Tag Archives: summer

May15

Perfect Summer Drinks

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Perfect Summer Drinks

Hello everyone and welcome to part two of this weekend’s guest posts by my darling friend, Zeighn, at oneselementblog! Yesterday featured some of Zeighn’s favorite healthy summer picnic food recipes and today will showcase some sweet drinks to wash it down with. Zeighn linked me to a Cranberry & Ginger Tea Punch that sounds fabulous and will be teaching us how to make a yummy smoothie and mango based beverage below. Cheers!

Peach & Oat Smoothie:

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe peaches, quartered, pits removed
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 frozen banana (peeled before freezing)
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • Optional: 1 tbsp agave, maple syrup, or Stevia for added sweetness. (Or honey for non-Vegan.)

Instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and let set for 5-10 minutes so the oats and chia seeds can soak. Then blend until smooth.
  2. To thicken, add another quarter or half of a frozen banana. To thin, add more almond milk or OJ.
  3. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. I added a touch of agave.
  4. Serve immediately.

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Super-Spiced Mango Ice:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chopped, frozen mangoes (or 1 fresh mango)
  • 1 heaping teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 pinch of chili powder
  • Optional: 1 tbsp honey
  • Ice cube tray (Not that you can eat that!)

Instructions:

  1. Thaw the mango for about 30 seconds in the microwave. It’s easier to chop if it’s still partly frozen. Alternatively, chop up a fresh mango. Chop into small cubes, about 1/4 of an inch, and divide evenly into the ice cube tray.
  2. Zest orange and sprinkle into each cube.
  3. Sprinkle chili powder into each cube.
  4. Optional: Squirt a dollop of honey into each cube.
  5. Fill a small cup with water and pour carefully over the tray to cover the fruit. Place in freezer over night.

mango

Thank you so much again to Zeighn for sharing her favorite recipes with us for a perfect summer picnic! If you want more from my lovely guest blogger, check out her blog at oneselementblog or follow her on Instagram. Happy summer! Much love. -Sarah

May14

Perfect Picnic Food

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Perfect Picnic Food

Hi everyone and happy weekend! Today and Sunday are going to be kind of special here on lifewithlilred because both days will be featuring a guest post from my sweet friend, Zeighn, over at oneselementblog. When Zeighn first contacted me, she mentioned that she’s a total fashionista and lives a healthy lifestyle through Veganism and daily yoga.

Initially, my first thoughts were “Great, because I love to eat” so I asked Zeighn if she could create a post with some of her favorite recipes for summer time snacks and drinks. Today will feature some food perfect for a picnic while tomorrow will show you some mouthwatering beverages to wash it down with. Take a look at the post that Zeighn created special for my readers and please be sure to give her page some love:

Perfect Picnic Food

Pack up these delicious meals and head outdoors for a refreshing outing. Best part? Everything is healthy and Vegan! All recipes will be linked down below. 🙂

Make sure not to forget your picnic blanket! A picnic is not complete without a blanket, basket, and lots of fun!

^^^ Omg. Can you say YUM?! All of Zeighn’s favorite recipes sound amazing! If you want more from my lovely guest blogger this weekend, check out her blog or follow her on Instagram. Thanks again, beautiful!

My birthday party at the end of the month is going to be of a garden party theme so now I need everyone’s opinions. What recipe listed above should I attempt to make for my guests? What recipes do you plan on trying? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May13

All Done!

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All Done!

Hey everyone and TGIF! This week my spring semester at Tri-C finished up and I could not be happier. This semester seemed to drag on like no other, especially considering I only really enjoyed one of the classes I was taking. Despite disliking some of my courses, I still ended the semester with straight A’s for days so that was cool! Now that all of my classes are over and done with, I get a little break until the end of May when my summer classes and internship begin.

This summer I’ll be taking a course on Shakespeare, cultural anthropology, and the psychology of personality on top of my internship on campus. In fact, I just logged on to my student page a few minutes ago and saw that I have an official employee email account now so that made me feel…official. 😉 I’m excited that I’ll get to have some time off before my busy summer but I’m so amped to start my new classes and campus job that I just want it to get here now!

My time off will be well spent, though. During my little vaca, I plan on finishing all of my home interviews for a research project my job with NCI (National Core Indicators) is working on. After ten or so more interviews, I’ll be done until we start up our research again this winter. I also have lots of plans to catch up with some old friends as well as perfecting everything for my birthday party at the end of the month! Then it will be off to North Carolina for some much deserved R&R for the family. Can’t wait!

I’m pleased as punch to be All Done with my spring semester – especially with the good grades to show for it! Where are all of my college kids at? How did you fare this semester? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May11

Bath & Body Works May Freebie

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Bath & Body Works May Freebie

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Sorry I’ve been MIA these past couple of days, I’ve been uber busy and have had a little case of writer’s block so you weren’t missing out on much! As all of you guys know, I freakin live for my monthly, travel sized freebies from Bath & Body Works. In the past year or so, I’ve probably gotten close to one hundred dollars in free product thanks to these coupons. I always have so much fun picking out what lotion fragrance that I want for the month but this time around I decided to go for an old favorite, Love & Sunshine. Take a look at the sweet packaging and then let’s discuss:

sunshine.jpg

As part of my sister’s birthday gift last month, I added on a freebie set of my Love & Sunshine lotion and shower gel. It was awesome because it was an additional ten dollar gift that I didn’t spend a dime on but it also kind of sucked because it was my favorite scent that I had on back stock in my bath and body care hoard. The good news? My sister loved the Love & Sunshine scent. The bad news? I was without a Love & Sunshine lotion!

I spent my drive home from my boyfriend’s house yesterday morning debating on what lotion I should go with while running errands in the afternoon. I was at a crossroads between Warm Vanilla Brown Sugar and Love & Sunshine and I was simply beside myself on what to do. And then I remembered the painstaking moment when I plucked the L&S lotion and gel from my hoard last month and placed it in my sister’s gift bag and knew that Love & Sunshine was the way to go.

I can’t get enough of the fruit and floral fragrance that Love & Sunshine has to offer. The sweetness of the daisy scent is counterbalanced by tart lemon and strawberries which creates a scent perfect for summertime! I plan on taking my freebie with me while my family vacations in North Carolina next month as my fun in the sun fragrance. Can’t wait!

So there you have it, my May Bath & Body Works Freebie! What is your favorite scent from B&BW? What is your go to scent for summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May8

Au Natural MOTD

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Au Natural MOTD

Hi everyone and happy Sunday! Welcome to a shiny new guest blogging post from one of my favorites, Rehma, from Glamorous Etoiles. Her blog is absolutely fantastic so please be sure to check it out and give her some love! Rehma is the queen of all things beauty and makeup so I asked her to create an easy, fresh-faced look that’s perfect for an on the go summer day. Take a look at the Au Natural MOTD created by one of my dear friends, she did a bang up job!:

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Makeup Used:

  • Foundation: TV Paint Stick by Kryolan (FS45)
  • Concealer: Maybelline Eye Eraser (Nude)
  • Powder: Artistry Mineral Powder (Light)
  • Eye Shadows: Makeup Revolution Palette & Sleek Strom Palette
  • Mascara: Maybelline Sensation & Great Lash (Blackest Black)
  • Highlighting: Makeup Revolution Highlighter Palette
  • Contour: NYX Highlight & Contour Palette
  • Blusher: Makeup Revolution Contour Blush
  •  Lipstick: Gerard Cosmetic (Nude)
  • Liner: Maybelline Gel Eyeliner
  • Makeup Brushes: Morphe & Makeup Addiction
  • Setting Spray: Urban Decay Chill Cooling & Hydrating Spray

What I love about Rehma’s MOTD is how light it looks. I think that barely there makeup for summer time is so chic. This Au Natural look is perfect for a day of running around in the sun but can easily be transformed to a night time look with a bold lip. Rehma knows how to rock a winged liner like no other but for us gals who weren’t blessed with a steady hand, a good compromise could be a dusting of a bronze or gold eyeshadow instead! That’s what I plan on doing because god knows I would never be able to achieve a winged look to Rehma’s standard!

Thank you again so much to the always beautiful, Rehma, from Glamorous Etoiles for making this Au Natural MOTD post possible! You’re fabulous. How do you rock an easy, breezy summer look? What is your summer makeup staple? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May1

Life Is A Beach OOTD

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Life Is A Beach OOTD

Hi everyone and welcome to a special guest blog post compliments of my blogging BFF, Nida, over at Shopaholic Blogs. One of the things that I love the most about Nida is how she isn’t afraid to take initiative. From the first email I received from her back in March to ask about guest blogging until now she’s always one of the first people in my email asking about what post that she can do next and I think that’s just fantastic. It shows great confidence and tenacity and it really is amazing. I’m so happy to have Nida help me kick start the month of May here at lifewithlilred with a post that’s all about fun in the sun. So without further ado, take a look at Nida’s Life Is A Beach OOTD:

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💕Hello Sweets!
✨ I am so thrilled to be back and working with Sarah again! When she told me she was doing a month of summer and beach inspired posts I was totally on board! 🔆 Early summers here are not as intense ️and are perfect for hanging out at the beach and pool. For this look I headed out to the beautiful JBR beach for a day of fun in the sun!
✨ For the beach I like to keep my outfit as minimally fussy and cool as possible. The maxi dress is flowy and gorgeously flattering without overwhelming my petite frame. The top provides some coverage without being heavy like a denim jacket. I kept loose waves in my hair to make it beach appropriate. Since it was incredibly hot and humid I kept the makeup minimal, too!
️ Outfit Details:
☀ ️Dress: Aeropostale
☀️ Top: Bershka
☀️ Sandals: Kenneth Cole
☀️ Accessories: H&M, Fossil
☀ Tote: Aeropostale
  Makeup:
☀ Tinted Cream: Dusty Girl’s in Golden Medium
☀ Blush: IT Cosmetics in Radiant Rose 🌹
☀ Eyeliner: Hashmi in Kohl
☀ Lipgloss: IT Cosmetics Vitality Butter Gloss
💕 I hope you guys enjoyed this OOTD and hopefully it inspired you to hit the beach. I know I went a little camera crazy but it’s not everyday that you get to do a beach OOTD! Many thanks to the lovely Sarah for having me guest blog again. Do let us know how you liked this blog post!
Until next time xoxo 💋
 Get In Touch:
💟 Instagram: shopaholicblogs
💟 Email: shopaholicblogs@gmail.com
So there you have it, Nida’s Life Is A Beach OOTD! Thanks again to the darling Nida and please be sure to check out her page at Shopaholic Blogs! How do you rock a beach ready OOTD? What is your favorite warm weather clothing item? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Apr23

Guest Bloggers Update

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Guest Bloggers Update

Hey everyone and happy weekend! I wanted to thank everyone who shot me an email after this week’s Monday Update to inquire about being a potential guest blogger here on lifewithlilred. I have four fabulous bloggers selected for the month of May and am very excited! I want May to be filled with posts about sweet summertime so every Sunday will feature beauty, fashion, or lifestyle tips from across the globe! I can’t wait to ring in the summer season with some new and old blogging friends so be prepared for tons of fun posts!

If you didn’t get picked for the month of May, fear not! I will be away on vacation June third through the tenth so I will need a lot of guest bloggers while I’m away. So if you are interested, please keep those emails coming to sarah.mush6794@gmail.com and I will be sure to get back to you at some point during the month to discuss blogging for me while I’m on vaca!

No email? No problem! You can also get in touch with me on my personal Facebook page or my page for lifewithlilred. Just please make sure you give me a like, follow, or a click on my Twistfire ads while you’re there! 😉 Have a great weekend and I look forward to hearing from all of you soon! Much love. -Sarah

Apr12

It’s In The Bag – Sonoma Edition

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It’s In The Bag – Sonoma Edition

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! Last week, I had to run into Kohl’s for my mom to return a few things before I had to pick up my brother from work nearby. I was running a bit early so I had some time to browse the store before I left and found the most darling canvas purse on the planet. As soon as I laid eyes on it, I fell in love. I envisioned myself toting it around to my internship this summer and packing it full of necessities to use as an overnight bag on vacation.

Despite my daydreams, the purse didn’t come home with me because I didn’t have any Kohl’s coupons with me and I was certain that they would send some in the mail within the week. In the meantime, I told my mom about the bag in vivid detail and raved about how cute it was. Over the weekend, I decided that I still really wanted the purse so my mom and I ventured off to Kohl’s to make the purchase. By the time we returned, there was only one of the bags left so I quickly plucked it off of the hook and into my loving arms. Take a look at my newest little beauty:

purse

^^^ I LOVE IT!!

The best part about this sweet tote? It was marked down from thirty dollars to fourteen which was a total steal. AND, my mom was kind enough to purchase it for me as a congratulations gift for the internship I landed this summer. I’m so happy with my latest addition to my accessory collection especially considering that I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I saw it and there was only one left when I made my way back to the store. That’s how you know that you and a clothing item or accessory were meant to be!

So there you have it, the latest segment of It’s In The Bag – Sonoma Edition! I can’t wait to incorporate my new favorite purse into my spring and summer wardrobe and I am so totally obsessed! Has anyone scored any good deals while out shopping recently? What warm weather item are you looking forward to wearing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar27

Black Maxi Dress OOTD

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Black Maxi Dress OOTD

Hi everyone and happy Sunday! This month, I have been so pleased to be able to host my guest blogger, Nida, from Shopaholic Blogs here on lifewithlilred. She has done an exceptional job creating ready to wear OOTDs for all of our readers and it was so much fun working with her! Nida’s final post is actually a three for one because she’s going to show you three ways to style the summer staple that is the Black Maxi Dress. Thanks again for all of your hard work, Nida! You’re fabulous. Now, take a look at Nida’s Black Maxi Dress OOTD:

 

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Hello everyone! 💞
Welcome to another OOTD collab post! Before I start talking about today’s look I want to thank Sarah from lifewithlilred for hosting my posts these past few weeks. ✨ It has been a pleasure working with her and she has always been so appreciative of my work that it inspired me to do better each time. I know most people shy away from collabs for a multitude of reasons. But from my own experience, I have found collabs to be a fabulous way to not only interact with other bloggers but to learn from them, too. In addition, it’s a great opportunity for both parties to cross promote their blog and reach more readers. Here’s to a million more great collaborations! ✨
If you want to get in touch with me please feel free to email me at: shopaholicblogs@gmail.com.

 
Now for today’s OOTD! ✨ Sarah very generously let me pick out my own theme this week. With summer approaching fast, dresses and skirts become the forerunners in my wardrobe. 🌞 One piece that I buy every year is the black maxi dress! 😍 I find it to be a versatile item that I can style multiple different ways and it flatters almost all body types, my awkward one included. So here are the three ways that I will be wearing my black dress this summer! Enjoy!

 

✨ Look #1 – Cute & Casual

  • Maxi Dress: Old Navy
  • Denim Vest: American Eagle Outfitters
  • Sneakers: Dr. Scholl
  • Purse: Dooney and Bourke
  • Sunglasses: Coach
  • Bracelet: Fossil

✨ Look #2 – Out & About

  • Scarf: Old Navy
  • Sandals: BCBG
  • Purse: Oryany Tracy
  • Bracelets: Fossil

✨ The second look is perfect for a day around town/shopping/out with the girls! 💖

                                                                                      ✨ Look #3 – Boho Chic     

  • Poncho: American Eagle Outfitters
  • Sandals: BCBG
  • Accessories: H&M

✨ The third and final look is my favorite! 😘 I want to go bohemian this summer and the AE poncho is perfect for a boho look.

✨ Makeup Used

  • Eyeliner: Bare Minerals in Onyx
  • Lip Crayon: Burt’s Bees in Redwood Forest

There you have it loves, my take on styling the Black Maxi Dress. As always, I hope you enjoyed this OOTD!
Until next time xoxo 💋

^^^ Cool looks, Nida! You can see all of Nida’s OOTD posts under the Fashion category on my page and on her site, Shopaholic Blogs. Please be sure to give her page some love! Out of the three looks that Nida created, which one would you wear? What is your go to spring or summer staple? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec15

Treat Yoself! Schofferhofer Edition

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Treat Yoself! Schofferhofer Edition

Helloooo everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope you’re all having a fantastic week so far. So usually I’m not a big beer drinker, I’m definitely more of a wine kind of gal. But over the weekend I just had to pick up a special alcoholic treat from the grocery store, Schofferhofer’s grapefruit beer. It was one of the first drinks that I had at the bar when I turned 21 this past summer and it’s remained one of my favorites ever since. Let’s discuss:

Right now the weather in Akron, Ohio has been insane. It’s the middle of December and we’ve had temperatures in the high 60s, which is completely unheard of in our neck of the woods. Last year around this time, I can vividly remember brutal snowfalls and way below freezing temperatures. With the warm winter time weather, I developed a taste for summer over the weekend that I just couldn’t shake.

While grocery shopping with my mom at the local Giant Eagle, I swung by the alcohol department to pick up some Christmas gifts. As I browsed through the different seasonal beers, a four can pack of the Schofferhofer grapefruit beer caught my eye. I had no intention of picking anything up for myself but I just couldn’t help it! I had summer on my mind and my favorite summer time drink was calling my name.

When I saw the beer I was taken back to this past summer – my first summer of being 21. I was a big fan of ordering the tasty grapefruit flavored wheat beer at the bars, compliments of the suggestion from my sister. I love all things fruity and sweet so it was the perfect beer for me to sip on during summer nights out. What I love about Schofferhofer is that it tastes carbonated, to the point that it feels like drinking a soda. It’s SO good. After the montage of sweet summer time played through my head, I couldn’t not grab a pack of Schofferhofer from the shelf!

Over the weekend I enjoyed two cans of my favorite beer per night and it was just the little Treat Yoself pick me up that I needed. The best thing about being 21 isn’t going out to the bars to get completely white girl wasted – it’s being able to have a nice casual drink at home without having your parents jump down your throat about it! If you’re of legal drinking age and are looking for a new (super girly) beer to try, I can’t recommend Schofferhofer’s grapefruit beer enough! It’s delicious!

beer1.jpg

So there you have it, this week’s Treat Yoself! Schofferhofer Edition. Every once in a while you need to get a little something special for yourself and that’s exactly what I did this past weekend. Who has tried my favorite beer before? Are there any super fruity beers that you recommend? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah