Tag Archives: winter

Jan28

Snowy Saturday OOTD Bonus Pictures

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Snowy Saturday OOTD Bonus Pictures

Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pics from my Snowy Saturday OOTD! This was probably my speediest photo shoot to date because it was freaking freezing outside! It also took my hands several minutes to thaw out afterwards from throwing snowballs… Anything in the name of fashion lol.

My Johnny was such a trooper to snap these pics and, needless to say, the rest of the day was spent hibernating after just five minutes in the cold. I think this is enough winter for me! Check out these extra shots and you might want to sip some hot chocolate while doing so to keep warm:

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As I’ve mentioned before, the past several winters in Ohio have been insanely mild and, although we all knew a massive snow storm was coming, it still took everyone by surprise. In fact, Johnny and I can’t even remember the last time it snowed like this because in one night, Akron was covered in sixteen inches of snow. The winter wonderland is visually beautiful but I am so ready for spring!

While winter has never really bothered me before, that did a complete one eighty with the pandemic. Since Johnny and I have been laying low for the entirety of COVID-19, our activities are severely stunted once the cold weather hits. No hanging out in the fresh air means that most of our days are spent with our programs, board games, video games, and record player. It’s not the most awful thing ever but I have been craving an outdoor date day in the worst way.

Not many outings means no dressing up, either, which is something that I miss desperately. So, when I do brave the outdoors, I have to put my best OOTDs forward. Naturally, my coffee date with a girlfriend fell on the coldest morning ever but fashion called and I just had to pick up the phone! I love the outfit that I came up with but am hoping that the next time I bust it out, it’s at least ten degrees warmer!

What has your winter been like? How do you spend snowy days? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan27

Snowy Saturday OOTD

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Snowy Saturday OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday, I got all dolled up for a coffee date with one of my best girlfriends, Danielle. Upon returning home, my darling husband braved the bitter cold to snap some pics of yours truly. Best blog husband EVER! While Johnny was sporting his cheetah print robe and his moto jacket for a speedy photo shoot, I was wearing this:

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Who? What? Wear?

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^^^ Lol

After a massive snow storm last week, it finally felt like winter in good ol’ Akron, Ohio. While I can’t stand the snow, I have to admit that I am just a little bit happy that I finally get to break out all of my warm jackets that have been sitting sentinel in my closet! Morning coffee with my fellow fashionista, Danielle, meant that I just had to show out in my cold weather best and I love what I came up with.

Prior to my coffee date, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to wear as I had been dying to break out my new Wit & Wisdom snakeskin print jeans. The easy route would have been to wear black on top to match with the patterned jeans but where is the fun in that?! For much needed warmth and texture, I went with my teddy bear soft faux fur jacket by Sanctuary, which complimented the touches of taupe on the jeans. This jacket was a sweet surprise from my mom and I seriously could not stop touching it because it is So. Freaking. Soft!

With the base of my outfit taken care of, it was time to accessorize because the neutral palette of my OOTD needed some brightening up. To rectify this, I chose my silk BCBG scarf in a darling Popsicle print. With temperatures in the teens, the cold treat pattern is pretty ironic but it was just what this outfit needed to add more visual interest. And, of course, my all time favorite fingerless gloves by Steve Madden gave a fun pop of color.

Shockingly, the shoes were what I struggled with when it came to this Snowy Saturday OOTD, which is something that I never thought that I would say! Boots were out of the question because it would break up the sleek lines that I was working with. I knew I needed heels, but which ones? Most of my heeled booties have a pattern, which would also be a no go with the patterned jeans.

After scouring my shoe collection, I found the winner with my heeled booties from Target that costed me a whole ten dollars. It was the perfect choice as it provided some extra length and looked just right with the rest of my look. They might not have been the best to trudge through the snow with but I will do anything in the name of fashion!

Once my photo shoot with Johnny was done, we had a long laugh about my Step Brothers T-shirt underneath such a chic coat. This Snowy Saturday OOTD would not be complete without a little dose of Dale and Brennan! 😀

What is your favorite season to dress for? Do you have a favorite silly T-shirt? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

Snow Day!

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Snow Day!

