Happy New Year!  Are you ready for 2015?

This is a great time of year to not only eliminate clutter and get organized, but incorporate a little Feng Shui into your life and your home.  I dabble in Feng Shui from time to time and use the basic principals when working with my clients in their homes.  

This list was created by Kathryn Weber, Feng Shui Entrepreneur & Nationally Syndicated Columnist.  

Notice that de-cluttering is at the top of the list!  

OUT WITH THE OLD

1. De-clutter
Grab a laundry basket. Next, set a timer and take it with you from room to room. Set it for five minutes. Now, start throwing out old papers, magazines, empty bottles of shampoo from the bathroom, old clothes you know you’ll never wear again! Do it.

Got CDs you never listen to? Throw those out or donate them to charity. Have some old coffee mugs that don’t match or odd drinking glasses still hanging around in your cabinets? Pitch ‘em.

When in doubt, throw it out. Don’t forget to look under the bed, too! And toss that lipstick you haven’t worn in two years! Remember to clean out the pantry, too, and toss that half-empty box of Rice Krispies that’s gone stale.

2. Sweep or vacuum
Get the old energy out by making the floors clean.

3. Do the laundry
Don’t have dirty clothes hanging around. You can throw in a load or two while you declutter. Be sure to fold and put the clean clothes away.

4. Clean the bathroom
Make it sparkle. You don’t want a nasty mess to greet the next year of your life!

5. Empty all trashcans
Don’t want last years’ trash hanging around, do you? Toss, toss, toss.

6. Clean out the refrigerator
Got a half-empty jar of apple butter? Get rid of it. You don’t want to go into the New Year with old food or a moldy science project lurking in the fridge.

7. Clear out visual clutter
Too much stuff everywhere? Clear off the counters in the bathrooms and kitchen. Clear off your desk and dust it. Pitch the sticky notes and papers and things taped everywhere! You can do it. Don’t forget the refrigerator! Make it a blank slate.

Make as much space as possible. You cannot bring in new things if there is no room for it and we want a fantastic year, right? Then make your space “open” for the abundance of the New Year!

8. Yard work
Make sure the yard is picked up and the front door step is swept and clear.

9. Change the sheets and towels
Put clean sheets on all the beds on New Year’s Eve and clean towels in the bathroom and kitchen. New sheets are even better.

10. Clean the car
This is what gets you around during the year. Drive through a car wash, take out the trash and do a quick cleaning.

All done? Wow, doesn’t that feel good! Now you’re ready for the next step.

 

IN WITH THE NEW!

1. Fill your pantry and kitchen
Stock the refrigerator with food and make sure the pantry is also stocked. It is bad feng shui to have an empty refrigerator and pantry. If you have canisters in the pantry or on the countertops, be sure to fill these.

2. Got citrus?
Oranges are excellent symbols for the New Year and the Chinese often celebrate the New Year by rolling oranges (symbols of gold) into the house. Place a big bowl of 8, 9, or 10 (the numbers of prosperity!) oranges in the living room or central location in the house next to dishes of nuts or candies to symbolize an abundant, fruitful home.

3. Buy a new plant
Put a beautiful new plant in the East (health & family relationships) sector of your house or office to symbolize a healthy beginning. You can also display some beautiful flowers here to symbolize your good health in the coming year.

4. Welcome good news
Place a golden bell in the NW corner of your home, office, or bedroom to bring good tidings from helpful people. Like old school bells? If so, place one of these in the NW corner of your yard for good news from helpful people.

5. Hang up new calendars
What better way to greet the New Year than by throwing out the old one? Take down all of last years’ calendars.

6. Fill your wallet
You don’t want to go into the New Year with an empty wallet. Put some money in your wallet — or better yet — go and buy a new wallet (red is the best!) or purse and start your financial off with new energy!

7. Invite a toad to your house
Place an old, broken clay pot upside down next to a water spout so a toad can make its home here. Toads are believed to invite money into the household; they’re especially nice by the door. You can also place figurines of toads by the door.

8. Feed the birds
Birds are excellent feng shui and believed to bring good news. Fill your feeders or put out a feeder for the New Year.

9. Have fun and celebrate
Fun is good feng shui. A happy vibrant home or space is a good space, so plan a party of some kind of happy gathering. Remember, a home or office with good feng shui is easy to spot it’s the one where everyone goes and doesn’t want to leave! Make your space that kind of place!

OR, as I say "Make your place A Better Space!

So, what do you think?  I am not sure about inviting a toad into my house.  I think I will go ceramic, thank you, but a little Feng Shui never hurt anyone!  Go through this list and do the best that you can.  Do one thing at a time to help stay focused and soon, you too will have A Better Space.  

Wishing you a very Happy (and organized) New Year!

When is it time to let go of the past?  I am speaking of those items that represent the past, and not necessarily in a good or bad way.  It could be either. 

My first husband, Paul, died of cancer over 14 years ago at the age of 40.  His legacy, aside from our son, was his treasured music collection - LPs for the most part.  When I relocated from our marital property into my current home after he passed away, I transported the large collection and for the past 14 years, they have been stored in my storage room.   They were stored in a way that was unobtrusive and so they sat, well preserved. 

At first I thought I would hold onto them because, not only did they represent a direct emotional connection to my late husband, but that they would increase in value.  Besides his passion for music, it was one of the reasons he kept such a collection.  I was carrying on his wishes.  Also, knowing they were with me in my home made me feel that a part of him was always with me.

I married again in 2002 and accumulated items with my second husband until we separated in 2009.  We traveled, we spent holidays with our combined family and when we split up, some of the items from our past remained.  

This year I turned 50 and my divorce was finalized.  I have spent a great deal of time evaluating where I have been, where I am now and where I want to be in the future.  The "stuff" is no longer a part of the picture.  I am ready to let go of the past.

I am selling the large music collection and going through my home, room by room, and getting rid of the things that remind me of my failed second marriage.  It's time.   I want to focus on who I am today and what that represents to me.  The sad memories and the "stuff" associated with it no longer belong in my life.  The music collection no longer holds that emotional connection to Paul.  The wedding presents from my second marriage no longer evoke fond memories.  

Letting go of the past can be very healing in a lot of ways and one of the ways is by getting rid of the "clutter".  I believe that you should only hold onto the good memories and you can do it with a lot less "stuff". 

So, what things are you holding on to that evoke sad or bad memories of your past?  Perhaps its time to let them go.

If you need assistance with this or any other aspect of organization, let me know.  I am here to help. 

In the meantime, have a great week!

Many of you are women entrepreneurs.  This week I want to address a topic that I think would be a great interest to you in particular.  It relates to your business card. 

I am posting an article written by Kathryn Weber of K Weber Communications on this topic that I found facinating so I thought I would share it with you.    

The 3-Inch Killer Sabotaging Your Business --
How to Use Feng Shui to Design a Successful, Income-boosting Business Card
 

Are you familiar with the term Feng Shui and what it means?

Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed more than 3,000 years ago by the Chinese.  The science of Feng Shui involves a complex knowledge that shows how to balance the energies of a space to insure the health and good fortune for the people living in that space.

Gentle wind and clear waters in the Chinese culture have long been connected with good health and a good harvest.   Feng means "wind" and Shui means "water".

The Chinese believe the world is made up of "Chi" or energy.  The outcome could be good or bad, depending on how the energy flows, particularly inside of your home.

The Ba-Gua is an octagonal grid used by experts to do an analysis of the home.  Even though the process can be complicated and best left to the professionals, there are certain concepts the average homeowner can implement in their home.  You can:

• Improve the air quality and natural light by opening up the drapes and windows, letting the sun shine in and the air flow in.  Introduce plants that will help filter the air or use an air filter to remove impurities from the air.  If natural light is not an option, full spectrum light bulbs can be used to improve the light in your home.
• The five Feng Shui elements can help you incorporate changes in your home.  Each element is represented by specific colors, and by using these colors, you can bring about change in your home easily - WOOD - green, brown; FIRE - red, strong yellow, orange, purple, pink; EARTH - light yellow, sandy/earthy colors, light brown; METAL - white, gray; WATER - blue, black
• Learn your Feng Shui birth element which pertains to the year you were born.  By using this element in your home, you can reinforce positive energy.
• Examine door placement.  Your front door and back door should not line up with each other.  If they do, it will cause the "chi" or energy to slip right through the home without bringing any benefits to you.  You can easily solve this problem by placing a large plant or other obstacle beside one of the doors and place an angled throw rug to create a path in a sideways direction.
• Reduce clutter.  (This is the one I am particularly partial too!)  Lightening up the house is key to good feng shui.  Clutter can trap good energy.  Get rid of things you don't absolutely need. 

Your objective is to create a positive space.  Decorating your home with more light, music, water, air, plants, mirrors, windchimes, bright colors, household plants and flowers can activate the positive energy of joy and happiness in your home.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the clutter in your home and want to create more positive energy within it, take the first step and contact me at A BETTER SPACE.  I will be more than happy to help.

Enjoy your week!