Tag Archives: scary

Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Knife Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Knife Edition

Hello everyone!!! I hope you all had a merrier Christmas than me because I have been sick as a dog. Thankfully, I have tested negative for Covid several times, but your girl has been feeling ROUGH. This has been most upsetting because I literally never take time off and took an entire week off for the holidays only to get sick. One thing that made me feel better in a sea of yuck was some pampering thanks to my Christmas gift from my sweet blogging bestie. Kate of Live In The Nautical treated me to an absolutely amazing set of horror bath bombs by Rusted Acre Soap Co. and I am in loooove. It was so nice to soak away my troubles for a bit and I was blown away by the show that my Knife bath bomb put on. Check it out:

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It is hard to find a true substitute to Lush bath bombs, but I think that they have met their match with Rusted Acre Soap Co. This is, easily, the best not Lush bath bomb that I have ever used and it makes me so eager to try out the other four in the set I got. The Knife bath bomb was a slow fizzing one with thrilling surprises during every stage. What started off at a leisurely pace ended with a massive bang (As you can see from how the water was colored!) and I almost wanted to draw another bath to see what the other bath bombs were going to do!

When I placed the bath bomb in the water, it began to fizz white and smoky grey with the tiniest flecks of red. This process lasted for about two minutes and I assumed that was going to be all. I was so happy to be so completely wrong!! Just when I thought that this bath bomb showed me all it had to offer, the knife erupted in red and began to change the color of the water. After over a minute’s worth of red, the bath bomb changed to black, creating inky, glittery blood red water. It was like watching the climax of a horror movie all from my own bathtub. 😮

This was arguably the coolest bath bomb I have ever used and it smelled great too. Even while severely stuffed up, I could still smell the tangy lemon in the air which was both soothing and invigorating. I only had two qualms with this bath bomb and they are minor. 1) It stained my tub horribly. 2) It wasn’t as moisturizing as a Lush bath bomb, which is my favorite thing about them. Regardless, what a unique experience and I can’t wait to use more!

I am going to rate the Knife bath bomb with a seven and a half out of ten stars. If you are a horror fan, then I cannot recommend the Thriller Bath Bomb Set by Rusted Acre Soap Co. enough. You will love them!

How do you like to pamper yourself? What is your favorite horror flick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sweet Surprises: Skeleton Champagne Flutes Edition

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Sweet Surprises: Skeleton Champagne Flutes Edition

Hello!! It is obviously no secret that Halloween is my happy time and Johnny and I maintain a spooky mindset all year round. Our Halloween decor is every day decor and we live for horror flicks and true crime documentaries. Spooky season soothes our souls and it’s so sweet when people reach out to us just to let us know which stores have the best Halloween decor out or which scary movie we have to watch. My dad, for example, is forever keeping me up to date on when our local discount store has a new shipment of spooky decorations out. What a guy! This past week, he surprised me with these darling skeleton champagne flutes and I adore them:

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My dad purchased these flutes at Target and it gave me all the warm fuzzies because my mom told me that as soon as he saw them he said “Sarah would love these”. He was right on! They are just what I needed, in fact. I used to have wine glasses that were very similar from the Dollar Tree. Unfortunately, Johnny and I had to throw them out because they began leaking after a few months of use. I never forgot them because they were so cute and my new flutes are a perfect replacement.

Despite all of my parents’ children being thirty something, they firmly believe we are never too old for surprises. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have come over to their house to see new beauty goodies or Halloween decor for me after one of their trips to the store. It’s never anything expensive or extravagant and it never needs to be. Just knowing that they saw something that reminded them of me is more than enough. I cannot wait to break out my flutes for apple cider mimosas and toast to the bearers of this sweet surprise!

Cheers to Halloween, cheers to my parents, and cheers to all of you! Here’s to the best spooky season ever!

