Tag Archives: monday update

Nov20

Monday Update: Mystery Blogger Award #7 Edition

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Monday Update: Mystery Blogger Award #7 Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This past week I was so honored to receive lifewithlilred’s seventh Mystery Blogger Award nomination by my sweet friend over at Absolutely Blush. I adore this talented chicka’s blog so much and I know that all of you will, too! Do be sure to check it out and give it lots of love! Now, let’s get on to the rules for this award:

The Rules:

  • Put the award logo on your blog.
  • List the rules.
  • Thank whoever nominated you and leave a link to their blog.
  • Mention the creator of the award and leave a link to their blog also.
  • Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
  • Nominate 10-20 other bloggers – let them know via a blog comment.
  • Ask your nominees 5 questions, including a funny one.
  • Share links to your best blog post/s.

Fun Facts:

  1. Thanksgiving is one of my all time favorite holidays so, needless to say, I am so stoked to hang out with my family and eat all of the food this week!
  2. I am a shoe fanatic, and created the hashtag #alliwantforchristmasisSHOES while chatting back and forth with my siblings about what we want for Christmas on Facebook Messenger. So, hopefully, there will be a bunch of boxes of shoes under the tree for me for Christmas. :*)
  3. I plan on taking American Sign Language classes next year so that I can take a stab at becoming trilingual.

Q & A:

What do you do besides blogging? I work with people with special needs and have racked up three jobs in that field on top of maintaining my blog and coaching for the Special Olympics.

What blog post are you most proud of? Uhhhh… I don’t know, I like all of them.

What is your biggest dream? To spend a couple of months traveling in Europe!

What is your favorite book or movie? Lol, we would be here literally all day if I started listing them all!!!

Where/when do you like to work on your blog? At home and in the morning.

Bonus Question: What is the most embarrassing moment you are willing to admit to? I’m a silly person in general, so nothing really phases me when it comes to being embarrassed. HOWEVER, if I’m at the skating rink with my mom (I’m teaching her how to skate! #socute), and I do my own thing for a little bit and happen to freaking eat it on the ice, I always get a little embarrassed about that. But falls happen to everyone, and you just have to brush it off like it didn’t even happen.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. How do you pamper yourself?
  2. What is your favorite holiday?
  3. What was your favorite childhood toy?
  4. What is your favorite way to kill time when you’re feeling bored?
  5. Which celebrity would you choose to go out for lunch with?
  6. Bonus Question: Would you rather not shower for a week or wear the same outfit for two weeks?

Thank you so much to the darling Absolutely Blush for my seventh Mystery Blogger Award! You’re a doll! How would you answer some of the questions that I was asked? How about some of the questions that I asked my nominees? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: This award was created by Okoto Enigma!

Nov13

Monday Update: ASOS Obsessed

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Monday Update: ASOS Obsessed

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope that all of you had a fantastic weekend. While I peruse all of the wonderful fashion blogs out there, I always see ASOS mentioned, but have never taken the plunge to going on their website. All of the clothes in the haul posts that I have seen look gorgeous, BUT I truly don’t need another store to shop at…Said no girl ever.

During a blah night in last week, I decided that I needed to see pretty things, and browsed through some of my preferred shopping headquarter’s websites. And, just for the HECK of it, I decided to check out ASOS, too.

BIG MISTAKE!!!!

Guys….guyyyyyyys. Why did no one tell me that that website is amazing?! I mean, seriously, thank you because ballin on a budget. BUT DAMNIT, I feel so ashamed of myself. As an avid lover of all things British fashion, you would think that I would have been all over this site a long time ago, but sadly:

WE ALL THOUGHT WRONG!!

Sweet Jesus! That site is the bomb. Pages and pages and pages and pages AND PAGES of such fantastic, edgy, sleek, chic, cool, clothing and accessories AND SHOES and I just can’t even. If I didn’t have a single ounce of self control, I could probably spend all night clicking through each page and ogling over the seemingly never ending supply of clothes that I want.

THIS IS NOT GOOD!!!

You have no idea how badly I want to buy all the things right now, but I am showing restraint like a good girl who just burned a hole in her pocket with my holiday shopping haul. But, but, but – I can always consider a little shopping as an early Christmas gift to myself, right? #savemefrommyself #PLEASE

My questions for ASOS fans are as follows, BECAUSE I HAVE A FEW:

  1. How in Sam Hill do you pick what you’re going to purchase when there are So. Many. Options?
  2. What is your technique for shopping on a website with a million items to choose from when you want to look at all of it?
  3. What are your favorite ASOS pieces on their website right now? I want links, people!!!

