On this Labor Day weekend many of us say,”Summer is almost over.” And so it is…

This is an opportunity with the changing of seasons to assess what we have left to accomplish this year. With the holidays but a few weeks away it is a good time to clean out the attic or basement or garage, before it’s cold and dark in the evening. As you go out and buy beautiful colorful mums to decorate for Fall, take extra stuff to the Salvation Army, the Re-Use Center, or the church rummage sale. Think about giving extra food to the food pantry, and make it your priority to bring tote bags for purchases and recycle bottles, cans, and plastic bags.

In Fung Shui, we don’t need more stuff…we need to give more. What you give comes back in miraculous ways! Most importantly, give a smile!

Did you know…

The aromas of pine, cedar and cinamon are the best for staging a home for sale.

A damp, musty-smelling basement not only puts off prospective buyers, but is actually unhealthy for you.

After every season, you should completely air out your home because subtle, stale odors are often not noticed by those living there.

Spider plants and Pathos are the best indoor plants for keeping indoor air clean and oxygen enriched. Nothing smells better than fresh, clean air!

How things feel when we touch them is a feng shui consideration. Stiff or scratchy fabrics, sticky vinyl, and fabrics that don’t breathe make us uncomfortable. Chairs and couches should be comfortable and soft. Chenille throws and soft colorful toss pillows add comfort and color to a space. In the bedroom, consider egyptian cotton bedding with a thread count of at least 300 threads per square inch. You will pay a little more for them but they last three times as long and get softer every time you wash them.

It’;s all about comfort!

Lotus: The Buddhists and the Hindus both consider the lotus to be a sacred flower that symbolizes purity and the unfolding of life. It is an enduring symbol of creativity, purity, peace, and tranquility; both Buddha and Vishnu are often pictured with or on a lotus blossom.

The many petals of the lotus represent the endless possibilities and opportunities in life. We all have talents and abilities…the things we are good at and the things we are passionate about. Use the lotus as a symbol for your ever-expanding life!

White magnolias and orchids symbolize good taste and femininity. In China the magnolia is considered to represent purity and truth. The Chinese use the bark and the flower buds as herbal remedies. Consider these flowers as the blank canvas which you will paint with your joy, and express with elegance your truths!

Chrysanthemum: This flower is a native of China and represents happiness and laughter. They are frequently found in Chinese homes, as they symbolize comfort, happiness, and a pleasant life. They are also related to nobility and strength of character.

In the Fall, we enjoy the many colors of Mums and they remind us that even though Winter is coming, we are blessed with the richness of the natural world and “fed” by the beauty of those colors!

A china frog, carrying a coin in his mouth and placed inside the front door is supposed to attract wealth to the house. Other symbols of wealth are: fish, a coin jar, a photo or painting of a babbling brook or gentle stream, or a blossoming plant.

Black is a representative of the water element. There should be a touch of it in every room. Sometimes a black picture frame is enough. It is mysterious and independant and is associated with the career area of you home or business. It is not appropriate for children’s rooms, therapy rooms, or living rooms.

Pink: Pink is linked with purity of thought and has the positive association with happiness and romance with no negatives. It is suitable for bedrooms and a hint or accent of pink should be in the far right corner of every room for positive thinking and good relationships. This is not the best color for kitchens and bathrooms, however.

Green: Green symbolizes growth, fertility, harmony and money! It’s one of those colors that works well in almost every area in the home. It is healthy and refreshing and brings optimism, freedom, and balance, It’s rare negative influence is envy. This color is a great choice for therapy rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens.

Purple: This color is all about wealth and vitality. It is dignified and spiritual, and positively motivating. It’s a good color for bedrooms and meditation areas but not the best choice for kitchens or dining areas.

White: White symbolizes new beginnings, purity and innocence. It’s positive qualities are freshness and cleanliness…it’s negatives are coldness, starkness and lifelessness. It deflects chi rather than holding it so it should be used sparingly. Best for bathrooms and kitchens, it is not suitable for bedrooms or dining rooms. The best usage for white is for ceilings and trim.

Blue: Blue is peaceful and soothing and is linked with spirituality, contemplation, mystery, and patience. It’s positive associations are trust, faithfulness and stability. Negatives are melanchlia and coolness.. Blue can be used in bedrooms, therapy rooms, and meditation areas. It should not be used in family rooms, dining rooms, and studies.

Lots of us collect something…maybe shot glasses or dolphins or elephants with upturned trunks. Whatever it is, it expresses who you are in your environment. The problem that often happens is that we don’t know when to stop!

I once visited a home that had over 1000 elephants! They overpowered the environment to say the least. Often it’s not our fault. Friends and relatives find out you like something and they give you more at every birthday, or Christmas, or any other time you get a gift!

Collect every item of your collection in one place. Look it over carefully and objectively. Select the ones that really make your heart sing…the ones you truly love. Separate those and look again at what is left. This time remove the ones that are broken, shabby, or have an unpleasant memory associated with them and box them up for a garage sale or donation.

Finally, separate the remainder into two to four groups to be rotated between display and storage. The ones you love the most can find a permanent place to be displayed .

This way you can truly enjoy those special items without letting them take over! It also may be time to tell those well-meaning friends to stop giving you those items. Tell them your collection is complete and thank them for their past contributions!

Happy Collecting!

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