Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart   INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 4 cups lightly packed baby spinach 1 ½ cups strawberries (6 ounces), hulled and thinly sliced 1/4 cups almonds (1 1/2 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted 2 ounces feta, crumbled or chunked and salted avocado   DIRECTIONS Whisk together oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach, strawberries, almonds, sesame seeds, and feta. (You can substitute avocado for th ..read more

On Friday May 10th an extreme geomagnetic storm, the biggest in 20 years, painted the sky with dancing shades of pink, purple and green as far south as Florida. Sun flares generated aurora borealis commonly called, “northern lights” which continued through the weekend. When the sun pulls on the Earth’s magnetic field it launches electrons at high speed that form ribbons and curtains of bright colored light. If you would like to be notified of future probability such a displays, follow Aurora Forecast  on “X” (formerly Twitter) or you can bookmark their website. In the meantime the sky can ..read more

Do you ever struggle to remember something, experience brain fog, or have projects you have meant to get to, but perhaps feeling tired, anxiety or overwhelm seems to interfere? Have you had difficulty with focus and concentration, or seem to be often under pressure to get things done last minute? Feel withdrawn, down? Difficulty falling asleep? Whether it is a struggle with every-day tasks, with work, or even for those doing a body training regimen, nootropics and adaptogens can help.  (pronounced, no-oh-trō-pics.) Nootropics and adaptogens improve brain health and function can either com ..read more

May is the month when we specially honor Moms, they help make a house a home! What factors are important for home remodeling to get a positive daily living experience? The latest survey by American Home Study found from comparing results from the same survey done two years earlier that there were increases in levels of importance in all key factors about safety and wellness at home. Homeowners reported they wanted their home to be a safe and comfortable place (93%, 91%) that facilitates relaxation and enjoying family (87%, 86%). Surprisingly, the results showed that homeowners feel less well n ..read more

This will keep sealed 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for 2 months in an airtight container. Ingredients: 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted ¼ c raw apple cider vinegar ¼. c. raw honey (or maple syrup) 3 T. lime juice 1 tsp lime zest 1 clove garlic ¼ c. cilantro ½ small jalapeño, optional ¼ c. water or more, as needed Sea Salt and pepper, to taste Directions: Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Taste and add additional salt or pepper as needed. If using as a salad or slaw dressing, mix in an additional tablespoon of water at a time until ..read more

There are many advantages to adding solar lighting. They can be used for safety, security and decorative ambiance. They generally are simple to install and can be moved easily, are low maintenance and do not need wiring to your home’s electrical power. They use LED bulbs which are efficient and have a long lifetime. They come on automatically at dusk, or can be motion activated. They do need 5-6 hours of direct sunlight to store the energy in a battery for use after dark. What are the different types and uses? Security Lighting can either provide continual light around the perimeter of the hou ..read more

A recent survey(1) found that after retiring, it was unexpected how much people were missing the opportunities of social connection and more meaningful use of time in their day that work gives. Others wanted more monthly income and preferred to turn leisure time to financial gains. Fifty seven percent looked for another work opportunity soon after. The majority reported working part-time being an effective transition from working full-time. During their working career, many people desire retiring from their job to take it easy, travel, play tennis/golf/pickleball etc., but as one warned from e ..read more

In April Earth Day is commemorated, a time to consider how we can take better care of the environment for our benefit and for generations to come. How can we make an impact in our home remodeling projects? There is the concept of Green Remodeling: to design and build in ways that will help conserve energy, water, and resources while minimizing harmful emissions and waste. Here are five area to be more eco-friendly with your home remodeling improvements. Conserve energy. Lowering utility bills is a great reward for investing in ways to decrease energy consumption. Creating a good barrier from t ..read more

More people are opting to use Uber and Lyft rideshare services instead of using taxi’s or renting a car. With their round the clock and typically prompt availability, competitive pricing, and driver ratings, rideshare services are being utilized by more travelers and even partygoers. Here are some tips to help keep safe. Stay indoors until your ride arrives. Waiting outside by yourself makes one an easy target for people pretending to be rideshare drivers, especially at night. Verify the car and driver. Before you enter the vehicle, make sure it’s the correct one! Check the make, mod ..read more

March is National Nutrition Month, having such a prominent designation for good reason. According to the American Heart Association’s 8 Life Essential core health behaviors: smoking, sleep, diet and nutrition, exercise, glucose control, weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure, diet had some of the lowest scores (23.8 out of a 100 possible). Only 1 in 10 Americans eat 2-3 cups of fruits and vegetables a day, and our bodies need 9-13 cups! Using the latest data (2019), 6 out of 10 adults (200 million) suffer chronic disease or death because of poor nutrition in their diet. The increase of incide ..read more