Tag Archives: work

Sep8

Lil Red & The Best Morning Ever

Posted on September 8, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Hi! I am and am not a morning person. I love to sleep in on the weekends but when I do need to get up for work during the week I am pretty good about not hitting the snooze button! My mornings before work are usually a bit hectic because I still need to write and get ready before I head out an hour and change later. So, I guess I have to be pretty good about not hitting the snooze button.

A few days ago, though? I hit that snooze button so hard! Fifteen minutes worth, in fact, so I had to kick it into hyper speed if I wanted to make it to work on time, write, and shower. Instead of freaking out, I said “challenge accepted” and ended up having a morning where everything went my way.

First of all, I felt awesome from the little bit of extra sleep. I also managed to leave my apartment earlier than normal because I had to drop some about to be due library books off at my mom and dad’s on the way. But, in my rush out the door as well as carrying a bunch of other crap, I forgot my can of Diet Coke on the kitchen table and didn’t realize it until I got in my car. Too late to turn back so I headed to chez parents.

LUCKY ME, though, because besides from seeing my parents bright and early (Which was nice!) I was able to snag a can of pop from their place and all was well. Then, about five minutes later, things just got a whole lot better.

I haven’t mentioned this on here, but my car radio has not been working for the past month. No radio, no CDs, no plugging in my iPod – nothing. So, I just have to play my iPod really loud while driving but it just isn’t the same. I missed being able to play the radio, specifically on Throwback Thursday, desperately and vowed to get it fixed EVENTUALLY.

Although it sucks, I came to terms with my unfortunate radio situation and was cranking AFI’s decemberunderground on my iPod when a miracle happened. I was sitting at a red light and out of nowhere my radio turned on! I literally thought I was imagining things but it really was playing and I eagerly began going through all of my favorite stations to hear what was good that I’ve been missing out on.

During my twenty or so minute drive to work, I heard all of my favorite songs on the radio and it really did feel like everything was going my way. I was just worried my radio wasn’t going to work again when I was done with my shift. LUCKY ME, though, because it did and I heard even more of my favorites on the way to my next client. It. Was. AWESOME!

Having such an amazing string of luck all morning was just the pick me up I needed to finish my work week strongly and I am still reveling in my good fortune. It really is true that the smallest things can have the biggest impact! 🙂

Have you had something lucky happen recently? Are you an early bird or night owl? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep7

Could You Work With Dogs?

Posted on September 7, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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With unemployment levels high and rising all of the time, and so many sectors hit hard by COVID-19 and the restrictions that it has brought, many people are starting to think about entirely different career paths. If many people in your industry have been made redundant, competition for the jobs that are available is going to be tough. With no idea when the economy might go back to normal, or even when life will start to feel like it used to, it’s a great time to explore alternative options and give a completely different job a try.

One option that appeals to many of us is starting our own business. When it comes to creating something for ourselves, most of us hope to do it in an area that we enjoy. If you’ve always had dogs, and use dog walking or training businesses yourself, you might be tempted to start your own. Here are some of the things that you should ask yourself before jumping in:

Do You Love Dogs?

Loving your own pet dog isn’t the same as loving someone else’s. Looking after an animal requires patience and understanding. You might happily clean up after your dog, but would you do it for someone else’s? Could you cope with another dog disobeying? Are you the kind of person that can only truly love an animal that you’ve gotten to know and bonded with? Or, do you care deeply for all animals?

At the same time, it’s worth asking yourself if you would still enjoy spending time with your own animal if you spend all day looking after other peoples?

Do You Have Great People Skills?

When you work with dogs, most of your days will be spent with the animals themselves. But it won’t be the dog that hires you, pays your wages, or tells their friends how great you are. If you want to build a business, you don’t just need to get on well with the animals. You also need to be great with people.

Do You Have Business Acumen?

Running a business is always about much more than doing those core tasks that you enjoy so much. To build a business, you need to have good business sense. You need to be able to choose the right pet food packaging if you want to sell products. You need to be good at marketing, finance, and all of the other elements of running a successful business. You need to come up with ideas that sets your business apart if you want it to do well. Of course, you can always use assistance too! Take some time to look up “London’s best VAT specialists” (or your local area) to see how professionals can help simplify your procedures.

Do You Have the Drive to Work for Yourself?

Another problem that many new businesses owners face is the shock of actually working for themselves. If you’ve always been told what to do, suddenly having to manage your time, get stuff done, and stay on top of your to-do list can be tough. Do you think that it is something that you are ready for?

Working with dogs can be great fun. It can also be an exceptionally fulfilling career, giving you the chance to make a difference to families with pets. But it’s also challenging, time-consuming, and often stressful. Working with dogs can be fantastic, but it’s not something that you should do without giving it some careful thought first.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Sep2

Feeling Presidential

Posted on September 2, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hi everyone!! For those of you who don’t know, my “big girl job” is as an Independent Provider for people with special needs. Most of my clients are not too interested in politics and that is totally fine. However, one of my clients decided he wants to become president this past week. With nothing to do cause COVID, we turned our time together into running his campaign and nurturing his dreams.

My client and I made posters, campaign speeches, and discussed all of his platforms and strategies. It proved to be educational for both of us because he learned more about what it takes to become president and I got to learn about all of the things that are really important to him. It was also just plain fun and something different.

If you work in the field like me or if you have children, this could be a great idea to get them Feeling Presidential too. Spend some time talking about what it means to be president and how your future candidate would go about their victory. Then, you can craft to your heart’s content and even work on some grammar as you write your speeches.

The crafting and talking about future goals is inspiring and it could open up a whole new world that your child or client might not know existed before. So put your president pants on and get to work!

How do you create fun and unique activities for your children? What would your platform be if you were president? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Press & Journal

Aug30

Hi, How Are You?

Posted on August 30, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hi there! Recently at work, I took a client through a McDonald’s drive thru for lunch. I pulled my car up to the speaker and greeted whomever was working with a standard “Hi, how are you?” A very young and shocked sounding male voice told me “no one ever asks me how I’m doing, I guess I’m doing pretty good”. We chatted for a few seconds and he took my order, then I pulled up to his window to make the transaction.

A barely twenty-something year old kid who looked miserable, at best, had the voice I could finally put a face to. However, when I pulled my car up, he gave me a huge smile and thanked me for “being cool”. My heart somewhat broke and exploded. Broke because this young man working at a Micky D’s right off of the highway had a high point in his day just because I asked him how he was. Exploded because something so simple improved how he felt and, therefore, it made me feel good.

After I rolled up to the next window, I proceeded to give his compliments to the manager because he deserved it. He was prompt and kind and I wanted his day to continue to be the best. When my client and I drove away she told me “I think you made his day” and I told her that he made mine too.

Times are crazy right now. COVID and political unrest do not make for the most ideal living situation! But, times are never too crazy to be friendly to everyone you encounter and I think this story definitely can attest to that. ❤

How has someone made your day recently? How have you made someone’s day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug29

lifewithlilred Domain Renewal!

Posted on August 29, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! On August 21st, lifewithlilred’s domain of http://www.lifewithlilred.com has been renewed for its seventh year online. It feels like just yesterday when I started my blog and it’s hard to believe that it has already been going on for the better part of a decade. lifewithlilred originally started out as more of an online journal and ode to fashion and from such simple beginnings, I now have readers and friends in over one hundred and ninety different countries. Wow!

Since lifewithlilred’s conception, I have been writing every day. I get up early before work to get my blogging done and I can’t believe I still have stuff to talk about after all of this time! No one ever said blogging was easy and that is the truth – it takes a lot of dedication and perseverance to write Every. Single. Day. Luckily for me, such amazing friends tuning in makes this task a joy instead of a burden.

I want to thank literally everyone who has viewed lifewithlilred because all of you serve as my motivation to continue on with this blogging journey. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart and here’s to another lucky seven more years of lifewithlilred!! ❤

And, as a reminder, my blog is a safe place for everyone and if you are ever interested in guest blogging for me, then shoot me an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com 🙂

Aug27

What Are Your Goals For The Rest Of The Year?

Posted on August 27, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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What Are Your Goals For The Rest Of The Year?

It’s easy to think that this year has been a bit of a mess. Because in many ways, it has. But at the same time, the days are still ticking by. And if you’re someone that is looking at the time and thinking, where has the time gone, then you’re not alone. Because the situation of the world definitely makes you feel like you’re on pause, but you’re not! Life goes on. And before long, you may find that you want to try and turn the year around and be able to accomplish something. This doesn’t even have to refer to work. It can be about your hobbies, your home, or your health – anything! But if you want anything to happen, you have to make sure that you set those goals. So, let’s take a look.

Follow Your Passion:

To start with, it could be that you want to think about doing something that you love. Maybe you’ve felt uneasy over the last few months and you’ve felt lost? When that’s the case, working to uncover your passion and then dedicating some time to it can be just what you need right now.

Start A Side Hustle:

As a step on from that, you may find that you want to do something that will help or advance your career. Maybe you’re not happy at work at the moment? Or you have always dreamed of doing a different job? Now could be the time that you start a side hustle or you think about taking a course to help you change careers.

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Get Fit:

You also might want to look after your body a little more. If you have felt lethargic lately, it could really help you if you start to work on getting fit. There’s so much time left this year, you could really transform your body!

Redo Your Home:

You may even be thinking about your home and some of the changes that you’d like to make. Because when you’re spending more time inside, as you will throughout the winter, you might want to spruce it up. Whether you have suffered with an issue recently and need to look into water damage restoration cost or you want to redo the space because it’s been a while since you did it, now is the time. It may be the project you focus on that makes you feel great!

Be More Present:

You may find that the most important thing for you is to be able to be more present. It’s easy to get worked up over everything that is happening in the world right now. That can then often mean that you’re worrying or overthinking a lot of the time. But that just causes you to miss a lot of life. It will pass you by! When you decide to be more present, you are going to find that you are able to make the most of all of your efforts.

Ready, set, goal and finish the year strong!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Aug25

Accessory Story: Homemade Cuff Edition

Posted on August 25, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! For those of you who don’t know, my big girl job is as an independent provider for people with special needs. I have four clients who I see throughout the week and all of them bring so much joy into my life. Each of my clients has their own unique hobbies and I always like to encourage them, especially when there isn’t much else to do right now except hang out at home and perfect their crafts.

Speaking of crafts, one of my clients is very handy when it comes to making homemade jewelry and she created this cuff just for me. Check it out:

Two of my clients enjoy playing music like the drums and piano and my other two love to craft. Sometimes we will make bracelets, color pictures, or make our own holiday cards. The creator of my new bracelet can often be found working on her dream journal or making jewelry for her loved ones and I was so tickled when she handed me her masterpiece the last time I was at work.

My friend is incredibly generous and she is always thinking about what she can do for others instead of herself. It’s such an admirable trait and she loves being the reason that someone smiles or their day has been “made”. I think everyone can take some notes out of her book and I am proud to have something that she put together with her little old provider in mind. ❤

What is a character trait that you admire? What is your favorite hobby? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug23

Improving Your Home The Right Way

Posted on August 23, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Building is one of the most commonly sought-after trades, and builders can specialize in several types of residential projects. From conversions to minor refurbishment works, some do it all, yet it is important to ensure that the builders you employ are adequately skilled and experienced.

Finding a reliable builder who is committed to delivering exceptional customer service is absolutely essential to running a successful project without any problems. From kitchens to bathrooms and garage conversions to loft conversions, there are certainly plenty of projects to keep builders busy throughout the year. Like the following:

People Prefer To Improve Their Current Home:

House price rises mean that people are now having to stay in the property where they currently live and to extend either into the garage or up into the loft area. This is often seen as a much cheaper way of adding extra space to the property than moving house. The kitchen and bathroom are also popular room refurbishments, particularly if you have bought a house which is in need of some maintenance. Perhaps you are a buy-to-let investor and need a trusted builder to carry out refurbishment work for you – you need a good quality builder who you can count on. All building work takes skill and many years to master properly through training and experience. You should always make sure that your builder has the right level of knowledge and expertise to carry out your projects.

Making improvements piece by piece is an amazing way to keeping your house looking fresh and updated. From adding a patio space to upgrading to Solicon® Conservatory Roofs, these renovations provide a boost in curb appeal and property value.

Finding Quality Builders:

Securing the services of quality builders can be difficult if you don’t take the necessary steps to find the most suitable one. Whatever work you need, from an extension through to a full renovation project, you must ensure that your property and the project will be in safe hands. Finding a good builder will also reassure you that they will be using the right quality materials for the work they are undertaking. Before you start searching for builders, friends and family are always a good port of call, to see if they can recommend any reputable builders they have used previously. If you can’t find suitable recommendations in person, simply enter a search for “construction company in Fort Worth, TX” (or your local area) to see what companies people in your community would recommend. It is so important to find someone trustworthy and highly skilled. You may need to bring some other professionals into the mix as well, such as a plumber, so follow the same careful process and ensure they are happy to work within your existing schedule.

If you are ever unsure of anything, it’s always best to leave it to the professionals. If you’re considering a new roof and need a Conservatory Roof Conversions Company, Projects4Roofing is an excellent way to go!

Refurbishment Projects and Bathroom Fitters:

Plumbing is a job that should always be left to the pros and it will only benefit you to do your research beforehand. Ask for recommendations from friends and family and verify what they say through the company’s online reviews. Simply enter a search for “plumber Sydney” or your local area to reference check. Once you have found a plumber for all of your pipework, you need to fit your bathroom. Within any type of bathroom refurbishment, there is certainly a lot to think about and fitting fixtures is perhaps the last thing on your mind. However, choosing decent bathroom fitters is important as they will understand how each unit fits together and will ensure that your new bathroom is installed with few or no problems. They use their knowledge and expertise to professionally install new showers, toilet facilities, baths, and sinks as well as completing tiling and decorating work. It is always recommended that you use a qualified and experienced fitter.

Efficient Building:

Once you have chosen suitable builders like the team at Element Construction Group Ltd or a similar company in your local area, it pays to carry out several steps to ensure that both parties are safeguarded. It is always recommended that you draw up some form of a written contract so you understand what work will be carried out and the builder knows what is expected of them. A contract provided by builders should detail the work to be completed, when it will begin, how long it will last, how much it will cost, and when payment is required. During the build, make sure that all furniture and household items are tidied away and the builder has enough space to work.

Use the tips above and improve on your home in the best way possible!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Aug23

Making Time For Me

Posted on August 23, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Ever since I began my self employment journey five years and change back, I have been dedicated to running both of my businesses the best that I can. Of course, it is exhausting but it is also so rewarding that it makes putting one foot in front of the other each day that little bit easier. The only bad thing about self employment? No paid time off. -_-

I have always had a hard time taking days off because needing “me time” during the week means I won’t be getting paid! However, having a boyfriend who gets holidays off has turned my mindset a total one eighty. Believe you me, I love my job but having to go to work on a day that Johnny has off is for the birds.

So, I began to do something different when Johnny and I got more serious. I began being much more lenient with myself about taking a day off. Sleeping in during the weekend rocks but there’s something about sleeping in on a day you should be at work that just hits different.

Since I have become better about taking a day off every once in a while, it has given me something to look forward to. Johnny and I now coordinate our time off as best as we can and I cannot wait for Labor Day Monday so I can have a three day weekend with my MAN. It’s a bit of a way off, yes. But can you blame a girl for being excited about the little things during the coronavirus pandemic?!

Making more time for me has turned me into a much more relaxed individual because I’m literally giving myself permission to chill out. That really has never happened before since I began being my own boss. A day off with my boyfriend is always what the doctor ordered, though, so bring on Labor Day! 😀

What are you looking forward to? How do you make time for yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug13

My Attempt At Making Spaghetti Squash

Posted on August 13, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! When I’m at work, I am constantly being handed bagfuls of goodies from the gardens of whichever home I’m at for the day. During my produce haul last week, I was given a gigantic squash that I had absolutely no idea what to do with. My client’s mom suggested spaghetti squash and I have always wanted to try it so I thought I would give it a shot over the weekend.

Unfortunately, my attempt at making spaghetti squash was not very successful and, after a quick Google, I learned that the squash I used definitely did not look like traditional spaghetti squashes. WHOOPS! Lol, oh well. I tried something new and now I know differently for the next time! Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

To learn how to prepare my “spaghetti squash”, I visited the blog Cookie + Kate. This is one of my mom’s favorite sites to get vegetarian recipes from and, as her spiel goes, “Cookie is the dog and Kate is the human”. Lol, I consulted Kate’s recipe while making my squash and it was so easy to follow because it was just like learning how to make it from a friend. No unknown cooking terms and no long stories of how she found God while making this dish, haha.

To prepare my spaghetti squash, I cut it in half from the middle and then halved the pieces again. Afterwards, I scooped out all of the squash guts… AKA the seeds! It was actually pretty fun. Once the squash halves were seedless, I drizzled olive oil onto each of them and then seasoned with salt and pepper. All that was left to do was bake them and I kept my squash in the oven for a little under an hour at four hundred degrees.

I was eager to take my squash out of the oven but, sadly, there was nothing really “spaghetti” about it. I tried to fluff the insides into a spaghetti like texture as Kate had mentioned but there was hardly even any squash to work with on the interior. What I was originally hoping was going to be a noodle shape ended up being a few forkfuls of the squash and the texture definitely looked more like pulp. Although, I must say, it still tasted really good!

Sadly, my attempt at making spaghetti squash didn’t go too hot. However, I feel confident that if I ever get the right ingredients to make it with, it will turn out delicious with the help from Cookie + Kate! 😀

What is your favorite vegetarian recipe? What do you top your spaghetti squash with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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