Ellie@Home by Nicole Kapise-Perkins

Who doesn't love paper snowflakes? How about lots and lots of paper snowflakes? I found this site eons ago, when my adult children were Bubbah's age, and we all still love it. Hop over to SnowDays where it's always snowing and add your snowflakes to the blizzard! So much fun. (Really really!) http://snowdays.me/

Enthusiastic 8 year-old hugs and hot tea.

I study, I work, and sometimes I cook. And when looking at the text for business law one more minute makes me want to bite my computer, I write a short blog post. Today I give you my Study-Time Top 15. These are artists, not songs. Fifteen songs would get me 6 pages in. I need closer to 6 hours. You're welcome. 1. DJ Silence 2. Delerium 3. Clannad 4. David Gilmour 5. Enigma 6. Two Steps From Hell 7. George Winston 8. Tim Janis 9. William Ackerman 10. Underworld 11. Lindsey Sterling 12. Mediaeval Baebes 13. The Piano Guys 14. Yanni 15. Cu Dubh You see here a list ranging from sweeping instrumental pieces (Tim Janis) to piano solos (George Winston); rocking bagpipes (Cu Dubh) to AMAZING guitar (Mr. Gilmour) to trance-techno (Underworld) and all kids of other stuff thrown in. You can check out DJ Silence here: http://heaven.chillout.zone/

Hello Friends,    As seems to be my habit, I have been long away. All of my daily tasks tend to turn into a whirlwind of whatever, and my poor blog is always the first thing to be sacrificed. So what's up @Home, anyway?    September 4 I started studying Business Administration at Bay Path University. My concentration is in Strategic Human Resource Management. I was promoted to Human Resource Manager in April, and by July I realized I had found my niche. My first love will always be Literature, but I have found myself in a career I enjoy and want to stay in. Bachelor of Science, here I come! (Well, in 2019, anyway)    Session I went well. One of my classes, 'Women as Empowered Learners and Leaders,' was both insightful and fun. This session I'm working on business law and marketing principles. Dry. As. Dust. (Sorry Professors!) The semesters are broken down into three six-week sessions, two classes each session. Twelve weeks of classes squashed into six. I'm pret

Anyone who has visited Ellie's Home at least once knows how much I LOVE books, and how much I enjoy sharing them with, well, everyone! Here is a great holiday idea I found on BookBub! And yes, it's still much too early to really think about the holidays, but if you're looking to buy 24 storybooks (or 7 or 21, depending on which holiday you celebrate), you may want to start a little early! https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2016/12/19/gift-wrap-books-for-christmas-ideas/?popupdelay=0

Three Things : An Irish proverb tells us there are three slender things that support the world: a stream of cow’s milk into a pail, a growing blade of corn, and a thread being woven into cloth. To the ancient Celts, these things were staples of life. In The Celtic Spirit, Caitlin Matthews asks that we consider what three ordinary things support ou...

I'm not a die-hard Martha Stewart fan...in fact I don't actually recall reading her magazine anywhere but at the dentist's office. So why did I feel the need to pick up the issue I saw at the grocery store? Absolutely for the promise of the ropa vieja recipe. Who doesn't love the smell of  slow-cooked beef stew? Because this is a slow-cooker recipe, I'm able to toss everything together and left it quietly do it's thing, slowly filling the house with deliciousness while I scrub the bathroom (no fun but entirely necessary). I am not ashamed to admit that most of Martha Stewart's recipes are over my head. I'm a home-cook, not  an uber-cook. (That title belongs to my sister who has a degree in culinary arts and has worked in amazing places like Wales and Cape Cod. For those of you home-cooks who can whip up a Martha recipe with one hand stirring and the other guiding you young reader across the page, I totally salute you. Please excuse me while I wallow

     A promotion at work has thrown my writing schedule into a tailspin, so the only logical thing to do was to apply to the American Women's College at Bay Path University for fall classes. Makes perfect sense, really.      I have until September 4 to cram in as much of my 'for me' reading as I can, and I've been doing my best. Many of my latest reads were amazing books, ones I feel I should have shared here in Ellie's Home, and I may spend some time this weekend doing a retro-review. In the meantime, here are two books I have coming up (they are currently 'In Transit' according to my library account) Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur   Milk and Honey         milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. milk and honey

     I made something both odd and amazing for dinner last night. Due to incoming thunderstorms, last night was hot, muggy, wet, sticky, one of those nights where ice cream sounds like a fabulous dinner. Being lactose intolerant and trying to lose some extra pounds, ice cream wasn't an option. (Well, not for me, anyway. The boys gladly would have partaken, I'm sure.) Perusing those handy magazines that Stop & Shop hands out, I came across a salad that looked good on paper, anyway. The fridge had enough leftovers where a disaster could be circumvented (and I live around the corner from a pizza joint.) The result? The two little boys made barfing sounds as soon as I put it on the table; my oldest son that hates tuna had 2 helpings and took the remaining leftovers to work for dinner, and the husband, that said it smelled great but looked weird also had 2 helpings. Verdict? Watermelon, Tuna, and Feta Salad is a hit. (Oldest boy also asked that the recipe be copied into his cook