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

Featured Image By: All Student Deals

Nov6

Monday Update: Netflix Game On Point Edition

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Monday Update: Netflix Game On Point Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! Okay, so I have been Netflix and chilling with myself a lot lately. It has been cold and damp in Ohio this past week, which is the type of weather that makes me want to curl up in a blanket burrito and emerge brand new in the spring. But, since this isn’t an option, movie marathons have been a total must once I’m finished with work for the day.

As all of you know, I am a horror movie junkie and October brought an amazing list of scary movies to the Netflix lineup. Saw one through seven, Hostel, Silent Hill, the list goes on. This past week on my day off, I treated myself to a Saw movie marathon and Taco Bell and it was honestly one of the best days ever. I am so looking forward to seeing the new Jigsaw movie hopefully soon, too!

I have also been really feeling Rob Zombie movies as of late, so the Halloween season gave me an excuse to watch 31, The Devil’s Rejects, and the Lords of Salem. Are all of the aforementioned movies for everyone? Absolutely not. But, to me, there is nothing better than snuggling up on a grey day with not much to do and binge watching the hours away.

Not only is a veg out session fun and good for the soul but the process of selecting movies is enjoyable too. Recommendations from friends, reviews from websites like hellhorror.com, or streaming services like Shudder are all beneficial in finding must watch scary movies. However, when I’m not feeling like doing a ton of research for a flick, I just like to scroll through at random and watch what I land on. It can be hit or miss but it keeps things interesting!

Halloween and the amazing seventh season of American Horror Story have put me in the spooky spirit, especially since I didn’t get to celebrate until this weekend by going to a haunted house! My upcoming Netflix lineup includes rewatching the first season of Slasher and then watching the newly released second season. And, of course, breaking up the gore fest with I Love You, Man and other silly comedies is definitely in order!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Netflix Game On Point Edition! What is on your Netflix watch list? What other horror movies/TV shows do I need to see? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct30

Monday Update: Early Holiday Shopping Edition

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Monday Update: Early Holiday Shopping Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope that all of you had a fabulous weekend. One thing that Lil Red loves almost as much as shopping for herself, is shopping for other people. I live for birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas so that I can spoil my friends and family rotten with well thought out presents. I revel in making my holiday shopping list, mulling over the hobbies and favorite things of my loved ones, and coming up with the perfect presents under the tree for each of them.

Even though it is a bit early to start holiday shopping, I am pretty happy to have knocked out a solid chunk of gift buying this month. It was admittedly hard to spend the extra dough, especially because of my New York trip, BUT I was going to be buying the presents anyways so I figured that I would start getting it over with now. And since my preferred method for present shopping is doing it online, the earlier the better, in case any of the gifts are broken, take long to ship, etc.

Amazon has always been a godsend when it comes to gift giving occasions for me. What I usually do is buy a majority of my presents from there and then go to the mall (Yikes!), TJMaxx, or Target for the rest of the random odds and ends. Quite a few of my purchases have already arrived to chez moi, and I have to say that Amazon has really stepped up their shipping game. All of my packages arrived in about three days and all of the contents seemed to be handled and packed really well. When I opened the boxes and saw a solid amount of packing foam, I was confident that all of the items were going to be in one piece and ready to be given as a gift. And they were.

I’ve only had a handful of bad experiences while shopping on Amazon in the years that I’ve been a customer of theirs. But the success of my recent early bout of holiday shopping has made me feel safe in my decision to leave a majority of my purchasing in Amazon’s hands, once again. I’m glad to have gotten a head start on my Christmas shopping and am looking forward to checking off the rest of my list in November!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Early Holiday Shopping Edition! Who is done with their Christmas shopping already? Who is a last minute gift buyer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct23

Monday Update: The Fall Tag Edition

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Monday Update: The Fall Tag Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! Last week, my darling friend from Absolutely Blush nominated lifewithlilred for its first Fall Tag. Out of all of the fantastic awards that my page has so graciously been nominated for, this one is probably my favorite because I love and live for all things fall. Please make sure to check out the fabulous fun that is Absolutely Blush and let’s get to the tag rules:

The Rules:

  •  Put the badge and rules in your post.
  • Answer the tag questions.
  • Tag at least 5 other bloggers to join in the fun!

