Glorious Day

Glorious Day

by | Apr 9, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

 

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.

Matthew 28:6a

 

My Daffodils have finally broken through the soil. It seems late this year—is it? Is it just because life has seemed so gray for a while now?

 

 I love to use gray in my home. I love that it’s one of those chameleon colors: gray says, “You want fancy, here is this” or, “Oh you want casual, “What do you think about this?” It can dress up, dress down, recede into the background and pull things together. But, do you know what is hard for gray to do? Make a big punch of an impact. 

 

We can be blinded by bright white, we can be knocked down by sharp black, but gray is just there—lingering…. Where I live this time of year is gray. The snow has come and for the most part gone; the brightness of spring is just beginning, but gray, gray has been here the whole time, in the background, shading everything. After the Christmas festivities life calms down, the white of winter recedes, leaving gray where the light of white of snow had been. And we wait—until it is finally time for spring in all her glory to start bursting forth. 

 

I wonder how the women would have described their mood as they went to the tomb that day, ready to prepare the dead body of Jesus properly. I can’t imagine walking into a tomb where the one that they had placed such faith in, lies. In Him there was supposed to be joy. He was supposed to change everything! Blinding white—that’s what Jesus was. Pure, kind, humble, wise. Everything good was who Jesus was and more! 

 

He was supposed to be the Savior—they had hopes of him freeing them from Roman oppression. Now he was gone, they had watched with their own eyes, as he had hung until dead, suspended by nails in his flesh, on that cross. 

 

Did they feel black; lost in a grief so dark that they felt as though they could barely put one foot in front of each other? Did they feel red with rage at the one who had done this to Him—red as their red rimmed eyes which hadn’t been dry since before Friday morning. 

 

Did they feel gray— lost, hopeless, unable to make sense of all the promises He had made? Unable to make sense of all the hope they had placed in Him; what did it mean now that he was gone? 

 

 

And what did they feel when greeted by angels at the tomb! What was it like to be told that the one they mourned had been raised again to life! We know at first they were confused, disbelieving; desperately wanting it to be true but unable to believe it- it sounded too good to be true! Then hallelujah! It was true! I imagine lightness exploding in their souls like the sun bursting through the clouds at the dawn of a new day!  As glorious as the sun streaming through the clouds after a heavy rain, as colorful as the daffodils bursting forth from the gray earth, more joyous than anything they had ever known: Jesus had risen! Jesus IS risen! His words came true, His promises fulfilled, and their worlds filled with color once more! What a glorious day! 

 

We are told by scripture to remember His death and resurrection. We make a big deal of his birth, but this holiday, Easter, is the day that is supposed to be a big deal! It is a big deal! Our gray lives, the darkness that invades our world when trouble strikes; it is all redeemed by Him! 

 

I don’t know about you but this year I am so ready to revel in the joy of this season! I am ready to be rejuvenated by the new life popping up all around me, and I am ready to live vibrantly, in the fullness of the new life that Jesus gave us when He died upon that tree for you and for me! Happy Easter! 

 

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Not Confined by the Rules of This World

A Breath of New Life

Faithfulness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Microfiber Towels Make All The Difference In Your Cleaning

by | Apr 7, 2023 | Cleaning

The Most Common Cleaning Mistakes I See Being Made Everyday

 

 

 

I am asked by my clients, at least weekly, how I get everything so shiny! The shiny object can be anything from a stainless steel fridge to a glass stove top, to a shiny streak-free granite countertop. In each of these situations, my answer is always the same—microfiber towels! 

 

What are microfiber towels?

Microfiber cloths are made of fibers that are split to make them up to 100 times finer than human hair! Because of this, they are super absorbent—but not just water absorbent! All the fine fibers that make up the microfiber cloth also work to absorb dust and other particles. Because of the super dense nature of these fibers, microfiber cloths can absorb seven times their weight of water! That is why when put into action, the microfiber can absorb more moisture and, therefore, leave your surface that much dryer and shinier than if you used any other cloth. 

 

Where can you use microfiber towels in your cleaning?

 

So where can you use microfiber towels in your cleaning? The answer is just about anywhere! When using microfiber, I like to spray my cleanser on the surface I am cleaning, wipe the surface dry, and then polish it really, really dry with a clean microfiber towel. (This last part is where the great shine comes from.) For instance, if I am cleaning the front of a glass-front stove, I will use my glass cleaner and wipe the glass surface pretty dry and remove all of the dirt build-up; then I take my microfiber towel over it. While this extra step may seem unnecessary, it is that detail that really does the trick and makes the surface gleam.

