Monday, February 11, 2008

Cheaper ways of feng shui

1) Feng shui that does not cause a single cent at all:

a) Clearing clutter- helps to refresh the chi in the house.

b) Sit facing and sleep with head pointing to your auspicious directions.

c) Do not sit/sleep under toilet/bathroom.

d) Do not sleep with feet pointing towards door.

e) Do not share a wall with toilet/bathroom when sleeping.

f) Always sit/sleep with solid wall/background.

g) Do not sit with door at the back.

h) Use an auspicious door for entrance (ex: If your house have two entrances, choose one that is better accoridng to kua number. (west group people should use west-group doors (W,NW,NE,SW) while East group people should use east group door (E,SE,S,N).

i) Do not eat too near the main entrance (wealth tend to seep away)

j) Remove mirrors from bedroom

k) Do not place auspicious objects, water, books, food under staircase.

l) Place stove with its mouth facing auspicious direction

m) Do not place water beside or directly opposite the stove.

n) Do not place fridge beside or directly opposite the stove.

o) Place tv set/stereo at W/NW sector

p) Do not sit/sleep under overheadbeam

q) Wish list- write down your wish on a paper, sign it 49 times each day and burn it (do it for 49 days)

r) Change your signature into auspicious signature (begin with upstroke and end with upstroke).

s) Not enough money to buy feng shui books? Spend some time and read it at bookstore instead (but I personally prefer to have a few collections such as flying star and four pillars for reference).


2) To overcome annual afflictions:

a) 5 yellow- if you can't afford to buy 6 rod hollow metal windchime, use 6 I-ching coins tied with red/gold ribbon instead to hang it at 5 yellow area. I-ching coins are cheaper than windchime.

b) Three killings- If you can't afford to buy 3 Chi Lins to combat the three killings, just make sure that you do not sit with three killings at your back.

c) Grand duke jupiter- If you can't afford to buy the brass Pi yao to appease the grand duke, buy the one made with resin instead. If you really do not have money, just make sure that you do not sit facing the grand duke jupiter (Tai Sui).


3) Cheaper ways to enhance wealth:

a) Sit facing and sleep with head pointing to sheng chi direction

b) Place three I-ching coins tied with ribbon and place it in wallet/purse.

c) Flying star - place water feature at water star 8. If you can't affor to have the rotating crystal ball or aquarium, hang painting of fishes instead. You don't have to buy the painting, browse into internet, print it out and enlarge it. It is much more cheaper than buying oil-painting. But if really do not have money, place moving objects such as electrical fan at water star 8.

d) 8 pa kua aspirations- Place plants at SE to enhance wealth. If you can't afford to buy plants, get it from roadside (hehe..just joking, not auspicious to steal), you can grow the plants instead. Buying seeds is cheaper than buying grown plants.


4) Cheaper ways to enhance health:

a) Sit facing and sleep with head pointing to health/Tien Yi direction.

b) If you can't afford to buy big wu lou, buy a small one instead, wear or carry it along wherever you go.

c) 8 pa kua aspirations- Plants at E to enhance health. Again, if you can't afford to buy plants, grow your own plants instead.


5) Cheaper ways to enhance love:

a) Sit facing and sleep with head pointing to nien yen/love direction.

b) Activate SW corner- If you can't afford to buy lamp, use candle lights instead to light up the area.

c) Mandarin ducks at SW- If you can't afford to buy the crystal made mandarin ducks, buy the wooden one.

d) Paint SW with red/pink- If you can't afford to buy paint, use red/pink cloth instead. Cover the table with red/pink cloth and put it at SW area. You can also place the mandarin ducks on top of it.


6) Cheaper ways to enhance career:

a) Hang picture of mountain behind where you sit at work. If you can't afford to buy the painting, get it from internet or draw it yourself (mountain picture is not too difficult to draw).

b) 8 pa kua aspirations- activate N to enhance career. If you can't afford aquarium, hang picture of fishes or waterfall at the area. Again, the picture can be downloaded from the internet.

c) If you can't afford to buy brass dragon tortoise and place it at north, you can opt for the resin one.


7) Cheaper ways to enhance relationship:

a) Flying star- always choose a bedroom with good mountain star, preferably mountain star 8.

b) Place crystal/boulder at mountain star 8- if you can't afford to buy crystal or jade/diamond boulder, use rocks instead. (Rocks can be collected free from seaside..etc).

c) Or hang a picture of mountain at mountain star 8- (draw the picture of your own or get it from internet if you can't afford to buy the picture).

Cheaper ways to enhance study luck/inspirations:

a) Sit facing and sleep with head pointing to growth/Fu wei direction.

b) If you can't afford to buy crystal globe and place it at study table, you can buy 7 level pagoda made of clay or porceline. Cheaper than crystal globe.


9) Cheaper ways to enhance fame:

a) Activate South area- If you can't afford to buy a lamp and light up the area, use candle lights instead.

b) If you can't afford to buy horse figurine, you can use picture of phoenix and place it south. The picture can get from internet or scan from book.


10) Cheaper ways to enhance happiness:

a) Speak, think, do, and hear no evil.

b) Helping people (it can be in a form of small donations or helping people with problems).

c) Filiel Piety

d) Practice virtues.


11) Cheaper ways to enhance good chi:

a) Make sure that the the chi meanders and not moving in a straight line. If you have doors in straight lines, block the middle with a board.

b) Space clearing- if you can't afford to buy the singing bowl/bell, burn incense instead.

Practice feng shui does not mean we need to spend a lot of money on it. It is up to our own wisdom and creativity to make our feng shui not only effective but cost-saving as well.

Keep your Kitchen or Dining Room Table Clutter-Free

You probably have observed that the only room in your house that has become a catch-all for every one's belongings is the kitchen or the dining room table. Items and things such as mails, books, car keys, pens, and other sorts of items can instantly appear. The most significant period would be during dinnertime when a large pile those things would clutter somewhere else in the house.

In order to cease this unruly and untidy habit, try setting up an area near the door. Use that particular area to organize everyone's belongings. It is also recommended that you mount hooks on the wall for personal items. Items such as purses, coats and backpacks can easily be hung upon entering the house. You can also place a counter or short shelf directly underneath the hooks and put several catch-all bins that are labeled for each family member. You can use these bins to put the things that lay scattered around the house, and make sure that each member of the household must get into the habit of emptying the things that are inside these bins put them away properly before going to bed.

If your kitchen table is also used as a location wherein arts and crafts are created or as a as a place where your kids to do their homework, always make sure that you have bins, shelves and containers nearby the kitchen table in order to organize school, office and arts supplies, and you can put them away easily. It would be best that you establish good habits to your children by making sure that they are held responsible for cleaning up the things that they have used as soon as they are finished with their tasks. It would be best that you have snacks are kept on plates and drinks are kept on coasters to simplify the cleanup tasks.

Draping a nicely decorated but simple table spread on your kitchen table will keep the table clean. Just put a simple but nice tablecloth and put a large centerpiece on it, or you can even set four or six formal place settings on the dining room table. By doing this the members of your household will be hesitant to lay his or her belongings on the table once they realize that there are things on the table not to mention the elegant way it is arranged. In addition to that, you will also be ready for last minute company in cause some of your friends drop by.

Conquer Bathroom Clutter Simply and Effectively

Most of us probably have observed that bathrooms are well-known for becoming cluttered and disorganized. Small things such as makeup compacts, medicine bottles, hair accessories, razors and the like, have the tendency to sort of disappear amidst the in the shambles. In order to circumvent the situation, you must evaluate your bathroom and all of the things that are in that room. It is best that you must utilize few ideas that are quite simple and you will surely discover that you have more area and tranquility.

First and foremost, always sure take a good look at your medicine cabinet first. Ironically, some people would say that it is unwise to put your medicines in the medicine cabinet of the bathroom that is because a majority of bathrooms become quite hot and humid during showers and baths times, in addition to that it can be cause damage to the medicines that must be stored at normal room temperature. Also, throw out all of the medicines that are past their expiration date, even if you only have used them once or if you have never opened or used them at all. It is best that you store your medicines on a high shelf in your wardrobe closet – it would be best if you store them on a container that has lock-tight lid and place them in your closet. By doing so will prolong the shelf life of the medicine and will also be inaccessible to the curious little hands of your children.

A similar manner must also be done with those old makeups. Normally, the majority of makeups usually last about 18-24 months. However that does not include mascara, which usually lasts for only about three months, as well as liquid eyeliner, which usually lasts approximately three to six months. Nail polish would normally last for a year, therefore if you have anything older than what was mentioned, it would be best if you throw them away immediately.

Several makeup products comprise of animal-based ingredients, it is imperative that you take note of their odor. If the odor of the makeup products smells rotten, they probably have gone bad, therefore must be thrown away. It is advisable that you label the date of purchase on the back of the item with a permanent marker, this way you won't have a hard time trying to recall just how long it probably has been ever since you purchased that particular type of item.

Be Safe and Sound When Repairing or Remodeling your Home

Home improvement projects can be dangerous. Many tasks call for sharp tools or power tools that can cause injuries. You can't successfully repair or tackle home improvement projects your home if you're not careful. With a little careful organization and forethought, even the most difficult home improvement tasks can be conquered safely and successfully.

Be sure to completely read the instruction manual for your power tools and follow the manufacturer's safety cautions. Tighten any adjustments and check that the guard is working before you operate a tool. Keep power tools dry, and plug them into grounded electrical outlets. Take care not to cut the power cord. Never store your power tools while they are still connected to the power supply.

Keep fingers well away from a power blade. Clamp small pieces of wood before cutting them, rather than holding them. It's imperative to wear work gloves when you're handling rough materials such as wood, glass, or metal, but take them off when using a power tool so you have complete control over it.

Never use any kind of power tool without proper protective eyewear. Unplug a power saw before changing the blade or doing any other kind of maintenance or cleaning to it.
Learn how to properly support a board when you cut it with a power tool so it doesn't kick back towards you during use.

Always completely shut off power or water when working with the electrical wiring or the plumbing. One of the first questions you should ask as a new homeowner is where your shutoffs are located.

When working on a ladder, don't lean out to either side. Keep your body weight between the sides of the ladder. It may take longer to get off the ladder and move it to reach farther, but it is well worth your time. Falls are one of the most common causes of injuries in the home.

If you're not used to the physical element of doing construction, remodeling, or renovation work, you might easily injure yourself or strain your muscles. You may not even notice the aches and pains until you wake up the next day. Don't take chances and overexert yourself when lifting heavy objects, or when repeatedly lifting lighter loads. Get a helper to do some of the work, and take plenty of breaks. Listen to your body's signals and realize when enough is enough. Learn to bend and lift with the knees and not your back.

You're going to find a great satisfaction and pride knowing that you're able to safely and successfully accomplish repair, remodeling and renovation projects around your house as long as you're smart, safe, and keep yourself organized, focused and on task.

Organize your Bill Paying to Avoid Stress and Worry

Bills! Bills! Bills! They are one of the main causes of headaches and stress. Don’t you ever wonder why sometimes all of them seem to come due at the same time and there is always not enough money to make ends meet? Not to mention the difficult times you go through just to pay a single bill. However with proper preparation and organization handling bills will become much easier and a lot more efficient.

The first thing that you must do is to select a location in your home wherein all the tools that you are going to need in handling bills are in the same location; tools such as an inbox or folder to store all the bills, pens, mail stamps, letter envelopes, your checkbook, a calculator or a personal computer if you use financial software or if you want to handle bills through your bank’s online banking services. It is best that you secure all of the things that are mentioned so that when it is time to sit down and pay the bills you won’t go around your home hunting and searching for that lost electric bill or scramble around looking for a pen or calculator.

Work out a record of all essential information of your bills such as the type of bill, the usual amount that you are going to pay for a particular bill, how you were billed (either through the internet or through the standard snail mail or through your bank’s automatic deduction on your account) and the due date of the bill. If your utility bill tends to stay the same from month to month, write the amount on your record in order for you to determine how much to budget. Store your record on a folder.

For the duration of this practice you may have found out that the due dates of all your bills are not the same, which makes it difficult to pay the bills on their due dates. And if that is the case, try to contact the companies and ask them if they would be willing to change the due date of your bill to your intentioned date of payment or to closely correspond with the due dates of your other bills.

One smart way of paying your bills is through the internet. It is a smart way because it will not only save you time, it is also more efficient, it will also help you save the money that you will spend on postage. Also, if you want your bill to be sent through email, it will decrease the amount of bills that you receive and have to file. Also, bills that are sent to your email account are a lot quicker than a bill sent through traditional means, this way you can also resolve a bill paying mistake a lot quicker than through the conventional means and avoid problems. A majority of the banks these days offer online bill paying services, and many companies have bill paying options online.

Making the Most of your Workday

Every one of us probably have experience a chaotic and hectic workday in most part of our lives. These chaotic and frantic workdays can turn your mind and body upside down if you let it. On the other hand, you can avoid all that with some careful preparation and efficient scheduling – not to mention a well developed working habit. Once you have done so, your workday will run smoothly.

Making the Most of your WorkdayWhen you plan your day, you must plan ahead. Meaning you must actually start planning the evening before. Also, it is best that before you leave home for work you must first take a moment to jot down important matters such as meeting, phone calls that needs to be done, ideas that needs to be discussed with your superiors or coworkers, remarks and reminders regarding certain projects or clients. And by doing so, it will surely make your day smooth and efficient.

The first thing that you must do when you arrive is to check your email, and categorize each message in an appropriate folder so that if you do not have enough time to read the contents of the message you can always sort it for later action. Categorize and organize regular mail and messages too. It is best that you arrange them into piles for later action if required. Always make sure you return to this task at the end of the day and take appropriate actions. Make it a habit of responding promptly to all messages that warrant a response.

It is recommended that your personal energy level and schedule must get in sync. If you think that you have are more energetic at the beginning of your workday then tackle your toughest and most difficult projects during this period. If think that your energy level drops after lunch, it would be best to take care of the not so difficult task such as filing of paperwork, e-mailing or other general tasks.

Bear in mind that it is very important to take a break. It is very important that you must not spend your lunch at your desk or cut your breaks short. A short walk during your break period and a moment away from your desk in order to revitalize your energy are considered as the most important things you can do for yourself. It will also help clear your frenzied mind and help you tackle the tasks more efficiently.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui, the literal translation of which is Wind and Water, is a tool used to identify the type or quality of energy in a building. The science of feng shui is used to harmonize these natural unseen energies, which the Chinese call Qi.

Qi (pronounced chee), is a subtle energy that permeates the entire universe, it is invisible, and cannot be heard. Yet it has an influence on all we do. There is good and bad Qi. Depending on where we sit or sleep in a building, we will be influenced by either the good fortune from the favourable Qi, or be disturbed by unfavourable Qi.

With the use of a Lo Pan compass a consultant is able to measure and determine the path Qi takes through a building. Balancing this Qi energy will restore harmony and a feeling of well being to the occupants .
At the moment of birth we are influenced by the quality of the energy present in that particular location, and at that particular moment in time. Information gathered from your date of birth, including the hour you were born, can be used to draw up an astrological chart. Your birth chart is then married to the information gathered from the Feng Shui of your home, in order to give you a full consultation.

From the date, location and facing direction of a building, the Feng Shui consultant is able to draw up a chart which identifies the individual charictaristics of that building.

The belief of feng shui masters and practictioners, is that the atmospheric Qi energy of buildings will influence the Qi energy of people living or working in them, and have an effect on how we feel, think and respond to others around us. The positioning, or repositioning of doors, furniture and people can effect a change in the quality and direction Qi flows.

This movement in quality and changing direction of Qi can be for the positive or the negative. The aim of Feng Shui is to facilitate positive changes which support our lives.