Tag Archives: plans

Dec16

All’s Well That Ends Well

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All’s Well That Ends Well

Hello! On the Friday of the first week of December Johnny and I tested positive for Covid after an exposure at his work. It was truly the best case scenario because we both felt perfectly fine and spent four days at home vegging out. As much as we love a solid hang session at home, it was a massive bummer. My holiday hair appointment had to be cancelled as well as my Christmas get together with my bestie girl. Johnny, on the other hand, had to miss out on Spamalot at Playhouse Square and was devastated. Naturally we got Covid on the weekend that we were actually doing stuff!

In my extensive tenure (Over twenty years!) of getting my hair done by my stylist, Anna, I cannot recall ever having to cancel an appointment. I was so sad because I really was looking forward to seeing her and having brand new hair for the holidays. I had come to terms with the fact that this was more than likely not going to happen. Even though Anna said that she would see what she could do, I knew the schedule at the salon was jam packed and that was okay. I would get my locks refreshed eventually and it would be glorious. ❤

When I returned back to work on Tuesday, I texted Anna to let her know I was negative and she sent me the most beautiful reply. She asked if I would like to spend her birthday with her at the salon on Saturday morning. Would I ever! You guys, I was so genuinely touched by this that it made me tear up. Anna has been doing my hair since I was seven years old and I am thirty-one now. She is the dearest friend and has literally watched me grow up. I would never expect her to make exceptions for me or overwork herself to squeeze me in before the holidays. The fact that she found a way to make it work was such a gift to me and I can’t wait to celebrate her! (Note – I am typing this the day before my appointment!)

Anna always knows how to make me feel special and this particular instance really took the cake. So, of course, I had to go to TJMaxx and pick out a pretty little something for her big day. It pales in comparison for all she has done for me, though. Anna isn’t just my stylist, she is one of my favorite people in the world. When I’m in her chair, I can tell her anything and have always put her as big sister status in my head. She has the most amazing way of making people feel beautiful inside and out and after my hair appointments I feel like my best self. She brings it out of me and I am so excited to show all of you my new do. 😀

My holiday wish for great hair came true by Anna and I only wish that Johnny could have seen Spamalot for a true All’s Well That Ends Well ending. But, hey, it’s close enough!

How long has your stylist been doing your hair? Did you get your hair done for the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct7

Halloween Fun

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Halloween Fun

Hello!! Last year was a pretty rough time for yours truly and although Johnny and I always revel in the Halloween season, we didn’t do a whole lot of anything. I am pleased to report that this year, we are back on our BS in a major way and I love that for us! We have grand plans for this beloved time for the both of us and I can’t wait to complete everything on our Halloween checklist:

Haunted House:

Johnny and I started dating in September of 2019 – mere months before the Covid-19 pandemic. That Halloween was the only time that we went to a haunted house together and I just won’t stand for it. There is an absolutely fantastic haunted house about a half hour or so away from us. It’s called the Factory of Terror and it is one of the largest indoor haunted attractions in the country. This is the haunted house we went to when we first started dating! However, it will be nothing like what we saw during our outing. The cool thing about the Factory of Terror is that they change all five of their haunted houses every year into something unrecognizable to prior visits. I can’t wait to see what it looks like this year!

Something you might not know about me is that my first job was working as an actor at a haunted house called Carnival of Horrors. I know every single trick in the book, yet all that knowledge goes out the window as soon as I go to haunted houses. Much to Johnny’s amusement, I become the prime target for the actors because I get got every time lol. I’m sure it will be the same thing this time around but, hey, that’s the fun of a haunted house. 😀

Pumpkin Patch:

One of my all time favorite Date Days with Johnny was when we visited a local pumpkin patch. We got the cutest tiny pumpkins, took the cutest pictures, and enjoyed a yummy meal afterwards. We also never did this again so we are adding it to the agenda! While we don’t have a yard to decorate due to apartment life, we need a little something and no porch is complete without a few pumpkins. Johnny also takes great pleasure in throwing them at trees so we’ll grab a couple of extra ones for that purpose lol.

