February/March
online magazine
S p a r k l e ro f t heMo nt h Wardrobe Workhorse: The little black dress
TheNakedCake Making your house a home
50 RAOK for your spouse Let’s get organized! Ea s t e rBr u n c h Kids Valentines Party
Wh a t ’ si n
Sparkler of the Month * Understanding Marriage Roles * Wardrobe Workhorse: Little Black Dress * Pillow Talk * Making a house a home * Love Sign Tutorial * Stump Gift Tutorial * Naked Cake Tutorial * Getting to know us * Kids Valentine’s Party *
8. What is your favorite thing to do in your "spare time�?
Pedicures are my therapy. I LOVE LOVE pedipedicures not just for the foot pampering pampering but but also because I am forced to sit sit still still for for aa little while and can just think. think. II leave leave my my phone in my purse and love love to to just just sit sit back, relax and think through through whatever whatever II am dealing with at that particular particular moment. I always come out out feel feeling refreshed and a little more centered. centered.
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clear to us both that I had not shown confidence in his ability to protect me. Now this was not through any fault of his. I was still clinging to the idea that my ultimate safety and protection came from my dad, just as it always had in the past. Now by not mentally placing my husband in the number one slot as my protector and moving my dad to back-up, from the day I said “I Do” forward, I was unintentionally undermining my husband and our marriage. (Read story on blog).
If it is your goal to have a satisfying marriage, one that is a forever kind of love, then you need to make sure that you fully understand and are accountable for the role you each play in your relationship. When I first got married I was so naïve about what my role as wife was. I thought the “perfect” wife was one who; Cooked, Cleaned, did the Laundry and satisfied her husband in the bedroom. Okay, Misconception #1. What I thought the word “perfect” meant. Merriam Webster definition of the word Perfect: (1) Having no mistakes or flaws. (2) Completely correct or accurate. (3) Having all the qualities you want in that kind of person, situation, etc. When I first got married, my definition of “Perfect” was more like #1 & #2. I have sense learned it really needs to be more like #3. So you can see, right from the start I was setting myself and my marriage up for some degree of failure. Because I am flawed and make mistakes, my husband is flawed and makes mistakes. Misconception #2. Believing that by taking care of all my husband
temporal needs made me the “perfect” wife. I mean what more could a husband want, Right! Coming home to a clean house every day, having his own personal short order cook to fix all his favorite meals, clothes that magically went from dirty in the hamper to clean and hanging in his closet. Oh yeah, don’t forget about fun in the bedroom. (So basically I must have thought that the role of a wife was that of; maid, chef, dry cleaner, and well, um, call girl???) About three weeks into our marriage, while dealing with a life altering event, I came to the realization that I had not fully understood my role as wife. I loved my husband and I knew he loved me, we were deeply in love. We adored each other. We were attending to each other’s temporal needs, and feeling pretty confident we were fulfilling our roles as husband and wife like seasoned pros. Well, one night that illusion was shattered! I learned that we also needed to provide emotional and spiritual support to one another. My husband believed his main role was to provide for me, both financially and as protector. Yet, one night it became perfectly
Ladies, what our husbands need most from us, aside from meeting their temporal needs, is for us to meet their emotional and spiritual needs as well. They need wives who believe in them, who encourage them and help them realize and strive for their full potential to become the men they were created to be. We need to help them understand their roles as husbands. We need to show confidence in our spouse, affirm him, love unconditionally and respect him. Show him in our words and actions that we are proud of him, have confidence in him, trust in his ability to provide for and protect us. When we believe in them they become empowered, confident and secure, not only as men, but in their roles as husbands. We can help them to put aside their own insecurities and feelings of self-doubt. If we reinforce and celebrate the best in our spouse, they are more likely to give us their best. There’s an old joke about one of our presidents walking with his wife, when they run into one of her old boyfriends, who is unhappy and hasn’t done anything productive with his life. The president remarks to his wife with a smirk, “Wow, if you hadn’t married me, you could be married to him.” The first lady answers, “If I had married him, he’d be president!” As wives we possess the unique ability to inspire and motivate our husbands. It is our loving vision of his potential that can help propel him towards greatness. xoxo, Claudia
Random Act s ofKi ndness
1. Make his favorite meal. 2. Slip a love note in his wallet. 3. Tell him how much you appreciate him. 4. Bring him breakfast in bed. 5. Send him a racy text. 6. Do one of his chores for him. 7. Surprise him with a little gift. 8. Pray for him. 9. Brag about him. 10. Kiss him passionately, for no reason. 11. Bake his favorite dessert. 12. Flirt with him. 13. Tell him why you love him. 14. Give him a sincere compliment. 15. Do something off of his to do list. 16. Give him a back rub. 17. Draw a bubble bath for the two of you.