Hello! We have had an incredibly mild winter here in good ol’ Akron, Ohio with abnormally high temps and barely any snow. Thanks, global warming. That all changed this past Sunday, however, when we had a massive snow storm. It snowed all evening, night, and the following morning on Martin Luther King Day, leaving me and Johnny, as well as pretty much everyone in my apartment community snowed in. Check it out:

Johnny and I spent our Snow Day tucked inside watching movies and our programs. We had a viewing of Wentworth, the original Jumanji (Which I had never seen!), and The Fundamentals Of Caring (It was very good!). While we hibernated, I made some boozy hot chocolate for us to enjoy compliments of Christmas Bailey’s from one of my best friends – it was delicious!

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Our snow day wasn’t all fun and warm alcoholic beverages, though, because we knew that we would have to at least make an effort to shovel out our cars for work the following day. Although we didn’t have a shovel, I drew inspiration from a neighbor I spotted earlier clearing out her parking spot with a frying pan. Major props for creativity. 😀

Armed with baking sheets, Johnny and I spent a good half hour “shoveling” around my car. Unfortunately, all of that snow had to go somewhere, and ended up barricading Johnny’s car even more. On the plus side, he did get another snow day out of it! Basically everyone in my complex was out shoveling while we were and the sense of community I felt from our collective complaining was a beautiful thing. We even helped get a car unstuck that was struggling up the hill out of the complex. Great success!

Our snow day was a lot of play and a little bit of work that ended up being a great work out too lol. If you are shovelless this winter, I am also here to tell you that cooking gear works just as well! 😀

What is winter weather like in your neck of the woods? How do you like to spend snowy days? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec30

*Super Yummy* Vegetarian Chili Recipe

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*Super Yummy* Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Hello! One of my best girlfriends, Danielle, was kind enough to bring Johnny and I some of her amazing homemade vegetarian chili this past holiday week. She is one of my favorite people in the world and concocted this recipe all by herself. It was SO good that I just had to share it with all of you to get warmed up during those chilly (See what I did there!) winter evenings. Let’s get to it:

Ingredients:

  • 6 to 8 medium sized tomatoes
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 2 cans of beans (kidney, pinto, or navy)
  • 1 package of vegetarian crumblers
  • 4 to 6 cloves of garlic
  • 3 Tbs chili powder
  • 2 Tbs cumin
  • 1/4 tsp Cayenne powder (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 to 5 Tbs olive oil
  • 1/4 C water

Prep (About 10 minutes):

Dice onion and poblano
“top” and halve the tomatoes
Peel and halve the garlic

Cook (Between 45 and 60 minutes):

Heat oil in a sauce pan (4 Qt or larger) and add onions, garlic, and poblano. Cook 5 minutes
or so, then add water followed by the tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat to just above medium,
and let simmer for 5 minutes. Continue to cook, but at this point the tomato skins can be
easily peeled from the tomatoes, so using a pair of tongs remove the skins and squish the
tomatoes as they cook. (Throw away the skins.)

Continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the tomatoes are completely cooked. Using
tongs remove any of the hard cores that might remain. Put the tomato liquid into a blender and add the spices. Blend on low at first, then high until the mixture is a smooth liquid; about 5 minutes.

Return the liquid to the sauce pan, add beans and crumblers. Heat over low heat for 15 to 30
minutes. (This lets the crumblers heat through and allows the spices to really take over.)

Options:

If I want to have some extra heat I’ll dice two or three jalapenos and add them with the
poblano and onions. You can always add more Cayenne pepper too.

Before adding the beans and crumblers the sauce is a good burrito topping. I’ve also used a
cup or two of crumblers to make taco filling.

Of course, you can always add in extra chunky things (onion, peppers, etc) to the sauce if you
like some “crunch.”

* I prefer a can of kidney or pinto and a can of navy beans. I’ve also used chick peas in a
pinch.

** I like Boca crumblers (keeps it vegan) and have used Morningstar Farms and impossible
crumblers all of which work well.

