Author: Aurora

Hello! I am so glad you've decided to stop by :) My name is Aurora and I'm a 35 year old who is trying to leave my small mark on the world. You are one of over 400,000 people who have clicked on my site within the last 10 years! I can't believe it's been as busy as it has, knowing that I've been able to impact and speak with some of you from all over the world- in over 200 different countries!! This website exists for YOU. It's the positive, thought-provoking space you're always invited to whether it's to relate, vent, get advice or just to feel good. The Weekly Sparkle is meant to be the boost of positivity and light that each of us could use to put our BEST self out there. The Sparkle is the goodness we put out into the world and the outcome of those actions passes the Sparkle forward. Follow along with me as I talk through life's journeys, hard lessons, inspirational moments and please view my Giving Calendar to see what's going on in the community and where you can give back!!! I'd love any and all feedback and comments on posts!! Thanks for reading and Sparkle on! -Aurora
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Happy Valentine’s Day ♥️

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I have always believed that Valentine’s Day should be celebrated to appreciate all the love in your life- not just the romantic kind ♥️

I’ve thought this because each of our lives are built by the love that surrounds us- whether it be from family members, friends, a pet, a lover- this is a day I think we should celebrate whatever love looks like to us, right where we are, right now. Maybe you’re married, maybe your single, maybe you’re dating, maybe you’re not; it doesn’t matter what category you find yourself in, you are loved!

Daily life just feels better when you focus on the love around you and the love within you! So cheers to the love you have and the love you give away, because it’s all worth celebrating 🙌

This year does feel a little different for me personally, because we have our little angel here earthside 🥰 Who knew I’d have a Valentine this year that I would have never expected!

Thank you God for our angel Valentine this year 💞 You broke the mold with this one! 🙏 Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! 💘 May you feel and remember how loved you are today!

Xoxo Aurora

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2.22.22 (On a Twosday)!

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How amazing is it that today is 2.2.22!? 🤯

From the moment I woke up this morning, I felt like today was special. It’s different, it’s unique, it’s once in a lifetime! But then I thought, as cool as the repetition in the number was, isn’t every day different, unique & once in a lifetime? 🤔

My point being, when we have these awesome examples of unique and special days, let’s remind ourselves that any day can be the kickstart to a fresh & exciting feeling- we just have to shift our perspective to see it!

Let’s use today’s reminder to be patient with ourselves and our journey, and know that any day, no matter the date, can hold the spark for just what we’ve been waiting for!

Happy 2.2.22 everyone! Cheers 💖

Aurora ✨

Appreciation · Community · Expectations · Family · Journaling · Living with Intention · New Year · Uncategorized

Happy New Year!

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Hello Sparkle Fam! HAPPY 2022!!!

Ahhhhhh I’ve missed you guys! It feels absolutely WEIRD to be excitedly typing in the way I am right now (legit have a smile on my face)! It’s been too long and I am so excited to be EXCITED to write here again. It’s a new year, and I’ve gotten some new fire in me to write and share my heart with everyone again.

If you recall, 10 months ago, I became a first time mama! EEEK! What an amazing, exciting, overwhelming, scary and fantastic journey it’s been so far. Ms. Oakley Gray is the light of my life and truly such an incredible blessing. Ok Ok, here is a pic, because AHHHH she’s the best:

Becoming a mom, to no ones surprise, created such a perspective shift for me. Once you get your head back on straight (can takes weeks or even months), it’s eye-opening to see how much your mind changes- what’s important, what takes your time, what you worry about, what you’re excited for, it all shifts. Feeling a little more in tune with who I am as a mama, I got to thinking a lot about the things and people in my life that make me happy and deserve the limited time I have, outside of being Oak’s mama. One thing I’ve always loved is connecting with all of you, around the world, and seeing the commonalities we all have, even if across the country or in an entirely different one.

I started reading “Take Back Your Time” by Christy Wright, recently (LOVE HER) and it’s really put into perspective where I spend my time, and focusing on the important things in my life. All that said, YOU guys, and The Weekly Sparkle, absolutely make that list for me. I hope you’ll visit here weekly or my Weekly Sparkle Facebook Page for some pops of inspo and a little escape to either get inspired or realize you’re not alone in the crazy, happy, sad, insane times! SO HAPPY 👏you 👏are 👏here!

So Let’s KICK OFF 2022 in the right way shall we?

P O S I T I V E – V I B E S – ONLYYYY!!

Next Topic to come: Imposter Syndrome

Happy to be back,

Xo Aurora

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The Weekly Sparkle Had a Baby!

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Introducing Ms. Oakley Gray 💖

Hi everyone! I interrupt our normal schedule of daily inspo to share some exciting news! On Thursday March 18th, we had a baby! 💞🍼

Meet the newest member of The Weekly Sparkle, our daughter, Oakley Gray! Thanks for all of the love and for following along! 💖 Cheers to our new little sparkle✨ Xo Aurora

Appreciation · Faith · Living with Intention · Pregnancy

Gratitude During Pregnancy

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Gratitude 🙏✨

A friend recently asked me how I’ve kept such a positive attitude throughout my pregnancy. The answer was easy: I’m grateful.

After praying for our baby, trusting in God’s timing and having patience, I don’t see any other way to view this season of my life than through a lens of gratitude and overall happiness. The aches, pains, tiredness, tough moments, it’s all been worth it & is a part of our story as we await for baby girl to arrive- and I’m just so overwhelmingly grateful.

This isn’t just a mentality if you’re pregnant- this is a way you can choose to live your life every single day. I’ve found, through my own experience, that every day I lead with appreciation and gratitude for the blessings in my life, the happier I become and the more blessings come my way 🙏✨

I encourage anyone to make a conscious effort to try and practice gratitude as much as possible ♥️ Cheers to blessings in our lives & being grateful

xo Aurora

American · COVID19 · Living with Intention · Pregnancy · Self Realization · Uncategorized

A Year At Home

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I think about all that’s passed since March of 2020, and I can’t believe we’ve had an entire year of holidays, life changing events, postponed occasions, and time we’ll never get back or get to do again. Heck, I myself got pregnant this year, and will have my baby during Covid times.

Isn’t it amazing (or even crazy) how many of us have been home for a year already? Like many of you, I can remember what it was like to leave work for that last time, thinking “we’ll be back in 2 weeks after Easter.” So much for that, huh?

In the time I’ve been home working, and by the time we go back (whenever that may be) I would have grown a child inside of me, birthed it, started raising it, and no one I work with would have ever known or seen me pregnant haha. {I mean I did tell them, and they threw me a beautiful zoom baby shower, but you get the point}!

I remember when Covid started, and I felt as though the “break” would be really great for my mental health, and that it was the perfect pause that many of us needed but never took for ourselves. Never did I think the virus would actually affect the people in my life or result in personal loss of family members or friends that we love and didn’t expect to lose. It was certainly a way more challenging year than I think any of us had anticipated.

So as we enter month 12, and many of us have begun getting vaccines, I pray that the light at the end of the tunnel continues to get brighter, that the loss of life we’ve seen begins to grow less and less and that whatever the new normal is comes, and offers grace and patience to all of us as we get used to (once again) a change.

If you’re reading this, you’ve survived the pandemic to this point, and I’m grateful you’re here… I’m grateful I’m here too & get to interact with you all. If you’ve lost someone, I’m sorry, we have too, and it was extremely difficult. My heart goes out to you. ❤️ Sending you lots of love and light as we walk toward the end of the tunnel.

Xo Aurora

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Romanticizing Your Life

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This really hit for me this morning💡 & I thought the topic of romance (even in a non-traditional sense) was a great topic to kickoff Valentine’s Weekend!

In the current world we live in, where we may feel stuck on the hamster wheel, or especially sad that Covid and the winter months are isolating, this is an excellent perspective.

How can you take the everyday little things (that at times feel like the normal steps of Groundhog Day) and acknowledge them as blessings?

