Melissa Au

Hi, my name is Melissa! I live in Spanish Fork, Utah. I'm happily married to Rob, and together we have five wonderful kids. Our family loves to embark on adventures, often in our RV, exploring the great outdoors. I'm an avid reader and a big fan of Hallmark movies – they always have a way of lifting my spirits. Hiking is another passion of mine; there's nothing like the tranquility of nature. I have a sweet tooth for chocolate and a love for Mexican food, both of which make life a little more delicious. In my downtime, I enjoy playing games with my family, creating memories and sharing laughter. Life is an adventure, and I'm here to enjoy every moment of it! I'm the blogger and creative mind behind the blog A Sparkle of Genius! Check out our posts on recipes, crafts, kid stuff, printables, travel and more!

Group of six individuals posing for a photo wearing vests and carrying binoculars at Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek, likely on a nature excursion or bird-watching activity.

Disney Animal Kingdom’s Wild Africa Trek

Animal Kingdom has always been my favorite park at Disney World. My husband and I spent our honeymoon here many years ago and my favorite …

Three monkeys perching on a tree branch during an interview with Dr. M. Sanjayan, with the one in the foreground looking directly at the camera.

Monkey Kingdom Interview with Dr. M. Sanjayan

Did you know that you can swing into your local movie theater this Friday to see Disneynature Monkey Kingdom? This is a fantastic family friendly …

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6 Things to See and Do In Portland Oregon

I love Oregon. My father group of there so I spent time there as a child. I didn’t ever get into Portland, though, so as …

A collage featuring tips for hosting the Perfect Easter Egg Hunt, with a plush doll with yellow hair and a pink dress next to an Easter basket filled with treats and a chocolate bunny.

5 Tips for hosting the Perfect Easter Egg Hunt

This post is sponsored by Personal Creations. All opinions are my own. I love Easter Egg Hunts. They drive my husband crazy. Every year, I …

An assortment of colorful Easter-themed treats and decorations featuring marshmallow peeps, including 22 Easter recipes made with Peeps.

22 Easter Recipes made with Peeps

Easter is just weeks away which means its time to start baking! I hopped on Pinterest today and searched “Easter Peeps Recipes” and man, there …

Freshly baked banana bread muffins cooling on a wire rack.

Better for you Banana Bread Recipe

This Banana Bread is SO good. I finally made a Banana Bread that is “Better for You” but tastes like its not. The only problem …

5 essential keto tools for success.

5 Keto Tools That Will Absolutely Help You Succeed

In this post, I’m going to share some keto tools with you that I think are essential. They will absolutely make your keto diet easier …

Infographic with tips: 5 steps to help your son or daughter with Night Time Anxiety in Kids.

5 Steps to Help Night Time Anxiety in Kids

Our Story My daughter suffers with anxiety on a daily basis. It is something that she is aware of and we have learned how to …

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Have Courage and Be Kind Cinderella Free Printable

Have you seen the new Disney live action re-make of Cinderella? It is so magical and such a beautiful movie. I loved it. I had …

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Visiting Pixar Animation Studios #PixarInsideOut

I had the opportunity to visit Pixar Animation Studios. How awesome is that. I love Pixar movies. Really, I think every person in the whole …

A stack of lemon-flavored cookies with pink drizzle on a white plate, perfect for spring.

Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookie

Thank you Nestle Toll House for sponsoring today’s story and encouraging me to bake cookies for my loved ones this spring! I seriously considered calling these …

Happy Spring Free Printable

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Utah we are starting to have signs of Spring! I love spring. The weather is …

A bowl of cheesy broccoli rice casserole topped with crushed cornflakes.

One-Pan Cheesy Broccoli Rice with Crunchy Topping

One pot meals are the secret weapon in the battle of weeknight dinner. By the end of preparing this meal, I only had one pot …

Two decorative pillows with leaf patterns, one in yellow and one in gray, come as a part of a Paint-A-Pillow kit advertised as a DIY project.

Paint-A-Pillow Review

I received a Paint-A-Pillow kit for review. All opinions are my own. I love the process of decorating a room and figuring out the little …

Freshly baked M&M cookies cooling on a wire rack.

M&M Cookies

Let me start off by saying that I hate m&m cookies. It’s something about the m&m’s going into the oven and then coming out changed …

Freshly baked orange and cheese-topped muffins cooling on a wire rack.

Freshly Squeezed Orange Muffins

One of the greatest perks of colder weather is bringing home bags of bright orange spheres of happiness from the grocery store at an affordable price. …

Man with glasses speaking into a microphone during an interview event with STRANGE MAGIC Director Gary Rydstrom.

Interview with STRANGE MAGIC Director Gary Rydstrom #strangemagic

Have you had the opportunity to see Strange Magic yet? It came into theaters on January 23rd and is a really fun family friendly movie. …

TwinRoo double stroller with two infants sleeping under blankets, one in pink and one in blue.

Getting Around With Twins? Try the TwinRoo from Joovy!

Having twins is definitely more than a handful and getting them around can be quite a challenge. Finding a stroller that fits your budget and …

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