Not only is Danielle one of my A-1s but she is, obviously, a master chef too! I cannot wait to make her recipe and hope that all of you enjoy it as much as I did. ❤

What is your favorite cold weather food? How about warm weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec25

Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas! To those who celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful day filled with joy, good company, and holiday cheer. For those who don’t celebrate – I hope the same for you! I will keep this post short and sweet so everyone can get prepared for their festivities but I just wanted to say how thankful I am for all of you. ❤

With the pandemic, everything feels crazy and scary. Writing on my blog every day brings a much needed touch of normalcy to my life and I hope that everyone tuning in feels that way too. My audience has turned into such dear friends and I love you all. I love your insights, your kindness, and the happiness I feel to have you in my life – even if it is from the computer screen.

For Christmas and every holiday celebrated, I encourage all of you to take proper safety precautions to keep things merry and bright for everyone. I can’t wait to hear how all of you spend your day and thank you for being you!

Merry Christmas!

Much love. -Sarah

Dec14

Warm Up With These Indoor Winter Activities

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Warm Up With These Indoor Winter Activities

Hello! I love the way the snow makes everything look like a holiday greeting card… and that’s about it lol. Driving in it is for the birds and as someone who is constantly cold, I can do without the extra dose of brrrrrr. So, needless to say, I like to enjoy my winter activities from the great indoors! If you feel similarly, try out these ideas all from the comfort of being wrapped in your favorite blanket:

Present Wrapping Party:

I absolutely LOVE shopping for holiday gifts but wrapping them? Not so much! Of course, it is a necessary evil and making it more fun can make it, dare I say, pleasant? Invite your friends over for a present wrapping marathon complete with hot cocoa and holiday movies. You can even have a gift swap at the end as a little reward for a job well done.

All Aboard:

In my neck of the woods, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad offers all kinds of fun winter activities and you can peep the falling snow without being stuck in it! For the little ones, they offer the Polar Express and for adults, there tends to be a beer or wine tasting event as you ride the train. If there is something similar in your area, it could be a fun way to shake things up for a unique winter memory.

Craft Competitions:

There are so many winter baubles and trinkets that you can craft and you can up the ante by turning it into a competition. How about a gingerbread house bake off? Creating your own candles with festive scents? Or decorating ornaments for your tree or mantel? The prize could simply be bragging rights or a small gift to commemorate their victory.

Santa Hat Movie Viewing:

If you’re looking for a boozy time with friends or drinking a lot of hot chocolate, then have I got a game for you! Whether it’s a holiday movie or not, put a Santa hat on the corner of the TV and when any character ends up “wearing” it, take a drink. I promise that it will make the Hallmark movie marathon way more bearable! 😀

Winter Game Night:

Game nights are always fun and, this time, you can put a holiday twist on it. Try charades with famous holiday movie scenes to act out. Or, go around in a circle and each person will have to say the next word of a Christmas carol. Pin the ornaments on the tree? A holiday edition of Never Have I Ever? You could even make a photo booth set up for goofy holiday pictures… The possibilities are endless! Don’t forget a hot chocolate bar or trail mix station for your guests!

Don’t let it snow on your parade with the ideas above and stay comfy cozy all while achieving the ultimate holiday spirit! 😀

PS: Spread the joy by putting a “buy in” to each event you host by having your guests bring a canned good to donate to a local shelter. ❤

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

Nov26

Holiday Season = Prime Blogging Season

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Holiday Season = Prime Blogging Season

Hi! Since completing my 1,000 day writing steak, I am currently at 1,070 days of blogging in a row. It may be crazy to some but it’s daily life for me and the holiday season is the perfect time to get creative with your posts. There are so many great ways to get content out during these next few weeks and, today, we are going to discuss some ideas to inspire you on your own page. Let’s get to it:

What The Holiday Season Means To You:

What holiday do you celebrate this time of the year? Or do you not celebrate at all? Everyone views these times differently so what does it mean to you specifically? Talking about the holiday that you celebrate is an amazing way to open people’s eyes about the many different ones that take place during the season because we all know that it’s not just Christmas. Teaching your readers about your celebrated holiday and the traditions that come with it will be educational and oh so interesting.

Holiday Crafts:

If you are crafty, how about a step by step guide of the projects that you’re working on this holiday season? Whether you’re hand making ornaments or building the ultimate gingerbread house, share it with your readers! Even if you’re not crafty in the slightest (like yours truly) it will be fun to try something new. You could even have a “crafting contest” for your readers and give away a prize for the best craft, honorable mentions, and not so muches.

