when we get to the footwear. A good pair of shoes is all every girl could ever ask for, right? And, flats are great and everything, but, we all have to agree that heels are the best! When you get to wear heels, you not only feel fantastic, but you look it, too!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Blogger’s Blooming Business

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Blogger’s Blooming Business

Heyyy guys! When I have a friend who is very dear to me, I always make sure that I am one hundred percent supportive of all of their creative endeavors. One of my beloved blogging beauties, Miss Angela, has been a reader turned friend of mine for quite some time now. I can always look to Angela for rays of positivity and sunshine whether it be on her Facebook page or in my comments section and it always brightens my day infinitely.

Recently, Angela opened her own Etsy shop, Angie’s Bath & Body, which is chock full of amazing homemade and natural bath and body goodies. There are body butters, bath salts and fizzies, sugar scrubs, and so much more to browse through and I promise you that they both look and smell simply delicious! I encourage all of you to take a look at Angie’s Bath & Body and give some love to one of my dear blogging friends and maybe even treat yourself to some new luxury bath and body care! Love you, Ang!

How To Brew Delicious French Press Coffee

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How To Brew Delicious French Press Coffee

Us coffee drinkers know that there’s nothing quite like that first steaming hot morning cup of coffee to awaken our senses and get us ready for the challenges of a brand new day. Forget standing in long Starbucks queues or missing an important phone call because you were busy at the coffee machine. Or – the worst – instead of having a rich, full bodied brew: drinking plain average coffee because it’s the only choice that you have. In recent years the humble coffee bean has exploded on to the scene, going from being a simple, hot drink at breakfast to a full on lifestyle statement. Read up to see how you can make the perfect cup to kick start your morning:

What Is A French Press? A French press, or a Cafetière, is a coffee brewing product which allows the water to permeate the coffee beans. The plunger separates the beans from the brewed coffee which, if allowed the seep through, can make the coffee astringent and bitter. First designed in Italy by the designer, Attilio Calimani in 1929, today the French press is used all over the world and is said to make a smoother, richer cup of coffee than any other method. French presses are fairly inexpensive and tend to last for a good few years. Depending on what beans you choose to use, you may also want to purchase a grinder as finely ground beans often taste better than rough ground ones. However, at the end of the day, it’s down to the coffee drinker’s personal preference.

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The Best Beans: Coffee comes in a variety of strengths and flavors. From the milky yet sophisticated cappuccino, dark espresso, and chocolate infused mocha to the simple black coffee, latte, and the sugary sweet cuban cafe con leche there are countless ways of making coffee and just as many beans themselves. Let yourself experiment with different beans or, if you prefer instant coffee, then go online to check out some instant coffee reviews by those who take their morning cup of joe pretty seriously.

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How Much Water? Brewing a cup of coffee is, in theory, relatively simple. However there are a couple of things that, if you get them wrong can ruin the whole batch. First, make sure your beans are ground coarsely enough and if you’re using instant coffee, make sure that it’s a good quality brand with a high richness rating. Boiling water will scorch the grounds instantly which will leave you with a very bitter cup and tepid water won’t fully extract the coffee from the beans.

A good way to achieve the perfect temperature is by letting the water fully boil, then remove it from the heat to sit for a minute before pouring into the French press itself. When it comes to how much water to use consider how much coffee you want to make. One serving will equal one cup of water and two tablespoons of coffee beans; two servings equals two cups of water and a 1/4 cup of coffee beans and so on. A good French press coffee should be brewed for two to four minutes while cold brewed coffee uses a different method and should instead be left for two to four hours.

Featured Image By: Bryan Mills

Loft Unicorn Sweater

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Loft Unicorn Sweater

Heyyy everyone and happy Thursday! I feel like such a dummy because I forgot one of my absolute favorite presents that I received from my mom in the Best Of My Holiday Haul. My mom and I love shopping at Loft and in early December, the most darling sweater was featured in their holiday ads that we were thumbing through. It was a deep navy blue and had an outline of a unicorn stitched in the middle with baby blue thread. I expressed my love for it to my beloved mother and the sneaky devil must have ordered it shortly after! Take a look:

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So. Cute!