What is the last thing someone surprised you with? What is something that reminds your friends and family of you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Scary Fun Fall Activities

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Scary Fun Fall Activities

Hello!!! Fall is the happiest time of the year for me and Johnny. The weather suits our vampire selves beautifully and autumn is when we finally emerge outdoors after a hot summer. We do not do well in the heat whatsoever and it’s so nice to be able to comfortably step out and do ALL of the fall activities together! Below are some of the things that we definitely plan on doing the next few months as well as some ideas for more fall fun. Check it out:

Hikes:

There are countless gorgeous Metro Parks in Ohio and Johnny and I live by a ton of them. Within a ten mile radius of our apartment are at least ten different ones that I can think of off the top of my head! During the week, we are hoping to fit in one or two hikes after work on the days that I get home early. It is such a joy to take a stroll through the woods during a crisp day and admire the changing leaves! Maybe we’ll even try to complete the annual Fall Hiking Spree this year, which is something we always talk about but never do lol.

Drive-In Movies:

I have only been to a drive-in movie once in my life and it freaking sucked! It was a rainy day, the car was cramped, and I was beyond over it. Johnny, on the other hand, loves a good drive-in and we plan on hitting up the one we live somewhat close to in October. The drive-in will be hosting scary movie marathons with old school horror flicks, slashers, and campy classics. It sounds like a hoot and will be a nice change of pace from our at home scary movie viewings.

Scavenger Hunts:

I think it would be so much fun to have a Halloween scavenger hunt with our friends and I would love to organize one. Perhaps a walk or drive through neighborhoods scouring Halloween decor to cross off our list? Or even visiting one of the numerous Spirit Halloweens in our area building a goofy costume on a budget. We could end the hunt making our own concoctions of spooky themed cocktails OR apple cider mimosas which I am dying to try. They sound delish! 😀

Pumpkin Partay:

One thing that Johnny and I haven’t done together is carve pumpkins and that feels like a must this year. I would love to take an afternoon trip to a pumpkin patch, pick out the perfect carving pumpkins, and make some masterpieces. Granted, no one could really see them from our balcony but we can and that’s all that matters. Here’s to me not injuring myself because this will be my first go at jack-o-lanterns – we’ll see what happens haha.

Bonfires:

This past Christmas, I got my dad a fire pit and Johnny and I can’t wait to use it this fall! We even have the kits to make the fire different colors, which will be super neat. Last year, Johnny and I had a blast passing out candy during Trick-or-Treat and we plan on creating a spooky setup with the fire pit, Halloween music, and of course dressing up too. I am SO excited to go costume shopping, although I don’t know how I’ll beat dressing up as Johnny last year!

Johnny and I are ready to live our best lives this fall and how can we not with so many Scary Fun Activities on our agenda?! Fall fun, here we come!

What is your favorite fall activity? What are you going to be for Halloween this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

What Have We Been Watching? Scary Movies Edition

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What Have We Been Watching? Scary Movies Edition

Hello!! Johnny and I have been watching scary movies pretty much exclusively since the last week of September to prepare ourselves for spooky season. Of course, we do make exceptions for Lego Masters, Impractical Jokers, and Last Week Tonight! This month long scary movie marathon has been a hoot and I thought I would share a few of the ones that stood out for good or bad if you plan on watching some horror flicks this weekend. Now, let’s get to it:

Scream:

Very surprisingly to my husband, I have never seen the original Scream before and it was a really fun watch. This is the perfect flick to turn on for people who aren’t huge scary movie fans because, although it is a slasher, there is so much humor incorporated into it. Scream straight up makes fun of horror franchises as Ghostface does his thing and it achieves a nice balance of scary and silly. I would say Johnny and I watched more of the Scream movies but literally every single one BUT the second was on streaming services. *Face palm*

Old People:

This is a German Netflix movie that I put on while Johnny was taking a snooze and it was pretty good. As you can surmise, the old people are the villains and this was an interesting twist since it’s almost always a youngster lol. I can’t say that I would watch it again but it was worth the watch for what it was. Some parts were freaking nasty so be wary!

Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight:

The plot of this Polish horror film on Netflix intrigued Johnny and me. In the summary, it says it’s about a group of technology addicted teenagers who go on a retreat where no cell phones can be used. The movie was about this for maybe ten minutes and then it turned super weird thanks to two ogre looking men who were transformed by a meteor. The first one was good and we were excited that there was a sequel. Don’t bother with it, however, because it sucked on ice and we turned it off before we even finished it.

