Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

Have Mercy on Me, a Dooflunky

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“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6 NASB

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

 

I promised I wouldn’t write about my daughter’s graduation any more.  I’ve babbled on about it ad nauseam here, here, and here if you need a Shelby fix.  I must bring it up again, though.  Please forgive me.  Not just for writing about it AGAIN, but for what I am about to confess.

 

My daughter received some lovely graduation gifts.  Some Mickey Mouse items (her obsession), some movie tickets (she LOVES to go to the show – if she gets popcorn or candy), some gift cards (her wardrobe is getting a refresh), and some cash – which we are putting aside to help get her to Disneyland soon (I mentioned the Mickey Mouse obsession, right?).  We were blown away by the generosity of friends and family who wanted to celebrate her.  But I made a boo-boo.  I may have mentioned – or again babbled on ad nauseam – in the aforementioned posts about my stress levels at the end of May.  Chandler’s med school graduation, Allie’s athletic and choir events, Shelby’s graduation and party and throwing a party for my in-law’s anniversary had me frazzled to say the least.  All of Shelby’s wonderful gifts got pushed to a corner together with the cards until I had time to breath.  Then I went through each bag and card to carefully record the contents and the name of the sweet giver.  As soon as I could, I set about the task of writing “thank yous”.  Until I ran out of cards.  So I ordered some on Amazon to help complete my list.

 

The cards came 2 days later, ’cause PRIME.  Not bragging, just saying.  And I trotted to retrieve my carefully curated list.  But where is it?  Not where I thought I left it.  Not in the trash or recycling.  Yes, I looked.  Not in 25 other common-sensical places it could have migrated to!  I looked the proverbial high and low to no avail.  Now here is the catch.  I can remember most of the gifts and who gave them.  What I can’t remember is who I sent a card to already and who I still lack.   I could blame stress, or the fact that I am getting older as evidenced by the new pair of dollar store readers I now own.  But the bottom line is that I can’t remember – where I put the list or what still remained to be checked off.

 

If you gifted my daughter and haven’t received a response, please forgive me.  And please know how much I, and she, appreciate the Mickey Mouse throw, hooded bath towel, pillow, toy, clothes, money and tickets.  Your kindness did not go unnoticed and will not soon be forgotten.

 

The Bible verse at the top of this post brings me a lot of hope.  At my age, my memory may not improve, but it is reassuring that God’s not through with me.  He is molding me and shaping me and changing me to conform to His image.  And He will as long as I have breath.  That’s His promise.

A Helpful Guest Post

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Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash

Last week, I shared about my new venture and my need for tips and tricks to simplify my life.  You can find that post here.  One area I could use a little extra help is in keep my home clean and organized.  I’ve made a new friend in the blogosphere who is an expert.  She owns a company in the UK that does the cleaning and organizing for you and she writes super helpful articles on the subject.  I thought you might be interested in reading one.  So today, I’m turning my blog over to Zowie Ashton!

 

How to motivate yourself to do the cleaning chores
You know how your eyes are a reflection of your soul? Well, your house is a reflection of yourself and the way you keep it represents the way you see yourself and the way others see you. Of course, you’re not the messy slob your home says you are, but why do your keep your home in such a horrific state?
I used to be one of those people who hated cleaning, actually, I still hate it to the bottom of my soul. Even though I knew just what a health hazard my dirty house was, I used to find it very difficult to motivate myself to clean my home. Luckily, one day I finally decided I’ve had enough of my dirty home and I was determined to find motivation and clean my property. To my great surprise, I did manage to motivate myself. And because I want to help others like me, I’ve gathered the things that got me going on cleaning my house.
First, I made it fun. This was perhaps the most difficult thing for me to achieve. I used to view cleaning as part of a tiresome and boring routine which I could postpone as long as I wanted. So, in order to change my perception I started listening to music, dancing with the vacuum cleaner. I even started competing with my neighbor – a stay-at-home, clean-fanatic woman and I made it my goal to make my bed faster than her (I still haven’t, but I’m working on it).
Then I made it my routine. I learned how to do to the evening routines and how to start my day. I had heard that making the bed in the morning is enough to motivate you to be productive for the rest of the day, so I decided to try it for myself. I kept a record of my ‘motivation levels’ for one month without making the bed and one month with making the bed. I found a peculiar tendency and I prove that making the bed is important. Throughout that 1 month of not making the bed I ate 5 kilos of ice-cream, I rarely worked out and I was really grumpy at the office. People, If you want to be healthy and fun to be around – routinize your cleaning.
Thirdly, I learned how to prioritize. I didn’t want to become the same as my clean-fanatic neighbor who spends 30 hours a week in cleaning – for me it was enough that my home is decluttered. Before I invited guests over, I made sure that my home was tidy, not necessarily clean. No one would notice the dust on my fridge, but my dirty sock on the floor would undoubtedly shock my guests.
Even though I managed to keep myself motivated in terms of cleaning, that motivation didn’t last long. I needed something new if I wanted to keep my home in a good condition. And so I decided to start using homemade cleaning detergents. I tried every essential oil, every DIY cleaning solution. Everything that included the words ‘cleanser’ and ‘homemade’ – I did it. I have to admit this was really exciting for me – and even keeps me interested in cleaning to this day. I love it that I can keep my home spic and span without the use of a single hazardous chemical.
You don’t need to be a cleaning-freak to have a clean home. A few things a day can do wonders in the long run. Try my motivation tricks and share your progress.
Kind regards,
Zowie

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