 

Using microfiber but still not getting the desired result? 

If you are using a microfiber towel as described above and still not seeing the desired outcome, then the most likely scenario is that you are not drying the surface well enough. If you are cleaning your granite countertop and you have washed and dried it, the countertop should look dry; you wouldn’t describe the countertop as any more than damp. That’s when you want to come in with your microfiber towel and really polish the countertop dry. I say polish because you’ll want to use a little bit of elbow grease! Feeling some friction means that you are getting it completely dry and you will get the shiny countertop of your dreams.

 

Where Not to Use Microfiber Towels

Have I sold you on the value of using microfiber towels? If so, you are probably ready to throw out all of your other towels and only use microfiber, but don’t! While microfiber towels are great to dust, shine, dry and polish surfaces, I do not recommend using them to clean surfaces that could have a lot of undesirable bacteria present, such as a toilet. Why not? The denseness of these towels that allows them to trap dirt and water also makes them trap bacteria and other particles you’d rather not have hanging around long term. Since microfiber towels call for gentler handling when washing, you cannot get them as clean as you can regular cloths. For that reason, I never recommend using them to clean heavily soiled areas or areas such as a bathroom or toilet. 

 

Taking care of microfiber towels

Speaking of how to care for microfiber towels, you’ll want to make a few adjustments in how you wash these cloths in order to get the best life out of them and to keep them super absorbent. 

 

First, never wash them in hot water. You can use warm water but it is even better if you stick with cool-cold water. Second, do not dry them in a hot dryer! Drying them on a hot cycle will cause the fibers to melt together, reducing their effectiveness. Dry them on the lowest possible setting and when possible skip drying them in the machine and hang dry them instead. Lastly, if you can, try to wash your microfiber cloths with only other microfiber cloths. This will keep them from collecting lint which will in turn keep them from leaving lint behind when you use them to dust. 

 

I hope you find this information useful! If you have any other cleaning questions or topics you’d like me to discuss just shoot me an email at: alainascleaingservice@gmail.com and I will do my best to get back to you.

 

Disclaimer: All of these cleaning tips have come from my personal experience and that of the clients whom I serve. While the information here should be applicable and safe in most circumstances if you have any doubts be sure to check with the manufacturer for the product which you are cleaning and always test a cleaning product or procedure in an inconspicuous area first!

 

 Other Posts You May Enjoy:

 

The Most Common Cleaning Mistakes I See Being Made Everyday

How To Spring Clean Your Home For 2022

How to Get Started Organizing Your Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Decorating for 2023

Spring Decorating for 2023

by | Apr 7, 2023 | Decorating

Are you ready for spring? I have declared it officially spring here in my corner of the world…. Not that it really matters what I say! Regardless, Easter is this weekend, the daffodils are starting to bloom, and we are finally starting to see a few nice days sprinkled in here and there. So now that I am officially ready I have to double check—is my house as ready for spring as I am? Is your house ready for spring? 

Purge and Refresh

 

You know what I say every time the season changes—purge! Take a good look around your house and try to really see what someone entering your house for the first time would see; do you still have scarves and mittens on your coat rack? Do you have heavy throw blankets on your sofa? Do you have your snow boots sitting by the door? 

Along the same lines, how long has it been since you have had people over? A lot of times Easter breaks a long stretch of company-less days. If you haven’t had any company over a for a while, I suggest taking a look around; is the mail on the counter? A stack of returns by the door? A layer of dust in the less used rooms? This might be a good time to take care of some of the boring tasks.

Clean

 

We’ve all heard about doing a good spring clean and while this might not be Little House On The Prairie where a real deep scrubbing of everything is needed after winter, it is a good time to tackle some of the chores that only need done every now and then: shampooing the carpets, changing the air filters, and cleaning the insides of your washing machine, dishwasher, and coffeemaker. Check out my post on How to Spring Clean Your Home here!

Your Entryway

 

What is hanging on your front door? What mat do you have down? Do you have salt stationed by your front door? I live in Pennsylvania—I know we have a very good chance of still having to use salt before summer, but it can live in a less obvious place now—I shouldn’t need it daily! 

Bedding

 

Do you change your sheets to flannel in the winter? Depending upon where you live you could probably pull out the summer sheets. If you have a spring comforter or quilt, time to pull that out too. If some of your bedding has seen better days now is also a good time to check out what sales companies are having on their bedding. 

Flowers

 

Nothing says spring like fresh flowers! Cut some flowers from your yard or pick up a cheap bouquet from your local grocery store; adding the little pop of color will really lift your spirits on the gray spring days! I also have been putting some of my dried flowers to work and they have been doing a nice job adding pops of spring color in my home! 

Colors

 

While I recommend using a cohesive color palette (see that post here), if your palette is fairly neutral or if you are only using color in small doses, try introducing some spring colors into your home. Pastels are often associated with spring but I’m not a big pastels girl. I prefer adding extra touches of bright yellow and vibrant green to my decor instead—again flowers are a great way to do this. 

Vignettes and Centerpieces

 

You know I love my vignettes! I love giving a nod to the seasons with my vignettes and centerpieces! For this time of year I love adding some green moss balls, mixed with pinecones and twine balls. I’ve already mentioned that I love incorporating dried flowers, as well as fresh cut flowers into my decor, I also don’t mind a bird or bunny figurine dropped into a vignette.  I tended towards a more dyed down neutral color palette in the winter so I am reintroducing color by also displaying some of my more colorful serving ware! 

I have several posts on how to create vignettes; check out my post on How to Create a Spring Vignette here, Vignettes: Tell Me a Story here, and How to create a Vignette in Every Room of Your Home here.

If you are so inclined to create a spring vignette, remember these few things: 

  • Vary height
  • Vary texture
  • Use an odd number of items
  • Add something organic
  • Corral all the items using a tray

I hope this helps to energize you to get your home ready for spring! If you know of anyone else who you think might enjoy this post, please share it with them! Even if you share this post with one person, it helps me so much and please know I really appreciate it!

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

 

How to Spring Clean Your Home in 2023

Spring and Easter Vignette Ideas

Centerpieces Throughout the Seasons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This too Shall Pass

This too Shall Pass

by | Apr 2, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

 

 

For our light and momentary troubles are

achieving for us an eternal glory that far

outweighs them all. 

2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV

 

“Hosanna!” “Hosanna!” people are shouting, waving palm fronds, then a man steps forward, unwraps his coat and lays it on the ground. Then another, and another- soon the path in between all the people waving palm branches is covered so that the man, the man that they are honoring with all this, can ride in on a donkey (a colt really) and not even touch the ground! But He is crying- why is he crying? Is it because he is touched by the people’s obvious love and adoration of him; or because He knew that this too would pass, and quickly?

 

Have you ever been in the middle of a really hard season? Perhaps you were experiencing the loss of a loved one, or maybe you were experiencing health issues, or maybe financial hardship after financial hardship keeps hitting your family. I have been in seasons of hardship that have felt like they would never end, but one thing we can cling to is that this world will give way to an eternal one, where everyone who believes in Him, will get to live eternally without the trials that we endure in this world! 

 

We like being told that hard seasons won’t last forever, but we don’t like it when we are told that the good times won’t last forever, yet there are many biblical instances that warn of this! Starting in Genesis chapter 37 we read the story of Joseph:  Pharaoh has a dream which Joseph interprets as a foretelling that there will be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine in Egypt. Proverbs 6:6-8 tell us to consider the ant and how she stores away food for winter. Then there is the parable of the rich fool who, after a bumper crop, built bigger barns to store his food and then settled in, not worrying over eternity, but enjoying an easy life without a thought to the future (Luke 12:16-21). We don’t want to think about the good times ending but they always do. 

 

 Jesus knew both the hard times and the good time would pass; as will this world. He knew when Martha got caught up in the worries of this world, that it wouldn’t matter in the end. He reminded the lady at the well, that she would thirst again, nothing on this earth is eternal. Except for Him. 

 

Jesus also knew that while He would have to subject Himself to a tortuous death, He would also rise again to bring life eternal to everyone who believes in Him. The things of this earth shall pass away, the hard seasons shall pass, the good times shall pass, but all the fixtures of this life eventually give way and we find ourselves in one of two worlds that will not pass away, be it heaven or hell. 

 

This Easter season let us reflect on what cares to occupy our minds most; do we get all wrapped up in the decorations that we put out, the candy we love to snack on, the egg hunts that delight the children- or do we focus on Him and His sacrifice? Do we reflect most on His sacrifice for us so that we can spend eternity with Him, or are we busy spending so much of our lives focusing on things that, too shall pass? 

Other Posts You Might Enjoy: 

The Moments of Our Lives

A Sense of Eternity

A Breath of New Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Book Club Discussion Books

Great Book Club Discussion Books

by | Apr 2, 2023 | Book Nook

 

 I have read several books lately that, yes, have been compelling reads, but more than that have made me think about them after I finish reading them. These are books of substance with thought provoking themes that would make great discussions for book clubs! These books were not light reads, but were still ones that I was glad to have picked up and that I look forward to discussing with others who have read them.

 

The Yellow Wife

by Sdeqa Johnson

This one had some disturbing content. It is one thing to know about the atrocities committed from one race to another, but it is another thing to read about these experiences in the firsthand narrative. That disclaimer aside, I was glad I read this book! My attention was held the whole way through it!

 

The main character of this book, Pheby Delores Brown, was based loosely on the story of a woman who really lived. Pheby is the illegitimate daughter of a plantation owner and as such has been afforded certain rights not usually granted to a slave; she has also been promised her whole life that she will be freed on her 18th birthday, a date she eagerly awaits. Then without warning Pheby is sold, ripped away from the life she knows and is sold to a man known as the Jailer, who has gained his wealth selling people into slavery and disciplining any slave who attempt to run away. Pheby becomes his unofficial wife—the mother of children who he claims. As the mother of these children she is treated better than other slaves but a slave she still is. She is forced to ready young slave girls who come ready for auction; Pheby must help these girls to look their best so they can fetch the best prices before the auction where they will be sold into a life of prostitution. Pheby despises the roll she plays in these girls lives, but what would happen should she refuse?

 

The Children’s Blizzard

by Melanie Benjamin

 

It was an unusually warm day in the middle of winter 1888, after a long stretch of bitter cold, spirits were light as people in the territories of Nebraska and Montana went about their daily lives. Most were dressed lighter than they normally would be that fateful day. It was nearly time for school to dismiss when the air started to change and a blizzard began. Many of the teachers in these schools were young women—barely 18 years in many cases—that had to make what they didn’t know at the time to be life and death decisions. Should these teachers send the children home from school early or wait it out in the school house? The children could be caught and perish in the cold, but how long would the blizzard last? Would the flimsy school houses stand up against the blizzard?

 

We follow mainly three characters, fictional though somewhat inspired by people who really lived, as they face these fateful days. Who would survive and who wouldn’t? And how will the others live with the decisions they made?

 

Ribbons of Scarlet

by Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb

 

The French Revolution was inspired in part by the success of the American Revolution but went far differently than the American Revolution did. Through the pages of this book we follow six different women who all hail from different stations in life and have different outlooks on the Revolution. This book is a collection of six stories interwoven by six different authors (one author assigned to each story) which gives this book depth and character as each author uses their expertise to depict the circumstances surrounding their character. I greatly enjoyed learning more about the French Revolution and enjoyed the differing perspectives this book offered, but I confess, books of this nature are not my favorite from a purely enjoyment-focused point of view as I just start to really get into one character’s story when it’s time to switch characters! Still this book offers a lot of topics for consideration that we might think to be contemporary in nature but which were, in fact, still being fought for over 250 years ago!

 

Being Mortal

by Awtul Gwande

 

This book is non-fiction but deals with themes we all have to think about sooner or later. Gwande is a physician and has taken a close look at the aging process and how the elderly are treated in this country (America). Being of Indian descent, he saw the aging process of his grandfather in a country where the elderly live at home among the different generations. Living out one’s old age at home among family has long been regarded as the paragon to which it would be nice for us all to aspire, but Gwande points out the difficulties with this style of living also. Gwande goes on to discuss the pluses and minuses of assisted living centers and nursing homes; the last part of this book discusses medical treatment in the end stages of life. If doctors discussed more straightforwardly the prognosis of the terminally ill would it allow patients to make the discussion of ending treatment sooner in exchange for fewer higher quality months or years, rather than perhaps living for an extra year that depletes the patient so much then cannot enjoy it? As you may have gathered, Being Mortal is not a light read but if you pick this one up I think that you will be glad that you did!

 

P.S. If you know of a friend who enjoys a thought provoking read please share this post with them!