Random Acts Of Violence:

Shudder is a streaming service that only has horror movies and TV shows. Random Acts Of Violence is a Shudder original and it was one of mine and Johnny’s favorites. Basically, a comic book writer begins to notice similarities of real life killings inspired by the serial killer in his books. The movies on Shudder can be hit or miss so we were surprised by how good it was. The artwork was also amazing and we loved when it would go from real actors to comic book style animation.

Dreamcatcher:

Dreamcatcher was another movie that we watched on Shudder and it was a bust. Actually, let me restate that. It was alright until the grand reveal began unfolding and *then* it was a bust. Long story short, there is a killer amongst a DJ, his management, and his fans. For a while, we had a good enough time trying to figure out who it was. Then, we did find out who it was and it was so stupid lol don’t bother with this one.

Last Shift:

This movie was on Netflix and it was one that actually scared me and Johnny. It’s about a rookie cop who is working a late shift alone at a rundown police department. What should be an easy night turns nightmarish when the lights go out and a cult leader and his followers appear to be making a comeback. This one was a wild ride and I would definitely watch it again.

The Collector/The Collection:

The Collector series is your basic booby trapped setting film but it’s done so well and Johnny and I have watched these movies a few times. Is the Saw-esque style the most original? No. But, the overall plot was good, the visuals were insane, and we also love Josh Stewart a la Criminal Minds who plays the main character. If you’re looking for a more fast paced horror movie and aren’t scared of some gore, then this is a great option.

Creep 1 & 2:

The Creep movies are on Netflix and Johnny and I are HUGE fans of them. It isn’t a jump out and scare you movie but it is so unsettling. In a found footage style, it covers whomever the “bad guy” feels like being on a given day and the person he hired to film him. Part hilarious, part plain weird, the Creep franchise definitely lives up to its name and we wish there were more of them!

Johnny and I have watched so many scary movies this month that I have forgotten some of them lol. However, the ones above were the first ones that stuck out to me for this post as a green light or a cautionary tale to not watch. Regardless of what you choose, enjoy your movie night!

Have you seen any of the movies that I mentioned? What did you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

A Night At The Theater OOTD Pt. 4 Bloopers

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A Night At The Theater OOTD Pt. 4 Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Night At The Theater OOTD! Johnny and I had a great time during our date night of dinner at The Haunted House Restaurant and a not so great time seeing Les Mis at Playhouse Square. Talk about a snooze fest lol. Regardless, it’s always a blast to step out in a carefully styled OOTD with my husband. ❤

On occasion, my phone will do this weird thing that makes all of the pictures look blurry. It happened to be one of those occasions on Saturday night, making some blooper shots look like horror movie stills. I’m not mad about it because it’s perfect for spooky season! Check it out:

Slowly draining Johnny’s life force

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I look terrifying lol

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Just working what my mama gave me

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Your classic “I just got engaged” pose

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Johnny told me I looked like a bearded dragon when I lifted my coat’s collar and this is my interpretation of what a bearded dragon looks like:

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Looking like Bette Midler in Hocus Pocus

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My face when Johnny asks if we’re done yet lol

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Creature of the night

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Straight YIKES dude

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I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!

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Just talking to Eugene……

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EUGENE!!!!!!!!!!!

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Eugene is a kindly usher at Playhouse Square who noticed Johnny and I taking pictures when we straight ditched Les Mis. With pictures like the above, it’s hard to see why he asked if I modeled professionally!! He was a total angel, though, and insisted on taking mine and Johnny’s pictures and we couldn’t resist a selfie with him. Just a couple of fashionistas on the town! 😀

As I was going through the pictures of me that Johnny took, I was honestly fearful for my life lol I look so scary in some of them!! (Note that if my sweet husband saw what I just typed he would say I look scary in all of them haha) This batch of bloopers definitely lived up to the “yikes” portion of the good, the bad, and the yikes. I always fancied myself a horror movie scream queen but now I think that my calling is as the villainess!

With another fabulous date night and OOTD in the books, Johnny and I have truly been living our best lives this fall. I can’t wait to continue thriving together in the joy of spooky season! ❤

What is your favorite scary movie? Do you have any selfies with strangers on your phone? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

The Haunted House Restaurant Date Night

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The Haunted House Restaurant Date Night

Hello!! This past Saturday, Johnny and I were on deck to see Les Miserables at Playhouse Square because my parents couldn’t attend. You can read all about that experience and peep my OOTD from it later this week! Prior to heading to the theater, we decided to finally check out The Haunted House Restaurant in Beachwood for dinner. Despite the, admittedly, unoriginal name, there was nothing in the realm of normal at this restaurant and it was a blast! Check it out:

Lol at Johnny!

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The whole restaurant was decked out in murals and horror movie memorabilia

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Michael Myers was a guest star and lurking around the whole place!

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For drinks, Johnny got the Beetlejuice and I went for the Trick Or Treat. For food, Johnny ordered the Texas Chainsaw Burger and I got the Ecto Burger.

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The Haunted House Restaurant opened in Beachwood about a year ago and Johnny and I were so excited to go despite the mixed bag of reviews that we had heard. Some people loved it while others complained about the food and that it wasn’t like a “real” haunted house. This wasn’t the case for me and Johnny at all and we cannot wait to go back. In fact, we are already planning to host our birthaversary there in June!

Let’s start with the food and drinks… The Haunted House Restaurant had a huge cocktail menu featuring spooky themed drinks and their own wine. Johnny’s version of a Pina Colada called the Beetlejuice looked SO cool and he really enjoyed it. I ordered their popular “Trick Or Treat”, which was basically a boozy apple cider and it was delicious. It was exactly what I was hoping it would be and I loved that it was garnished with fresh pieces of apple for a classy touch. I want to make something similar for a scary movie night ASAP. 😀

I can’t speak for Johnny’s Texas Chainsaw Burger but my Ecto Burger was just alright. It was an impossible burger with vegan BBQ pulled pork, gouda, and onions. I wanted to like it so badly but it was pretty dry overall and was lacking severely in the flavor department. The French fries, however, were amazing and I would have been happy just eating a plateful of them.

Although my burger wasn’t the best, it was okay because the experience as a whole was. As soon as we walked into the restaurant, Johnny and I were so there for it. All of the staff were in costumes and horror makeup, the decor was second to none, and the creepy music playing on the speakers all set the stage for a great evening. Also, our server at the bar was a star!

The fabulous murals and memorabilia was like being in a scary movie museum and there seemed to be tricks and treats everywhere you turned. Johnny and I happened to be there when a birthday was being celebrated and the staff put on a great show. The sirens from The Purge played over the speakers and the staff came out dancing with flashing lights for the birthday guest. Then, they played “In Da Club” and it was hilarious lol.

All of the above isn’t even the best part because that belonged to whomever the restaurant had playing Michael Myers. About halfway through our meal, Johnny noticed Mr. Myers posted up outside one of the doors to the restaurant. He reveled in scaring passerbyers and the restaurant goers alike and happily posed for pictures when asked. Then, he made his way inside and went throughout the place to entertain everyone. Unfortunately, we had to go before he got to the bar where we were seated but it was still so awesome!

Our trip to The Haunted House Restaurant was one of mine and Johnny’s favorite date nights yet. We had so much fun and the only bad thing is that it’s about forty minutes away. This actually might be a good thing, though, because we would be there literally all of the time!

Where is your favorite date night spot? What is your favorite scary movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Marc’s Halloween Haul

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Marc’s Halloween Haul

Hello! In my neck of the woods, there is a discount store called Marc’s that offers everything from food and clothing to toys and home goods. This past week, they also had a ton of Halloween goodies that I just had to snag for the apartment. Everything was SO cute and also way cheaper than anything you would find at TJMaxx and Walmart. Take a look:

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It is Halloween year round in mine and Johnny’s home and our decor includes skeletons, pumpkins, ghosts, ghouls, and a Jason Voorhees cardboard cutout lol. Our neighbor gave us this life size likeness and it still freaks me out sometimes! I have taken it upon myself to freshen up our Halloween stock pile this year and just couldn’t say no to the above purchases – especially considering I got all of them for under twenty-five dollars. 😀

I am particularly partial to the glittery hanging skeleton with the bow tie and Johnny loves the skeleton and scepter statue. Our niece, Valerie, always wants to play with our ghost figurines when she comes over so I think she will be a huge fan of the “BOO” ghost statue! As soon as I brought this haul home, it was like a kid in a candy store and Johnny added them to our spooky shelves throughout the apartment. SO. Precious!

While chain stores might have a bigger selection of Halloween goodies, don’t write off the discount stores. I have never seen anything like my purchases at Marc’s elsewhere so you are sure to find some very unique pieces if you know where to look. Now, is it Halloween yet?!

Where is your favorite place to shop for seasonal decor? How do you decorate for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Pearly Whites

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Pearly Whites

Hi! Ever since I had an oral surgery gone wrong close to three years ago, I have had a HUGE fear of the dentist. But, let’s be real, I’ve always been kind of afraid of it and instead of facing my fears, I just wouldn’t go. In the beginning of February 2020, I finally worked up the courage to see a periodontist and had a handful of appointments with him. Then, the worst of the pandemic hit and I hadn’t been back since.

Although I hadn’t been to see the periodontist, I worked hard to keep up my oral hygiene with an electric toothbrush and tried my best to at least keep my problems stable. However, going so long without having any type of check up brought me back to my ambivalence of ever returning. Which is why I am proud to say that I actually had my first appointment with my periodontist since the pandemic this past week! 😀

You guys have no idea how nervous I was for this appointment because of my phobia in general and I was extremely worried that my issues had worsened. Which is why I am even prouder to say that thanks to my improved oral hygiene, the problems that I went in for had remained stable!! My worst nightmare would have been hearing the professionals say “What happened?!” so to hear that I had been doing as good as I could have been was such a big relief.

While the issues with my gums are by no means great, I am so motivated to continue making it better after this appointment. I have cleanings scheduled with my regular dentist and my periodontist. I also purchased a waterpik as per their recommendation as soon as I returned home. I like to think that even if the appointment didn’t go well, I still would have done all of that but it would definitely have made it much scarier.

I was all but traumatized after my surgery gone wrong and I think anyone would have been if they couldn’t eat for a month. I still can’t look at a bottle of Ensure without having flashbacks! But I am so happy that I am on the right track to keep improving and I plan to stay on it, no matter what my fears are.

I think I will always be somewhat afraid to go to a dentist or periodontist but this is a great first step in, at least, lessening my phobia a little bit. In fact, I might even be a little excited to keep going back and I feel hopeful that I will continue to make improvements. GOOD FOR ME! 🙂

What are you afraid of? How do you face your fears? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Halloween!

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Happy Halloween!

Hello everyone! Just swinging by on this spooky Saturday to wish all of you a very Happy Halloween! Although this year is much different than Halloween’s of past, there is still plenty of fun to be had. From scary movie marathons and crafts to a social distanced bonfire or a scavenger hunt at home, this could potentially be your best Halloween yet because you will have to do something totally different if you wish to be in COVID safety standards. But, something totally different doesn’t mean anything less enjoyable!

Visit previous Halloween posts here on lifewithlilred to help get you inspired and bring some scary fun and completely safe Halloween spirit to you and yours. ❤

Happy Halloween!!

^^^ Never forget my sweet doggie’s Minion costume!

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

Mostly Ghostly Halloween Decor

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Mostly Ghostly Halloween Decor

Hi! Around this time of the year I love taking stock of all of the amazing Halloween decor in stores (AKA all year round decor!). TJMaxx, Target, Walmart, and everything in between I just want to see and buy it all, lol. Every spooky guy and gal needs creepy cute decor!

Unfortunately, in COVID times it is hard for me to go out and about on a Halloween decor crawl because of how limited I keep my time in public. So, a few weeks ago, I resorted to browsing online for Halloween decorations and kept coming up short. Everything I liked was either sold out or not worth the price being asked.

Believe you me, I was disappointed because I really enjoy buying new decorations for my apartment. But, then, Johnny reminded me he brought some of his Halloween decor to our place and that put the pep right back in my step. How can these goofy adorable ghosts not make you smile? Check it out:

Johnny is an avid lover of Halloween, himself, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when he had plenty of spoils of his own to show me. He has tons of outdoor decor for when we finally have a place with a lawn and lots of knick knacks to display around the apartment. Now, not being able to shop in store for Halloween decor doesn’t seem all that bad. 🙂

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