Trick or Treat:

Last year, Johnny and I made a bonfire and passed out candy with my parents at their house. It was SO much fun to see all of the kids in their costumes parading throughout the neighborhood and we definitely plan on doing that again. We also will be joining our nieces for their Trick or Treat outing and are looking forward to it so much. We are keeping our fingers crossed that our nieces will share the loot with their Fun Aunt and Uncle! 😀

Costumes:

Johnny and I have never done matching costumes and we are going for it this year. We are going to have Candyland inspired costumes with Johnny being Lord Licorice and me being a Candy Queen. I am so excited for it! In fact, we already have our costumes for next year picked out too: Alice Cooper and Cold Ethyl. The hilarious thing about both of these costumes for Johnny is that he literally already has everything he needs in his own wardrobe. Does that mean he’ll go halfsies with me on the costumes I have to buy? #fingerscrossed

31 in 31:

Finally, Johnny and I are VERY committed to completing the 31 scary movies in 31 days challenge this year. We haven’t missed a day yet and it has been great. We have been working our way through Johnny’s silly slashers and my atmospheric picks in alternation. And, of course, wearing our matching spooky pajamas and noshing on movie theater treats. I look forward to what we are going to watch every day upon our return home and it is such a nice change of pace from our usual post-work screenings of SVU!

All aboard the Halloween Fun express because we are living it up this spooky season!

What are your favorite Halloween activities? What is your favorite holiday? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar25

*Trying* To Take It Easy

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*Trying* To Take It Easy

Hello!! The irony has not been lost on me that the past two times that I had any time off from work were spent being sick. I spent my week long holiday break this winter with RSV and had another week off due to a nasty virus at the beginning of the month. It was a huge bummer to be sick over the holidays, but I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t awesome having some time off this second time around! As someone who has been self employed for almost a decade, it is incredibly difficult for me to justify time off – even if it is for fun things like vacations. However, after enjoying being sick more than I probably should have, I realized that I really do need to make an effort to *try* to take it easier. So, I have been doing the following:

Sleeping In:

I have always been adamant about waking up as soon as my alarm goes off because I need my jam packed days to run like clockwork. This proved to be very hard after a whole week of getting up sans alarm, though. After my sick spell, I have given myself permission to hit the snooze or even sleep for another extra hour. And guess what? My days still are going without a hitch and I feel much more well rested too. This isn’t an every day thing, but I have been taking advantage of getting some extra shut eye on the days where I have a bit more wiggle room. I have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels and will absolutely continue with this!

Face Masks:

One of my sick day rituals was using face masks so I could feel some semblance of pampered while I was a gross, sweaty mess lol. This is another thing that I have been sticking with and I have enjoyed a weekly face mask since the beginning of March. I tend to do this as soon as I get home one day during the week and even though it’s only a twenty minute process, I see its merits. Rather than diving into the next thing I have to do (computer work, cooking dinner, cleaning), I am able to take those twenty minutes to recharge and continue going about my day. This is a win/win because I love doing skin care and I feel like it gives me a second wind until bedtime. It’s amazing what taking twenty minutes for you out of your day can do!

Making Plans:

I can’t tell you the amount of weekends I have spent doing literally nothing because I am too tired. Then, I would go about the work week feeling disappointed that Johnny and I didn’t do anything fun at all. While we still have our lazy weekends, we have both been making an effort to do more and have a good time during our time off. Within this past month alone, we have reincorporated date nights and I have tried my best to make plans (and keep them) with my friends. For a long while, I was going through the motions of the work week without much to look forward to once the weekend rolls around. Now, Johnny and I have been adding at least one fun outing to our weekend and it has been fantastic. On Mondays, I feel happy with the hang outs we’ve had and am eager to see what we’ll do the following weekend.

I have been on the grindset mindset for so long and, although these seem like small changes, they are huge to me. I plan on continuing with all of these improvements and adding new ways to make things easier for myself when I feel like I need it. I already notice a difference!

How do you take time for yourself? What are some improvements that you have made recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct29

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

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Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

Hello!! It’s Halloween weekend and if you are without a costume, then I feel it! I, myself, am store bought costumeless this year because I had literally no time to go shopping for one. However, I will be using one of my last minute ideas that we will be discussing today so it’s all good! If you need a costume for a party or passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, you might be surprised by what you can make from the pieces in your own closet. All you will need is some makeup to fully complete the look! Let’s get started:

Scarecrow:

If you have some ripped up blue jeans, a flannel, and a sturdy pair of work boots, then BOOM: You instantly have a scarecrow costume. For makeup, you can look up tutorials to do some patches on your face and hands for the full effect. You can also use the base of this costume to be a cowboy or cowgirl. Just swap the work boots for cowboy boots and add a hat and you’re ready for the rodeo. 😀

Decade Costumes:

Do you have a love for a certain time period with the clothes to match? Then you are all set! Decade costumes from the 70s, 80s, 90s, or whatever tickles your fancy are always a hit. You could put together the ultimate jazzercize costume or a look that’s worthy of the disco with flared pants, platforms, and a sleek button down. Easy peasy!

Undead Bride Or Groom:

When Johnny and I pass out trick-or-treat candy, I am just planning on wearing my black wedding dress and doing some undead makeup lol. No matter the color of your dress or suit, this is another quick fix if you are costumeless. If you aren’t keen on wearing your own wedding attire, secondhand shops tend to have a wide selection of weddingwear on the cheap.

Your SO Or Bestie:

Are you attending a party with your significant other or bestie? You can dress up as them! If I don’t feel like wearing my wedding dress, this is the route that I am going. All one needs to do is raid your costume inspiration’s wardrobe or find pieces that they would wear in your own. Since I already wear Johnny’s clothes constantly, it might be fun to style a look that he would wear when he’s playing a concert!

Sportswear:

Win the gold with your costume by dressing up as an athlete or just a super fan. If you have a passion for watching or playing sports and you have the gear to back it up, then this is the costume for you. Paint your face with your favorite team’s colors, get one of those hats that you can drink beer out of, and you are good to go!

Animal Attire:

Is dressing up as a cat, teddy bear, or bat the most original costume? Not by a long shot! However, it will have to do if you are crunched for time. You can pull a Karen from Mean Girls and be a mouse… duh! Either way, all you need is clothing the color of your animal, ears, potentially wings, and makeup and you will be ready for your Halloween plans.

Although I had a store bought costume in mind, I am a-okay with a makeshift one this year. Keep it posted to see what I end up dressing up as next week on lifewithlilred!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween? What are your Halloween plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun7

Are You a Budding Entrepreneur? How to Secure Early Success

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Are You a Budding Entrepreneur? How to Secure Early Success

Being an entrepreneur and making a success of it is always going to be an uphill struggle. Most of the people who choose this path in life fail and have to switch to another career later on. That’s just the way it goes in a competitive marketplace. However, that doesn’t mean that you should just resign yourself to failure, too. There are plenty of things that you can do to make sure that you do better than all of those that have tried before you, like the following:

Know What Kind of Business You Want to Run: First of all, you need to know what kind of a business you actually want to run. If you get this wrong, you could get your entire approach wrong. Give some thought to this as well as all of the details that will take your start up to the next level. One of the major things you are going to have to tackle is a name for your company that stands out from the crowd. For example, if you are in the field of beauty, you could get inspired by these spa names. You could also invite your friends and family to help with your selection by letting you know which name ideas they like best. Do not rush this because the right name can make a huge difference.

Do you want to start a business that operates in a risky sector but has fantastic growth potential? Or you might want to take a safer bet and opt for a franchise. You could choose a franchise in home care. This is perfect if you have a caring nature and want to make a real difference to society. Perhaps a fast food chain? Many fast food chains, from McDonald’s to KFC, are run as a franchise, so it’s a good option if you don’t yet have one of these restaurants in your area. Or maybe you’re interested in home improvement and would like to join the Premier Pools Franchise. You will be responsible for running your own business, but there is less risk involved. It’s entirely up to you to decide what kind of business you want to run, but give it plenty of thought beforehand before committing to anything.

Planning Can’t Be Skipped: Many people arrogantly think that they can just skip the planning stage of the process when they start a new business, but that’s not the case at all. In fact, it’s a very bad idea to think that you can skip over something as important as planning. If you don’t have a solid and sturdy plan for how you’re going to push the business forward and make sure that it is always progressing, you will experience problems later on. You can’t afford to not do this, so don’t let your ego get the better of you when you want to shrug off a planning brain storming sesh. Managing your budget is going to be crucial in your planning stage so be honest with yourself about the resources you have and what is possible with it. Some businesses like this example here can be started for significantly less than you may think and could be a more feasible option.

Have a Concept That Will Stand Out: If you’re going to find early success and get to where you want to be as a business owner and entrepreneur, you really need to arrive with a fully formed idea. This idea is going to have to be big and good enough to make you stand out from the other businesses that are already operating in the market. What can you offer that your competitors can’t? For example, what are the perks for your customers if you start an online skincare business? Will you offer free samples with your orders or virtual consultations to boost brand loyalty? You can’t just roll in and expect people to ditch the companies that they are already loyal to. If that’s going to happen, you need to give them a proper reason through the services that your company offers.

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Know Your Long and Short Term Goals: One of the most important lessons that can be learned from Startup Framework programming is to plan ahead and identify potential problems and their solutions. The best way to start doing this is to establish goals for your business to achieve. Short-term goals can be very important when you’re looking for early success in your business. But having long-term goals is just as important. You might think that this is a strange thing to say when we’re talking about early success for your startup. But having long-term plans and aims is a sign that you have thought through the journey that you want for your business. It shows foresight and seriousness, and those things are important at any stage of running a company.

Starting any new feat for work can be a daunting task, so remember to think things through and plan, plan, plan every step of the way for your ultimate success.

Featured Image By: Pixabay