Ultimate Feng Shui declutter list, part one
As I promised,I'm back, ready to share with you the ultimate Feng Shui declutter list.
Instead of just giving you a list, I will try to provide you with much detailed writing, focusing on the teachings of Feng Shui, even sharing a few tips for each room, or space as I go trough them.
You will be surprised how a minor change in your everyday life, changes your life and puts you on the right path.Following this path your walk might not be easy all the time, you probably find yourself on an emotional roller coaster more times than you expect, but if you keep walking and stay on path, I promise, there will be more ups than downs.At the end of the path you are going to find yourself on a beautiful meadow, you’ve got plenty of time to enjoy the
Let's start this!
I can’t tell you enough, how important is to take your time.
Don't even try to tackle your house in one day. You'll get disappointed as you can't possibly finish it.( If you're in college and only own a college room than, sure, one day is enough.) emotionally is more exhausting than physically.The piled up clutter you are going trough is filled with energy, some good memories, some bad, either way they are going to touch your soul.Touching each item, deciding what to keep, throw, and donate takes a lot of attention and energy
from you.
So make sure you are in a good mood before you start.
Make a plan, plan for every couple of days a room to clean out.
Many try to get help from friends or family.I find it that doing it alone you actually get more done in one hour than having people around you constantly asking if you'd like to keep this or donate that.
On other hand, every family member has to do their own declutter , you should definitely guide the younger members of your family.The children should also learn to say goodbye to things they don't use, and given the possibility to do so, they become a balanced person growing up.
I have a picture attached to my post, which you can use trough the whole process of decluttering. (pic.1)
Basically you need to make 4 pile for everything. One to keep, one to store (seasonal )and two to get rid of, by donating or throwing it away.
I suggest you to follow Marie Condo' s advice and gather every item of a kind (like all your shoes or your jackets)and one by one decide which item in which pile ends up, by asking yourself how that specific item or object makes you
ENTRY WAY
This is the place you get your first impression of a house.And I'm not referring to the visitors first impression at this point, but yours.
You come home tired from work, open the door walk in, put your keys and purse or bag down, you take off your shoes and coat, you put every item to it's place.Well than you could almost jump to the next space I your house.
On the other hand, your door won’t swing open because there are stuff on the floor, you manage to walk in ,stumble on a shoe, can't
hang your keys because there hang different accessories, you can't walk, the way is blocked with several boxes ....and I could go on, like forever; on the things that we people tend to keep at our door.
You just dive in and start sorting things out.
-Shoes: you probably use one or two on a daily basis. Keep them on a shoe rack.The rest, be honest to yourself, those you haven't worn in the last year, you probably won't wear in the future either.You can sell or donate those which are still in a good shape, and definitely throw away worn out and raunchy shoes. Try to store only those seasonal items you know for sure that you are going to use.
-Jackets: the same as with your shoes, don't be afraid to let go the tenth jacket you got from a sale. Keep those you really wear, donate or sell the rest.
-Scarfs and hats nobody wears anymore...donation pile.
Those you keep, store them together in a basket or box. You can find so many ideas on how to store different stuff on Pinterest, just take a look.
-Broken umbrellas...trash
-Dried out shoe polish...old scrubs....dumpster.
- Make sure you sort out your bags, purses, keep only those you really use regularly.
- If your already at it clean out the bag and purse itself. You'll be surprised what you find inside them.
-You might be having your junk drawer here, we all have that drawer or cabinet where we just put everything in, after a while it could get out of control, so make sure you empty it on at least a monthly basis.
-Flowers, should be thrown out as soon as they start dying, you shouldn’t watch them die.
If you managed to clear out anything unused, stashed, ripped or broken, you just need to organize the remaining stuff in a way that sparks joy for you, and your family.
Believe me, as your thrown out items hit the bottom of the dumpster, you will become the opportunity and the possibility to buy new ones.
Let me continue whit some general advices regarding the entry way. Here referring only on its purpose. I can not possibly know in which corner of the compass your entry is, so I can’t name it or put an element to it. If you have a question for a specific situation, contact me, I’ll try to answer your questions.
-As an entry to a house , the door should be able to be wide opened, like I mentioned earlier, with a swing to 90 or 105 degrees.
-Would be optimal to have a window, so natural light can come in.
-Your door should not open to the stairwell, if it does, than the energy (Qi) is going fast up the stairs, turning into bad energy.
KITCHEN
Without even realizing, we can pile up massive clutter in the kitchen.
The food your serving for your family carries your energy from the moment of cooking, If you are frustrated because you can’t find your wooden spoon, well that leaves a taste in the food you’re cooking.
Make sure you have items in your kitchen that you are comfortable working with, don’t need seven wooden spoons of the same kind, keep one of each at hand.
- chopped plates and mugs, defined have to go.
-rusty pans, old pots you never use
-the third shredder that you hoped it will fit your hands
-knifes...they are bad energy source because if they sharpness, but they also are a necessity in our everyday life, and we need them to be sharp, otherwise we get angry, it is annoying, when you need an eternity to cut a tomato, and lets just not talk about onions, and bad knife in the same context.
-kitchen appliances that don’t work and can’t be repaired , must be replaced
- keep only tableware that makes you feel good , and are not damaged in any form.
-Your kitchen is a kitchen, not a store, you don’t have to display every electronic device you own, have only those on your counter you use daily, store the rest if possible.
-plastic boxes and lids, aka. Tupperware, lose lids have to go, as well as lose boxes, you need to ask yourself ,which one do you use most, the rest goes...up to donation or find a use for it, don’t leave them laying around.
- spices have also a tendency to pile up, sort them out, keep only those up to date, and you definitely will use.
- loose recipes on paper pieces, should be sorted out and wrote down in you recipe book, so you can find them anytime.
-clear out every cabinet and drawer and go through them in the same spirit, keep only those things you need indeed.
- Go through your pantry too, you may have a few foods you stocked up on, that are out of date, and can’t be eaten anymore, in the future, buy only as much as you actually need, no need to stock up.
-The same applies to your fridge, you should clean it on a weekly basis in order to only have fresh food in in and nothing gets spoiled . Remember everything you serve your family, must be prepared with love and care, no negative energies included.
The teaching of Feng Shui about the kitchen and dining room are way more important than we think.There are families which don’t even use the kitchen , and ignore the importance of it in the families life. I know in our hectic way of living, balancing between career and family, it’s not easy to spend much time in the kitchen as a family. Although we should try, have at least one meal every day together as a family. Include the children in the cooking process, you spend some quality time together, they have a lot of fun and are much likely to eat the food they helped prepare.
The kitchen keeps the family together, if you do spend time in here as a family, than your relationship is in harmony. As you walk in, already feel how the air is filled with love and understanding.
Should be inviting, bright, and big enough to fit your family, and to allow a comfortable food preparation.
It is also beautiful to have some flowers on your dining table, in a beautiful vase, don’t be afraid to use decorations in your kitchen, small details can make a huge impact, have some scented candles, they not only change the illumination of the room but the smell is heavenly, depending on its scent can take you to places you only dreamed of.
Try not to overuse chemicals in your kitchen, are unhealthy and are also bad for the environment. Many diy natural cleaning methods are on the internet, that actually work. Mostly a vinegar, baking soda, and lemon combination works like magic on all surfaces.
Modern kitchens are equipped with several electric devices which are meant to help us in our everyday life, all those have an electromagnetic radiation, what cuts down the good energy making us feel tired, susceptible for disease and moody.You can ease their negative affect by using colorful dishes , and towels, flowers and lights.
In fact every negativity can be dissolved whit lights, sounds, colors, symbols and plants.
You’re dining table should be round or at least with rounded edges. If you have a square table, put a long table cloth on it, so its pointy edges are cut down.You should have at least one more chair than how many people usually sit at the table, if someone walks in on you, you can provide him with a chair, and ideally with food too.
Hang paintings on the walls, illustrating food or nature. A beautiful waterfall, a lake, the woods, avoid portraits of a tornado or cold winter settlements. Illustrations with heavy message should be hanged in rooms where there’s a lack of energy, or want to activate a specific corner.
Hang mirrors over the table, it will double the food on the table, creating abundance.
The food your consuming should fill your soul not only stop your hunger.Make every mealtime special, don’t stand on your feet while eating, set the table and sit down, have a conversation with your family...
I could go on, but I want to leave something to my upcoming blogposts as well.
If you have specific questions, ask them in the comments below or pm. me .
ROOMS OF YOU HOUSE
Every family member has to do its own declutter.
-The same old rules apply here as well, donate or throw away everything you don’t use anymore or it’s broken or out of date.
-Find a place for every item you do want to keep.
-Use the same practice with your clothing as with your shoes and coats, gather all of a kind and review. You can see how much you actually own, if you have twenty T-shirts but only use like five of them, well you need to donate or sell those you don’t use. It takes place from your closet, place you could use for new items, or for storage for your seasonal clothes.
Take a deep breath, count to three and throw them into the donation pile. Soon you’ll feel better.
In this spirit let’s go trough the main rooms of your house.
BEDROOM
Feng Shui does not recommend having under bed storage, nowadays many beads come with inserted drawers, because our lack of space.
It’s a good way to store unused items.Anyhow, if you do have such a storage, go trough it every season, keep it well organized and clean, and definitely clear out of things that are totally just taking up space and are never used, as well that things that carry a negative memory.
-Your nightstand may end up really messy, have only the one book you are reading, one glass of water. Only have things there you do need dumpling the night, which is not much, because you are actually sleeping.
--One by one go through your drawer and closets and sort out your clothing, anything ripped or worn out has to go, all those you haven’t worn in the last year, also has to go. Don’t worry that you’ll have nothing to wear then, you didn’t wore those clothes anyway. It’s the biggest mistake keeping your clothes in the thought that you’ll loose weight and you’ll fit them again, the worst weight loss motivation ever, if you do want o loose weight, and you achieve your wanted weight then reward yourself with new clothes, it will make you feral so much better.
-The bedroom is for sleeping, avoid having a television inside, it has reflective surface that generates troublous sleep.
-As well a desc and a computer suggest work, when you should be resting. If you must have your desk in the bedroom than make sure you put everything away before you go to bed, like paid bills and read letters, otherwise can keep you from sleeping, makes you feel like you have unfinished business.
-the armchair can easily become a dump space for those clothes that are to clean for the laundry, but too dirty for the closet. Just make sure your closet doesn’t end up being that particular armchair.If you are keeping your clothes in a closet in your bedroom, than make sure you put your clothes in the closet or in the laundry before you go to bed, it’s not pleasant waking up to a pile of clothing on the flour, or the armchair. And is definitely not a good way to start your day, searching trough a pile of clothing looking for what to wear. Ideally you would have a walk in closet outside your bedroom, or divided from your bedroom, so you won’t bring the energy from outside in the bedroom.
The set up of a bedroom must be inviting to sleep, chose colors and arrangements that suggest stillness, avoid using decorations that suggest anything else. Paintings are welcomed, but they definitely should be calming, and if you share your room with someone else ( your better half) than is necessary that you both like that specific painting, and it has a calming effect on both of you.
A bedroom should give a tender and suave feeling, in order to rest and prepare for the next day.
About the position of the bed, as from different symbols and colors to active love life, I will write in my next posts sometime, but I’m happy to answer your questions in the comments below.
OFFICE
Not everyone has the privilege of having an office, that’s clear, but if you do have one than try to keep as organized as possible.
-File your bills after you paid them, so they won’t get lost in a multitude of paper, it’s going to take you a lot of time to sort them out later if you don’t take that minute right away.
-Keep it tidy, even more if it tends to end up as a storage room.Obviously we all have those day when we don’t feel like doing something, and we just take it to the room which is currently out of use and leave it there, but when those baskets, boxes or whatever get piled up, well you won’t enjoy cleaning it out.
-Pens, pencils....sort them out
-Chargers, cables old phones, used batteries all need to go, keep in mind to not damage our environment by throwing it in the trash, there all special bins for those things.
Don’t be afraid to use colorful object if that pops your creativity.Have a desk that fits your need, a normal sized table will do if you use it just for your bills, but you should have a bigger desk if you work from home, or you eventually take your work home.You can have around you all the things that inspire you, keep you motivated, helps you concentrate.
LIVING ROOM
Depending on your personal lifestyle it can be a pleasure or a nightmare starting to Declutter.
You are a family with a huge couch, and a small table, a television hanging on the wall over a low board for your electric devices, maybe a separated play area for the kids...there is not much what can become clutter.
On the other side if you own a build in unit, a wall to wall furniture, with lots of tiny drawers , small cabinets and open shelves....hm, again depending on personality, you can find lots of thing that have been there for years, you’ve been taking them down every week when dusting and putting them back like they belong there, without even questioning yourself, where did it come from? Is it important for me? It brings back good memories?
-Go from shelf to shelf, from drawer to drawer and empty everything.they all should go, if there is no special emotional attachment to it
-old newspapers and magazines ( if there is a picture of you or your loved one in it, and it’s important to you than keep it in your treasure box)
-China ornaments , and incomplete chinaware
-all kinds of cables, chargers, old phones , batteries ( if you store them here)
-records and dvd, let me have a word about them. Today you can find everything on the internet, you can rent and watch a blockbuster movie online, as same as your favorite records. If you like the material world better and rewatch your movies over and over, than buy your records and movies and keep them on your shelf, otherwise, you should donate or sell them.
- if you have a bar, than keep the drinks up to date, never go out of your favorite drinks, have only those in there you really enjoy drinking.
Your living room must be the center of your family’s world, this is where the family and also friends get together, have a conversation, watch tv, relax, play and so on.
It has to be pleasant and friendly for every single member of the family, satisfying everyone’s needs at the same time.
That’s why you won’t have a man cave as living room in a family home, or a play area where the kids are out of the house already.
Needs to grow with the family and with its needs at all time.
A living room has to be colorful, so don’t hesitate in using pillows and decorations in bright colors.
The furniture has to be comfortable otherwise you won’t spend much time on it.
A fireplace in the living room provides a cozy atmosphere, you are a lucky one if you own one of those, but don’t have to run buying one if you don’t either. There are many other ways to make a room familiar.
It has to be inviting, as it is the space where most of your social life takes place. You probably celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving and almost everything in here with your family and friends.
CHILDREN’S ROOM
You can sit down with your kids, gather all their toys and let them choose what they really want to keep and with ones would their give for a foster home or a pre school so that other children can play with those toys they already grown out, or don’t want to play with anymore.I wouldn’t advice you to do such a task on your own.You could damage your child’s soul really deep if you throw away he or she’s s toy without asking. No matter how old your kid is.The same rule applies for the clothes of your child, select them together, they do have an opinion and the right to decide which ones to keep and what they don’t want to wear anymore, if there are younger siblings in the household who are going to wear those clothes , the older child should definitely be involved in the hand me down process otherwise might have the feeling that anything can be taken away from him/her. Depending on age ,obviously, older children do understand the process. And just another word to it, don’t let your little one grow up only on hand me downs and used toys. Do buy them the new stuff as well, they are nothing less than their older brothers and sisters.
You can teach your children to clean, but it doesn’t mean that they are going to do it properly, they room need the touch of your hand from time to time.
Always respect your child’s privacy, knock before you enter their castle,
is their room, let them help you by picking colors they want to have around them, give the a few alternatives to choose from so it won’t end in a disaster.
Please don’t put all your old stuff in the kids room with the mantra
‘ it’s good for the kids’ . This child is still developing, its personality it’s shaping and the environment has a huge influence on it. Don’t leave the poor thing thinking that he’s not worthy of a new pillow or nightstand or whatever, it’s okay to hand down things to your children but not the stuff that should end in the dumpster.
Divide the room, have a sleep corner , a play corner , a learn corner, but don’t fill the room whit unnecessary things, kids need space to grow, and their room needs to grow with them .
That would be the part one of the list I promised.
In the second part we will review the rest. Most important being the bathroom, followed by attic and basement, pantry, laundry room, and hidden clutter you might not even think about.
Enjoy reading, turn on your favorite record and start your journey to a better life.
Have fun, 🕉 Lara
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