Tag Archives: wordpress

Jan27

Blogger Recognition Award

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Blogger Recognition Award

Hiii everyone and TGIF! So I was nominated by my darling friend, Jackie, over at Makeup & Beyond for the Blogger Recognition Award. I love doing these things, I think that they are so fun so many thanks to Jackie for the nomination! Jackie is a good friend of mine with a fabulous page so please make sure to check it out AND be on the lookout for a guest post from her on my Think Spring series coming soon to lifewithlilred. Okay, let’s get to it:

The Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.

How lifewithlilred Started:

So about two and a half years ago when my blog baby, lifewithlilred, was just being conceived, I was getting ready to start college at Tri-C. I was going on my fourth year of working a shitty retail job and was at a place in my life where I felt like I wasn’t really doing much of anything. I had always been commended by many people for my personal style and had often been urged by others to create a blog because they would definitely read it.

Finally, after the millionth time of being advised to start a blog, I rolled my eyes and said “fine” and got to work. Lil Red was a nickname given to me because of my bright red hair and lipstick by one of my favorite coworkers so I knew that I wanted to incorporate that into my blog title somehow. lifewithlilred just seemed to roll off the tongue perfectly and after a name was settled, I went from there. Two and a half years later and I am read in over one hundred and seventy countries and I could not be more thankful for my beloved readers and the encouragement to start this crazy little slice of my life website by my friends and strangers many moons ago! ❤

My Advice:

  1. Network Yourself: I hate to say to be that annoying person who constantly talks about your blog – but be that annoying person who constantly talks about your blog. No one will know your page even exists without help from word of mouth, social media, and interacting with fellow bloggers. Post your page on Facebook, make your own Facebook page for your blog, and like and comment on posts on the WordPress newsfeed. You will be giving yourself exposure as well as making awesome new friends!
  2. Work Hard: Blogging has this preconceived notion that it’s going to be easy peasy lemon squeezey and you will be a famous blogger after a week. That’s not the case. It took me over a year of hard work to get a barely stable following of readers and after two and a half years, I am still not where I want to be. But that’s okay! If you love to write, then blogging is an amazing hobby and not a chore. If you are only in it to make money or toy with the possibility of working from home, then I wouldn’t quit your day job!

My Nominees (I am only doing three!):

Once again, thank you to Jackie for the nomination for the Blogger Recognition Award and I can’t wait to host you on my page soon! What is everyone up to this weekend? Any big plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct7

Get Inspired With These Exciting Startup Ideas In The Travel Sector

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Get Inspired With These Exciting Startup Ideas In The Travel Sector

Get Inspired With These Exciting Startup Ideas In The Travel Sector:

Those with dull, dreary jobs often have two dreams they regularly think about at work. One is getting out of the 9-to-5 and starting their own business. The other is traveling the world. If this sounds like you, then here’s a good idea- create a travel business!

There are all kinds of ideas for a startup in the travel sector. Some of them are relatively easy to start and run. You can mix your passion with your work and get a lot of enjoyment out of it. It can also be lucrative- the travel industry is a large and growing one. If you’re considering starting a business in the travel sector, here are some of the best ideas.

Open A Hotel: People always need somewhere to stay when they’re traveling to different places. That’s why starting a hotel is always a smart business idea. Whether you want to start a budget hotel in a tourist area like Berlin or a luxury hotel in a tropical location like Rio (you can read this blog for ideas on how to start a business in Brazil if this is something you’re thinking of doing), it’ll be a rewarding project.

Of course, buying and setting up a hotel will take a lot of money. You’ll need to rack up funds from business loans and possibly investors, as well. If you can create a great place to stay and market it to tourists, you can start making a lot of money fast. The best thing about it is you can live out a dream by residing and working in a luxury location. It’s one of the best ways to start a business overseas. It’s a fantastic startup idea if you have the ambition, passion, and funds.

Start A Travel Agency: Travel agencies offer a range of services to help people find and book holidays. Although physical travel agencies are dying down, online travel agents are bigger than ever. You can set up a website to offer flight and hotel price comparisons.

Travel agencies usually make a commission from getting users to book flights or accommodations with companies. You could also provide consultancy, where you design an entire holiday package for a customer. It can be competitive to get into, so you might want to appeal to a niche market. For instance, instead of focusing on average consumer holidays, you may want to focus on business travel or cruises.

Create A Travel Blog: One of the simplest ways to profit from traveling is to start a travel blog. It takes minimal costs and anyone can do it. It’s easy to create a blog with a service like WordPress and start posting interesting articles about your travels. You can create a travel blog as a hobby but building it into a business will take more effort. You’ll need to find ways to profit. This might involve advertising travel products and services for other companies. You can also offer advertising space on your blog and increase profits by getting more views.

You could also expand to other sites. Many travel bloggers post video content on YouTube of their travel experiences. You can make money off of YouTube views and also attract more users to your blog. Those who build up followings can even get sponsors so you can truly live the dream of being paid to travel.

Where is your dream location to travel to? Who runs a travel blog of their own? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image Photo Provided By: Wikimedia

Apr2

Beauty Bloggers: HELP! Again.

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Beauty Bloggers: HELP! Again.

Howdy everyone and happy weekend! Once again, I am calling upon all of the fabulous Beauty Bloggers of WordPress for some HELP! I’ve been using The Body Shop’s Vitamin C Skin Boost for as long as I can remember. Although I’ve always found their price of twenty-seven dollars per bottle a little steep, I still shell out the cash when there’s a good sale. However, the price for the Boost is now almost thirty dollars and that doesn’t mesh well with my lifestyle of ballin on a budget.

I’ve been wanting to wean myself off of TBS products for some time now because I truly feel like I can find similar products for a better price elsewhere. Now that one of my favorite items in my daily beauty routine has hiked up in price, I feel like there’s no better time to start browsing the market for a new serum style product. Does anyone who’s familiar with TBS’s Vitamin C Skin Boost have any suggestions on a similar item? I have normal skin and am willing to try anything within reason. Thank you so much! -Sarah

tbs2.jpg

^^^ Old faithful.

Feb11

Over 2,000 Followers!

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Over 2,000 Followers!

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! On Tuesday I made it to Over 2,000 Followers here on lifewithlilred and I’m just pleased as punch. I appreciate all of my followers and readers so very much so it was so exciting to finally be over the 2,000 mark. It’s also really cool to know that I have readers in over 150 different countries! I have a world map in my room with push pins in every country that I have readers in and it’s so rewarding to continue to add on to it. There are a few other landmark numbers that I need your help to reach so please check out the links that I’m providing below:

  1. I would really like to get to the 5,000 friend mark on my personal Facebook page so please shoot me a friend request! I also ask that you send me a message letting me know that you read my blog so that I don’t delete you on accident!
  2. I am also very close to 350 likes on my page for lifewithlilred so please give it a like!!
  3. Help me start out strong on my journey to 3,000 followers by giving lifewithlilred a follow. 🙂

And as always, if you’re interested in signing up for the media company Twistfire Media (whose ads you can see on my personal Facebook page) then please email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com.

Thank you so much to everyone for their help on making lifewithlilred a success – I couldn’t do it without each and every one of you! What is your favorite way to promote your blog? How long have you had your page for? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan29

I Still Get Jealous

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I Still Get Jealous

Heyy everyone and TGIF! Have any of you ever gone through your social media pages and have just felt insanely jealous of people? This happens to Lil Red on occasion and it really grinds my gears. It’s one of those things where you see everyone and their brother on your friends list being happier, better, prettier, etc than you and it can really get a gal down. So what brings on these feelings? What can you do to remedy them? Take a listen to an ironic choice in music and then let’s discuss:

^^^ I had to!

This past week I saw that a girl who I went to high school with was studying abroad in France and Italy and it made me SO insanely jealous. That’s one thing that I would love to do and that I have mentioned frequently on the ol’ blog and to basically anyone who will listen. A thing about me is that when I want things, I want them ASAP. So to see someone who is my age essentially living my dream kind of killed me. It can be hard to see people doing something that you want so desperately while you’re sitting in Akron, Ohio being miserable. -__-

As soon as I became green with envy over this, I began to evaluate my life and what I was doing wrong. I was turning the pages in my mind of everything that I could be doing and that just made me feel even worse. I then made a mental list of everything that I do and all of the responsibilities I have and it felt like a slap in the face. I was doing what felt like a lot but I still couldn’t have this one thing that I really want.

My mental list ended up looking something like this:

  • Attending school full time at Tri-C.
  • Coaching figure skating for the Special Olympics.
  • Transporting both of my siblings who can’t drive multiple times per week.
  • Working as a freelance writer for different companies, artists, and musicians.
  • Doing consultations for individuals who would like to start their own blog.
  • Working for two different media companies on my social media pages.
  • Working for the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities to make sure that everyone is receiving the best care possible.

With all of these things stacking up in my day, I barely have time to breathe but it still didn’t seem good enough. But then I started to think about how I work my ass off every day and am doing so much to improve the lives of others. I reminded myself that it will be my turn to travel soon enough and that it would be all the more sweeter when it finally does happen. Then the mental list began to shift and it looked more like this:

Mental list take two:

  • I work hard at school and have gotten all A’s since I began college last year.
  • I bring joy into the lives of my skaters and their families.
  • I help improve the quality of life for others.
  • I get both of my siblings to where they need to be when they need it.
  • My freelance work has been really taking off and I have the articles, followers, and media companies that I work through to prove it.

Yes, it does suck when you want something that you simply can’t have. It also sucks even more when you see someone with what you desire so much. However, all I can do is keep on going because I am making great strides on my own even if I don’t feel that way sometimes. It can be hard to remember that at times but when I do it definitely helps easy my jealousy!

In the words of Nick Jonas, “I Still Get Jealous”, but that won’t stop me from continuing to keep on trucking and working hard! What is something that makes you jealous? What do you do to help with those feelings? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec22

Attention All Beauty Bloggers: HELP!!!!

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Attention All Beauty Bloggers: HELP!!!!

Hello to all of the fabulous beauty bloggers here on WordPress! I need your help desperately so I’m sending out a Lil Red SOS. As you may know, I am the proud owner of extremely fake red hair. It’s safe to say that I have a mild obsession with my locks and I’m totally okay with it. Because I’m dedicated to keeping my herrr luscious at all times, the SOS has been sent because my hair is dry as a desert right now thanks to the winter cold. Let’s discuss, but first enjoy this ironic choice in music:

What I really need in my life is a good leave in conditioning product as well as a heat protecting spray or serum. I only wash my hair twice a month so a wash out conditioner just isn’t for me. Lucky for me, I’ve been blessed with hair that never gets oily or greasy so my semi annual washes help me in my quest to prevent color fading. I never really “wash” my hair either, I just put conditioner in, let it sit, and then wash it out. What I really would like is a great leave in product or anything really to help get some moisture back into my hair. I’m open to any and all suggestions because hair isn’t my forte at all.

Another product that I’m interested in is a heat protecting product. I flat iron my hair every day and frankly, it’s never been an issue until this past month when the temperatures have dropped. For all of the straightening that I do every day, I’ve never had dry split ends result from it so I definitely want to avoid that from now on. I also think that it would be a good thing to start using anyways with or without the winter cold effecting my hair.

You guys are probably reading this post and thinking “how does this girl even have hair left?” because to me, it sounds like it really should be damaged. But for over a year now, Ive been using the no wash technique and only during my last hair cut was the first time my stylist has ever mentioned split ends on my hair. I would love to get my locks back into the good graces of having a soft and sleek texture as well as nice and sharp ends as opposed to the jagged straggles I’ve had as of late. Any and all suggestions for a conditioning and heat protecting product are welcomed and encouraged!

To all of my beauty bloggers: I NEED YOU NOW!! If you have any pro tips on how to get my hair back to its normal ways, I would forever appreciate it! Do you have any suggestions or recommendations? What are some of your off kilter hair care techniques that you swear by? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

^^^ Lolololololol, I had to!

Dec14

Monday Update: You Are NOT A 90’s Kid Edition

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Monday Update: You Are NOT A 90’s Kid Edition

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend – I know I did! I got to sleep in every day this weekend which was awesome and I also volunteered for Canine Lifeline with my mom to help some pups in need this holiday season. You can check out their website at: http://caninelifeline.org/ ! ANYWHO, on today’s Monday Update I have a bone to pick with the world in regards to the phrase “90’s kid”, so let’s discuss:

Yesterday, as I was scrolling through my newsfeed on WordPress I came across a girl who was born in 1999 claim that she was a “90’s kid” and I rolled my eyes SO hard. Once my eyeballs returned to their normal place in their sockets, I decided that it was time for a Lil Red PSA, so here it goes:

*Clears throat* If you were born in the latter half of the 1990’s (1995-on) then you are NOT a 90’s kid. You spent a majority of the 90’s in diapers and eating dirt. You were not enjoying the cartoons, toys, and pop culture related to the time period. The thing is, I was born in 1994 and I don’t even consider myself a 90’s kid because I can barely remember anything about it. I truly am a child of the 2000’s because I can vividly remember everything from it – and so is every teenybopper kid claiming 90’s status.

Because the last part of Section B Paragraph A is so important, let me reiterate it further. Yes, if you were born in the late 90’s, you are indeed a 90’s baby – barely. But are you a 90’s kid? No. You’re a child of the following decade. There is nothing, I repeat NOTHING more annoying than people born in the late 90’s claiming that it was the best times of their lives. There is nothing awesome about eating baby food, shitting your pants, and not being able to talk! Jesus!

90s2

I have discussed my frustration of the phrase “90’s kid” being used willy nilly with countless friends as well as on Facebook last night. Literally every time the subject has come up, I’ve received responses similar to what was stated above the highly accurate Batman Slap meme. If you learn nothing else from my blog other than when it’s appropriate to give yourself the title of a “90’s kid”, then I have done my job. It is so incredibly annoying and must be stopped!!!

I spent six years in the 90’s but as I mentioned earlier, I don’t call myself a 90’s kid. I have literally a 1% recollection of 90’s pop culture and do you know how I know that? I watched a marathon of Vh1’s “I Love The 90’s” and I had no idea what they were talking about in almost every episode. However, in all of their “I Love The 2000’s” episodes, I could remember every single thing that was mentioned for the decade. So if you’re struggling with whether you’re a 90’s kid or not, give the old Vh1 test a try. ***Results may vary.

After years of irritation over the loosely used phrase, “90’s kid”, I felt that today’s Monday Update: You Are NOT A 90’s Kid was very necessary. How does everyone feel about this phrase? How do you know whether you are or not a 90’s kid? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec11

So Long, Fall Semester

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So Long, Fall Semester

Hellooo everyone and TGIF! This week marks the end of my fall semester at Tri-C and I am SO relieved to be done! I took all of my exams within these last few days and passed with flying colors, of course. This semester I took French I, Comparative World Religions, Intro to Civilizations, and Ethics and for the most part really enjoyed all of my classes. After my winter break, I’ll be taking French II, Abnormal Psychology, and Intro to Criminology – but I have an entire month until I have to start thinking about that!

I’m looking forward to having some downtime for once in my life during my winter break but not too much because I’ll be starting my new work opportunity this upcoming Saturday! As I mentioned in my previous post Exciting Announcements, I’ll be taking part in a research project as an interviewer for families effected by developmental disabilities. I’m so excited to get started and the beauty of the project is that I can make my own schedule for it so I can interview people whenever I want during my break. This is great for the days where I feel like lounging on the couch and watching America’s Next Top Model marathons!

I have a lot of friends returning to Ohio for the holidays so my winter break provides me with a lot of much needed catch up time with some of my dear friends. My brother and his wife will be coming home for Christmas. A pal of mine in LA will be returning to the home front AND my beloved best friend in the army, Tyler, will be making an appearance, as well! I’M SO HAPPY!!!

In the last couple of weeks of my fall semester, all I could think about was winter break…But that didn’t stop me from fully enjoying all of my classes! I learned so much in each of my courses and rocked straight A’s for days in all of them. Not only did I excel in my coursework but I also got accepted into two different advertising companies, Wordads and Twistfire Media, which I am SO thrilled about. Everything seems to be falling into place very nicely so with a happy heart, I can say So Long to my Fall Semester!

I hope all of you are having a fantastic start to your weekend! Where are all of my college kids at? Has your winter break started yet? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov24

1,000+ Followers?! Holy Smokes!

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1,000+ Followers?! Holy Smokes!

Hellooo everyone and happy Tuesday! It’s a very special day in the world of lifewithlilred because I now have over 1,000 followers! HOLY SMOKES! Thank you so much to everyone who has paid my page a visit and thought that it was worthy of hitting the follow button! Thank you to everyone for all of the likes, shares, and comments as well – it doesn’t go unnoticed and I appreciate it SO MUCH!!!

Life is good on lifewithlilred right now…I got approved for WordAds at the beginning of the month, I’ve reached a major milestone in my amount of followers, and I have the pleasure of interacting with all of you every day! I couldn’t ask for anything better and I really am pleased as punch. I started my blog over a year ago and now I’m finally getting my page to where I want it to be and it feels great – so thank you, thank you, a million times thank you!

^^^ Lol, it seemed appropriate!

Once again, shout out to all of my 1,000+ followers new and old. Thank you to everyone who has ever checked my page out. Thank you to everyone who has ever liked, shared, or commented on any of my posts! I LOVE YOU ALL! What blog should I check out on here? Who has recently gotten approved for WordAds? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov7

Website Reconstruction

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Website Reconstruction

Hellooo everyone and happy Saturday! You guys may have noticed that http://www.lifewithlilred.com is looking a bit different now and I’m here to tell you why: I got accepted for WordAds!!!! Because I got accepted for ads to run on my site, I had to select a new theme that was more compatible with the positions and amount of the ads that will be featured on lifewithlilred. I’m going to miss my old Reddle theme because I’ve had it ever since I started blogging over a year ago but in these next few weeks, I’ll be doing everything I can to get lifewithlilred back to looking semi-normal again!

Until I can figure out how I want my blog arranged, all I ask is that you be patient with me because lifewithlilred is officially being reconstructed. If you have any suggestions on ways to improve the appearance of my site, PLEASE let me know! I’m currently using the theme Matala but I’m open to any suggestions on what WordAds compatible theme you might recommend! What theme does your site use? Who else is a member of the WordAds team? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

evermore

^^^ I miss my header photo so much! 😦