Reboot Day

I try to stay pretty organized. Clutter is really bad for Feng Shui. A large amount of clutter saps your energy, reduces your productivity and causes frustration. That being said, in a household of 6 people, four of which have a very hard time cleaning up, keeping things in their place can be a challenge. So I have come up with a new idea...."Reboot Day". This last weekend I used one day to "reboot" the house. Here's what a reboot entails.

Take a look at this closet. It isn't that messy but things have definitely become undone. Stacks of sheet are always a conundrum for me. No matter how many times I watch Martha Stewart fold a fitted sheet I just can't get it to be the same shape as the flat sheet. That makes for messy stacks.

Also, the box of medicine is overflowing, the cleaners and the soaps have gotten mixed together and things are hard to find. This closet is the organization center for the second floor. Not only does it hold all of the sheets, it contains the towels, cleaners, soap, lotion, my husbands office supplies (his home office is upstairs) as well as play make-up that I don't want readily available for my daughters. So I figured if I just organize this one area the rest of the up-stairs would follow.


I saw this ribbon idea someplace, I can't remember where. Put your sheet sets together and then tie them together like a present. This make it so easy to find the set and, best of all, it makes the sets stack perfectly. The ribbons pull everything together and make anyone look like a perfect folder.
Also, that organization guy, Peter Walsh, always says to put like things together. It definitely make it easy to find things as well as looking better. I went through the medicine box and other containers to throw away any expired items. This cleared out alot of space.

Now, after reorganizing the closet I was able to fit more things in here and the rest of the upper level fell in place. I forgot to mention one of my tricks. I always have a bag that is on its way to Goodwill. That way anytime I see a toy or piece of clothing that is not useful for us anymore I know exactly where to put it. That bags was helpful with this closet. Towels and sheet that I didn't need anymore went right away. When the bag is full, put it in the car, like you would put garbage out when it is full, that way you can drop it off next time you are out. I love Goodwill because they have a drivethru drop off, they make it so easy.

I was done with this within a few hours an was able to tackle the basement/family room closet which houses coats, boots, games, clothes and craft items.

How is this different than Spring/Fall cleaning? Well, I'm not really cleaning and changing out the season. I am just quickly reorganizing so that things run smoothly in the house.

Feng Shui Myth - The Red Door

Have you ever heard that it is “good Feng Shui” to paint your door red? A common misconception is that a red door can bring success and prosperity to the home or business. Feng Shui is a complex science; what is true for one house is not true for all. Let’s take a look the concept of color and what color might be most supportive to your home or business.

There are actually eight different house types that correspond to the eight trigrams. The eight trigrams are the basis for Feng Shui analysis and calculations and come from the ancient Chinese book the I'Ching (sometimes called The Book Of Changes) and yin yang theory. Each trigram is representative of one of the eight compass directions and also corresponds to one of the five elements; wood, metal, fire, water and earth.

How do you find out which color is best for your house? The first thing you do is determine which side of your house is the front. In older houses or houses with traditional floor plans, this is easy. The side facing the street with the front door would be the front or facing side. The opposite side or the back of the house is called the sitting side. If your house has a complicated contemporary plan, I would suggest seeking the help of a Feng Shui practitioner to help you determine front and back.

Now you will need a compass. Stand outside at the front of your home, with your back against the house. Which of the eight directions does your house face?

Below is a list of supportive colors and the directions to which they are linked. Since Feng Shui compass readings need to be exact to be correct, I will list the degrees in with each of the directions should fall.
• South facing (157.5 to 202.5 degrees) is a water element house; blue or black are supportive colors.
• East and southeast facing (67.5 to 112.5 degrees) are metal element houses; white, gray or gold (yellow) are supportive colors.
• West and northwest facing (247.5 to 337.5 degrees) are wood element houses; shades of green would be supportive colors.
• Northeast (22.5 to 67.5 degrees) and southwest (202.5 to 247.5 degrees) are earth element houses; earth tones like browns and tans would be supportive.
• North facing (0 to 22.5 degrees and 337.5 to 360 degrees) houses are fire element houses; red or purple are supportive colors.

Now that you have found your home’s most supportive colors, where do you use them?

The best place is in trim and door paint, this will highlight the colors. You can also carry these colors into your landscaping by picking flowers and shrubs that support this. Be creative! How about bright blue chairs for your south facing house or bright yellow pots in the front to accent your east facing house?
Have fun with color.

Matching the colors on the outside of your home to its element may not bring prosperity. What it will do is match the energy of the home and give it a more calm, sensible feeling.

Surviving the Holidays with Feng Shui

The holiday season is fast approaching. There are already Christmas decorations in the stores and Thanksgiving menus are being planned. Sometimes the holidays are not only the most wonderful time of the year, as the song says, buy also the most stressful time on the year. How can we keep this stress at bay? Simplifying and good planning can help. While planning your holiday season keep these Feng Shui inspired tips in mind.

1. Be realistic about what can be done. Out of reach expectations are sure to disappoint. Everybody wants the picture perfect holiday but take it from someone who used to kill herself to get it...it isn't worth it. Make a list of what projects or special outings you want to do and then pair it down if need be. It might be more meaningful to children if there are only a couple of traditional event that are a must every year.

2. As sad as it may be, you just may not be able to see all your family during this holiday season. As families spread out over the country it becomes more difficult to get together. You need to let go of what celebrations you can not make and just enjoy the ones you can. Instead, make plans to see others at different times during the year. For instance, we are never able to see my brother and his family during Christmas but have made a special point of seeing them every Labor Day.

3. Make sure the energy of your home is conducive to good communication. In its current state the number 3 can carry trouble with arguments and quarrels. Since this is a wood element we would want to reduce its influence by adding earth. A proper Feng Shui consultation will show where these trouble spots might be. If you already have had an evaluation, make sure these areas are properly remedied so that family communication can be as smooth as possible.

4. Have realistic expectation of your family as well. As much as you may wish your mother-in-law acted a certain way, chances are, she isn't changing before Thanksgiving Dinner. Take a moment to acknowledge what you wish they were like. Then prepare to accept them even if they behave as they have always done in the past. Let go of your expectations as best you can and embrace people as individuals. Try and let go of past grudges as they are in the past and can not be changed. There is only now and we can enjoy this moment.

Have a great holiday season.

Too Much Noise is Bad Feng Shui

There has been much in the news of late on the effects of noise. From a Feng Shui too much perspectivenoise is an imbalance. Noise is Yang and too much of it throws the Yin/Yang balance of your environment out of order.

I believe we are all aware that loud sounds can damage our hearing but The Nutrition Health Review states that noise can have additional negative effects on the body beyond the ears. Noise must be considered a hazard to our overall health and well-being.

How do people react physiologically to unwanted sounds or noises? How do their bodies react to the large amount of energy the noise is directing at them? The body reacts with a stress response. Should these stress reactions be sustained over time because the noises continue, they can cause actual damage to the circulatory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems or, for that matter, any other vulnerable bodily system.

I also heard this very interesting report from NPR about how noisy restaurants keep many people from coming back. The reporter measured the decibel level at 86 in one restaurant he visits. 86dB is equivalent to a lawn mower or a truck in traffic. Not something that I would like to dine in. Although too little noise in a situation like that is not good either. People expect some energy from others when they eat out, just not in large doses. Restaurateurs need to walk a fine line or sound balance to make their dinning rooms comfortable.

How might noise effect work productivity? In the office, constant or intermittent unwanted noise is distracting, even uncomfortable. It affects concentration and, for many people, causes fatigue. Keeping your office quiet enough to hold concentration is a must for maximum productivity.

We need to be mindful of the noise of our environment. The object of feng shui is to make our living and working environments as supportive as possible. Is the noise around you doing that?

Feng Shui and the Busy Family

So this is what my living room should look like. What great Feng Shui this room has. I have added the elements that are needed to balance the energy. I have added a mirror and lamp with a beautiful reflective mica stand to help add more light. There are coffee table trunks that double as storage for miscellaneous stuff. I love sitting in this room, when it looks like this. The problem is that it looks like this about 50% of the time.

You see I have 4 children. They are wonderful, beautiful and a blessing. But with 2 year old twins, a 6 year old daughter and a 7 year old son, below is what the room usually looks like. My husband has a great way of putting it. The kids are like walking through water, when you walk they fill the space behind you (whether it be with Lego's, or dolls or crayons). So I am in a constant battle with their stuff. I laugh when I meet a client that is concerned with managing clutter and is afraid that I will judge their messy house harshly.

Oh, I understand the battle too well. I have decided that the problem is that we have too much stuff. Too many toys, too many clothes and just too much stuff.My family specifically but our culture in general. I don't think they had problems with clutter 200 years ago.

So this year I am going to continue to battle the stuff with organizational systems as I always do, but I am also going to try and make a concerted effort to rid myself of the some of the stuff.

Remote Follow Ups

I just had a follow-up appointment with a client via phone. I do this from time to time to save them on travel fees. I usually like to have two appointments; the first to gather all my information and the second to go over the report with them to explain everything.

I have found having follow-ups over the phone is PAINFUL for both of us. It is difficult for them to know exactly where and what in their home I am referring to, especially when it comes to suggestions on furniture placement. In the end we do get through it all, but it usually takes two hours instead of one.

However, I will continue to do them as necessary to save my clients their hard-earned money and me the gas but I need to figure out a better way to explain everything. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Have to go...the natives are restless.

Entryway Clutter

So we spent this Labor day holiday weekend with my brother and his family in TN. What a great fun family weekend. My brother needed a little help with a household task today before we left. They live in a house where you usually enter through the garage into a mudroom/ laundry/ pantry. This is common in modern homes with garages. Rarely do people park their car in the garage and then walk around to the front door.

Anyway, they wanted to stack the washer and dryer so that my sister-in-law would have more room and put a small folding shelf in the room to help manage the laundry for a family of 5. So the question was do they stack them so they are closer to the door (or coat cubbies) or do they push them back further toward the utility sink which is at the back of the room. They had them stacked toward the front because she felt it would be more convenient to reach and open, but then after they were there something didn't seem right. I pointed out that having them toward the front of the room made the entryway feel more tight. In other words, bad feng shui. The energy flow into the house from the outside was being stifled because of all the stuff by the door.

It is important to keep your entryway uncluttered. Have you ever been in a great mood only to return home to a mess right inside the door that kills that good feeling. That's bad feng shui!

Here I go.

Welcome to the 21st century, I guess. I have never "BLOGGED" before or really even read a blog but a couple times. But my husband has encouraged me to write down the interesting things that happen as I practice Feng Shui. This will be a good way for people to see how the energy map shows me what is happening with in a person's life, to some extent. So here I go....

We are also reworking my web site. I love it. It is so much fun to change the look of everything. It is almost like rejuvenating the energy of your site as you would rejuvenate the energy of your home by rearranging things.

That's all for now...looking forward to my first insight.