One thing that I really love are fun and unique sweaters. It is so easy to get lost in the blah of constant cable knit that one might simply forget that there is so much more in the world of sweaters. As one of my favorite 60 degrees and below weather staples, I am always on the lookout for new sweaters to add to my collection. I love fun colors, patterns, and pictures and I think that this unicorn stitched sweater is just perfect! Thank you so much for such an amazing gift, mom. I LOVE YOU!! ❤

Loft has more adorable animal sweaters in store and online but bear in mind that they run very large. The sweater pictured above is an extra small so it might be wise to size down so you’re not swimming in it!

My new Loft Unicorn Sweater is one of my favorites and I have already worn it twice since receiving it on Christmas! Who went to an ugly sweater party this year? What is one of your favorite sweaters in your wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Post Christmas Shopping

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Post Christmas Shopping

Hi everyone and happy hump day! I hope all of you are having a fabulous week so far. The day after Christmas, my mom and I ventured to the mall to make some returns and do a little shopping. It was actually not as crazy as I expected it to be and thanks to some gift cards and holiday cash, I was able to add two fun new things to my wardrobe. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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The Haul:

  • Forever 21 cropped rainbow sweater
  • Loft velvet skinny jeans

F21 Sweater: I lucked out this Christmas and ended up getting some gift cards to Forever 21 which is easily one of my favorite stores. I think that this sweater is the cutest and it was only twenty dollars which, in my opinion, was a steal. My mom and I went shopping at just the right time because I snagged the only small that was left among a bunch of larges! GREAT SUCCESS. I am actually wearing my new sweater along with my velvet skinnies from Loft at this very moment and it looks adorable! Pictures will definitely be up some time this week so stay tuned! 🙂

Loft Jeans: First of all, Loft literally has the best skinny jeans that I have ever worn, so I was so happy to score another pair that was marked all the way down to twenty-seven bucks from seventy! Second of all, I have had a love/hate relationship with the velvet trend that has been so popular as of late. I love some of the velveteen pieces that I’ve seen but I hate that none of them speak to me on a personal level! But, black velvet skinnies are definitely something that I can do since you guys all know that black skinnies are all I wear. Not only is the fit of the Loft skinny jeans superb but the velvet adds a fun new texture to every outfit and I am loving them with my Forever 21 rainbow sweater! ❤

After a tiny post Christmas shopping haul, it’s now time to save my money and store away my Forever 21 gift cards until spring to add to my warm weather wardrobe. However, this is going to be SO HARD considering my email inbox is legitimately overflowing with sale notifications from all of my favorite stores! GET BEHIND ME, SATAN!!

So there you have it, my Post Christmas Shopping! Has anyone scored some amazing after holiday deals? Where is the best place to get the best price after the holiday season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

December Finishes

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December Finishes

Hello everyone and a very happy Monday to all! I hope that those who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a fantastic day and that everyone is enjoying the holiday season. This is my last post about my monthly empties for 2016 and it is kind of a blah one because all of the products are from The Body Shop! This month was about sticking with what I know and using up some of my favorite products from my go to bath and body and skin care shopping spot. So take a look and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • The Body Shop Strawberry Body Scrub: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturizer: YES
  • The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost: YES

Why/Why Not?

Strawberry Scrub: The scrubs from TBS are a must for me when I am shaving, as they exfoliate, moisturize, and lift the hair from their follicles which results in a smoother shave. I love both the strawberry and satsuma scrub and was lucky enough to find both at TJMaxx for five dollars apiece. Score! The best thing about this scrub is how well it lathers – a small quarter sized squeeze can easily cover your entire leg! A little goes such a long way with this product which is why I finally finished it after the better part of five months. I essentially paid a dollar a month to use my scrub and I can totally get down with that!

Moisturizer: I have wrote about my beloved Vitamin E Moisturizer many a times and my love for it grows with every use. This cream is perfectly in between a heavy and light consistency which leaves your skin feeling like peaches and cream every time. Your skin will look and feel so smooth, soft, and dreamy creamy. Thankfully, I got another jar for Christmas since I’m all out! It took me about a month and a half to finish this moisturizer.

Cocoa Butter: The cocoa butter is easily my favorite body butter that the store has to offer. It smells deliciously rich and chocolate-y in the most subtle way and you can feel it nourishing you as soon as it makes contact with your skin. This was the scent that I always recommended when I worked at The Body Shop because I feel like everyone who uses it loves it just the same. The nice thing about cocoa butter is that it is not as heavy as the Shea butter for those who like something lighter, like myself. Make sure you ask the employees at the store about which butters have a cocoa or Shea butter base next time you shop to get the consistency that you like! It took me about a month to finish this body butter which I scored for six bucks at TJs!

