Tag Archives: smile

Getting In The Holiday Spirit: Christmas Tree Decorating Edition

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Getting In The Holiday Spirit: Christmas Tree Decorating Edition

Hello! This past week, one of my clients and I continued on with our tradition of decorating the Christmas tree together. For the second year in a row, we were rockin’ around the Christmas tree, singing Christmas carols, and enjoying each other’s company. It hasn’t felt much like Christmas time considering the state of my state right now, as the coronavirus continues to run its course through Ohio. However, just like when my client and I decorated the Christmas tree last year, I felt much more like celebrating by the time we were done. 🙂

Check out our handiwork:

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My friend absolutely loves Christmas and has been excited for the upcoming holiday for months now. His joy for the season is contagious and it was so much fun to decorate the tree with him. Especially because I haven’t decorated the tree in my family home in years because we keep it up year round, lol! While all of his favorite tunes played, we debated the best placement for the ornaments and wondered out loud what would be waiting for us under the tree this year. I can’t wait for him to open his gift from me on Christmas day! 🙂

Everything feels so scary and different right now and it was really nice to spend a peaceful afternoon around the glowing lights on the tree. If you have the Blue Christmas blues right now, as I did, I highly recommend doing a little decorating, yourself. Whether that be hanging ornaments on the tree or placing Christmas village figurines on your mantel, a little holiday cheer can go a long way. I can attest to that firsthand. ❤

How do you get into the holiday spirit? Do you have a favorite holiday decoration? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sweet Surprises: A Thanksgiving Stowaway Edition

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Sweet Surprises: A Thanksgiving Stowaway Edition

Hello!! Sadly, Johnny and I were not able to attend Thanksgiving with my family and it really, really sucked. It was so hard to visit my loved ones outside and not be able to hug them and enjoy the day together. It was especially difficult to not be able to hold my niece, Valerie, because she is my lil BFF and I have never not held her whenever I see her since she has been born.

My parents were nice enough to drop Thanksgiving dinner off on mine and Johnny’s doorstep and it wasn’t until the following day that I noticed a little stowaway on the bag they sent over:

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Valerie loves playing with stickers and her and my sister stuck this little guy from Trolls onto our to go bag. I didn’t notice it right away because it was on the backside of it and it made me so happy when I finally saw this “hi auntie” message from my niece.

The little things really do make the best sweet surprises. I wish I could have been there to hear Val say “uh oh” when one of her stickers ripped and I am so ready for Christmas so I can be there when her and her parents open all of her prezzies.

This Thanksgiving was straight up not a good time for me or Johnny and I am sharing these stories to help remind and encourage people to continue wearing their masks and social distance. The food, my sticker stowaway, and being with Johnny made the day not the worst but our Thanksgiving would have been so much better had we been able to celebrate traditionally.

Regardless, my sweet surprise from my niece and sister definitely helped perk me up. It is also a nice reminder that even the smallest gestures can have such a great impact. Be kind to everyone because you have no idea what they’re going through. Who knows, you might be helping make their bad day just that little bit better. 🙂

How did you safely celebrate Thanksgiving? What are you looking forward to as the year comes to a close? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Top Tips For Looking Your Best

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Top Tips For Looking Your Best

When you look great, you usually feel great, which is a recipe for success and joyfulness. You can’t help but have confidence in yourself and hold your head up high. The dilemma may be that you’re not taking good care of yourself and are letting your self-care slip because you’re busy.

Make yourself and your wellness and beauty a priority, and you’ll be much happier about your appearance. Review the following tips so you can look your best and get back to living life to the fullest with a smile on your face. Have fun with it and enjoy the transformation when you’re in a better place:

Get Enough Sleep:

One tip for looking your best is to get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Sleep not only gives you more natural energy, but it’ll ensure you don’t have dark circles under your eyes too. Your skin will glow and have fewer blemishes, and you’ll find it’s easier to maintain or lose weight. Sleep is essential to you feeling motivated to achieve your goals and tackle your to-do list.

Take Care of Your Smile:

Another tip for looking your best is to take care of your smile. Smiling makes you feel lively and will help you give off a friendly vibe to others. Visit your dentist regularly and brush your teeth and floss at home to maintain white and healthy teeth. If you’ve lost any teeth due to injury or illness, you may want to consider dental implants. After this procedure, you can smile confidently and will no longer feel self conscious when speaking and interacting with others.  

Do Your Hair & Makeup:

Wake up each day and take a shower and get ready so you can feel and look your best. Commit to doing your hair and applying makeup, which will make you feel ready to seize the day. You want to leave the house feeling good about yourself and the way you look. If you roll out of bed with messy hair and no makeup, you might feel tired and lousy all day. If you’re in a rush, then find quick up-dos you can use for your hair and, at the minimum, put on mascara and lip balm to add some color to your smile.

Exercise & Eat Well:

You’re going to look your best when you’re at a healthy weight and are free from stress and anxiety. Two ways you can reduce your worry and get into better shape is to exercise and eat well. Find physical activities you enjoy doing, and that allow you to burn calories and break a sweat. Get in the habit of cooking for yourself at home and carrying healthy snacks with you to eat throughout the day. When you combine healthy eating with regular exercise, you’ll be setting yourself up to love the way you look, and you’ll feel energized and content inside your mind and body, as well. 

It’s hard to feel good when times are so crazy but the tips above will help get some pep back in your step!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Monster Mash

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Hello! A few days ago, I posted about a Halloween craft that I made with my client out of Popsicle sticks. They turned out like this:

While the Barney sticks were for my client, the ghosts, Jack-O-Lantern, and Frankenstein were for Johnny who wanted to decorate his space at work for Halloween. Despite forgetting to bring his flat friends with him on the job for the first few days, my sweetie finally remembered and he claims that he is never going to take them down. 🙂

The day that Johnny brought the Popsicle sticks into work, he took a picture of his decorated area WITHOUT ME EVEN ASKING! Check it out:

I was not expecting my fairly simple crafts to be the crowning jewel of Johnny’s display and it made me so proud that he liked them that much. His little paper cut out ghosts make me smile and that applies for basically everything he does, lol.

While we are all worried about the outcome of Election Day today, I just had to post some mushy nonsense to help take the edge off. And I am so thankful to get through whatever the results will be together with my Johnny. ❤

How did you decorate for Halloween? How is your work space decorated? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Looking Your Best Out Of Lock Down

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Looking Your Best Out Of Lock Down

The world is slowly returning a little more to normal after the global Coronavirus pandemic, we’re all looking forward to getting a more social again, safely. Whether it’s catching up with friends and family, going on socially distanced dates, or being able to meet colleagues in person again, we all have to readjust to doing things face to face. So it’s little wonder the question of how to look and feel good is at the top of our minds. How about starting with these tips?

Sort Out Your Smile:

Non-verbal communication and facial expressions are hugely important in how others feel about us. Just simple things like smiling more can change the way people perceive you. If you don’t feel confident about your smile, it’s easy to fix these days. Home teeth whitening kits are easier and safer than ever or you could try adding a charcoal toothpaste to your routine for a more natural boost. If you need a bigger change, cosmetic dentistry has some answers, such as invisalign braces to straighten out crooked or gapped teeth. Being able to smile with confidence can make a huge difference to the success of that job interview or date.

Add A Pop Of Blush:

We’re all a tad pasty from staying inside so much, so one easy trick to define your face more is adding a little extra touch of blush to your makeup. Cream or gel blush formulas tend to be the best – they blend out easier, give a fresh look, and it’s harder to be too heavy-handed with them. The vibrant color can be easily applied just by using your fingertips or a dense, fluffy synthetic brush. Hello rosy and defined cheeks! You’ll be glowing.

Fill In Those Brows:

Another important step for the ‘architecture’ of your face is well-groomed, neatly defined eyebrows. These frame your eyes, which are so important for expressing yourself, especially if you are wearing a face mask. Done correctly, a brow makeover can even make the rest of your face appear lifted and refreshed. Quickly brush them upwards with a spoolie or an old, cleaned up mascara wand, and then gently stroke through a brow pencil or a powder eyeshadow which matches the shade of your brows. If you’re blonde, consider a light taupe a shade or two darker, and if you have really dark hair, a shade or two lighter with a chocolate brown often looks softer.

Get The Lighting Right:

Hollywood actresses and Instagram influencers alike know that lighting is everything! So when getting back to socializing in person, you can feel confident by flattering yourself with the right illumination. Position yourself to be facing a window and you won’t get any harsh shadows that show up under eye bags and fine lines. Position a lamp or other light source to the other side for truly flawless results!

Everyone has their own quick fixes for looking their best and hopefully these will have you feeling it as you step back into this great big world. 🙂

Featured Image By: Pexels

Smile! Spring Flowers Are Blooming

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Smile! Spring Flowers Are Blooming

Hello! Although times are crazy and the norm is now staying hunkered down to help ease the coronavirus, it’s important to find joy in nature more than ever. I, myself, take delight in seeing the blooms of spring flowers poking up from the ground and a few crocuses have made their guest appearance in my parent’s yard. I was so tickled to see the sweet, small flowers in yellow, purple, and white that I just had to snap some pics:

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When I see a tiny flower’s presence among all of the dead leaves and dry grass, it instantly fills me with hope. One little bloom struggled to get enough sunshine, rain, and nutrition to sprout up and say hello but it pulled through and now looks so beautiful. One little pop of colorful flowers makes me instantly feel like spring is here and that makes me happy.

The winter blues have went away and now it’s time for sunshine, rainbows, and all of the glory that comes with spring. Despite the unease that we all feel right now in the midst of the coronavirus, be sure to take notice of all of the exciting things happening in nature the next time you take a walk. I’m sure it will quickly put a fresh spring in your step!

What is your favorite part about spring? What flowers are blooming 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

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

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It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Hello everyone! With annoying annoyances and the stresses of being a working adult, I just haven’t felt too much into the holiday spirit as of late. Of course, I’m excited for giving and receiving presents as well as quality family time but I haven’t felt that happy go lucky mood that comes with Christmas approaching. However, that all changed this past week when I enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree at one of my client’s homes. Check out our handy work:

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This particular client of mine is the literal light of my life. He is an older man with Down Syndrome and he is the physical embodiment of joy. It’s honestly hard not to get excited over small things that delight him and his smile and laugh are absolutely contagious. My friend loves the holidays and has been talking about us decorating the Christmas tree together since June, at least.

So, once I arrived at his house, we got to work. As the lights of the tree changed color we decorated with everything from bulbs and stars to tiny nativity scenes and birds. We played the Christmas music that he loves so dearly and took pleasure in the simple joy that comes with hanging a bauble in the perfect spot.

We decorated the tree for an hour or so and then sat back to admire our work and I have never felt more in the holiday spirit then I did right then and there. If that’s not the true meaning of Christmas, then I don’t know what is. ❤

How do you get in the holiday spirit? What is your favorite piece of holiday decor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

July 2019 Funky Time Jams

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July 2019 Funky Time Jams

Helloooo everyone and welcome to a fabulous new month here on lifewithlilred! Besides from my birthday, June was a real pisser of a month thanks to cutting ties with my boyfriend. So, all girl power anthems and songs that are just pure fun to get myself back to singing in the car was the name of the game. And, here we are in July feeling oh so much better! Take a listen:

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos.

Whenever I’m feeling sad, it’s so important for me to not wallow in it because then all I want to do is get back into bad habits. And, that’s the last thing I want to do. So, if that means singing at the top of my lungs to Barbie Girl in my car needs to happen, then so be it. I drive so much for my job, which either gives myself time to think and be sad or have a singalong and start smiling again.

I’m proud of myself, because I chose the latter, and the songs above helped me to perk up big time. Truth Hurts by Lizzo has been my go to feel good song as of late. It just makes me feel happy – I love her confidence and her voice and as soon as it comes on the radio I can feel my mood improving. Definitely a song I can play on repeat and not grow tired of – which makes it a winner!

What are your go to songs to play when you’re feeling sad? How do you improve your mood during a rough day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Super Cool Planter

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Super Cool Planter

Hi! As you all know, my dad is an expert gardener so that makes gift giving very easy for him. For his birthday this past month, I got him this awesome stackable planter set from Amazon. Since it has warmed up significantly in Ohio since April, he finally got around to getting the planter set up with strawberries and flowers and it looks great! Take a look:

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I was so happy to come home on Mother’s Day and see the planter out on the deck in its full glory. It also made me smile to see the garden gnome planter that I got for him last year with a potted plant in his little knapsack. Seeing the splendor of my dad’s hard work never ceases to amaze me and it’s always so cool to see the projects that he tends to so lovingly take full bloom!

What is your favorite plant or flower? Who else is a fan of gardening? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Mother’s Day!!

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Happy Mother’s Day!!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! I wanted to extend warm Mother’s Day greetings to all of the wonderful moms in the blogosphere and all over the world today. Whether you are a mom to a beautiful baby or a darling dog, you have lost a child, or want to be a mom really badly – today is for you. I hope you have a beautiful day full of love and flowers and are surrounded by things that make you smile. Happy Mother’s Day from lifewithlilred! ❤