18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.
Detail his car. Walk the dog for him. Take out the trash. Put the kids to bed. Offer a foot massage. Give him the night off. Offer to take care of the kids practices for a night. Shovel the snow for him. Write him a love letter. Bring treats to his office. Learn something about his favorite hobby. Let him sleep in. Offer him sincere thanks. Buy him new tools for work. Buy him something for his car/truck. Make him his lunch. Ask HIM on a date. Send him Pizza when he’s on a road trip.
36. Leave sticky notes for him. 37. Clean out his car/truck for him. 38. Initiate intimacy. 39. Say sorry first. 40. Invite him to work out with you. 41. Smile. 42. Send him encouraging texts throughout the day. 43. Watch his favorite movie with him. 44 Support his dreams. 45. Scratch his back in church. 46. Hold his hand while out. 47. Make the bed for him. 48. Make a gratitude list for him. 49. Heat his towel while he’s in the shower. 50. Meet him in the middle of the week for lunch.
J u s tf o rt h eF U No f i t ! Okay, so I really don’t enjoy working out. I know, GASP! However, I have found that if I make it playful and fun, I don’t dread it so much. Who says exercising has to be so serious? I like to find silly things that help take the edge off and get me in the mood to work my body and take care of myself. I have to keep it simple and light hearted, and then you know what? It’s really not so bad. Find what works for you and just have fun!
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Wa r d r o b eE s s e n t i a l s Black; dress, pants, skirt. White or Neutral Blouse and Tops. Black shoes in multiple styles. Neutral Purse in multiple styles. Gold or Silver Tone Jewelry. Scarf. Hat. Neutral Sweater, Coat.
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how to make a house a
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1 .We l c o mef r i e n d s t oy o u r h o meb y p l a c i n gaw r e a t h o nt h ef r o n t d o o r .Y o u r e n t r y w a y w i l l s e t t h et o n ef o r y o u r h o me , ma k ei t i n v i t i n g . 2 .Ah o men e e d s l i g h t .L a mp s h e l pt os e t t h er i g h t mo o da n da d d s w a r mt h .P i c ko n ew i t hp e r s o n a l i t y . 3 .A d dl i f et oy o u r h o me , a d dl i v ep l a n t s t oy o u r h o me . 4 .K e e pt h i n g s i no r d e r b y p u r c h a s i n gf u n c t i o n a l p i e c e s t os t o r ey o u r c l u t t e r .I t ’ s s omu c he a s i e r t or e l a xa n d e n j o y y o u r f a mi l y w h e ny o ua r e n ’ t s u r r o u n d e db y me s s . 5 .L e t y o u r f a mi l y k n o wh o wmu c hy o ul o v et h e m.D i s p l a y f a mi l y p h o t o s , mo me n t o s f r o mv a c a t i o n s , c h i l d r e n ’ s a r t w o r k . 6 .S p o i l y o u r s e l f w i t hf r e s hc u t f l o w e r s o ny o u r n i g h t s t a n d . 7 .E n c o u r a g ec u d d l e s .H a v ef l u f f y b l a n k e t s a n db i gp i l l o w s r e a d y f o r f a mi l y mo v i en i g h t . 8 .L i g h t s o mec a n d l e s .S me l l i s ap o w e r f u l s e n s ea n dc a n c a l mmo o d s a n de n c o u r a g er e l a x a t i o n . 9 .T u r nu pt h emu s i c a n dt u r no f f t h eT . V .Mu s i c t u r n s u pc r e a t i v i t y a n dh e l p s s t i mu l a t et h eb r a i n .I t ma y a l s os t a r t ak i t c h e nd a n c ep a r t y . 1 0 .O p e nt h ew i n d o w s .L e t n a t u r ei n .F r e s ha i r i s g o o d f o r t h es o u l . w w w . s p a r k l e r s ma g a z i n e . c o m
YourHome
chisel
H o wt oC r a f t aB i r dN e s t How do you like to spend a rainy afternoon? We like to craft. The birds may not be nesting outside, but we sure are. These were so easy too. We picked up all of the supplies from the Dollar Tree. I like to head there first for inspiration before I visit the craft stores. For these nests I was able to pick up everything I needed from the Dollar Store. I already had the hot glue and the feathers, then we just gathered some sticks from the yard. First I took the spanish moss and formed into a bowl like shape. Once I had a nice chape I hot glued it to the wreath form. This project is super messy, but it’s worth it in the end. Then I just added some green and brown moss to the wreath, to make it look natural and messy. Then we added some sticks and feathers, and let me tell you, the feathers took this project from cute to super cute!
