This mother’s day, I’d like to be honored…  Yes.  Maybe the traditional breakfast (cold) in bed (while it’s bounced on).  And I’d love a gift, the more handmade the better (and of course told what it is before I can get it open.)

But you know what I’d really love?  A spa day - in silence.  A massage, facial, and footrub - in silence.

Really?  I’d just be happy with silence.  No talking.  No screaming.  No crying.  No chasing.  No hitting.  No complaining.  No whining.  No fussing.  No tattling.  And no husbands thinking that once the cold breakfast and gifts have been given thinking their responsibility is completely done, and go back to playing computer games while I take care of everything for the rest of the day.

Basically, I want to be TRULY honored.  With my wants/needs taken into consideration, not just lip service played in order for their “responsibilities” to be fulfilled.  I’d like someone to really take the time to tell me that I’m valued and loved as a mother, and that on this day I shall be pampered.

I mean it’s really just one day - is that so hard to accomplish?  What’s worse is, I don’t think my husband’s even thought about it.

This post is brought to you by The Parent Bloggers Network Blog Blast and Johnson’s Baby Cause.

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Some excerpted quotes:

What I’ve come to realize is that the key to wearing your life well is to fully understand what you have and, equally important, know what you want.

This book may force you to be more truthful than ever before, but I promise it will be worth it!

There are always going to be fears; you’ll always be afraid of something. It’s just a matter of what kind of emotional muscle you’re willing to develop in order to be able to handle those fears and then move on with your life. If you can turn your fear around and learn to use what you’re afraid of, then your fear can often propel you to make a huge difference in your life.

Self-examination is never easy, but when you read or hear something that reroutes your thinking and inspires you to move in a more positive direction, then every step of the journey becomes more gratifying than the next.

Plus: It really is quite motivating. Just the right combination of disgust at the habits we have today, and understanding of how difficult it really is to change. There is a lot of information, so you’re not getting a whole lotta words, and a whole lotta fluff. I appreciate that. There’s some really sound advice, and it seems to me to be coming from someone who walks the walk so to speak. She adds both personal anecdotes from her own life, as well as the personal stories of her members at marilu.com. She reaches braod strokes of life, such as closet organization, to the foods you eat, to how to present yourself to a stranger. It really is quite comprehensive as a life guide.

Minus: Because of the amount of information, it can be a little intimidating. Especially the food section - if you’ve never attempted a healthier lifestyle before. I think some of the terms she uses might be for someone a little higher up in the food chain so to speak. In addition, I was a little confused as to the direction of the book, especially since so much time is spent on the food you eat. Now that I’ve read the whole thing, I think it is on purpose because of how strongly she feels about the health properties of food. In addition, I think some of the advice she gives in the cleansing section might put off some readers. I don’t think she is wrong or misinformed, but it might be a little on the “too much” side for those readers who’ve never in their life heard of a colonic.

Equals: A positive review. I thought it was so motivating I’m considering signing up at her website. I was forced to examine some life choices. And I’m planning on making some healthy changes to those choices. And really - if you’re talking about a self-help book - what better a review is there than that?

I think Ebates is one of the best things ever.

They don’t have an affiliate or referral program per se, or I would be all over that.   But right now they ARE having a referral program…  In other words - you sign up and make a purchase (such as at Target - need I say more?) I get paid!

Seriously though, I’ve made over a hundred bucks so far.  Yes, it’s legit, and no you pay nothing.

Just give them my email: sparksfley@gmail.com when you sign up!

Just when you feared your overstuffed, eyesore of a closet was a lost cause, here’s the antidote to all your closet woes. Closet expert and style maven Melanie Charlton Fascitelli is here to help you whip your closet into shape, refreshing your wardrobe and saving you time along the way.

With this accessible, stylish guide, you’ll find out how to redo your closet and organize your clothes so that you can, yes, go shopping there—sort through shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, scarves, and shoes, all in perfect condition and ready to go.

From the first closet face-off to long-term maintenance, Charlton Fascitelli takes you step by step through the entire process of turning your closet into a “safe haven” for your clothes.

The format is three sections

1. Be Your Own Editor: Letting go of clutter, enhancing your wardrobe, and defining your style.
2. In the Closet: Closet organization logistics.
3. Staying Organized: Basic maintenance.

Plus: It really gets into the nitty-gritty. What you should keep and why. What you should toss and why. How to store things from beaded gowns to your belts. What you should hang versus fold. How to actually organize (ie: hardware etc.) your closet. It also goes into how to shop, both the physical vs. online aspect of it, and how to shop for your particular body type.

Minus: She promotes using an actual inventory (written and stored.) That just a bit TOO anal for me. I’m simply not that into clothes and accessories to go that far, and I’ve far too much to do.

Equals: I do recommend this book. I’m saving it on my shelf, as we’re doing a home renovation room by room. Once I get to the bedroom I’ll be getting this puppy out to use as a guide.

I’m hosting my first giveaway over at my other blog…  A signed copy of Rockabye by Rebecca Woolf…  Come check it out!

This book from the new blog We Covet is cracking me up.  I want to see the rest of the pictures!

You know, I’ve played a lot with the various “buy through us, and we’ll get you money back.” Even my own businesses built around that concept. It’s just never really paid off for me to work that hard for something versus the return those things gave me. Until now.

EQUATION: According to the Ebates site:

How Ebates Works? Ebates has over 800 merchant partners that pay us for your business. Most sites keep the money, but not Ebates! We send you the savings in the form of a big fat check!

Basically, you buy through them, and they send you a rebate based on the total amount of your purchase. The various merchants have various percentage return rates.

PLUS: I definitely shop through them, so the fact that I use them myself is a plus. The biggest positive to me is the actual stores. You’re not getting rinky dinky mom and pop stores of eclectic goods… You’re getting the big kahunas like Old Navy, Target, and more. And to prove it, here’s my printscreen (click to embiggen): You get paid whatever rebates you’re due each month. I get mine through PayPal.

MINUS: They don’t have EVERY store known to man, so depending on where you’re used to shopping this could be a negative for you. It’s not for me, since they do the big ones I go to. Other than that, I don’t particular care for the colors they use, but that’s a personal aesthetic - site navigation is fine. So - yeah… Not many negatives in my book.

EQUALS: POSITIVE! I love using them, and getting money back. Love it. I use it every time I’m shopping for something. Or - if I find something I’m looking for via other ways, I first go see if I can click through to that store from Ebates. It’s a win/win all around I say.

I honestly don’t remember who turned me onto this site, but I think it was one of my Twitter pals. Mon.thly.Info is basically a site to track your period easily.

From their site:

How does it work?
Each time you start your period, add the date to your Mon.thly account, and it will use your history to predict the next time your cycle will start. This provides you with a record of your menstrual cycles, which can be an important addition to your medical history. If you want, Mon.thly will also email you a customized reminder before or on your next estimated start date.

PLUS: It’s a great site design. Aesthetically pleasing, love the graphics, and way easy maneuverability. There’s a clear “About” page to tell you how to do it. If you choose, you can have an email reminder sent to let you know your cycle’s coming. The more data you feed it over time, the better it becomes at predicting your cycle.  Great for knowing when it’s coming, or to have the info for that infamous question, “And when was your last period?”  Here’s some screenshots in which you find out more information than you EVER wanted to know about me.

MINUS: The only thing I can see is that you cannot mark notes on the days - it’s strictly a calendar.  In other words, if you want to track your flow, or pain levels, that’s not possible here.  This also wouldn’t be a totally fabulous tool to try and get pregnant, except for a general ovulation date.

EQUALS:  LOVE IT.  I love it.  I use it.  I recommend you use it too!

I don’t understand what has happened to customer service.

For example, when I was a kid, if you gave bad service, my parents didn’t leave a tip.  Now, that’s considered terribly gauche.

Then - The reward was based upon the action taken.  Now - it’s merely expected.

It’s completely common to go into a shop and have a clerk be rude, disrespectful,  or have the condescending attitude of deigning to spare his or her precious time waiting on you.

Let’s get something straight.  If I am giving you money?  That means I am the boss.  It’s as simple as that.  Remember, “The customer is always right?”  It’s true.

And consumers (read: ME) remember.  And we don’t come back.  It’s that important to me.

It’s no wonder I spend so much time shopping online instead of brick and mortar.  It’s hard for the shopping cart function to treat me like crap.

Now that the dust has settled around here a little bit… What is this? You may know me from Sparks and Butterflies. I decided to move my reviews on over here!

I wanted a place to be able to tell my mind on particular products… But some of my advertising contracts prohibited me from doing so over there. Here, I’m free to accept product of any value in exchange for my opinion - which I’m always willing to do. You’ll be seeing some changes around here, additions of affiliates, products, and of course, reviews.