Feng Shui and Money

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #715 - 06/06/09 07:54 PM



monitor so you can see everything happening behind you.  I've seen people do this who have never heard of feng shui, but who instintictively know it feels better.  You can print out pictures and hang them on your cube walls to correspond to the bagua of your cube.  You can also apply the bagua to your desk (align the skills/career/helpful people side to the side of the desk where you sit) and arrange your office supplies around it the best you can (training manuals to the skills section, metal paperclips to the creativity section, monitor to the fame section, pencils in your family section, etc.). 

 

The last thing you can do, if you are really, really limited on how much you can move or hang up, is to make a bagua flower.  Make one out of construction paper, or just color it.  Draw a round-leafed daisy/sunflower-type flower, with eight petals.  Color the petals in the colors and order of the bagua (center is yellow, bottom center petal is black and moving clockwise around it are blue, green, purple, red, pink, white and grey).  There is no need to put a stem on it.  Size it according to how much space you have, and then stick it under your keyboard, desk blotter or even tape it under your desk top.  Karen Carter recommends this sort of feng shui cure for cars, which, of course, can't be resonably feng shuied, where you can't figure out what's best to do (this works as a cure-all), where you can't feng shui with other items, when you are in a hurry to accomplish change, and when you need to correct a problem, but can't (she used them on a white couch (metal) which was in a section metal should not be in, but she had no other place to put it). 

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2007debtheaven
Message #716 - 06/06/09 10:58 PM

Keria, that sounds like a really creative idea for the swords! I'd love to have given you those shelves, too bad you live so far, lol. DH and I decided to put them back (empty) in the storage room. We'll keep them for DS1 who may want them, either in his room or in a rental apt next year. If he doesn't, we'll get rid of them then.  

Jillbean
You sound like a victim of your own enthusiasm! lol. It's less overwhelming and less messy to do one project at a time. But since the stuff is out already, take a day or two or three off, then start tackling it in reasonable stints, ie one or two hours at a time, or one closet / dresser at a time, whatever works better for you. Work room by room, and set reasonable goals so you don't get totally burnt out before the stuff gets put away. Good luck! And congratulations: you've accomplished a HUGE amount in a VERY short amount of time! Please don't give up now! Finish what you started, at your own pace, then take a break.

Martivir
I think you've found the solution! Since your MIL will shop till she drops, maybe the ideal solution is to supply her with a list of what you need? And tell her that you really appreciate all her help, but you have no more room for anything that is not on the list. She'll still be busy shopping, and feel helpful, and at least you'll get some stuff that you need.

Also, unless she lives in a hangar, she needs to get rid of stuff regularly too (that's why she gives it to you). Have you or DH ever tried to get her on ebay? Imagine, the inveterate shopper becomes an inveterate ebayer / declutterer, lol. You could always offer her a commission to help sell your unwanted stuff. O the poetic justice, LOL! I think if your DH presents this as the perfect way to get rid of stuff to have more money to shop with and more space to put that stuff, it could actually work.

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keriamon
Message #717 - 06/07/09 03:27 AM



I think if Marti's MIL got on eBay, she'd only shop, not sell!  Although a lady I used to work with had a friend who would go to thrift stores and yard sales and buy things which were in pristine condition and were name brand, and then she would sell them on eBay.  She bought a Coach purse at a thrift store for something like $5.  Found money in it ($50-$100 I think) and then sold it on eBay for a couple of hundred.  She actually won an award for best resale with some group she belongs to where others do the same thing.  You just have to know your designer labels, and be disciplined to not buy things you don't need or won't resale for more than you paid for them. 

 

Well, the office is clean!  All I lack is filing the papers I gathered up and I have to find a place for my husband's 18th century skillet to live.  But it looks SO much better in here x10!  I got some of the junk off his desk, organized his music CDs and our games and corralled all our software and hardware CDs.  Oh, I do still need to rearrange some of the pictures, although I did some already.  I had this collection of 4 framed cross stitches that I started back when I lived in Ireland.  I'm not sure if I've ever had all of them hanging up together, because I didn't finish the fourth one for several years after I moved back.  I know they haven't hung up in this house since I moved here--like three years ago!  They've been in a pile somewhere in the house all that time because I just didn't take the time to hang them up.  Each one is in a different-colored frame--red, green, yellow, blue--so collectively they're pretty feng shui nuetral because they balance.  Fire and water, earth and tree--they cancel each other out. 

 

The lady came to get the desk, so that's one more thing out of the house, and my husband got a little better than he expected for the rifle.  So now I just need to get someone to take the sewing cabinet, truck camper top, bed liner and these Barbie dolls.  I've been trying to sell the Barbies for ages, but I can't even get $5-$10 for them, and they're all collector ones (two of them were quite expensive originally).  I already checked eBay and they're selling for next to nothing there--when they're selling.  I'm thinking I might just them off at the Goodwill, because I'm tired of them taking up space. 

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #718 - 06/07/09 04:52 PM

Yeah, my MIL and Ebay would be a really bad combination. And she does get rid of stuff but man it's like pulling teeth. She usually starts with FIL's stuff( he's a pack rat but doesn't bring stuff in other then hunting gear) and then if she can't make room for her latest haul that way then she starts with her stuff. Every drawer, shelf and hidden cranny is crammed with stuff. I once thought I broke the one section of their entertainment center( a spot where it looks like speakers would go) only to find it crammed with candles, board games and VHS tapes! Her attic is packed from corner to corner at least 3-4 boxes deep( I'm now the only person who can go up there without serious risk of falling through the ceiling because my feet are small enough to fit between all the stuff) and her basement is filled with stuff literally up to the ceiling. There is just a path from the stairs to the washer and dryer. I cleaned the garage once and got rid of at least 4 contractor sized garbage bags of trash. Not even the broken stuff, just plain old trash. I did convince her to have a garage sale once. We made about 500 bucks, but instead of sending the rest to Goodwill it all came back into the house.

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2007debtheaven
Message #719 - 06/07/09 10:29 PM

Yeah, my MIL and Ebay would be a really bad combination.

Oh well! It was just a thought, lol.

Keria, good for you! You're on a roll. I'd get rid of the Barbies, but maybe you can donate them to some place that means more to you than Goodwill? Maybe a woman's shelter?

I went to the storage room tonight. It's so neat, I thought I would die of shock! Even with that last box still on the floor. It's really bugging me, that last box. Too bad it's not bugging DH, lol.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #720 - 06/08/09 03:27 PM

Is it bad that I'm excited because my mom's bringing over a clothes rack for the kid's room today? Ok so it's not just any clothes rack but my brother's old one that my grandfather made. My brother used to be obsessed with dinosaurs and my grandfather did woodworking to keep himself from going insane after he retired from the school system( on top of becoming a minister and volunteer fireman to keep busy). So it's a clothes rack shaped like brontosaurus. It's not going to match the rest of the room at all( we went with a Hawaiian/surfing theme) but I just love it. Maybe I can stick a lei on it from my wedding and it will blend in alittle better. I wish my grandfather was still around to see another little boy enjoy it. He passed when I was back in elementary school and this would have been his first great grandson. I still have my grandparents on my mom's side and they get a great grandkid a year! This will be great grandchild #9 and half their grandkids have yet to decide if they want kids or not.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #721 - 06/08/09 05:26 PM



Eh, kids' rooms aren't supposed to have themes anyways; that's a modern invention to make you spend more money.  Kids are always supposed to have everyone else's handoffs, LOL.  Historically, it's made additional children very cheap (almost free) to rear.  Of course, in the case of fine furniture, it's not a handoff, but an HEIRLOOM.  It has the place of pride.

 

Anyways, a baby won't notice the decor doesn't match, and by the time he's a toddler, you'll probably want to redo the room anyways, and he may very well want dinosaur wallpaper.

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keriamon
Message #722 - 06/08/09 05:50 PM



Oh, I should brag on myself some more.  I did the filing yesterday!  I had collected up a paper sack almost full of stuff that needed to be filed and which was in the floor of the office.  I had everything else clean, so I sat in the floor, pulled all the papers out and started sorting them.  I only keep a year's worth of monthly bills anyways, so when I started looking at dates, I started flinging stuff, and I think I got rid of more than half the filing pile before it ever went in the drawer because I was so far behind, most of it was too old to keep anyways.  I had only a small pile to put in the drawers, plus some manuals and other things to keep long term (found the truck title; couldn't have told you where that was before to save my life). 

 

We also stopped last night and got some boxes to put books in; my husband has given me permission to unload his Civil War collection from the shelf so we can have the space for the other books that we have triple stacked.  He thinks that we can get rid of the metal bookcase, but he's sadly mistaken; once I get books off of it, there will be other books to put on it and it will be full.  I am, however, thinking about painting it and maybe moving it.  It might not look so bad if it were painted black.

 

Some time back I signed us up for Library Thing (www.librarything.com/).  It's free if you don't have too many books (most people it will be free for, but not us, with four bookcases worth--at least, we'll have to pay for it if I ever get around to putting that many books on it).  You can enter the ISBN number of your book and it will pop up the information for it, and oftentimes the cover art.  Then you can sort your books by title or author, make comments on them for your reference, easily look up other books by the same author or in the same subject, and even make the list public or share them with friends (as re-enactors, it helps us a lot to know what other people have on their bookcases, because if it was worth cataloging, it was probably a good book and something we'd also like to have).  It will even give you the library of congress classification system number (not quite the same as the Dewey Decimal System), so you can organize your books on your shelves kind of like a library (a secret dream of mine!).  Anyways, as I start packing away books, I'm going to log them into this thing, so we'll be that much closer to having our library indexed.  And then we can print off our list and take it with us to the used book store and make sure we don't pick up something we already have.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #723 - 06/08/09 06:54 PM

Keri, most of the stuff is hand me down. Crib was free from a friend, changing table was a garage sale find and for decorations we are using some stuff I already had because I'm a huge Lilo and Stitch fan. So there's the Hawaiian artwork right there. Oh and a metal gecko that my mom picked up because she thought it was cute. Other then that nothing really matches.Plus this is most likely going to be our one and only so I'm going to have my fun with this.

And I hate these random urges. I got hungry so I went into the kitchen to make myself some lunch. An hour later I've taken a shower, have a batch of something called monkey bread rising( from scratch), the kitchen garbage is in the dumpster and I've called Mom to see if she was still coming over. And I never did make myself lunch. Oh and DH wants me to "do something" with the boxes of brownie mix and what not since we are trying to rotate my stock of baking stuff. It's going to be Christmas in his office tomorrow. 

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TwoBoys2008
Message #724 - 06/08/09 08:17 PM



I recently found this thread, and have read nearly every post.  I've enjoyed it very much, and have started my decluttering journey.  I usually just lurk, but have come out of the shadows with a suggestion for Martivir regarding crushing cans.  Just use the can-opener to open both ends, the can then easily crushes flat. 

 

Thank you!

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #725 - 06/08/09 08:31 PM

IdAngel, Welcome! Always nice to see new faces around here. And your right! They would probably squish easy enough for me to just step on them too. And I already a way to get rid of them. I just call my brother and left him know I have a box of scrap metal free for the taking. And it would have to be a box because those ends would be sharp enough to shred through a bag easy.

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keriamon
Message #726 - 06/08/09 10:00 PM



Yeah, that is a good idea about the cans.  I wouldn't have thought to take the other end off.  Just make sure you step on them while wearing shoes! 

 

Marti, there's something about Hawaiian decor that doesn't seem to be incompatible with dinosaurs to me.  Maybe it's the lush jungles and the volcanoes.  LOL   

 

Angel, feel free to brag on yourself or lament your lack of progress with the rest of us!  Also, feel free to ask questions about organizing ideas or feng shui cures.  As I was telling someone else, I have a severe organizational streak.  The only problem is getting motivated enough to use it.  But when I'm in a mood, I've got German precision organization going on. 

 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #727 - 06/09/09 01:00 AM

Sweet!  Someone finally came to pick up our old truck camper top.  Now all that's left to get rid of is the bed liner, the sewing cabinet, the Barbies and, oh, I found a couple of truck tires in the weeds that my husband said I could give away. 

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #728 - 06/09/09 01:19 PM

Yeah Keriamon! You are rockin!

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TwoBoys2008
Message #729 - 06/09/09 02:29 PM



I'm doing FlyLady (again).  For now, just the daily missions -- I'll work on routine later.  Yesterday's mission was to clean "high" in the kitchen, so I cleaned off the top of my fridge.  I'm a shorty, so I rarely see the top -- and it sure was disgusting.  I threw out an old clock that has never worked, and put a bunch of stuff in the yard sale box.  There was an empty cupboard behind all that carp!  The candles now have a new home!

 

I do have a feng shui question.  It seems that my most "prominent" love/marriage corners (for the whole house and the master bedroom) don't have "corners".  The whole house love area is in the dining room, and both the dining room and our bedroom have a jutted out area, like someone cut the corners off, so that room looks kinda like this:  (I love ASCI art)  There is a big window on the flat part and a little window on each of 'corner' faces.  Does that make sense?

 

 /-----\

 |       |

 |       |

 

Our marriage is okay, but with 18 month old twin boys, we are always exahusted and short with each other, and often bicker rather than converse.  We could use all the help we can get.   Just outside the window (where the corner would be, if it was there) of our bedroom, I planted a bleeding heart -- is that bad?  What kind of things should I put in our love/marriage areas to bring more harmony and peace?  I'm going to start with decluttering, and moving the boy's dresser into their room.  Are the missing corners really bad? 

 

Thanks in advance for your help.   You all are an inspiration. 

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #730 - 06/09/09 02:34 PM

Keri, if you were close by my mom's looking for a sewing cabinet. Right now she's using my old computer desk for her sewing machine. Last night she came over and helped me put together the toy organizer. She also told me how Dad had her laughing. Mom's one of those people that loves a clean and organized house. She does her best but while Dad is willing to get rid of things he just doesn't always see the hurry to get stuff put away. I guess yesterday he went to a friend's house and it was spotless, well decorated and perfectly organized. And it made him feel that their house was less then acceptable. As he was saying that he needed to work on getting stuff put away right away and getting the excess stuff out of the house Mom was biting her tongue. She's been trying to get Dad to do these things for years. And the first thing he wanted to do was go through the basement. Mom wanted to suggest the pile of stuff by the front door he brought in when he was cleaning out the car.

And your house sounds like my uncle's place. He was a big fan of the "I might need this some day" and since he had two sheds and a full sized barn, he kept just about everything. And every so often he would take truckload upon truckload of stuff to the . Usually after my aunt got after him to get rid of stuff. But since the old owners didn't take everything with them when they moved( they bought an old family farm when the mom went into a nursing home) you never knew what you were going to find. Like the old cast iron pot bellied stove they found in the chicken coop or saddle in the attic in the barn. My brother went on a kick where he loved the metal detector and while most of the stuff found was bullets from my aunt and uncle he did find the wedding ring the original owners brother in law lost. My aunt contacted the family and for years they thought he had pawned it( he was an alcoholic and they thought he sold it for more booze) while he swore to his grave that he had lost it one night while working out in the barn. And that's where my brother found it. Their barn was built on the side of a hill and when he lost it, it fell through the floorboards and under the barn.

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TwoBoys2008
Message #731 - 06/09/09 02:38 PM

I've read alot about you guys, so I thought I would share a little about myself as well --

 

I've always been attached to my things, I'm not really certain why.  I'm the model of "perfectionism" that the FlyLady speaks off.  I don't want to do anything unless I can do it perfectly.  I don't want to start cleaning my office, because I'll never finish, and not everything has a place.  I don't want to start organizing untill I have the perfect system worked out, and have purchased all of the necessarcy boxes, shelves and totes.

 

The thing is, we out grew our house much faster than anticipated, with having two kids the first time around.  I really like our house, but I'm starting to feel cramped, but we can't afford to move now.  I'm trying really hard to "be happy now".  Not, "I'll be happy when I get to be a SAHM" or "I'll be happy when we have a bigger house" or "I'll be happy when my husband gets a better job." or "I'll be happy when my house is clean."  I can't control most of those things, but I can control the clean house part.  And so my plan is to be happy getting my house clean.  And I'll be happy in my clean house, until we get a bigger one.  Who knows, with half as much stuff, we might not need a bigger house. 

 

But point is, more than ever before, I'm ready.  I don't want to live in a house full of stuff I hate.  I only want to surround myself with things I love, and that will bless and be loved by my family.

 

When the boys were crawling, we had the house 'sectioned off'.  We had kiddy gates everywhere, and had arranged the furniture to block the open dinnig room off from the living room, and our house felt "chugged up."  I was miserable.  I hated it.  My husband didn't quite understand.  I kept trying to explain that the flow felt off, and that I felt trapped.  We have now opened most everything up, and I feel much better.  We still have one gate up, to keep the boys out of the "sitting room" (travel/helpful people) (really it's just another carp hole, but it has the sewing machine and tall bookshelves in it.)  But the gate also blocks the front door.   I don't feel so trapped because we typically use the garage door, but I feel it blocks off visitors, and makes them feel unwelcomed.  Now I know why I feel that way -- we've basically removed the helpful people section from our home!

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jillbean_1978
Message #732 - 06/09/09 03:31 PM

I'm going to try very hard to get my kitchen back to being cleaned and as organized as I can get it. I currently have 8 kids in my house, 3 are just visiting. So my house has been abused somewhat. LOL I am finding my self at a block because I know I need to find a home for each thing but am worried if it's going in the right area! Like I have a large amount of candles. I love candles. And I always keep a bunch around in case we lose electric. And yes it does happen. Flashlights don't last very long in this house for some reason. My kitchen is very very out dated and as little space. We have several drawers that had plastic bags in them So I put the candles in there. Well that's the 'wealth' area. For the room and house. And I'm not sure if it's a good place for them. So I stopped putting anything away til I can figure it out. LOL Which is not good. So today I am going to clean it up and hope that things aren't in the wrong areas.
 I actually made a list of 10 things I wanna get done today. I don't know how I will do....but sure am going to try to get them all done.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #733 - 06/09/09 04:37 PM



Angel, I can't tell how much of your corner is cut off.  The bagua, when applied to the whole house has some pretty large blocks, so if someone only nipped a corner off by the width of a normal-sized window, then most of the bagua is still inside the house, in front of the window.  If, however, the corner has been sheared off by, say, the width of an entire bay window, then probably as much as half your relationship corner is going to be outside the window.  So yes, what you plant (or keep) outside the window will make a difference.  And no, I don't think a bleeding-heart plant is a good symbol in the relationship corner.  So long as you only have the one, I don't think it matters where you move it, so long as it's not to the relationship section of your property.  And even then, it's not as big a deal being there as it is in being in your missing house relationship corner.  When you're missing corners, those are VERY sensitive to bad feng shui, because missing a corner of your house is already not good; it can be very easy to compound the problem.  And, in your case, you're missing the house's corner and the bedroom's corner, which makes it especially weak and vulnerable.  And windows in those corners make decorating difficult. 

 

One of the things you can do is "fix" your corner.  Go outside and figure out where the walls would be if they extended out and finished off the corner.  You can then do a number of things in that space to visually or "magically" reconnect the outside part of the corner to the inside.  One suggestion I've seen, when there's a section missing between two parts of a house that jut out on either side, is to brick/pave the section in between so that the new patio aligns with the walls of the house.

 

Problem:

______              _______

|       |             |          |

|       |________|          |

 

Becomes:

 

______ ---------_______

|       |             |         |

|       |________|         |

 

where the dotted line represents the edge of a new patio, and the space in between the house sections is paved.  You sort of build an outdoor room in the missing space and bring it into alignment with the rest of the house, so it is visually squared off.  I don't know the landscaping at your house, but you might could pave that little corner of your missing section with some rocks or bricks and set out some plants in pots and have it look like a neat little feature.  It doesn't have to be a patio in the traditional sense of being a place for people to sit.  You can just make yourself a little feature, if it wouldn't look like an odd corner out. 

 

A hidden way to fix the corner would be to bury a red string along the lines that the walls should have followed.  This will bring that corner back into the house so any cures you apply here will be done as if they were inside a regular corner.  You can also set something where the corner should be.  A large rock will work, although a small tree, bush or even a feature (fire hydrant, bird bath, sundial, weather vane) will also work.  Of course, red is the best color, so a Japanese maple with red leaves, or a red rose bush (roses being symbolic of love too), or red bird bath would be best.  Just put it where the two walls ought to meet up and your eye, when you look out that window, will automatically fill in the lines connecting the corner-anchor to the rest of the house.  And having something pretty out there to look at will also have you bringing that corner into the house, because you will look at it as part of that room, not something outside of it.

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keriamon
Message #734 - 06/09/09 04:38 PM



 

If your bedroom corner is the same way, in that the outside corner is lopped off, fix it using any of the cures above (it doesn't have to be done exactly like the other corner).  If it's lopped off inside the house, it can be a bit trickier.  For instance, in our living room, one corner is lopped off enough to set a fireplace on the diagonal. 

 

___________

|       \|      |

|_____|____|

 

The living room is on the left and the bathroom on the right; the angle is the fireplace.  As you can see, there's nothing behind it; it doesn't open to the outside and it's not in the bathroom.  In that case, there's no cure because there's no way to correct the missing corner.  However, so little of the corner is cut off (and is in the wall), it doesn't really matter.  I just decorate around the fireplace. 

 

If you have a corner cut off, however, that is in another room, that's the tricky part.

 

________________

|          |            |

|          |__         |

|              |         |

|________|______|

 

This sort of problem can sometimes happen in non-master bedrooms where one room's closet juts into another room.  So, does the closet belong to the room it juts into, or does the empty corner need to be brought into the other room in order to square it up with its closet?  I don't think there's a right answer here, because feng shui masters never envisioned closets.  You know, most of the world uses wardrobes instead.  A lot of times, in American houses, that crooked middle line represents a closet on either side, so that the rooms themselves are square.  In that case, I advocate putting the bagua in each room as if they were square and ignore the closets.  That doesn't mean that they are free spaces, where you can pile junk without consequences; it's just a matter of not knowing what bagua sections they might be, so you won't know what consequences they might bring.  This is a good place to apply the bagua daisy cure I mentioned a few posts back; stick some of those up in the closets and they will work (provide the closet is tidy and de-cluttered) regardless of what bagua section the closets might fall into. 

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #735 - 06/09/09 04:40 PM



Welcome ladies, it is great to have newcomers as an opportunity to teach is a refresher on what we have learned.

 

 I only want to surround myself with things I love, and that will bless and be loved by my family.

IdAngel, that is the mantra I repeat daily!  When I am thinking about whether to keep something I ask myself 1) do I need it/use it? 2) do I love it? then I think about where I use it and place it there. 

 

As for appropriate placement according to fengshui, I use the bagua map (search for that term on google, fengshuipalace or something like that will come up and is really easy to use).  I have printed a bagua map off that site for each room and each floor of my house + my office at work.  On the printed versions I have plotted out my space so I know where to put everything.  As keriamon wisely reminds us the most important thing is to clear and clean the space before applying cures.  I would start with your most used area and declutter/clean while looking at the bagua maps for suggestions.  When decluttering I usually make piles (like items with like), that way I know how much of something I have (also helps me let go of things I only "need" when I see that I already have what I "need" and "love").  Once I finished decluttering and cleaning the house (there is no real finishing, over time you have to revisit and spruce up areas) I got serious about placement according to the bagua map.  I keep a list of things I want to attract to my life (like a new rug for the dining room) that way when I am out shopping and see something I love I can look at my list to see if it is something I also need.  If it isn't I admire it, put it back on the shelf and move on.

 

Can't wait to hear about your progress!

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keriamon
Message #736 - 06/09/09 05:03 PM



As for cures in the relationship section, as I mentioned earlier, red roses work as a plant because they symbolize love in our culture.  Round-leafed plants in red or pink also work, like impatiens and violets.  Just don't put anything up that's a down-ward hanging vine, trails or droops because you don't want your love life to be limp (!).  Vines climbing up stuff are okay, because they are going upwards.  Climbing rose bushes would also be great outside.

 

The color for this section is pink, but red also works because pink is just a muted red.  Also, fire is the element in this section, and fire is represented by red.  Triangles are the shape of choice because they're the shape of fire.  Wood is a good secondary element because wood fuels fire.  But beware of water elements, because water douses your fire.  Water elements include the colors blue and black, undulating/waving shapes, mirrors, too much glass, water fountains, sinks, and water pictures and watercolor pictures.  Candles, on the other hand, are a good fire element (they don't have to be burning).  If you have a cuboard here, it's a good place to store your unused candles, matches and lighters.  Of course, pink and red candles are really great.  Also, you can hang pictures that are symbolic of love--happy couples together, your loving parents on their 50th wedding anniversary, or, in our case, prints of medieval acts of chivalry. 

 

Be careful that you don't have solitary objects or solitary portraits.  One candle is not good; only one person is carrying the flame; if you have two candles, then you each burn for each other.  A picture with only one person in it is solitary; you don't want to be alone in your marriage.  Either hang up a picture with two people in it, or hang up a second picture to balance out the first (for instance, if you have a picture of your loving mother here, then the natural companion would be a picture of your father; but only do this if they BOTH represent love and a happy marriage; if you can't stand your dad, take the picture of your mom alone down and move her to the family section and don't hang up your dad). 

 

Also, because you have kids, be careful to keep kid stuff out of this section, because some people find their kids coming between them.  This should be yours and your husband's section alone for now.  This section can include relationships that are not marital, including your relationships with your kids, but right now, with small kids, you and your husband need the help; when your kids are teens, then you'll need help keeping ya'll's relationship with them mutually loving and respecting.  At the very least, make the house's and master bedroom's relationship sections yours alone; the relationship sections in the other rooms of the house are not nearly as important, and, in fact, in the relationship section of the kid's room, pictures of the faily together work nicely, because they will want to have a good relationship with everyone in the family.  This is also a good place, when they are a bit older, to put pictures of their friends.   

 

Also be careful if you have pets; Karen Carter had a friend who put the puppy's bed in the relationship section and everything started to revolve around the dog and they were arguing about the dog, etc.; the man himself admitted that the dog was like a third leg to their marriage. 

---

TwoBoys2008
Message #737 - 06/09/09 07:32 PM



Thanks Keri & Abundance. 

 

I realize that the bagua is more than just the corner, and is the whole section -- just a little bit of the corner is cut off -- the window there (in both rooms) is only like 18 inches wide.  

 

For now, I'm starting with our room, and I'm going to work on clearing the boys clothes and the dog's bed out of the relationship section of our bedroom.   From what Keri just said -- that could make all the difference! Our whole bedroom is done in brown & pink, so I should be able to find something to put in the cornor besides the boy's dresser.  

 

I like the idea of keeping a list of things that I want to attract to my life, and not buying anything unless I both love it and it is on the list.

 

I've placed the map over a floor plan of my house -- so I have a pretty good idea about what areas of the bagua's are where.  The back side of my house, I'm pretty confident -- I'm just not sure where to line up the front part -- Our garage juts out from the face of our home, but the door from the garage into the house (where we always enter) is on the same plane as the front door -- so I've lined it up with that plane, which leaves the garage out of the map.  

 

If I line the map up with the big garage door, it basically removes the career & helpful people sections from the house, but I could do what Keri said, and draw dotted lines to fill in the house -- which would actually be great, becuase it puts a little pond with gold fish smack dab in the middle of the career section.  It generally enlarges the "house", and makes the other areas bigger, respectively.  But puts helpful people in the middle of my front lawn. 

 

There I go again, trying to tackle everything at once.  First the bedroom, then the house.

---

keriamon
Message #738 - 06/09/09 09:01 PM

Jill, don't be afraid of making mistakes at this point.  Tidy is HUGE feng shui brownie points.  In fact, tidy and de-cluttered is the NUMBER ONE feng shui cure.  If you do that, then it will cancel out or greatly minimize smaller mistakes, like storing candles in the wrong drawer.  That's why I always preach tidy and de-clutter first, then move your stuff around to the best feng shui spot you can find.  No one can place feng shui cures when they can't get through the stuff in the room; you can't move furniture if there's stuff in the way either. 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #739 - 06/09/09 09:06 PM

Angel, in your case, I would not incorporate the garage into the house bagua.  That's a question that comes up a lot in American feng shui because so many houses incorporate a garage, but if where you enter the house from the garage is square with the rest of the house, then the garage can be treated wholly separate from the house.  It's an addition, rather than your house being something that's missing a corner (or two).  Give the garage its own bagua.  For people with detached garages, they can have their own bagua (just like a room in the house), and can also be looked at as being part of the overall property bagua. 

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #740 - 06/09/09 09:42 PM

I know that this is probably a big de-cluttering and feng shui no-no but it's amazing how much tidier a room looks when you stick stuff in the closet. I had two small baskets of random stuff that we need to go through and they contain things that really have no home right now. My closet is currently the catch all it seems for stuff and I had room in there so in they went. It stuffed full of junk, but it's all nice and neat. My closet would be the perfect thing to hit the next time I get a random burst of energy.

---

cheapcat
Message #741 - 06/09/09 10:47 PM



Has anyone else noticed that craigslist isn't the most effective way to get rid of things, or at least sell them? I have a bookshelf & table listed & have only received email from 2 people, both no shows. I had 1 email the first week; the guy gave me his cell # & he asked me all the info that was already in the ad. "How big is it?", I told him, even though the height, width & depth was in the ad. "What color?", the ad started with the color! "What town are you in?", this was also in the header. My friend was dying of laughter when I pulled up the ad to show her after she heard me answering the questions. She said maybe he was blind & someone else paraphrased the ad to him? The 2nd person sent 1 email asking about the condition, then asked where we were located & never responded again. I lowered the price 2X, once a week from the post date, but think I'm just going to let the ads expire. I'd almost rather donate the stuff to not have to get 10 calls/emails from weirdos who aren't really interested.

The stuff isn't in the way on the porch but I want it gone soon. I might try freecycle, though my mom is horrified that I would give good stuff away. Um, how do you think we got half the stuff she found for us? At least 1/2 our furniture was free or really cheap 2nd hand. She even found a corner bookcase on the curb that matches our woodwork.

Oh, how bad an idea is it to paint the entire basement red? Just the walls, not the floor.

---

keriamon
Message #742 - 06/09/09 11:13 PM



Yes, I've been having trouble selling things on Craisglist, even really cheaply, but so far giving things away has pretty well worked.  There does come a point where you just don't want it in the house/garage/yard anymore, and if someone will come and take it and save you from having to haul it to the , so much the better.  Oh, and yes, I get people asking me the same questions I already addressed in my ad.  Although have you seen some of the ads?  No information at all in them; I guess when there's a well-written, informative ad, it confuses the regulars. 

 

I guess hard times are keeping people from even shelling out $20 for a nice bed liner for their truck.  I had one lady who was coming to get a desk I had for sale for $20, then she e-mailed me and said they were out of money after paying their bills, could they come next week after payday and get it?  I told her to come on and get it anyways.  I wanted to make some progress and hadn't gotten rid of anything on CL yet.  It's just as well I let her have it for free, because when we got it out of the upstairs of the garage, I saw it wasn't in as good a shape as I had thought; it had been up there so long, the glue had disentigrated in the joints and so all the drawers needed to be glued back together, and the wood had dried out and cracked in a spot on the top.  Still a decent desk for free, once it's painted and new hardware put on the drawer.  I just thought about the women here on WIR, who might need a desk for their child, but can't even afford $20 for one. 

 

though my mom is horrified that I would give good stuff away

Just because a working grand piano is good stuff doesn't mean you'd want to keep 10 of them!  There comes a point when a house is only so big, and good stuff or not, there is no more room for it, period.  Then it's a matter of keeping the BEST stuff.  Tell your mom that X just isn't good enough to keep, because you want that space for X, which is better. 

---

abundanceandprosperity
Message #743 - 06/10/09 01:49 PM

 My closet would be the perfect thing to hit the next time I get a random burst of energy.

I love it that you said this!  Last night that was my only feng shui requirement (after picking up around the house and doing all the dishes but that is daily maintenance anyway), finally organize the hanging wardrobe (just one of four) and hang up the mound of beautiful clothes (new clothes even!) I had stuffed in there in a hurry before entertaining.  Can I tell you how good it feels!  This morning I actually picked out a cute outfit (that I had never worn together before).  Just opening those doors and seeing everything neatly hung (yes in order of color like the bagua map),  it was a treat.  I also am much more clear on what I need more of (let's just say no more black, brown or navy blue!).  I am stopping by my fav dept store tonight since they are having their big sale to see what colorful tops I can find. 

keriamon, what bagua would brown associate with?  How about beige/tan?  I have assumed grey is black.

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #744 - 06/10/09 05:27 PM

Hey ladies. I have swiss cheese brain today so who knows what's going to happen. I've already put the clean tupper ware away in the freezer.  But it's looking good to getting the whole house vacuumed. 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #745 - 06/10/09 07:00 PM



Well, Marti, while leaving stuff in the closet is a no-no, as part of any decluttering mission, corralling stuff is a step.  If you have a big mess to clean up, sorting things into piles is a step towards organizing it and getting it cleaned up.  If you have to pile some things in the closet because you haven't got room to pile them in the floor, then that's okay, so long as you definitely have it on your to-do list to come back to and work on (which I know you do).  I tend to think of cleaning as a top-down sort of thing.  Do that which makes the biggest impact with the least amount of effort first.  Then work your way down.  When I was tackling the office, I started with picking up the trash, dirty dishes and piles of books.  The last thing I did was the paper filing.  Organization of closets comes somewhere after the organization of a room, but before the organization of paperwork, if you need a plan.

 

I've already put the clean tupper ware away in the freezer.

My husband sometimes puts the peanut butter in the fridge.  It just seems lonely if it's not by the jelly, doesn't it?

 

keriamon, what bagua would brown associate with?  How about beige/tan?  I have assumed grey is black 

 

Those are all considered earth tones, so they fall into the middle of the bagua, the health (and earth) section.  Of course, if you're color-coordinating in a linear fashion, that can get a little tricky.  Fire creates earth, so I would hang them up either next to your red stuff or next to your pink stuff.  Grey/silver is actually its own color, linked with the helpful people/travel section.  It falls between white and black, which is probably where you have it anyways because it seems natural. 

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #746 - 06/10/09 07:26 PM

Yep it's on the list of things to do. First we're working on the piles of stuff we can see, like the junk in the kid's room, then the piles of stuff that are "contained". Or the closets, cabinets, those places.

And my DH puts the peanut butter in the fridge too. Drives me nuts because when I go to make peanut butter bread I end up with holes in it.

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #747 - 06/11/09 04:16 PM

Just popping in real quick for a daily check in. Nothing is getting done today. I'm perfectly fine with that. Well other then the vacuuming. I got the house clean enough to vacuum yesterday and today I'll do it. Like I've said before our biggest stumbling block is just getting set into the routine. And I'm happy today because I don't have to worry about the kitchen. We've been invited over to my parents to eat tonight. I'll get to have my feline and canine fix while I'm over there. I love pets of all kinds( as long as they have legs or fins, not fond of snakes) but I'm not paying 300 bucks to have a cat in my apartment right now. So I've been spoiling my brother's dog and parents cats when I get the chance.

---

jillbean_1978
Message #748 - 06/11/09 04:47 PM

Yesterday I rearranged the dining/computer room. I am kinda liking it better. The flow from the living room to the kitchen is better. And that was the reason I wanted to move things around.
 Today I am doing laundry. Might do some dishes. LOL I really need to do them today because tomorrow I am having oral surgery and won't be able to do anything for a few days. And the chances of Dh doing them are slim to none.

I have been watching local stores for a money plant or orchids. Neither have been found. Yesterday I found a silk potted purple orchid!! Now I just gotta figure out the best place for it. I am thinking our bedroom and setting it on the dresser once my Dh gets it redone.
 I do believe I am done with major decluttering now. It's just small amounts to gather up as we find them. So now I am ready to start placing things/items. And the problem I am running into is what to put where. I am not sure if my stuff is good feng shui items. Just gotta wait for a book I am guessing. LOL
 But it does feel better in the house since getting rid of all the junk that we for whatever reason was hanging on to but not using. And I do believe that's what is important with all this. Being clean and clutter free. 

---

Marshymellow
Message #749 - 06/11/09 04:55 PM

Oh my goodness I need this thread! My boyfriend and I were looking at houses the other day and I was like !!! i love this house. He looked at me like i was stupid and went... "its on the end of a dead end street, bad feng shui" *shocked* I had no idea he knew what feng shui is, especially since i dont know much about it myself. If it can help me declutter my house i will do just about anything though  it is a huge mess, i wont even have company over because of it. I will check into that book today. Any other tips for a just starting out?

---

abundanceandprosperity
Message #750 - 06/11/09 05:37 PM



My favorite feng shui book is "Feng Shui Your Life"  the writing is easy to follow, the pictures are gorgeous and the explanations are holistic.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #751 - 06/11/09 08:50 PM



If you need to get rid of clutter, "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston.  If you need feng shiu cures, "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" by Karen Carter.  If you're wondering what sort of things to look for in a new house, the Carter book can kind of help, but you might need something else.  Yes, sitting directly opposite of a T-intersection or dead-end road is bad feng shui.  There are corrections you can apply, but unless the house is great in every other way, you'd probably prefer finding a house that's going to need less work.

 

Some things to watch out for: houses which are not square or rectangular--as in they have part of a room jutting out, or part of a room missing.  Those take a lot of curing.  And I'm not talking about bay windows poking out a little, but a quarter or more of a room (or more than one room) extending out past sqaure, or being missing.  Also houses where the back door is in a direct line with the front door, or where the interior stairs (up or down) are directly across from the front door.  Also beware a bathroom, especially a toilet, in your house's prosperity corner; those are major hard to correct. 

 

I should point out to everyone that round is okay; rounded corners do not constitute a missing corner.  In fact, round corners are better than square ones anyday because square corners trap chi.  So if you go out west and build yourself a round house in some Native American style, you'd have great chi flow. 

---

Marshymellow
Message #752 - 06/11/09 09:25 PM



Ha. I always wondered why i hate houses with stairs in front of the door. Makes the living room so uninviting. Actually I have all of the above issues. I have way to much clutter from combining households/keeping way to much of my children's baby things, we are looking for a new house, and i had never given a thought to feng shui until DBF made the road comment. I'm a feng shui noob

 

I do live in Texas though! Maybe I could find us a round house... seems difficult to furnish though.

---

keriamon
Message #753 - 06/12/09 06:39 AM

Well, it certainly wouldn't be condusive to filling with too many things, or too large a piece of furniture.  Mabye that's why they are naturally good feng shui?  Literally, NOTHING gets stuck in a corner!

---

flynn11
Message #754 - 06/12/09 03:30 PM



I made a goal to file my papers about 2 weeks ago and to get it done 2 weeks ago. I didn't get to it until last night.  But it is done now!  The room feels so much better.  I am not completely done with everything, but I am getting almost everything picked up.  Then I will try to 'cure' what I can.  Slowly but surely I will get there.  Hopefully I will develop good habits right now so that when I move my clean habits will move with me.

 

Keriamon - I like your top down approach.  Doing the big things first gets the fasted results and motivates you to do more.  I am also remodeling my house and we are working and cleaning 'top down'.  Right now I know my attic is almost done and that it is swept clean.  This weekend I want to pick up and sweep the 2nd floor so there isn't anything up there that isn't needed right now.

 

Good luck to everyone, I hope you get your goals accomplished this weekend!

---

keriamon
Message #755 - 06/12/09 05:04 PM

Did you know that clutter in the attic is related to limiting aspirations?  Anything that requires higher thought--planning, dreaming, spirituality, even promotions and raises--are limited by clutter hanging over your head.  Clutter in the basement, on the other hand, keeps you rooted in the past; it's hard to make changes in your life for the better and you are prone to depression, because your not free to move on emotionally. 

---

2007debtheaven
Message #756 - 06/12/09 11:36 PM

Clutter in the basement, on the other hand, keeps you rooted in the past; it's hard to make changes in your life for the better

Oh, this is so true! Not the depression part though, DH is not depressed. (Maybe he would be if I didn't force him to do that regularly!) He kept his promise (albeit a bit late) and went through that last bag and box tonight. The basement storage room is quite full, but at least it's all up on shelves except for what can't be (the vertical stuff, DS2's marionette theater that I'm attached to, DS1's saddle). It has NEVER looked so good! And it's clean, to boot! And DS1's room is a bedroom again.

DH "cheats". He spent more time rearranging his boxes to fit on the shelves like a puzzle than actually going through them and chucking stuff. I often tell him I hope I go first because I don't want to go through all that carp. Somewhere in there are his late parents' bank statements. Seriously! But we're talking about a room the size of a medium-sized bedroom, so although it's not ideal, objectively, it's not that bad. (Don't tell him I said that!) Given that his mom was the same way in a four-bedroom house with no kids, cartons up to the ceiling in many rooms, and their double garage and giant shed, and attic, I guess everything is relative. Seriously, when I think about that, I realize DH has come a very long way and maybe I need to be more tolerant sometimes. I guess my real fear is that if I give DH more than the proverbial inch he'll take his mother's mile. And I DO give him that proverbial inch. He has half the basement storage space, me and the four kids and the pantry share the other half. He has 2/3 of our master bedroom closet space, I have 1/3.

Any thoughts on this revelation?

Keriamon, I really feel for you, because it's sort of the same thing here. Yes we're in a bigger home with kids so we have more space. But DH will occupy any space you give him, and then some. And in my case, WE were here first. Your post reminded me of when I used to come home from college, and my mom would clear out part of a drawer for me, in MY childhood bedroom. I think it's great that you, the decluttering queen, lol, finally have DH on board and I think it will be great to have a new place that really  belongs to both of you!

As I said, the older shelves (mine) are slanting badly. Here's to hoping they hold up till next fall / winter! Although the weather has been awful here, it's still mid-June, and I don't want to worry about the basement again until fall really sets in.


Flynn, congrats on the papers! For me that's definitely the hardest part!

[Virgil Showlion]

luckytobeme12
Message #757 - 06/13/09 05:57 AM

Clutter in the basement, on the other hand, keeps you rooted in the past; it's hard to make changes in your life for the better

 

           Ain't it the truth!  I really shoud give/throw away the 30 boxes of old stuff in the garage.  I will not lug them to the next house when

           I am ready to downsize in about 7 years.   

 

 

---

jillbean_1978
Message #758 - 06/13/09 09:58 AM

Ladies I had 6 teeth cut/pulled yesterday. I am in some pain. And can't sleep.

The center of my house is the small enclosed "room" that houses our furnace. It's not finished like the dining room. And it's really yucky. The fall I was planning on having it serviced and cleaned but not sure how much that costs. Also behind it is 1 of the 2 closets that we have in the entire house and I have to use it for storage mainly. I have cleaned out most of the closet and the last half will be cleaned out within a week or 2 once my husband gets the dresser done I will be moving his clothes into our room. The closet was once 2 very small closets but previous owners knocked out the wall and made it a walk way between the 2 bedrooms. I had Dh build shelves on one side that was our room and we ran out of materials for the other side. After I get the dresser in here I plan on using the shelves for extra blankets, pillows and coats/jackets. I also keep my herbs in there, because one day I will figure out how to make aromatherapy oils!!! Safely that is.
 I gotta go....dog broke his cable....

---

keriamon
Message #759 - 06/13/09 06:25 PM

Jill, I don't know if it would help, but the creativity section is associate with the mouth.  You might put a good feng shui cure in that section of your house and maybe your mouth will heal up faster!

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #760 - 06/14/09 12:03 AM

I've been banned from cleaning and decluttering this weekend unless DH supervises. I had a minor incident this morning involving a stadium sized cup of red kool-aid and white carpet. But we did get a lot of shredding done and some purging before I knocked over my drink.

---

keriamon
Message #761 - 06/14/09 04:14 AM



Marti, you're in France, aren't you?  There's a carpet cleaner I use that you'd have no hope of finding over there, unless maybe you can order it.  It's called Blue Magic.  I got grease out of light beige carpet and have gotten spaghetti stains out of other colors of carpet, so I think it would work on your Kool-Aid stain, provided you didn't treat it with anything else first. 

 

I found us some bookcases.  They had the exact bookcase I wanted online at Staples for $35.  I had paid $40 for the other two I have, and I bought them years ago; Wal-Mart was showing them as $50.  And, in fact, the store had them for $60, but they honored the website price.  So I got two.  I moved the old metal shelf out and have put one together and have it loaded up with our movies (which were overflowing the medium-sides case they were on).  I still have the other one to put together, then I'm going to load it up and organize our books as I'm doing it. 

 

I'm also going to mark down my jewelry in my Etsy store to try and sell it; money would be helpful at this juncture, plus I want this box of stuff out of my living room.  Something else I don't want to have to move. 

 

Oh, I got a follow-up e-mail from a company I applied to, and they had me take an online questioniarre, and it said that a recruiter would be calling me within the next five business days (this was on Wednesday).  So keep your fingers crossed that I might get a real job.  And that it would be a good one. 

---

luckytobeme12
Message #762 - 06/14/09 02:32 PM



Keriamon,

Maybe you have done it already.  Write your wish in black on really red paper. Say a prayer, fold it up and put it in a nice crystal dish/bowl in the helpful people section.  I did it a few years ago for and it worked!  Hope you get the job! 

[Virgil Showlion]

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #763 - 06/14/09 08:25 PM

Keri, nope I'm not the one in France. That's 2007. I did try to clean it up but since for some reason we don't keep many cleaning supplies around( toilet cleaner, Lysol All purpose, dish soap and Windex. That's it) I treated it with a mix of baking soda and mild dish soap. I got most of it up. It's a very faint pink mark right now. I'll have DH look for the Blue Magic stuff when he goes grocery shopping tomorrow.

---

keriamon
Message #764 - 06/14/09 09:01 PM



I got Blue Magic at Wal-Mart some years ago in the automotive section, so that may be where he needs to look.  I got almost all of the grease etc. black stuff out of my tan floor mats with it, then brought it inside to treat the carpet.  There were some stains of something next to our bathtub--some spilled toiletry product, I guess, because it wasn't just a stain; there was junk there--and they've been there longer than the 6 years I've known my husband!  I finally got tired of looking at them one day and put the Blue Magic on them, waited a few minutes, then scrubbed with a brush and everything came out.  It'll work on anything, so long as it hasn't been treated with something else already, and I think then it's only uneffective against cleaners that have some sort of Scotchguard-like sealant on them; baking soda and dish detergent probably won't stop its effectiveness. 

 

Although, if your carpet is true white, you might need to put some bleach and water in a spray bottle and spray that stain on your carpet and let it sit, then sponge it with water.  That might be all you need to do now, since it's faint.   

 

I put my other case together today and have started to load it with books.  I've got everything cataloged on it right now, and I'm working on other books as we speak. 

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #765 - 06/15/09 09:27 PM

What is it with parental units and the desire to make sure the house is presentable? I mean my mother has seen my at my worst and yet today when she called to say she was coming over in ten minutes( eek!) I go into a cleaning frenzy to make sure the house looks nice. Oh wait it's because every time she comes over if the kitchen isn't clean she'll clean it for me. And that makes me feel like I'm ten again with my mom cleaning my room because I didn't do it when she told me to. But my kitchen is clean( I did it, not mom) and mom went to the post office for me to pick up a package that the carrier didn't feel like attempting to deliver. I don't mind if I have to go out to their truck to get it, but at least buzz me so that I know I have it. Having only one car is great for the budget. Not so great for me getting out and running errands since DH needs the car for work. Part of his job requires him driving to the different stores to fix stuff.

---

keriamon
Message #766 - 06/16/09 06:05 PM

Part of his job requires him driving to the different stores to fix stuff.

Can he not slip in a side mission to the post office while out and about?  I mean, I can understand not stopping to buy a week's worth of groceries, but when you're using your own car for business errands, many companies don't complain if you also stop at the bank or post office while you're out. 

 

I think, for the time being, you ought to let the mother thing go.  When you're in your 9th month, you will be quite content to sit on the couch, with your feet propped up on the coffee table, while your mother does the dishes.  But, I agree, under normal circumstances, it's an annoying habit of hers.  It's sort of a passive-agressive disapproval of the way you clean house.  Maybe once the baby has come and you are recovered, you could just tell her, when you catch her in your kitchen, "Mom, it makes me feel like I'm 10 years old when you come to my house and clean up for me; I'm a grown, married woman; my husband and I will do the dishes when we want to do them.  I wish you'd sit down and chat with me instead.  Or help me with the baby; the baby is always something I can use help with, and is more important than the dishes."

 

I'm betting, if you keep her busy with the baby, she'll not have time to work on the dishes!  You could even hand him off to her and have her watch him while you clean house. 

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #767 - 06/16/09 07:15 PM

Keri, his one boss doesn't care. He still drives DH up the wall but he's the type where he won't ask others to do anything he's not willing to do himself. Now the other boss if it takes DH 3 minutes longer then he thinks it should to drive to another store then DH gets a phone call asking where he is. It says something when nice boss rejoices when the other one is out of the office. So when DH can get away with picking stuff up and running a quick errand he will, but mean boss is cracking down on "personal business" on what he considers company time. Which is driving DH mad because when this guy wants something down outside of DH's normal work hours he expects him to drop everything. I think there is a bet going right now about how long it's going to be before the next big blowout between nice boss and mean boss.

As for the mom thing with the kitchen normally I let her do her thing. Because it's not just me she does it to. She's done it to her own mother along with pretty much all of her siblings and anyone else that will let her. It's just that this time it would have been done earlier but DH didn't take the hint when I asked him to switch out the dishwasher on Sunday. I asked him in the morning too, not right before bed. So I didn't want her to do it because DH is starting back up again( already) with the "if I leave it long enough someone else will do it" thing.

---

keriamon
Message #768 - 06/16/09 10:11 PM



LOL.  Yeah, don't let husbands, kids, or dogs get into bad habits. 

 

I did some rearranging in the living room, but I need my husband to help me move a large piece of furniture.  Until that happens, I can't do a whole lot towards picking up, because most of what's in the floor are books, which need to go on the bookcase that I want to move where the other bookcase is currently sitting.  Anyways, I did get all of our medieval books sorted out by subject (that's by subject within the medieval non-fiction genre), and that's really cool! 

 

Oh, and I got about half the dishes caught up last night. 

 

Honestly, I'm starting to think there's something about this house which defies cleanliness.  It's in terrible need of a space clearing (or three), but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it, since you're supposed to space clear with love and good intentions, but to be honest, I hate this place and I don't want to settle down here and get cozy; I want to move.  I actually sent an e-mail to Karen Kingston to see if, on an off chance, she'd cover such a topic--how to space clean a place you hate/want to move away from--in her blog or newsletter.  I probably should be happy with what I've got at the moment, but it's hard to feel that way sometimes.

 

Have I ever mentioned that the first owners of this place got divorced, and then my husband and his wife, who bought it together, also got divorced while living here?   

[Virgil Showlion]

cheapcat
Message #769 - 06/16/09 10:45 PM



Someone bought the black cabinet last night! Craigslist finally worked, a few price reductions later - now if I can get rid of the table & possibly another one.

I don't really get the dish problem. I hate having pans soaking in the sink, but it's sometime unavoidable. It's pretty annoying to be washing dishes while dinner is cooking, which is just going to have more dishes coming right up. I can't justify buying a dishwasher right now with just the 2 of us. My mom is generally a recycling nut, but she uses paper plates(recycled) pretty much year round & then burns them. The house is heated by woodstoves & they have a fire pit for summer. We don't have either, but it sounds like a fun way to wash less dishes.

you're supposed to space clear with love and good intentions, but to be honest, I hate this place and I don't want to settle down here and get cozy; I want to move

You're getting rid of a lot of stuff lately, maybe you can space clear with the intention of making the place look good for new buyers? On the real estate staging shows they're always decluttering to make the space look bigger & appeal to more types of buyers. Often the homeowners make comments about not wanting to move after the house is done.

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2007debtheaven
Message #770 - 06/16/09 11:08 PM

Keria, first of all, Martivir is right, it's me that's in France.

Have I ever mentioned that the first owners of this place got divorced, and then my husband and his wife, who bought it together, also got divorced while living here?   

I used to get upset about that too. That is one of the reasons I got into Feng Shui, I didn't want the same thing to happen to DH and me. Then I decided the people are more important than the place. (This doesn't mean I don't believe in Feng Shui. I do. Largely because most of it is aesthetics and common sense.)

When my ex and I bought this place 25 years ago, it was affordable. It was 1984, huge recession here, the owners were forced to convert their huge plot into three smaller plots because they couldn't manage to sell the whole thing. They sold: a plot of land with 900 square meters, the main house (a BIG house) with 2500 square meters, and a "garage / gardener's lodge" with 600 square meters. I know you're in the country so those plots will sound small to you but here, they're not so small.

The people in the main house sold because they retired and moved to their beach house. Their house here (and all the land) had been in his family for several generations. They have four kids, one of the adult kids and his family lived in the gardener's lodge. Another was the architect who designed our extension.

The people who bought the empty plot divorced. The people who bought the empty plot from them built the house and divorced. The people who bought it after them are now both retired, and have been here for 20+ years.

The people who bought the main house divorced. The guy was crazy (but nice as far as neighbors go) and the day they moved in, he rang our bell and the other house's bell and asked how much we wanted "so he could get his land back". He and his wife divorced (she was his second wife, he met her because she was the paralegal handling the divorce from his first wife.) He moved his mistress in. He threw her out because he found out she was still turning tricks. (Guess how he met her.) I'll always have a soft spot for him because our street was the dividing line between the two nursery / primary schools. We were on the "wrong" side of the street, but since Mistress N° 1 had only one kid, he railroaded the town hall into rezoning our street for the better school.

Anyway, after he threw mistress N° 1 out, he moved his second wife back in. Then she finally grew a brain and left. He moved his new mistress in and they sold. The next owners of that main house also divorced and sold within a few years. She ran off with a guy from her Masonic lodge and left him with two of their three kids, she took the youngest kid. (Despite the fact that her DH / ex was out of town all week.) Their kids (all adults now) still come to look at the house regularly, and stop by to say hello. Which is both nice and frankly sort of creepy, since they only lived there for two or three years, and sold six years ago. The current couple (the one we've had the flooding issues with) will probably stay here forever, or at least until one or both of them dies from working 24/7 to pay off that big fancy house. At which point the life insurance will probably pay it off.

Can you tell my ex and I bought the garage / gardener's lodge? LOL. My ex and I divorced, doh. The house is L-shaped, which is supposedly really bad feng shui. Then DH came along.

Keria, I kid you not, we have not EVER had a dinner party or a BBQ or any event where somebody doesn't ask us, jokingly (bad joke, bad taste, but that's another story), so, when are you putting your house on the market? I LOVE my house, and I wish you could say the same.

This is NOT to say that you should stay there. You SHOULD leave. But you should leave because YOU'RE NOT HAPPY THERE, not JUST because your DH and his ex lived there and divorced. You can do feng shui up the kazoo, but every place has its vibes, and we all have our own needs. If you need to move, move. It will give you the excuse to declutter the way you'd like to (or at least find a better compromise) and start afresh.

---

keriamon
Message #771 - 06/17/09 02:48 AM



Well, I don't think we're going to divorce just because there's been two prior divorces here, but I would like to start over somewhere fresh.  I'm realizing that people need to move every so often in order to be FORCED to deal with their stuff.  Something my husband hasn't had to do in two decades!  I mean, when I cleared out the upstrais of the garage (still some work to do there, but that's pretty well halted in the summer months in TN!), there were two broken office chairs up there.  Why on earth he bothered to carry them up the stairs instead of right into the truck to haul off to the , I'll never know.  But I tossed them out the upstairs window and hauled them off. 

 

I also think it would be good to have a place of OUR own.  He's lived here so many years, I don't feel like he's open to sharing, not to mention he fought his ex to get the place.  It's HIS hard-earned house (and he occasionally will make comments about the house or certain possession which are very possessive; they sound like a child saying, "MINE!").  And I think that's why there's no room for me.  But, from what I have read, a lot of people who get married say they want to buy a house together and give up whatever they had as single people; so apparently it's a common problem.  I guess when you live in a place a really long time, it picks up your vibes and, depending on the place and the inhabitant's personality, it may not be open to accepting a different energy equally. 

 

But, Cheapcat, maybe that's a good way of looking at it: making it the best, happiest house possible--for someone else.  Like making a present to give away. 

 

I ended up getting most of the books in the living room dealt with.  I'm more or less ready to move on to basic tidying up, toting stuff out to the garage to store, and cleaning. 

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #772 - 06/17/09 04:45 PM

Having a massive EWWWWW moment here. I thought that weeks ago that someone's pet had an accident in the building's front hallway. Which is the main entrance with all the mailboxes. Well I figured it was a one time thing and that the reason it still smelled was because of my pregnancy nose. I mean at my old apartment one of the handy men smoked a single cigarette in the apartment downstairs and I smelled it for weeks even after the smell was long gone. Turns out that someone is letting their dog/cat use the front entry as it's bathroom! I just saw the pile of junk mail that the mail carrier will leave neatly in the corner and you can tell someone let their pet use it as a bathroom. I can only imagine what's it's doing to the entire building's feng shui.

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keriamon
Message #773 - 06/17/09 05:04 PM



Yuck.  Although, I have to say, when I started moving old furniture and trash out of the upstairs of the garage, I found where some animal(s) have been pooping in a corner up there.  Lord only knows what did it (our barn/garage is not fully enclosed) and how long it's been up there, but I'm going to have to take a shovel up there, because it's hardened into concrete and I can't just sweep it out.  But, at least being that old, it doesn't stink!

 

What's interesting, though, Marti, is not just how that brings down the chi of the building, but also how it happens because the chi of the building is low.  It's a vicious circle that way.  People who don't care about their environment don't take care of it, and they don't care because the place is bad energetically.  Of course, for tidy people like you and your husband, seeing/smelling animal waste in your building lowers YOUR perception of the building and can cause you all (and your other tidy neighbors) to give up trying to keep your place tidy. 

 

In the other Karen Kingston book, "Creating Sacred Space," she talks about doing things to raise the energy of a place before applying feng shui cures (which help keep the energy up).  It's sort of a consecration/purification ceremony, which appears in a lot more cultures than just the Chinese (it's even been used in the West in history, albeit usually only for churches).  One thing you might do, based on her book, is meditate on the whole building and imagine it clean and shining and filled with white light.  This can help raise the energies of the building (without disrupting your neighbors' living spaces), and hopefully that person with the pet will stop letting it mess in the building foyer. 

 

You can also apply the bagua to the building and see which corner the animal is messing in.  Then you can boost that same corner in each of your rooms with feng shui cures with the intention that it will correct the feng shui for the entire building.  A correction like that can also dissuade the person from continuing to do that.  And you can also, discreetly, throw a pinch of salt onto the offending corner regularly, because salt is an energy purifier; even if the other tenant isn't dissuaded from letting puppy use that corner, you can at least cancel out the bad chi by salting it regularly. 

 

There are also two more practical solutions: one, if you know there's an elderly person in your building with a dog, you/hubby might offer to walk it for him/her once or twice a day; this may be happening because they can't walk far or because they don't want to get wet when it's raining outside.  Two, tell the building managers and hopefully they will post some signs reminding people that animals are not allowed to go in the buildings, and they might face eviction if they are caught.  Also, they need to know they need to clean that spot up to get the smell out.  But if it might not be obvious who's doing this, or the landlord is a bum, then I'd suggest trying to correct it with visualization, feng shui cures, salt, and, oh, a healthy dose of pet odor remover.   

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #774 - 06/17/09 05:50 PM

Keri, I just got off the phone with the office. She was not happy. They are going to send letters out to everyone in the building and get it cleaned up as soon as she can find someone to do it. Or if no one is free today it's on someone's to do list first thing tomorrow morning. But she had the same reaction that I did. I'm going to give the foyer a hefty dose of Febreze before the bulk of the people in the building get home. The thing is that we don't have ANY elderly in my building right now. We do have the disabled guy in the apartment across the hall but he doesn't have a pet.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #775 - 06/17/09 10:07 PM



I'd not Febreeze it beforehand, or they might say, "What's that woman complaining about?  I don't smell any dog pee."  Unless there's still dog poop laying there.  I think letting the apartment clean-up crew get a healthy whiff of that might make them be all that much more eager to see that it stops.

 

Of course, if they clean up, but the smell is still lingering, then Febreeze away. 

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #776 - 06/18/09 03:54 PM

I got two more totes out of the kid's room last night. We have just a single tote and a box left. That doesn't include the Goodwill box that we have been tossing stuff into or the stuff that actually belongs to my MIL who in one of her fits tossed a bunch of stuff into a tote when we moved out. I don't know everything that is in that box but some of it has to be hurtful to DH because when he came across some of it he got kind of upset. But all my craft stuff is now on a designated shelf that is going to be moving into our bedroom( so I can have my craft stuff next to my desk where I'm going to be doing it) and we shredded enough papers that the shredder overheated and cried mercy. If I really wanted to I could put the last tote and box into the storage closet and finish setting up the kid's room. It no longer looks like a storage unit and looks more like a really messy bedroom.

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justeloped
Message #777 - 06/18/09 04:35 PM

Hey ladies, after a move I have found that I am once again in need of Feng Shui! So I am starting in our living room, putting away papers and shoes, and what did I find- a check for $3 that I was sure I'd thrown away. So I am off to a great start. Our new apartment is TINY, so I should be able to do it by the end of the week... I am so excited to have a clean, uncluttered house!

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keriamon
Message #778 - 06/18/09 05:07 PM

Marti, we've got a wee little shredder that I got when my aunt passed away.  It'll do 3 pages, max, LOL.  It's easier for me to just burn our stuff.  Still, I think I will keep it, because we're looking at moving to a rental house for a while, and we'll probably not be able to burn papers there.  Once we get settled into our permanent house, though, it will go because I'll go back to burning them. 

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #779 - 06/18/09 05:24 PM

Keri, ah you bring back memories of my aunt's burn barrel. She's out in the country like you( her one neighbor is a dairy farmer) and when her town went to having curbside recycling they collected everything but paper. The reason being that her town is so rural that just about everyone has a burn barrel in their backyard. And for the people who lived in the village proper they put large paper only dumpsters in the school parking lot. And the parents would send their paper recycling to school with the kids. Where my aunt lives it's still like Mayberry. Really small town where teachers are still invited to dinner at students houses and that first weekend of deer hunting season is always a three day weekend. Man I would love to live there but it's not DH's style. It's 45 minutes to the closest grocery store and DH is definately a suburb guy if not a city boy.

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keriamon
Message #780 - 06/18/09 05:40 PM



I wish we had a burn barrel.  We have a fire pit in the back yard (where we also dye fabric in large pots, or cook, if my husband really feels the desire), but I'd like a barrel because then I could burn on windy days.  As it is, I have to be careful not to catch the grass on fire in the summer--which I did one fall; gust of wind came out of nowhere and hot cinders went down my shirt and the grass--not that there was much there--caught on fire and started heading for the woods.  Luckily it's pretty near the water spigot and we have hose!  LOL  My grandparents and my grandmother both have burn barrels. 

 

Ash like that is supposed to be good for roses.  And I hear that hydrangeas' color is based on the acidity of the soil.  I think pink is an acidic soil and the more alkaline, the more it runs into purple and then blue.  If you put ash on a purple/blue one in the winter, it should bloom pink.

 

My husband does blacksmithing; can you imagine what would happen if we lived within city limits when he fires up the coal forge?  So long as we live in a place that's not incorporated, there will not be any ordinances preventing him from smithing.     

[Virgil Showlion]

justeloped
Message #781 - 06/18/09 05:52 PM

Keriamon, I have a question.

My husband is in the Navy and I have been racking my brains for ways to store his gear. He never takes all of it at once, even on deployments, and right now it is spread around the house. I've got some in clear plastic boxes in the closet (which is pretty full, I don't think I could fit anymore in) but the part that bothers me is that the big stuff, his tent and etc are all piled behind the couch and chair in our living room. And it just looks awful. I'm pretty sure it's bad Feng Shui, not to mention when he comes home to relax he is reminded of work because his work stuff is everywhere. Does anyone have a Feng Shui solution for where to put his military apparel and gear? I think in the interim I am going to get some big plastic bins and put it in there, still behind the couch because we don't have a lot of space, but at least it won't be visible.

---

keriamon
Message #782 - 06/18/09 08:25 PM



Well, so long as it's stuff that he needs to keep as part of his job (I assume he uses all of it sometime every year or three?), then it's not technically clutter.  It's especially not bad if he needs it in order to keep his job! 

 

It sounds like you are suffering more from a lack of space (join the club!).  Because it's not something that it is needed very often, it can go into long-term storage, like Christmas decorations.  It's okay to have stuff that you store outside of your living area, so long as you use it every year or two, and you keep it very neat and tidy.  Using it every now and again (and loving it) keeps the energy around it from getting grungy.  It's when you toss stuff into storage like it's trash, or when you store stuff that really IS trash, or when you put stuff into storage and forget about it and let it rot that it's a problem. 

 

I have boxes and boxes of fabric which I keep in the garage because I have no room for them in the house.  But I go through my boxes several times a year, taking out fabric for projects, reviewing what I have in order to plan future projects, or adding new purchases in.  By getting into the boxes and stirring up the fabric, I also stir up the chi (it's also good for the fabric to get some air circulation now and again).  It also reconnects me with my fabric so I can say, "Oh yes, I love you green velvet.  You will be a beautiful dress one day, don't you worry."  When your husband is getting ready to deploy or do a training exercise which will require some of his gear, he likewise needs to get into ALL of his boxes and review what he has and stir them up.  It's a way of telling your stuff that you appreciate its existence, even if you don't have a use for it at the moment.  It's also a good time to realize that you will never use X, and you might as well get rid of it now and save some space.

         

If you have an attic, basement, garage or storage building, it can go in any of those places, so long as it's neatly put away in boxes.  Also, do anything necessary to protect it (some plastic boxes have holes in the handles and I always cover those up with tape to keep the insects out of my boxes; I also put moth balls in boxes containing wool).  If you have a choice of where to store the boxes, put them in your house's/property's/room's career section, since it's directly related to his career (although if he wants to get out of the military, he needs to get rid of it or move it out of that section, or it will keep him rooted there).

 

If you have no place outside of your house's living space in which to store it, and you can afford to, I would store it at an off-site storage facility.  If you're like most in the miliary, you move regularly anyhow, so maybe the next house you get will afford you more space.  But I wouldn't have boxes of stuff like that in my living room no more than I'd have boxes of Christmas decorations sitting out all the time, unless there was absolutely no other place in the house at all to put them--for the exact reasons you have already mentioned. 

---

cheapcat
Message #783 - 06/19/09 04:59 PM



Do you have space for a wardrobe or freestanding closet? You might be able to find one large enough to store the tent & stacked totes. Our house only has 2 small built-in closets, so we have 2 wardrobes in the bedroom that were $69 each at the Xmas Tree shop. They're 10 years old & have survived a move even though they're only maple-look particle board.

We also have an old wooden wardrobe in the computer room with drawers behind one door and an open hanging area behind the door on the other side. It's much lighter than the particleboard ones & looks nicer even though it was free - it did need to be refinished. You might be able to find one pretty cheaply on craigslist. Another place to check would be an unfinished furniture store. My mom has a few large cabinets that she bought unfinished & stained or painted to match the other furniture. Can you tell we have older houses with tiny closets?

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2007debtheaven
Message #784 - 06/21/09 08:37 AM

DS2 finally got fed up with the growing mountain of clothes on his floor yesterday and asked me to help him clear out his closets. We went through all his old clothes for the first time in five years! We threw out one giant garbage bag of torn and stained stuff, and there are also two giant garbage bags of clothes to give away, plus a bag of clothes to keep for later for DS3. It took the two of us four hours! We still have to go through his "stuff" (everything in the closet that's not clothes) but we did plenty for one day. I'll go over to the charity place next weekend at the latest. DH needs to go through his closet too so it would be nice not to have to go twice.

So my next project is the paperwork which has piled up again. I swear it seems to multiply overnight! I've moved that basket and the overflow to the living room so I'll *have* to deal with it this week.

---

keriamon
Message #785 - 06/21/09 05:24 PM

Debt, I finally broke down and did my filing a few weeks ago; it took hardly any time at all.  30 minutes at most, and I had a paper grocery sack at least half-full.  I'd spent more time avoiding it, gathering up the papers into one pile and moving the pile around various rooms as it got in my way, than I spent filing it!  I just sat down in the floor, dumped the papers out in a pile, and then anything that was too old to bother keeping, I threw it back in the sack to burn (I only keep general bills for a year).  I sorted our general bills and receipts/statements into piles by month, and then made another pile of stuff that is semi- or completely permanent.  When I had it all sorted, I cleared out the old bills in the drawer and then filed the monthly bills by month.  Then I sorted the remaining stuff by type and filed it in the other three drawers (I found the title to our truck in this pile!). 

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #786 - 06/21/09 07:43 PM

Well I think I am officially turning laundry over to DH till the kid is here. Not only can't I carry the baskets to the laundry room but I can't get into the front loading washers anymore without actually sitting on the floor first. Good news is that we got two loads done( got behind again), bad news is that we are out of money on the laundry card till one of us can get to the office to reload it. That's probably not going to happen till next weekend. At least DH will have enough work clothes for the week.

And I went to my first lawnmower races today. I didn't expect to have as much fun as I did. My brother and his buddy were racing and while his friend won his race, my brother didn't even finish his. He broke something about a quarter of the way through the race and all you could see was this huge cloud of white smoke. I guess he burned out a belt or something. He's fine, the lawnmower will be fine and the fire truck on call went down to make sure everything was ok. But he's already planning for next year's races. Making sure he has spare parts and making sure everything is in better order. My hope for next year is  they rent more then one portapotty. 

[Virgil Showlion]

2007debtheaven
Message #787 - 06/22/09 08:51 AM

Keria, I've been at it for 90 min so far. It's far from done but at least it all fits in the basket now. I'm leaving it on the coffee table in the LR and I'll try to do an hour or two a day till it's done. My goal is to have it done by the end of the week.

I took in the huge bags of clothing and some toys this morning. It took me 30 min total so it's not a big deal if I need to go back again soon. I'm just glad to have that stuff out of the house and car. I still have a small bag of DD's clothes in my car for the next time I see my former colleague.

This isn't really physical clutter but it's mental clutter: I took care of all but ONE of the items that have been listed on my whiteboard for weeks. I still have to take a thank you gift to somebody but I don't want to make a special trip into town. And I did THREE LOADS of DS2's laundry today. I never do his laundry anymore, but I wanted to encourage and thank him for having finally tackled his room. And I cleaned out under the kitchen sink.

I was definitely on a roll today! LOL

Martivir
LOL at the lawnmower race! That sounds like fun. And I hear you on the Portapotties in public places.

---

keriamon
Message #788 - 06/22/09 04:54 PM

And I went to my first lawnmower races today.

LOL.  You know, I saw one of those on King of the Hill, but didn't know people really did them.  We went to the horse show Friday night; I can just see a full lawnmower show--not just with racing a circuit, but barrel racing too.  Actually, it'd take quite a bit of skill to race around a barrel with a lawnmower, without hitting it with the mower deck and knocking it over.

 

Does anyone remember that episode of Home Improvement when Tim suped up a lawnmower and took off on it and it went so fast it couldn't stop?  His wife was really embarrassed, but had to laugh when he admitted, by the time he got home, that he'd not only taken it out in the interstate, but got paid for mowing three people's lawns on the way home.  I think it only stopped when it ran out of gas.     

 

I still have to take a thank you gift to somebody but I don't want to make a special trip into town.

Make sure you put it in your car; you're sure to need to go to the grocery store or run some other errand into town shortly, and nothing sucks worse than to be halfway there and remember the package is still at home.  If you can set it in the front seat, even, maybe you'll remember to take it; the second suckiest thing is to be halfway home and realize the present is still in the car, LOL. 

 

My husband is having some friends over July 11th for man day at our house.  So I've got most of three weeks (we're going out of town this weekend and have to prepare for it) to tidy up the house.  Not that it looks any worse, at this point, than any of our friend's houses (we're such an accepting lot; we know that most of our time should be filled with hobbies, not cleaning), but I'd still like a neat house.  It's going to be so hot, I doubt they will stay out in the garage for very long; they'll want to come in and cool off.  I'm already proud that all the medieval books are nicely arranged on the shelf by subject, so there's no hunting around for them.  And the living room is mostly done already.  I'm way behind on lanudry, though; our bedroom is a wreck with all the clean and dirty clothes everywhere.  Plus a goodly pile of stuff that doesn't belong there too.  I'd like to have that cleaned up by the deadline, even though that's not someplace the guests will be.  Oh, we definitely have to fix the toilet in our spare bathroom, because they will have to use that.  I think I will get it pulled apart this week, but it will take my husband's hand strength to get the pieces tightened up so that they won't leak. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #789 - 06/22/09 05:03 PM

Make sure you put it in your car;

Keria, I usually do that, but this time it's chocolate, and it's hot here. And I don't mean in town locally, I mean "in the city". I pass the good chocolate shop on my way to the highway.

I think I will get it pulled apart this week, but it will take my husband's hand strength to get the pieces tightened up so that they won't leak. 

DH is an expert at toilet innards, lol. We have a few boxes of really cheap cannibalized toilet guts in the basement. When DH can't find what he needs in one of those boxes, he buys another really cheap box and cannibalizes that one. And saves them all! He has saved us a bomb in plumber fees though.

I like having a neat house too. I find that having a deadline really helps! I'm sure you'll get it done. One thing I do: fix a deadline BEFORE the deadline. Like the guys are coming in three weeks, give yourself two weeks, so YOU can enjoy it for a week on your own before your guests arrive.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #790 - 06/22/09 05:35 PM

Keri, it was just a simple 1/2 mile race. Down to the cone and back. I thought it was neat because we did have a couple of Tim Taylor wannabe's( including my darling brother and his buddy. Let's say his buddy broke the speed limit in a 25 mph zone), most seemed to be guys from the neighborhood who raced in between cutting the front and back yards. It was also a fundraiser for a local Relay for Life team. So they were selling drinks and what not for that too. And then there was the old lady who's hubby started the whole thing( it started as a friendly race between two neighbors back in 1979 to see who had the faster mower) who got all the racers with the hose when they crossed the finish line.

I'm having one of those days where I know I need to get stuff done( like dishes) but I just don't want to. It's starting to really warm up here and the 70% humidity isn't helping much.

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IowaSwirl
Message #791 - 06/22/09 07:58 PM

I've been banned from cleaning and decluttering this weekend unless DH supervises. I had a minor incident this morning involving a stadium sized cup of red kool-aid and white carpet. But we did get a lot of shredding done and some purging before I knocked over my drink.

I'm incredibly late on responding to this, but I got a 3 month old red crystal light stain out of tan carpet.  Poor a cup of water over it, place an old bath towel down (kitchen towels are too thin - you'll melt your carpet), and iron (full heat w/ steam).  Repeat until gone.  It took me close to an hour and two towels, but it saved my carpet - I can't see the stain even if I search for it.

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GettingOutofDebt
Message #792 - 06/22/09 08:35 PM



I wish I had found this thread a month ago.  I started one on YM about decluttering your house and what to do with all the stuff.

For the past four weeks my goal has been to have a full trash can to be picked up.  I had a lot of little stuff from when the kids were little and they no longer wanted them so they have been stored in my closet for 9 years while I decided what to do with them.  A month ago I just went through them all and tossed 99% of it.  I had been saving them for a garage sale but never got around to having one.  I felt so much better when that was out of my room.  I still have a long ways to go even after 4 weeks.

I feel so much better with less clutter but I know it will still be a while before the project is done.

 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #793 - 06/22/09 10:53 PM



Welcome to the list GOOD (lol, I bet you didn't even know your screen name acronymed to that).  Feel free to brag, whine, panic, or ask questions on cleaning, getting rid of stuff, getting better stuff, feng shui, etc.   

 

Ladies, I put in a job application at a college in my old hometown-area.  It is affiliated with the high school that I graduated from.  They were sort of vague on the requirements, so I am within their parameters, even though I don't have any job experience doing what they want done.  But I tried to point out that I had a lot of useful skills, like writing proposals, great computer and website-building skills, working with budgets and bills, counseling other people (like on this board!), and I had general experience working for another private, liberal-arts college.  And then I pulled out my best stops on my references.  They weren't specific about what kind they wanted, so I included my stepmother and her job title--she already works for this university--my school's retired headmaster, who is well known and still lives in town, and a local family friend who's known me since I was in high school.  So cross your fingers that it will be a good job and MINE.  I'm sure the pay's not great, but it did come with housing (which I will partake of, at least for a while) and a meal plan, and it should still be standard operating procedure that I and my spouse should be able to take free classes.  We both want to take some history courses, but he MIGHT consider getting his Bachelor's, if it was all free, and I might consider getting my Master's.  So we'd be willing to have me making a good deal less if it came with those kinds of perks. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #794 - 06/23/09 10:09 AM

Keria I'm sending good juju for that job!  

I made a second trip to the donation place this morning!

DH and I were down in the basement, those older shelves are really in danger of falling down, so that will have to be dealt with soon. I told him if he helps me take the stuff down and restabilize the shelves (probably a few hours' work), I will put all the stuff back by myself. But it really is dangerous.

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keriamon
Message #795 - 06/23/09 10:12 PM



I know you've been hating those shelves forever, Debt.  I hope the hubby gets them fixed for you. 

 

I bought some sandalwood incense at the grocery store yesterday.  Yes, seems an odd place to buy incense, but it has a very strong smell and lasts a long time; it appears to be very good quality.  Sandalwood is a purifying scent, so it's sometimes used for religious ceremonies, or to create a good aura in a place.  I'm hoping it will help clean up the energy of this place some, so I'm motivated to finish cleaning it up.

 

We've got an event coming up this weekend, so I'm having to do work towards that right now.  Still, I've knocked me out a new dress today.  I just need to serge the bottom edge and hem all of it.  I also want to make me and a friend a quicky hat (coif) from the scraps.  After that, all that's left to do is to deodorize and vacuum our rugs for our tent (they got wet the last time we used them, not to mention sandy).  My husband will be home on Thursday to help pack. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #796 - 06/23/09 10:32 PM

Keria, thanks. You're right, the basement just won't go away, lol. Isn't it funny, how some places will do that? I just brought it up again with DH who brushed me off and told me to stop worrying, because DS1 won't be back till October (there is a sink in there where he brushes his teeth). I said, so it's OK to have the younger kids over who play hide and seek in there and might get crushed when it finally topples over? Long silence, then "good point". I'll give him a couple of days then I'll take the stuff off the shelves myself. I can't redo the shelves but if they fall over empty they won't do much damage. And the two younger kids have been warned, over and over and over again.

I went back to the charity place with expensive but old lined curtains from my Early Ex-Husband period, and some old shoes and rollerblades and an insanely expensive bedspread also from Early Ex that has never been used. I ended up pulling out the bedspread and matching curtains.

I wish you lived closer so I could give them to you, lol.

Any news on that job?

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keriamon
Message #797 - 06/24/09 01:04 PM

Any news on that job?

Nope, other than they acknowledged receipt of my resume (a rarity in this climate).  The job posting made it sound like they were in a big hurry to fill it, so maybe I will know shortly.  Of course, they could be advertising it just because it's law; it may already really be filled.  The same thing happened with my stepmother's job; she came in as a temp to replace a woman out sick.  That lady died and they want to keep my SM in the job because she's already trained and they're happy with her.  But because of some law, they still have to advertise the position, even though they have no intention of hiring anyone else.  Which makes it a really dumb law, considering that it leads desparately employed people on that there might be a job open for them.  One would hope, though, that given they are saying they need it filled quickly, it's not already filled. 

 

If YOU lived closer, I'd give you a couple of metal shelving units you could use in place of those wall shelves. 

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justeloped
Message #798 - 06/24/09 07:55 PM

I just got "move your stuff, change your life" in the mail and have some bad Feng Shui news... The way my apartment is arranged is really screwed up. The prosperity corner is the bathroom. The kitchen is in fame. (Everyone knows they can come to my house for food, which i don't mind but it gets expensive) Relationships is where the dog crate is, creativity and children is the couch/TV, helpful friends is my DH's military gear, career is the computer (doesn't seem too bad) knowledge is where our bed is, and family is my husband's dresser.

I will take all the Feng Shui fixes I can get! Help me ladies! I just took red fingernail polish and painted the edge of the trash can in the bathroom as recommended by Karen, and tied red threads on the outgoing water lines on the toilet and sink, but I suspect I will need a lot more cures to overcome this. I can't exactly go out and buy a bunch of stuff at once, but I can get one cure per month according to DH, so help me prioritize!

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #799 - 06/24/09 08:26 PM



Fame and the kitchen aren't so bad, since kitchens are flame areas, and fame needs flames.  However, you do have a point about being famous for having a take-out or dine-in house. 

 

The bathroom in prosperity is the worst.  I have the same problem.  If feasible, put a mirror on the outside of the bathroom door.  We have a toilet-closet in our prosperity section, and it has its own door.  I have a full-length mirror on the back of it (all of $7 at Target, plus another buck for the hardware to mount it).  One, because it was the only good place to put the mirror and two, it helps bounce chi out of that room.  You really should leave the door shut all the time, but we have no vent in that room, so it gets too hot with the door shut all the way, so I close it most of the way.  Also, putting down the toilet lid is supposed to help. 

 

If your bathroom opens into a bedroom (like ours does--no door between the tub/sink area and the rest of the bedroom), you can hang a crystal in the doorway between the two rooms to create separateness.  You can also hang crystals or wind chimes in any bathroom windows to help negate the chi problem.  Also, because it's your prosperity corner, decorate with purple or gold.  Red and green are good secondary colors (meaning don't do the whole place in those colors, but add them as accents, if they work for the color scheme).  Water is the element in this corner, with trees/wood being the secondary element.  Pictures of waterfalls or forests or fish, a fountain, wood towel racks and toilet seat, etc. are helpful.  Avoid earth elements, like earth-tone colors, small plants (fake trees work, though), terracotta, cactus, dirt, rocks, pictures of mountains or wide expanses of pasture or flowers. 

 

You don't have to spend money to affect a decent cure, a lot of times.  A lot of times you can literally just move your furniture around.  So maybe you don't have the money to paint your bathroom purple at the moment.  Okay, but have you got a picture anywhere else in the house of water?  And it doesn't have to be a painting: pictures from the beach in wood frames would be excellent.  Most people have enough pictures in their houses that they have a little bit of every element represented, and they can cure for free by just moving the pictures around.

 

Your husband's dresser, for instance.  If it's a wooden dresser (and not white--white is metal and totally eliminates the wood element), it works quite well in the family section, as that element is wood.  All I would suggest doing is making sure it's tidy and not so crammed-full of clothes that it's not useable, and put some pictures of family members on top of it (preferably in wood or green frames).  Or, if you have room above it, hang family pictures up on the wall.  Make sure they're all pictures of family that you love or respect, and that they're not terrible pictures of anyone.  This is SO not the place to put a picture of Uncle Joe laying in his coffin. 

---

keriamon
Message #800 - 06/24/09 08:36 PM



Also, you can do cheapy cures, which is to stick colored paper every place you can find out of sight.  Get some purple construction paper, print some, or color some with crayons or colored pencils or markers or paint and then stick it inside cabinets, closets--anywhere you can find to hide it.  The color purple vibrates at a certain frequency that makes it relate to prosperity and abundance (which may or may not be related to money; you could do this and get a bumper garden crop or have people give you lots of things for free that you love).  The more purple you can put into that area, the louder those vibrations will sound and the more you can hope to get noticed by the universe's prosperity.

 

If you're ever in doubt as to what color to place where--maybe because a certain area falls on the line between two areas--you can always color a bagua daisy.  It's an 8-petaled flower, with each leaf a corresponding bagua color (be sure to put them in order), with a yellow center.  Those are cure-alls, and you can put them anywhere you are unsure of or where you can't stick up large amounts of the appropriate color.   

 

I forgot to mention that money is also a cure in this section, so feel free to put a box or jar or piggy bank here with spare change in it.  It's best if the container is small and filled with money, so it looks really prosperous. 

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #801 - 06/26/09 03:42 PM

One of these days I will figure out how to keep up with the kitchen. We have a dishwasher for crying out loud, you would think that would make it easier to keep the darn room clean. And I can get caught up with all the laundry again this week. I put more money on the laundry card yesterday. We had one of those hard, hard rains yesterday that had me doing my best drowned rat impression but I must say that the world around me seems so much cleaner. Well other then my windows. One of the hazards of being in the basement. The mud splashs up onto my windows.

And I'm just in a generally happy mood. I went to a new doc yesterday and she changed my due date. My old official due date was Sept. 18th. My new one is the first week of Sept. Sure it gives me less time to get ready but I'll take it.

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luckytobeme12
Message #802 - 06/26/09 04:13 PM

Load dirty dishes right away.  Rearranging is easier.  I get in a foul mood if the sink and counter is full of dirty dishes.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #803 - 06/30/09 06:06 PM

I'm so used to admitting this that it doesn't bug me in the least. DH was right. In this instance he told me it doesn't have to be pretty it just has to get done. Well I really needed to get laundry done today because we didn't get it done this weekend for various reasons( cook-out at parents on Saturday, huge line both yesterday evening and Sunday for the laundry room so we didn't get in). So I hooked my cat's old leash to the one laundry basket and piled the second one of top of that and dragged both to the washer and dryer. Got a strange look but DH will have clean work clothes tomorrow and that's all that matters. It also helps that the laundry room is just down the hall, no stairs or anything.

And Keri, how did your re-enactment thing go? That was this past weekend right?

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2007debtheaven
Message #804 - 06/30/09 08:29 PM

cook-out at parents on Saturday

Martivir, could you bring a load with you when you go to your parents' house? DS1 used to do that when he was living locally but not at home, it didn't bother me.

Keria, thanks! But they aren't wall units, they are freestanding shelves. But they were mounted 25 years ago and they're sort of collapsing. Any news on the job?

Also, I'm happy to say that after the massive cleanup of DS2's room and clothes, he's been keeping it really neat. Although we never got to the "stuff" in his closet and now he has a summer job so we may not. At least the closet doors close now!

I still need to get those basement shelves done, DH has promised, but then that's it for a while.

[Virgil Showlion]

2007debtheaven
Message #805 - 06/30/09 11:00 PM

O happy day!

DH did the shelves tonight! I told him I don't care if they're perfect, I just want them safe for our kids and for visiting kids who sometimes play hide-and-seek down there. I said, if you can just find a way to make them safe, that's all I care about.

DH did it! He attached them to the wall in two places, and tightened them up with big screws and ropes. He told me "be careful" but I tugged and tugged and tugged on them, and they didn't even budge! 

So WOOT! This is a HUGE weight off my mind! This issue has been giving me nightmares, literally!

Now that the shelves are stable I can take the stuff down by myself in the fall and DH can rebuild them properly then. DH absolutely HATES being in the basement when it's spring or summer, and he had to spend some significant time there last summer because of the flooding and again this summer because of relocating the new boiler, so I'm so happy rebuilding those shelves can wait now.  

Sometimes it's the little things in life, lol.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #806 - 06/30/09 11:20 PM

2007, we used to do that till we realized it wasn't worth it. Once my brother and I moved out they treated themselves to a new washer. One that is smaller so one load here at the apartment is two and a half loads at their house. We have to be careful because if I put more then two pairs of DH's work pants in my parents washer it gets unbalanced and starts walking across the laundry room. So what takes us an hour and half here, takes twice as long there. I do take smaller loads over sometimes but I didn't feel like waiting around for the laundry on Saturday. My brother lives right around the corner from my parents and Mom has started doing his laundry in exchange for stuff around the house. Sunday it was cleaning out the gutters. Usually it's cutting the lawn. He's close enough that he just rides the mower over.

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keriamon
Message #807 - 06/30/09 11:59 PM



Yes, we went to our re-enactment this weekend.  The heat index was reported to be around 115 degrees.  I (and I think everyone else) was expecting someone to fall out, and although there were a lot of guys who came off the field hot and in instant need of water and cooling down, not one person collapsed and no one needed an ambulance.  Both of which have happened at events that weren't this hot.  They ended up cancelling about half the regular fighting and all the dog racing.  The fencers did do all of their fights, although they managed to secure some shade for half of it.  Saturday's humidity was so high, it was still miserable well after dark when we were having an ice cream social (the ice cream turning into a milkshake faster than you could eat it).  It didn't start feeling liveable until sometime around midnight.  And then the bugs came out.  We were in a newly-cleared section of woods and the bugs were terrible.  The biting flies kept getting my husband through his pants, but I got the chiggers; I'm eat up with bug bites.  I practically painted myself with finger nail polish yesterday, which has worked the best out of all the anti-itch things I've tried. 

 

It's a shame the heat and the bugs made it so miserable, because we did enjoy getting to spend some time with our friends.  My husband has a new man-at-arms that waits on us hand and foot.  Our squire helped us put up the tent and the two of them, plus another guy that used to serve my husband took it down.  I'm telling you, that's the way to go; putting up that big tent with just two people will flat wear you out.  Putting it up or taking it down with three or more people and it's a cinch.  I wish I could bring our man-at-arms home for a couple of days; we'd have this place whipped into shape.  I suspect that he's a naturally tidy person.  And he must be a morning person, because he had everything of his packed away and was starting to help me clean up outside by the time my husband got up and dressed.  We left site at 10:30, which, I think, is a new record for us when tenting.   

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2007debtheaven
Message #808 - 07/01/09 12:05 AM

We have to be careful because if I put more then two pairs of DH's work pants in my parents washer it gets unbalanced and starts walking across the laundry room.

You are so funny! This totally cracked me up!

DH's mom was a hoarder. When DH sold his parents' house, he could not manage to empty it before the new people moved in, although he really tried. So the new owners were moving in through the front door, and DH and his parents' best friends who were helping DH were moving out through the back door.

At 11 pm, the new people brought their very old and rather gross washing machine in. DH's mom had installed a new machine the previous year. The new people were angry, DH was exhausted, so he said, let's trade, I'll take your old one, you keep the new one.

That machine lasted five years, but it was like having an airport at home! That 5K washer died when the bigger ones were just coming here, and I was the first person I know to get a bigger, 7 kilo washer. All four kids were here FT then, that 7 kilo washer changed my life! 

We're older, DH is a Brit, and we literally had friends coming in when that machine was going and saying "OMG there is an air raid!" LOL.

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jillbean_1978
Message #809 - 07/02/09 05:20 AM

I think I might have an issue. Dh is an xray tech, airplane main. tech and is flipping burgers at a fast food place. I know, be thankful he has a job. And we are very thankful but it doesn't pay the bills.

So I had an idea today that I should put his certs. into frames and then hang them in the abundance area. That area is outside. Our home doesn't make a complete square...that happens to be the corner that's not filled in if you will. So do I just pick a wall that is in that area, like our bedroom or kitchen? Or are we just kinda SOL-ed on getting a head? I have a mirror on the wall in the bedroom that would be like the edge of the abundance area....I so hope I am making this clear.

        
      ________
 ___l            l
l                  l


Ok......hopefully now you can 'see' what I am trying to say. That missing corner is our abundance area. So should I just put the frames up on the bedrrom wall that has the mirror on it? Is the mirror a good thing to use to try to complete the square?

Sorry I haven't posted much on here lately. I got the house decluttered and have been trying to get what is left put in it's place. And we just don't have enough places. Will once my brother can get a place of his own...but for now, he is paying us to stay here....and we need that extra money.

Hope everyone's Feng Shui is helping them lots....anyone have things happen lately?

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #810 - 07/02/09 03:21 PM



Yes, you can put them in the abundance area of other rooms.  I do not know about mirrors as a fix for the missing section.  Keriamon, do you know?

 anyone have things happen lately

Umm...yes.  YES!

I just finished helping my mother rid her house of clutter and do some feng shui fixes (this is a major accomplishment as she could run a decorating store out of her house with all of her things). My house has already pretty much been decluttered and feng shui'd (as you all know though this is an ongoing process that is never really finished).  So, what big thing happened?

 

I can't brag about this in my daily life (economy, situation of everyone else around me) but I just pulled off the career plan I have been hoping for since I began my job 5 year ago.  I make great money but live in a HCOLA that I (and DH) do not want to stay in.  We have been saving my salary planning on having me be a SAHM once kids come and we move to a lowerCOLA.  I was offered a higher paying job with another agency and to keep me, my current employer just signed a contract that when the time comes to move I can take my job (and salary) with me!  This means I could make 100k (completely secure job w/benefits) living anywhere in the US!  I could not be more excited!!!!

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #811 - 07/02/09 03:24 PM



I wouldn't put his certificates in the abundance area, but rather in the career section, since that's what you want him to have a career in again--the X-ray field.  You can also hang diplomas, etc. in the fame section for people who want to give the impression that they are intelligent, educated human beings.  Wooden frames are the way to go in both sections, with white, black or blue better in career, and green or red better in fame (or a natural wood color works in both).

 

The prosperity section is a different fix all together.  There are several ways to go about "restoring" that missing corner to your house.  One, if a door opens into that missing section, you can pave it so that it's square with the house and make yourself a little outside sitting room.  If there is no door there, then there are several other options.  One (and the cheapest), you can bury a red string around that section so that it follows the same line the walls should follow, and meet up to form a corner.  I would then place something on that intersection so that you have a visual corner as well, such as a large, ornamental rock or bird bath.  Your eyes will naturally complete the plane of the walls out to that anchor point.  In fact, a bird bath is a doubly excellent thing to put there, as it is a water element and active animals help stimulate chi in that area.  You might want to paint it purple, gold, blue, green or red, depending on what will work best with the colors of your house. 

 

Make sure that any windows that open onto this section (and I assume there are some) are clean and that you keep the curtains/blinds open during the daytime, and preferably at night as well, so you can see that area all the time and bring it into the house/room where it is missing.  I would also put some landscaping there to make it attractive to look at; the more you look at it, the more you think it's part of your house, as opposed to the vast emptiness of the yard.  Avoid spiky-leafed plants; no cactus, holly or monkeygrass.  Go with lush, round-leafed plants like hostas or chickadees; money plant is especially relevant in this corner and dang easy to grow and self-seeding (meaning you won't have to replant it).  A tall-shooting flowering plant, like a hollyhock, would be great here, or morning glories climbing a trellis.  Purple flowers are best, followed by blue and red.  My mother has purple butterfly bushes, which is not only a great color, but attracts butterflies, and who doesn't find pleasure looking at those beautiful things?  (Not to mention they are another active element.  You might also want to get a plant hanger and attach it to the corner of the house and put up a windchime.  While you can select one based on color, your primary focus is something that sounds pretty.  That helps draw your attention to the outside area.  Bamboo chimes would be especially good, if they sound pretty, because bamboo is a feng shui cure.  And you don't have to leave them in their natural state; you can always spray paint them!

 

Also, if your missing corner is on the front of your house (with it being prosperity, I assume your problem is in the back), you can use uplighting to correct the corner.  Put the light in the ground where the missing corner should intersect and spotlight the missing corner of the house.  You will almost certainly need to add a few other spotlights around the front to make it look even, but by treating this missing corner the same as the non-missing sections, it will draw it in.   

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keriamon
Message #812 - 07/02/09 03:33 PM

Jill, something else you need to work on is your family section.  The family section is actually connected to money to pay your own way.  If you are short money for basic living expenses, you need to attend to that section too.  By all means, fix your missing prosperity corner, because nothing's going to happen with that the way it is, but also make sure your family section looks well.  This can not only help you find the money to meet your basic expenses, but also help nudge the brother out of the house when you no longer need his money.  The family section is right next to prosperity (center of the left-hand section) and it's main color is green, and its element are trees/wood.  Water and the color blue are secondary elements, since water feeds wood.  Family pictures (of happy times and family you like!) are a good symbolic element. 

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keriamon
Message #813 - 07/02/09 03:46 PM



Wow, Abundance, that's a killer offer!  Your feng shui must be working for you (or that screen name)!  With that kind of salary, in a LCOL area, can your husband be a SAHD?

 

Remember, everyone, that it make take a few months after curing to hit the sort of jackpot that Abundance received.  I know some people get discourgaged if they do all these things and then don't find a $20 bill laying in the street the very next day.  The universe still needs a little time to work you up something as grand as that, so just be happy with your nice living space and open to whatever may come your way.

 

Also, helping others out, as Abundance did with her mother, helps you out too. 

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jillbean_1978
Message #814 - 07/02/09 04:35 PM

Abundance- That's awesome!!! It's great to hear this type of thing happening these days. I know that it is hard times for everyone right now but instead of looking at it as 10% of the U.S. aren't working I look at it as 90% are working! Gotta stay as positive as we can ya know.

I am I guess confused as to where to put the fixes. It seems that there's more than just one place to apply things. I don't know how it will look to others if we hang his certificates in the living room. I don't wanna come across as snarky. Kinda like we would be bragging maybe? I don't know.

The abundance area has our central air unit there. It's in the back of the house. I have been looking at bird baths but the cheapest I have found is $15. And we can't be spending that much on not really needed items. LOL I will see if Dh will put the red string down.

So I will start working on the career and family sections. We would be happy if DH could get a local job paying $10/hr. then we could pay our monthly bills. Couldn't buy other things like food/gas/household items but at least bills would be paid. LOL

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #815 - 07/02/09 04:58 PM



Thanks ladies!

Jillbean I see it that way too.  Also my income would not be taking away a good paying job from someone else in the community we move to but would instead be like importing money into that area.  I try to support local business however I can so imagine the income will have a positive effect on whatever community we move to.

 

As for your situation.  The birdbath may be too much right now but what about hanging wind chimes or a crystal (keriamon don't crystals work as well?)?  Since you have already decluttered, focus on keeping clean and getting rid of things that are broken or bring you down.  Somewhere in this thread Keriamon detailed setting up a box into which you place your intentions/what you want to attract to your life.  I find this really helpful as it helps identify where you want to go so that the steps to that goal are more clear. In my situation identifying that I wanted to be able to live in an area I love and have time for kids/family helped me turn down positions that would not have lead to the opportunity I have today.  Without applying for those jobs (to use as leverage) I would not be in the position I am in today. 

I love seeing this thread active!

2007dh I am so happy for you!  There is nothing in the world like getting something done that has been weighing on your mind.

 

 

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jillbean_1978
Message #816 - 07/02/09 05:37 PM

Yes I recall her saying something about a "wish box"? I am not sure if I should put in there that I want my husband to make X amount at a job. I think that should be his wish, his intentions. I think it's a free will thing. I mean what if he really doesn't want to make enough money to take care of his family? LOL I don't really think that is what he really wants. But ya know what I mean, I hope.

Today I am going through oldest DS's clothes. Gotta see what we are gonna need for school next month.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #817 - 07/02/09 11:08 PM



The A/C unit in the missing prosperity corner isn't good.  Could be causing you to "blow" through money.  Bury the red string to complete the corner (and we're not talking a 6 foot grave; just enough to put it out of sight).  And, really, you don't even have to bury it, but most people prefer to do that, since it allows you to mow over it, not trip over it, etc.  If you already have a large rock or anything decorative of size in your yard, move it to where the corner should be to visibly anchor it.  You might also want to put a red string around the A/C unit or hit it with a dab of red paint (fingernail polish will work!) on all its corners with the intention of negating any bad effects it's emitting.

 

If you career/fame section for the house is in the living room, and you think his certificates/diplomas are too much there, then you can put them in the same section(s) in another room.  For instance, if you have a home office room, that's a great place for stuff like that (put it in the career or fame section in that room).  If your husband has a room of his own (a man room), that's also a good place; you can even put them up in a garage or workshop if that's where he spends a lot of time working and it's a tidy area.  But if you don't have those kinds of rooms, put them up in your bedroom.  Rooms you spend a lot of time in have more power than rooms where you hardly spend any time.  A room or workshop that it is his has a certain power to it, and an office--where you work--has a powerful connection to working outside the home as well, but the bedroom, where he invariably spends 8 hours or so a day, is also strong.  Although, if he gets a job in the medical field again, I think I would have him move those certificates to his office at work (in that room's career or fame section); that's the very best place for them, and that kind of bragging is encouraged! 

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keriamon
Message #818 - 07/02/09 11:20 PM



I almost forgot.  Someone came and bought the sewing cabinet today, so that's $25.  They happened to mention how much they loved it out here, away from the city and I told them we were going to sell, just as soon as I had a job elsewhere.  When they got back home, the lady e-mailed me to tell me how much she liked the cabinet and to keep their contact information and let them know if we do sell the place. 

 

If I could just get a job and if they could just pay cash! 

 

I think I might go bury St. Joseph; he's been waiting.... I read in an article a few years back that there is a legend that if you bury a statue of St. Joseph (who is the patron saint of homes) in your yard when you want to sell your house, you will get a sale pretty quick.  So many people swear by it, there are actually realtors who keep extras in the office to give out to clients.  I bought one a fear years ago, when we were last talking about me getting a job back home and us moving; I was going to wait and bury him when we actually put the place up for sale.  Shortly thereafter, I got a local job and we ended up staying here.  So here it is four years later, nearly to the day (I started my last job on July 11th), and we're back in the same boat of me needing to find work back home so we can move.  Maybe I'll just go ahead and bury him and see what comes of it.

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2007debtheaven
Message #819 - 07/03/09 08:26 PM

Abundance
What FANTASTIC news! I am SO happy for you! You have had your eyes on this prize for a long time, probably even before you realized it could take that road. Hurray for you and your DH and your babe! By the way, the babe will be arriving pretty soon, no? In a couple of months or so?

Postive results
As to positive results, DH and his partner should have partly sold their business to a third partner, but it got put off. But the new partner put the money in anyway, even though the paperwork will only be official in a couple of months. So now DH is only 2.5 months behind! I know that sounds pathetic but it's much better being owed 2.5 months' salary than five months' salary. 

We booked a vacation (not cheap) because DH "was SURE" the paperwork would go through before the summer and he would get all his back pay. He and DS1 railroaded me, because the trip is to visit DS1. The flights were going up every day, about two weeks ago, I pulled the trigger. Now it's done.

My sister (the voice of reason, but that's recent) said to me, SO SINCE WHEN DO YOU TRUST YOUR DH RATHER THAN YOUR OWN INSTINCTS?! She's not wrong, but it's done. My half will be paid for in cash (we don't budget vacations out of our joint household account). Hopefully DH's will be too, even if he doesn't knock out his debt as quickly as I hoped. (His personal debt is UNDER 10K now!) 

Anyway, the vacation is expensive, booked, non-refundable, and darn it, after two months of panic and anxiety attacks, I've finally decided I'm going to enjoy it. I'm still behind on our paperwork, but I will deal with that before we go in 10 days. But I need to spend less time on the boards.

ETA: Keriamon: bury him! Definitely!

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keriamon
Message #820 - 07/04/09 06:30 PM



I mopped our kitchen floor last night--in socks!  I had read about people doing this for fun, but I read somewhere else that it's a good way to mop as well, so I decided to try it.  I found a couple of my husband's old socks that had some small holes in them and needed to be retired anyways.  Dipping my feet in the bucket of warm mop water while wearing socks was weird, but I went at it, and WOW!  It's a GREAT way to mop!  I was able to get in corners and along baseboards really easily with my toes, I was able to scrub a lot harder with my feet than with a regular mop and was able to get stuff up that the regular mop has been missing, and it was a lot less work.  I wasn't panting and wiping sweat off my forehead by the time I got done.  And it didn't take any more time to do.  The kitchen looks SO much better for having a clean floor.   

 

I did use my regular mop as I went, but I left it dry and just used it to mop up the dirty water; socks won't re-absorb water like a wrung-out mop will.

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jillbean_1978
Message #821 - 07/04/09 06:44 PM

I wish I could mop my kitchen floor. It's carpet. Ewwww. LOL My goal before fall is to get the carpets cleaned. Sigh. With 6 kids and 2 men.....I don't know if I will meet that goal. I would have to be able to get everyone gone for the day in order to do that.

Planning on getting dishes done, laundry caught back up and books gone through today. Just gonna watch some Hulu first. It's raining here today and I really just wanna go lay in bed. But I am home with 4 toddlers again.

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!!

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keriamon
Message #822 - 07/06/09 02:23 AM

Jill, maybe it would be easier to rip up the carpet in the kitchen and lay down some self-adhesive tiles?  Well, I won't say EASIER than steamcleaning the carpets, but the tiles are a pretty cheap option.  And they don't all look like cheap linoleum anymore; my mother got some that are GREAT!  They look like stone tile; they have dimension and everything.  Not the easiest thing to mop in a kitchen, but if that exists, surely other good-quality stuff does too. 

[Virgil Showlion]

debtheaven2007
Message #823 - 07/06/09 08:16 PM

Jill, maybe it would be easier to rip up the carpet in the kitchen and lay down some self-adhesive tiles?

I was thinking exactly the same thing. I can't imagine having carpet in the kitchen. If money is tight now, have you ever lifted a corner of the carpet to see what's underneath? Maybe it's already tile or lino, and not in great shape, which could be why the last owners covered it up with carpet. But at least it would be easier to keep clean.

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keriamon
Message #824 - 07/06/09 09:29 PM



I had a credit at Fire Mountain (bead shop), so I ordered myself some feng shui crystals (they have a pretty good price and three different sizes--20mm being the smallest and about 1" in diameter (the size I got); search for "german crystal balls").  I got my package today and hung one up in the window of the toilet closet (helps neutralize the toilet, which is in the house's prosperity corner) and one up in the open doorway between the bathroom and the bedroom (helps keep the bathroom in the bathroom).  I still have three more (plus I already had one in the kitchen window, where it will catch the winter sun and make pretty rainbows on the floor that the cats chase); now I need to decide where to put them.  Too much of a waste to leave them in the package. 

 

I've been hanging them on red embroidery cord; while I've got that out, I need to attach some of that in/around the toilets and sinks.    

 

I've got one week until company comes to our house.  I've almost got the bedroom finished, and it was one of the rooms I was dreading the most.  All I lack is putting away some laundry and vaccuming.  And, oh man, when I got the stuff up out of the floor, it was clear how LONG ago it was that I last vacuumed that room.  The floor in there is terrible!  But I know, as soon as I get it vacuumed, the entire room will look SO much better. 

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seahorse989
Message #825 - 07/06/09 10:00 PM

I found a set of windchimes in my basement so I hung them up outside.  I remember reading about someone who had good luck shortly after taking windchimes from inside and putting them outside.  I'm still trying to find a cheap way of getting 3 frogs to put in front of our home.  I believe they are to help increase income in the household and 3 turtles in the back of the home slows money from going out of the household.  I think one of the frogs has to be leaping but I forget if the other 2 need to be doing something.  Does anyone know?  Does it matter on the size of the frogs? 

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keriamon
Message #826 - 07/07/09 03:11 PM



I haven't read anything about frogs, but in feng shui in general, size (and visibility) do not always matter.  If you are in need of a lot of help, a single big cure can do the trick, but it's generally recommended that you have a number of smaller cures.  The main thing is that feng shui cures should not look out of place; anything that offends your sense of good taste will make your problem worse, not better.  Unless you just love frogs to death, I would not suggest going with huge, decorative frogs (or turtles, for that matter).  Instead, you might want to get small frogs (maybe life-size) and hide them in the landscaping or potted plant near your door. 

 

As for cheap frogs, look at some place like The Dollar Tree or The Dollar General; frogs are a popular decorative item and you can probably find something at one of those places that has frogs on it.  I was at Old Time Pottery a couple of weeks ago and they had either a water fountain or birdbath with three frogs on it.

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seahorse989
Message #827 - 07/07/09 04:35 PM

DH and I both like frogs and turtles.  We do have a Dollar General, so I'll see if they have any frogs there.  DH has a green thumb so it would be pretty to get a potted plant with the 3 frogs by the front door.  I do have a tiny decorative frog so I would just need to get 2 more frogs.  I think most places selling plants have everything on sale right now.  DH has a plant that was suppose to last a year and now he's had it for 5 years.  I'm just amazed on his abilities to keep plants going.  Thank you for the suggestions.  I think a potted plant by the back door with 3 turtles would be neat also.  We have a couple of decorative turtles in our fish tank so I could use those two and just get one more.      

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keriamon
Message #828 - 07/07/09 06:25 PM



If you or hubby are a deft hand at painting, you can also paint frogs, turtles, etc. on your flower pots (stickers also work).  Nothing says a cure has to be three-dimensional! 

 

I bought myself another hanging basket of red impatiens this year and hung it up from the tree in our deck (yes, we have a tree growing through our deck!).  I also found a great big pot of them at the grocery store for only a couple of bucks more, so I have it by the steps on the other side of the entranceway, so there are red flowers on either side of you as you come up the stairs.  My husband recently bought a flag and attached it to a tree next to our deck, and the combination of all of it looks quite pretty.  Certainly better than having nothing out there at all.  I just need to get the old metal bookcases hauled into the garage; I've left them sitting there for a couple of weeks!

 

Today, though, is kitchen day.  I got the bedroom looking great yesterday.  Today I have to wash dishes (two loads down, probably two more to go, maybe three--and I have to wash by hand, so this isn't a dishewasher load full!), clean the counters and try and clear off the bar.  Oh, and I need to burn the paper trash and take out the other trash.  Since I mopped the other day, I just need to sweep before company comes. 

[Virgil Showlion]

seahorse989
Message #829 - 07/07/09 07:38 PM



I do have some frog stickers.  I had never thought of putting pictures or stickers on the flower pots.  I think I can made do with what I have and not spend a single penny.

 

I just mopped my kitchen today.  I always seem to put off doing things like that.  It never takes that long but it sure is nice when I just go in there and do it.  I don't have a dishwasher either.  Actually there is one in the kitchen but I don't think it works.  It didn't look like the last tenant used it either.  It's one where you have to roll it to the sink and right now I have the toaster,coffee pot, and a few other things on it.  It's more convienent as another surface versus a dishwasher.  I wash a load of dishes and then I wait for them to dry.  It would make more sense to hand dry them but I usually don't.  I also unclogged the bathroom sink today.  I think it's the soap we use that builds up and after 6 months the sink drains slowly.  It's easy to unscrew the trap and rinse the residue out.  I guess I accomplished more today than I realized.      

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keriamon
Message #830 - 07/07/09 10:17 PM

I think I can made do with what I have and not spend a single penny

I'm the queen of cheap, LOL. 

 

I don't hand dry the dishes either.  I come here and wait for them to air-dry, LOL. 

 

I've been playing with Facebook today.  I haven't found that there's a lot to recommend with social networking sites, other than everyone who's anyone is on them.  I can now connect pretty much to all of my family members (making it easy to spread information around, like when Christmas dinner is, and how our Nanny is doing), and I just found a friend from years ago in another country.  I wonder every now and again how he's doing, and apparently he's a daddy (at least I assume that's his kid in his picture).  Hopefully he'll want to reconnect.  If this had happened two years ago, I'd have offered to take him out to dinner while we were in London; didn't know that's where he's living now. 

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keriamon
Message #831 - 07/12/09 05:00 PM



Update: The house is clean!  Clean, clean, clean!  Husband still has to fix the toilet, but it looks so nice in here that I just walk back and forth through the house, looking at it.  If I do not other feng shui cures, that's got to help our situation.  Although I did get all of my crystals hung; I now have six in the house!  My husband noticed them two days after I hung them up; wanted to know what was up with all the little disco balls, lol.  He's not into feng shui at all, but if life improves, I'll have no complaints. 

 

Now I just have to implement an obsessive-compulsive routine to keep it clean.  But now that the worst is over, I can spend my time making me some clothes (I have a depressing lack of clothes that fit, but butt-loads of material), job-hunting and exercising (I need to lose some weight in a bad way, and while I'm unemployed, I have plenty of time to work out, not to mention a clean living room where I can do some workout tapes, a treadmill and stationary bike--no excuses!). 

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jillbean_1978
Message #832 - 07/12/09 06:53 PM

Yes I have pulled the carpet back in several corners. Who ever laid the carpet glued it to the nas.ty stuff under it. Did not bother to take old flooring up. And it's old. Plus it was glued down to the wood floor or whatever is on the bottom. It would take a lot of sand paper and elbow grease to maybe get the floors looking decent. Not to mention stain. One day I will be able to get rid of the carpet in the kitchen. One day.

Everytime I get something organized around here something else gets all messed up or it just doesn't work like it did in my mind. Plus with 9 people staying here. Having a clean and organized house is somewhat far fetched. LOL

I still haven't been able to fix the missing corner with the ac unit. I am not sure how to go about it. And my husband isn't in to the whole Feng Shui thing so he doesn't care to get anything done that has to do with that. Maybe I will try to find some cheap red paint(waterproof) and paint the corners of the unit. Because digging for me to bury a red string takes more time then I have at this point.

I can say that what I have done so far hasn't made anything great happen, but more importantly nothing super bad has happened either. And that is real good in my book. LOL

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cheapcat
Message #833 - 07/12/09 07:09 PM

The house is clean!  Clean, clean, clean!

Congrats! That's awesome! It's not too hard to get into an OCD routine, just ask my DH about me. I vacuum once a week, didn't have time yesterday & am probably not going to get to it today. I get all edgy when the cat fur starts blowing across the floor. DH's metal band is practicing in the basement for the first time & I may have to take the dog for a very long walk so she doesn't freak out. The floors & desk are vibrating, which actually doesn't feel too bad. The cats seem ok so far - I think I'll have to go outside to see how bad it is for the neighbors.

We had a chimney cleaner come by yesterday, they were running some kind of summer special & we hadn't had it cleaned for 6 years. Turns out it should be cleaned every year or two, it was really gross according to DH. We kind of forgot about it since we only have a furnace & no fireplace. I also took apart the bathroom drain & cleaned the clogs out, also gross. It should be good feng shui to get rid of all that gunk!

I also donated that last little bedside table Friday & the chimney guy took the old table. I had just dropped it to 'Free-Curbside' on craigslist Friday morning when it didn't fit in the car to go to the Salvation Army. Wow, craigslist is a PITA! I lost track of how many people emailed & then didn't show. DH is also a little weirded out about strange people coming to the house, which is funny considering the weirdos currently in the basement. He says at least these weirdos know enough to be afraid of me. 

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cheapcat
Message #834 - 07/12/09 07:27 PM

It would take a lot of sand paper and elbow grease to maybe get the floors looking decent. Not to mention stain.

That's a bummer. The stained & peeling linoleum in our kitchen was glued to a thin plywood subfloor over the original wood floor, or so we thought when we lifted the heating vent grates to look. We peeled the linoleum, lifted the plywood & found nasty ancient linoleum glued with a black tar to the wood floor. It took about an hour to get a one foot square down to the wood. We gave up, made the floor level, redid the plywood subfloor and installed prefinished hardwood. It took our entire vacation, but it was worth it - it still looks good 6 years later.

You could probably peel up the carpet, scrape up the backing & install a floating laminate floor right there. It has a foam underlayment that evens out the floor so you don't have to sand the subfloor. If you get a change of address packet at the post office it usually has a 10% off coupon for Home Depot or Lowes. We used one to buy the wood flooring at the Depot & one for the living room rug at Lowes.

[Virgil Showlion]

cheapcat
Message #835 - 07/12/09 07:31 PM

Maybe I will try to find some cheap red paint(waterproof) and paint the corners of the unit.

You could get a cheap bottle of red nail polish & go around the edges near the ground, I think Keriamon mentioned using nail polish a while ago. 

Plus with 9 people staying here.

Holy S!!! You must be Superwoman not to completely flip out. It's bad enough with the 2 of us & all the small fur-shedding mammals. Wow.

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iascubagal
Message #836 - 07/14/09 02:06 AM

I have a question about applying the bagua to individual rooms.  My office has a closet that takes up about 1/3 of an interior wall.  The remaining 2/3 is for the tub/shower in the adjacent bathroom.  Do I include the closet?  If so, how?  Same with the tub for the bathroom.  Thanks.

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keriamon
Message #837 - 07/16/09 02:50 AM



Jill, we had a layer of ratty lineolium on top of some that wasn't nearly so bad; it had only been glued down around the edges.  The only thing I found to take off the glue was Goof Off.  It's strong, so be careful using it, open windows, keep pets and kids away, etc.  Just spray it and let it sit for a couple of minutes and then the glue will come off.  You might need a putty knife or similar to help some of it off.  If you use it on a wood floor, I would not be surprised if it took the stain off as well, but you were expecting that anyways; using it, though, might be easier then trying to sand it all off, and it's less likely to damage the wood (because you can sand TOO much). 

 

For the record, Goo Gone did NOT remove the glue, so don't waste your money on it.  You need the really chemical stuff to get rid of that kind of super glue.   

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keriamon
Message #838 - 07/16/09 02:57 AM

Scuba, that's a pretty tricky question; we have a similar problem with a closet in our bedroom taking up half one wall and the furnace and A/C unit taking up the rest.  Personally, I would apply the bagua to the office, excluding the closet.  I would then apply the bagua in the bathroom and figure on the closet being part of it.  If you include the closet in the office, where it opens, then you don't have a square bagua, without also including a tub, which is very definitely in another room.  But if you put the closet in the bathroom, the bathroom should be squared up, and the office too.  Make sure the closet is decluttered and neat and clean (remove stuff and dust if necessary), and then whatever part of the bathroom bagua it falls into, hang an appropriate cure inside it.  The other thing you can do, if your bathroom will allow for it, is to hang a mirror on the wall shared with the closet; that is supposed to symbolically bring a missing piece into the correct room. 

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #839 - 07/20/09 02:28 PM

Well I finally had the baby's room all cleared out and started to get it organized. Now it's filled with stuff again! At least this time though it's all stuff that belongs in there. I did have to laugh at my dad though. He thought the shower ended an hour earlier then it did so the poor guy sat through the end of me opening everything. He looked at the every growing pile of boxes and bags and said "I can see it now. Half of this stuff is going to end up in totes in my basement." I'm still in shock over how much stuff people keep telling me this kid is going to need.

And my DH has turned into a clean kitchen fanatic!! I have no clue what got into him but I guess I can't complain. I mean it's not spotless but the dishes are done and the counters wiped down every day. I just have to make sure the dishwasher gets emptied. I can do that.

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danielle j
Message #840 - 07/20/09 04:27 PM



Ok - I am on page 5 of this thread and I have to stop and say this is so what I needed right now I am so happy I started reading. Keriamon I am thinking you have a lot of "You are awesome's" over the 70 pages and I have to add another one! I have never really paid attention to Fung Shui - I thought it was silly - but I was wrong. I really appreciate your writing style - you are making these concepts so clear and doable. I am in the midst of a big clean and simplify movement at my house and I am so inspired to do more when I get home!!!!!!!!!! (Excuse the heavy-handed use of exclamation points - but I am so excited).

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #841 - 07/20/09 08:41 PM

I'm still in shock over how much stuff people keep telling me this kid is going to need.

The kid will need diapers and formula in crazy amounts; clothing it will outgrow so fast that it won't even get to wear a lot of what you got as a gift.  Everything else, I think (outside a car seat and stroller), is more or less optional. 

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keriamon
Message #842 - 07/20/09 08:55 PM



Welcome to the list, Danielle.  Even if you don't want to believe in feng shui, no one can argue that a clean tidy house doesn't make you feel good, because it does!  I got mine all clean and now I just walk from room to room, looking at it and enjoying it.  If nothing else positive happens in my life, cleaning up was worth the effort because I'm happy to be in a clean house every day.

 

Feel free to update the list on your progress, or to ask questions. 

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keriamon
Message #843 - 07/20/09 09:00 PM

BTW, ladies, I'm going to go stay with my grandmother for a while--maybe a week or more--so don't think I'm ignoring anyone's questions; I'm going to have limited internet availability.  Nanny's going to have to have bybass surgery.  She's nearly 85 years old, so it's not going to be easy.

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CoffeeGirl
Message #844 - 07/20/09 09:00 PM

Keriamon - can you email me - I have a question for you and I have misplaced your email address - [mailto:[e-mail]] [e-mail]

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #845 - 07/23/09 02:06 PM



Keriamon, I hope everything went well for your grandmother!  She is in my thoughts.

 

Ladies, I finally picked up some beautiful plants and pots for the front porch.  We have lived in this rental for three years and I have meant to do it ever since I started reading about feng shui.  I am so happy to have it done and it looks so much better.

 

Any progress reports?

 

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jillbean_1978
Message #846 - 07/23/09 04:30 PM

I had gotten some red flowers to put at our front door. They died. I have never been able keep plants alive. Hopefully it's not a sign.

Otherwise we are still hanging in there so I will take that as a good positive thing.

I really wish I could say that things have stayed picked up and cleaned but that just isn't possible. LOL One day when all the kids are gone I will, as crazy as it is, miss the mess. So I try very hard to remember that and let things go for the most part.
 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #847 - 07/26/09 08:55 PM



Jill, some people just have a black thumb; my mother is pretty good about killing houseplants (although plants planted outdoors survive pretty well for her).  My grandmother, on the other hand, can grow violets in terracotta pots (supposedly a big no-no) and make them bloom all the time (I had one in college that bloomed once and never again).  I'm somewhere in between the two.  I don't often kill stuff, unless I transplant it.  Me transplanting a plant brings certain death. 

 

I got a hanging basket of red impatiens last year, and when I went to get some this year, I found some in a big pot that I could sit on the porch, so I have those on the porch and some hanging from the tree in our porch.  They bloom all summer long (they are annuals and will die when it gets about 40 degrees or lower, although I have heard you can keep them alive indoors).  I've found they're really easy to keep.  Just water them when the leaves start to wilt and leave them in their pot, and they'll do their thing all summer long.  And best of all, they're cheap.  I got the big pot at the grocery store for $8.99; the hanging basket came from Lowe's for $6.99. 

 

All: My grandmother's not going to have bypass surgery after all.  The surgeon didn't want to do it, because he said she had more of a risk of dying from the surgery than from the bloackages at this point.  She didn't want to have it done anyways, and I think it's been a load off her mind.  She's feeling better and getting around okay again, so she's fine with things staying the way they are. 

 

I was pleasantly surprised when I got home, though; my husband had kept the place picked up.  I made sure to leave it clean when I left on Tuesday, and when I got home on Friday, it looked almost exactly the same.  And he was home sick one day; even I'm bad about not picking up after myself when I'm sick.  So I was happy I didn't have a big mess to clean up.  All I need to do this upcoming week is the regular cleaning--vacuuming, mopping and so on.  I'm getting the laundry done today.

 

I've also embarked on an exercise routine.  I meant to start it a couple of weeks ago, after I got the house all picked up, but I drug my feet about it.  But I've worked out the last three days.  I've also started to be more careful about what I eat.  Hopefully I can start to lose a little weight.  Having a clean house helps; when I was doing my tai chi video yesterday, I noticed how much easier it was to do because I felt like the house was clean.  You don't want to breathe as deep when you feel like the house is full of dust and other contaminants. 

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seahorse989
Message #848 - 07/27/09 12:05 AM



I got all my laundry caught up yesterday.  I found a sack of towels and other dirty laundry from our move in November.  Now we are well stocked on clean towels and I found a forgotten pair of my favorite pajamas.  I also scoured my bathroom sink, toilet, and tub.  I love having a clean house but I can be soooo lazy about getting it done.  Since we've gotten a new kitchen sink (landlord frowned on price but I'm happy) I find it easier to keep up with the dishes.  I didn't realize how stressful it was using a sink with a broken handle. 

 

I still need to clean out the cars.  There is so much dust on the dashboard.

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keriamon
Message #849 - 07/27/09 05:45 PM



Seahorse, you might like a routine/reminder system to help you stay caught up on basic house chores.  Flylady ([www.flylady.net] tells you how to use a binder (Control Journal) to stay on top of everything--cleaning, bill paying, appointments, errands--the whole kit and kaboodle.

 

Her system, though, is based off another one (the S.H.E. system) that uses index cards.  I prefer to use the index cards because they take up less space and I'm not the type to tote a day planner around with me everywhere.  50shousewife.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-card-file-system.html

 

If you study both systems, you could surely come up with a way to have the same thing happening using a Palm Pilot, if you prefer to have an electronic planner. 

---

Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #850 - 07/27/09 07:01 PM

I feel so stinking lucky right now. DH has taken over ALL cleaning and de-cluttering. Yes the man who would put things off because he knew I would do it during my next nesting phase is willingly keeping the kitchen clean, laundry done and all that jazz. He even started some nesting of his own. I mean I can find no other reason why he got the urge to clean all the window tracks in the house yesterday. But I've also been placed on bed rest. Little booger is living up to the nickname of Trouble that he was given by the ultrasound tech 5 months ago. I'm using this time to get caught up on all the half started craft projects I've got going. Counted cross stitch, painting Christmas ornaments, getting a head start on making my Christmas cards, a latch hook rug that I've been meaning to finish for four years and my mom seems to be finding more for me to work on.

Keri, I'm glad that your grandmother is doing ok. At her age she doesn't need anymore stress then what to have for dinner or what kind of music to blast to get the kids off her lawn. 

---

abundanceandprosperity
Message #851 - 07/29/09 12:44 PM

Keriamon, so glad your grandmother didn't have the surgery and that you were able to be there for her! 

Martivir, wonderful that your DH has stepped up on the feng shui (FS) front.
I am finding that FS is addicting/contagious.  I wrote a while back that I spent two weeks with my mother helping her with her house.  I left her with detailed ideas of what could be done with the remaining spaces/rooms in her house we hadn't had time to finish.  I now receive regular calls from her on the amazing progress she has made.  I am going back in a couple months for a wedding (at their house) and really think I won't recognize the place.  It is like working with her for two weeks opened a whole new world for her and she is running with it full speed ahead.  I am so excited for her!

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seahorse989
Message #852 - 07/29/09 01:01 PM



keriamon:  Thanks for the websites.  I've already looked them up and now just need to make my own plan of action.  I remember in the Little House books it was: Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday..I should look that up again because I remember Caroline kept a clean house.  It's kind of mind boggling thinking that household chores have been around since the beginning of time.

 

I'm glad your g-ma didn't have the surgery after all and you got to spend some time visiting her.  How wonderful that DH kept the house up while you were gone. 

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #853 - 07/29/09 09:54 PM



Seahorse, I tried Ma Ingalls' chore list, but found it wasn't right for me.  Namely because something would come up, I couldn't do a chore on a particular day, and then I seemed to derail.  Ma had an advantage: she didn't have to run out and do errands at the drop of a hat and she didn't have visitors or hobbies to take up her time! 

 

Something that has helped me a little (I'm still working on really implementing it) is the S.H.E. card system.  With that, you make up an index card for each chore.  For instance, I have some cards that I colored orange for weekly chores--vacuuming, dusting, mopping, etc.  I go through the pile at the start of the week and just do chores and put the cards back in the pile as I can.  So if I need to run errands on Monday this week, I just put the errand card back in the pile; if I need to do them Friday next week instead, it doesn't matter.  So there's stuff I need to get done sometime this week, but what day it is doesn't matter.  This is, I think, really helpful when you get down to chores like "sweep the front porch;" if it is raining on your regular day, you can't do it.  But if you don't assign it a particular day, then you can do it whenever it is dry. 

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abundanceandprosperity
Message #854 - 08/04/09 01:04 PM



Good morning ladies.  I could use your input. 

I really want to buy hardwood floors for a few rooms in my parents' house.  They don't have the money to do it this year and with a wedding being hosted at their house and tile breaking, it really needs doing.  My parents put me through college and helped me get into the financial place I am today.  If I were single I would have already done this.  Therein lies the problem.  My DH does not have the same relationship with his family, he receives money from his family.  He feels that gifting something big to my parents would embarrass them or put us all in a weird place.  Plus we are saving for a reason (move, hopeful SAHM-hood someday, financial independence).  Any suggestions or advice? 

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seahorse989
Message #855 - 08/04/09 06:00 PM

My frog stickers and turtle cutouts are working already.  DH fixed a computer and received $60 and he'll use that to pay for a fishing trip instead of taking money out of the account.  We have been keeping the air off so the electric bill has been under budget.  I found a dime on a bike ride and a penny at the grocery store .  We were able to fix a broken fan to limp it until payday and then the fan was on SALE!!     

---

keriamon
Message #856 - 08/05/09 07:58 PM



I'm still looking for a job.  Someone I know is an HR manager, and she said the last time she put an ad in the local paper for a part-time nursery school teacher, she got 500 applications!  Not good.  I'm thinking I might need to revist the house and reconsult the feng shui books and see what all I can do to try and up my job chances. 

 

I'm working on cleaning up the house today.  I haven't given it a good cleaning since I finished my first major overhaul and the floors need vacuuming and mopping and I've let the countertops and coffee table backslide a bit.  And it's important to nip that sort of thing in the bud, because spending one day cleaning the entire house is a WHOLE lot better than spending a month trying to get it into shape.  Not to mention cleanliness is good feng shui. 

---

seahorse989
Message #857 - 08/05/09 09:45 PM

keriamon:  I've also had that happen a lot with jobs.  I applied at a day care, a nursing home for a cook, and many other jobs and got the response of due to the overwhelming response to the ad...It's so frustrating.  I've applied at all the grocery stores and they report an abundance of applications.  Even the retail stores say they have too many applicants (Walmart, Target, Shopko) I almost laughed at the wife of DH's co-worker.  I told her a got a letter about too many applicants for a daycare position and she told me that wasn't possible.  I still have the letter maybe I should make a copy and send it to her.  I am flabbergasted on how long it's taking to find something and I mean ANYTHING!  Not even paper routes are availiable which is ok because I'm not one to be up at 2am to 5 am anyway.  Good luck to you finding something soon.  If we keep trying something has to give soon.  I read an article about the recession being over so I'm hoping that will get the jobs flowing again. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #858 - 08/18/09 04:38 PM

Hi! How is everybody doing?

I was away for a few weeks. AandP, what did you decide about the floors? Keria, Seahorse, any luck with the job hunt?

DS3 came home from 10 days away yesterday and decided he couldn't stand the sight of his (very messy, cluttered) bedroom. He's going into MS and wants to redecorate. I told him you know we only paint clean, decluttered rooms. So we spent hours going through his desk today, for the first time in four or five years. We got rid of FIVE medium-sized garbage bags! Two to donate, and three to throw. Plus a giant stuffed dog which took up a lot of room. We still have one more drawer to do, plus the top of the desk. Hopefully we'll finish that tomorrow. Then there's the Ottoman, and the bookshelves ... which will inevitably mean more stuff in the basement. It's a never-ending cycle. But I'm glad he's finally on board.

[Virgil Showlion]

keriamon
Message #859 - 08/18/09 06:30 PM



Debt, that sounds great about your son.  Of course, it helps you (in more ways than one) if he's tidy.  And he gets a reward for clearing out--getting to redecorate his room.  A lot of times people take care of things better when they are happy with them, so maybe he can keep his newly redecorated room in better shape.  It's easier to abuse things which are deemed ugly.  Lord knows I don't care if I spill something down the front of our kitchen cabinets, because they look horrid.  But if I spent the time sanding and repainting them, I'd be right on a spill. 

 

Still no word on the job front, although I've got a good feeling about the end of August.  Maybe I'll have something by then.  I've started applying for temp work in our area.  That way I can have some money when unemployment runs out (and if I get a long-enough temp assignment, it can start my UE all over again), while still being able to look for a permanent position where we want to move. 

 

I've also decided to open the living room curtains.  Our TV sits directly across from a window--which is in the house and living room's career section.  While I have the appropriate-colored dark curtains on it, we're also bad about leaving them shut, even when we're not watching TV.  So I'm trying to get better about opening the curtains to make sure HR managers, etc. can "see" me.  I don't want to be hidden while looking for a job search. 

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2007debtheaven
Message #860 - 08/18/09 10:58 PM

And he gets a reward for clearing out--getting to redecorate his room. 

Exactly! He's my youngest and I find this system works well for when kids "move up" to a new school. He's not that untidy by nature, but things have definitely gotten out of hand. In DS3's defense, DH is a packrat and DS3 is the youngest, so DH and the older kids tend to offload their unwanted stuff on him. DS3 usually accepts it even if he doesn't want it. (That's another issue.)  

Keria, good for you for keeping the curtains open! Ours are always open except in the dead of winter, for insulation. I hope a lot of people "see you" and that something wonderful comes from it!  

---

2007debtheaven
Message #861 - 08/19/09 07:58 PM

We finished the last desk drawer and the top of the desk. The desk is done, yay! We got rid of another three bags of stuff / papers! That's EIGHT BAGS total! We didn't get to the Ottoman (which is full of stuffed animals) because DD took DS3 to the pool today.

It makes me feel good to post the progress here. Thanks and I hope I don't bore anybody to death, lol.

---

keriamon
Message #862 - 08/19/09 08:13 PM

I find this system works well for when kids "move up" to a new school.

Well it's pretty natural for all people to do some major reworking of their living space when they go through a major life stage/change; they want their living space to reflect their transition; new energy for new times.  Pregnant women do all sorts of "nesting" before the baby comes.  People who have lost an immediate family member often move.  Some people buy new furniture and redecorate when they get a new job.  I repainted my ex-roommate's (and ex-best friend) room as soon as she moved out (that had been a toxic relationship and living arrangement for about 6 months, and painting the room obliterated all traces of her existence there).

 

Of course, it can sometimes work in reverse, which is what feng shui is about.  If you want to be free of a toxic relationship, want to get a new job, want to have a baby, change up your living space in a dramatic way. 

 

Hopefully your son's change in his room will make it easier for him in school--making good grades, friends, etc. 

 

And I'm glad you're helping him.  Too often parents say, "Clean your room" or "Get rid of some of this carp" and kids don't know how to do either unless they are born organized or have parents who are super role models.  But the parents most likely to say this sort of thing don't know how to clean up their own mess!  My mother was bad to tell me these things, and yet she seemed to really clean up her room about as often as I cleaned up mine (although the rest of the house was usually immaculate).  Not to mention, my mother has stuff-itis.  She believes that HER stuff has some sort of monetary value, is an investment as good or better than stocks and CDs, etc.  She puts a lot of emphasis on ownership of stuff.  So how was I, as a kid, supposed to get rid of stuff?  She didn't realize that her actions were teaching me that my stuff is super-valuable (despite all economic evidence to the contrary), and that I thought my well-played-with pony was just as valuable as her Garfield novelty mug.

 

And I find that a lot of people need permission to get rid of things or to do stuff.  They may know in their heart of hearts that yes, it's time to let this blanket or stuffed animal or picture of my ex go, or yes, it's time to leave this job for something better, but they need someone else to confirm that no, you're not crazy for wanting to let this go, or to change jobs, and yes, I agree that you should do it.  Change can be a scary thing for all of us, and we're such social creatures, we like to make sure that when we step out into the great unknown, into the parts of the map that aren't drawn in, that we've got someone covering our backs.  That's how we've survived as a species and gotten to the top of the food chain: exploring, making changes, adapting to new environments and situations, but also making sure we've got back-up to help if we get in trouble. 

---

2007debtheaven
Message #863 - 08/20/09 06:33 PM

Keria, that's a fascinating analysis, and very insightful. You should become a sociologist or anthropologist, lol. I love "reading" you (and I know I'm not alone.) I think DS3 did initially need "permission", but once he started, he was ruthless. He was clearly throwing out a lot of his "childhood". He's going to a middle school which is not in our neighborhood, so it really is a "new start".  

We went through all DS3's stuffed animals this morning (and there were TONS, many passed on from his older siblings) and took them to the charity place. Then we got his school supplies (his first "reward") and then we came home and went through his bookshelves. He had a TON of books (again, many from his siblings.) Now he even has an empty desk drawer and empty bookshelf for school. We'll go back to the charity place tomorrow with the magazines and books.

We still have to go through one small closet of his toys / games, but we'll do that after we get back. But I'm feeling very proud and happy with what we've accomplished, and so is DS3. We've spent over 15 hours on it in the past three days. And I love it when people realize that in fact it's its own reward. I've always helped my kids till they got too old to want or need my help (at some point in HS). It's fun to go through the stuff together, it evokes memories.

There has been a bit of collateral fallout in the basement, alas. Not much, but I'll deal with that in the fall / winter. It really IS endless, lol.

---

abundanceandprosperity
Message #864 - 08/20/09 06:59 PM



2007dh, what amazing progress!  I am a bit jealous of you son.  I wish my mother had the knowledge about de-cluttering to give to me as a kid.  I didn't start until I was out on my own.  This skill you have helped him learn will be a blessing in his life.

 

 we like to make sure that when we step out into the great unknown, into the parts of the map that aren't drawn in

Keriamon, you are a great writer.

 

So, I am not buying my parents new flooring.  Not now at least.  My DF's business (which is his life's work, a large part of their retirement plan and the livelihood of several relatives) may be going under.  The economy has just trampled him.  I don't know how to help but buying a gift like new flooring would not be the way to go right now.  Know of any "fixes" for a situation like that?

[Virgil Showlion]

dianartemis
Message #865 - 08/20/09 09:18 PM



Abundance - what about some area rugs to cover the worst spots?

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keriamon
Message #866 - 08/21/09 12:35 AM



I agree with large area rugs.  Or, if you get a truly wild streak, you might help rip up the old flooring and faux-paint the sub flooring.  My mother and I did that on the subflooring in her sunroom.  People can't tell it's not real stone tile unless they bend down and touch it.  And it only cost $50 or $60 for all the materials to paint it and one day's labor (and we spent most of our time waiting for the layers of paint to dry).  Not to mention we painted it with porch paint, which is resistant to sunlight (a good thing in a sun room); if she had put down carpet, it would not only have been a lot more expensive, it would have been ruined by now.  Porch paint is the way to go for high-traffic areas. 

 

You can get books on faux painting in your local library.  You can probably also see people doing it on YouTube, if you searched; they have everything else on there.  Shoot, there are techniques for painting fake wood, and you can do that to make fake inlaid wood floors.  Imagine the surprise on those wedding guests' faces when they see this mondo expensive inlaid wood floor... and it didn't cost but $100 and a little time (and not as much time and effort as installing a Pergo floor, or similar).  DH might want to learn how to do it and hand out business cards; maybe paint other people's floor for income.   

 

into the parts of the map that aren't drawn in

That's be being all medievally-minded, lol.  My husband has a map of the world from the 70's or early 80's that was hand-drawn and shows the kingdoms of our medieval re-enactment group.  And where there weren't any groups, there's a blank space that says, "Here there be monsters."  And that's what it was like for early explorers... they never knew what they were going to find.  Might run aground on a shoal, get eaten by cannibals, or find a unicorn.  Now the empty spots on our maps aren't real places, but rather emotional ones.  If you've never had a clearing out of your stuff, it's a scary, uncharted experience.  But, after you do it, you find out it's not so bad--it's even good--and you learn what should and shouldn't go. 

 

Or, as someone else put it, clearing out is like an exercise; the more you do it, the better you get at it.  Early on there is a lot of hesitation and second-guessing; but with experience you fling it and forget it.   

---

2007debtheaven
Message #867 - 08/29/09 04:14 PM

AandP, any change in your dad's work situation? That is so hard, especially if other family is involved. I had a thought. How about if you pay for the costs of the flooring, and install it with your dad (which means not paying for labor)? Would that be feasible? It could keep him busy during this difficult time, but I don't know if it's feasible because I think you live far away. Is there somebody else who would be happy to help him do it? I really hope things turn around for him.

We got back last night and DS3 and I did his toy shelves today. Another two big bags to give away! We still have a small box of CDs to go through tomorrow but I'm considering us basically done. A friend is coming next weekend to help paint DS3's bedroom, then I'll take DS3 to Ikea for a couple of "cheap and cheerful" new items.

ETA: I put the box of DS3's CDs into the guest room / TV room. That room is the next project (getting rid of old CDs/cassettes/DVDs) but that shouldn't take more than a couple of hours.

Then it's onto the annual basement purge, late fall or winter.

---

abundanceandprosperity
Message #869 - 08/31/09 12:11 PM



2007 that is great progress.  DS# must be thrilled.  How did Ikea go?  I need to go there myself to pick up a few lamps and always get inspired while there.

 

Update on family business.  DD has some last strings to pull to keep things going for a while.  Luckily he has been extremely proactive and any market there is has pretty much become his.  Hopefully there becomes a bit more of a market so he can hold on.  The amazing thing that I know you ladies will appreciate is the action I started with my mother in June (feng shuiing their home) is being completed.  One of the "last strings" is to pull out more equity from their home (they can afford the higher payments on DM salary) so they are having it reappraised.  That means the DD and the uncles he employees are taking the time to finish the remaining problem areas of the house before the appraisal.  This includes repairing the existing tile floor.  I didn't know they had extra tile but they do.  It isn't the long term solution/goal (i.e., hardwood floors)  but will take care of the problem for a while.  I am just so happy to see them fixing the world around them.  I have become a believer that your home reflects your value of yourself.  If you allow broken down and ugly things around you, you are not valuing your own self very highly.  I can "see" (I do live far away so this seeing is figuratively) changes in their life including health and finances as they are making these changes.  It is still a difficult situation but I think everyone is more highly motivated and hopeful.

 

Thanks for all the support. I will update as soon as I hear more. 

---

abundanceandprosperity
Message #870 - 08/31/09 12:13 PM



Oh, I forgot to mention that the rug suggestion is a great one but doesn't fit this situation.  The broken tiles were near the edges and corners of a kitchen and hallway

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darceny
Message #871 - 09/01/09 06:13 PM

This thread has been so inspiring.  My living room couch and chair were both broken and I was just living with broken furniture.  I finally broke up the broken furniture and recycled what I could.  Without the couch and chair, there really wasn't an reason to keep the ottoman (gathering papers and dust).  I've been steadily going through the boxes stacked in my kitchen.  As I've been working through the boxes, I keep asking myself why I held onto this stuff for so long.  Most of it can either be given away, recycled or shredded. 

I have an appointment for carpet cleaning next week.

Keep up the great work!

darceny

[Virgil Showlion]

dianartemis
Message #872 - 09/03/09 03:26 PM

Well ladies, 73 pages devoted to cleaning up and getting rid of stuff finally motivated me to start on my desk at home.  My place can be spotless, except for that darn desk.  Luckily it's upstairs and not easily visible when company's over.  But, this week I finally started cleaning it off.  1/2 hour each evening (I started on Tuesday).  I have one very nice half desk that you can see and is organized.  I hope to finish the rest this weekend.  I'm at the sort paperwork stage.

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MP Dunleavey
Message #873 - 09/04/09 05:24 PM



I am an old Feng Shui devotee, and I love this thread. I had to bring it back! Plus, this story killed me, from Keriamon, trying to find a place to keep her husband's swords:

 

Then I looked at the trash cans (the outside ones).  No, no trash can in the house.  That would look terrible.  But swords on the floor look terrible.  What's my motto?  "Everything looks better with gold paint."

 

Oh, yes, I went there.  I used up the last of my gold spray paint, painting a big, black trash can gold (we had one with a lid that leaked, so it really wasn't useful as an outside can anymore anyways).  I spray painted the bottom red to correct whatever problems might arise with a can full of swords, and brought it in. 

Anyway, I want to include this thread in my next blog column (which does a round up of WIR-related topics). If anyone wants to let me know how Feng Shui has improved their finances--or if some tips are better than others--or if you're a skeptic and would like to rebut--please email me at [mailto:[e-mail]] [e-mail]!

 

P.S. We have been doing a LOT of clearing out lately, and I usually get some kind of financial boost (even something small) from making order. It could simply be that when you're organized, you're more efficient anyway. I'll keep you posted.

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keriamon
Message #874 - 09/04/09 06:39 PM



To me, a lot about feng shui is just plain common sense.  It's a decorating style that makes sense.  My husband and I were driving through a new subdivision the other day and I pointed out that the houses all had really, really bad feng shui, because the garages jutted out in front of the houses and the front doors were recessed behind both the plane of the garage and the front wall; there was a narrow, hidden hallway to your front door.  Feng shui would say that such a design plan is keeping energy from flowing into the front door.  But if you look at it from a strictly common sense perspective, you come to the same conclusion: 1) how are you supposed to get a couch or other piece of furniture through the door, and 2) how unfriendly and unwelcoming is is for your guests who come over at night and have to stand in this dark, narrow hallway, waiting to get into your house?  I mean, it's so narrow they have to stand single file!  Then everyone has to back up in unison so the screen door can open out.  It's like being funneled into a slaughter pen.  And the only other entrance to these houses is through the garage, and you don't want your guests going through the garage, do you?  These are not houses intended for visitors.  From a feng shui perspective, they're not intended for good energy to come through either.  Wonder why so many are up for foreclosure???  Even if you don't believe in feng shui as some sort of magic, it's hard to argue that many feng shui principles of house design aren't logical.

 

I also think a lot of feng shui is subconscious and symbolic.  Let's say that you have a cactus in your relationship corner.  Is that cactus keeping you from having a relationship?  No.  But did you put it there because you are subconsciously identifying with the cactus?  Do you feel hurt by a past relationship, and do you feel defensive and afraid to trust?  People who are unhappy, scared or defensive are more likely to be drawn to a potted cactus than a plant with heart-shaped leaves.  A cactus is symbolic of the way you feel, and anyone who's been in a teenager's bedroom that's painted black can tell you we chose things that symbolize our feelings.  Feng shui is not about saying cactuses are inherently problematic, but rather than the symbolism behind them is.  If you are a healthy, happy person with lots of friends, having a cactus isn't going to suddenly make your life take a turn for the worse.  But if you're healthy, happy and have lots of friends, you're probably not going to want a cactus in the first place.  Just like you're not going to want to paint any of your rooms black.  Removing a cactus from your relationship corner isn't going to magically create a marriage partner for you.  But removing what the cactus symbolizes--lack of trust, fear, defensiveness--is likely to be a big step towards helping you find a mate.  And plenty of psychologists work with symbols.  If a therapist walked into your house and saw a giant potted cactus in the living room or bedroom, he's going to tell you, that's a symbol of your relationship problems.  And then he'll help you examine your problems, and when you are ready to make a change, he'll tell you to get rid of the cactus.  Plenty of psychologists recommend symbolic rituals to help you get over negative past experiences so you can feel free to move on.  They just don't call their practice feng shui.  But there's really no difference.   

 

BTW MP, we went to a friend's house and he had all his swords hanging up on a wall in his garage in neat, double rows.  He had them on tool hangers, so you could take them down easily.  He said he hadn't finished organizing them, but he was thinking about putting them in order by type (knowing him, also by century).  Unfortunately, we don't have the wall space to do that with my husband's collection, so the can o' swords will have to stay.  But to me it's proof that you can make anything look neat and organized.  Come to think of it, they were located roughly in the fame section of his property and roughly in the fame section of his garage

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keriamon
Message #875 - 09/04/09 06:42 PM



--which is where swords are supposed to go best.  But even if they weren't, neatness counts for a LOT.  Not to mention taking care of your stuff.  If you keep your stuff neat and organized, it shows you care for it.  And if you take the time to take care of your possessions, you're more likely to take care of your self and the people in your life.  I wasn't even thinking feng shui when I was admiring this friend's neat swords, workbench, and book and movie collection, but it influenced how I thought of him.  There's your fame section at work, whether you want to believe in it or not: keep a fairly tidy life and people will admire you for it and assume you're a person who accomplishes things, who doesn't quit halfway through, who can be relied upon.  People who are tidy also tend to be punctual.  Which isn't to say messy people can't be all those things, but they have to PROVE that they are, whereas neat people just give off an aura of dependibility without having to work at it.

 

*Sigh* I should probably confess that I've let the house slip a bit, LOL.  Not that it's a terrible mess, but the kitchen floor definitely needs a mop and the dishes are behind.  I also need to vacuum (something I'd been avoiding because the belt was burnt up on the vacuum, but now I have a replacement for it--and no excuse).  Which just proves that feng shui isn't something you do and then it's done; you have to keep at it, just like you have to keep sweeping the floor.

 

Oh, btw, I did get called in for a skills test for a job this week.  Also, I found out from my grandmother that my stepmother is trying really hard to get me a job where she works (I'd love to work where she works).  So maybe opening the curtain in the living room has been a helpful thing.  This is the first stirring of life I've had on the job market since I started looking.     

[Virgil Showlion]

luckytobeme12
Message #877 - 09/05/09 10:09 PM



WOW, what did Debt2007's post#876 say that merit a delete?  I read it last night and found her criticism of Mia's engagement on this board to be mostly valid!    to mention she was MIA on this thread and proclaim to bring it back when it has not been dormant!  Oh well, it is just me,  I do not think Debt has violated "The Policy". 

 

So who is so thin skinned?  Or the mods are just a bit too  quick with the trigger?

 

Does any of the frequent posters on this thread want to weigh in?

 

 

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2007debtheaven
Message #878 - 09/05/09 10:13 PM

Lucky and anybody else
I deleted the comment myself this morning. I decided I didn't want the negativity up there. So please don't blame the mods or anybody else, it was me.

ETA: I also accidentally deleted the congrats and welcome to Darceny and Dianartemis. Sorry!

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Who_is_JohnGalt1
Message #879 - 09/06/09 09:05 PM

Hi all,
First, I will openly admit that I am very lazy.  But I also don't have the time to go through almost 900 posts.  If anyone would be so kind is to summarize what this is all about, I can't wait to hear it.  I saw the words "decluttering" and "clean house" and that in itself has grabbed my undivided attention.
thanks much,
Lena

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darceny
Message #880 - 09/06/09 09:37 PM

I can not contain my glee and I must spread it throughout the universe.    The headboard and footboard (AKA the banes of my existence) are out of my apartment.  I have less than a week until the carpets are cleaned.  After the carpets are cleaned, I can start moving bookshelves and cabinets out of the kitchen.

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DesparatelyinDebt
Message #881 - 09/07/09 01:52 AM



Hello All! I am new to your board and I am also new to the concept of Feng Shui (sorry if misspelled!) and would love to glean from your knowledge. I am living in clutter and from reading over the posts that may be the reason for the debt... I am financially stagnant. Please help! I am open to your wisdom.

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Marti loves her lil monkey
Message #882 - 09/07/09 07:59 PM

Hey guys. I know long time no update from me. But I have good reason! I've been busy. After all the problems that have gone along with this apartment DH and I have decided to buy a house. We were going to wait till after our lease was up but we had a final straw that kicked us into looking now. I find the biggest problem with living in the apartment is that we can't control all the energy in it. Between the fact that the complex is more interested in upgrading the empty units instead of maintaining the older lived in ones, and that other tenants don't seem to care about the common areas, I do dread coming home sometimes. So we've been house hunting.

And the kid is finally here. Oddly enough I'm finding that more stuff is getting done now that he's here then before he was born. Then again when I'm washing the bottles it's super easy to just wash the other 2 or 3 things that are in the sink. And since I'm pacing around with him in the sling it's not that hard to tidy stuff up. And it's even easier since I'm just keeping it clean. Mom came over before I was discharged and gave the place a good once over. And I have to say that having the baby has been a great leveler in the relationship with my MIL. Yes she can still be a pain in the rear but now she sees me as more of an equal, which is translating into her listening to my wishes more. And she no longer seems to giving us stuff just to get it out of her house instead of shipping it to goodwill or the garbage. After all I have a kid now. I no longer have the room for "useless stuff".

And for the new posters on the thread. I have found that for me Feng Shui is learning to keep things neat and clean. You are not going to get out of debt just by painting the home office a certain color. After all what good is that fresh coat of paint if you still can't find your bills under the piles of papers on the desk, or are over drafting your account because you looked at the wrong bank statement because they are not properly filed. Or you are having problems with your spouse because they keep tripping over the pile of shoes that half blocks the front door. Neat, tidy and organized goes a long way. 

[Virgil Showlion]

Purple Wolf
Message #883 - 09/08/09 08:36 AM



Martivir, congratulations! 

 

I have just been doing more of the organizing and keeping our place neat and tidy.  I don't practice true feng shui since we really don't have any other way to rearrange the rooms, can't paint walls etc.       

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keriamon
Message #884 - 09/08/09 03:59 PM



Purple, you are practicing feng shui if you just keep a clean house!  Clean and tidy are the foundations of feng shui.  In fact, if you're not doing THAT, then you're not doing feng shui.  Rearranging furniture, painting walls, etc. is like icing on a feng shui cake; clean, tidy, de-cluttered is the actual cake.  You can eat a cake without the icing and it will still taste pretty good, but icing by itself isn't that great and, in fact, can make you sick.   

 

Although there are some ways to get your icing, even if you are living in a small, rented space that prevents major redecorating.  Small objects are part of feng shui as well.  If you can hang pictures on the walls, they can do a lot for your feng shui symbolism.  You can hang windchimes indoors too; I used to have one directly above my apartment door, so that every time I went in or out, the door hit the clapper and rang the chimes.  This was a very pleasant effect given that I lived alone; it made me feel like my apartment was greeting me and telling me goodbye.  You can also hang them on balconies or in front of windows.  They affect chi by their shape, so they don't necessarily have to ring, although it never hurts for them to rin occasionally, even if you just go over to them and ring them manually. 

 

You don't have to paint walls to have color.  The color of your furniture and other decor can work as strongly as painted walls in a lot of cases.  Of course, most people can't afford to run out and buy new furniture, but there are cheap ways to change the color of your furniture or add color to a colorless space.  For tables, bar tops, dressers, etc. flat surfaces, you can use tablecloths, table runners, doilies, lamp mats, placemats, etc. to add color.  If you need to change the color of a couch or chair (maybe it's not the right color for where it has to sit), you can either use a couch/chair cover, or just get a throw-blanket in the appropriate color and drape it over the back (you don't have to cover the entire thing to counter its color).  Curtains are a good way to add color to a wall in a rented apartment (which is typically white or beige throughout).  And don't forget things like bedspreads; because the bed is usually the dominant piece of furniture in the room, the color of the spread will send a strong message.       

 

Then there is bric-a-brac.  Even if you can put nothing on the walls and can't change the curtains, you can at least put some things on a bookcase, coffee table, dresser-top, etc.  Fountains are good where you need water.  Most plants (live or fake, but not dried) are great.  Things which are meaningful to you have some place in your home; look to the bagua to see where they might be best placed. 

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keriamon
Message #885 - 09/08/09 04:32 PM



Lena and Desparately, I've gone through feng shui on this board so many times, I'm not sure what I've covered and what I haven't!  Most of it starts off by someone asking a question, or by saying what they want or want to accomplish and then asking how it can be done. 

 

Feng shui itself is the "art of harmonious decorating."  Like any art, there is no such thing as perfection.  And while there are guidelines, there's not a lot of hard-and-fast rules.  Some things are not good feng shui--like trash, clutter, broken objects, etc.--but at the same time, there's often a reason why you have those things in your life.  Your living space both reflects who you are now and who you want to be.  If you have a lot of mess in your living space, it is probably reflecting the way you are on the inside.  For instance, I'll make a great effort to clean up and have everything nice and pretty, but after a few days, it all starts falling by the wayside again.  Part of that is the fact that my husband is a disorganized person (which is kind of odd, seeing how he's very good at organizing and planning events--just not objects), but part of it probably also reflects the fact that I feel aimless and drifting because I don't have a job and don't even have an idea about what career path I want for myself.  Depression and other forms of unhappiness often manifest themselves in a messy living space and/or unkempt possessions or personal appearance. 

 

But, if you are tired of being depressed (or broke or childless or whatever), you make things work the opposite way: you can change your living space in the hopes that it will change your fortunes.  You can think of it as a paryer or form of positive thinking: I am hanging up this picture because it symbolizes what I want to be/how I want to feel.  The fact that you hang the picture up intentionally will cause you to notice it often and think about it--and, by extension, think about what it symbolizes to you and how you want to achieve that.  As I said in a previous post, feng shui is not really about certain colors or objects or images being magic, but rather that they are symbols of something happening in your life.  If you want to change your life, you need to change what represents it. 

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MP Dunleavey
Message #886 - 09/11/09 04:01 PM

I also think a lot of feng shui is subconscious and symbolic.  Let's say that you have a cactus in your relationship corner.  Is that cactus keeping you from having a relationship?  No.  But did you put it there because you are subconsciously identifying with the cactus?  Do you feel hurt by a past relationship, and do you feel defensive and afraid to trust?  People who are unhappy, scared or defensive are more likely to be drawn to a potted cactus than a plant with heart-shaped leaves.  A cactus is symbolic of the way you feel, and anyone who's been in a teenager's bedroom that's painted black can tell you we chose things that symbolize our feelings.  Feng shui is not about saying cactuses are inherently problematic, but rather than the symbolism behind them is.

 

Thanks, Keriamon, I think this is a great point and an excellent perspective on FS. Symbols have power. The objects in our lives have meaning. By rethinking what we own, why it's there, we can change our lives.

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darceny
Message #887 - 09/11/09 05:58 PM

Thanks to Caleb and Steve, I now have clean carpeting in the living room, bedroom and hallway.    Now I just have to wait a couple of days to move my furniture back into place.

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keriamon
Message #888 - 09/11/09 06:46 PM



I'm going to confess that I've backslid.  The kitchen got so messy last week that my husband complained about it (and he's a messy person by nature, and not usually bothered by such things).  But I've got things looking somewhat better this week.  Most of the dishes are caught up and the counters have been scrubbed down.  I mopped the floor yesterday and it looks WAY better (for some reason both of our cats have hair hairballs at the same time, so let's just say the floor was yucky, yucky, yucky when I got up yesterday morning; at least they did it on the linoleum, not the carpet).  I cleaned up the bathroom where their litter box is; it looks and smells much better.  I also put away all the laundry that I had allowed to pile up.  So the house is only mildly messy at the moment, and in need of a vacuuming.  Oh, and I washed my car this week; I have to park under a walnut tree at home, and it turns my car black. 

 

I've been able to do a little freelancing writing work this week at Textbroker; I think I've been averaging about $5 a day.  Certainly not enough to live on, but given that my unemployment checks are about to run out, that's better than nothing.  If I could keep it up, that would be $150 extra a month, which would be a noticable help.  I also sold a necklace and earrings, so I'm clearing nearly $40 on that. 

 

I found out that I scored an 82.2 on a skills test I took for a job.  The highest score was a 94.  So hopefully I've scored high enough to warrant an interview.  I recently found out that I have a friend that works there, so I'm going to drop her name if I get called in.  My stepmother is also supposed to be trying to wrangle me something where she works.  I would LOVE to work where she works; it would be the best possible place to work of all, I think.  I'm going to see her Sunday, so I'll find out what job it is exactly she's putting me in for, and if I need to contact anyone, send a fruit basket or something like that.

 

So here's hoping something is going to come out of one of these glimmers of hope.  I should probably put an extra-concentrated effort on cleaning up this week, not to mention finshing making my interview suit (I have it cut out; I just need to serge the edges and sew it up, which wouldn't take me but a day to complete).  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I really need to get that suit made and have it hanging up in the closet, pressed and ready to go.  It says I'm ready to have an interview, as opposed to I'll get my carp together once I have an interview date.  I think I'll work on that tomorrow.   

[Virgil Showlion]

boos_mom
Message #889 - 09/11/09 06:56 PM

I think I've posted here a few times, but always get busy again.  While I'm not quite ready for implementing FS, I'm reading "Buried in Treasures", a book about overcoming compulsive hoarding.  My hoarding is not terrible yet, but I know I have to nip this in the bud.  So, I am hoping to get some serious decluttering done these next few months, especially by December, so I'll have space to put up a tree (just a little fake we have) in the living room for the kids to enjoy.  I am currently going through the kids' clothes, trying to purge stuff that no longer fits and give them away to preggo folks or donate.  I have three shopping bags and a bouncy chair for DH to drop off, hopefully he'll do it today.  Baby steps.

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2007debtheaven
Message #890 - 09/11/09 08:56 PM

Martivir
Congratulations on the baby! And good luck on the house hunt!

Darceny
Congrats on the new carpeting!

Boos-mom
Like you say, baby steps! I find that posting my progress here is really motivating. And like Keriamon says, the basic goal of Feng Shui is living in a clean, harmonious environment, so you ARE implementing FS by decluttering.

Keria
I agree that you should finish that suit and have it hanging in your closet! We all have ebbs and flows in our energy levels. But next time you feel "energized", do that.

I've gotten a lot done in the past week! A painter friend painted DS3's room last Sat. He works very quickly, so it was only 90e (we had the paint, and it only needed one coat.) I washed DS3's rug and curtains. On Sun DS3 and I went to Ikea and got him a bedside lamp, desk lamp, CFL bulbs and sheets for about 35e. So everything is done except the wall deco which he and DH will probably do this weekend. He is SO HAPPY with his "new room"!

I've been keeping the "better" purged stuff in DS1's basement bedroom these past couple of months (he's been away) because I couldn't decide whether or not to do a community yard sale or just give it all to Goodwill. The yard sale was a total waste of time last year. But DS1 is coming home in a few days, so I HAD to get that stuff out of his room. On Thursday I took all the clothes to a consignment shop (first time). What they didn't want I took straight to Goodwill. I kept three small bags of "better stuff" in the basement storage room, for the yard sale if I decide to do it. If not it will go to Goodwill.

We still haven't done the CDs / DVDs / videos in the guest room (which doubles as the kids' TV room), but they're all neatly on shelves except for one small box of old videos. I wanted to do that by the end of Sept but that probably won't happen because DS1 is only here for two weeks.

And then it will be time for the annual winter basement purge ...

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keriamon
Message #891 - 09/12/09 06:16 AM



Boos Mom, you might like an article I wrote on Boxing Day. www.squidoo.com/boxing_day  It's geared for the day after Christmas (it can help you limit the Christmas Explosion), but you can practice the core idea--put out at least as much as comes in--every day of the year.  In fact, Karen Kingston recommends that if anyone isn't ready to tackle a major clear-out, at least tell yourself one thing out for everything new that comes through the door.  We'll make allowances for food, since that goes out the back door (metaphorically speaking!), but clothes, dishes, kids' art work from school, gifts, etc. all need to be balanced out.  It's generally a good idea to get rid of a like item, but in some cases you have to get rid of something unrelated (e.g. you have very few clothes and you need to build up a wardrobe, so when new clothes come in, maybe some trinket goes out).

 

This is a good idea not only for people trying to find a place to start, but it's a good maintenance step for those who feel like they are decluttered to a happy point; this keeps clutter from creeping back in, one knick-knack at a time. 

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keriamon
Message #892 - 09/12/09 06:18 AM



Hehe, I got a captcha when I posted that last message:

 

The comment you are about to post contains words or phrases that are similar to those commonly used in spam messages. To verify that this comment is from an individual, rather than an automated program, please type the letters and numbers shown here.

I wonder what is similar to spam?  Boxing Day?  Clear-out?  Decluttered?  Actually, I probably triggered it putting in a link. 

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NYCsep
Message #893 - 09/13/09 02:58 AM



My de-clutter /selling of DVD's and a camera brought me $200 on ebay.  At the end of the same week, I decided to consolidate my "savings" (quotes intended  because it barely exists) as I had two online savings accounts that generate higher yields than brick & mortar banks [p.s. - if it isn't against the rules, let me know if anyone wants to know good online savings accounts]. 

 

I called my online savings bank to roll the $100 I left in the account as I assumed that I would save again (I had lost $30 K when my old account went through a divorce and screwed up my taxes as I'm self-employed).  I was shocked to find that I had left $1000 in there and it accrued $82!  If that ain't karma, or a thank the Lord moment, I don't know what is! 

 

Yippee yahoo! 

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boos_mom
Message #894 - 09/14/09 08:00 PM



keriamon - thanks for the link.  I do usually try to go through the kids toys after Christmas and donate old stuff (or - gasp - the new stuff that I don't think we'll use and don't know from what store it came, after the thank you notes have gone out).  I also don't let them play with all of the new stuff all at once, usually tuck them away and bring them out throughout the year for a bit more variety and excitement.

This weekend, I did get to go through some of my casual wear and made a pile for donating.  Also, picked out two jeans to donate.  I do have to get a few "new" (usually from the thrift store) t-shirts and tank tops.  I find that I need the thinner t-shirts now, since my normal body temp seems to be warmer than it used to be. 

I also changed out the bulkier diaper bag to a smaller bag, so after the diaper bag gets washed, I'll get rid of that one.