Let ’ sGet Or g ani z ed When I was younger, like pre-teen, I used to be extremely neat and organized. My room was always spotless with a place for everything and everything in its place. In fact, one day my older sister came into my room and asked for lessons on how to be clean. Her plea went a little something like this: “Hollie, I desperately need your help. I am such a slob. Please, teach me your ways!” (Okay, I may be paraphrasing a teensy bit.) I was so proud to be able to teach her something and took the job very seriously. I had notes and made a whole little presentation out of it. Well, come to find out…it was a huge joke. She secretly recorded me and thought it was
hilarious how serious I was about it. Ha ha! It still makes me laugh to this day. However, fast forward 25ish years and I wish I still had that recording of my younger self, as I have lost my way. I do greatly value and realize the importance of having an organized house, though. Things run much more smoothly, and quite honestly, I’m in a much better mood with more order and less clutter. Let’s face it, a happy mom is better for everyone! So I’ve found some compiled tips to help me out, and hopefully they’ll work for you too. Let me just say baskets, stackable bins, and hanging compartments appear to be our best friends. Now let’s get organized!
Recipes
“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” œ Ruth Reichl
t a k eb a c kd i n n e r Often times our lives become so busy that we forget to make time for the important things in life, . . . . . like family dinner. With soccer practice, dance classes and other obligations, we put dinner “on the back burner” and just grab something and eat as we can. We get overwhelmed with the planning, the shopping, the preparing, the cooking, the cleanup..... that we lose our love for the family dinner. We become uninspired with our meal planning and fall into a rut, and fear the daily question of “What’s for dinner!?”
Click here to print a weekly menu. Planning ahead keeps you on budget, gets everyone involved and helps to make sure there is a favorite for everyone.
We think it’s time to take back dinner! Take back family conversation. Take back time to reflect on our day and go over future plans together. It’s time to re-prioritize our focus to make sure we take time to connect as a family and enjoy a meal together. Here are some easy tips to help your family enjoy family dinner again. 1. As a family, plan a weekly menu. This way there is something everyone will enjoy and look forward too. 2. Have the family help prepare and clean up. This will take some of the work off of you (making dinner more enjoyable for you!) and it teaches team work. 3. Turn off the T.V. Instead focus on each other and conversation.
A conersation jar is a great way to invite fun topics and family bonding. (How to on the blog.)
www.kraftrecipes.com - Beef Stroganoff www.natashaskitchen.com - Teriyaki Chicken www.therecipecritic.com - Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups www.yellowblissroad.com - Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos www.cincyshopper.com - Salisbury Steak www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com - One Skillet Cheesy Chicken
H o wt oMa k eaN a k e dC a k e : Surprise your loved ones with a yummy Naked Cake. They are the perfect cake for spring parties and get togethers. Add a floral top, a banner, a fruit topping or drizzle chocolate and they look and taste amazing. We are slightly obsessed with them. You will need: 2 boxes of cake mix serrated knife cake plate 3 round cake pans Make the cake mix as the box instructs and then place evenly in the three baking pans. Make sure to spray the pans first. Bake as directed. Cool. Once they are cool you are going to want to freeze the cakes. This makes frosting and shaping a lot easier. I froze mine overnight, but a few hours should do the trick. Then you will want to cut the tops off the cake, just so they are flat and even. Place the cut end down. Then frost each layer between with a heavy layer of frosting. Top with your favorite decor and enjoy!
Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
3/4 cup butter (softened at room temp) 8 cups confectioners sugar 1/3 plus 2 tbsp cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla Instructions In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth. Slowly add in half of your confectioners sugar and mix until blended well. While mixing, pour in milk and vanilla extract. Lastly, gradually mix in your remaining powdered sugar. You want a thick but spreadable frosting. If it is too runny add more sugar, if it’s too thick and you can’t spread, add more milk. I found that by getting the spreading knife wet with warm water, it spread on the sides the best, giving it that “naked” look.
Celebrate
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.� Oprah Winfrey
Meet the girls behind Sparklers Magazine is a labor of love for sisters, Heather & Hollie, and their Mom, Claudia. Sparklers was created with one goal in mind, to motivate women to celebrate life. They wanted to give purpose to their creative desires, and encourage each other to fulfill their dreams. Their hope is to inspire the same in their readers.
What spontaneous things do you do to celebrate your life?
Dance! I am known to break it on down anywhere, and anytime. When I get excited or feel giddy, I just can’t help myself!
What goal(s) are you working on right now? Right now I am working on getting strong. Last year my health was in control of my life, I wasn’t able to do most of the things I wanted to do. I ended up having to have two surgeries within just a few months of each other, and I felt like my body was holding me hostage. This year I want to be in control of my health, and I want to feel strong.
What gets you excited/motivated and driven to achieve? My family keeps me motivated. They know my goals and they keep me on track. My
boys ask me how my book is coming along, and my daughter told her teacher she wanted to be a writer like her Mom. I don’t want to let them see me give up, even though I feel like doing so on a daily basis. I want to show them that anything is possible as long as you work for it.
Whatdoyoul i ket odoi n your“ f r eet i me” ?
I almost hate to admit this, but recently it’s been Netflix. It’s funny too because anyone who really knows me, knows I used to never really watch T.V.. I am also the queen of taking baths. I am usually lucky enough to get one every night! It’s my sanity.
What inspires you?
My faith. 4 years ago I had a stillborn daughter. I became very depressed, and I was just living my days just to get to the next one. I felt guilty, I felt lost, and I was bitter. When the nurses gave her to me I promised her I would live a happy life. It
took me awhile to wake up and start fulfilling that promise, but with much prayer and love, I found happiness again. I know I have been given so much, and I want so much out of my life. This experience inspired me to find purpose, to give thanks, and to celebrate life. Aria will always be my daughter, and she is what inspires me to live a deliberate life of celebration.
Why do love being a part of Sparklers Magazine?
It gives me purpose. All of my kids are in school and I have the time (sort of ) to do something that I’m passionate about. LIfe is much sweeter when you are working towards a goal. For a long time, I didn’t have anything in my life that I was excited about, and Sparklers has given me that! I have loved meeting new people, learning new things, and taking on new challenges. I’m excited about Sparklers future, and I love that I get to do it all with my girls!
Hollie - Co-Creator
My husband and I have been married for 13 crazy, fun years. We have 3 awesome kiddos, ages 6 to 10. Utah has been our home for almost 8 years. I enjoy learning new things, listening to music and making funny faces. I love brownies (with nuts of course), socks, kittens and singing in my car. Warm, sunny days and making people laugh are just about my favorite things ever!
Claudia - Co-Creator
Empty Nester, married to my forever love + Mom of 3 Amazing Humans, 1 Angel Baby, 1 pampered feline fur baby + Grandma to 8 beautiful souls who own my heart + Passionate about making our house a home + Creative + Dreamer + Believer + Attitude of Do GoodFeel Good + Love for; Interior Design, DIY, Music, Dance, Poetry, Reading and Writing.
