Posting today has been a challenge

Test post just to see if it will go through

With all the flu discussions out there..........

Good Germs vs Bad Germs

Anti-bacterial soaps are all the rage but before you buy your next bottle consider this. We have both good and bad bacteria in and on our bodies. Most of the bad bacteria is kept in check by the good bacteria. The problem is that the soap doesn’t know the difference and kills all the bacteria. This leaves us more vulnerable to the bad germs. This is an oversimplification but you get my point. Just say NO to anti-bacterial and anti-microbial products. Now, I am not saying that you shouldn’t wipe off the shopping cart handle or the remote in your hotel room. Just don’t make a habit of washing with these products.

Washing your hands with soap and warm water is very effective. We do not need to be bombarding our systems with all these chemicals.

This of course is just my opinion but I wanted to put it out there.

CD Review -- Yanni Voices

Yanni Voices

I received the Yanni Voices CD from O2O Network and was asked to listen to the CD and then write and post a review. I was familiar with Yanni and in fact already had some of his albums. Along with the CD was a bonus DVD about the making of the CD plus tour highlights. I promptly put the CD in the player in my office as I usually listen to very soft background music when I am working.

As of this writing I have listened to the entire CD half dozen times and counting. It is a great mix of artists and music styles. The beat is uplifting even when it’s on the softer side. The sounds vary and include opera, love songs, pop and of course international beat and lyrics.

My overall opinion is that if you like instrumentals then you will like this CD. To me it comes across very mellow, however if you kick up the volume it can be very energetic.

April series on Spring Cleaning and Clutter

Now that spring is near, although you wouldn't know it looking at the new snowfall, we need to again address the issue of clutter. There seems to be a misconception that if it works and you use it once every 10 years or it looks good in that spot etc.... that it's not clutter. Not necessarily.

Ok, so it is true that you should love everything in your space but that doesn't mean you have to keep and display everything you own. This is where the "less is more motto" really comes in. If you have too much stuff and for sentimental reasons you just can't get rid of it, then change things up from time to time. Pack some of it away and bring it back out with the seasons for instance. Keeping things clean and fresh is really important in Feng Shui.

If an item no longer works either fix it or get rid of it. I think we all tend to be pack rats and always think that we may "use that" someday. Well, someday rarely ever comes.

As I wrote about earlier, take baby steps. Start with one closet or drawer. Work for nine minutes each day on removing the clutter. Make lists so you know what is in the freezer or the pantry. Use things up and rotate others instead of just buying more. Movement creates good energy. Once you start you will see how easy it is to continue for just that nine minutes.

Out of time for today so this is to be continued.....................

I wonder what's in there?

Do you find yourself going to the grocery store only to find out when you get home that you already had half the items you just purchased? I keep two magnetic pads on the side of my refrigerator. One is a grocery list. The other is to list all the items in the freezer. When I use something I cross it off and when I grocery shop, I make a new list or add to the existing one. Works great and you don’t ever have to wonder what’s in there. This little hint saves on waste too because you use the food before it ends up pushed to the back and freezer burned.

What the heck is a Feng Shui cure anyway?

They can be many things and the items do not have to be purchased just to be a cure. A cure is an item that is specifically placed to “fix” something that is out of whack or to “call in” something you would like to see in your life. This would include plants, crystals, wind chimes, mirrors, fountains, statues and coins just to name a few. The “cures” are placed with intention and are left there until the “fix” is manifested in your life.

Make that Clutter go away!

In August 2006 I graduated from the Wind and Water School of Feng Shui as a Certified Practitioner trained in Black Sect Tantric Feng Shui. To clarify, this means that my specialty is the ancient Chinese way. Now, a lot of people will argue that this is the “correct” way to practice Feng Shui however, I have been taking classes for the Compass school and find that while it is different it now makes more sense to me. For my writings here though I will generally be discussing and using the Black Sect teachings.


Clutter got you down?

There are many ways to get rid of your clutter but the most important is to stop making more before you even try to clear it out. Here are a few tips that really work for me.

First of all, do not even bring the junk mail into the house. Toss it in the recycling or shred it before it makes it to the desk or table. Also, I have found that if you want to get off some of the mailing lists and they don’t seem to listen, then mail them their stuff back with a nice little note asking to be removed.

Assign a spot for everything and stick to it. Purse, keys, kids backpacks, mittens, shoes whatever it is that you are always searching for in the morning should have a designated place and be in that place before bed at night. Makes for much easier mornings.

Mind clutter is a big deal. Keep a to-do list and use it. Another thing that works for us is to keep a pad and pen in the nightstand and when you wake up thinking about something, write it down and go back to sleep.

Flat surfaces are made specifically for you to fill up, right? Ok, so start there. Walk around your home and see what surfaces collect “stuff” and make that your initial focus. Take nine minutes per day and just get rid of things that are no longer useful but are out in the open that everyone visiting can see. It doesn’t sound like much but you can really get a lot done in nine minutes. Once the initial “flat surfaces” are done then move on to the places that aren’t obvious and stick with the nine minutes per day. In no time at all you will have a clutter free home or office.

Start a bag or box for items that are in good condition but that you no longer wish to keep. This way you will have a head start if you choose to have a yard sale or to donate the items to charity.