Tips & Tricks:

According to Pam from The Office, if you need more than three pieces of tape to wrap a present, then you are doing it wrong. Are you a gift wrapping pro or know how to score the best deals on holiday shopping? Feel free to share with the class! Everyone loves tips and tricks on how to make things easier on themselves or save some money so don’t keep it to yourself – tis the season to be giving, after all! 😀

Decor Galore:

If you are particularly proud of your holiday decorating skills, then let’s see it! There is nothing better than doing a drive through the neighborhood and seeing yards decorated for the holidays. In this case, it will be scrolling through your page but that’s okay! You could get together some other blogging friends and create a holiday decor scavenger hunt through your pages and pictures of your decor. How fun would that be?!

Recipes, Please:

For Christmas dinner, my family always just has a round two of Thanksgiving and that is fine by everyone because we love it. However, there are so many people looking to shake up their holiday dinner menu which is where you come in. If you have a dish that your guests beg you to make or one that you especially look forward to, then share away! Your favorite dish on the menu could end up in a holiday meal halfway across the world.

Holiday Style:

The long running joke of the winter holidays is that everyone gets dressed up to sit around the house. It is hilarious and so very true! It also means that it is the perfect excuse to share your OOTDs and MOTDs with us. Give us New Year’s Eve glam or your fave PJs that you wear on Christmas morning, either way you are sure to sleigh… See what I did there? 😉

Help Give Back:

During the holiday season, it is so important to give back to those less fortunate than us. If you have a charity that you love to help out, let your readers know about it or have them give proof of a donation that they made in their hometown. Draw names from a hat of the people who gave back and send them a small holiday gift if their name was selected.

With the tips above, you will have fresh as fallen snow content all holiday season long. Happy writing!

Which of these ideas are you going to write about? How often do you post on your page? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov22

Love To Read? Start A Book Club!

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Love To Read? Start A Book Club!

Hello! When I am not working, binging Criminal Minds, ice skating, or playing way too much Animal Crossing, I absolutely love to read. There is nothing better to me than cracking open a good book and reading “just one more chapter” for hours on end! While I don’t belong to an in person book club, I take a lot of pride in Lil Red’s Book Club on the ol’ blog and so enjoy sharing my latest reads with all of you.

If you and your friends are avid readers too, there is no better time to start a book club. The cold winter months means extra time at home and nothing says comfy cozy like curling up on the couch with a new book. It doesn’t take much to create a book club of your own and you can get started with these ideas:

Decide What To Read:

First and foremost, you have to decide what your book club will be reading and how these books are being chosen. Will each person take turns selecting a book? Will you be reading popular books from different genres? Or maybe going with authors in an alphabetical order? You could even make your book club exclusive to one genre like romance or true crime.

However you go about choosing your books, it is important that everyone agrees on it. If you are going the true crime or horror route, do screen the book ahead of time in case there is any subject matter that might be triggering to any of your club members.

How Often Are You Meeting?

Whether you’re meeting in person or virtually, make sure that you come up with a schedule and follow it. Should your members have a book finished in one month to discuss? Or, perhaps, they might read forty pages per week? Keep in mind that everyone’s schedules are different and you don’t want anyone to fall behind with their reading. It can be discouraging if one member is flying ahead in the book while everyone else is stuck on chapter three!

What Will You Talk About?

Some book clubs use an open discussion format when discussing their latest book while others might have a list of questions or topics that they want to talk about. Prior to hosting your book club session, come up with key talking points ahead of time to keep the conversation moving. Some books as well as author’s websites include book club questions which are all great starting points for inspiration.

Snacks & Drinks:

A five course meal is definitely not necessary for your book club meeting but some light snacks and drinks are a must. You could sample different teas, beers, wines, and finger foods popular in where the book is set. Or, you could have themed treats like button cookies if you read Coraline or endless supplies of chocolate if your club just finished Chocolat. If you are having virtual book club meetings, then fear not. You can leave treat bags at each member’s house.

