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This page is designated to helping you get the most out of life. It contains Feng Shui tips, vegetarian recipes, and yoga studio spotlights. In addition, a section called Fresh Living will include tips on gardening, organic home ideas or other house related activities.
If you would like to share your suggestions for "getting balanced" on this page, please contact me.
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 WINTER FENG SHUI TIPS
Feng Shui decor is all about balance and prosperity (yin and yang), with the utmost importance placed on chi. Your chi is your life force, creating the balance and prosperity within your home, work, and personal life. For this reason, feng shui décor in your entryway cannot be overstated. Entrances represent the “Mother of Chi,” the gateway into our home and heart. In Feng Shui, everything about your main entrance should be inviting, gracious, and strong. Coming home can be a joyous process that inspires you with an immediate sense of serenity and security.
A lot goes into having a balanced front entryway. Here are some tips:
- The front door is the beginning step to bringing chi into your household. For that reason, many feng shui designers decorate the front door in shades of red, a color associated with positive energy, prosperity, and passion.
- Consider painting your front hall a light, warm color like sage green or beige. Inviting earth tones evoke a sense of grounding and welcome. Too much of one color in the house (even white) is considered an imbalance. So mix up the color scheme.
- Mirrors in the front hall are a great tool to direct the chi flow through the house and make the space look larger. Be sure mirrors do not face the door or the chi will be reflected outwards.
- A great alternative to mirrors are paintings. A painting can be placed across from the doorway. Images like landscapes (a walkway into a meadow, a seascape, etc.) create a sense of expansion in small places.
- Lighting is crucial. Welcoming guests and coming home to a well-lit entry makes the space even more inviting.
If you use the garage as your main entrance, try to apply some of these tips to that space. Clear your garage of clutter; add shelves for organization, and even consider painting your garage an earth tone. Some Feng Shui designers even recommend hanging a picture of you or your family as the first image you see as you come or leave home.
ENVIRONMENTAL TIPS
The average family of four can use 400 gallons of water every day. The majority of water usage in the home happens in the bathroom; the toilet alone uses 27 % of household water. Other large water consumers are the clothes washer (21.7%), shower (17%), faucets (15.7%), and leaks (14%).
New energy star rated household appliances have decreased the amount of water needed. For instance:
- WaterSense labeled toilets require 75 to 80% less water than older toilets
- High-efficiency washing machines use less than 27 gallons of water per load (in comparison to traditional models that use anywhere between 28 and 54 gallons)
- Energy Star dishwashers only use 2 gallons less than tradition dishwashers (4 gallons vs. 6), but they don’t require pre-rinsing (which uses up to 10 gallons of water)
Short of buying all new appliances, here are some cost-effective tips to reduce your water usage:
- Buy sink and shower faucets that limit water flow. A low-flow showerhead can save 15 gallons of water during a 10 minute shower.
- Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Ten gallons of water can be lost to leaks daily, so repair any leaky faucets and toilets.
- Attach a rainwater catchment system to your storm drains for watering your garden. If your house sits on a one-half acre lot and it rains one inch, you can capture up to 13,500 gallons of water!
- While waiting for your shower water to warm up, use a bucket to capture lost water. That water can be used to water indoor plants or even flush your toilet.
- If you still have a standard toilet, fill the tank with an object that displaces some of that water. Even placing a brick in the tank will allow the toilet to use less. And the saying “when it’s yellow, let it mellow” holds true in water conservation.
- Recycle paper products! One pound of recycled paper saves about 3.5 gallons of water.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
- 3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (from 1 small bunch)
- Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste
Preparation
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer.
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt (can add ½ tsp or rosemary and thyme)
- 1/2 cup chopped black olives
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
Preparation
In a large bowl, mix together flour, yeast, sugar, salt, black olives, olive oil, and water (can add Rosemary and thyme to taste). Turn out dough onto a floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside, and let rise about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size. Punch down. Knead well again, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Let rise for about 30 minutes, until it doubles in size.
Round the dough on kneading board. Place upside down in a bowl lined with a lint-free, well floured towel. Let rise until double in size.
While the bread is rising for the third time, put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Gently turn loaf out onto a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled and dusted with cornmeal.
Bake loaf at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 more minutes, or until done. What’s better than homemade bread in the winter time?
YOGA STUDIO SPOTLIGHT
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