What gets you motivated and driven to achieve? An eagerness to set an example for my family, to teach by example to; do good, help others, be positive, kind and live a life of faith.
Who/What inspires you?
People who look for the positive even in the face of adversity, who find courage and strength, even during periods of trials and tribulations, who find joy and happiness in the little things, who know how to love the life they are living now and who strive to live a life of purpose.
What goal(s) are you working on currently?
Give more freely of my talents. Building confidence, stretch my
Comfort zone in social situations. Make forward progress in being healthier body, mind and soul.
What spontaneous things do you do to celebrate your life?
Go on off road outing’s and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, with my hubby. Sending “just because” texts to family/friends, “I care” texts to the grandkids, “I love you” texts to the hubs. Breakfast/Lunch dates with family/friends. Silly little traditions. Star gazing from the back of a truck. Stopping at the neighborhood playground to swing. Having fresh flowers in the house. Spontaneously breaking out into song and/or dance. Stopping to take a photo of something/someone that touches my heart. Doing little things to make our home a soft place to land from the outside world. Random acts of kindness.
What is your favorite thing to do in your “spare time”? Spend time with loved ones!
Why do you do love being a part of Sparklers Magazine?
Well, I work 60 hours a week, so I Absolutely Love the creative outlet it provides for me. Working with two of my favorite people in the world (my Daughters) who motivate and inspire me constantly and who provide endless amounts of crazy fun and laughter to my life, is a bonus! Mostly, I am really passionate and love the idea behind Sparklers; cultivating a community to gather and share talents, to gain inspiration and motivation, to support and uplift each other, learn to celebrate life, love the life we live and live a life of purpose, to adopt an attitude of do good, feel good. I’ve also found that I enjoy the social interaction way more than I expected, since I’m really quite socially shy/awkward. So thank you to all of you who have showed your love and support, it truly means more to me than I can even express. You all are truly Amazing! I have made so many new friends. xoxo
Although there have been slight variations over the years, our menu generally consists of the same few things. I bought an ice cube tray that makes heart shaped ice forever ago at Ikea, and I use it every year. I fill it with some sort of red juice, then plop the hearts into Sprite. When my kids were younger, I would buy heart shaped pasta (usually found in specialty stores or online) and top it with Alfredo sauce. But as they’ve gotten older, they like getting more involved, so now we make heart shaped pizzas. We use cookie cutters to cut heart shapes into dough then they get to top it with whatever their little hearts desire…right down to heart shaped pepperoni. For dessert we either do heart shaped sugar cookies that the kids decorate themselves (and pass out to neighbors), chocolate cupcakes that the kids decorate or fondue which is always a favorite because it’s not something we do often. Whatever is on the table, whether it be food or decorations, the most important thing is always what’s sitting around it. I love doing these little things that help our family celebrate life. We really don’t have to put a lot of time and money into it. I truly didn’t in this instance, but I do put a lot of heart (literally & figuratively). It’s so fun for me to see how happy it makes my kids. They get so excited in anticipation, knowing it’s a special day and feeling a few more warm fuzzies than usual, and that makes this mama’s heart extra happy. -Hollie
If an Easter Brunch is more your style, then this rustic farmhouse setting is an easy get together to pull off. We set the table with baskets filled with eggs. We used wooden candlesticks and cake holders to add that rustic charm. We used a vintage floral sheet as the table runner. Then we pulled out Grandma’s china to set the table. We placed some small nests on the table, along with bunny salt and pepper shakers. We made a bunny garland, complete with pop-pom tails. The centerpiece was the naked cake, topped with a nest and some candy eggs. We like to pull everything together with fresh cut flowers placed in tin pails. We just love how everything turned out. It was the perfect mix of old and new, fancy and shabby.
To make the bunny garland: Take a few different patterns of pastel colored scrapbook paper. Find an image of a bunny on your computer and print it off. Cut the shape and then trace onto the scrapbook paper. Cut out a few bunny’s and string on a piece of yarn. To make the pom-pom tails, wrap a long piece of yarn around a fork abou 20 times. Then tie a piece of yarn around it to hold it together, then trim the loops. Perfect little bunny tails.