Done – It’s a four letter word.

  After years of yoga study and mindfulness practice, I thought I would be a little more Zen with my home tasks. But no. I barrel through them with a vengeance. I'm the worst boss I've ever had, and I'm trying to do a little work with that harsh and heavy-handed side of myself. I keep a lot of projects going, and I get overwhelmed way too frequently. A silly thing, I know. My self-inflicted stress is something only I can fix. But I don't have to give anything up. I just need to shift... Continue reading

Self-care in the New Year

  The title of this post may sound suspiciously like it's leading up to a New Year's Resolution, but it's not. Also known as, "The main things I plan to change next year but am not going to," resolutions are made to be broken. All my self-made promises of regimented workout routines, valiant housekeeping practices, and inspired money management programs were lovely suggestions that passed on by like dry leaves caught in the wind. Instead, I like to make a New Year's plan, and that... Continue reading

What do you get when you cross eggshells and coffee grounds with a banana peel?

  Fertilizer! One of my favorite ways to divert kitchen refuse from the landfill is by making homemade liquid fertilizer. We boiled eggs for breakfast one morning. I peeled the shells, returned them to the water I'd boiled them in, and poured the whole thing into the blender. To this, I added the morning's spent coffee grounds and the chopped-up peel of the banana we'd shared. The eggshells provide calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. The banana peels contribute potassium, and the coffee... Continue reading

Networking is for the birds…

...and bees and bears and you and me. What on earth are you doing? You might ask this question, out loud or otherwise, if you walked into my backyard. And with good reason. Next to many of my neighborhood's manicured lawns of green grass, vibrant flower beds, and perfectly shaped well-pruned shrubs my little plot does appear to be a mess. But these grounds are thriving, not just what you can see, but what you can't. The Camden Longhouse gardens are a haven for birds, bees, worms, and wildlife.... Continue reading