Feng Shui and Money

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #355 - 07/23/08 04:29 PM

Keri, I hope your ok. I don't know anything about horses other then wearing a straw hat around them is not advisable. I had one attempt to eat my hat. They don't scare me or anything but I just don't get much of a chance to be around them.

I had a package come in the mail today that had some stuff in it to spruce up the apartment. My dining room actually looks like one now. I got a beautiful checked blue table cloth with matching glass vase. It looks so much better then the vinyl outdoor one I was using.  DH took all the recycling to his parents since their garbage day was today so that's all gone. That was a huge pile since it was a few weeks worth of stuff. My dining room looks so much bigger without that there. I'm hoping to get it finished this week. DH is looking for a new table for us. When I took of the table cloth to put the new one on I remembered why I had the table cloth on in the first place. The top of the table is laminate and it's peeling off. Ugh. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #356 - 07/25/08 09:28 PM

Keriamon, are you feeling better? I'm so glad nothing is broken and I hope you're feeling better. I used to ride (and even jump) a lot, many moons ago. I love horses but as with any animal, you always need to be prepared for the unexpected. I hope you get back on as soon as you are able! I was a decent rider and jumper, but not great, certainly not good enough to ride while I was pregnant. Afterwards I got "scared". I still regret not having pushed myself past my fear. (I HAVE ridden since then, but never enough to not be scared anymore.) DS1 is a very avid showjumper, so I spent many years around horsies with him. So get back on that horse! Like you wouldn't, LOL.

Minor decluttering update before we go away on vacation tomorrow. DS3 wouldn't let me anywhere near his school stuff, bookshelves or desk this week. (I offered but I didn't push.) So that will indeed wait till we get back. I won't make him do all of it, but I will make him do some of it. At least the school stuff. Hopefully the bookshelves too but maybe not. The desk will wait. And yes, I do always do it WITH him.

Since we're going on vacation, we had to go through the beach toys bag in the basement. So although I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked to in DS3's room, I have done two of the seven basement bags/boxes I was leaving for fall.

DH hasn't set foot in the basement for weeks. But I'm keeping my word and leaving him alone till the fall too.

I still go downstairs to marvel at how much floor space there is in that storage room now! Don't tell anybody in my family I said that!

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keriamon
Message #357 - 07/25/08 09:57 PM



Send some motivation my way!  Being all bruised up, of course, I haven't done anything on the house at all this week.  We're going to be at home this weekend, so I need some motivation to finish getting it cleaned up.  Especially since it's suddenly fly season.  I told my husband it was like living in a Hitchcock movie.  We kill them by the dozens (inside the house) every day.  The cat pounces on some and eats them.  And still there are dead flies everywhere and more flying around.  We have no idea where they come from, but it's like this every year at roughly this time (even before the horse--who's not at home right now anyways).  I guess it just takes one pregnant one getting in the house to start it.  We put up a fly bait bag and boy, did it ever work great in the pasture!  We have to get some more.  Only problem is, the bait smells like rotten garbage, so putting them near the house, much less in it, is out. 

 

I'm healing up pretty well.  I've been keeping myself coated in neosporin, so my head is pretty much all healed up and my arms are noticeably better.  I aggravated the pulled muscle in my chest yesterday at work, though, and that hurt me pretty bad.  I had to take a pain pill when I got home because the ibuprofen wasn't cutting it.  But today it's mostly back to the way it was Wednesday. 

 

Yes, I plan on riding again.  In fact, next weekend we're going to go to a medieval riding practice that a friend hosts at her aunt's riding farm.  So I can get some riding in on a dead-broke horse.  I told my husband that I was thinking about taking a few riding lessons just as a refresher of the basics and to get my confidence back and check my seat and balance.  Also to learn leg cues.  He said I should ask our trainer if that's something she can do (her personal horses are very rideable) because she'd probably be cheaper than the local place, and also, best to learn the leg aids from her since she's the one giving them to Infanta.  My husband may need some lessons in those too, because he doesn't think what he knows is what she's doing. 

 

In fact, he was going this afternoon to ride again, so hopefully he'll still be in one piece when I get home and she will have made some progress.  But he's right in that now she just needs to be ridden and ridden and ridden until she figures out what all these signals are.  But until she's more reliable, I'm going to leave that to him.  I just don't have the experience that he has with a green horse and I'd prefer if she was a lot less green before I started to get that training in, lol. 

 

 don't know anything about horses other then wearing a straw hat around them is not advisable.

LOL.  As much as our horse is a bottomless pit, she's never offered to eat my hat.  Not even when I put it on her head.  But we're lucky in that she's pretty respectful of us and doesn't violate our personal space.  It was so funny when I first took off my coat back in the winter and put it on a fence post.  It was so scary on the fence post, but when I was wearing it, it was okay.  Once I got her convinced that it was okay on the fence post too, she sniffed all over it and tried to stick her nose into the pockets!  She'd never do that if I'm wearing it, though.  If she starts crowding the treat pouch I wear too much, I tap her on the nose and she backs off.  When we were visiting last week her lover, the donkey, was after the treat pouch and popping him on the nose didn't phase him a bit.  She's really a good horse, with a good personality, she just needs a LOT of work yet. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #358 - 07/25/08 10:06 PM

Courage, Keriamon! Sending motivation juju your way!

I think a few "refresher" lessons are a fabulous idea!

About that motivation for cleaning up the house. Just do it! Since you can't ride right now, use that energy to getting your house the way you want it for when you stop that job and set up shop on your own. When is that? Break it up into doable parts.

You can do this!

ETA: Have you tried iboprufen gel? My doc friend recommended it when DD's splint came off after she broke her finger playing BB at school. It helped her a lot. But I don't think you can put it on an open wound. Not sure. You could put it AROUND an open wound.

Also, I can commisserate about the flies! Not the same variety as you, but there are TONS at the entrance of DS1's newly-tiled basement room. YUCK! And I'm allergic to bug spray.

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keriamon
Message #359 - 07/25/08 10:24 PM

use that energy to getting your house the way you want it for when you stop that job and set up shop on your own.

That's the thing, though.  I'm setting up shop in the garage, so a lot of my stuff is going out there and my house will be better for it!  LOL.  I can't wait to put a proper two-seater table in the kitchen that we can eat out (where I sew now) and free up some bookcase space and a spot in the den where my computer is now. 

 

I've added a few more money-making ideas to my mental list.  Saddle pads are crazy expensive.  We're looking at some that are wool felt, and I'm saying, I can make that for about $20 in wool felt and some leather scraps we already have.  It sells for $168.  I want to look at one in person and see how it's seamed at the top, because supposedly that makes it sit better, but after that, I don't see why I can't make at least one copy for us, but maybe copies for others.  I found a place that actually sells patterns for saddle pads and horse blankets.  Oh, and I saw one saddle pad online with Swarovski crystals on it (Ooo!!!) and I told my husband, that's what I needed to make: the most gaudy, bejeweled saddle pads for western parades that anyone's ever seen.  Let belt buckles be my inspiration!

 

We were talking about my future work last night and my husband seems to be looking forward to it too, even if he isn't looking forward to being more cautious about our money.  But he said he "it didn't suck" back when I was unemployed and I made all his meals and supper was ready when he got home.  I also pointed out that if we're going to an event, I can pack the truck the day before and unload it the Monday after and since he has Fridays off, we can leave early.  He really liked that idea. 

 

Still no announcement at work as to when this move is going to happen.  Overheard conversations put it at the end of this year, but I'm wondering if they've pushed it back, or if they think they can move this office on fairly short notice.  My old office moved and the planning of it was more than 6 months in advance.  They made every purge stuff three different times leading up to the move so they weren't paying to move junk.  But then, we're about 30 people and my old office was 200-250, so there is a difference in scale.  The longer I can ride it out, the more money I will have to invest in materials.  The more beads I can buy at a time, the bigger a discount I can get, so I'd probably need about $1,000 in order to lay in a decent inventory and get the best-offered price.  You can make pearl necklaces pretty dang cheap with the best discount (they're still a lot cheaper than retail at the full price).   

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pink.cshmere
Message #360 - 07/25/08 11:17 PM



Keriamon,

 

About the flies, a few years ago, my family heard somewhere that if you hang a small clear plastic bag filled with water and a shiny penny in it near your doors, flies won't come in your house because they won't come near the bag. They swear it works. It's worth a try for keeping anymore from coming in. It's a cheap fix, so you won't be out of a lot of money if it doesn't work (and it doesn't smell). Don't have any advice for the ones that are already in the house. Let us know if you try it.

[Virgil Showlion]

cheapcat
Message #361 - 07/26/08 12:24 PM



Have you tried fly strips? They come in little cardboard tubes & unroll to about 18" long strips of coiled sticky paper. They don't smell like anything & the flies stick to them. It looks pretty gross after a few flies get stuck, so they'd probably be better around the outside of the house than inside. You can usually find them at feed stores around here.

Hope all the aches & pains go away soon!

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PauletteG
Message #362 - 07/28/08 06:07 PM



I didn't get the job I thought I wanted -- I was jazzed until my interviews read questions in a robotic tone and barely looked up from their sheets, and folded their arms across their chests. I knew they weren't superexcited. I haven't heard back from the part-time job yet either. No news is the noose.

 

My bathroom (white, in the Children & Creativity zone) is being updated, so much of our debris is strewn over several rooms. My living room is in the Career/Skills & Knowledge section. My sofa and chair at least have the black, blue, green colours. What's going to net me what I need (FT job w/benefits, pays more than what my husband earns, reachable by bus or carpool)? Any non-feng shui suggestions are welcome too, along the "write it down, make it happen" or "rosary beads."

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keriamon
Message #363 - 07/28/08 07:28 PM



Write down your very specific wants: 40 hours per week w/benefits, pays more than what my husband earns, likeable work and coworkers (always important!), reachable by bus or carpool

 

Write this down in purple ink or on purple paper (gold is an accetable subsitute) and put it in a gold or purple (or ornate/exensive-looking) box in your house's prosperity corner.  Also put it in black ink in a black or mirrored box in your career section.  Finally, put it in a silver box in helpful people. 

 

Clean up the debris as best you can.  Even if it has to stay, corral it so that it's in a neat pile where you aren't walking over it or stubbing your toes.  Even a temporary and misc. pile of stuff can be stacked neatly and look tidy.   

 

I was jazzed until my interviews read questions in a robotic tone and barely looked up from their sheets, and folded their arms across their chests. I knew they weren't superexcited. I haven't heard back from the part-time job yet either. No news is the noose.

Also look at your fame section.  This is what makes you stand out as an individual.  It is the red section dead-center opposite the wall with the front door.  Also check that section in each individual room and on your property (if you own your own property).  Make sure you don't have pictures that are despressing or convey something slow or unexciting--like a turtle or a can of tomato soup.  Best to have a picture here of something that speaks to your personality, what you want everyone else to see about you.  Also try and make it active since your interviewers clearly weren't very activated by you.  This is the fire section, so candles are good--especially red ones.  I've also seen it said that electronics, like TVs are good here, and this is also the place to put cactus or weapons, if you have them, since the points are visually fire elements.  Triangles/pyramids are the shape of choice.  Water is very bad to have here (bad place for a bathroom or swimming pool). 

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #364 - 07/28/08 07:43 PM

It's amazing the damage you can do just dragging around a garbage bag. House was getting out of hand again so I just grabbed a garbage bag and roamed from room to room. Of course when I do that I don't just toss the garbage but straighten things up as well. We finally got caught up on our laundry this weekend. Still isn't put away but at least it's clean.

And it seems that DH has changed his mind about going back to school. Again. He's being so dang frustrating right now. He wants to do something one minute and the next he doesn't anything to do with it. I'm thinking stress from work but this is something that he's flip flopped on before so I'm wondering if he's feeling like he has to but he doesn't really want to. I guess his parents were pushing him to go back to school. And his dad will pin you down and lecture about how this or that is best for you even if it's something you have no desire to do. If he gets serious about it then I'll start back up with helping him get information.

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PauletteG
Message #365 - 07/29/08 04:31 PM

Also look at your fame section...    Best to have a picture here of something that speaks to your personality, what you want everyone else to see about you.  Also try and make it active since your interviewers clearly weren't very activated by you.  This is the fire section, so candles are good--especially red ones.  I've also seen it said that electronics, like TVs are good here, and this is also the place to put cactus or weapons, if you have them, since the points are visually fire elements. 

 

Sadly, my seven-year-old child's bedroom is in the Fame section. I am hesitant to put weapons, cacti, electronics and candles in his room, as he does not yet have the wisdom and self-control to use these responsibly. Do pictures of such suffice? He does love the color red, so adding red accents here is not an issue.

 

However, I do like the excuse of getting nifty art supplies to make my dreams come true, as I like the excuse of solicitations from food banks and local women's shelters for decluttering. I'll set to work on this, and report back in 54 days.

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keriamon
Message #366 - 07/29/08 05:01 PM



Yes, red paint or pictures of fire (just not destructive ones, like a city burning down!) will work in his room.  Remember triangles as well.  And you don't have to have REAL cactus or weapons.  A plastic sword (if he ever plays knight) works as well as a real one, or a picture of a cactus if he likes a cowboy theme.  But, they're not really required elements so much as this is a place you can put them if you have them. 

 

You can also look at the fame section in your bedroom, living room, and home office, if you have one, as well as your property, if you own.  It's not always possible to decorate as we would like due to where others in the house live or missing sections, etc., so if you can hit the appropriate section in other rooms and on the property, that can work just as well.  And I say the bedroom, living room and office are the most important because these are where you spend the most time every day.  Although you might want to include your kitchen.  The stove is the best fire element, of course, but then, we almost never can move them!  Microwaves, however, can sometimes be relocated, and they are a fire element. 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #367 - 07/29/08 05:06 PM

Have you tried fly strips?

Yeah, up until the point they got stuck to my hair!  LOL.  Unfortunately, the places where they like to congregate, like the window in the back door, are places where we are active and likely to get stuck to them too!

 

They're starting to thin out a little.  I don't know what it is about this time of year but they always go crazy.  It's like they come from nowhere in a swarm, like locusts.

 

My stepfather doesn't have cancer, btw.  He's doing a lot better since his surgery too.  So one thing I don't have to worry about.   

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cheapcat
Message #368 - 07/29/08 05:25 PM



LOL at sticking to the fly strips! Sometimes it's hard to even unroll them without getting stuck. Glad they're thinning out, hopefully they'll be gone soon.

Great news about your stepfather! I'm so glad he's doing better. He sounds like such a good man from your posts, too bad there aren't more like him.

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keriamon
Message #369 - 07/29/08 06:14 PM



Too bad my mother's not more frugal with money, because he lets her buy whatever!  There are some drawbacks to wanting to provide everything for your wife.  She's spoiled!  LOL. 

 

I am lucky though, as an adult, I feel like I have two full sets of parents.  Gives me more family than my husband can keep up with, but then, I never lack for it! 

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keriamon
Message #370 - 08/04/08 04:55 PM



Well, I got my half of the truck paid off.  Didn't come up with any spare money spontaneously, but it's at least over and done with. 

 

I was on a tear at work last week.  Got through ALL of my work, even the really boring stuff I'd been saving up for when I was really bored.  I have one file to make and some stuff to put away and I'm done for the day (it's not yet noon, LOL). 

 

Now, if I could get so motivated in the house.  Still did nothing this weekend.  I hadn't slept well most of the week because of my pulled chest muscle paining me every time I rolled over.  It's finally getting better (thanks to a lot of heating pad treatments), and I slept 8.5-10 hours Friday and Saturday night, plus had 3.5 hour naps each day!  Just didn't have much juice for doing anything besides having a nap, though.

 

I'm trying yet again to reach back to FlyLady.  She warns you not to go on a crisis cleaning; that you will wear yourself out and not have any routines in place.  I'm one of the world's worst about having routines.  Never have taken to them very well.  But I decided I would have some easy ones for morning: make the bed, clean the stove, walk.  I've actually had making the bed down as a routine before, so it's not hard to readopt (and I like having a neat bed), and I was walking every morning before I got hurt, so that's not hard to readopt.  I have never gotten into the shiny sink thing of FlyLady's, but, I did try cleaning the stove once and really liked that.  From a Feng Shui perspective, your stove is your hearth, and your hearth is the heart of your home, so it's important to have a clean, tidy stove.  So I'm going to make my stove my sink (from a FlyLady perspective) and try and keep it clean.  That's all I'm going to worry about housekeeping-wise this week, unless I just feel moved to do something else.  FlyLady says that's all you need to start--one clean spot.   

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #371 - 08/04/08 05:35 PM

This weekend was a little better then just having a garbage bag day. I got some things cleared out though I am going to be replacing them. I've been hanging out on the Grocery Thread and learning all their little tricks. I've got something of a stockpile going and it's not huge but it's large for just the two of us. My brother was up for the week because he was sick and he was on break from school. Well I found out that he's having a hard time finding a job down at school and is paying for his rent by barter( landlord's dad runs a landscaping company and my brother is doing the small engine repairs in exchange for rent). He doesn't however have enough funds to actually cover everything. So I went through the stash and sent him home with a goodie box of basics. I have never seen someone so excited about deodorant. I also sent him home with a couple free samples that I am addicted to getting and he declared the coffee sample the best gift he had ever gotten.

I'm still one load of laundry behind right now but that should be cleared up in the next day or two. Monday is rather busy laundry day here so going to try that tomorrow. We're behind on dishes again but that shouldn't take too long because it's just unloading and reloading the dishwasher and running it. I'm trying to do three things a day right now. Saturday I vacuumed the hallway, gathered up all the loose recycling, and puttering in my gardening pots. My poor rose bush is not doing well at all. I think I am going to stick to veggies and leave the decorative stuff to my mother. On Sunday I went to my parents and worked in our garden over there( mom and DH were joking around it was like Where's Waldo because all they would see is my head pop up every so often or a weed go flying through the air), did some laundry, then came home and sent DH to do some grocery shopping. So far today I've wiped down the bathroom and plan on cleaning the sliding glass door and vacuuming the living room. Doing the kitchen should only really take a few minutes but DH said he'd do it when he got home. If I still have ambition later I'll do it.

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2007debtheaven
Message #372 - 08/11/08 01:30 AM

We're back from a very mediocre vacation, the weather was really bad.

I did what Keriamon suggested and put my dream job paper in a pretty little box in the career corner, but I messed up again. I should have asked the universe for my company's payout FIRST, before asking for a new job. The letter came, and apparently I miss the payout by 2.5 minutes. I am still hoping things will work out but I'm not holding my breath, apparently there are a lot of unhappy people. I don't go back to work for another two weeks so I won't know more till then.

This does remind me of the last time I asked the universe for something, I asked for "a break", and DD broke her finger the very next day. I think I need to get more specific in my requests.

Paulette, I'm sorry about the interview and hope you have a good surprise. Why the 54 days? Did I miss something?

I stayed up till 3 am yesterday to unpack and do laundry, just one small bag left to unpack (and a bunch of mail to deal with.)

However my decluttering plans have changed. DD turned 16 last week, while we were away, and asked for a new desk for her BD. (She's had her old kiddie one since she was three.) We got her one today, solid pine at a very reasonable price. DH and DD constructed it, and DD and I started going through the drawers of her old desk. I realized her entire room really needs going through too. Since she's eager, and getting DS3 to continue with his room is like pulling teeth with no anaesthetic, I'm refocusing on DD's room. She wants to get her desk and her bookshelves and her "stuff" shelves done by the end of the week, before she goes away for a week. That would leave just her closet, but I'm secretly hoping to do that too, once we're on a roll. If not we'll do if when she comes back, but now DS3's room has taken a back seat. DD also has to do a lot of schoolwork (correspondance course) otherwise dealing with her room this week would be easy.

Watch DS3 BEG me to help him clear out his room next week, once he's envious of his sister's decluttered room.

PS Keriamon
Congrats on the truck! That must be a great relief!

[Virgil Showlion]

PauletteG
Message #373 - 08/11/08 05:00 AM

Paulette, I'm sorry about the interview and hope you have a good surprise. Why the 54 days? Did I miss something?

I'm not sorry about the interview... something else is on the horizon. I have an interview at another worldwide company farther away, but on the upswing and with a future. My friend works at the company and he graciously agreed to refer me, so now after a 95-minute phone screen I'm on the short list. It's for a job I can do, the only bummer is the lack of public transit. One plus is some travel (Chicago, Italy) once a quarter. Maybe I can carpool, as the company is not far from a major employer in the region.

The 54 days refers to two twenty-seven day periods, the first one of meditative supplication and the second one of grateful incantations. I should stick to a novena and the purple and gold request in the career section. Again, if this doesn't work out something good will come. Something always does.

DH cleared out and washed the garage (family/health) free from dirt and moss! We have also a nice new garage door, and a remodeled bathroom (children) in white. My kid's bedroom (red, fame/reputation) is cleaner. Wealth corner still kinda messy. Oh yeah, I got Karen Kingston's book out of the library on Saturday!

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #374 - 08/11/08 02:18 PM

I guess you have to take the good with the bad. MIL suckered DH into accepting something that she has asked me many times if we wanted it. It's a down comforter and I'm allergic. He accepted it because he had no clue it was down( and didn't even know what down was) and now it's in my house. She's been trying to pawn it off on us for a year now. But he also came home with an envelope from his dad. His dad got a bonus at work and when that happens he gives the kids some. So we now have some money that is meant to be spent on fun stuff.

But we finally got the closet cleaned. DH brought home some shelves yesterday since he had to go to Target for his mom and we can now see the closet floor again. The biggest problem was no spot to stash the extra blankets so those are now up off the floor. The shelves are not huge but big enough for the extra couch pillows( which don't even belong to our couch), two full size winter blankets, one queen size winter comforter, and my lap blanket. Still have one more set of shelves to put up and I have plenty of stuff that I can put on there. I want to be able to use my coat closet for coats this winter, not craft stuff, computer parts and Monopoly games. Once I get that stuff out of there I can get my vacuum out of my dining room. 

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keriamon
Message #375 - 08/11/08 04:57 PM



Marti, I'd get rid of it.  You've told them more than once you didn't want it and they sent it home with your husband anyways.  To me that says they wanted to get rid of it without feeling like they were getting rid of it.  They were abdicating responsibility of disposal.  Which means it would be a kindness to them for you to get rid of it for them.  I'm sure the Goodwill will be just fine with taking it, or a homeless shelter. 

 

One place you can put a couple of extra blankets is under the couch cushions.  I put a bunch of them under our futon mattress and it was made remarkably more comfortable to sit on.  When we got a regular couch, though, it will only accommodate two blankets under the cushions without being obvious. 

 

I made some progress this weekend myself.  Got the den all picked up and made the living room tentable again (although it can still use some help).  Got all the laundry done, except I put the last load away this morning, and all the dishes are caught up save some silverware and one or two other things.  Now hopefully I can try and re-establish a routine of weekly vacuuming and mopping and dusting and keep the place picked up.  We have a friend who was just diagnosed with cancer and may be using the hospital near us (but it's 3 hours from their home), so I wanted to try and keep the house decent so if his wife needed to take a break or sleep in a real bed, the house would be ready. 

 

I'm wondering if there is such a thing as a helpful horses corner?  My husband went to ride this weekend, got on just fine, went up to the trainer, who was on another horse, and he promptly got bucked off.  The trainer tried to catch her using the horse she was on but no way, she wasn't having anything to do with that horse.  She finally had to get off and get some feed to catch her.  She's never bucked at all before, not even the very first time the trainer got on her.  My husband is very down about it because she's had 2 months of training and while she's made noticeable improvement with her ground manners--like standing tied up, being tacked up, being washed, loading and unloading from a trailer, picking up her feet, etc--riding her is erratic, to say the least.  Although the trainer doesn't have nearly as many problems with her as we do (although she's dumped the trainer once too; this makes 4 falls total off the horse because of something she's done).  I'm thinking she has a problem living there and being part of a herd.  She's the bottom horse of the herd, and I think that's making her nervous and unconfident.  I don't think any of the trainer's personal horses are bullies, but it's a boarding facility as well and she has random horses coming in and out and I think that's more than our horse can deal with.  So we're going to bring her home and work with her for a month or two and see if her attitude changes (she certainly acted like a different horse when she was alone at our house) and we can make her rideable.  If not, we will need to trade her in on something that's more broke. 

 

Oh, and someone's found us a piece of land where we would like to move to, and it's a heck of a good price.  We're going to go look at it when we are down that way in a couple of weeks.  It's back in my home county, pretty near to my grandparents, up on a mountain.  Has the right amount of acreage and at least some of it is already cleared--may be ready for a horse to go on it.  Already improved with septic (had a trailer on it before that burned).  We're talking money now and how much can we afford, etc.  It will almost certainly mean that I will have to work part-time in order to afford it, but I can live with that while I try and get my business going.  If the business takes off and stays consistent, then I can switch to doing just it full-time.  And since it's an online business, I can take it with me when we move.  May have to try and run it out of my grandmother's house while we're building our house, lol. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #376 - 08/11/08 10:22 PM

Martivir, I'd get rid of it too, especially if you're allergic. Or else ask DH to give it back to her and explain why. You've made tons of progress! It will probably be easier for you now to say NO to MIL.

Paulette, congrats on the progress and good luck for the job.

Keria, hope it works out for the land. Would your DH find work there easily? Would you stay where you are PT or find something else?

DD and I finished her last desk drawer and her two sets of shelves today. She moved into that room four years ago and it hasn't been done thoroughly since. I have another big box for the Red Cross lady, and we threw out four garbage bags of papers and magazines. We still have her closet to do (toys / games and clothes). I have always gotten my kids' rooms repainted when they change schools so that is part of the reason I'd like to finish decluttering her room. I don't know if I can swing it financially but if I can I want to. Or else DD and DH may paint it themselves, in any case, the less clutter, the easier it is to repaint, whoever does it.

I'm feeling burnt out and dispersed. After the flooding DH and I decluttered most of the basement storage room but we didn't finish it. (I promised DH we'd leave the rest till fall in exchange for him repainting DS1's room after the flooding. DH hates to be in the basement in summer and I understand that.) Then we put DS1's basement room (the room that had flooded) back together. (DS1's away and couldn't help. He was planning to, but the contractor finished the tile floor the day AFTER DS1 went abroad for a six-month internship for grad school.) Then I started DS3's room and didn't finish that either because he gets fed up, and then we left on vacation. We got DD's desk yesterday, the day after we came back, and that started the ball rolling in her room.

We're going to do DD's closet by the end of the week and then I'm going to stop for a while. I know it's stupid, but having started but not finished three separate rooms is unsettling to me. Hopefully I'll feel better when I finish DD's room and I can let the rest ride for a while.

I think part of the problem is if I start a project, I just carry on till it's done, no matter how long it takes me. With DH and the kids, everything has to be broken down into bits, and something I would do myself in one long day ends up going on for days or weeks or even months.

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #377 - 08/11/08 10:56 PM

Keri, maybe your horse is like some other pets. They just don't do well when they are with a group. It took awhile for my parents' cats to get to the civil point and they still will beat each other up. My ex's cousin had a horse like that( the same one that ate my hat). You could not have it in the pasture with the other horses or someone got hurt. Just people he was fine but he couldn't stand other horses.

And yes the dang thing went right into the donate bin.

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2007debtheaven
Message #378 - 08/11/08 11:05 PM

And yes the dang thing went right into the donate bin.

Woot! Well done, lol!

I can sympathize, DH is a pack rat descended from pack rats. I loved his mom but half of our basement storage room is a shrine to her and DH's old stuff from before we got together (15 years ago). It's all stuff that "might come in handy one day". And bank statements from the 90s (I managed to see the ones from the 80s and get rid of those.) It's an ongoing battle, and probably the reason why I've become so compulsive about decluttering.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #379 - 08/12/08 06:46 PM

Would you stay where you are PT or find something else?

I might could stay where I am part-time.  Another lady worked part-time for a while when she was trying to get a business started up with her SO (good thing too, they ended up breaking up and she just returned to full-time).  The real estate market is getting slow (actually because banks are not wanting to loan money, not that people aren't wanting us to build for them), so they might even like the idea of some people going to part-time. 

 

Would your DH find work there easily?

He's in computers, and this is not too far from a major city, so I think so.  Actually, it would probably result in a slightly shorter commute.  Unfortunately, the old highway he takes into the city keeps getting developed, so it's getting more and more traffic on it and it's getting slower and slower.  The interstate is already a bust because it is a nightmare every single morning.  The way he would go to work in the new location would not be full of traffic until he got right into the city itself.  There's been little change to the road or anything around it since I went over it as a kid.       

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2007debtheaven
Message #380 - 08/12/08 09:42 PM

Keriamon I think I thought the land was further from you than it is. PT sounds like a great solution, easing into the new gig PT and still getting a regular PT salary. Sounds like things are really moving, that should help your motivation at keeping up with the cleaning / clearing up!

DD and I did all of her closet this evening except for one Ikea storage box which we'll do tomorrow. It took us just two hours (six total so far). When DH saw how neat the room looked, he offered to help DD repaint it, she was thrilled. I'll get good paint so one coat should do it. (DH is a wonderful painter but he HATES painting. So when he paints, everybody suffers, lol.) 

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keriamon
Message #381 - 08/12/08 09:52 PM



The land is 1.5-2 hours from where we live now.  What we'd do is stay put for a year or so while we conserve money.  The hope would be to get my business at a full-time level that would support us.  Then we could sell our current place and get a place to rent while we build our own house and my husband looks for work in the new city.  Since my business would be online, and doesn't require more than a second bedroom to operate in, we could pretty much take it with us wherever we go.  I don't know, but my grandparents may rent us my great-uncle's old house for a song.  They're just using it for storage--and that's pretty much my aunt's stuff, not theirs. 

 

Glad to hear that your daughter's room is so nice.  Maybe your other son will be motivated to finish his room so he can get a color update. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #382 - 08/12/08 10:53 PM

So there IS a new city involved. First I thought there was, then I thought there wasn't. It sounds like a great plan, and so exciting! Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised if everything happens sooner than you think.

I hope that DS3 gets motivated too. He won't get a color update till next summer though, before middle school. We need to do the last two closet shelves before school starts in September, but if he balks at doing his bookshelves and his desk, so be it. I'm not fighting him, it's his room, not mine. 

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #383 - 08/13/08 12:10 AM

Ugh, DH mentioned to MIL about how I am allergic to the dang comforter. And now she wants it back!! DH said sure you can have it back( she wants to donate it to something else, not the mission) but if you offer it to us again we're going to start turning everything you try to give us down. If that happened MIL would be crushed. But part that makes me proud is DH is standing up to his mother and showing her that we are a team. She hasn't been treating us as one( thinking she doesn't want to accept her little boy is off and starting a family of his own) and this is one step in the right direction. And yes she's getting it back.

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2007debtheaven
Message #384 - 08/13/08 12:18 AM

And yes the dang thing went right into the donate bin.

Martivir, I thought it had gone into the donate bin and was really gone. I sort of almost wished DH could have said, we told you we didn't want it, sorry, we'd have loved to give it back, but now it's gone, sorry.

I don't know whether or not it's really in the donate bin (I'm guessing it's not), but think about this. Are you REALLY SURE you want to give it back? If you don't, your MIL will get in a huff and not ever offer you any more carp for a while. Probably not a long while, coz she can't help it. I'm not in your shoes, but that sounds pretty irresistible to me. Even if it only lasts for six months, no more unwanted carp for six months! O joy!

You need to think about this.

But yes, it's great that DH is taking your side! Remember the benefits of positive reinforcement, lol.

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #385 - 08/13/08 01:06 AM

2007, the donate bin is a plastic tote that sits next to my front door in my dining room. It only leaves the house every few months or so. It's just my spot to toss stuff that is meant to be donated so that it's all in one place. Positive reinforcement is a wonderful thing. Which is why I put extra cheese and pepperoni on his frozen pizza tonight. We're in the middle of a minor tiff right now but I do love that man. I would love if there was no stuff for six months but since they are of the type when they help BIL they HAVE to help DH an equal amount right then and there it gets frustrating. We don't need the help, BIL does need it from time to time( even if it's because he did something boneheaded). So as much as she would threaten that, it's never going to happen.

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Oh what Now
Message #386 - 08/13/08 04:57 AM



For me, it was the Flylady solution. (google her)

 

There is also a group called squalor survivors. There are some very brave souls who opened up about their hoarding / messiness / avoidance issues. I don't judge them, I have a theory about hoarding being a natural human instinct due to the fact that prosperity is a relatively new concept in terms of human evolution.

 

Have you ever seen Survivorman? When it gets down to basic instincts, hoarding junk can save your butt. Unfortunately, it can also drown it.

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2007debtheaven
Message #387 - 08/13/08 07:29 PM

Whew! We finished DD's room. It took about 10 hours over four days. Now I'm back down to just two rooms left to finish, DS3's and the basement. I'm definitely feeling better about it.

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #388 - 08/13/08 07:40 PM



Thats awesome 2007, you've stayed on track and I think ahead of schedule!

 

I probably should give a little update even though it is bad news... while the tests came back positive a few weeks ago, things didn't turn out well and I've lost the little one.  Luckily it was early and I am alright.

 

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2007debtheaven
Message #389 - 08/13/08 07:42 PM

Oh Futureplanning I saw you on another thread and wondered how you were doing. I'm so sorry.

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keriamon
Message #390 - 08/13/08 07:49 PM

Future, I'm so sorry!    A friend of ours miscarried, but then went on to get pregnant again and had a perfectly healthy son.  Same thing happened to a cousin.  So sometimes it's just a fluke.  I watched a show once on all the things that have to happen for a woman to get pregnant, for a fetus to develop normally, and for the mother's body to carry it.  Really, it's amazing any of us are born at all there are so many things that have to go right!  The dividing of cells and balancing of hormones is a really remarkable thing.  And yet, people keep having kids; I am sure you will too! 

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #391 - 08/13/08 08:12 PM

I'm so sorry Future.

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #392 - 08/14/08 02:06 PM

Thanks ladies for the support.  I am relatively optimistic about the whole thing, at least I now know that I can get preg. 

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keriamon
Message #393 - 08/14/08 03:49 PM

It's odd.  When I count up all the people I know who have miscarried at least once, they all had a son when they finally brought a baby to term.  Coincidence???  Hope you want a boy, Future! 

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2007debtheaven
Message #394 - 08/15/08 09:28 PM

I am relatively optimistic about the whole thing, at least I now know that I can get preg.

FP: You are right to be optimistic! Miscarriage is always heartbreaking, but early miscarriages are very common, sadly. I hope you get pregnant again quickly, and that everything goes well and that you have a beautiful baby at the end of a happy and healthy pregnancy.

DH spent today prepping and painting DD's room, so DS3 and I did the two last closet shelves. One shelf was seven years of school notebooks. DH wants to go through them himself. So the closet is done, but now there are piles of notebooks on the landing. I'll get cartons for them tomorrow and probably just take them down to the basement for later. (Even I won't make DH go through them the same weekend he paints DD's room, lol.) Once I do that I'll consider DS3's room done for now. There is no way I'm going to get him to do his bookshelves or his desk. (Although I'm still off for another week, so you never know ... My secret goal is doing the bookshelves and leaving the desk for fall break. I know this is rotten, but yes, I'm even considering a small bribe.)  

DD's room was in bad shape so it's taking DH longer than planned, and DD leaves early tomorrow for a week, so I'm going to have to put her room back together too. (It was supposed to be a one-day project but it won't be.) Both those things should be done by the end of tomorrow (getting the cartons and taking the notebooks down to the basement storage room, and putting DD's room back together.)

Then I think that's it until the fall / winter, which is plenty long here. Unless I manage to successfully bribe DS3 to do the bookshelves ...

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2007debtheaven
Message #395 - 08/15/08 09:45 PM

I also wanted to say, I still think it's amazing how one thing leads to another. I hadn't even planned on doing DD's room. But getting her new desk led to going through the old desk drawers, which led to decluttering her shelves and then the closet, which led to repainting and redecorating the room.

I guess it's the same principal as Flylady, everything started with a clean sink, lol.

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keriamon
Message #396 - 08/15/08 10:11 PM



Very true, Debt. 

 

Mind you, it's halfway through August here.  September is the start of fall.  As evidinced by the fact that it's FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE (lol, that's the opening kickoff line for the UT radio announcers).  So, your husband's only got a couple of week's reprieve before you can make him finish the decluttering!!!

[Virgil Showlion]

2007debtheaven
Message #397 - 08/15/08 10:48 PM

Keria, I'm REALLY lucky, DH isn't into football, lol.

Anyway when I say fall / winter I mean late fall, like late October / Nov, when it's really wet and chilly here. I WILL eventually railroad him into finishing decluttering his stuff in the basement storage room, but I'm happy that even though we didn't finish it, there is MUCH more room in there than there has been since DH moved in 11 years ago.  

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2007debtheaven
Message #398 - 08/17/08 12:33 AM

I wasn't able to finish those two tasks today. :-( DH finished painting DD's room very late, the plaster was in really bad shape (that part of the house is 103 years old.) So I'll put her room back together tomorrow because the paint needs to dry overnight.

I did box up DS3's notebooks (two overflowing boxes) and put them on the landing to the basement (that's our "in transit" area). I'm giving DH till the end of the week to sort them, he wants to do it together, no problem. If it doesn't get done they will get moved down to the basement storage room at the end of the week.

Tomorrow we're going out to see WallE at DH's favorite movie theater and out for Chinese food. Plus I've promised DH another dinner out just the two of us, my treat, for painting DD's room. He accepted graciously, and pointed out that I still owe him a dinner for having painted DS1's room in early July. Whoops!

This summer is AWFUL here weatherwise, otherwise I never would have done as much. But for the first time in my life, I'm TOTALLY decluttered out.

Keriamon: DS3 WAS envious, to some extent. He's also very intelligent and eminently pragmatic. He said if he was due a paint job, he'd declutter too. But since he isn't, we've done enough. Then he said, Mommy, you do know, for that sort of thing, I am indeed my father's son. LOL.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #399 - 08/17/08 03:11 AM

Keri, that is odd with the boys after a miscarriage. My cousin's wife miscarried and then she went on to have two sons. My MIL miscarried then got pregnant with DH. I haven't gotten pregnant again yet( lost my pregnancy back in April) but if things follow the pattern you saw and I see, and go with DH's family pattern( no females born into the family in over 80 years) then it looks like I'm in for a boy as well.

And I am finally caught up on all my laundry. If it wasn't being behind in dirty laundry, was being behind in folding the clean stuff. But as I folded and put away, I also weeded some stuff out. I had bought a couple of shirts meaning to wear them but never did. I don't feel too bad tossing them in the donate bin because I bought them at a garage sale to start with.

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2007debtheaven
Message #400 - 08/17/08 10:38 PM

Martivir
Congrats on catching up with the laundry! Sometimes I wish we were all nudists, lol. Less laundry to do!

DD's room is finished, it really looks fabulous. We went back to Ikea today to get her a matching rug. I can't wait to see her reaction when she comes back on Saturday. (DH preferred to see Wall-e during the week.)

DS3's boxes are still on the basement landing. Now I have to catch up on overdue paperwork and a freelance assignment.

Thank you guys for helping to keep me accountable.

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #401 - 08/21/08 06:59 PM

I have three days, no hubby, and his encouragement to do some "damage" to the house. All he asked is that I get caught up on the dishes( I swear if I am not behind on one thing I'm behind on another) and try one small project a day. I'm going to try a Did Do list instead of a To Do list while DH is gone. I get really bummed when it seems that the To Do list is just never done. And when one gets bummed one doesn't feel like doing much else then watching TV. For more encouragement( or self torture not sure which) I watched a couple episodes of How Clean is Your House on BBC America. And I thought my house got bad. I made the mistake of thinking it was like Clean House on Style Network where they just come in and declutter. Nope, these houses are filthy and they send samples out to labs to show these people what kind of bugs and germs they have because their houses are so dirty. Yeah I was trying to eat while they were scraping up slime out of the kitchen sink. Don't really recommend that. But I'll report back each day with what I manage to get done. I'm halfway through the dishes so far.

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2007debtheaven
Message #402 - 08/21/08 08:39 PM

Martivir

Can you "reward" yourself with something? An inexpensive treat? A movie? TAake out? Keep the To-do (or Did-do, lol) list feasible so you don't get discouraged. Good luck! Way to go on tackling the dishes! Better to aim smaller and do it than to aim for the sky and abandon it.

DS3 and I cleared off the top of his desk today. I found a great bribe: I told him we wouldn't go shopping for his school stuff until he did. But no way will he do the inside or the bookshelves.

The two boxes of his old notebooks are still "in transit" on the landing. I really hope to go through them with DH this weekend, but if not they'll sleep in the basement till late fall. 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #403 - 08/21/08 09:07 PM



I was all lazy again this weekend, BUT we've been keeping the dishes caught up, even during the week, and that's like a huge accomplishment for us!  Dishes are my bane (how I wish I had a dishwasher). 

 

Of course, my husband had to drag in all his leather-working stuff from his WORKSPACE out in the garage and take over the only table I have for sewing (and part of the kitchen floor).  He started working on some tack for the horse and then stopped.  That's been two or three weeks ago.  If he doesn't finish that stuff up next weekend (we're going out of town this one), then I'm going to have to drag all of it back out to the garage so I can use my sewing table again; I have a pair of work pants that I need to repair. 


But this is how it goes and why I don't seem to make much progress or have much energy; my husband can make a mess as quick as a 2-year old.  I had the den all neat the other weekend, and last Friday he had to replace his modem and now there are boxes and disks and all kinds of carp in the floor in the den.  He has specifically said he doesn't see a problem with leaving stuff in the floor if we're not expecting company.   

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2007debtheaven
Message #404 - 08/21/08 09:42 PM

Keriamon, my DH can be incredibly untidy too. I hate that! Managed to train my four kids, but DH is still a work in progress. I can be pretty obnoxious about it. What I tell all of them is, a job isn't FINISHED until it's all put away. DH is fab at DIY, he'll fix or make something, and can't understand why I'm not so thrilled that I'm willing to live with the contents of a tool shed in the LR.

Dishes are my bane (how I wish I had a dishwasher). 

Now that the truck is paid for, why don't you get one? You can surely find a cheap / imperfect / used one. Is it a space issue? If so it could be worth taking a cabinet out, and installlng a dishwasher. My ex and I did that with our kitchen to fit a clothes dryer when DS2 was born. No regrets. (Here in old houses the washer and dryer are in the kitchen.) Personally I'd rather have less storage space in the kitchen and a dishwasher. Especially since you have storage space for things you don't use often.

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keriamon
Message #405 - 08/21/08 10:15 PM



We actually have a space for a dishwasher, because there was once one in there.  Two problems.  I happened to notice after we pulled the old one out (it had quit working completely) that hey, isn't there supposed to be water going to this thing?  We never shut any off before we disconnected it. 

 

Oops.  I assume we'd need to replumb for a dishwasher since the lines we have in place now don't seem to have any water flowing to them.  The place was on well water for year and it was hard water; it could be that those pipes are all calcified up.

 

Secondly, this being a trailer, it wasn't wired with the thought that someone might want to put in a different dishwasher.  Rather than there being a plug under the counter where you'd plug up the dishwasher, the old dishwasher was apparently wired directly into the house.  No plug, no plug socket available for a new dishwasher.  And mice chewed out the old wire and flipped the breaker to that wire, so there's no splicing a new washer power cord into the old one. 

 

The lack of power is the main problem.  I think you can otherwise still get "portable" dishwashers that you can connect into the pipes under the kitchen sink, which would be something we could do.  But I don't know how we'd power it short of paying a lot of money to have an electrician wire in a new line with new breaker switch. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #406 - 08/21/08 10:21 PM

If it's really the bane of your existence, it could be worth it, lol. Why not just get a couple of pros in to look at it? At least then you'd know what it would cost and you could make an educated decision. It might be less than you thought, it might be more, maybe you'd decide it's worth it, maybe you wouldn't. But this way at least you'd know.

I'm thinking if there was a dishwasher there before, it can't be that difficult or expensive to get one in there again. But again, you'll only find out if you try. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #407 - 08/21/08 10:28 PM

And mice chewed out the old wire and flipped the breaker to that wire, so there's no splicing a new washer power cord into the old one. 

Mice can't chew through the wall. I'm thinking it's a question of gouging out of couple of inches to find the wire and splice it. (Caveat: I am not an electrician, lol.) But I do think it's probably less work / expense than you think. Again, I may be wrong, but I'd want to check it out and find out for sure.

This house had a wonky gutter, from forever. (I've been here 24 years.) It was lined, relined, soldered, resoldered. Replacing it wasn't the issue, the issue is was that it was placed ON the masonry, because there is a residence just behind us. Apparently it couldn't be replaced because it couldn't "jut out". No matter how often we emptied the leaves, invariably it would leak and flood that part of the house (the kids' landing).

When we had our kids' bathroom redone 18 months ago, the contractor pulled down the tile, and pulled off the plaster and exposed a roof. (Turned out to be the OLD roof, the new one was built OVER the old one, but we didn't know that then.) I freaked out and called a local handyman who had done a partial fence for us, a good job at a reasonable price. He could come over instantly. (Bad sign, I know.)

He reassured us that what we had discovered didn't matter since it was the OLD roof. That was a great relief. Then he told us he could do a "quick fix" and reline the gutter joint, for 900. But we absolutely had to reline the entire gutter, ASAP. Estimate: another 4500.

I told my friend at work, she said NO WAY. (She lives in the same general area I do.) Gave me the name of her roofer. He came over, said, but why on earth haven't you replaced THAT gutter for THIS type of gutter? It won't overhang the residence, and it won't be over the masonry of your house. His estimate? 4000. LESS than just relining the old gutter. At least seven different contractors / roofers had looked at that old wonky gutter over all those years. Finally ONE came up with a solution!

Now, no matter how hard it storms, it never rains in the house! (Not there, at least, lol. Recently a skylight over our bedroom stairs leaked, but I'm waiting for it to leak again before I deal with it.)

All this to say, where there's a will, there's a way. Get those estimates! For all you know it would be cheap to remove that "bane" from your life. You'll probably end up finally doing it when you decide to sell, and you'll be kicking yourself for not have done it sooner.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #408 - 08/21/08 10:41 PM

last Friday he had to replace his modem and now there are boxes and disks and all kinds of carp in the floor in the den

Keri, my apartment could double as a computer supply shop at times. DH just has to keep every single stinking box that his computer stuff comes in. Most of the one shelf in my closet is boxes for motherboards, keyboards, cables and what not. And there is junk in each and every box. The only room safe from the mass of computer stuff is the bathroom and it's only a matter of time before he sticks a tote in the linen closet with all the extra stuff floating around.

And the plan for the weekend is this. For every five things on my Did Do list( I'm going to be nice to myself and every little thing I do is going on there so that I feel like I did something) I'm going to indulge myself in something small. Say I take out the garbage( it's three flights of stairs down on the far end of the parking lot so it's a not a super quick job), wash the sliding glass door, fix DH's work pants, clear off the coffee table and put money on the laundry card( which means a trip to the rental office), I'll add one thing to my list o'junk that I want to get for the house. And when hubby gets back he's going to make a trip to Big Lots and get the list for me. I'm one of those people that needs to see what I've done( hence to did do rather then the to do list) otherwise I feel like I've done nothing.

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #410 - 08/25/08 06:30 PM

Well hubby is back and  I put a nice dent into the house. I even cleaned out the dishwasher with a hefty dose of vinegar because I realized that it doesn't have that nifty disposal feature. But dishes are caught up and DH is finishing up the laundry as we speak. My entire living room has been vacuumed( all furniture was moved and cleaned under) including the couch and chair. I cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom( not just my usual quick wipe downs) and aired out the rug. I got all the garbages in the house out to the dumpster and got the recycling in order( broke down all the boxes, put it in a bigger container since the old one wasn't big enough) and the best part is I can use my kitchen table to eat off of again. And DH took a half day at work today to come home and help me finish up the cleaning. All we really need to do is the bedroom and vacuum the rest of the house. It's a perfect day out here( cool, slightly breezy, not a cloud in sight) so we have been airing out the heavy blankets one by one over the chair on our deck. I'd put them over the railing but it's against the rules. Don't think they enforce it too much unless it's an eyesore but going to ask next time I'm in the office.

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2007debtheaven
Message #411 - 08/25/08 09:46 PM

Martivir, you got a TON of things accomplished! Good for you! 

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Jessica N
Message #412 - 08/26/08 01:57 PM



i'm still trying to catch up on all these pages (35!?!?) but i just had to post and say thanks for starting this.

 

i've always been curious about feng shui and this has given me a lot of info.  i checked both of karen kingston's books out of the library and am reading the first one while cleaning (dusting, etc.), my house for company for the holiday weekend.  i don't have lots of junk laying about (that's all cleverly shoever into closets!).  but i do have a lot of stuff that i could use to get rid of, but that will have to wait until after my guests leave next week.

 

i also spent a good portion of the weekend REALLY cleaning the tiny the little porch at my condo.  everything was inside b/c of t.s. fay (stupid storm!) so it was the perfect opportunity to really mop the floor.  it was REALLLLY dirty b/c of the plants: everytime i water them some soil flows out with the water (must over water the orchids) and then the water just sits there with no where to go but to wait and evaporate.  what a mess!

 

well, as if the clean porch wasn't enough reward in itself for my hard work i got another.  i went to BB&B to get a doormat to put inside the door of the porch (for my future dirty feet) and found an insanely great deal on just the right porch furniture!  yea!  i've lived in my condo for 4 years and all i've ever had out there was 2 bikes and some plants (a very depressingly empty place).  so i've been craving some furniture.  with the end of summer sales and the 20% off coupons the store is always sending in the mail i got a $300 set of chairs (and footrests and small table) for $80!

 

so just in case i wasn't sold on this before (i've always believed you need to make room in your life for things to happen) i certainly am now

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #413 - 08/26/08 03:02 PM

Welcome Jess! I'm not the greatest on keeping on top of things but I have noticed a difference in my life since starting this challenge. My DH and I used to fight quite a bit( Keri helped me see a possible reason as to why and we resolved that) and while we still do fight, it's not near as bad as it was. We've had some good money fortune( random hundred bucks here, an increase in his mileage reimbursment from work), my husband's health is getting better, and just a bunch of other seemingly small things. But all those small things add up. One of the things that I have gotten out of this is that your saying of you have to make room in your life for things to come in is a good one. I'm seeing it as you have to put the good energy in, in order to get the energy back in positive ways. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #414 - 08/31/08 10:59 PM

i've always believed you need to make room in your life for things to happen

Hi Jess! Wise words, and well put. Can't you get those little plates for under your pots to avoid the leakage if you overwater? They're not expensive at all. Measure the bottom of the pots before you go though.

DH and I did NOT manage to get through DS3's notebooks that have been sitting on the basement landing for the last two weeks.  So I just took them down to the basement storage room (floor) and they are now part of the next annual fall / winter basement storage room project. DH went to the basement and came back up totally freaked out, apparently there was somebody down there in our basement saying "I feel GOOD" while DH was putting his tools away. Turns out it was DD's old Tickle-Me Elmo. ROFL!!!

In my defense, I went back to work, did two freelance gigs, and helped DS2 go through a bunch of his stuff too (unfortunately just the huge piles on his floor, we never made it to the closet, although I tried. He has promised me to go through the closet too, he comes home from college every weekend. We'll see.) I also got DD and DS3 (the two younger, FT kids) set up for school which starts this week.

And there still has never been as much floor space down there in the 11 years since DH moved in! 

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2007debtheaven
Message #415 - 08/31/08 11:47 PM

Another thing:

DS1's basement room (you'll remember, he's away) has a new pile of stuff too. For the first time, instead of just donating everything, we're going to try to join a nearby neighborhood yard sale in September.

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #416 - 09/01/08 12:26 AM

Ah the joy of the yard sale. I'm sure bargain hunters are bargain hunters no matter where you live and some of them are down right goofy. I highly doubt I'll ever have one again. Just not worth it to me. I prefer the tax deduction. More money, less work. But they can be worth it if you do it right. I just happened to get a really bad weekend for the first one( first weekend I didn't advertise well and the second weekend of the that sale was rainy and cold) and the second sale I did with MIL I ended up doing all the work and I was not pleased. I ended up with all the sorting, cleaning, pricing, and most of the setting up. And she was the one that wanted to do the sale in the first place. I joked with her that I should have gotten more of the proceeds as hazard pay. I ended up stuck in her attic for two hours in the middle of August when it was in the mid 80's out. It was easily almost a hundred up there.

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Jessica N
Message #417 - 09/02/08 03:44 PM

Can't you get those little plates for under your pots to avoid the leakage if you overwater? They're not expensive at all. Measure the bottom of the pots before you go though

This would work for regular plants of course, but with orchids the 'soil' is really loose - it's actually little chunks of bark and such.  So you have REALLY overwater and let it run off so that the roots get the water but the water doesn't stay in the pot soaking them.  Geez, now that I've written that it sounds complicated.  But it's just a matter of potting them in the right stuff, being in the right weather to keep them outside (like here in SWFL) and soaking them every few days.  I always say that I'll do it in the kitchen sink and move them back outside once they stop dripping but I'm too lazy.  But after scrubbing the porch like crazy I've realized that maybe that will be easier, there's only 5 of them.

 

I'm feeling quite down this week: our company is severly down-sizing, nearly closing.  Just no work ahead.  I work for my father's construction company so you can imagine that it is not a surprise for us with the way the market has been...but when reality hits you it can be quite a sucker-punch.  My condo is never really messy, maybe a little bit cluttered (too many books, old clothes, etc. in the closet) and I was just starting to get to work on that.  But I will definitely be refocusing my efforts on the career/finance/helpful people areas as I and my family will be needing help in all those areas right quick!  I'm really eating my words:

i've always believed you need to make room in your life for things to happen

Just days after I started really thinking how I wanted to go through my condo and declutter, etc.  My father tells me he thinks that I should look for another job because he is concerned about having no work for us to do and doesn't want me to feel obligated to stay and work with him when we are struggling to pay bills/payroll.  I think that the universe is telling me that I should be doing something else with my life (well, my dad is literally telling me that) but that wasn't what I had in mind to be making room in my life for!  Just when I get settled somewhere this happens.  I am trying to view this as an opportunity, but it's difficult with the economy here so bad and nothing but grim economic news in the papers/radio/tv.

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2007debtheaven
Message #418 - 09/14/08 09:00 PM

Well, the neighborhood yard sale was today. It cost 10 for a place, and we made a grand total of (drum roll, please ...) 13.5! DS made 7.5 and DH and I made 6. Everything is still in my car, I don't want to shlep it back down to the basement.

There is another yard sale in another nearby neighborhood in June but I don't want to keep everything that long. Ugh.

I'm going to put the two most expensive items up at work and give the rest away to my cleaner and the Red Cross. What a waste of a sunny Sunday.

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HersheyKissed07
Message #419 - 09/14/08 10:22 PM



Reading some of these posts pumps me up to clean my apt! I really need to get some serious cleaning done. I'm so embarrassed, I don't allow people into my apt. Eek.

 

Sorry, don't believe in Feng Shui. It's just a bunch of superstition to me. And I'm Chinese. I do believe though that it makes you feel better to have a clean home though. Less stress. And I'm sure it's healthier physically. And it saves money in that you know what you have and don't need to go out and buy something when you already have it at home!

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justeloped
Message #420 - 09/16/08 03:49 AM

Hey ladies! I just finished Karen Kingston's Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui and Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui, and I'm ready to do some damage! I'm going to start with getting rid of all the crap people have given us that we don't need... For 2 people we have an awful lot of stuff, and while DH won't admit it, he feels better when it's clean. Part of the problem is that the Navy has so many stinking uniforms- and shoes and belts and hats to go with every one, so we organized them today and space-bagged the ones he wasn't using this season. Plus I seem to have 2-3 of every kind of cooking dish imaginable, so I went through and will donate the ones I don't need to the Humane Society. (Down here they run a thrift store like Goodwill does).
What do you do with stuff (family heirloom type stuff) that you don't want and don't have room for? I was thinking of maybe trying to sell it on Craigslist and find someone who would appreciate it. (I really don't need dishes for 12 with gold rims and a soup tureen). I'm pretty sure it's not good Feng Shui to have closets full of stuff you don't want/need.

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #421 - 09/17/08 03:35 PM

Hello Hersey and Justeloped! Hersey I can understand where you are coming from. Somethings that started out as a superstition are now considered common place and good manners. Like telling someone who sneezed God bless you. Keri's the resident medieval expert and it started around that time. All I can remember about it was that it involved demons or something. For all I know everything that has happened to me since starting this is a result of getting rid of the extra clutter( DH snoring less due to better dusting practices maybe?), but it gives me something to believe in and the mind is a very powerful thing. But a clean house is a clean house no matter how you got the motivation to do it.

And if I knew all it took for DH to get the motivation to clean the house spotless was inviting my parents over for dinner I would have done it months ago. The day before they were due he was dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing and even polishing the doorknobs. I was having one of my days and couldn't help much. It's been so much easier to keep the house clean now that he's gone on that rampage. After my binge while he was out of town it was staying cleaner but now we're better about the little things that tend to slide till spring cleaning. Like the window and the sliding glass door, the fingerprints on the light switches and the mound of magazines in the linen closet( it's in the bathroom so that's where my reading material gets stashed). Still have some problems with the pile of papers and books next to the bed and the dishes getting done in a timely manner. But the other stuff stays clear and pretty much clutter free.

And DH is finally buckling down to find another job. He found out he had some vacation time he had to use or lose so he's off on Fridays till Halloween. Which is the last day he has to use them by. It's nice having him home and it's so much easier for him to get those resumes in then. Since he works with computers( and works late at least one night a week) he has a pretty standard work day and by the time he gets home the places he's applying to are closed. And they don't open till after he gets into work in the morning. So having that day free is great.

And to keep from cluttering other people's houses this Christmas( other then MIL, I'm trying to stay on her good side and she wasn't too thrilled with my practice gifts last year), I'm only giving practical gifts or gifts that don't take up room. Dad is constantly saying he doesn't need more #&@% for the house and mom is always on a decluttering streak( though it doesn't always work because she'll get more stuff because she now has the room, but more goes out then comes in). And my brother is renting a room so he has no space for junk. The inlaws are the inlaws and since MIL does all the shopping my hopes for practical are already dashed. I asked for chicken wire one year for my garden and was told it wasn't an appropriate gift because it was practical. She asked if I wanted some candles or video games. Or more clothes. She's already hinted as to what she expects to find under the tree from us and even let it be known in her not so subtle way that she's planning on spending a few hundred per person. Like dad says "Great more sh!t for the house."

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CharyChase
Message #422 - 09/17/08 04:50 PM



This thread is super motivating, I don't have much to declutter though... I am the anti-christ to clutter.  If I don't use it in a week, I get rid of it... and sometimes that's a bad thing.

I could probably stand to neaten some things though!

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knotts
Message #423 - 09/18/08 08:33 PM



Today I got motivated! I've got a bag of clothes, some old electronics and books ready to go to goodwill (I'm just waiting for my friend to get off of work so he can drive me). It's not a lot but it's a start. I also got the livingroom and my computer room organized. The basement desperately needs to be done but that's a project to do with DBF as is reorganizing the kitchen cupboards. I've just finished reading Karen's book and it was quite interesting. I definitely picked up a few pointers.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #424 - 09/18/08 08:55 PM

Knotts, one practice I have is the donate bin. As I clean things up and find stuff to donate it goes right into the bin and my parents take it to the City Mission every couple of months. It sits in my dining room next to my front door.

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knotts
Message #425 - 09/19/08 01:35 AM

Well the stuff is gone! I meant business lol. Thanks for the idea Martivir. I'm not sure where I'd put one though...Storage in my place is at a premium hence the need to get rid of stuff lol.

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2007debtheaven
Message #426 - 10/19/08 05:46 PM

How is everybody doing declutterwise?

I finally took the stuff that didn't sell at the yard sale to the Red Cross lady today. It's been in my trunk for a month! DH's family is coming to stay for a week, so I had to empty the trunk.  

I was tempted to try another local yard sale in June but I just couldn't bear storing all that stuff till then. I did keep back two more items (expensive bedspread and curtains).

I feel like I've run out of steam although I haven't actually done any decluttering since August. We still have some boxes and bags to go through in the basement but I'm leaving those for the winter. I'm going to have to force myself though (not to mention DH).

How about you?

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #427 - 10/19/08 06:04 PM

I'm mostly in maintaining mode. Minimal stuff has come into the house and the bin of stuff to leave usually has something tossed in it as I find stuff. We did finally condense all of our video games and DVD's into one place and that looks so much nicer then the random totes and plastic baskets that they were in. Plus since they were on shelves with other piles of stuff, the piles got somewhat sorted through and the garbage got tossed while the stuff to keep got tossed in the this tote that we have been throwing stuff that needs a permanent home. I now have two white press board sets of shelves that can be used to organize more stuff if needed. I have more books that I need to go through and find homes for( I have a bit of a book addiction) and DH is starting to use them to store some of my seasonal craft stuff. Oriental Trading company was having a free shipping sale and I went a little bit nuts. I have some wooden basket style ornaments that need to be painted( they're small and they were 12 for 2 bucks) and some new stamps to make Christmas Cards with. Since we also have the baskets that got cleaned out from the movies I have put some stuff that was stashed in an oversized purse into them and put all my cardmaking stuff on the shelves. And since they were the kind you put together yourself and can build different storage units with them I took the top part that was two low shelves and put all our shoes on it. 30 seconds and my dining room looks so much better without the pile of shoes next to the door.

DH is finally getting into it. He's seeing the difference that it's making( mainly him finding stuff easier) and will go pick up baskets or shelves on his lunch break or will just tidy a shelf while he's waiting for the hockey game to come back on.

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2007debtheaven
Message #428 - 10/19/08 06:27 PM

That sounds like a lot of progress to me Martivir! Glad it's going well.

PS I just reread my post. I'm not storing DH's family in the empty trunk, I emptied it so we can tranport their bags.  

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justeloped
Message #429 - 10/19/08 06:56 PM

Another really great book is Sacred Space by Denise Lynn. I think once I get everything clean and organized I will actually try a space clearing. Denise has SO many different methods in her book, I feel like I can actually do them. It's still messy (I don't clean on weekends) but I'm finally hanging and buying artwork, and considering getting fish once I figure out my bagua. The way our apartment is arranged makes me a bit confused, but I will figure it out!

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2007debtheaven
Message #430 - 10/19/08 08:42 PM

Justeloped, what is a "space clearing"? Decluttering?

I also got rid of a pile of stuff that was on our stairs today, and brought DD's nicer clothes (that she's outgrown) to a friend's house. (The rest went to the Red Cross lady.) 

By the way, I finally asked her if I could get a tax write-off for everything I've donated. She confirmed what I had guessed, here you can only get a tax write-off for donating money, not things. Oh well.

At least DH's family coming has finally kicked my b.utt into gear again.

Knotts, since you have a basement, you could set up a box / bag / area there for stuff you want to get rid off? Well done on moving so fast!  


 

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knotts
Message #431 - 10/19/08 10:13 PM

Once I get the basement organized and sorted it might work. The basement is a disaster. DBF and I both need a day off together to work on that as it's both of our stuff and I don't want to toss any of his stuff. Not to mention we need shelves for down there to store dbf geeky game stuff (he's got lots of it). Hopefully within the next month we'll get to it *crosses fingers*

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iascubagal
Message #432 - 10/20/08 12:55 AM



Hi all,

I've been lurking for several months and have really enjoyed the discussion and learned a lot.  Something happened today that made me finally decide to contribute to the discussion.  I have been missing a credit card and a bank card since September.  I had a garage sale and while I was sorting through everything and decluttering, I moved the two cards and then couldn't find them again.  I wasn't too worried about it because I knew that they were somewhere in the house but I was so frustrated that I couldn't find them.  So today I was watering plants including the hanging plant above my nightstand.  Of course I dribbled water and when I went to clean up the water, I found the two cards.  This entire time they were under a book.  Here comes the good part...the book was "Clear Your Clutter with Fung Shui"!  I laughed out loud.  It was too perfect!  By the way, the garage sale was very successful.  Thanks for all of the inspriration!

[Virgil Showlion]

justeloped
Message #433 - 10/20/08 01:32 AM

Hi 2007debtheaven,

A space clearing is a sort of ceremony you do to remove stagnant energy from the house. There's actually a couple ways to do it, Karen Kingston and Denise Lynn both lay out slightly different ways to do in in their books. But it's better to do it after the house is already clean, so I have some work to do first. I'll let you all know when I do it and how it goes! My DH and I have been very tired and down, so clearing the energy from the space and making a few Feng Shui touches should clear the air.

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HersheyKissed07
Message #434 - 10/20/08 01:41 AM



that's funny bagal! haha

 

I'm actually taking a break from some cleaning, and came across this thread again! ahah. my place is a mess again. sigh. it's an endless cycle. I'm hoping that I will put an end to it. I noticed that it starts because I don't do the dishes one night, and then I start piling other stuff. So my goal is to at least get the kitchen cleaned tonight. Really cleaned. My cabinets/pantry are pretty organized all the time, so it's just doing the dishes and cleaning the counters and appliances (microwave, oven, etc)

 

Well, I guess I better get back to work.

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3jsmom31
Message #435 - 10/20/08 02:58 PM

This thread got me going in the middle of the night last night.  Instead of sitting and reading til I could go back to sleep, I turned on my little LED area light and started cleaning.  I moved 27 things in each of 2 rooms and did the dishes .  It was fun, and I imposed a 27 thing on the kids this morning to clear up some of their crud.  Then I rewarded them with some cleaning rewards (2 hersheys kisses) and encouragement for the next volley .  I was particularly moved by the stuff owning me concepts.  I only read 25% of the thread before deciding to get moving, but had to tell everyone thank you for the great ideas that help to make drudgery fun and easy .  I have been working as it is, making myself go through everything, clean, discard, put up in "It's Place", but the ideas I have read so far were really fun.  I will quit rambling and do some more reading and then some more cleaning.  Happy Monday!!

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HersheyKissed07
Message #436 - 11/09/08 05:54 PM

everytime i need the motivation to clean my carp, I come here

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MaidenMotherCrone
Message #437 - 11/09/08 06:15 PM

I just re-arranged the apartment and did a space clearing with little bells and incense... I know, some people will say it sounds silly, but I'm pretty into the New Age thing so it made sense for me. I've been sleeping like a baby and can't decide if it was the space clearing, or the furniture placement, or just being able to walk around the room, but it's been great! I've got some wind chimes on order, and I had crystals in the mail but someone stole my package! My mail carrier and I couldn't figure it out, but I guess whoever has them now must need them more than I do. I'll reorder them the next time I have extra in the budget, and I'm looking into getting a fountain for our bedroom since DH doesn't want fish. It's wierd, I know, but I have so much more energy, I'm more relaxed, and I haven't slept this well in ages. Yay for Feng Shui!

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #438 - 11/09/08 06:25 PM

Hey everyone. Not much to report here really. I have pretty much hit the end of my decluttering. While we still have too much stuff it's along the lines of seasonal clothes, blankets, kitchen gadgets and other stuff that is used just not that often. With winter coming and no more temptation to sit outside on the deck and watch the birds I'm going to try and get some stuff deep cleaned. Rent the Rug Doctor, clean out behind the fridge, the oven, and other tasks that need to be done but I avoid like the plague.

[Virgil Showlion]

debtheaven2007
Message #439 - 11/09/08 07:12 PM

Justeloped, sorry, I never said thanks for the explanation!

Glad everybody is doing well. I've really been too tired with my new commute to do much. The basement is still there waiting to be finished. But it's hard to find the motivation given that it's already so much less cluttered than it has been for 11 years. I need to do it with DH, and it's hard enough to get him to do it when I'm feeling enthusiastic.

I've been neglecting my paperwork though. :-(

It looks like Keriamon's idea of putting my wish in a pretty shiny little box worked ... it looks like I'm getting the buyout I was hoping to due to my company moving so far. Thank you Keriamon!

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3jsmom31
Message #440 - 11/09/08 07:26 PM

I am still working on the house cleaning.  I read somewhere about imagining how you want the space used and going with it, so I cleared off the dining room table and pictured us doing some puzzles there as a family.  Well, that was a great idea, really makes the room warm and comfy for talking while poking around at a puzzle.  Only problem is that now I want to hang in there instead of getting on with new clearing.  You can really tell where we've worked hard and where we haven't yet.  I have gotten out some bags of clothes and have a couple boxes of stuff to donate or sell.  I don't even care about the money, just want the space.  Glad to see this thread again, it inspires me everytime I get a little slow about making new frontiers in our house.  It's not that I am lazy, but with construction, kids, and canning, well, it needs a good going over .  We cleaned our side room in getting ready to install a wood stove.  I think I will dust over what we've completed and then find something else to scrub down.  Thank you for a place to get inspired and to tell the little progress we make .

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2007debtheaven
Message #441 - 11/11/08 01:18 PM

I spent about three hours going through papers. I have a basket for papers and as long as everything fits in there, I'm ok. Now it does (albeit barely) so it's not bugging me anymore. I'll try to do more tomorrow.

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #442 - 11/13/08 09:13 PM

Hello ladies, I haven't checked in for awhile.  In my last feng shui kick I made a list of all the things I wanted to change with our house.  Some of the items on the list were pretty major (new furniture, getting rid of major items, etc.) and required cooperation from DH.  We are both pretty stubborn/opinionated so decorating together is usually a chore and I put it off.  Well, I am glad to report that by taking a leisurely approach to the changes and talking with DH on and off we have actually had fun making changes together.  Next weekend several of the furniture pieces will be delivered and our home should be vastly improved.  We are having a yard sale followed by a charity pickup with friends the following week so that should complete 90% of the things on my list.  It is amazing to me to see how thought put onto paper and given attention leads to such direct action.  How is everyone else's progress coming along?

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debtheaven2007
Message #443 - 11/13/08 09:34 PM

Futureplanning, it's so nice to hear from you! Good for you having fun doing it! Please let us know how the delivery and yard sale and charity pick up go. 90%, wow!

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pink.cshmere
Message #444 - 11/13/08 10:48 PM

How is everyone else's progress coming along?

I'm still plugging along in fits and starts. And how long has it been since this thread started? Every week I'm getting stuff out of my house, some weeks more than others, but it still doesn't look much better. Where is all this junk coming from??

 

On a positive note, my desk is in much better shape, at least you can see the actual desk in places.

[Virgil Showlion]

debtheaven2007
Message #445 - 11/13/08 10:54 PM

Every week I'm getting stuff out of my house, some weeks more than others, but it still doesn't look much better.

Come on, it must be looking better! Anyway, didn't you know junk multiplies when you're not looking?! LOL. Seriously, it must be getting better, and if you keep at it, it will get better still!

This thread has been going on for MONTHS now! Sometimes it's more active than others. I know I resurrect it from time to time, because it helps me stay on top of things.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #446 - 11/14/08 03:01 PM

I'm going to need to go on another kick after Christmas. I was looking around this morning and a bunch of stuff that seems like clutter is actually gifts for other people or materials for the gift baskets I do every year for the basket raffle for my Dad's association. So by the end of February I'll have my house back. Hopefully.

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justeloped
Message #447 - 11/14/08 04:50 PM

I had my house super clean for the space clearing, but I've been a bit lazy with the decluttering since then. That said, I've rearranged the house and it looks a million times better, even if it is cluttered.

I'll deep-clean before DH gets home.

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #448 - 12/31/08 03:25 PM



Happy New Year my positive feng shui pals!

Through the use of affirmations and the book Artist Way, my thought process has become increasingly positive over the last few months.  I've found that I need a place to communicate with others in a positive way.  Most of the WIR board (and anywhere online/in the news/etc.) is negative right now, especially with the economy being what it is.  What do you all think about re-invigorating this thread (or shall I start a new one) as a place to talk positively about the great change we are bringing into our lives? 

 

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #449 - 12/31/08 03:29 PM



In keeping with the idea that words have power in our lives, I've changed my screen name from "futureplanning" which connotates a focus on fulfilling dreams in the future to "abundanceandprosperi?ty" which reflects what I want to bring into my life.

 

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justeloped
Message #450 - 12/31/08 03:50 PM

Very nice, abundanceandprosperi?ty. I shall have to think about changing mine- esp since I eloped almost two years ago. What's this book "Artist's Way"?

[Virgil Showlion]

abundanceandprosperity
Message #451 - 12/31/08 04:09 PM



justeloped, yes, I can see why you might want to revisit your screen name!  I have seen your posts and always think, oh she has just eloped...

 

Artist's Way is a book/program and workbook based on the principle that we are all creative and expression of that creativity is natural.  The author is Julia Cameron and her work has inspired people around the world to become more creative (plays, movies, novels, soundtracks, painting have all been created based on the tap into creativity the book and 12-week program inspire).  I am at week 7 and have found the program to be amazing. 

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justeloped
Message #452 - 12/31/08 04:20 PM

I guess I will have to try Artist's Way then. I've always been kind of into that stuff, but my husband laughs at me when I tell him intentions are half the battle. I go into things intending for them to turn out well, and he goes in expecting to fail, and I tell him that's why things don't work out for him. He's thinks it's all mumbo-jumbo-voodoo.

So yes, I will have to come up with a new and more appropriate screen name.

Space clearing- it really does work. Even my skeptic husband said the house "felt better". I'm going to have to clean and do it again probably, because we just keep accumulating more stuff~  A lot of it is his Navy gear and we have to keep it. But it is very very distracting to have such a messy house. I've started selling some old books and DVDs on Amazon and have had some success there, and I'm trying to move some clothing and furniture on craigslist. I'm not getting far, but I suspect it's because of the holidays and no one's really looking right now. I'll have to start keeping track and see how much I can make doing this Feng-Shui clutter clearing.

Does anyone know any tips for attracting money/prosperity into the house? (like what colors to use)

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #453 - 12/31/08 04:37 PM



My husband used to laugh, now he just sort of smiles.  For him it doesn't matter if it is feng shui, intentions or just simple cleaning house (he likes cleanliness and order). 

For abundance and prosperity, find that section of your house and each room (google the term "bagua map" and one will pop up) and add things that are purple, represent money and place a box with your "intentions" in it.

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keriamon
Message #454 - 12/31/08 04:40 PM



Time for me to get back on this as well.  I was on FlyLady for most of a week before I had to abandon re-claiming the house in a mad attempt to get a bunch of stuff made up for Christmas.  Tomorrow we're going to the in-laws to celebrate a belated Christmas with them, then it's all over and my time is my own again until March, when we get ready to go on our big, week-long reenactment.

 

The house is so messy at this point, I can't even be creative.  One, there's no room for it, and two I can't think when everything's in a mess.  Even people who aren't into feng shui will point out that a mess is bad for you.  A lady I read that does french-style dieting (Anne Barone) said that she has noticed that when her house is messy, she finds herself mindlessly snacking.  Which is a connection that Karen Kingston makes as well: the need to clutter your body is driven by the same emotions that cause you to clutter your house.  FlyLady even refers to extra weight as "body clutter." 

 

I could also use some good feng shui right now to help me with my business, which isn't going anywhere, and my husband is already saying (even though I've only been at it since Sept) that I need to start to look for a "real" job.  I need some sales to look successful.

 

So I'm game to get back with you ladies on house cleaning and feng shuiing.  Let's do like the ladies on weight loss and report on our progress every day or two (at least once a week) and encourage each other. 

 

Does anyone know any tips for attracting money/prosperity into the house? (like what colors to use)

Purple is the primary color of prosperity.  Water is its element.  Mirrors are considered a water element and also symbolically double whatever it is they reflect.  Your money corner is the upper left-hand corner of your house or room when you are standing at the entrance.  Gold and silver are secondary money colors, as they are traditionally the color of money (silver is also linked to mirrors and water). 

 

Because money is linked to water, you need to be careful to not have leaky faucets or running toilets in the house, because that can cause a money drain.  Toilet lids should also be closed when not in use, ESPECIALLY if they are located in a money corner.  You should always close the lid before flushing so you aren't flusing the money chi away.  Red is a corrective element, so you can also put a piece of red paper or string on the toilet to block chi from exiting with the toilet flush (which is probably what I need to do, as I really hate keeping the lid down on the toliet in the master bath; I can't see it in the dark and get aggrevated when I sit down on it instead of the seat). 

 

You also have to be VERY careful when using mirrors, because they indiscriminately double whatever they reflect.  If they are reflecting purple or a water element or a piggy bank full of coins (you can literally use money in your money corner), then you should have luck doubling your prosperity (which may or may not be financial; you may wind up doubling the output of your garden, or have twins or something else that would be linked to abundance in general).  If, however, your mirrors are dirty, you may wind up doubling the dust and dirt in your house.  If they reflect a room that's in disarray and cluttered, you may wind up with an even worse mess in your house than before.  That's why Karen Kingston says to first get rid of the clutter and organize and neaten up what's left, then physically clean your house, then, last of all, apply feng shui cures.   

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justeloped
Message #455 - 12/31/08 05:04 PM

Keriamon- while you're here, what's the feng shui idea behind having goldfish? I see them in every Chinese restaurant, and I've been wanting to get some for a while. Where would an appropriate place be for them?

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #456 - 12/31/08 07:07 PM



Justeloped, I am not certain about goldfish symbolism but I think it is the gold color that symbolizes money and the water is good for prosperity as well. 

I just took an hour and feng shui'd my office again.  I've had a mirror reflecting nothing but piles of work for the last four years.  I have also had nothing but piles of too much work for the last four years.  I moved it onto my cubicle in the career area and it reflects the window, bringing in added light and a lovely view of the sky.  Suddenly I don't feel so claustrophobic and depressed... We will see what else this change brings.

 

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #457 - 12/31/08 07:51 PM

noticed that when her house is messy, she finds herself mindlessly snacking.

*looks at hand in bowl of popcorn* But I agree with getting back into this thread. When it was more active I found myself cleaning, decluttering more and when I was doing that I was feeling better. I was also exercising more( hauling the trash down the parking lot to the dumpster) and eating better because I could cook in my kitchen. I'm going to have an influx of junk soon because MIL wants to store all the baskets for the raffle in Feb here because she likes buying the stuff but hates putting the baskets together. And right now I have nowhere to put any of it.

But I like the idea of making weekly goals, checking in every couple of days and really having someone to tell me to get my butt in gear! I can plan with the best of them and I'm an expert at procrastinating. Not always the best combination.

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keriamon
Message #458 - 12/31/08 08:51 PM

But I like the idea of making weekly goals

That gives me an idea.  Why don't we do missions, like FlyLady does?  Then we're can all complain about the same thing at the same time, LOL.  Since we're halfway through the week already, and it's a holiday week (I'm going out of town for part of it myself), why not start fresh Monday next week?  It's the first Monday of the near year.  I can't think of any time better to start something new than the first day of the first week of the first month of a year.  Cleaning house can be everyone's New Year's Resolution (or, at least one of them; you're allowed to have more than one). 

 

I think we should start with bathrooms.  As I mentioned, they are linked with water and money, and who couldn't use some help at this time with money?  They're also the smallest rooms in the house and probably have the least amount of junk in them, so it's an easy place to start.  It's like snowballing debt, in that you start cleaning in the room that's smallest. 

 

So, let's think of bathrooms in terms of three steps.  One, we need to declutter and organize.  Two, we need to physically clean and repair.  Three, we need to apply feng shui cures. 

 

Decluttering: If you have more towels than you ever use, cull some out.  Also, if you have towels you are ashamed of because they are so stained or ratty, get rid of them.  Old towels can go in your rag pile, to the humane society or you can just throw them out if you don't need any more rags and don't trust yourself to donate them in a reasonable amount of time (if it takes you three years to donate or recycle something, you've missed the point of both the recycling and of the cleaning out). 

 

Go through the bottles of shampoo and soap sitting on the side of the tub.  There does not need to be more than one bottle of each type of thing per person that uses that tub.  Many people wind up with four or five mostly empty bottles of shampoo on the tub.  Either use up the small amounts this week as you bathe, combine them into one bottle (no harm in that), or throw them away. 

 

Next, go through the collections of soap, lotion, makeup and other things you have put back under the counters.  Throw old makeup away or give it to your girls to play with.  Put nearly empty bottles to the front of the cabinet so you can use them up and get rid of the bottle.  Or combine them into one bottle (might even wind up with a scent you like better than anything you've ever bought).  Throw away makeup in colors that you don't like, that makes you break out, that doesn't wear well, etc.  If, like me, you tend to collect bottles of lotion or perfume at Christmas that you will never use, take it to work and put it in the ladies' room.  I've done this twice and it was very popular.  Whatever you are left with that you want to keep, get a shoe box or a small set of drawers to put under the sink (or on the counter) to orgnaize it and put it to where you can get to it.

 

While you're under the sink, sort through your collection of medicine.  Check the expiration dates and throw out anything that's old.  Flush prescription meds that you no longer take.  Whatever's left that's still useable, put it into a bin or plastic shoe box; you might want to sort it into prescription and non-prescription meds if you have a lot.  Also check any first aid supplies and toss out anything that's torn or compromised.  Corral those items into a single container as well.

 

If you notice that you are missing something (bandaids, for instance), or that you are about to run out of something (your favorite foundation), write it down on your shopping list so you can remember to resupply.  I keep a magnetic pad on my fridge and keep a running list of things I need to get because I've ran out or am about to. 

 

Sort through your hair stuff.  Get rid of gels or sprays you no longer use.  Resolve to use up the last bit of hair spray and toss the can.  Get rid of clips, barettes, scrunchies, headbands and other things that you no longer use.  At one point in time I had about four hairbrushes i

---

keriamon
Message #459 - 12/31/08 08:53 PM



in my collection, and they were all the same type.  I'm now down to one plus a backup (that I sometimes take with me when I travel).  Same thing with combs.  If you find hair straighteners or dryers or curlers or any other appliance that you never use anymore, put it in a Goodwill box or bag.  If it doesn't work at all, throw it away. 

 

Repeat this same exercise with any junk on top of your counters and organize like things together in storage.  Personally, all I keep on my counter are the pills I need to take everyday, deodorant and my tweezers (at least that's all that's supposed to be on there).  A good rule of thumb for counter clutter is if you don't use it everyday, store it under the sink or in a medicine cabinet.  If you do use it everyday, then it can go on the counter if you have room for it.

 

If you store your linens in the bathroom, sort through them and make sure you don't have 6 sets of twin sheets and not a twin bed in the house anymore.  For beds which are used all the time, two sets of summer and two sets of winter sheets are plenty.  For beds which are not used everyday (guest rooms, campers, etc.), one set of each is plenty.  Fold the sheets as neatly as you can and place the top sheet, fitted sheet and any extra pillowcases into one pillowcase and put them on your shelf.  This way, when you need to make a bed, all you have to do is grab the pillowcase-sack and you have all of your pieces together; no more hunting for the top sheet or that other pillowcase.

 

That should be all the decluttering that's needed in the bathrooms (unless you have children, and then you might need to cull out the bath toys to one or two and give them a basket to live in), and you can do this over the course of three nights.

 

Next comes the physical cleaning.  Scrub the tub and give the tiles a bit of a wash down (don't worry about de-molding them just yet), clean sinks and counters (move the stuff on the counters and clean under them), clean the toilet, inside and out, clean the mirrors, wipe the dust off any lightbulbs or light fixtures, sweep and mop or vacuum the floor.  You can do this over the course of a couple of nights.

 

The final day (you should be on Saturday by now) is for feng shui cures.  Where your bathroom is located in the house will depend on what sort of cures it needs, but all bathrooms will need to have leaky faucets and running toilets fixed today. 

---

keriamon
Message #460 - 12/31/08 09:04 PM

I can plan with the best of them and I'm an expert at procrastinating. Not always the best combination.

I think this probably applies to all of us on this thread.  I hadn't ever thought about it before, but FlyLady says most (if not all) procrastination comes from perfectionism.  You don't think of people who don't do stuff as being perfectionists, but there comes a point when people can be so intent on being perfect that they never start on anything because they are afraid they can't do it perfectly.  Many people don't clean because they think if they don't have time and energy to get down on their hands and knees and scrub the kitchen floor, then there's no point in worrying about cleaning it at all. 

 

FlyLady has a very, very good motto.  I like to paraphrase it a bit as: doing a half-arsed job is better than doing no job at all.  She prefers to say that housework done incorrectly still blesses your family.  I mean, think about it.  Would you rather be in a living room only half full of junk, or so full of junk you can't walk?  Would you rather walk on a kitchen floor that was a bit stained in places, or one so dirty that your feet stick to it? 

 

It's okay if you can't clean the floor with a toothbrush right at this moment; run the Swiffer mop over the worst parts and let it go for the time being.  Swiffering the floor is still an improvement over doing nothing at all.

 

And the same goes for the bathroom mission.  It may be that some people have so much junk in their bathrooms that they couldn't even hope to cull it out in three nights.  So vow to work on decluttering for 15 minutes for three nights.  In three days' time, you will have a cleaner bathroom.  It may not be as good as you know it can be, but it will be better.  After we've done a cycle through every part of the house once, we can come back and start in on the bathroom again and you can make a further dent in it.  That's how it works; make it a bit better, then come back later and make it a bit better, and then come back again and make it better than that, and so on.  No need for all or nothing. 

 

Feng shui can work on graduations.  Yes, a perfectly clean, perfectly decluttered, perfectly cured house would have your chi maxed out.  But where are you now?  Probably with some depressed, neglected chi.  Make things a bit better and your chi will get a bit better.  As you gradually improve, so will your chi.  It will be like your house is slowly shaking off a long bought of depression.  People aren't cured from depression overnight, and neither will your house or chi.  But if you keep making positive improvements in your living space, your house and chi will gradually improve too.  And, hopefully, your own life will get better gradually too. 

---

keriamon
Message #461 - 12/31/08 09:23 PM

what's the feng shui idea behind having goldfish?

Yes, the gold fish are connected to prosperity.  Fish themselves are a water symbol--water being a money element--and their gold color is linked to money too.  So between the fish, their color and the water they're in, you have a three-fold cure.  Even little takeout places will have at least a picture of water on the wall, and I've even seen pictures/paintings of goldfish hanging up. 

 

Suddenly I don't feel so claustrophobic and depressed... We will see what else this change brings.

It may be that's the only change it brings, but that sounds like a pretty good change to me.  Not you in particular, Abundance, but more than a few westerners look at feng shui as a get rich quick scheme.  If I just put up some mirrors and things, I will win the lottery.  A lot of us are bad to overlook small improvements in our lives.  The "money" corner is actually referred to as fortunate blessings, abundance or prosperity.  As I said, you might improve that corner and wind up with a bumper crop of veggies out of your garden.  Maybe so much so that you can sell some for profit, or give the excess away to the needy or as gifts to people you know.  Not a bad thing at all.  But because it's not a large infusion of cash, a lot of people would say, well, this carp doesn't work because I'm not rich and throw all the cures out--and, in the process, get rid of the prosperity they didn't even see that they had. 

 

You also have to think about it like a prayer.  Some prayers aren't answered because we're asking for something that's not right for us.  Someone may pray and pray to have a child, but no child ever comes.  Maybe that person goes on to adopt or to become a foster parent and that fulfill's God's mission (or whoever's) for that person.  Maybe we think that money will cure all our woes, so we hope for it as we put in our feng shui cures, but maybe money would actually be bad for us.  Maybe it would make couples argue.  Maybe it would make them greedy.  Maybe they would be less charitable.  As King Midas found out, not everything is better in gold.

 

So, you have to apply feng shui cures in the hope that it will make some aspect of your life better.  The improvement may be small, and it may not be in an area you thought to improve, but it's a good thing nonetheless.

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #462 - 12/31/08 09:51 PM

So that's why my garden went haywire! I had a garden over at my parents house this summer and we were also working on the prosperity section. Now we saw some improvement here when we were doing that but I never of something happening over there as well. I mean dad was going out twice a day and picking more ripe stuff. Mom was bringing in zucchini muffins daily for her co workers and my grandfather was up to his eyeballs in fresh radishes. I love growing radishes. So easy. My grandmother was giving jars of pickles to the ladies at the bank, the nurses at her doctor's office and she was sneaking them into her kids cupboards because she was able to make so many. Ok so the only ones who benefited from the watermelons were the rabbits but since they chowed down on that they left the green beans and mom's herb garden alone. And I only planted a 10x10 garden.

I think I may get a head start in the bathroom. It's the most important room in our house.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #463 - 01/01/09 03:12 PM

 had a garden over at my parents house this summer

Yes, anything connected to you can benefit from feng shui in your house, even if it's not located on your property.  That's why you can change your career section in your house and make a positive impact on things that happen to you at work. 

 

Karen Kingston talks about how everything we consider to be ours is connected to us by energy.  And why having too much stuff drains our energy and makes us feel lost and unsettled; that's because we're trying to divide our energy between too many things.  Everything you own not only requires physical energy to keep clean and maintain, but you use mental energy just thinking about it.  Even if you don't consciously pay attention to it, your subconscious registers everything.  So you may think that you've quit noticing that ugly Christmas-present vase sitting on the mantle, but if it were moved or it was taken away, you'd notice it pretty quickly because your subconscious would tell your conscious self, hey, that's not where it was yesterday; something's happened; be alert.

 

On the other hand, if we improve one part of our lives, that benefit can go back down through those energy connections and improve other things that are connected to us.   

 

You can also feng shui your car to help make it last longer (although you will still need to change the oil!  Lol)

 

Marti, I may need to hear this recipe for zucchini muffins.  It's the only kind of squash that I like. 

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TimeFerChange
Message #464 - 01/02/09 06:12 AM



I've lurked on this thread since this summer.  I would like to join in on the de-cluttering room by room.  I am working on paying down my debt and can use some extra luck and prosperity.  I love starting with the bathroom.  We've got three.  One is a big feng-shui problem because it is at the top of the stairs that lead down to the front entrance to our house.  It is my tween DD's so it is a mess and has makeup smeared on the faucet and the walls.  I can re-paint the walls but I have no idea how to get the faucet clean without taking off the chrome. 

 

Can we focus on Kitchens next?  I may take me a couple of weeks to the the bathrooms done but I will take whatever progress I can get.

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FirstEXwife
Message #465 - 01/02/09 07:03 AM



I am excited to join in with you!  I have two bathrooms both needing attention.  One needs to be packed up and ready to move with me next month.  This would be an awesome project and I would not feel so alone!

 

Looking forward to hearing of others progress!

 

 

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #466 - 01/02/09 02:04 PM



Great to see the thread running again! 

Keriamon, thanks for the response.  The mirror is already a great improvement in my life.  I actually looked forward to coming in today (and since hardly anyone is working today and I am tired that is a miracle).  I also brought in beautiful things from home to improve my space.  Today I am potting some winter-flowering bulbs.  It is really rewarding to turn around a depressing space, especially one in which I spend 2000 hours a year! 

Your comments about any space you are related to/responsible for being tied to your energy...any cures for a vineyard a hemisphere away?  The economy in both the US and the other country are hurting so prices are down and expenses are up.  I need to find a way to increase abundance and prosperity there!

Your assumptions about me are correct, I am not looking for a quick get rich scheme.  I simply believe in the power of intentions and any positive progression is welcome.  In fact, I have been doing the decluttering, Artist's Way and feng shui long enough that I don't have anything to do in my bathrooms this week except a deep scrub-down! 

 

---

T-Bird_Money
Message #467 - 01/02/09 02:19 PM

Hey all you fun feng shuiers!

New years eve I cleaned up my fish tank, and got the filter/waterfall to working again - took over an hour of fiddling, but it is running quietly and efficiently now.  If you are impressed with my mechanical know how - I must confess that I just kept fiddling - taking it apart, putting it together, turning it on, and pouring water through it.  The motor was working and it would push the water through if I filled it, but it would not suck up more water and keep going.  So I just kept going through it again and again - and just when I was about to run out to the fish store and buy another, it finally kicked in.  I am terrified of the next cleaning that I won't get it running again - or spend another few hours.  This was not my first hour long session to get it to run again.  Likely - this is how the boys do it.  Just don't give up, Lol!


It is not sparkling - but in much better shape.  I had to buy 2 new kinds of creatures....one to control a snail infestation, and another to clean the tank - those little suction critters.  I did a lot of scrubbing on the tank, but more is needed, and hopefully the suction critters will keep it clean after that!

I don't have any gold fish though......do have 2 fish that are the color of gold fish with large black stripes running top to bottom....those are the escargot connoisuers...they have funny looking little mouths with lots of whiskers...and they swim, they look like humming birds when they swim......they were pricey too, ~20/each........

theres a lot of dark blue and green and grey and some red in the fish.....

Do I have to have actual gold fish for some real prosperity here?

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #468 - 01/02/09 03:37 PM

T- Bird, maybe just a goldfish tank statue will work. If pictures help I don't see why the statue wouldn't.

I got started on the bathroom yesterday and I've got a bunch of stuff that I don't need. I love hanging out with the ladies on the grocery thread but I've got a bunch of stuff that I stockpiled away that was meant to be donated but never made it into the bag when Mom went through under my sink. Add in that I am moving at the end of March( the cheap rent isn't worth the headaches it's brought) and I need to get this place down to what we need. I'm not paying to move junk! Been there, done that, learned that lesson. I'm going to start packing all the stuff we won't need now. Like our summer clothes, the Christmas stuff, and as I pack I'm going to go through our stuff. I'm already sorting through it anyways to pack might as well add that extra box in.

[Virgil Showlion]

FirstEXwife
Message #469 - 01/02/09 04:18 PM



Martivir and T Bird

 

Sounds like you and I are on the same path.  Packing and moving that is.  My move is February... I have been doing the sorting and decluttering since November...but feel almost overwhelmed like I am not really making headway...yet I know I am...

 

T Bird, my understanding is, it isn't just the fish and color, it is the number... and the number 9 is key... I believe it is 8 gold and 1 black. I could be mistaken...I am a few years out on this one... The black is to absorb all the negative chi...

 

Since we are on the Feng Shui board... I had a tank, with the proper number and my black fish kept dying... as it was supposed to do if it were absorbing the negative energy... it got to the point the fish was just called a number...like Black Fish 5... I had No idea why only the black fish kept dying.  It didn't make any sense.  The tank was healthy, the other fish heathy.

 

Then... I learned my husband was having an affair.  Was it connected?  I don't know... but it sure seemed to go together.  He became 'faithful' for two years and the black fish 5 lived...then it died... and... later I learned...yep, he was back into his affairs again.

---

T-Bird_Money
Message #470 - 01/02/09 04:25 PM

Then... I learned my husband was having an affair.  Was it connected?  I don't know... but it sure seemed to go together.  He became 'faithful' for two years and the black fish 5 lived...then it died... and... later I learned...yep, he was back into his affairs again.

Very odd.....

I will have to inventory my tank I guess.....

I had 9 blue neon tetras....now only 7 - don't know what happened with the others....I hope they didn't fall victim to the

3 hatchet fish.......2 of these have gotten a bit bigger

I do notice that in our school fish, the tetras, and another smaller fish - (looks like a minnow size and shape), is tiny stripes head to toe,,,,er tail, and a pinkish creamy color between the stripes....that there is one outcast from the school....I hope they don't ostracize one and that that one becomes vulnerable.....

Does that impact things....that there are outcast fish?

I'm getting a headache wondering about all this....

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #471 - 01/02/09 04:28 PM

First, the black fish thing is kind of creepy. Not in an evil kind of way but just how the fish was seemingly attuned to your husband's intentions. And I'm thinking from your name that he is DH no more.

While I know I'm going to be moving in March( have to be out of here as of the 31st) I'm wondering if it's too early to start looking for new places. Or even if they will know if they will have a vacancy that far ahead. Guess I won't know till I call.

---

T-Bird_Money
Message #472 - 01/02/09 04:28 PM

[www.168fengshui.com/blog/2005/08/10/the-fish-factor/] feng shui and fish.... 

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FirstEXwife
Message #473 - 01/03/09 12:05 AM



Martivir

 

Yes, I agree, it was kind of creepy.  And yes, he is no longer my DH.

 

It maybe rather early to start looking for a specific place, unless there are some new places being built and you want to be put on a list.  Also, it isn't bad to get an idea of what is available and where you may want to be.

 

Sometimes landlords have an idea if a tennant is not going to renew a lease and can let you know.

 

Good luck with your search.

---

justeloped
Message #474 - 01/03/09 02:30 AM

Since DH won't let me get fish (because he wants a DOG) I'll have to settle for having goldfish as my screen saver and look for goldfish artwork.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #475 - 01/03/09 04:46 PM



No, you don't HAVE to have gold fish.  Remember, a water element is good in your prosperity corner.  A water element that has movement in it (live fish in water, water fountain) is even better.  Gold fish, as opposed to other fish, is even better. 

 

It's a matter of degree.  You've got two great elements already.  If you don't want goldfish, don't get goldfish.  The number one rule of adding feng shui cures is that it should never be something that you hate.  If you hate fish, then you absolutely should not put them in your house, because you will spend so much time hating them that you will negate whatever positive vibes you should be getting from the fish. 

 

Your comments about any space you are related to/responsible for being tied to your energy...any cures for a vineyard a hemisphere away?  The economy in both the US and the other country are hurting so prices are down and expenses are up.  I need to find a way to increase abundance and prosperity there!

If you own the vineyard, or are a partner in it, then yes, you can try and help if from where you are now.  If you want more grapes, hit the prosperity corner (this also helps if you want a bigger share of the profits).  Don't forget that every room has a prosperity corner, as well as the entire house, as well as your property (if you own).  Hit up every room's prosperity corner, plus the house, plus the land for major bonuses.  Mind you, not every room or your property is going to accept purple, water or mirrors very well.  There are times when it would actually be unharmonious to decorate certain spaces with traditional cures.  I mean, you wouldn't want a fountain inside a clothes closet.  In those cases, the best thing you can do is get rid of junk and physically clean the place so it's at least tidy and pleasant.  That helps a lot; in fact, that's probably the number one best cure you can apply to any section.  The second thing you can do is take a little piece of colored construction paper (purple for prosperity) and stick it somewhere unobtrusive, such as under a couch or behind a picture.  One of my feng shui books recommends this. 

 

Something I would do is use grapes in decorating.  It's a popular motif right now, namely for kitchens.  Why not try some grape curtains or wall paper (border will do and is easy to put up), table linens, or even just some plastic grapes in a basket on your table?  Live in an abundance of grapes in one room (don't go crazy and grape everything in the house--like I said, it looks best in a kitchen) and hopefully that will help your vineyard.  It's also is sure to add the purple element to the prosperity corner in your kitchen. 

---

keriamon
Message #476 - 01/03/09 05:04 PM

I love starting with the bathroom.  We've got three.  One is a big feng-shui problem because it is at the top of the stairs that lead down to the front entrance to our house.  It is my tween DD's so it is a mess and has makeup smeared on the faucet and the walls.  I can re-paint the walls but I have no idea how to get the faucet clean without taking off the chrome. 

Number one, if I was going to repaint, I would do it with something high gloss or otherwise one of those washable paints so you never have to repaint her bathroom because of mess again.  (And maybe you need to press upon her that she should be neater with her makeup and not get it on the walls; I don't even want to think what my mother would have done to me if I had messed up her beautiful bathroom).  Of course, if the bathroom was ugh before she got started in it, she's not going to feel compelled to keep it clean in the first place.  When people have something that they view as carppy, they're not going to take care of it.  So giving the bathroom a facelift may very well motivate her to keep it cleaner.  I mean, no one cares if they ruin ugly, 70's wallpaper with makeup splatters, lol.

 

I don't know why makeup shouldn't come off chrome with some scrubbing.  I mean, one of the reasons why chrome is used is because you can't stain it.  Try using some baking soda as a mild abrasive to get caked-on mess off.  Also, Watkins de-greaser.  I found it at our local co-op, but you may have to order it online.  It's pricey, but it's gotten grease off my stove that nothing else--not even Comet--would get off.  And you only need a little bit, so the bottle will last a very long time.  It would be your best bet against lipstick, which is way up there on greasy, hard-to-remove things. 

 

Also, as a cure for the bathroom being at the head of the stairs, keep the door to it closed.  That's the easiest way to keep the bathroom chi from flowing right down the stairs.  If, however, that's an impossible task for your daughter, then you can try the red string cure.  Apply a red string (or paint) somewhere around the threshold to the bathroom (you can put it up under carpet or linoleum if they're loose); that will slow or even halt the chi coming out of the bathroom and down the stairs.  Or you can also apply this same technique to the top of the stairs to keep all upstairs energy from flowing down the stairs too fast.  This is especially good to do if your stairs face the front door; just apply the red string cure at the bottom of the stairs to keep the chi from rushing right out the front door.

 

But, really, the very best thing you can do is keep the bathroom door closed.  Even with the red string cure, you're still looking into a bathroom everytime you come up the stairs, which is not the best thing in the world to look at. 

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FirstEXwife
Message #477 - 01/04/09 12:40 AM



This list has been a great motivator for me!  I listed on freecycle and got rid of 30 pounds of magazines today! About half of those magazines were in the bathroom.  I feel that much Lighter! 

 

Next I am setting up on Craigs List so I can sell a bunch of things I don't want to move with me. 

 

All this while keeping in mind my feng shui teachings/learnings from several years ago.  Both for where I am leaving and where I am moving to.  Thank YOU!

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TimeFerChange
Message #478 - 01/04/09 03:43 AM



I have bathroom update.  Two out of three bathrooms got de-cluttered and cleaned.  Small repairs have also been made.  The make-up on the faucet (purple sparkle nail-polish from DD's sleep over two years ago) came off with nail-polish remover and I don't think the chrome was damaged.  There is still some on the wall so I am still thinking about repainting the wall.  It is a bathroom that is tucked up under the eve on a cape so most of the 'wall' is only four feet tall.  The sloped part of the ceiling has wall paper that has imitates blue sky with white puffy clouds.  I think that I will pull the screws up from the thresh hold and paint the gap between the flooring types red.  (Easy and inexpensive)  I will have sit in it and feel the space to see what else I need to do in there.

 

I'm getting her involved in this process too.  I'm hoping that she will articulate some goals and we can work on 'her' space in the house to achieve her goals.  I know one of her goals is to increase her college fund.  Tomorrow - Lowes for a few more parts and maybe a can of paint.

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SaraOra_in_Jerusalem
Message #479 - 01/04/09 12:10 PM

What a great thread!

I discovered it yesterday and have since managed to de-clutter part of the kitchen: the counter, the top of the microwave, the pantry cupboard, the freezer and half the refrigerator... not a lot, but given how they were when I started, it seems miraculous! It is definitely lifting my winter blues!

Next, the bathroom. It actually faces the front door in my very strangely shaped apartment, so red thread is going to be necessary. I can't close the door completely because one of the cat litter boxes is in there, my senior cat's favorite... Is red thread on the door handle enough?

An excellent New Year to everyone!

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keriamon
Message #480 - 01/04/09 06:55 PM

Is red thread on the door handle enough?

That can help, but stretching the thread (paint, tape, etc.) across the threshold is the real thing that blocks chi coming out.  You can also put it above the door (if you have a trim facing around your door, you can lay a red thread along the top of it, maybe tape it down on either end and and that will be hidden and still work). 

 

I'm getting her involved in this process too.  I'm hoping that she will articulate some goals and we can work on 'her' space in the house to achieve her goals.

This is a good idea, because if she has a bathroom that she loves, she will be less likely to mess it up.  And if you can get her on the feng shui bandwagon, she'll hopefully keep her room and her bathroom tidy in order to better improve her life. 

 

I will have sit in it and feel the space to see what else I need to do in there.

This is such a great thing for everyone to do.  Feng shui is so touchy-feely.  What is good for someone else might not work for you, and visa versa.  Also, when you live with other people in a house, you have to try and find a balance between what you like and what they like.  If you decorate only to suit yourself, you can make a spouse and children feel as if they are strangers in their own home and they will end up emotionally and even physically absent from your life. 

[Virgil Showlion]

justeloped
Message #482 - 01/04/09 09:01 PM

Hey ladies,

Our apartment is pretty screwy as far as Feng Shui goes. EVERYTHING is in the wrong place. The TV and computer are in the relationship area, our bed is in the wealth area... but, my husband has agreed to re-arrange the house as a bit of an experiment, to see if things change once we change the furniture. Any hints or tips on how to try this?

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2007debtheaven
Message #483 - 01/04/09 09:01 PM

Hello Everybody

I'm very happy to see this thread resurrected and active again, and so many people motivated! I'd love to keep up with it. But we have three bathrooms, one is fine, another is DS2's and out of my control, and we're getting ours redone in March (I decluttered it recently but will again after it's redone.)

So if it's OK with everybody, I'm going to opt out of the "group challenges" (except when they apply to my goals) and post my progress anyway.

I reorganized the fridge right before Xmas, cleaned out the cabinets, and today I finally vacuumed and mopped underneath them (which meant getting down on my stomach.) That has needed doing for a while, but I think I was too scared of what I'd find after we caught that mouse, lol.

I still haven't made further progress on the basement because DH won't cooperate, nor on DS3's desk and shelves (same for DS3.) Everything else is looking good though. I bought matching baskets for our desk, DH's pile is still way too big but mine is fine and at least the baskets match. Having my basket ON the desk rather than in a drawer in another room is very helpful to me, it's easier to take care of a few papers here and a few there.

Lastly, Keriamon, today I noticed that little sparkly box with my payout wish and new job wish. It's still there. I put it there months ago, knock wood the payout comes two weeks from tomorrow.

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HersheyKissed07
Message #484 - 01/05/09 08:17 AM



it's been awhile since I've been on these boards, been pretty busy. just wanted to drop in and give a little progress report. Will read the current posts later to get caught up.

 

Anyways, I have finally cleaned out my kitchen. The cupboards are organized, all the dishes are done, counters wiped, even appliances cleaned.

Only thing I need to do is get rid of the rust under the electric coils. I heard lemon is good for it. Any other tips?

 

Now I just gotta tackle the rest of my home. Planning to take one room a day. I noticed that when my kitchen is dirty, it quickly escalates to the rest of the apt, so I wanted to make sure I got that out of the way first. Hopefully I can upkeep it, in addition to the cleaning of a room daily.

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justeloped
Message #485 - 01/05/09 02:55 PM

Hey ladies- I've been decluttering and selling off old books on Amazon since the last week of December. I've sold ~$175 worth of books and DVDs in one week! After shipping them, I'll probably take home ~$110, but that's more than I had at the beginning of the month. I do think Karen Kingston is right when she says our energy is attached to all our possessions. I feel SO much better when I get rid of stuff. I feel lighter, plus having a bit more cash helps.

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #486 - 01/05/09 03:02 PM



Thanks for the advice on the vineyard issue Keriamon.  Our fruit bowl is in the prosperity corner of the kitchen, think I will pick up some grapes tonight and keep the bowl stocked regularly. 

As some of you may remember, DH and I have been trying for children for awhile now.  This weekend he took care of the ridiculously slow computer we had been putting up with for years.  Guess where the computer resides?  Yeah, the child section.  Here's hoping!

 

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #487 - 01/05/09 03:03 PM

The best heavy duty cleaner I know of (for the rust and lipstick issues) is "bartenders' friend"  it is like comet but seems to take out any stain I have applied it to.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #488 - 01/05/09 03:51 PM

Any hints or tips on how to try this?

I have a book, "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" which has about all the feng shui information in it you need.  TVs and electronic equipment are fire elements and go well in your fame area (center wall directly opposite the entrance door).  The relationship corner (to the right of the fame section) is a mix of earth and fire, so some electronics are okay there, but I agree that neither a computer nor a TV are good there because both are so bad to become replacement mates.  A CD player, however, would be an okay electronic.  Candles and fireplaces are good in both sections.  If you can't move the TV or the computer out of the relationship section, at least try and balance it out.  You can try balancing it with earth, since that is the other element of that section, but the opposite of fire is, of course, water, and so a water element should neutralize it. 

 

I still haven't made further progress on the basement because DH won't cooperate

LOL.  I know the feeling.  Our cookbook shelf in the kitchen was overflowing, so I pulled everything off, selected the cookbooks I wanted, and left the rest in the floor for my husband to look through.  He picked out all of three or four books to get rid of and wants all the rest of them put back on the shelf.  He didn't even look through most of them!  He just kept them based on the covers.  He even tried to keep his ex-wife's cookbook that I had already told him was a terrible cookbook.  He certainly kept all the cookbooks that I had looked through thinking they should go because the man's a diabetic and they're full of recipes using sugar. 

 

I should have just culled out what I thought needed culling and left it at that.  As he so poignantly said, he didn't buy cookbooks with any thought to where he'd store them.  That sums up the redneck, white-trash state of the house we're living in.  No care at all if stuff lives in the floor. 

---

keriamon
Message #489 - 01/05/09 03:59 PM



Okay, so on to our mission this week: the bathroom.  Spend at least 15 minutes per day in your bathroom (any bathroom in the house will do).  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are for decluttering.  Thursday and Friday are for physical cleaning.  Saturday is for repairs and feng shui cures.  Sunday is a day of rest.  If your work schedule or religious preference requires a reworking of the schedule, go ahead and rearrange it.  If you need less time decluttering and more cleaning, work those days out.  This is just a general guideline to get people who are paralyzed by junk some idea of where to start.  See my previous post (three pages ago, I think) on what all to declutter and clean if you need additional help getting started.

 

If you have more than one bathroom in your house, you can do the following:

 

1.  Make someone else in the house clean up one of the other bathrooms while you do your own.

2.  Spend 15 minutes in each bathroom each night. 

3.  Hit the worst one now and worry about the other one when we cycle back around.

4.  Alternate nights between the two.

 

As I said before, we don't have to acheive perfection this week.  If you spend 15 minutes in a bathroom every day, that will end up being an hour and a half total work by the end of the week, which will create a real dent in any bathroom, no matter how bad.  And making something better will improve your life in proportion (or better).   

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #490 - 01/05/09 04:00 PM

Abundance, don't forget to work on the health section as well. And good luck.

And I've been taking care of the bathroom little by little. But DH is going to have to clean the toilet. Underneath the sink has been better organized.  The linen closet is hopeless because the shelves are really shallow so I can either have stuff hanging over the edge or if I put it so it's neatly on the shelf not everything fits. All that is in there is the towels and washcloths, some toiletries, toilet paper( perfect arms reach from the toilet so no sitting down then realizing that the last person forgot to change the roll. And I'm just as guilty as DH), and paper towels. The thing is way too small. But everything is neatly hanging over the edge. 

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #491 - 01/07/09 01:34 PM



Thanks Martivir, I really need to get some rugs with yellow in them to address the health section... I've been slowly looking.

 

So, status updates? How are your bathrooms coming along?   As I recently decluttered our bathrooms (they are small and only have pedestal sinks, shelving with organized baskets and nice niches for placing things so I like to keep it pretty anyway -I refill decorative bottles for shampoo/conditioner/soap/whatnot) the only thing I had to do was a good scrub down.  Since we had guests coming into town last night I figured the best way to tackle it was two hours before they arrived, with a shower at the end of the cleaning (I always need a shower after cleaning the toilets, I know I don't touch anything but I just feel dirty...).  By setting such a tight deadline I couldn't procrastinate or take too long.  In the end I was surprised how quick it was, 40 minutes to clean two bathrooms top to bottom.  I have been cleaning them every other week lately so I think that helps.  How are you all doing?

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #492 - 01/07/09 01:56 PM

Right now not too bad. DH is in charge of the cleaning while I'm doing the decluttering and organizing. He hasn't gotten around to his part yet though. Right now the smell of cleaning stuff makes me.

And I think my furnace may be broken. I need to take to DH first to see if he accidentally turned the heat up rather then down last night because when I woke up it was almost 80 in here! And the heat had been set at less then 65. I currently have the heat nearly off( 55 which is the lowest it goes) with the windows open. It's only 27 degrees out as well. If he didn't do anything it looks like yet another call to the office.

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #493 - 01/07/09 03:31 PM

Great I get to call the office. I got the temp in here down to 70 then closed the windows. Heat is still off. The temp is again rising. The hallway is cold so it's not a building thing. My furnace breaks and instead of it getting cold because it's not working, it's getting warmer! My heat is OFF and it's risen two degrees in here. I can't wait till the lease is up.

ETA: Just talked to Handy Dude Bob. It's the apartment downstairs. He says were getting heat from two sources( downstairs and the hallway) and that may be what's wrong. I'm supposed to give him a call at about 2ish to report back the temp. My heater is off and if it's my downstairs neighbor I may luck out and have super low gas bills. My last one was 23 and if it is what he thinks it is then I'm going to just be paying for my hot water. I never thought I would be opening the windows in the middle of winter to cool down. Part of me feels bad doing that though because then I'm jacking up my neighbors gas bill.

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Heather 2.0
Message #494 - 01/08/09 02:45 PM



I've just spent much of the last week or so reading this entire thread. Thank you all so much (particularly Keriamon, you're a wealth of information!) for this great topic. I think I'm off to a good start... New Year's Day, my DH and I cleaned half the house. The downstairs of our house is the community space. The top floor has 3 rooms and 2 bathrooms and all have their doors closed all the time. (BIL and GF live with us, they have their room and use the bathroom at the top of the stairs.) Meanwhile, BIL's GF cleaned and organized their room and bathroom. I spent almost all day Saturday cleaning our bedroom and top to bottom cleaning our bathroom. DH started to organize the office, but it still needs quite a bit of work.

We've do a pretty good job of keeping things clean too. We still have lots of work to do - decluttering in every room - but the house is already feeling so much better. Our bedroom is in the Family and Knowledge sections, which I wasn't even thinking about when I bought a new comforter. Our old one was black! Now we have a blue/brown comforter, and the bed skirt has stripes. I think it's the perfect combination of the two schemes.

I'm interested in thoughts on this one though - my Mom gave us a framed picture that I love. It looks like a picture of a european town, interesting architecture, just showing the front of a house and the alley next to it. There's a door and a bicycle. It's really pretty and delicate looking (pinks and browns). I just wasn't sure how the door image fits into feng shui.

I also took the mirror down that was at the top of our stairs. Since our stairs are directly in front of our front door, it seemed like it was probably bad having a mirror reflecting the chi back out the door!

I have a copy of Clear your Clutter on its way from paperbackswap.com. It magically appeared the day after I found this thread and put it on my wish list.

I'm anxious to keep going on all the house projects... I just can't figure out what to do next. I know I need to keep reducing clutter, but I can't decide if I should start in the kitchen or my closet, or the bathroom like this week's assignment!

 

Finally, it’s already working!! As I was thoroughly cleaning our bathroom (Prosperity Section) top to bottom, we received paperwork for DH’s severance package. There’s been a huge amount of doubt if he’d end up getting anything (it’s been almost 60 days) but it looks like he will. Then, yesterday, a consulting job dropped in his lap. Not a huge amount of work or money, but every little bit helps!

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TheSunNeverSets
Message #495 - 01/08/09 08:00 PM



Hey I didn't really believe in Fung Shui before but I am going to try to believe it from now on.  During the holidays, I decided to clean up our storage rooms (notice I said rooms, not just room) in our basement.  I built 3 big storage units with 5 shelves in each and installed them in one room.  I organized stuff by catgeorizing and putting them on shelves.  All of a sudden, we saw 3 huge shelves of toilet paper, paper towels, boxes of detergent and tons and tons of other stuff that wife has insisited on buying each month.  We are a family of 4 and wife has been buying non perishable household items like toilet paper and detergents for an army.  I had told her for years about her problem but she never listened until I built these well-organized storage shelves that display shelves of toilet paper and paper towels like Sam's Club.

 

Oh, what is wrong with you women being so obessed with shopping?  Now I am going to hide in my bunker.  Ladies, fire back with your comments.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #496 - 01/08/09 08:57 PM

SunNeverSets, It's not all women trust me. I get bit by the shopping bug maybe a couple times a year. My MIL on the other hand all that she needs to get inspired to shop is breathe. Now I do have a stockpile( your Sam's Club reference) but it's only what fits. There is only the two of us and we only buy on sale so we buy enough to last us to the next sale. So at any given point we have about 12 rolls of toilet paper and we have more papertowels then you can shake a stick at. I think we have 10 rolls and we go through maybe a roll a week, usually less. Now some people have larger stockpiles then others and what they do is when someone needs help they hit up the stockpile rather then fork over cash. But the thing is this. Does your wife donate any of this stockpile on a regular basis? Does she only buy on sale when it's rockbottom and use coupons or is she buying it at regular price because she can? And is this stuff your family regularly uses? My stockpile was bought when it was rockbottom sales prices, we only buy enough for about five months and on a regular basis my mother and I go through it and cart stuff off to the City Mission.

Believe me if my MIL was on here you would need something stronger then a bunker. Her house is literally a hazard not because of clutter in the main part of the house but because the attic and basement are so full that there is real danger of stuff falling through the ceiling or her old furnace catching one of the massive piles of paper and cardboard in her basement on fire. She has a huge box of broken trophies as well as boxes of old papers that mice have made nests in. And she's more then happy to transfer that crap to my house in the name of "But it's DH's old stuff". And believe me, most of it is not. Anything usable makes it's way into the donate bin and heads to the mission once a month. She gives us stuff so she has the excuse that she needs to buy more and to make room for other stuff that she wants. I'm no minimalist but I draw the line at stuff that she meant to fix back in the 80's.

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retiredyeah
Message #497 - 01/09/09 03:16 AM

I'm interested in trying the FS theory.  I may go to the library and see if I can find a good book on it.

I'm doing much better at keeping the house clean but I'm sure I can always do better.

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TimeFerChange
Message #498 - 01/09/09 07:41 PM



Vent...

I'm a little frustrated.  I decluttered my bathroom and removed the towels that were too grungy to use for people and put them in the rag bag to use for cleaning or drying off wet dogs.  Last night I went under my sink to get a nice fresh towel and all of the grungy towels were back!  When I asked my DH what happened he said "they are too good to use as rags".  They are stained, torn and have little strings hanging off of them.  How much more decrepit do they have to get before I can turn them into rags?

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #499 - 01/09/09 08:40 PM

Timeforchange- just go for it. Cut those puppies into half or quarters. They may be too small for the dog depending on the kind you have but they would be perfect for rags. I know in my parents house while dad is fairly good about things getting turned into rags sometimes he does the same thing. Usually though it's the other way around. Dad'll try and get rid of something and Mom's the one dragging it back in. In our house before a towel becomes a rag it gets tossed under the sink for clean ups. Haven't had the toilet overflow but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. The towels we have for those jobs are not quite rags yet but they are kind of beat up.

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FirstEXwife
Message #500 - 01/09/09 10:32 PM



Timeferchange

 

I second that... like Martivir said...cut them into rag size... Then put them in a rag drawer, cabinet, what ever... explain to dh that either we Use these rags or you are going out to BUY rags... but you would rather buy a new towel or three than RAGS. 

 

Years ago I was working in a kitchen and I realized, there is a HUGE benefit to having set 'rags' for jobs too yucky for dish towels, bath towels or any wash cloth.  Rags can be used and reused and reused OR they can be used and thrown out with the truly awful job.

 

I forgot to mention, last time I bought my 'rags' they were in the auto section and came in a bag with 36 or 48 terry cloth 'towels'  and a whole lot less expensive than over in the bath section for nice towels.

 

Since that time, I have had 'rags' which are not truly raggy... if that makes sense.  No longer spare worn out pieces of underware or tee shirts, socks...but True Rags.  All in my family know where they are and what to use them for.  Helps the nice towels last longer too. 

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Heather 2.0
Message #501 - 01/11/09 08:57 PM

How's everyone doing? I'd love to get some updates from others who are working the decluttering/feng shui angle!

This weekend DH and I went through our closets - mine, his, the overflow closet and the linen closet. We bagged up 9 giant trash bags full to donate! This is on top of the 3 bags DH took out last weekend. It feels so good!! I also bought 2 tropical plants, no flowers but the leaves are red, yellow and green. I wanted to be able to alternate them, one in our bedroom and one in the hallway. The hallway gets NO light, but someone here made the suggestion to swap them out every week or two. The hallway seems so much cheerier! I also started to do the "space clearing" from room to room. I'd really like one of those bells, but until I can spare the extra cash, I'm just doing the clapping.

I've been focusing on our prosperity sections, and all I can say is... between DH being able to get his severance (amount TBD), him getting some consulting work and (this is the best part) my boss pulling me aside on Thursday to say the layoffs (somewhere between 20-30%) will NOT affect me... I have to believe it's working!

And even if it's not, I'm just happier with the state of the house!

---

TimeFerChange
Message #502 - 01/12/09 01:07 AM



A couple of the towels have now been cut in half.  Now they are a little small for the dogs (a rottie and a lab) but are clearly identifiable as rags.  (and I am still married! )

 

All of the toilets have had whatever repair they needed.  One needed the seat replaced and another needed the handle replaced.  I forgot to get the measurement for the threshold so the bathroom at the top of the stairs still needs its line of red and the threshold put on.  Hopefully I will get this at some point this week. I didn't realize until we started this that the threshold never got put in when we built the bathroom.  Uhg...  so many things to keep track of.

 

Just getting the bathrooms cleaned and decluttered feels better.  Hopefully the toilet repairs will mean no more money running down the drain.

 

What is our next challenge?

---

cheapcat
Message #503 - 01/12/09 03:36 AM



OK, this is good & bad. The good part is that I went to a used furniture store with my mom & found 2 matching bedside tables for $60 the pair! They fit with 1/2 inch to spare on each side and are the exact length of the closet on my side so that table doesn't stick out. Not what I was originally picturing, no storage drawers or cabinet beneath, but they match the woodwork & are round if the side drop leaves are up, thought they won't fit that way. At least I'm not hanging off the bed to see the stupid alarm clock anymore.

The bad thing- SIL was going to take the safe that was on DH's side, finally DH put it in his truck & we brought it to dinner with the family. BIL doesn't want it, as they have a smaller one they don't use. Rats. I'm putting it & the old unmatched bedside tables on craigslist tomorrow, and some weird "collector knives" and a gun holster are going on amazon or ebay. I'd do it now, but I wiped out & smashed my face this morning & need to ice the black eye again. As my sister says, my name is certainly not Grace.

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cheapcat
Message #504 - 01/12/09 03:43 AM

Oh, & we got the Xmas tree out (DH likes it up until his birthday-thanks for that idea, Elvis!) & all of the Xmas stuff is put away on the top shelf in the spare room closet. Plus, I returned 2 Xmas gifts, got a shirt for $1.89 after the $7.20 credit for a weird color scarf, have a $22.00 credit at TJ Maxx & donated a bag of random new household stuiff that doesn't go with anything here. My vacuum now fits in the spare room closet instead of way off in the side of the bedroom closet. It's a start!

[Virgil Showlion]

FirstEXwife
Message #505 - 01/13/09 04:58 AM



I am packing and packing and ...trying to pack more.  Been fairly liberal with my give away piles.  Basically, I don't want to pack anything I will later regret... would rather have less than too much. 

 

I have a question.  I am moving 800 miles away.  I am considering renting a UHaul and taking a load out there, maybe this weekend.  It would help me clear out the house a fair amount and let me more clearly see, what to keep, what to give away and what to sell. 

 

My other option would be to just wait and move everything all at once.  But then I have to step over everything and try to get the house ready for renting...while still having too many boxes around here. 

 

I "Could" hire movers... but since the company that hired me is not paying relocation... I sort of hate to give away $5000 for that. 

 

My trek out this weekend would cost about $1000 for gas, rental and airfare back.  And I may need to rent another Uhaul for my final move. 

 

What sort of advise do those with more experience moving have to offer?  I am NOT very practiced at this...at all.

 

 

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Heather 2.0
Message #506 - 01/13/09 01:00 PM

FirstEXWife: I'm not sure if they have this in your area, but DH and I were looking into PODS when we moved last year. (Although we ended up hiring movers because of timing.) It seemed like a nice middle ground between moving everything ourselves and hiring movers. They drop the storage unit off, you fill it up, and then they move it. This might work for you because they also do storage, so if you filled one up, they could take it and store it, while you fill another one up. Just a thought... Otherwise, I do think it would make it easier on you to take a load out now. Will you have any help to load and unload? Between the driving and the physical work, that's going to make for a tough weekend.

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #507 - 01/13/09 01:16 PM

FirstEXwife, normally I would say to rent a big enough truck for one trip but... if moving things into the new place will help you determine items to keep or sell/give away and you have a lot of items to sort through, it may be the way to go.  Also, showing your place while in a cluttered condition is not putting its best face forward and may not attract the type of renter you ultimately want.  Can you move to the new house items you know you will want (books, pots & pans, photos, etc.) to move but that are really clutter for a home shown for renting?  If so you can stage your home you plan to rent out and attract the best renter.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #508 - 01/13/09 02:19 PM

First, I'd check out the PODS thing. I know someone who did the more then one trip and they were going half way across the country. They got most of their stuff down there then decided to stay here. So they ended up moving everything back up. At least with the PODS if something falls through( and in this economy that may be possible) then you don't have to get the stuff from the other place back. Just the POD from the storage place.

And I running into a huge snag in this challenge. I have my bathroom all nice and tidy and organized but it's not actually cleaned. I need DH to mess with the cleaning supplies and he's just not doing it. I don't want to nag but I've reminded him a couple of times. I guess for him it really is that hard to clean the toilet and the tub. Doesn't need to be white glove clean just clean enough so that it's drop in company ready. I would remind him but I don't want the "Aww do I have to?" look again.

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Heather 2.0
Message #509 - 01/13/09 02:45 PM

Martivir, Maybe there's some type of natural cleaner you could use instead of waiting for DH? I've read that full strength vinegar works well for toliets (if you can handle that smell!) Or, I just found this online:

All-Purpose Bathroom Cleaner
1/2 cup vinegar
2 cups (1 pint) rubbing alcohol
1 teaspoon dishwashing soap
Combine it all in one gallon of water. 
Put some in a spray bottle, and this will clean and disinfect everything in your bathroom - and clean the mirror, too!

Just a thought! I've followed your progress on this thread, and would hate for you to lose your momentum waiting for DH!

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #510 - 01/13/09 05:58 PM

DH is going to pick me up some of that Method cleaner tonight. I can stand the smell of that( barely) so we'll see how that goes.

[Virgil Showlion]

luckytobeme12
Message #511 - 01/14/09 03:54 PM



OMG!  I placed the bagua on the main floor drawing of my house, my prosperity and wealth section is a jumbo of a mess.  It is a holding place of appliances and packaging material for my kitchen which is being remodeled!  I will straightened this area this weekend! 

 

It took a week to finish this thread!  I so enjoy reading it!

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pink.cshmere
Message #512 - 01/15/09 01:30 AM

bump. I need more inspiration. LOL

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2007debtheaven
Message #513 - 01/15/09 01:45 AM

As the older posters know, I have a problem doing the bagua because my house is L-shaped. I read up a lot on it tonight, they advise trying to "feel" is something is missing or extra (apparently it's one or the other in an L-shaped houes), finishing the house with something outside, keeping the outside neat and clean (done), having a patio (done, brand new). They say in L-shaped homes the missing part is generally the marriage part of the wealth part.

Lucky me.

Long story short I did the lowest of common denominators and got to the back part of the left side of the house as the wealth part, ie DS2's total and utter mess. Frankly I was dreading this, I think that's why I avoided trying to do the bagua on my wonderful and wonky house. He can't put anything away in the closet (he's a clothes horse) because he hasn't cleaned out his closet since he moved into that room 4.5 years ago.

Obviously this is a constant source of conflict. It will probably get worst now that I realize his mess in our wealth section. But I don't pay for his clothes anymore, let alone his college, so what I say doesn't matter. Even though he's here plenty, every weekend.

I don't really know how to handle this. I have helped him clean out things, I am always offering. He'll be OK to do a drawer or two, maybe a shelf. But at some point you need to go through it all and liberate the space. I'm thinking of bribing him but since his dad (my ex) spoils him I'm thinking I wouldn't be able to afford the bribe.

:-(

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2007debtheaven
Message #514 - 01/15/09 01:52 AM

Keria, are there any "cures" I can do there, because I can't FORCE a 20YO to clean out his closet? But since the house is L-shaped, I'm not even sure I'm right.

I am also considering getting a professional Feng Shui consultant in here to deal with (ie teach me to compensate for) the things I can't deal with due to uncooperative members of my family.

I have four kids. One is in grad school, taking a year off six months short of finishing his Master's. It was his bedroom that was flooded in the spring, then he was away for a six-month internship. He was here for 13 days over Xmas for the first time in 18 months. Because of the flooding, everything had been packed up in boxes. He decided to clear up his room and make it his own again. That child was RUTHLESS. There were a couple of small things he worried about (literally, two) and said he didn't want them anymore, did I? I said yes.

It is a JOY to walk into his bedroom. 

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Heather 2.0
Message #515 - 01/15/09 03:34 PM

I'm reading Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui now. So happy to be turned on to this great author!

Since decluttering in the prosperity section of both floors of our house, doing a space clearing (in one of the sections) and setting up a feng shui "cure" in my office at work, money is coming out of nowhere! I'm amazed!

Here's a rundown:
Layoffs ocurred at my company this week, I am SAFE
After being laid off, DH got a new job making 7% more!
DH was offered part-time consulting work making 3x his new normal salary
DH received 4 weeks severance. We weren't sure he'd see any. (His company went Chapter 11.) He was due 10.5 weeks, and there is a rumor there will be another payment at some point.
BIL (who lives with us) is getting a large tax refund, which he'll be using to pay off some of his debt to us.

So, here's our plan with the $ to far:
We sent his severance directly to the credit card (more than 1/2 our remaining balance!) This puts our total credit card payoff somewhere between March and April instead of October!
DH is going to use the first part of his consulting $ to upgrade his computer. We're going to write it off as a business expense because he's consulting from home, and is in IT. Anything more than that will go straight to debt repayment.
Any money received from BIL goes straight to debt repayment. I don't budget for it because he's been really irregular about paying us. If he pays us what he says he's going to, we'll end up paying the entire ($1900) remaning credit card balances off this month! Then we'll move on to paying our cars off.

I'm so exited about debt repayment, but I also think I need to start setting something aside for home repairs/upgrades. The previous people burned a section of siding right next to our front door and our storm door doesn't close properly. Hello, bad feng shui! We also need to replace our furnace at some point.

I haven't been feeling well this week, so I haven't made any more progress since the weekend. I have a 3 day weekend coming up though, and I definitely plan to do some more cleaning/decluttering. I signed up for flylady last week, I like how it gets you focused on a targeted area/task. Kept up with it last week, not so much this week. I think I'll finish up our bedroom this weekend, I have four sections (I thought it was two until I really thought about it!) of clothing haven't gone through and need to work on the clutter under the sink. Eventually I think I'll make up some homemade all-purpose cleaner to replace a bunch of the bottles of cleaners!

After our bedroom, I'm not sure what else I should do. Every room needs work!

But seriously, I can't believe how good it feels coming home to a more organized house!!

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keriamon
Message #516 - 01/15/09 04:09 PM



Sorry I've been absent this week ladies, but our phone line has been down and it just came back up last night. 

 

For those who are looking for weekly decluttering/cleaning missions, the remainder of this week is: Christmas decorations.  If you haven't taken them down (inside or out), take them down.  If you haven't put the boxes back up in the attic or garage, put them away.  If you still have decorations that you haven't packed up, this is a good time to get rid of any that you don't use anymore or don't like before you pack away the things you want to reuse again next year.  This is also a good time to repair any that are broken before you put them back in the box; that way you can have them ready to go fresh out of the box next year.  Also, treat yourself to some nice stackable plastic bins if you've been storing decorations in an assortment of increasingly-flimsy cardboard boxes. 

 

Also make sure your wrapping paper and bags and things are put away.  They now make tall plastic bins which will neatly store wrapping paper.  Personally, I put a toilet paper tube around my wrapping paper (you have to cut the tube down the center to get it to fit around fat rolls) to hold it closed and store it across a high shelf in a closet that's not good for much else.

 

Next week: kitchens 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #517 - 01/15/09 04:17 PM

Keria, are there any "cures" I can do there, because I can't FORCE a 20YO to clean out his closet? But since the house is L-shaped, I'm not even sure I'm right.

Actually, Karen Kingston addresses this in her books.  I think it's mentioned in the Clutter book, but I think it's also in the Creating Sacred Spaces book as well.  You need to think of your son as a room renter, and you need to energetically cut his room off from the rest of the house.  The Sacred Spaces book will tell you how to sort of mentally cut him off from the house and shield around that room so that it no longer counts as part of your house.

 

I might also try and do the red string technique over or under his door.  That can act as a dividing line between his room adn the rest of the house--and hopefully keep your chi out of his room and his chi out of your house.  The other option would be to hang a mirror on the back of his bedroom door.  Even if he covers it up with clothes and junk, it still works.  And it works by bouncing his chi back into the room so it doesn't get out into the house.  There's only one problem with this, versus the string cure: his mess gets reflected back on him and so his problems can double.  However, there's one positive thing that can come of this: he may become so uncomfortable in that room that he either cleans it up (not likely) or he moves out.  So if you want him to get his own place, apply a mirror!

 

In any event, cutting his room off from the rest of the house (string, mental blocking, or mirror) will, to some degree, cut him off from the rest of the family.  If he needs more independence, or you want him to gain it, this can be a helpful way to nudge him in the right direction.  However, don't be surprised if he stops coming to dinner or stops hanging out in the common areas or otherwise grows more distant physically and emotionally when he's in the house.  You are, in effect, making him a stranger in the house--something that's cut off from the rest of the house and doesn't belong--so expect that he may start acting a bit more like a boarder than a son. 

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keriamon
Message #518 - 01/15/09 04:22 PM

After our bedroom, I'm not sure what else I should do. Every room needs work!

I'm giving out weekly missions, and FlyLady has weekly sections of the house to focus on as well.  If you don't know where to start, follow me or her either one and we'll eventually have you all the way through your house.  And you don't need to clean everything all at once either; the sections will come around again, so if you can't get all the way through the first time, there will be another time, and another and another.  Eventually you will have it pared down to just what you want, will have it feng shui cured up to the hilt, and you will just do physical cleaning regularly. 

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AdoraMommy
Message #519 - 01/15/09 06:28 PM



Hi Keri,

 

I am in a few difficult situations that I would like to see if you can advice me (hoping that you might read it from your books collection about similar cases).  I am wondering if fung shui will help the situations.

 

But the topic is a bit sensitive and I don't want to open any can of worms in here.  Can I have your permission (and your email address) to email you directly?

 

Thanks Keri

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keriamon
Message #520 - 01/15/09 09:05 PM

nebkeriura @ gmail. com

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debtheaven2007
Message #521 - 01/15/09 11:29 PM

Keria

I really need to get that KK book. I will. I have a Lillian Too book but not a KK book.

As I was reading your advice, I could totally see where you were going, and cringing, lol. No, I'm not ready for that, nor is he. I might try to do it mentally (on some level I already do. He's only here on weekends on vacations, the rest of the time I just close the door and "forget" about that room, more or less.) But I won't apply a physical "cutting off" cure to his space. I promised DS1 and DS2 that they would always have a room here for them through college, and DS2 is still in college. I guess I was hoping for a wind-chime, lol.

I will, however, try to talk to him again and try to encourage him to clear out that closet. I'm actually debating on whether or not to tell him exactly why it's so important to me (besides the fact that I hate mess and clutter, ie the Feng Shui thing).

As always, Keria, thank you SO MUCH! And by the way, I had my leaving party at work today. Monday is my last day. (A bunch of us don't work every Friday, and Monday is not a nice day for a relaxed party, plus I have DD's parent-teacher conferences on Mon, so the party was today even though it was not my last day at work.)

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pink.cshmere
Message #522 - 01/15/09 11:30 PM

Keria, are there any "cures" I can do there, because I can't FORCE a 20YO to clean out his closet?

Not trying to be snarky, but why can't you make him clean out the closet? Especially since it's YOUR house, and the closet is really bothering you? Just curious.

[Virgil Showlion]

debtheaven2007
Message #523 - 01/15/09 11:36 PM

Not trying to be snarky, but why can't you make him clean out the closet?

How on earth does one MAKE a 20YO kid who is twice your size do anything?! LOL. You can ASK, you can even BEG, but you can't MAKE a 20YO do anything, IMO. He's a great kid, and a great student. Our house is very weird, he basically has a master bedroom, downstairs. (We have the master bedroom upstairs, directly above him.) The way he sees it is, his room is nearly always neat (it is), and the mess is all in the bathroom / closet area WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO SEE IT. He actually chucks it all in there so that his room is neat TO MAKE ME HAPPY.

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debtheaven2007
Message #524 - 01/15/09 11:45 PM

pink.cashmere

Your question really made me think about this.

He never REFUSES to clean out that closet, he just never manages to get around to it. He doesn't have a huge attention span (but he obviously doesn't have a problematic one). He's 20, and even I remember that at 20, there's always something better to do than clean out your closet. He keeps promising to do it, I'm sure he means it, but then he gets a better offer, lol.

Also, because like I said, you have really made me think about this. He's at a great college (5Y Master's), away from home, but close enough to come home every weekend. I sort of railroaded him to go there, he would have preferred to go to a carpy one here and live at home. And lastly, he has an exceedingly rare and potentially fatal genetic disease, and all of us (me, DH, my ex, his wife) do push him, but certainly not as far as we might push a kid with no health issues.

Pink, I've probably shocked you there, I didn't mean it. But you asked a question, and I answered it. And thank you, it helped me a lot. Cleaning that closet would have absolutely no impact on his health, it's just that we rarely "push" things with him unless they're really vital. I'll be the first to admit that although his closet does drive me nuts, it's not "important" in the scheme of things. Happily he pushes himself, most of the time.

But, I've resolved to talk to him AGAIN and tell him that this is really important to me, and I will help him, but at this point I NEED him to make that effort. And I'll probably offer to take him out for a nice lunch when it's done.

Thank you!

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pink.cshmere
Message #525 - 01/16/09 12:37 AM



debtheaven; Whew, in your first post I thought I'd ticked you off, which really wasn't my intention. I still have teenagers and when I get tired of looking at their horrible bedrooms (they also try to keep the doors closed so I won't see the mess), I make them clean it up.

 

I was just wondering how the dynamic might change once they're young adults. In my family, if you're staying with someone, their rules are the bottom line. That also applies to adult kids living at home. When I read your post, I was imagining that I'd tell my son "Either you clean it or I will. If I have to clean it, I'll do the easiest thing, which would probably be to just throw everything away." My kids don't want me in their "stuff" anyway, so that usually works. My son is bigger than me too, but I'm still the Momma! LOL

 

That's why I was curious about your statement. I wasn't knocking you at all; everybody's different and deals with situations differently. Hopefully, your DS will clean it all up sooner rather than later.

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pink.cshmere
Message #526 - 01/16/09 12:39 AM

He's 20, and even I remember that at 20, there's always something better to do than clean out your closet.

Forgot to add that I'm 37, and I can still come up with better things to do than clean my closet.

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debtheaven2007
Message #527 - 01/16/09 01:09 AM

In my family, if you're staying with someone, their rules are the bottom line.

Mine too! That's part of why I have such issues with this! We actually told him that he could keep that bedroom through college under the sole condition that he kept it neat and available for the few people who might not be able to make it up the stairs to the guest room. He immediately said, SURE, no problem! But he doesn't realize that the state of that bathroom / closet totally preempts that agreement.

I am American, DH is a Brit, we live in France. When people come, they don't just come for dinner, they stay. DH's aunt and uncle (DH's closest relatives besides his immediate family) are getting to the age where the stairs to the guest room are hard for them.

No, I was not ticked off, and like I said, I really appreciate you making me think about this!

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more_money
Message #528 - 01/16/09 03:34 AM



Debt, you are lucky that you do not have something REALLY serious to keep your mind occupied!

 

I stumbled onto this board and it was very opportune!  I own a small business that is struggling, along with many others in this economy.

I will buy a purple orchid to be placed in the soon to be straightened out wealth area.  My dining room is in the farthest left of the main floor and it is a junk yard!  I have appliances and building material waiting to be installed. 

 

I am walking around with a bagua in my hand trying to figure out what is what!

 

This is a fun thread...

[Virgil Showlion]

Heather 2.0
Message #530 - 01/16/09 01:10 PM

we live in France.

2007debtheaven: Every time I see you mention this, I'm envious. I've been to France twice and I LOVE it. I think it would be so amazing to live there.

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luckytobeme12
Message #531 - 01/16/09 03:45 PM



I have made drastic cost cutting in my business.  I have NEVER had to lay off employees until now.  I can't save anyone if I can't save myself.



To top things off, my remodel has gone way over budget and has encountered major unforeseen problems.  A project that was supposed to take one year, I had built in an additional 6 months for "I did not know that".  Still, it drags on and money just flows out!  It is 2 1/2 years and counting...Knock on wood, I am still married!  My husband just wants it done! 

 

Fixing the wealth corner is priority number 1!

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FirstEXwife
Message #532 - 01/16/09 08:02 PM



DebtHeaven2007

 

I have teen's and children now adults.  Only the teens still live at home.  I run into the closet/cupboard issue from time to time.  I usually give three or four requests, warnings.  Then... I let them know, either they clean it or I do.  If I do, I will be throwing out and giving away so it may be better if they do it.  Usually, they do.  One son... is just as happy to have me clean his closet... once every three years... or so. 

 

Not sure it is the 'best' solution but it works for us.  Once I have it cleaned, It stays pretty darn good for the next couple years or so.

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2007debtheaven
Message #533 - 01/16/09 08:11 PM

First Exwife

Funny you should mention that, because I came to the same conclusion today! I won't give his stuff away but I have decided to empty out the closet and reorganize it. I also think that if everything is neatly folded and visible, he will be more willing to go through it and get rid of the old stuff. It will be 4 1/2 years since he moved into that room, lol. He is away during the week and home on weekends, so I will try to do that next week.

ETA: Heather2, it gets old. Seriously, it's just home now. I still miss my family and friends SO much. Thank Gd for the internet! I moved here MANY years ago (I met my French ex at grad school) and it's just home. Even here, there are bills to pay, we have debt, things break down, appliances die and toilets get stuffed up. We do have good wine and cheese though, lol. You think of it as an exotic destination because you travel here on vacation, but when you live here, you have the same problems as everybody in the US (except for health care).

Would it make you feel any better to know that my DS1 (grad school) is now doing an internship in NY, and my DS2 (in college) wants to do his jr year abroad in the US, and that DD (HS) and DS3 (grade school) are CONSTANTLY complaining "why can't we move to the US"? LOL

Thanks!

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T-Bird_Money
Message #534 - 01/16/09 09:44 PM

Fixing the wealth corner is priority number 1!

I'm in trouble here!  Help!!!!

In looking at the bagua and my house -----this area is totally cut off from the rest of the house!

Coming in the front door, you proceed all the way to the back of the house and come into the kitchen.  To the right is the rest of the kitchen,

To the left, the first 1/3 is a bathroom in what was formerly a pantry, the last 2/3 of this area is a little mudroom porch - hasn't been painted in about 25 or more years.  Windows very old, some with cracks, currently filled with poorly organized junk - and about the same temp as outdoor weather.

Below this porch is nothing - this little square area is OMITTED in the basement!  Under the porch -is dirt with some weeds, and in the dirt far back under the porch is one of those old round water/sewer lid things....do any of you know what I mean?

The second floor are doesn't extent this far.....ends at the beginning kitchen wall.

This sounds like a worse case scenario to me here......



any advice?

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2007debtheaven
Message #535 - 01/16/09 10:39 PM

T-bird, my house is wonky too. Go with what you have, don't go with what is missing. It sounds like your wealth area is in or around the mudroom? So keep that clean and neat. Repaint or fix it up as you can. Add or repaint something purple? Like a coat rack maybe?

Otherwise (I'm channelling Keria here, lol) do it by room instead. The wealth corner is basically the back left-hand corner of the room. Maybe you would do better to work on the back left-hand corner of the individual rooms? (Keria, correct me if I'm wrong).

I feel your pain though. The back left hand corner of our basement is ... the storage room. LOL. Directly below DS2's room.

I'm actually entertaining the thought of getting a professional feng-shui consultant in, since those two rooms are the only messy areas of the house, both in the wealth area (as far as I can tell in this wonky, L-shaped house). Since I can't get DS2 or DH to do much to fix them. I don't know what it would cost but I think I will look into it.