Q & A:

What’s your favorite fall outfit? Mmmm, let’s see. I can’t say that I have a favorite outfit in particular but I would have to say that my favorite piece of fall clothing would definitely have to be peacoats. I’m obsessed with my newest peacoat purchase from Target – it’s perfect!

What is fall weather like where you live? I am located in Akron, Ohio which is about forty minutes from Cleveland. Right now, it feels way too warm here to be fall. Usually in the good ol’ AK-Rowdy we enjoy brisk temperatures in the 50’s and low 60’s, which is perfect for putting on a big, chunky sweater and hiking in one of our gorgeous Metro Parks.

What’s your favorite drink to have during the fall? Every once in a while I like to treat myself to the yummy Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks. However, I definitely enjoy hot coffee more during the cooler weather so I usually will just make myself a pot while I’m working and sip away.

What’s your favorite fall scented candle? I’m not a huge candle girl but I do love vanilla scented candles year round, even though that’s not really a fall scent!

What are your favorite fall activities? I love going to haunted houses, watching scary movies, and going for hikes. Apple picking and corn mazes are a plus, too!

What is one of your favorite fall memories? My family and our two pups went apple picking in Asheville, North Carolina last year and it was so much fun! The orchard was huge, the scenery was breathtaking, and the apples were delicious.

What are some fall movies that you enjoy? All of the Saw movies, the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ils, Sinister one and two, and The Conjuring. If it’s a scary movie, then chances are I love it!

What is your favorite fall treat? A great big caramel apple with peanuts! Yum!

If you celebrate Halloween, what is your favorite costume that you have worn? I can’t say that I really have a favorite, because I normally don’t dress up. When I was little, I was a generic, bought at the drug store princess for five years in a row – so clearly my younger self loved that!

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: The Fall Tag Edition! Many thanks again to Absolutely Blush for my nomination! How would you answer any of these tag questions? What is your favorite season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct2

Monday Update: Marilyn Manson Concert Edition

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Monday Update: Marilyn Manson Concert Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This past Friday my sister, Kristen, and I trekked to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (About a two hour drive.) to see Marilyn Manson in concert for his Heaven Upside Down tour at Stage AE. After literal months of anticipation for this show, it was finally the night and the performance definitely didn’t disappoint. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT WE WERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STAGE!! Take a look at some low quality iPod pictures and let’s discuss:

marilyn1marilyn2marilyn3marilyn5marilyn4

^^^ Lol, I love that last picture. “Ayyy”.

First of all, Stage AE was an absolutely excellent venue. It seemed like no matter where you stood in the crowd, your visibility of the stage was average at a minimum and amazing at the max. Kristen and I began our concert experience with an okay viewing for the opener (Alice Glass, who I’m not even going to talk about because she sucked.), and ended our night in front of the stage.

How, you might ask?

Well, it’s not like the crowd was intensely rowdy throughout the show. Some fights definitely did break out but nothing “major”, and some people just weren’t comfortable with it (understandably) and opted to get away from the vicinity of the mosh pit. So as soon as people left the area for safety purposes, drinks, or what have you, Kristen and I would make our way forward until we had a view of Marilyn Manson at all times during the concert.

And speaking of the concert…

It. was. AMAZING. Manson is nearing fifty years of age, and I told Kristen on our way home that this is probably the best we’re going to see of him since he isn’t getting any younger. There was no on stage self harm, no crazy gimmicks with girls, minimal audience banter, and not even an inkling of violence. This show was everything that his performances weren’t when the band was just starting out, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a lot of fun.

The Heaven Upside Down tour didn’t seem so much of a celebration of his new album of the same name, rather, an ode to some old school Marilyn Manson hits that even people who don’t even like Manson love. We’re talking The Dope Show, Lunchbox, mOBSCENE, This Is The New Shit, No Reflection, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), and The Beautiful People.

Marilyn Manson played four songs off of Heaven Upside Down and opened the show with the album opener of Revelation #12. He then peppered KILL4ME, WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE, and SAY10 into the set list. The rest of the show was filled with Deep Six (I’m disappointed that more songs from The Pale Emperor weren’t played.) and Tourniquet, which is another old love. (Manson then encored with Coma White but, alas, Kristen and I had to make the two hour drive home so that she could work early in the morning.)

^^^ Obviously the set list rocked…

And the performance that came along with it was just as good. The lighting, the different costumes Manson donned, his gorgeous speaking/singing/screaming voice – it all worked so well. I mean, a front row view doesn’t hurt, but it was a damn good show. Fans that were able to see Marilyn Manson in the beginning might think that he is slowing down (Unfortunately, I was a toddler so until time travel is invented, I will never know what his early shows were like first hand.), but, to me, he is just getting started.

Marilyn Manson dragged his last album, The Pale Emperor, through some gritty, rough blues influence and it came as a triumphant, different comeback. Yes, some tracks off of Heaven Upside Down does sound like classic Manson (KILL4ME and WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE, anyone?) but that doesn’t mean that the whole album will, and I’m looking forward to exploring it in its entirety when it comes out on October 6th.

Marilyn Manson is at a stage of experimentation that is working in his favor – from his art, acting, and playing with new and unique sounds – everything seems to be a success. I expect Heaven Upside Down to reflect these gutsy changes and the fact that he is soon going to be a half a century in age. Friday’s concert brought us some old school fun mixed with new favorites, but it seems like the party is raging on just fine for Manson in a way that’s not only, dare I say, age appropriate, but totally fucking cool.

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Marilyn Manson Concert Edition! What was the last concert that you attended? How do you feel about Marilyn Manson? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep25

Monday Update: Fall Fun Edition

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Monday Update: Fall Fun Edition

Hello everyone and happy Monday! I hope that all of you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. The fall season is officially among us and I, for one, could not be happier. Actually, that’s a lie, I could be happier BECAUSE IT’S BEEN NINETY DEGREES IN OHIO FOR THE PAST WEEK!!!! All of you know by now that I live for the fall and this heat wave is simply unacceptable. So now instead of participating in all of my favorite fall activities listed below, I will simply have to daydream about it until it cools down to autumnal temperatures. Let’s discuss some of my fave fall outings:

  1. Apple Picking: There are TONS of gorgeous orchards in Ohio filled with trees that are spilling over with crisp, fresh apples. I love going to orchards with my family, friends, or on a date and then making something delicious afterwards with the bounty like an apple pie or crisp. So fun and so yum.
  2. Haunted Houses: Ohio also has quite a few haunted houses that I’m always keen on visiting. Being a horror junkie, going to a haunted house during a chilly, pitch black fall night is one of my favorite things to do. I went to the Factory Of Terror last year and would love to go there again and definitely would like to make it to the 7 Floors Of Hell, too!
  3. Fall Cooking: Lil Red loves to cook all of the vegetarian delights, but I especially love making (and eating) fall comfort food. Soups, stews, breads, and huge dishes of mac n’ cheese are just a few of my go to meals. And the fall sweets aren’t so bad, either! Cinnamon rolls, pies, crisps, and cobblers?! Yes, please. Fall food is so hearty, rich, and flavorful, and it makes sitting down for every meal such a joy.
  4. Fall Shopping: This list of fall favorites wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t talk shopping at least a little bit! Can you say boots and peacoats?! I LOVE IT!! I’m pretty well flush for fall clothing, considering it makes up about 75% of my wardrobe but that never seems to stop me from buying all the booties and oversized sweaters. It’s a curse!
  5. Perfect Weather: Although the heat in Ohio is destroying my favored fall weather, I live for the mid 50s and 60s temps that fall usually brings. I love being that slightest bit chilly. The bite that the fall air blows around, which reddens the cheeks and leaves your hands tucked in your pockets is always what I prefer to scorching summers. One of my favorite things to do during a brisk fall day is throwing on a thick sweater and combat boots and exploring one of the many beautiful Metro Parks in Ohio.

Here’s to hoping that the weather in my neck of the woods makes a drastic change so that I can start enjoying some of my fall favorites soon!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Fall Fun Edition! What are some of your favorite fall activities? What is your favorite season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug28

Monday Update: Falling For Fall Guest Bloggers Series Lineup

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Monday Update: Falling For Fall Guest Bloggers Series Lineup

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This week and the next are going to be very exciting here on lifewithlilred, because my Falling For Fall guest bloggers series premieres tomorrow. Every day you can tune in here at 1 PM for posts from amazing bloggers from all over the world as they tell you how they welcome fall through their travel, beauty, DIY, style, and so much more. It’s safe to say that this series has been one of my favorites yet and I’m really excited to share it with all of you. The lineup will be as follows:

Tomorrow my Falling For Fall series will kickstart for some nonstop fun on lifewithlilred and I just know that all of you are going to love it! How was everyone’s weekend? Are some of your favorite bloggers featured on my lineup? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug14

Monday Update: Sweet Surprises Edition

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Monday Update: Sweet Surprises Edition

Hello everyone and happy Monday! I hope that all of you had a fabulous weekend and are beginning your week feeling refreshed and ready to go. So, as most of you have gathered by now, I am far from a religious person. This is ironic, considering I spent my years up until high school attending school and church in a Roman Catholic setting. But from as young as five years old, I knew that religion just wasn’t something that I was interested in.

Despite these feelings (which is not what this post is about), I do have a deep appreciation of the beauty of churches as well as religious imagery. Specifically, rosaries. I can remember being really young and loving to wear rosaries and to this day have a special drawing towards them. This has led me to beginning my collection of rosary style jewelry, a la Bono, my U2 front man celebrity crush.

In my collection, I actually have a beautiful black rosary that was blessed by Pope Francis, which was gifted to me by my brother. But the other two in my arsenal are from my beloved mama, who knows my style all too well thanks to hundreds of shopping trips throughout the ages.

My mom knows exactly how to make someone feel special. Whether it be through her kind words, lending an ear to listen to your problems, or picking out a treat just for you when she’s out shopping – my mom does it all. I can’t tell you the amount of times that she’s come home from trips to Target or the grocery store with a box of hair dye for me or a new shade of nail polish for my sister and, of course, a new makeup or polish shade to treat herself with, too.

treatyoself_main01

Ever since I was little, I can remember mom coming home with her shopping to tell me or one of my siblings that she has a “surprise” in the bag for one of us. As a child, I lived for that. And as a twenty-three year old adult, I still do. Knowing that someone picked something out special for you is a delight that I treasure so deeply. Finding out that someone saw a piece of jewelry or a color that reminded them of you so much as to purchase it for them is a marvel that never gets old to me. Kindness is something that I value beyond all other qualities and, to me, this exudes such divine kindness and generosity.

This past weekend was really rough for yours truly. My mom knew this and saved an afternoon of us running errands last Sunday to tell me that she has a “surprise” for me, which she had been carrying around in her purse. She waited until we were done with our shopping and in the car to leave for home to gift me with the most gorgeous necklace that I’ve ever seen:

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I literally gasped out loud when I opened the small black box that my mom presented me with and saw this amazing rosary necklace sitting inside of it. This Louisa L brand necklace was made in Italy and on the back of the charm with the Blessed Mother features the Italian “Ruega Por Nosotros” or “Pray for us”.

My new rosary necklace has everything that I love – the color, the style, and the thought behind it, which made this the most wonderful gift to receive. My mom had gotten this present days before my unfortunate weekend, but waited until a “rainy day” to give it to me. I am so happy that she did, because it left me feeling infinitely better and so loved. Thank you, mom!! I LOVE YOU! ❤

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Sweet Surprises Edition! What is something that makes you feel better when you’re feeling down? What is the best “just because” present that you have ever received? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug7

Monday Update: This Week’s Lineup Edition

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Monday Update: This Week’s Lineup Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This week on lifewithlilred is going to feature a particularly fun post lineup. Not only will I be announcing my guest bloggers for my Falling For Fall series and showing off my new nails BUT I have a new mini series premiering. Read on to find out more:

As all of you know, I have a deep passion for all things skin care. Keeping my skin radiant and extra pasty pale is something that I take very seriously and a new tool that I’ve added to my skin care arsenal in the past few months is the face mask. These products have been all over the blogosphere as of late and I thought I would join in with my Face Mask Festivities mini series, which will discuss the three face masks that I’ve been alternating between. These posts will contain pictures of the products and my MUG as well as in detail reviews of my face mask experiences. Can’t wait to share my findings with all of you!

What was everyone up to this weekend? What is your favorite face mask to use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah