Tag Archives: vacation

Sep9

Amazing Autumn Guest Bloggers Wanted!!

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Amazing Autumn Guest Bloggers Wanted!!

Oh hey!! As you know, I will be vacationing in Italy in the near future and I am beyond excited!! This trip of a lifetime will be enjoyed by me, Johnny, my parents, and brother and I can’t believe it is right around the corner. It will be very special to go on this adventure with my family and it will also serve as a pseudo honeymoon for me and Johnny as we never went on one after getting married. It’s always a thrill to go on a trip but it’s also a tad stressful because there are a lot of I’s to dot and T’s to cross before it’s go time!

Blessedly, my biggest concern has been tended to: Care for the bunnies while we are away! Johnny and I assembled a super team of three who we trust implicitly to be with them morning, afternoon, and night and that is a huge weight off of my shoulders. They are our babies, after all! The next step in my prep will be ensuring that I have posts scheduled to rock and roll for my social media management job (Be sure to check that out!). I plan on visiting a lot of installation sites interspersed with office visits before my trip to handle that and it might just be in a new (used) car! More on that later when the purchase actually happens because the Little Red Love Machine has been causing me a lot of grief. 😦 *Bawling my eyes out*

Last but certainly not least on my checklist is maintaining my daily content streak here on lifewithlilred. I have been posting every day for seven years and counting and I will be a monkey’s uncle if I ever let that massive achievement fall by the wayside! I have been blogging every chance I get to schedule posts but I also wanted to open lifewithlilred up to all of you in an Amazing Autumn Guest Bloggers Series. This is your chance to interact with my viewers, get to know me better, and have some fall fun too!!

If you have a fabulous fall OOTD, tasty recipes, autumn inspired MOTDs, cool costumes, or spooky seasonal decor that you want to showcase, then let me at it! You can reach me by email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com and I truly can’t wait to hear from you! Let’s ring in autumn together and celebrate everything that makes this season so magical! ❤

Did you go on vacation this summer? Where did you go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug14

6 Smart Ways To Lower The Cost Of Travel

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6 Smart Ways To Lower The Cost Of Travel

If you love to travel but hate the price tag that comes with it, then this guide is for you. We are going to look at some of the most brilliant ways people have come up with to lower the cost of flying overseas and experiencing new cultures and adventures. Here are some of the ways you can cut expenses without sacrificing trip quality:

Travel in the shoulder seasons:

If you’re looking to travel at a lower cost then going in the shoulder seasons is the obvious solution. February to May and September to November tend to be far cheaper, which is something you’ll notice if you regularly book flights throughout the year. What’s more, many destinations are still worth visiting during these shoulder seasons. Weather is often pleasant, avoiding extreme heat or cold.

Use flight deal alerts:

We’d also recommend using flight deal alerts to lower the cost of travel. For many trips, the cost of the flight is the biggest item and often larger than staying in accommodation, especially if you’re traveling to a long-distance destination. Signing up for airfare is easy these days. Just find your favorite flight aggregator and get them to send you their weekly newsletter. They can tell you which destinations will be cheaper to book for the following week, giving you more flexibility.

Win back money:

There are numerous competitions available these days that allow you to win back money on your travel expenses. Playing a lot of these on average can help you reduce the cost of your travel significantly and even enable you to get things that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to obtain on a regular budget. The key here is volume. The more games you play, the more likely you are to win. Many games are free to enter.

Hack your accommodations:

Flights are usually the largest travel expense with accommodations coming in second. You can lower your budget significantly by looking into alternatives to conventional rentals or hotel stays. For example, you might sign up for a house-sitting platform or go to reputable hostels with private rooms. You could also look at short-term apartment rentals away from sightseeing hot spots. All of these options can significantly lower the price of staying in a particular city or location.

Travel light:

Another popular option is to travel light to avoid baggage fees. More people are mastering the art of packing everything they need into a single personal item-sized backpack. Most airlines won’t charge for this as long as it’s under around 7 kg. When you travel light, you avoid the hassle of stowing your regular baggage or having to pick it up from baggage collection. Usually, you can save around 10 to 15% of the price of a flight by traveling this way.

Eat like a local:

Finally, to seriously cut the cost of travel, you could skip the restaurants located directly next to major tourist monuments and go to the ones that the locals use instead. The best way to find these is to look for eateries outside the city center with hundreds of thousands of reviews on Google Maps.

^^^ Unsplash Image

Travel smarter and cheaper with the tips above! Bon voyage!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Jun16

New Bagatelle Collection Swing Coat

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New Bagatelle Collection Swing Coat

Howdy! This past Wednesday I had a content shoot to attend for my social media management job and then had the rest of the day off. I had a TJMaxx gift card for my birthday burning a hole in my pocket and swooped up my shopping partner in crime mom for an afternoon outing to TJs. It was absolutely fabulous! I walked away with a new pair of shoes that you saw yesterday, a funky 70s inspired top, new skin care, and the gorgeous swing coat that we will be discussing today. Be sure to check out the rest of my haul coming soon! Now, let’s get to the good stuff because I am simply swooning over this Bagatelle Collection coat:

As I browsed through the clothing racks, my heart literally stopped when I landed upon this Bagatelle Collection swing coat. It has been in the high eighties for the past week and the last thing I wanted was to think about wearing a coat! However, I thought about wearing it during my vacation to Italy in the fall and it immediately went into the cart. That soft beige base with the creamy flowers and crosshatching is oh so dreamy, the all white collar pops, and it is nice and light. A perfect coat for the slight chill of early fall! As soon as I tried it on, visions of Italy OOTDs danced in my head and it would have been a slap in the face to the fashion gods if it did not come home with me.

My grand OOTD plan goes a little something like this… A pseudo dress formed from a bubble skirt and chic and silky cami top, a Barbie pink pair of platform heels, and my new Bagatelle Collection swing coat to tie the look together. It just makes me happy to think about an evening in Italy in this outfit and I am pins and needles for this look and setting to come to fruition. Every time I go shopping now, I have Italy outfits in mind. And, every time I think of Italy, I think of shopping lol! I think I’m going to need a much bigger suitcase for our return flight home and have already warned my family to leave space in their bags for my purchases. I can’t wait to share this trip of a lifetime with all of you come October!! ❤

This new swing coat is an amazing addition to my Italy look book and my fall in Ohio look book too lol. Thank you, TJMaxx, for always showing me exactly what I need!

Do you have any upcoming travel plans? What is your dream vacation destination? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr4

Bath & Body Works March Freebie

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Bath & Body Works March Freebie

Hello! I have a stockpile of skin and bath and body care that runneth over – especially in the smell goods department as I love stocking up during the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sales. There is also no shortage of travel size B&BW products since they send a freebie coupon for one at least every other month. Or so I thought there was no shortage! As I packed my toiletries for New Orleans, I couldn’t believe that there was not a single travel size shower gel in my hoard! I ended up having to use a combination of the hotel soap and shampoos during my travels and it was so hard to feel clean without the sudsy, fragrant B&BW shower gels. I was so happy to have been able to rectify this with a March freebie coupon as my need for travel size shower gels isn’t over yet. My family will be going to Italy later this year and I already have one thing out of the way to pack:

Every time I visit B&BW for a free product, I feel like their travel size options have dwindled down exponentially. What used to be a sprawling tower of mini shower gels and lotions was pretty much bare so I just had to take what I could get this time around. I landed on A Thousand Wishes, which is an incredibly popular B&BW scent that I have never bothered trying lol. A Thousand Wishes offers notes of “pink prosecco, crystal peonies, and amaretto creme” and it is actually really nice! It reminds me a lot of their Sweet Pea scent. It’s floral, yes, but not in an overpowering way because there’s more to it than just the peonies. Perhaps it’s the amaretto creme? 😀

Also, can we just talk briefly about showering in hotels because I’m still not over it lol. Showering in a hotel is like being on an episode of Naked and Afraid. You are in unfamiliar territory, you might not have your favorite products (In my case!), and why is the water either scalding hot or freezing cold?! I know it doesn’t seem like much, but just having this shower gel for Italy is a little peace of mind. I am not a traveler in the slightest and it is comforting to have familiar and favorite things when away from home. At the bare minimum, at least I know that I will not have to combine bar soap with shampoo during vacation and that is a blessing in itself!

In conclusion, if you like Sweet Pea then you are going to be a fan of A Thousand Wishes. And remember to always check your travel size stash before a trip! Smh!

What toiletries do you pack when traveling? Are you going on a vacation this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar31

Uber Safety

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Uber Safety

Hello! My sister, Kristen, and I experienced some travel turmoil when we were in New Orleans because our flight home got cancelled. However, that wasn’t the only incident of the day as we had an incredibly not okay Uber ride when we wanted to go to the Garden District. When we first arrived in NOLA, we opted for the “women driver only” option on Uber and that made us feel a lot more secure in a brand new city. However, I didn’t remind my sister to select that option again when we went to the Garden District as I thought it was an automatic setting. We ended up having a driver that made some highly inappropriate comments and drove like an absolute mad man. We’re talking swerving, we’re talking speeding, we’re talking running over curbs/sidewalks, and almost getting into several accidents. It was VERY scary.

After this experience, we were left with literal heart palpitations as we made our way through the Garden District and then the punches kept coming shortly after with the cancellation of our flight. We were blessedly able to catch a plane home the following day after many, many delays! That morning we, of course, selected the women driver only option and had the coolest lady ever get us to the airport. We talked to her about our ride from the previous day and she shared some very good advice that I wanted to pass on to all of you. This is information that you never want to need but it’s so important to have a safety plan no matter the situation:

When we told her about our ride, we mentioned that we honestly didn’t know what to say to get ourselves out of the car and were too scared to say pull over. And, in the moment, our minds were blank to come up with anything at all. So, she gave us an alternative. Our driver said if we find ourselves in a situation like that, start bringing up food, drink, and bathrooms. IE: Oh is that a Wendy’s? Can you actually drop us off here? I’m feeling a little nauseous. Or: A gas station! I could use some Gatorade, I feel queasy after all the walking we did. These are perfectly valid, common statements and no one wants someone getting sick in their car. AND you will be in a public area where people will have eyes on you. As soon as the coast is clear – report, report, report the driver.

Our driver then went on to say that she has a safety plan in place for herself too. If she ever feels uncomfortable when providing rides, she pulls over to the most public area she sees first. She then gets out of the car and begins to walk towards a crowd of people. Eventually, the person she is driving figures it out and exits the vehicle. And, should they have anything to say, she is surrounded by people. Once again, as soon as the coast is clear – report, report, report the rider.

I am SO appreciative to our driver for sharing this advice because it was so smart and simple enough to stay with you. If you use Uber often, have a safety plan and a backup one too because you really just never know.

What are some of your rideshare or travel safety tips? Have you had an experience similar to ours before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar28

Accessory Story: Earthbound Bracelet Edition

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Accessory Story: Earthbound Bracelet Edition

Howdy!! My sister and I had the most fantastic time in New Orleans and it was such fun to explore the city with Kristen. Prior to our cousin’s Saturday evening wedding we shopped till we dropped in the French Quarter. We hit up plenty of markets and quirky souvenir shops and had to laugh at the random CVS because it stuck out like a sore thumb. There weren’t many chain stores to visit but we did end up stopping in Earthbound as we have never been there before and the closest one to us is an hour away. It was a cool, hippie chic shop that boasted clothing, decor, and beautiful jewelry. They were also running a buy one get one half off sale which was a score! Kristen ended up purchasing a lovely bracelet for her daughter and treated me to this dynamite snake wrap bracelet. Check it out:

When I saw this bracelet on display, I literally clutched my pearls. I absolutely love snake themed jewelry and have several pieces in my collection. None of them are like this one, though! Unraveled, this bracelet stretches two feet long and then you can wrap it up as a bracelet or a necklace. All of my bracelets are just cuffs and this number by Earthbound is the perfect jewelry embodiment of a real snake. The salesperson at the store told me they got the bracelet back in stock the day before and that they sell out very quickly. I can definitely see why!

As this bracelet was a bit pricier at twenty dollars, I told my sister I would buy it and get the bracelet she wanted for the half off price. Instead, she got it for me and it was just the sweetest! The whole weekend away warmed my heart and it was so special to have a memento from her to commemorate our trip. I have worn it several times since our mini vacation and it’s impossible not to smile about it. Not only is this bracelet insanely fun to put on but it instantly takes me back to all of the amazing memories we created. Spending all of that time one on one with my sister was the greatest gift I could ever ask for and this bracelet from big sis to little sis was the cherry on top. ❤

Tune in tomorrow to check out an OOTD featuring my new hair and this fabulous Earthbound find. See you then!

Which store has your favorite jewelry? What is your favorite kind of accessory? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar26

New Orleans Scenery

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New Orleans Scenery

Hi! I so loved my sister trip to New Orleans and we still managed to do a lot around the city before attending my cousin’s wedding. We explored the French Quarter in its entirety and also walked through the Garden District to fantasize about the mansions we would move into. It was actually SO disappointing because we arrived in the Garden District around one fifteen and an open house finished at one o’clock. It would have been way cool to take a looksee in one of the beautiful properties! As we made our way through the city, I had to take ALL of the pictures and wanted to share the sights with you too. Take a look:

During our weekend getaway, we were averaging at least fifteen thousand steps per day. There was just so much to do and see and we wanted to drink it all in. Trust and believe when I tell you that are dogs were barking when each day came to a close! In the French Quarter, we enjoyed going to all of the different shops, markets, restaurants, and bars. Before the wedding on Saturday, we shopped till we dropped to find the perfect souvenirs for our family and ourselves too. I am beyond happy with the mask I purchased for myself and love seeing it displayed in my apartment!

After all of our shopping, we decided to take a break and had a lovely sit down right by the Mississippi River. It was so relaxing to hear the water, feel the breeze, and watch as the boats passed by. I think it was even better to sit down, though! Once we got some rest, we made the trek back to our hotel with plenty of time to spare to prep for the wedding. We also took the opportunity to lay down and watch a hilarious Hallmark movie and play along to Family Feud. It was very hard to pull ourselves from the comfort of the hotel room but as soon as we were back in the warm sun, we rallied for our cousin’s nuptials. The pre-wedding drink we got at one of the bars also helped a little. 😀

On Sunday afternoon, everything went to crap. See the story about our travel turmoil here! But, before the panic of our flight being cancelled, we went to the Garden District to pick out our new mansion home lol. Every single house was stunning but our favorite was easily the one with the flowers all over it in the picture above. How cute is that?! The houses were all so amazing from the outside that we could only imagine what the interiors looked like. I wish we could have gotten a taste of it at the open house we just missed! Smh.

Although we were on limited time for the weekend, we made the most of it with our sight seeing adventures. We had a blast but were SO ready and happy to go home!

Have you been to New Orleans? What was your favorite thing there? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar25

New Orleans Wedding OOTD

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New Orleans Wedding OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! The weekend of Friday the thirteenth was a fantastic one as my sister, Kristen, and I were in New Orleans to celebrate our cousin’s wedding. We went to a wonderful pre wedding party on Friday and then the big show happened on Saturday evening. The wedding was absolutely beautiful and we even got to parade through the street after the happy couple said “I do”. It was way cool! It was such fun to get dressed to the nines with my sister and be with our extended family and new friends. Take a look at what I wore and let’s discuss:

Who? What? Wear?

Floral Dress: ModCloth, Coconinno

Fringe Shawl: TJMaxx, Laundry

Gloves: These belonged to Johnny’s grandma!

Heels: Steve Madden, Kohl’s (I think!)

I think the earrings are from Target!

Outside of going to Playhouse Square for a play or musical, I rarely have the chance to get super dressed up and definitely took advantage of the wedding to do so. Styling formal wear is something that I get to do maybe once a year and there is no better occasion than a wedding to get all dolled up! For my wedding look, I started with a gorgeous dress by Coconinno. I actually wore this when my oldest brother got married over ten years ago and am very glad it still fits lol. From the fitted top to the a-line skirt and the stunning medley of colors, this dress is so charming. This Coconinno number is also quite light making it ideal for a summer wedding or an early spring one in New Orleans. I just love the movement of the skirt and it was perfect for dancing the night away!

Next up was shoes and accessories. For accessories, I added a little bit of everything! First was an adorable fringe shawl by Laundry which is oh so pretty and unique. Although the dress could have been worn without it, the shawl covered up the bra area and I really appreciated that as I could attend the wedding without worrying about bra straps being visible. It also added movement to the top half of the look with the fringe bouncing with every step I took. I also decided to wear a pair of gloves that belonged to Johnny’s grandma which I thought looked so elegant. If you look closely, you can see that there are ruffles going around the wrist and it was yet another sweet detail that elevated this fit.

Last but not least for accessories, I added a pair of dangly three tiered black gemstone earrings. I styled my hair in a chignon inspired do and the gems looked so pretty as they danced around my bare neck. For shoes, I went with the very first pair of heels I ever owned – a strappy little pair by Steve Madden. I will never part with them and that is a good thing because they were exactly what I needed to wrap this OOTD up. That wooden heel is so funky and it was a thrill to hear them clacking across the brick sidewalks! With that, I was ready for a night to remember at the most lovely wedding. ❤

I felt like a star in this look and am so in love with how it turned out. The dress was already great but the accessories took it over the top!

Are you going to a wedding this year? Do you get the chance to rock formal wear often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar23

New Orleans Eats

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New Orleans Eats

Hi!! My sister and I took an amazing weekend trip to New Orleans for our cousin’s wedding and had the best time! Even with our travel turmoil due to our flight home being cancelled, nothing beats quality time with Kristen and I reveled in it. Outside of attending our cousin’s beautiful wedding, we did a fair amount of sight seeing and shopping. As far as food goes… We ate what we could lol. Kristen and I have been strict vegetarians since childhood and New Orleans cuisine isn’t the most accommodating to our dietary needs. We made do with a lot of breakfast food and just had to try beignets and a hurricane too! Let’s chat about our New Orleans Eats and my favorite part of every meal – GRITS!!!

We attended a pre party for my cousin’s wedding on Friday night and it was such fun. There was a tarot card reader, a caricature artist, and a lovely spread of seafood that we couldn’t partake in. After chatting it up with family and new friends for the evening, we were completely famished and had to stop somewhere for some grub. We landed upon Cafe Beignet for some late night breakfast. Kristen went for a veggie sandwich which was just okay and I opted for a cheese omelette. My breakfast plate was fine but the grits reigned supreme. I could have ate a bucketful and still wanted more! With some fuel finally in our tanks, we decided to stop by a bar for a hurricane to share because when in New Orleans…

Let me preface this by saying that Kristen and I were doing a-okay pre hurricane. Post hurricane is a different story because holy cow was that drink strong!! After we got our drink at the bar, we decided to sip it on the way back to our hotel and that was a blessing. I don’t think we could have found our way back if we drank our cocktail before our trek to the Chateau Orleans! Although the hurricane is a force to be reckoned with, it sure was tasty. However, one was definitely enough for our weekend because I was feeling the consequences the next day lolol.

On Saturday morning, we decided to swing by Loretta’s for beignets as per our Uber driver’s recommendation. She said they are the real deal as opposed to Cafe Du Monde and we couldn’t wait to try them. We were starving! Unfortunately, the line for both Loretta’s and Cafe Du Monde were the equivalent of an amusement park line and we were too hungry to wait. Instead, we had brunch at The Market Cafe and it was wonderful. There was a band playing during our meal that was freaking awesome and we so enjoyed sitting outside in the pleasant seventy degree temps.

Kristen went for the breakfast buffet at The Market Cafe and I ordered a plate of their Cajun Alfredo. Shout out to my sis because my pasta took forever to arrive and she added grits and biscuits to her buffet plate for me to snack on. The biscuits were fluffy, buttery, and absolutely divine. The same sentiment goes to the grits too! Oh my god were they good. By the time my pasta arrived, I was getting full but I had to put in work. The Alfredo was creamy, spicy, and oh so buttery too and I thought I was going to burst halfway through. SO worth it!

For our final meal in New Orleans, Kristen and I went to a lovely restaurant called Curio and our breakfasts were delicious. Their jalapeno white cheddar grits were sadly just okay but those potato wedges saved the day. YUM! After we filled up, we visited the Garden District to take a look at our future mansions. Then, we made our way back to Cafe Beignet in the French Quarter to finally try beignets. They were… okay lol. The beignets were incredibly dense and I couldn’t even finish one of them. The Cafe offered three beignets for five dollars which is a deal but I couldn’t even imagine eating a full order to myself. I’m glad we got to try them, though, because (once again) when in New Orleans!

As our trip wrapped up, Kristen and I were craving Taco Bell in a bad way as per usual. I think we both deserve some after our weekend of being world travelers!

What is your favorite restaurant in New Orleans? Do you like to try new food when you are on vacation? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar21

Wedding Party OOTD

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Wedding Party OOTD

Hi! After my sister, Kristen, and I landed in New Orleans on Friday we were whisked away in an Uber to get to our hotel. We stayed at the Chateau Orleans and it was absolutely gorgeous. The staff was so wonderful, the decor was stunning, and the location couldn’t be beat as it was right in the heart of the French Quarter. We arrived at our digs around three thirty and relaxed until it was time to partay at a pre-wedding party for my cousin and his beautiful bride at the Napoleon House. It was such fun to get glammed up and let the good times roll! Take a look at the little look I put together for the celebration:

Who? What? Wear?

Polka Dot Slip Dress: Talia Benson, TJMaxx

Faux Fur Collar: St. Tropez, TJMaxx

Platform Heels: Bamboo, TJMaxx

The earrings were a Christmas gift from my blogging bestie!

I wanted to bring the drama to the pre-wedding party and I couldn’t imagine a better dress than this fabulous number by Talia Benson. It is one of my favorite dresses I have ever owned and I love it so much that I don’t even care about the slight difficulty getting it on and off. Those connected slip dresses can be tricky! This dress invokes my edgy girly style to the T and I felt like a star in it. That sheer mesh overlay, the dropped waist, and ribbon ties to cap the sleeve truly allow the eyes to dance as there is a lot going on but it still feels so cohesive. It was also the perfect dress to wear in the warm weather of New Orleans as the fabric was so light and breezy!

While this dress provided an excellent base, I wasn’t done yet and felt like something was missing. As I racked my brains on what I could add, I landed on faux fur and decided to pair it with an amazing lavender collar by St. Tropez. Regardless of if the dress had a pattern or not, it was still a neutral piece which meant that I could have some fun with accessories and I sure did! The faux fur collar elevated the dress to a whole new level and the silhouette it created was so striking. I have never paired this dress with the collar before and I can’t believe it took me this long to think of it smh.

For the remainder of my accessories, I chose a pair of sword earrings that my bestie gifted me with and it was like she was there for the party too. She is always very close to my heart! Finally, it was onto shoes and I went with a killer pair of platforms by Bamboo. They might have taken up a ton of space in my suitcase but it was so worth it because wow. That pop of red with the colorful embroidery made this look special from head to toe. With that, I was ready to celebrate good times in New Orleans!

There is a lot more fashion fun from my trip so stay tuned on lifewithlilred!

What do you normally pack on a vacation? Where is your favorite place to travel to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah