Tag Archives: story time

Oct11

Bath & Body Works October 2026 Freebie

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Bath & Body Works October 2026 Freebie

Howdy! Bath & Body Works is my go to store for bath and body care and their products have been staples in my home for close to a decade. I would never say I spend a crazy amount there because I follow a simple formula: Go hog wild during the Semi-Annual Sales, stock up on foaming hand soap as needed, cash in freebie coupons, rinse, and repeat. Thanks to this process that I perfected, my beauty hoard runneth over all year long with plenty of extra products to add onto prezzies for gift giving occasions too. It is always exciting to get a free travel size coupon in the mail because it is just the best little treat. To walk in and walk out with something totally free of charge is so rare and I live for it! I can’t get enough of this ultra nostalgic goodie that I picked out for my October Freebie:

I used to work at The Body Shop back in the day and it was one of my favorite jobs. It was such a joy to be surrounded by all of my must have makeup, skin care, and bath and body care every day and the employee perks were excellent. The body butter from The Body Shop will forever be one of my favorite things and I was especially partial to their Cocoa and Shea butter. Although I was most fond of their Vineyard Peach and Satsuma line, I just loved the classic and softer scents of Cocoa and Shea butter the best. I will always have a scent memory of those body butters that live rent free in my head and just had to go for the Coco Shea Hand Cream as my freebie.

One whiff of this hand cream was all it took to be transported back to my mall rat days in the best way possible. The Coco Shea cream is the perfect combination of the scents that I have loved for so long and it really does make me smile. I can recall working at TBS in the dead of winter when my hands would get super dry. Every morning I would open the store and snag a quick swipe of the Cocoa or Shea Butter from the tester jars to relieve my dry, red hands. I haven’t thought about that in ages and it came back as clear as day thanks to this little freebie tube of hand cream. Scent memories are crazy and I’m sure I will have lots of retail flashbacks with every use!

I miss The Body Shop more than words can say but shout out to B&BW for being a real one and sticking around!

What is your favorite scent? Do you have any scent memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct10

Sephora Shopping

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Sephora Shopping

Hi! When I shop Sephora, I tend to do so online because there are usually really good deals and the promise of free mini product and samples. However, I was running low on a few of my staples before my Italy vaca and hit the store, instead, as I didn’t have the time to wait for an online order. Johnny joined me for this quick errand because we were going on a date night afterwards and it was the first time he ever stepped foot in a Sephora. Needless to say, he was a bit overwhelmed and had the funniest reaction to my purchases lol let’s discuss:

I am not one to buy new makeup often and when I do, I stick to what I know. I am not good enough at doing my makeup to warrant a bunch of on the fly purchases that I probably will never use and my MOTD has been the same since high school lol smh. A makeup girl, I am not but I do have my tried and true essentials that I absolutely must have. The first of which is the Better Than Sex mascara by Too Faced. Although it is pricey at almost thirty bucks a tube, it really is the best mascara I have ever used. In just a few small swipes, my lashes are extended and covered in jet black exactly how I like it. I was a bit disappointed to have to buy the waterproof version as the OG one wasn’t available but beggars can’t be choosers on a time crunch! I have never used the waterproof formula so we’ll see what happens!

The next order of business was snagging another bottle of my beloved Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer in Swan Lake. Back in the day, my go to option for a boost of brightness was the radiance beads by The Body Shop. Sadly, that product is no longer and I had to pivot this year to something different. A kind Sephora employee introduced me to the Face Bond Luminizer and the rest was history. I love it and it provides the exact same radiance and glow as my back in the day beads. One bottle costs thirty-four dollars but I actually think that’s not bad at all. I have been using the same bottle since January and still have a few applications left! … Johnny thought otherwise…

When I was ringing up my two products, the total came to just under seventy dollars and Johnny literally couldn’t believe it. When we exited the store his jaw was on the floor over two makeup items costing that much. In the makeup’s defense, both of my purchases are very long lasting and, although the shock of the price is painful, I consider it to be well worth it. This was Johnny’s first Sephora experience and I think it’s safe to say he will always have the same reaction whenever I need a reup on my beauty supplies!

What’s that old saying again? Beauty is pain? Or is it beauty is pricey?!

Where do you buy your makeup from? Do you get new makeup often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct9

Fall Flowers OOTD Bloopers

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Fall Flowers OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Fall Flowers OOTD! I don’t know how it’s going in your neck of the woods, but it is feeling SO fall in Ohio and I am living for it. Johnny and I spent this past summer sweating our nads off in our stifling apartment and it is a joy to feel comfortable both inside and out of our home. In fact, it has felt downright chilly some days at chez nous and it has been absolutely delicious to finally snuggle up in a cozy blanket and warm pajamas. It’s the simple things in life, right? Let’s get a peek at these bloopers and then stick around because I have the most insane story to tell you:

Yoohoo, boys!

How it looks when you shake someone’s hand with a fake buzzer

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lmaoooo in my drunk aunt era

My hair looks like Kate’s in John & Kate Plus 8 in this shot lol smh

In my drunk aunt era or just simply drunk?

After seeing Resident Evil with a friend, I went to see it on a date night with Johnny over the weekend. I really enjoyed the movie and I was so excited for Johnny to see it because he is an avid fan of the games. We loaded up on snacks and drinks at the theater and made our way to our smack dab in the middle seats for a perfect view of the big screen. When the movie started, a handful of people walked in and seated themselves in the rows directly in front of the screen. They were kind of loud and obnoxious and had their phones out but it wasn’t anything distracting enough to take away from the movie. Until it was about halfway through…

When the movie started getting to the really good parts, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes and it was not due to the horror on the screen. One of the people had their bright phone high in the air and was literally FaceTiming the movie to a friend. Everyone in the back seats could see exactly what she was doing and it was pure insanity. I am one of those people who if I see you stealing something then I sure didn’t. However, this person was taking away from the experience of everyone in the theater and I wasn’t going to stand for it. Yes, in that moment I was that girl.

I got up from my seat to go “use the bathroom” AKA tell an employee what’s going on and the offender was promptly removed from the theater. She pitched a huge fit but babygirl what did you expect?! Lol I wouldn’t have cared if she was shooting off a text or two because I have definitely done that in a theater. But FaceTiming a movie to a friend for all to see was such a bold move and I was genuinely flabbergasted. I hate to be a person that complains but I definitely think it was complain worthy because what in the literal F!

Although this experience left me shaking my damn head, we still had a great date night and a crazy story to tell afterwards!

Have you ever experienced a similar situation at the movies? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct7

Covid Shot Chronicles

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Covid Shot Chronicles

Oh hey! The Covid-19 shots are a necessary evil and I mean that wholeheartedly because I never react well to them. I have gotten every vaccine and booster in the book and every single time it’s the same: Step 1) Get the shot on a Friday. 2) Go about my day and then my arm starts feeling sore about three hours later. 3) Begin fading fast throughout the evening. 4) Feel like ass the following day. 5) Rinse and repeat. And surprise, surprise that is exactly what happened this past weekend lol. I suppose there is comfort in knowing exactly what is going to happen but it is always disappointing when my hope for a low key vaccine experience is crushed!

When I woke up the following day from my vaccine, I felt like this and remained that way until Sunday afternoon:

Upon awakening, I felt like I got hit by a truck. My entire body was sore and achy, I had a fever and chills that ping ponged throughout the day, and felt so fatigued that it was hard to even get up and make the fifteen step walk to my bathroom. It freaking sucked lol! Blessedly, my Johnny is well versed in my Covid vaccine reactions and knew exactly what to do. Shortly after I woke up, he went to the gas station and returned with several bottles of blue Gatorade. A bottle of the blue is my must have when I’m feeling sick and it was so sweet that he stocked up for me. ❤

I spent my morning and mid afternoon sipping on the blue and watching Dance Moms. Don’t judge, my client got me absolutely hooked on it and I can’t stop watching to save my own life! Then, Johnny came upstairs to check in on me and ask if I wanted “comfort food” AKA Taco Bell, which is also a must have when I feel like butt. The answer was a resounding YES and my angel boy hunted and gathered by DoorDashing us T-Bell. I am the luckiest gal in the world!

As we ate our lunch, Johnny suggested we watch something funny to make me laugh and take my mind off of my misery. We Watched The Breadwinner and Little Brother and it really did work. Both movies were hilarious and I was busting a gut from laughter and not in a sick way! Unsurprisingly, Johnny fell asleep halfway through Little Brother so once that was done it was back to Dance Moms and that’s how it stayed until I went to bed too. What can I say? You know your girl loves cringy reality TV oftentimes more than I love myself. 😀

When I woke up on Sunday, I felt okay but not great. I was more tired than anything and still a little achy but was back on my BS by the afternoon. I have a sinking suspicion that my recovery was on account of the blue, T-Bell, and all of Johnny’s TLC. He is just the best!

How do you react to the Covid shots? When was the last time you were sick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep20

Billy Idol Bust

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Billy Idol Bust

Hello! Johnny and I celebrated our birthaversary at the beginning of June and purchased summer concert tickets as our gifts to each other. It’s traditional that the fifth wedding anniversary is musical fusion, right? We enjoyed two wonderful evenings at Blossom Music Center seeing The Strokes and Josh Groban and both shows completely exceeded our expectations. The final concert on our lineup was Billy Idol for his “It’s A Nice Day To Tour Again” tour… Or was it? Lol, it definitely wasn’t because we didn’t even end up going SMH!

Johnny and I both get up around three in the morning for work so tell me why we both thought it was a great idea to get tickets for a show falling on a Sunday? Clearly we got wrapped up in the birthaversary excitement and weren’t thinking clearly at all! For years, Johnny and I literally do nothing on Sunday and we call it our “day of lay” and we weren’t looking to make any changes to our routine even if it was for hot AF Billy Idol. We did, however, give it our honest to goodness best shot.

The concert was set to start at seven thirty (SO late!) and we spent our morning and afternoon binging Supernatural. We both got dressed up (Peep that OOTD soon!) and went to get dinner at On Tap before the show. It felt so foreign to be up and moving on a Sunday but we were doing the damn thing and couldn’t wait to get our grub on. We were so hungry!! At dinner we ate our fill – a burger for Johnny and spinach artichoke dip and sweet potato fries for me. And when our plates were clean? We were filled to the brim!

After our plates were cleared, Johnny and I had a decision to make. Option 1) Attend this concert and be wicked tired for work the following day or Option 2) Just go home. We went for Option 2! The promise of getting into our pajamas and laying down was just too strong to fight and we were genuinely relieved when we got back to our apartment. In our defense, I think we made the very mature call to call it a night. Johnny is out of paid time off as we are going on vacation soon and I refuse to take time off until our departure since the downfall of the Little Red Love Machine. It was disappointing, yes, but we felt good about the choice we made. And we both slept fantastically!

I suppose being in your mid to late thirties means you just can’t hang like you used to. Sorry we couldn’t make it to your show, Billy Idol. Maybe next time if it’s on a Saturday!!

Have you had to make last minute changes to plans recently? Would you attend a Sunday night concert if you had to work the next day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug15

Fetching In Flowers OOTD Bloopers

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Fetching In Flowers OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Fetching In Flowers OOTD! This lil look was worn to celebrate my lil BFF on her engagement and the most fabulous time was had by all. And the good times are just going to keep rolling because it’s wedding planning time, baby! I am elated to help my best girl in any way she needs for her big day and I honestly can’t wait for her big day to get here because Johnny and I simply come alive at a wedding. The last one we will have attended prior to bestie’s was in May of this year so it will be a long time coming. Bring it on!! And bring on these yikes shots too for good measure:

Me asking for a to go box at a restaurant

When someone says the funniest thing you have ever heard

Well hello to YOU!

I didn’t choose the model life, it chose me

Such a beautiful action shot captured by my blog husband! Whoopsy daisy!

Going to the bathroom at night with your eyes shut so you don’t lose the tired

I haven’t had a surgical procedure since I was twenty and there were some things that really stuck out twelve years later when I got my LEEP and tubal. For example, I was able to pop a Zanny basically as soon as I got into the room before my operation and that was a really nice touch lol. I wouldn’t say I was over the top nervous but I definitely had anxiety and I wasn’t not going to take a Xanax that a literal nurse offered to me! This was the best case “someone offers you drugs” scenario! I even got an Orange & Ginger scent clip attached to my gown to soothe any nausea and nerves that the Xanax didn’t tackle. But I’m pretty sure the pill did the trick all on its own. 😀

Speaking of gowns… Have y’all had a surgery lately because WHAT EVEN?! The paper gown that I had on had a flap that could be pulled up which revealed a spot where you could insert a tube. Obviously, I had to see what that was all about and these gowns attach to a heating/cooling device! My mind was blown! My nurse started it up for me and before I knew it, my gown was being inflated with warm air and I looked like the Marshmallow Man lol. The heat felt nice but it was mainly just funny to watch my gown blow up like that. Were any of these upgrades really necessary to my surgical experience? Not really but I sure enjoyed it!

Prior to my surgery (And after!), I got treated to all kinds of good stuff. I would say the Xanax took the cake but that inflatable gown act was truly something special!

What helps ease your anxiety? Which scent do you consider calming? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug14

Surgery Story

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Surgery Story

Howdy! This past Tuesday I had a LEEP procedure done to remove precancerous cells from my cervix and I got a tubal as well and it went swimmingly. Johnny, my knight in shining armor, got me to the hospital for my seven o’clock check in and then it was all systems go. Between visits from registration, nurses, my gyno and surgeon, and the anesthesiologists (I can’t believe I spelled that right on the first go!) time moved at a rapid pace and before I knew it, it was nine o’clock and I was off to the OR! My two surgeries lasted about an hour and a half, I woke up in the recovery room two hours later, and we were basically on our way home as soon as I was awake. It felt SO good to go home and lay down some more!

My day after surgery consisted of laying in bed, drinking Gatorade, watching TV, and playing Pokopia and my Johnny waited on me hand and foot. He has been the absolute sweetest! The night after my surgery was the worst, though, because I was pretty much up all night trying to get comfortable. I am a belly sleeper and having to sleep on my back because of my stitches was just not happening. Therefore, the following day consisted of laying in bed, drinking Gatorade, watching TV, and playing Pokopia lol. Johnny even took that day off of work too to care for me since I was still fairly out of it. ❤

I am writing this two days out of surgery in case you can’t tell and am feeling okay. I actually ended up sleeping thirteen hours last night to make up for that first night of no sleep. It felt heavenly!! However, I am still really tired, somewhat sore, and TMI but constipated as all get out lol. And here I was thinking that I would go back to work the day after my operation SMH!! I definitely needed this recovery time though and am glad that I took it because despite the pain, it has been nice to have a few days off. 😀

This entire ordeal has been a bit crazy but I am so thankful to Johnny, my amazing gyno, and the hospital staff for taking the best care of me. The time at the hospital was a whirlwind but even in my froggy state on the way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky I was. My precancer was caught early and removed, I finally was able to have my tubes removed which is what I have always wanted, and I had a full team behind me ensuring expert care. Any kind of surgery is scary and there were several butterflies in my basket on the way to the hospital but all of those nerves were eased as the process got started. Or maybe it was the Xanax they gave me? Lol the jury is still out on that! But, in conclusion, I am feeling good enough to type this monologue today and that is a strong start!

I apologize for the rambling but even post op, your girl refuses to break her daily content streak and I wanted to update all of you. As relaxing as these days off were, I am ready to get back to the grind!

How has your week been? Do you have any exciting updates? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug8

Rad At Rad Air

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Rad At Rad Air

Hi! A few weeks ago my car broke down in a major way and I knew exactly where I was going to have it towed to be worked on: Rad Air, of course! I am blessed to have a fantastic auto shop literally right down the street from my apartment and have been taking my car there for years. I admit, it can be intimidating for me to take my car in for repairs because I legit know nothing about cars lol. However, in all of my time going there I never once felt out of my league. Rather, I felt welcomed by the genuine hospitality of the employees and forever have full confidence in their excellent work and more than fair prices. It really is a gift to be able to take your car to a shop that you trust completely!

All of my experiences at Rad Air have been 12/10 but this past repair really took the cake. My car is an older model and parts had to be ordered which took a bit longer than expected. That was no matter, though, because they gave me a loaner car free of charge. As my parents only have one vehicle, I would have had to miss work without the loaner and that was SO appreciated since I am self employed. I got to drive myself everywhere I needed to be in a fancy Ford Fusion and although I missed my car terribly, I very much enjoyed the sun roof and functioning radio. My radio went kaput a year ago so having some tunes instead of dead silence for a few days was a thrill lol.

While my car was being tended to, I was kindly updated by the staff on its progress and couldn’t wait to pick my baby up! I even scored a sweet deal on the cost thanks to a seventy-five dollar off coupon which helped a lot. 😀 When I was finally behind the wheel of the Little Red Love Machine, I honestly couldn’t believe it. My almost fifteen year old car was running as if it was brand new. In fact, driving it home reminded me of the day I drove it home during a huge snow storm in 2014 when I purchased it. It was all sunshine this time! 🙂

As soon as I got home, I just had to give my go to shop a little shout out on Facebook and was absolutely tickled by their reply. Rad Air really is the only place I would take my Little Red Love Machine!

The moral of this story? That good work never goes unappreciated by me and to always shop around until you find a place that you are comfortable taking your car to. Rad Air for life!! ❤

Where do you take your car for repairs? How long have you had your car? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug3

Spill The Tea OOTD Bloopers

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Spill The Tea OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Spill The Tea OOTD! This little look was worn to attend a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at the library with my niece squad and we had the best time. The girls loved making all of the tea party food like finger sandwiches, fruit salad, fruit punch, and frosted cookies and created a spread fit for a celebration in Wonderland! As the extra aunt, I had to show out in fancy dress to attend the party and it was received very well. These pictures, however? Were not received very well by me as I went through the million shots that Johnny took! Best blog husband ever! Lol, check it out:

The belle of the ball

Looking good feeling GREAT!

Now you see me now you don’t

Strike a pose there’s nothing to it – VOGUE

A literal bee in my bonnet lol it thought the flower headband was real!

Who, me?

Stomping off to the partay

As a very heavily tattooed woman, I am very used to people staring and asking questions. And, of course, the absolute certainty to get a comment at the gas station as soon as hot weather hits and I break out shorts and a tank. It happens every year like clock work! This past week when I went to pick up my car from the shop, I ended up having the most delightful conversation with the woman who was in line behind me. She asked if she could take a closer look at my ink which I always appreciate and then we began gabbing about anime when she saw my Demon Slayer tats. As she perused my leg tattoos, I couldn’t help thinking of another instance of a tattoo looky loo that went in a completely different direction that lives rent free in my memory…

Several years back, my bestie and I visited a winery for one of our birthdays and were enjoying drinks on the deck overlooking the vineyard. Seemingly out of nowhere, a lady who had several glasses of the good stuff crept behind me, dropped down to leg level, and started scanning all of my work. My BFF and I had no idea she was there because we were facing the vineyard and this woman was operating on stealth level. You could imagine my surprise when I sensed her presence, turned around, and caught her gawking lol. It was a horror movie level scare!! The moral of this story? Always ask before getting up close and personal with a tattooed person. Chances are high they won’t mind at all and you won’t end up scaring them half to death. Big ups to my repair shop companion for knowing the etiquette! 😀

Tea parties, tattoo peek a boo, and a broken down car – oh my! What will happen next in Lil Red’s crazy world? Keep it posted here to find out!

Have you gotten a new body mod recently? What did you get? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

Auto Adventure

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Auto Adventure

Hello!! My beloved car AKA the Little Red Love Machine AKA the LRLM is in its elderly years at fourteen years old with a solid one hundred seventy five thousand miles. The LRLM is my first car, pride and joy, and it absolutely breaks my heart to know that I won’t get to have it for forever. It seems like something is always going wrong with it and things took a massive downward turn when she started smoking on my way home from work this past week. I don’t mean vaping like her owner but literally smoking lol and so began my Auto Adventure…

When my car started hot boxing, I pulled into the parking lot of Marigold Catering + Events, said expletives loudly, and promptly exited the vehicle. It was the cherry on top of a crap day but it actually didn’t end up being all that bad. Don’t get me wrong, the car situation wasn’t great. However, the employees of Marigold really made a world of difference and I appreciated them SO much! Just as soon as my car was in their parking lot, all of them immediately came to my aid. They even helped put coolant into my car to see if that did the trick. We had our fingers crossed but, unfortunately, the coolant was leaking and I needed to call a tow truck as I was uncomfortable driving it to the repair shop.

It was going to take AAA at least an hour to get to me so I decided to just sit down and read. As I waited, the employees of Marigold continued to check up on me to chat and offer something cold to drink and it was so incredibly kind. As the minutes ticked by while I was waiting for my ride, they began to close up shop. At this point, my tow truck was about ten minutes out and that was to all of our relief because the staff let me know that they were going to stay with me if the wait was longer. These perfect strangers rallied around me in my time of need and, although I was bummed out, it didn’t feel like a massive blow because they genuinely cared.

Once my tow truck arrived, I was beyond ready to get home but enjoyed our pleasant conversation as we rode to the repair shop. We talked about metro parks, local restaurants, and shared a lot of laughs. The cabin of the truck was nice and cool after sitting outside for two hours and it felt so good to finally be on my way home. Johnny was waiting for me at the repair shop that is right down the street from our apartment and I bid my tow truck driver farewell and thanked him profusely (As well as the Marigold staff!). Thanks to everyone’s help, I made it home safely and made some new friends too. I won’t soon forget it!

Car troubles? Sucks. The kindness of strangers turning the situation around? Amazing!! ❤

Have you experienced a random act of kindness recently? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah