Room Redo

Feng Shui suggests several things you can do with your child’s room to promote greater success in school:

1. Your child’s room should have a desk, chair and lamp. This desk should face the northeast, the direction of wisdom and learning.
2. Create an achievement corner. Every child needs to be recognized for a job well done. This should be placed on the south wall of the room. This is a good area to pin up awards, papers, letters of recommendation, ribbons and trophies.
3. Put your child in the command position. Avoid facing a wall when studying as this represents an obstacle. Facing the door is best.
4. Display maps and other educational artwork. They encourage “worldly” interest and curiosity. Avoid scary creatures, pictures depicting violence, or sad or dark subjects.
5. Eliminate TV from the bedroom. Having a TV in the room can make children much less likely to study and rest fully.

Starting school away from home is an exciting time; new academics, new friends, and new adventures. Settling down into a new dorm can be quiet challenging. According to college veterans, there are two words a freshman should remember: Storage and stacking

Here is a list of some of the most useful dorm room storage items:

• Big storage bins
• Storage with pull-out drawers
• Hampers
• Shoe rack that can hang in a closet
• Organizational material for desks such as letter sorters
• Small trash cans
• TV wall mounts
• Bed risers. These can sit under bed posts, lifting them high enough to create storage space underneath
• Something to hold dirty dishes until you’re ready to wash them
• Totes for toiletries

In a previous blog, I discussed the importance of Feng Shui kitchen. In addition to being a symbol of the center of wealth and prosperity in your home, in its most fundamental usage, it nourishes and sustains life. So, how you cook and prepare foods for your family can make a big difference in your Feng Shui health.

• We get energy from the foods we eat. Food should be prepared in a harmonious and well-organized kitchen with a balanced flow of Chi, or Feng Shui energy
• This promotes energy that is high and healing

One Feng Shui recommendation is to use your stove or cook-top often. Your stove, and its burners, represents wealth. More burners are better than less. A stove with five burners represents extra wealth while only two burners would symbolize diminished wealth luck. If you have any broken burners, repair them as soon as possible since these can represent economic troubles. Using all the burners evenly is better than using one or two “favorite” burners. Gas stoves are better Feng Shui than electric stoves, but changing stoves for that reason alone is a not good Feng Shui as it waste money.

Once you have the basics down, like good lighting, durable and functional furniture and lots of storage, you can concentrate on the fun details that make kids love their play rooms. Here are a few tips:

• Use appealing colors and patterns creating a color scheme of two or three colors
• Paint furniture pieces (if they are non heirloom) one color and add wood pulls and knobs in another color or design just for fun
• Fabric choices for big items such as a comforter or an upholstered chair should be simple. Brighter or lighter colors should be used for pillows and small accents
• Beanbag chairs and sectionals with washable slipcovers will increase the comfort level – this is a good way to add cheerful colors your child loves
• A desk or workstation can extend the playroom’s use for homework, but make sure all corners and edges are rounded for safety