If your new year’s resolution was to de-clutter, this is your 8 month warning! How’s it going or how did it go? Are things starting to creep back in and stack up? Or is the same stuff sitting there that bugged you in January? I thought I might do a touch-back on the de-cluttering topic this month in case you forgot that this is something to be constantly aware of…. Do you or do you know someone who lives like this? These are a few pictures of a client’s home who, unfortunately, would be classified as a “hoarder.” The photograph …Read More
Feng Shui for Health: Your Healthy and Eco-Friendly Challenge
One of my certification course students from Phoenix sent me over her healthy-home to-do list from her course homework. I thought was so good, I thought I’d blog about it. See if you can check them all off yourself! (And if you need a consultation in Phoenix area, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with her.) 1. Avoid sponges, waterproof gloves and cleaning products treated with antimicrobial chemicals.. Anti-microbials are pesticides added to protect the life of the product, not the health of the user. 2. Cleaning the air is like making sure your lungs work. Open …Read More
How do Garages fit into the Bagua?
Question: How to garages play into the bagua? Mine is full of junk and appears to be taking up my whole skills and knowledge gua. My sister’s totally sticks out in the front of her house, and my dad’s house has a detached one. Is there one answer for all these garages? Answer: Let’s answer one thing at a time here. First of all, everything that you own, or are surrounded by over a vast period of time affects you somehow. So, to start the conversation, I’d first want to address the junk, and then talk about the bagua. “Full …Read More
Frustrating Living Quarters and What to do About it – Feng Shui Q and A
QUESTION: What do you do with a house “love/hate situation?” We love our home based upon location and look, but we’re always frustrated that it doesn’t feel like it supports us in all we do. Even though it is a nice sized house, it seems the whole family is always on top of each other in a couple of rooms. We’re pretty much clutter-free but still feel squeezed in. Am I missing something? ANSWER:First of all, remember that many feng shui principles are based upon observation. If you notice an unwanted life situation consistently coupled with particular living pattern or …Read More
Are You Too Attatched to the Gifts You Give?
A friend of mine had a “game night” party Friday night and decided to “re-gift” some items from around her house as door prizes. I ended up with the flower vase with goldfish on it. Last night, I got an email from her asking if she could “borrow” MY vase for a while because the friend who gave it to her was coming over to visit and actually asked her where she placed the vase in her house – and now, she’s feeling GUILTY and freaking out because she gave it away. I’ve heard this more than once …Read More
Is Storing Stuff Under Your Bed Bad Feng Shui? Q and A
QUESTION#1: Dear Karen, I know you don’t want anything stored under a bed but how do you feel about a wooden bed frame with shelves underneath that contain wicker baskets for storage (Pottery Barn)? We desperately need a new bed and I was very grateful to get this week’s Move It! assignment! Thanks! Evelyn T. ANSWER: This question reminds me of that funny comeback that says “What part of the word ‘No’ don’t you understand?” Yes, I’m sticking to what I wrote in my Move It! weekly assignment here – nothing under the bed is best. Of course, some people …Read More
Is Weight Loss on Your New Year’s Resolution List?
If you’re one of the millions looking for weight loss tips, here are a few of my time-tested favorites. Of course, since I’m a feng shui consultant, they are going to have a feng shui slant. Are you ready for my de-cluttering and feng shui boot camp for weight loss? The first thing to know is this feng shui basic: What’s going on in your body is also going on in your environment. That means, if your house is over-stuffed, chances are, you are too. So, add the following bootcamp strategies to watch your home’s waistline, so it looks out …Read More
Need an Excuse to De-Clutter?
It doesn’t take much for me to declutter. Practically every 3-day weekend I spend at home, at least one day is spent decluttering. If you just groaned as you read that, I’m guessing you have not experienced the feelings of joy, clarity, and freedom that’s available “on the other side” of a decluttering session. Here’s a tip for those of you who can’t find the time to declutter: 1. Think about something that disturbs you; you know, something that you’d just love the entire situation to be handled — like world hunger, or something with underprivileged kids. Pick something that, …Read More
What’s Under Your Kitchen Sink?
Holy smokes! I just took a good look at the “zone” under my kitchen sink and was stunned at what I saw. For all the time I spend in the kitchen but NOT under there, I am wondering how it got so darned cruddy. Sure, I’m out numbered in the girls-to-boys ratio in my household, but can I really blame them? I’m the one that spends the most time around here after all. What is that thing trying to crawl out of the corner- a rusty scouring pad or a growth of some strain of algae from a rainforest? I swear I have …Read More