Ellie@Home by Nicole Kapise-Perkins

     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