That’s right, take a moment and actually list your blessings!

This is what I’ve started doing: I take my amazing little notebook from Amazon, and start jotting things down! The great thing is, is that you don’t need this little booklet to get started! Grab a piece of paper or open your Notes section of your phone and begin listing. I’ll start:

That took me about 3 minutes and I’m already excited and grateful for the day ahead. Now it’s your turn… jot down a few things that may feel a little mundane and remind yourself that you’re BLESSED to have these mundane tasks in your life. I’ll leave you with this…

If we can appreciate the moments we’re in, they add up to a day of gratitude and acceptance for where we currently are, and that will help us begin looking forward to each new day.

Happy Friday Friends 💌

✨✨✨ Aurora

Living with Intention · Uncategorized

@SparkleWithAurora

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Happy Anniversary TheWeeklySparkle.com

✨ Cheers To 8 Years ✨

This month marks 8 years since I began my blog TheWeeklySparkle.com 🥳🤯 I have no clue where the time has gone!

Since the beginning, my blog has focused on the real and raw aspects of life, offering my own insight, personal feelings and inspiration along the way. My hope was always that whoever stumbled upon it could find some words that inspire them, that they can relate to, or depending on the topic, assure them that they’re not alone.

Well, after 8 years and 300,000 views later, I thought it was time to give my blog and Instagram a refresh! My new Instagram handle, Sparkle with Aurora, is an expansion of The Weekly Sparkle blog & I’m SO EXCITED to share that in 2021 you can expect to see:

▪️Pretty updates to TheWeeklySparkle.com 👩‍💻

▪️Real & raw content from yours truly 🌱

▪️Insight into my adventures as a new Mama🤰

▪️Increased content for you that focuses on the sparkle and inspirational around us all each day: fashion trends, feel good energy and inspo & of course, gratitude to the big G 🙏

I believe that no matter where you are in this journey called life, you should always focus on the things that makes you feel alive and sparkle- sharing these pieces with all of you does that for me ♥️✨ Thank you for following along and for the love and support along the way!

Xo Aurora

Appreciation · Journaling · Living with Intention · Motivation · Self Realization · Uncategorized

Wearing Gratitude Glasses

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Having a gratitude filled perspective isn’t something many of us learn in life. If you have grown up this way, you’re ahead of a lot of us, and I’m jealous of you! If you’re like the many of us who need to work at this, or even have to realize the need to work on it, this is for you!

As someone who is primarily a positive person, I get asked sometimes how I do it. If I could answer this question and give away some kind of magic secret in a 2 minute conversation, I would, but that’s not the reality of seeing your world through a grateful lens. Or as I call it, seeing the world through your Gratitude Glasses.

Having a heart full of gratitude helps you see your cup as half full! When you start going down Complaint Road and Woe Is Me Lane, it’s easy to snowball and get to a place where nothing feels good enough. This is where negativity lies, self doubt lives and the feelings of “why doesn’t anything go my way,” overwhelm you.
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The truth is, it’s a practice to have a grateful heart; you have to work on it and it takes time. When the negative thoughts start creeping in, you need to actively remind yourself of the blessings that surround you, and the cup that’s currently half empty slowly shifts to becoming half full.

Mental Exercise time 💡💪: Doing this helps me remain present and reminded of the blessings in my life- when you wake up each morning, say 3 things to yourself that you’re grateful for. It only takes moments, but it starts your day off on the right foot and with a grateful heart ♥️

I’ll start: I’m grateful for 1️⃣ The health Baby Brunovsky has and the positive visits we keep having about her 2️⃣ My relationship with my husband and how in sync we are 3️⃣ That today is the last day of work until 1/4/21! Wooo! ✨✨

Now it’s your turn! What 3 things are you grateful for today? Can you try to start each morning this week with this exercise? It’ll start your day off with reminders of how blessed you are, even if in a tough season, and give you the opportunity to proceed into the day wearing your Gratitude Glasses.

Cheers to living the glass half full life!

Xo Aurora