     Hello and Happy Tuesday! I've been long away: computer issues and then wireless issues have kept me blocked (and increasingly frustrated.) The wireless issues haven't been resolved; I'm pirating a signal (in the most appreciative way possible, I assure you.)      Much has changed in the last two months here in Ellie's Home. I received a promotion at work, and am working to learn the ins and outs of management and how to best meet the needs of the people I work for. My hours are different, and that has led to changes in home routines, and for my seven year old some of those changes have been rather difficult. Some days Momma didn't get home until after dinner, and there's just enough time to read a book, then he's getting ready for bed. He's used to seeing me for far longer. Usually I pick him up from the sitter's, then we go home, and while he's playing he's in and out of the kitchen checking up on me as I make dinner. His father is h

Seeded With Potential : My seed catalogs have started to arrive in the mail. The glossy summer-bright photos are inspiring and awe-inducing (Moon and Stars Melons! Nebraska Wedding Tomatoes!), and also humbling. Each packet of seeds contains worlds of potential What in this universe holds more promise than a seed? Each tiny package is a life in stasis. Every seed on this ...

     I love my Tuesdays off. I like my job very much, don't get me wrong. I work with some great people who are doing great things for others. But Tuesday is all mine to do (or not do) whatever I wish. Or it would be, if I actually used some of the tips and trick I read about in other blogs and share with all of you. Case in point: I have a college application to finish, an article for SageWoman due (It's Imbolc eve, and guess how much I have done for this festival?) and a refrigerator that is beginning to resemble the Ross Ice Shelf. (Empty frozen waste...) Oh, wait, it's not quite empty. Leftover chicken, and leftover pasta. Mmm. How the heck does Ellie turn this into a meal? Hello Google! Dinner at the zoo.com (http://www.dinneratthezoo.com) suggests Butternut Squash Pasta with Chicken. And I just happen to have a butternut squash looking at me from a shelf across the way. (And yes, it is looking at me. Bubbah and I did a re-enactment of one of our favori

A couple years ago I bought 'Geek Dad' for my husband for Father's Day, and he loved it. It is full of ideas and activities for him to do with our boys, and all have a blast. Now the editors of 'Geek Dad' have come out with 'Geek Mom,' and this Mom can't wait to check it out. I have it on order from my library. I'll fill you in with an update as soon as it arrives! Bookshelf Must-Have: Geek Mom by the Brightly Editors Get your geek on! Our latest Bookshelf Must-Have pick, Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families , is packed with great projects and ideas for families to learn, create, and play together. Why You Need: Geek Mom Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families by Natania Barron, Kathy Ceceri, Corrina Lawson, and Jenny Williams Whether you love geology or space, gardening or crafting, "Star Wars" or Sup

How to Lower Cortisol Naturally                                  46 tweet 6 5                      By: Elise Moreau December 29, 2016                             Cortisol is typically known as “the stress hormone.” In our modern day culture where busy is the new norm, stress definitely seems to be something we’re all trying to avoid, and therefore cortisol is usually seen as an enemy. Cortisol, however, isn’t all bad. In fact, it plays an important role in fat loss too. Dr. Jade Teta and author of the Metabolic Effect more accurately describes cortisol as the Jekyll and Hyde of hormones for how it impacts fat storage (by interacting with insulin) and how it also impacts fat release (by interacting with human growth hormone, catecholamines and lower levels of insulin.) Most people want to avoid fat storage and many who want to lose weight want to encourage fat release. For people who are physically and mentally stressed ou

Making it Work : Yule this year passed in a blur of work and school. We sent the little boys off to school Tuesday, giving ourselves one final day to finish holiday preparations: breads and cookies baked, packages wrapped and decorated, the sunfire collected by my husband and the Hestia candle on the stove top lit, ready for the rush of children and the Mystery of ...

     It is a rainy day here; the sky is a cool gray-white and cars create a sibilant shushing as they pass. The house is nearly silent.On my Tuesdays off I share this space with a cat and my sleeping nineteen year old son who has recently begun working overnights. Marc Gunn's Irish and Celtic Music Podcast is playing quietly against a background of tapping raindrops. After the rush and noise of the holidays, the near-silence is exquisite.      I don't mean to sound as though I don't like the holiday season, because I do. Even as adults we absorb some of the magic of the season, gasping with delight at the sight of twinkling lights on trees and houses, and sniffing the warm spicy smells of gingerbread and peppermint with mouth-watering anticipation. And our own children's excitement is enough to make any parent smile. (I even found a website that sent out daily text messages from Santa. My seven year old was over the moon.)      But with all this excitement comes tea

Why Clearing Your Chakras Should be the First Thing You Do in 2017                                  32 tweet 15 3                      By: Maggie McCracken December 31, 2016                        Follow Maggie at @ MaggieBlogs If you’re into rituals and alternative healing methods for personal growth, there are a lot of different ways to ring in 2017 with fresh energy and positivity. In addition to clearing your mind and home of negative energy, you may want to move out any “stuck” energy that may be affecting your physicality. That’s where chakra-clearing comes in. In Indian philosophy, the seven chakras are points in the body through which energy moves and circulates. When one chakra becomes clogged, it can set into motion a chain of reactions that can cause ailments in your physical health, mental well-being and personal security. Even if you don’t buy into the ideas of chakras specifica