Tag Archives: spring cleaning

June 20, 2012 · 6:49 am

JUNK IN THE TRUNK

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What do you think of when you hear the term “junk in the trunk”? The phrase became popular with hip hoppers and rappers appreciatively referring to women with ample butts. (After watching the Olympics last summer, I think the term can also apply to some of our talented male athletes, too!) Our butts are behind us. Makes it somewhat hard to see what’s going on back there. What’s all this got to do with feng shui?

Just because I can’t see my butt doesn’t mean it isn’t getting bigger! It takes discipline and hard work to keep it in shape and that’s true of your feng shui, too. Practicing feng shui, we know that clutter drains us of chi (energy) and puts blocks us mentally from getting things done. Often we find a big “trunk” (drawer, bin, closet) and throw all the clutter and junk in there, close the lid, and forget about it. On the surface our desks and our living/ working space looks clutter-free so we get a temporary jolt of good feng shui. We’ve put the clutter problem behind us. Or have we?

Tossing all the clutter inside a storage unit of some kind does help a little bit. But eventually, we’re going to open that closet door or that drawer and see the jumbled mess contained within. That sinking feeling of “where do I begin to clear up this mess?” is a sign that your chi is being drained but the clutter. It’s much better to spend a few minutes each day putting away your stuff, organizing your desktop, and clearing the way for the next day than letting it pile up into a bigger problem to solve later on. If you’re trying to de-clutter an entire room or building, do it in smaller increments until you have the entire place under control so that you don’t feel overwhelmed by the task.

It takes time to get into the daily organizational habit. One spring-cleaning per year is a good start, but does not yield results unless you keep up with the maintenance. You wouldn’t expect to reshape your gluts with only one hard workout, would you?

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June 17, 2012 · 6:38 am

FENG SHUI=YOGA FOR YOUR HOME

images  The art of feng shui is about achieving balance in our lives so that chi (energy) can circulate freely without blockage. I often think of feng shui as yoga for the environments where we live and work because yoga teaches our bodies to breathe. Ever get winded going up a flight of stairs? Well, if your home or office has stagnant energy in it, it’s like the room or building itself is in a constant state of being winded. Not having enough energy to do the job. And in this case, the job I’m referring to is having enough positive chi to support a balanced life, a life filled with opportunities for success. That’s what feng shui is all about. So clear out the clutter and let your home breathe deep. I think I hear your kitchen saying “OM”…

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June 16, 2012 · 6:40 am

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE SYMBOLS

This poster gives off mixed messages even though everyone is smiling.

This poster gives off mixed messages even though everyone is smiling. “Stormy Weather” could refer to Wall Street today.

Want to shake up your chi (energy)? Why don’t you assess your work space and take inventory of any positive or negative symbols that might be dominating your environment while having an impact on your success. What we surround ourselves with directly influences our mood, our emotions, and our drive (or lack of ambition). That’s why those motivational posters with sayings such as “Believe & Succeed” are so popular in corporate culture. In fact, they are known as “Culture Builders” and “Attitude Enhancers” in the corporate art trade. One giant company that makes these products calls itself and its product “Successories“.

Motivational artwork can be classy or cliché. The point is, the posters offer positive reinforcement of our best intentions at the workplace.  You wouldn’t hang up a poster that said, “Give Up Now. You’re a Big Loser”. But you might have objects in your office that give off a similar negative vibe. For instance, I recently worked with a client who had a welcome mat at the front door to his executive office. It was a square jute rug with the words “Get Lost!” in bright, fun colors splashed across a black ground. While meant in jest, in feng shui terms he was saying something very negative to his employees, clients, and vendors. The intention was to lighten up, obviously, but the subliminal message on this entry rug was quite blatant and tells Opportunity to go away because it’s not welcome here. I laughed when he told me he bought the rug on deep discount (most people were repelled at point-of-sale by the message and literally “got lost”).

Another client had books on the shelf with titles like “Pain” or “The Tragic Story of…”. Still another had a Hollywood vintage poster that screamed out in giant text, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”.  I’m sorry to tell you that for most of us, there is no neutral area in the feng shui bagua to place these emotionally-charged messages. Scout your own space and see if you can find similar book titles or negative imagery that mighty be sapping your career mojo. Go for uplifting messages and fine art that inspires.

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April 27, 2012 · 7:57 am

CLEANING OUT YOUR LIBRARY

Time to get your spring cleaning and feng shui organizing done, people! But you don’t need to throw your books out the window unless you are installation artist Alicia Martin. See more of her books pouring out of buildings here. Meanwhile some tips on cleaning out your library:

* Place books all the way to the front edge of shelves so that you don’t get dust buildup.

*Books and magazines you no longer need (school texts, for example) can be recycled to nursing homes, rec centers, even doctor’s offices. The Goodwill Stores will gladly take them off your hands.

*Make room for new interests by giving away old ones.

*Artists might find your books a great supply of art materials.

*Group books by topics so you can find them easily when you need them.

 

 

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March 28, 2012 · 7:29 am

ENSHRINE YOUR SHOES

Fernando Robert "Shrine Shoe Rack"

How many pairs of shoes go to waste in your closet because you forget that you own them? Now you can make a shrine to your Pradas, your Jimmy Choos, and your Ferragamos and turn them into wall art. Read more about the Fernando Robert-designed “Shrine Shoe Rack” here. I think it’s a very helpful product and an awesome design!

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March 25, 2011 · 2:46 pm

I’M IN LOVE WITH MY VAC

Dyson Animale DC-28

With two medium sized dogs in the house and out of the house all day long (not to mention their playdates!) it’s hard to manage to keep your floors clean and free of pet hair. That’s essential if you want to practice feng shui. My old vacuum cleaner couldn’t keep up. In fact, I think our house killed the poor thing. So when it came time to replace the vac this year I did a ton of online research. Dyson came highly recommended but also highly priced . The Dyson company has a full range of vacs but for pet owners, this one is state-o-the-art. The suction power practically drags you across the room. It has all kinds of filtering technology that takes care of pet hair, pollen, allergens, even mold and returns the vented air fresher than when it went into the vac. And, it’s purple. Purple! I haven’t even begun to play with all the attachments yet but if they’re as easy to use as my Dyson DC-28 Animale was right out of the box, my spring cleaning is going to be a snap! The very first time I used it my carpeting and rugs looked plumped up as if I had gotten them shampooed. Did I mention it’s purple?

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March 22, 2010 · 5:53 pm

SPRING FENG SHUI CLEANING: Don’t forget the yard!

30 bags of leaf debris...photo by Katy Allgeyer

In preparation for creating our Personal Feng Shui Treasure Maps, we’re asked by my guest blogger Tracy Abbott to clean inside and outside our home space. Most people call that Spring Cleaning. My house has 3 gigantic oak trees out front that spill leaves not only on our lawn but the neighbor’s, too. Yesterday the entire family was in their yard raking up leaves for the pickup tomorrow. It was just the incentive I needed to pickup 30 bags of my own yard debris (see photo above). Some people like to show the before and after photo but I like to show the results of what I discard. Call me crazy but there’s a certain satisfaction in seeing those piled up garbage bags on their way out (so that more opportunity can find me).

I also bought two new “Welcome” mats–one for the front door Mouth of Ch’i and one for my art studio door. This should let the universe know we are receptive to new opportunity and abundance. Home Depot had some great ones on sale.

My next step will be to spackle and paint the ping pong room. We have the color chosen (bright red color called “Grenadine”!) that will work great as the room is located in the Love & Relationship and Fame areas of our home.

What have you been doing to spruce up your home for spring? Do tell!

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February 23, 2010 · 10:20 pm

HEALTHY FENG SHUI

Having been suffering for a week now with a bout of bronchitis (aches all over, headache, sore throat, and wheezy dry cough), I have had plenty of time to ruminate over old moldy axioms such as “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy,wealthy, and wise.” It really is true that if one has good health, one has everything. Or at least one has the foundation to build everything on. Without health, there is no ch’i energy to draw from. No will to focus on anything. Thoughts of suicide dance in ones head. Aarrgh!

But how we take our health for granted. My bf got the good news today that after one year of 4 hospital stays, a temporary ostemy, two surgeries, and half a year of chemotherapy treatment, his cancer is gone. (Eff cancer!!!) I believe subconsciously I knew he was finally well and thus allowed myself to become sick (I have been exhausted for most of the last six months as the role of ‘caretaker’ finally caught up with me).

This summer while bf was in hospital having the ostemy pouch removed and his intestines reattached, I went looking for feng shui clues in our summer home as much to keep myself busy and my mind off of things as I was really thinking I might find some correlation to his intestinal problem with feng shui. What I found was a basement that had been flooded (we never go down there) and mold growing on the cement floor. I removed 36–count ’em, 36–big black garbage bags of wet moldy stuff over the course of a few days. It was stuff that had been moved in boxes after a contentious divorce and then never looked at. Unneeded stuff. Stuff that nobody would ever miss but that somebody was falsely attached to. The universe flooded the stuff and created the perfect reason to toss it all out. I did and the feng shui of the house immediately felt lighter. Plus, the surgery and subsequent treatment worked.

Do I believe that feng shui “cured” the cancer? No. But I believe unblocking the ch’i by removing the disgusting moldy clutter helped strengthen the ch’i and gave a good foundation for healing and for helping the treatment work. This is how feng shui can help in our day to day lives.

As to my bronchitis, I got support from my medical professional today. But I also thoroughly vacuumed the house of all allergins and dog hair and washed all bedding and comforters of the same. Clearing and cleaning helps your feng shui and your health.

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December 11, 2009 · 12:30 pm

ARE WE HOARDERS?!?!

FYI this is a generic hoarder shot, not the case I worked on!

I was at somebody’s house the other day and guess what I found? Numerous items that were either unused, still in the box, or broken and discarded. Here’s the inventory:

1 portable d/w (unused)
1 portable a/c (used once, 3 years ago)
1 mosquito repellent machine (with new battery, still not working)
1 invisible dog fence (still in box)
1 ping pong replacement table (still in box)
4 older computers (no longer used)
2 bicycles (with flat tires)
1 Xacti camera (new in box, unable to figure out how to work it)
1 apple airport connector (new in box, unable to figure how to work)
4 extra internet routers
3 dogloos (for 2 dogs)
3 closets full of no longer worn clothing (circa 1972-1999)
10 boxes of old furniture showroom catalogs
Etc
Etc
Etc

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. No, I wasn’t at Cybernet headquarters…but the shocker was, it was all found in my own home! Am I a hoarder? Nope. But my mate is on his way to being classified as one. So you see, clutter is an ongoing struggle and needs to be addressed on a regular basis. Especially if your mate lives by a philosophy opposite to feng shui! We’ll begin spring cleaning for the new year soon. What’s hiding in plain sight in your house?

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September 14, 2009 · 10:05 pm

IF YOU DON’T LOVE IT, SHOVE IT (The Feng Shui By Fishgirl Challenge)

Fu Dogs make great guardians but if you hate the way they look, get rid of 'em!

Fu Dogs make great guardians but if you hate the way they look, get rid of 'em!

William Morris, England’s most famous designer / craftsman who inspired the Arts & Crafts Movement in the mid 1800’s said “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Whether he knew it or not, Willam Morris was practicing Feng Shui.

One of the first things we learn when studying Feng Shui is to get rid of anything that is broken or that isn’t working. A clock that sits on your mantelpiece that no longer tells time may be a beautiful antique, but, if it is in disrepair it is not helping your ch’i (energy). And if it isn’t helping, it is most likely hurting. It may be the reason why your romance has stalled. Or your business contacts have dried up. Or your diet isn’t working. The mischief it is causing for you would depend on exactly what area of your home that your broken clock is located in. I would recommend that you take your broken clocks to an horologist immediately (look in your yellow pages, not your bordello).

I love a good challenge, don’t you? So, let me give you The Feng Shui By Fishgirl Challenge…this is an exercise not for the weak of heart. You must be willing to go the distance. To evaluate with brutal honesty. To discard with ruthless abandon. To commit to paying for routine maintenance on anything broken that you have decided is worth keeping. I want to challenge you to go through your home room by room and make a list (or a pile) of everything in it that falls into the William Morris catagories of either [1] Not Useful, or, [2] Not Beautiful. Let me give you some examples of both.

IF IT AIN’T BROKEN…

Remember the old adage,’ if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it ‘? Well, I’m telling you if it IS broken: FIX IT! If it can’t be fixed, junk it or give it away to the Salvation Army. Some of the “Not Useful” things I have seen in client’s homes which you may also have in yours are:

*Clothing that doesn’t fit, or is stained or ripped.
*Stacks of old stereo equipment that doesn’t work anymore.
*Dead plants, or plants with just a sickly little stem poking out of a huge pot.
*The aforementioned broken clock, or watch, that no longer keeps time.
*Books…. ie: toss out the old computer manuals at the same time you upgrade your computer.
*Broken/cracked glass still in picture frames or mirrors.
*Newspaper bundles waiting to be read or recycled.
*Lamps needing light bulbs.
*Curtain rods dangling.
*Candles that are melted beyond use.
*Various electrical appliances that no longer work.
*Bath towels that are tattered beyond belief.
*Wallpaper peeling down.
*Faucets dripping.
*Doorbells that don’t ring.

IF YOU DON’T LOVE IT, SHOVE IT
There is always some example of something that is not beautiful, yet, it is cherished and we love it so we will keep it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We love something, it becomes beautiful because we love it. So, do not think I am asking you to throw away anything that is not “good looking”. Or conversely, to keep things only because they are beautiful.

If you do not believe it to be beautiful, it doesn’t belong in your house. That means, if you don’t love it: shove it! We’ve spoken in past newsletters about how we imbue either positive or negative ch’i onto objects and spaces. Think about all the negative ch’i buildup being created by that Limoges nut dish your Aunt Bessie gave you last Christmas. Now, there’s nothing wrong with Limoges (and hopefully, there’s nothing wrong with your Aunt Bessie !). And chances are, she spent too much for it. This tends to add to the guilt we feel if we don’t really like it and don’t want it in our home. However, if your crib is furnished in 1950’s Modern, the fancy Limoges nut dish looks totally out of place; you probably do not like it but feel some obligation to keep it, right?

We all have a version of the nutdish. It’s time for all of us to let go of our attachment to keeping anything in our sacred home space that we aren’t absolutely in love with, or at the very least, anything that doesn’t please us. I hereby give you permission to remove those items from your home today!

Some examples of things that people hang on to that fall into this catagory:

*Gifts (especially given by family members).
*Inherited objects (furniture, paintings, etc) that aren’t your taste.
*Plants that aren’t flourishing.
*Expensive things (we have a harder time letting go of things we paid a lot of money for even if we hate the piece after we’ve bought it).
*Things that connect us to our past and who we once were, but that no longer represent who we are now and where we are going.

By the way, if you now have a pile of unwanted things in your space, be sure to donate them to charity or have a yard sale. If you have a pile of things you intend to repair, make sure you take care of it quickly. If you must leave the pile there for awhile, you want to be sure your pile is in a benign area of your home. The last thing you want to do is gather up all of your broken down items and stack them in your Health Area, your Love & Relationship Area or your Wealth Area until you get around to it. As always, if you are unsure of where these areas are located within your home, contact Feng Shui By Fishgirl for a professional assessment.

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