Tag Archives: ohio

Aug3

Meditation Station

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Meditation Station

Hi there! Something that I’ve been enjoying a lot lately is meditation. One of the libraries in my area has been hosting the two founders of a local nonprofit organization Health, Happiness, & Chan to teach meditation classes to the public. I have been going since the spring time, and found it to be really difficult. Dare I say, I even found it to be completely ineffective.

Then, we had a hiatus for a few months until the summer session began. Upon returning to classes, I had a total turn around during our hour together. I was able to complete the entire forty minute process when, before, I couldn’t even finish five minutes. It felt awesome and I left class feeling so uplifted and accomplished.

Unfortunately, but fortunately, one of our two amazing teachers (Both of whom are professors at Akron U.) has accepted a position at Harvard and is no longer with us. But, our other guru, Joanne is simply the best. I have such a strong connection with her and it was such a delight to be welcomed back to class by her with a huge hug.

Joanne has quite possibly the most beautiful voice known to mankind and, after all of us insisting on it for months, she has finally made a YouTube channel! The quality of her first few videos is not the best, but there will certainly be more to come so I wanted to share them with all of you, anyways. Joanne has such a gentle, kind, and nurturing spirit and you can literally feel it just by hearing her speak. So, subscribe and enjoy as she walks you through all different types of meditation!

Who else practices meditation? What are some of your meditation tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul22

Northeast Ohio Rocks Pt. 2

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Northeast Ohio Rocks Pt. 2

Howdy everyone and happy Sunday! If you can remember back to a post I made in April, I discussed a really cool local tradition called Northeast Ohio Rocks. The idea is that you paint or Sharpie a rock as you see fit and then hide it somewhere in public where a stranger can find it. Then, you do what you will with your surprise on social media and rehide the rock for the next lucky person to find. It’s such a fun community program and people have had get togethers at their homes or local meeting centers to create more rocks to hide around Northeast Ohio.

At a Green Day concert at Blossom Music Center last year, I found a solar eclipse themed rock hanging around by the entrance. I felt so lucky to have stumbled upon such a beautiful creation and vowed to give the magic back in due time. I thought that it only seemed appropriate to return the rock to the location that I found it at last summer and that moment finally came last week when I saw Marilyn Manson perform at Blossom.

We’ll chit chat about the show tomorrow, but I wanted to follow up on the post that I made in April to let everyone know that I kept my promise to bring the rock back to its original location. I wrote my web address on the back of my Northeast Ohio Rock, so hopefully whoever found it will come to my page to let me know that their surprise was received!

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Does your area have a similar program to Northeast Ohio Rocks? Would you ever like to start a local tradition? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun21

Cleveland Zoo Fun

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Cleveland Zoo Fun

Hello! Last week, I got to enjoy some time at the Cleveland Zoo and it was such a blast. This zoo offers at least five major exhibits including the Asian Highlands, Australian Outback, African Savannah, and so much more. There is also a separate building that mimics a tropical rain forest for you to explore. It’s so cool! Here are some of the pictures that I snapped throughout the day for your viewing pleasure:

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It is always so amazing to take a trip to the zoo, especially a big one like the Cleveland Zoo, so that you can see all of your favorite animals up close and personal. I am a lover of all creatures big and small, but when I am at the zoo, I am incredibly partial to the monkeys because they all have such distinct personalities. It was a hoot to see one of the monkeys passed out in a cat nap and the tiny black one licking his fingers after a yummy treat. But, the orangutans will always be my number one favorite.

Orangutans are such fascinating creatures to me, and I could seriously watch them all day. You can genuinely see such human like traits in their eyes like empathy and humor and I would give anything to be able to interact with them. The baby orangutan seen in the last two pictures above definitely stole the show, though. You could tell that he or she was having the time of its life just monkeying around and making us humans laugh. He was doing yoga-like poses, snuggling with his mom and dad, and playing dress up with the burlap sack. It doesn’t get much cuter than that!

What is your favorite animal to see at the zoo? Do you have a zoo that you like to frequent in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May10

Flowers & Frogs

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Flowers & Frogs

Howdy! The weather in Ohio has been absolutely perfect for hiking and just hanging out in the great outdoors. It is the type of weather where you have the windows open, eat food from the grill, and have bouquets of spring flowers on the table, like these lovely pink and yellow tulips:

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So, the above is the flowers part of this post, because who doesn’t love to see a lovely bouquet sitting on the kitchen table? But, what about the frogs?! Well, since the weather has been awesome, I’ve been able to go on a fair share of hikes this week. They were all great, but my favorite was the one I went on on Sunday at the Nature Realm in good ol’ Fairlawn, Ohio.

The Nature Realm rules. They have paved walking trails and actual hiking trails, along with the most lovely flower and herb garden, ponds full of fish and turtles, and an indoor center where you can watch Ohio wildlife from a window and see cool reptiles in their enclosures. While exploring the flower and herb garden, I was lucky enough to spot two little froggies hanging out among the lily pads in a pond. It was a fun game trying to spot the frogs camouflaged in all of the green, and here they are:

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Ahhhh! They are so cute I can’t even stand it! 😀

Spring time always teaches me about appreciating the little things – freshly cut flowers from the store, playing I Spy with frogs in a pond, and going for a walk with a light jacket on. It almost makes the drawn out winter worth it! 😉

Who else has been enjoying hikes now that the sun is out? What type of wildlife do you have in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

Dandelion Days

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Dandelion Days

Hi everyone and happy Monday! From as early as I can remember, I have always loved dandelions. Apparently, I used to spend countless hours in my youth squatted in the yard and plucking dandelion bouquets for my parents and grandparents. I also had many a temper tantrum when my parents wouldn’t stop the car at random fields to let me go dandelion crazy. But, that’s neither here nor there. And now, twenty years later, I still take delight in seeing the yellow blooms sprouting up in my neighborhood.

A weed and an inconvenience to some has always been viewed as a treasure to me. As soon as the dandelions begin invading the yards and fields in my neck of the woods, I know that spring is here. And, when the tiny yellow petals fall away, a puff of new seeds will come back that are perfect for making a wish on.

While walking through the neighborhood, I saw the perfect little lineup of dandies poking out of one of the driveways, and it brought me so much pleasure that I had to stop and snap a picture.

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It doesn’t take much to make me happy, but it sure is hard not to smile at the yellow pops of color scattered throughout the grass. 🙂

What was one of your favorite activities to do as a child? Who else was a fellow dandelion picker? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr23

Darling Daffodils

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Darling Daffodils

Hellooo! Despite the random spring snow flurries in Ohio, the flowers have began to bloom! Although the weather isn’t perfect, it is so nice to see spring staples starting to emerge like our patches of hyacinths, crocuses, and the lovely daffodils that line our driveway:

Not only are these flowers beautiful but they sure are inspiring. They are so delicate and even though snow is falling and the wind is blowing them every which way, they hold strong and their beauty seems all the more radiant for it. What a life lesson that you can learn from such a little bloom!

What is the weather like in your neck of the woods? What kind of flowers are blooming in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr16

Northeast Ohio Rocks

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Hi everyone and welcome to a new week here on lifewithlilred! So there’s this super cool thing in my neck of the woods called Northeast Ohio Rocks. It’s literally people painting rocks and then hiding them all over popular areas so that others can find them. It’s like a grown up Easter egg hunt. And, once you find a rock, you are encouraged to take a picture of it, post it on their Facebook page, and rehide it so that someone else can find it.

I have to admit that I kind of missed the mark on rehiding the rock that I found – but it’s just so darn pretty that I had to keep it around for a spell. Take a look:

I found this rock at Blossom Music Center when I saw Green Day there last August. My sister and I were waiting to enter the venue, and it just happened to be sitting on the stone made fence that was lining the foliage. I felt so lucky to have found my Northeast Ohio Rock, because 1) It’s really cool looking and 2) It was themed around the solar eclipse that happened the previous day. It was a great find and it was like getting a huge hug from a stranger.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve wanted to rehide this rock for a long time. But, I just haven’t found the perfect place for it. Until now. As luck would have it, I will be back at Blossom this July to see Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, and I plan on putting it back where it was found almost exactly a year ago.

I was so happy to have had such a beautiful creation tucked safely in my pocket for the duration of the Green Day concert, and now someone can experience that same excited feeling that comes with a lucky find for the Marilyn Manson show. It might have taken me a long time to get to rehiding my rock, but I’m happy with my plan and can’t wait to put it into action!

Does your area do something similar to Northeast Ohio Rocks? Would you ever incorporate something like this into your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Spaces

Mar30

Marilyn Manson Concert Excitement!!!

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Marilyn Manson Concert Excitement!!!

Hiiii everyone!! This summer, July 17th to be exact, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie will be performing at Blossom Music Center in my neck of the woods. I was lucky enough to have seen Mr. Manson this past October in Pittsburgh and it was AMAZING. Naturally, getting tickets to the July show was a must in my head, but I didn’t realize that I would be getting them so soon.

This Monday, my sister texted me to let me know that she purchased our tickets for us, as they were half off on Groupon. It was literally the best text EVER and I am so excited that I could cry. I can’t say that I’m too familiar with Rob Zombie’s music, but I love his movies, so it should still be pretty cool. But, let’s be real, the only reason that I’m even going is for Ohio’s finest!

I feel so spoiled that I will be getting to see one of my favorites twice in less than a year and, even though it’s months away, I am so looking forward to it!

Which concerts are you hoping to see this year? What is your favorite music venue in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar29

Spring Crocuses

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Spring Crocuses

Hello!! With hopefully the last snow of the season behind us in Ohio (But, who am I kidding, we’ll probs get at least one more!), the temps have been raising to a comfortable fifty degrees. With that increase and some extra sunshine, I found some more crocuses in my yard popping up when I walked the dogs this weekend. Seeing freshly sprouted flowers just makes me happy, and I’m sure that plenty of you are the same, so take a look:

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Instead of just the yellow crocuses that were sprouting up last time, I had the pleasure of seeing white and purple blooms peeking out beneath the winter debris. The white crocuses are happily embracing the sunshine, while the three purples ones are so close to opening up and doing the same. I can’t wait for when they do!

What is your favorite flower? Are there any blooms popping up in your yard? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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