Book clubs are an amazing way to bring fellow reading enthusiasts together for an evening of good company and conversation. Don’t forget that you can host movie nights too if the book you have read has been made into a movie! 😀

What is your favorite book turned movie? What is your book club currently reading? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov20

A La Maison Hand & Body Lotion Review

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A La Maison Hand & Body Lotion Review

Hello! Today, we are going to do a review of a hand and body lotion that my mom so sweetly surprised me with that I am fricken obsessed with. While I do love my Bath & Body Works lotion, I have never used one better than A La Maison’s so I just had to share it with all of you. To help combat dry winter skin, I can’t recommend this product enough:

I have been using this lotion for the past several nights before bed and I have never had such wonderful results before. During the winter months, my hands tend to get really red no matter how much lotion I use. Although my hands aren’t super dry, red belongs on my hair and not on my hands and it can be a bit unsightly. Within three uses of A La Maison, my hands have returned to their normal shade of pale and I was simply amazed.

I love the way that this lotion feels when applying it because it is like a cold cream and I can literally feel my hands getting hydrated as soon as I rub it in. This product absorbs so quickly and I truly don’t think that my hands have ever felt or looked better. I can’t say that I am particularly fond of the Wildflower scent because it is really powdery but that is a small price to pay for beautifully soft hands all winter long. 🙂

If you suffer from dry hands during the winter, then look no further than A La Maison. I cannot sing its praises enough and am already looking forward to buying more! 😀

What is your favorite cream or lotion? How do you combat dry skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov17

Fun Activities To Get You In The Holiday Spirit

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Fun Activities To Get You In The Holiday Spirit

Hello! Whether snow falls in your neck of the woods or not, there is no denying that the holiday season is approaching quickly. Now is the perfect time to finish up your holiday shopping and do some fun activities to help get yourself and family into the winter spirit. No matter the weather where you are, these ideas will always be a hit:

Have A Holiday Card Drive:

Sadly, many people celebrate the holiday season alone but there are a lot of different ways to include them in the holiday season too. How about organizing a holiday card drive for your local senior living center? An abundance of season’s greetings to open on their celebrated holiday is sure to put a smile on their face. You could also select a family in need to cook a holiday meal for or donate presents to. Don’t forget local homeless and women’s shelters or soup kitchens that you could donate or lend a helping hand to. Part of the holiday season is spreading joy to others and these ideas will help you do just that.

Whether you are volunteering in your local area or traveling abroad to a location like Bali to volunteer, you are going to Make a difference on your next holiday. The holiday season is a reminder that it is more important to give than it is to get. This is something that is true all year round, though, and volunteering can help shift your mindset to always give and do what you can. It really will change your life!

Movie Night:

If holiday movies are your favorite, why not make an event of it? Invite your friends and family over for a Hallmark marathon or a screening of Elf and let the good times roll. You could do a gift swap, decorate cookies, and set up a hot chocolate bar for everyone to enjoy. If you want to make a boozy time of it, you could play the classic holiday game of setting up a Santa hat on the corner of your TV and taking a drink every time an actor ends up “wearing” it. I, myself, have never participated in this but I think it’s hilarious lol.

Holiday Lights Tour:

Grown ups and children alike love seeing holiday lights so take a tour in the evening. Go for a drive and scope out all of the wonderful decorations that different houses have set up. Bring something warm to drink, crank the carols, and experience holiday magic from the comfort of your car. You could even leave a small gift on the doorstep of whichever home was your favorite to commend them for their hard work.

Get Crafty:

I had so much fun participating in a holiday themed paint night with some of my girlfriends a couple of years ago and would love to do something like it again. Have one of your artistically inclined friends walk all of you through how to paint a winter scene or you could find a YouTube video to instruct you how. No matter if you’re the next Picasso or not, it will be a great activity to do all together. Afterwards, you can take a vote and hand out awards for the best creation, honorable mentions, and not so muches!

Bake Off:

Decorating cookies is always a hoot so how about taking it the next step further and hosting a bake off? You and your guests can make an afternoon of baking (and eating) your favorite holiday desserts together. Cakes, pies, chocolate, and an assortment of cookies can be shared and it will give you new recipe inspiration for your own holiday dinner. While the treats are baking, you can decorate a tote or goodie bag to store the sweets in for your ride home.

The holiday season is such an exciting time and the ideas above will provide you with lasting memories for years to come. Happy holidays to all!

How do you celebrate the holiday season? What is your favorite thing about the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah