Everybody Feng Shui Tonight

A Look at How to Feng Shui your Home

So, I have never actually tried Feng Shui before or even considered it really but with the new apartment, all freshly painted and what not, I thought why not consider the art of Feng Shui now for our new home.

So, What is Feng Shui?

In it's simplest definition, Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China (source).  It is an art and science that essentially shows you how to balance the energies of your home to assure the good health and fortune for the people inhabiting it.

Feng means wind and shui means water. In Chinese culture wind and water are associated with good health, therefore good feng shui will bring good fortune and health (source).

"Feng Shui is based on the Taoist idea that the land is alive and filled with Chi (energy) and understanding of nature  Chi, or energy. The ancient Chinese believed that the land's energy could either make or break the kingdom, so to speak. The theories of yin and yang, as well as the five feng shui elements, are some of the basic aspects of a feng shui analysis that come from Taoism" (source).

Honestly, it gets way more complicated and detailed then that but who has time for that.  I am just looking for the basics, the Feng Shui for dummies, i.e. where do I put my bed or what colours do I paint the walls, etc. etc.

Image Source - I WISH this was my bedroom!

Let's Simplify this Shall we ... 

In Feng shui the focuses seems to be on using the five elements: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal to  synchronize and harmonize areas of the home for maximum benefits (source).

In regards to decorating the home, The Spiritual Feng Shui website lays everything out very nicely for me.  So here are some tips I got to Feng Shui your home:

The Main Entrance

• Keep it cluster free


• Clean at all times


• Add a Fountain or small plants along the path to the house (water & earth)


• Pathways to the house lit at night (fire)


• Flowers at the entrance are a nice welcome (earth)

The Living Room

• No furniture with sharp bends or corners


• Try not to have too many knick knack objects or decorative items


• No paintings that represent loneliness, violence fear or solitude


• Don't have too many metal appliances, remotes or wires visible - keep them hidden (metal)


• Good to have a warm fireplace (fire)


• No fireplace? Add a warm earthy shade rug to the floor, votive candles and a few good books to the room; they also suggest a fountain (water, earth & fire)


• Have warm lighting, not too bright


• Have cushions that synchronize with the wall colour and curtains

The Kitchen

• Kitchen burners should be so placed so that the kitchen door is visible when you are cooking


• More burners and shiny tea kettle kept on burner, brings health happiness and longevity (metal)


• Keep clutter free, ingredients organized and shut in containers


• Do not keep sharp elements like knives in public view


• I love this one: Taps in the kitchen should not drip as it is said that wealth will flow away! (water)

The Dining Room

• Tabletops made of wood (wood)


• Green is the ideal colour of the dining room


• Food is best served in round or oval plates without sharp edges


• Do not keep many things on the table top


• Chairs are comfortable and roomy

The Bed room

• Ideally located at the back of the house


• Place your bed in a way so that you can see the door to the room


• No mirrors to see yourself sleep


• One book you are reading nearing the bedside


• Keep tidy, clothes neat and folded


• Do not stack things under the bed

The Bathroom

• Keep bathroom clean


• Add candles, bamboo luck pots or aroma oils for a nice ambiance (wood & fire)


• Toilet seat closed and bins shut


• Drains covered when not in use

So, now that I have done some research on Feng Shui I have, so far, learned two things: A - I could have written the book on  Feng shui seeing as I am already doing about 92% of what is listed here and B - I want to learn more!

Moving Tip #7: Pack Tetris-style

Come moving day try to make good use of your space; it starts with the packing of boxes to loading them on the truck and even unloading in your new space afterward.

I personally don't mind packing, in fact, truth be told, I kind of love it! I find it relaxing and exciting because for one I'm going through everything and cleaning it out and two it will lead to something new and hopefully great! Either way, moving can be an exciting change.

Packing the truck can be annoying and frustrating but Tetris really was my best game as a kid, so I can take those tricks I learned and apply it to loading the truck.

 When unloading everything into your new home try to put every box in the room that the stuff inside will eventually go in.  Makes sense right? Not unless you didn't label your boxes.

Moving Tip #7.1: Label your boxes!

Moving Tip #6: Save Money Moving

Why not ask some good friends to help out on moving day instead of hiring movers.  It's a good deal really, you get to hang out with them and save money and in exchange you can buy everyone pizza and cold beers - especially nice after a long day of moving!

Moving Tip #5: Sell or Donate What you Don't Need

Photo Source

For me, going through and donating my stuff has been an on-going project for the last couple of years.  It feels great to reduce what you have to only what you really need or want to keep as a keepsake.

Getting ready for a move can be a perfect time to go through and get rid of stuff if you feel like you have too much of it.  You can decide what to keep, donate or find a creative use for (which I try to also do).

Getting rid of stuff before you move will also make moving easier, obviously because you will have less to move.

Donating is a great option for your unwanted items but you could also try a garage sale or selling your stuff on eBay or Craigslist.

Throwing out unwanted items is always my last resort, especially these days, when there are so many other environmentally friendly options.

Moving Tip #4: Less is Better

Photo Source

You would think that this would be obvious, but we are a society that really seems to love stuff and is encouraged to always buy more and more stuff that it can be quite difficult to not accumulate so much of it even though it really is best not to.

Less is better for the planet and really, for our state of mind. Plus the less stuff you have to move, the less energy and gas you will be burning and the more grateful your helping friends will probably be.

Moving Tip #3: Newspaper Works, then Recycle it

It's like Art! Photo Source

I find it surprising that people would actually purchase packaging when preparing their house or apartment move but then again, I've never really owned anything that I care so much about that if it broke I would be devastated.  I try not to get too attached to my material things and I often remind myself that certain things can be replaced.


So, when packing dishes or glass try to avoid or cut back on bubble wrap (especially since it is plastic) and try using newspaper instead. You can even try using old towels as packing material, especially to help separate dishes or glasses from each other.

Towels would be heavier then newspaper but they work well.  I used towels that I already had to pack anyway so there you go, kill two nerds with one stone.  The best part of newspaper, it's free (using fliers or local papers), it's everywhere and available and it is recyclable!

Moving Tip #2: Reuse as Many Boxes as Needed

photo source

Sure it would be nice to have a bunch of perfectly shaped, perfectly clean, perfectly new moving boxes but what the heck for!?  I mean, our stuff isn't all the same size and we general clean as we unpack so I say, go to the curb, liquor store or anywhere else you can find used boxes to re-use.

The best thing about living in a building right now is there is never a shortage of boxes.  Nearly every other weekend there is someone moving or buying new stuff and tossing their over-sized boxes, it makes a person obsessed with boxes really, especially when moving.

I think Seinfeld put it best in his act:

When You're moving your whole world becomes boxes. That's all you think about is boxes. Boxes, where are there boxes? You just wander down the street going in and out of stores. Are there boxes here? Have you seen any boxes? I mean it's all you think about. You can't even talk to people because you can't concentrate. Shut up I'm looking for boxes. Just after a while you become like really into it you can smell them. You walk into a store. There's boxes here. Don't tell me you don't have boxes. Dammit, I can SMELL them. I'm like I'm obsessed. I love the smell of cardboard in the morning. You could be at a funeral. Everyone is mourning, crying around you, and your looking at the casket. That's a nice box Does anyone know where that guy got that box? When he's done with it do you think I could get that? it's got some nice handles on it. And that's what death is really. It's the last big move of your life. The hearse is like the van. The pale bearers are your close friends the only ones you could ask to help you with a big move like that and the casket is that great perfect box you've been waiting for your whole life. The only problem is, once you find it you're in it. 

-- Jerry Seinfeld

Moving Tip #1: Eat Everything in your Fridge

When moving it is often easier to move less stuff (well, obviously) and that especially includes food.   There is one thing I hate moving most and that's refrigerator food!  So the solution? Eat everything you possibly can in your fridge, from your cupboards, where ever, a few weeks prior to moving.  This means, avoiding grocery buying if possible and getting creative in the kitchen!

I got creative this week with left over cooked brown rice, my garlic scape pest, tomatoes, and frozen phyllo dough that has been in my freezer for longer then I'd like to admit. The dough wasn't gluten-free unfortunately but there wasn't much and I don't like to waste food if I can avoid it. 

Fortunately, the end result tasted quite good, here are the steps, moreorless:

1. I mixed about 2 cups of rice with about 1/4 cup of pesto.

2. I chopped the three tomatoes and threw them in the mix and made sure to give everything a good stir.

3. Preheated the oven to about 350F. Sprayed a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray and created the phyllo cups with the thawed out dough. No need to be a perfectionist here, just cutting the dough out into pieces and forming the cups in the tin will do.

4. Then scooped about a tablespoon into each cup and baked for about 10-12 minutes.

5. Done.  That was dinner and delicious!

I wonder what other creative concoctions I'll come up with this week, stay tuned ...