Vitamin C Boost: I am sure that all of you guys know by now about my undying love for the Vitamin C Skin Boost. I have been using this stuff since I was a teenager and I honestly don’t think that I will ever stop. I really feel like my skin looks brighter and more radiant thanks to consistent use of this product and I am so thankful for it! Nothing is better to me than luminescent skin so to achieve that with two pumps of the skin boost per day seems like a no brainer! It took me three months to finish this product.

It was such a treat to use up some of my favorite goodies from The Body Shop this month. It left me feeling perfectly pampered and incredibly happy that I was able to take care of my body with some of the products that I feel are the very best. Here’s to many more skin, beauty, and body care must haves in 2017!

So there you have it, my December Finishes! Please stay tuned this week for some of my favorite new items in my holiday haul! What was your favorite beauty product of 2016? Did anyone score any new makeup or beauty items for the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Merry Christmas!!

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Merry Christmas!!

Hello everyone and a Merry Merry Christmas to all of you!! I hope that you guys have a wonderful day celebrating or doing whatever it is that you do today. No matter what holiday you celebrate, my wish is that you have a joyous holiday season with your friends and loved ones. I am SO excited to give all of my gifts to their recipients because I have literally been waiting ALL MONTH to do so! I am also really looking forward to ringing in the New Year with all of you here on lifewithlilred.

I am keeping this Christmas post short and sweet so that you can get back to going about your day so I will talk to all of you later. Remember that you are each so special to me and please accept a big, virtual holiday hug from me to you! What was in your holiday haul? How do you celebrate the holiday season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Pedi Party

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Pedi Party

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! So yesterday I had myself a little Pedi Party with one of my favorite high school teachers and it was such fun. I had never gotten a pedicure before and was treated to it as a college graduation present. And guess what?! I didn’t even let my ticklishness get the best of me – which I unfortunately can’t say for the one and only massage that I have ever gotten!

As you guys know, I am a devout fan of my acrylic nails so you would think that I would have gotten a pedicure by now. Not the case, guys. Not the case. I guess I really just have never cared about my toes enough to pamper them. 1) They’re not pretty to look at. 2) I barely have nails worthy of painting on my tootsies. And 3) My pinkie corn chip toe is an embarrassment to mankind!

Despite the litany of ugliness that I just described, my nail tech did an amazing job of salvaging some dignity out of my toesies and left them looking so pretty! Take a look, and if you have a foot phobia: SORRY but if you have a foot fetish: YOU’RE WELCOME!

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Obviously, I went with black to match my talons! :*)

All in all, the pedicure was fabulous and I had a great time spending the afternoon with my dear friend. However, I do feel like kind of an asshole because my legs were SO. HAIRY. I guess I didn’t really think to myself “Hey, Sarah – your legs are hairier than most guys right now. Maybe you should clean yourself up”. I mean obviously I didn’t because when the poor nail tech was scrubbing up my legs he was fighting against a forest of prickles! What can I say, WINTER IS MY HIBERNATION TIME and don’t think for one minute that I didn’t apologize profusely for him having to rub on woolly mammoth fur. 😉

With my tail hung between my (hairy) legs, I tamed the beast last night and now have legs as smooth and pretty as my little black seashell toenails. GREAT SUCCESS! Thank you to my wonderful friend for such a treat of an afternoon yesterday and thank you to my nail tech for putting up with me! 🙂

I hope everyone is having a fabulous day and my final questions for you are:

  • Would you rather not shave your legs for a year or not wear makeup for six months?
  • Would you rather get a hot stone massage or a mani/pedi combo?

I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Confessions Of A Shopaholic

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Confessions Of A Shopaholic

Heyy everyone and TGIF!! So, if you have been reading my blog for a while or just take a look at the plethora of posts under the “Fashion” category, you might be able to guess that I love to shop. Honestly, the word love is an understatement because I am lightweight obsessed with purchasing all things fashion, beauty, and accessories. There’s just something about the act of going to your favorite store or getting comfy on your couch to shop online that’s moderately addicting to me.

Why is that? I guess because it feels good, damnit. Sometimes I have a really hard time feeling good. Long story short, things at home are basically a shit show seven times out of ten so when I can just go and surround myself with things that are pretty, it feels like a much needed vacation. Even if I don’t end up buying a single thing, I could spend an hour filling up a cart on ModCloth and wind up feeling infinitely better.

Is this a bad thing? Sometimes! My bank account definitely doesn’t love me for it! In fact, just last night I had a splurging sesh on TJMaxx’s website but it was a graduation gift to myself so I thought that it was okay (the voice of an addict!). BUT sometimes I think that my shopaholic nature is a blessing.

1) I have the most phenomenal wardrobe that I know of.

2) I am never spending money that I don’t have.

3) I rarely turn to getting sloppy drunk or self harming methods anymore when I feel like shit.

As I mentally rearranged new homes in my closet and shoe wall last night after my TJMaxx graduation shopping spree, I had to stop and think if some of the purchases that I have made in the past have been worth it. And honestly? I answered with “yes” to every single one of them. If it takes treating myself to something new and pretty when I’m feeling blah every so often, then I say go girl!

I feel as though some people have a hard time with treating themselves but hey, they don’t call retail therapy “therapy” for nothing! If you get happy or have something to look forward to with a purchase, then do the damn thing! Buy the heels, get the pedicure, take yourself out to dinner. At the end of the day, you have to take care of yourself and if a little splurge here and there helps ease the ache that life can throw at you, then I will be with you there at the checkout line.

Here’s to shopping (In moderation!). Here’s to making yourself feel good. Here’s to treating yourself like the amazing person you are!

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How do you treat yoself when you’re feeling blah? What is your favorite way to splurge on yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Taking Steps To Improve Your Self Confidence

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Taking Steps To Improve Your Self Confidence

Self-confidence is such an important thing to have in life. It has a significant impact on your happiness and also determines how much you are able achieve. Having the mindset of ‘I can’t’ due to confidence issues means that you’ve failed before you’ve even tried. It can be a tricky thing to build but if you know that yours isn’t the best, it’s something that’s always worth addressing. Here are some of the steps you can take to build up your self-confidence.

Address Your Physical Issues: Learning to love and accept ourselves as we are is fantastic in theory but not as easily done in practice. So if there’s something you can do about whatever is bothering you, it could be worth taking steps to change it. For example, if your weight is something that makes you feel self-conscious, you could aim to lose a few pounds (if you’re overweight) and tone up. If your teeth have always bothered you, you could see a cosmetic dentist. It could be a whitening treatment to correct the color, Invisalign treatment to correct any crookedness, or veneers to make everything look nice and even. There’s nothing wrong with saying ‘actually, I’m not happy about this part of myself and I’d like to change it’. Providing you’re not striving for perfection (since this doesn’t exist) or are going about things in an unhealthy way. If these changes can boost your self-confidence and make you feel great, why wouldn’t you?

Take Up a Hobby: Have you got a talent or skill? Even if you’ve not had any hobbies for many years, think back to what you were good at when you were younger. Were you always top of the class in art lessons? Or did you have a knack for sports? Whatever it is, trying your hand at it again is a great way to go. When you’re good at something, it really helps to build your confidence. Plus having hobbies is great for your mental health and could lead to meeting new friends. Even if it’s just people who share the same interests on Twitter and Facebook, the social aspect is very positive too. Having a hobby means you’re investing time in yourself. You’re showing yourself that you do matter, and it’s enjoyable, too.

Push Yourself Out Of Your Comfort Zone: As they say, a comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there. It’s only when you push yourself beyond the limits of what you know and is ‘safe’ to you that you grow and develop as a person. Nervous about meeting new people? Sign up for an evening class! Scared of failing? Set yourself a new challenge! Even if you don’t succeed, you’ll have learned a valuable lesson – that there’s no shame in failure and you can always pick yourself up and try again.

Speak To Your Doctor: If your self-confidence is so low that it affects your daily life, it’s worth talking to your GP. It could be a sign that something else isn’t quite right and point to things like anxiety or depression. Getting to the root of this will allow you to access the right treatment and will put you on a path to feeling better.

What do you do to boost your self confidence? What is something that makes you feel confident? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels