What We're Reading: Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters - April

We’re on a 3-month streak sharing our monthly tips from our favorite book Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters. Below are some of the feng shui tips we incorporated throughout the month of April.

The short version is Amanda is the "Martha Stewart of Feng Shui". Amanda makes Feng Shui more digestible and accessible with a "home improvement-meets-self empowerment” approach. 

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Here are some of the practices we incorporated in our home throughout April:

April 1

Adding water to your front door will welcome more money into your life, so we pulled out the birdbath and added it to the right of the front door. 

April 9

The kitchen nourishes and replenishes you so it should be free of clutter. We did a quick edit of the kitchen, tackling easy wins first - expired items, take-out utensils and sauce packets, mismatched Tupperware. 

Take a look at our quick decluttering checklist for more inspiration

April 12

A mirror amplifies what it reflects so make sure it’s dusted and that it’s reflecting something inspiring or beautiful, not a pile of laundry or stack of papers. We’re guilty of this so we moved that laundry basket far away from the mirror’s reflection. We don’t need to double our to-do list.

April 17

When you’re an entrepreneur it’s hard to shut off your work brain. And it’s even harder when your office is in your home. Try shutting your office door when you’ve clocked out for the day. This will keep your work from spilling into your personal life. 

April 21

Keep the toilet seats down and covered to eliminate energy drains. 

April 22

Add more red to your life and home. It’s a power color that promotes energy, courage, and attraction. We have bright red kitchen chairs that we were going to replace but we’ll keep them for a little longer now that we know this! 

April 24

Your clothing relates to your identity and personality so when we’re working with clients' wardrobes we always ask them to think about who they want to be and how specific clothing makes them feel. If the item doesn’t make them feel their best or doesn’t represent the version they want to be then we encourage them to let it go. Amanda suggests leaving a little open space in your closet to attract new things - a fun tip we started using this spring. 

April 28

Our backyard is one giant hill and it’s very challenging to use (it’s a real uphill struggle - ha!) Amanda’s remedy to counteract this energy - adding a flag pole or a weathervane to the property! So now we’re on the hunt for a funky weathervane - any ideas? 

April 29

Ah, our favorite April suggestion….Get rid of 27 things! Yes, 27! It’s the quickest way to change the energy of your space. Why 27? It’s a powerful number in feng shui - we can talk more about that later. If removing 27 items from your life seems too daunting, try moving 27 items instead. 

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If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.

Tidy Tips: Energy Clearing

Everything you’re bringing from outside will impact the energy of a space, including guests (invited or uninvited!) The events within the home will add energy- an illness, strong emotions like anger, grief or depression, or a party, celebration or other kind of ritual.

Have you ever had an argument and felt the tension in the room sort of lingering afterwards?

We ask a lot of our spaces, energetically and functionally, especially now that we’re spending more time in our homes. Our home, our office or any space we spend significant time in, should bring peace and positive energy. But let’s face it, we dump a lot of energy into these spaces which can already have old, stagnant or even negative energy that is hard to shake. Whether it’s a home that still has the previous owners energy, a cluttered space you just can’t get ahold of or a room that just witnessed an argument, spaces need to be cleared frequently.

There are many ways to do this and there are no right or wrong techniques. Below are some ways we like to clear energy in a room.

Remove Trash & Clutter

Remove obvious trash, clutter and broken items. Clutter drags down the energy in a room. Trash and broken items create difficulty for energy to flow through your space.

Open The Windows

Open the windows and allow fresh air into your space!

Use Lemon Oil

Wipe down surfaces with a mixture of lemon essential oil and water. Don’t forget door knobs, door frames, window sills and window frames - doors and windows are where outside energy enters your home so it’s important to keep these spaces clean. Plus any citrus scents are energizing and purifying.

Burn Herbs, Wood Or Incense

Burn your choice of herbs, wood or incense - just make sure it was sustainably sourced as many of these smoke cleansing tools have been harvested unethically. We like to start in the doorway of the room and walk around counter clockwise to clear negative energy wafting the smoke in all the corners of the room and then again clockwise to bring in positive energy.

Ring A Bell

If you’re sensitive to smoke/ smell, try ringing a bell or even clapping three times in each or the corners to break up the stagnant energy.

Add Crystals

Add a piece of selenite to your windowsill, an amethyst in your bedroom or black tourmaline by your entryway.

Add Salt

Add a small bowl of salt to the corners of the room and let it sit for 48 hours then discard back to the earth. The salt can act as a magnet pulling out any negative energy that is lingering.

Create Intentions

Create an intention for each space and recite it while doing one of the techniques above. Think about the intention of each room when creating your mantra. For example: “I release the stagnant energy from this space and invite in new opportunities for my best and highest good.”

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What We're Reading: Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters- March

We’re on a roll sharing our monthly tips from our favorite book Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters.

The short version is Amanda is the "Martha Stewart of Feng Shui". Amanda makes Feng Shui more digestible and accessible with a "home improvement-meets-self empowerment” approach. 

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Here are some of the practices we incorporated in our home throughout March:

March 6

Before you start a new project, clean and clear your desk area. Remove everything and wipe down the desk (I like to use a few drops of lemon essential oil either mixed in a spray bottle with water or a few drops on a damp cloth). Repopulate the desk with only the items that are needed and used. The key is to leave a small empty space to encourage room for creativity.

March 12

Instead of writing down your to-do’s and reminders in various places (both physically and digitally), pick just one way and try to stick to that method. Having notes and reminders scattered throughout your phone or on various notebooks not only causes mental and physical clutter but energetic clutter as well. As Amanda says, “Everything is energy - even if it’s Post It's” 

Pick a method that works for you - Jared & Shannon prefer a physical notebook and Jess prefers the note app.

March 15

Try this simple ritual when donating items. Say “thank you” before parting with the item as this facilitates closure.

March 16

Salt provides protection against unwanted energy. When your space gets heavy or you simply need a cleanse, leave a small bowl of salt in your space for a day. After a day, dispose of the salt (we like to toss our salt outside). You can repeat this as often as you need.

March 17

Clutter is a major culprit for daily stress and anxiety.  Instead of tackling the clutter all at once, do it daily. Amanda says to streamline trips around the house - so if you’re heading past your coat closet and there’s a coat tossed across the banister  (....we’re looking at you, Jared) grab it on your walk past the closet - make tidying a daily habit! Shannon’s grandma would say something similar - “Don't walk around the house empty handed” which was her motto for daily tidying.

March 23

Amanda says “How people feel about and remember a home is tied directly to how they’re feeling as they approach the door”. Make sure the entrance to your house is clean, obstacle free and inviting.

March 29

Under the bed storage is one of Shannon’s favorite topics. When asked what should be stored under the bed, the answer is always “nothing.” Clutter under the bed causes agitation. Try to keep this space completely clear. However, if you’re tight on space, store soft items only - like bedding or clothing or towels (in breathable cloth storage bins). Shannon even chatted with Apartment Therapy about this very topic:

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disclaimer:

If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.

Tidy Tips: Best Crystals For The Home

We (okay, just Shannon & Marilyn) are big believers of the power of crystal healing so if you think they are just rocks you might want to skip this one. 

If you don’t know Shannon well, she has an extensive crystal collection. We’re talking about over 100 crystal specimens displayed in her office - some are display pieces, some are in jewelry form, some are eye masks and beauty tools, some go in her water bottle, some are strategically placed in corners of the house… can you see Jared’s eyes rolling…

Basically, she has a crystal for everything - just give her an ailment or a problem you’re trying to sold and she’ll prescribe a crystal.

This goes for the home too! Here’s her crystal recommendation for select rooms in the house:

Crystal: Selenite

Space: Living Room 

Healing: Use in corners of your home or on your window sill to protect your space from unwanted energy.

Crystal: Amethyst

Space: Bedroom

Healing: Place next to your bed to calm emotional energy and encourage restful sleep.

Crystal: Black Tourmaline

Space: Front Door 

Healing: Add this near your front door or entrances to ​​protect negative thoughts, patterns and energies from entering your home.

Crystal: Rose Quartz

Space: Kitchen

Healing: Incorporate this into your kitchen as it’s the universal love stone and the kitchen is the heart of the home.

Crystal: Clear Quartz

Space: Bathroom

Healing: This crystal clears and purifies physical and energetic bodies so place in your shower, next to your bathtub or on your vanity for some extra cleansing.

Crystal: Shungite

Space: Office

Healing: Place next to your electronics or computer as it absorbs electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and will keep you grounded while you’re working.

What We're Reading: Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters - February

You may recall that last year (and probably the year before that), we tried to share weekly and monthly tips from our favorite book Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters but we were not as consistent as we would have liked (sigh, life gets in the way) but we’re trying again in 2023!

If you’re not familiar with Amanda, you can read more about her here.

The short version - Amanda is the "Martha Stewart of Feng Shui". Amanda makes Feng Shui more digestible and accessible with a "home improvement-meets-self empowerment” approach.

We love her.

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Here are some of the practices we incorporated in our home throughout February:

February 4

Clear out that refrigerator and freezer. Take out everything, wipe down the shelving and drawers and only re-add items you use!

February 5

Don’t store your purse on the floor. Amanda says “what you appreciate appreciates and the better your money forecast looks.”

February 9

Drink more water! It’s the element of replenishment.

February 10

We 1000% agree with Amanda on this one - one “junk drawer” is allowed in the house. But no more! And we like to call that “junk drawer” a utility drawer :)

February 17

Add crystals to your space! Need some help choosing the right crystals?

February 18

Remove any obstacles, bags, piles of stuff around doors and entryways as this limits new opportunities.

February 25

Is life moving to fast? Is your to-do list causing your brain to run a mile a minute? Grab some rocks and place them in a bowl in the center of your space. The weight of the rocks is a reminder to sloooooow down.

February 28

Organize the cash in your wallet so all bills face the same direction.

This tip made me laugh because I’ve been doing this since as long as I had cash in my possession! 

Amanda says when you show respect for your money, you show the ability to handle more.

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disclaimer:

If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.

What We're Reading: Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters

We mentioned that one of our goals for 2022 is to read more books and share our findings with all of you. 

So first up is a book that sparked my interest in Feng Shui - Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters

Amanda is the "Martha Stewart of Feng Shui" so no wonder I was drawn to her (We all know my love for Martha). Amanda makes Feng Shui more digestible and accessible. Her approach is "home improvement-meets-self empowerment" - a combo we can all use.   

This book has 365 prompts to help you incorporate Feng Shui practices in your life and home. Some pertain to clutter, some pertain to the 5 Chinese Elements, some pertain to space clearing. There's something for everyone. 

We’ll be sharing our monthly take aways here on the blog and each week on Instagram, we’ll share how we implemented it into our own space.

Here are some of the practices we incorporated in our home throughout January.

January 3 - Do one nice thing for your space every week until the end of the year. The first week of January, we smudged our entire house and added new crystals to our space. The second week of January we decluttered the entire home and donated items we longer use or need. Next week we'll be adding fresh flowers to our spaces!

January 5 - Oranges represent "the sweet life" so keep a bowl of oranges in your kitchen and more opportunities to enjoy your life will come your way.

January 11 - Introduce mother nature to your office. Add plants to reduce fatigue, add bright colors to bring life into your surroundings, incorporate natural materials as their chi is more powerful.

January 12 - Remove anything in your home that suggests "struggle". We got rid of all our expired food (and we're embarrassed to share that it was more than we thought), we removed any dying or dead plants (sorry mom) and discarded anything that was worn out or damaged beyond repair.

January 14 - Open your windows once a week. Think “out with the old and in with the new”!

January 18 - Clean that oven! It’s super important in Feng Shui as it attracts personal and financial abundance.

January 21 - Replace photos around your house to make your space feel more alive!

January 25 - Clear off your nightstand - too much stuff in one place causes brain fatigue.

January 28 - Items from nature nurture chi magic in our homes. Find unique ways to incorporate items from nature into your spaces - we have crystals, rocks, plants and feathers everywhere!

January 30 - Amanda says it so well “When you tolerate clutter, energy doesn't flow freely - and if energy isn’t moving, your money situation isn’t either.” Tackle those stacks of papers, magazines and random piles. I was embarrassed to find a year worth of old magazines in my office.

disclaimer:

If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.