A little Feng Shui in our lives...

Hi from Di the mad, eccentric darling mother of Caz. So enjoying my stay in England and sad to be leaving tomorrow.

Feng shui, pronounced in English as ("fung shway"), was known as "Kan-Yu" which means 'The Law of Heaven and Earth.’ Today's Feng Shui schools teach that it is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment.

So how is your harmony??? I have been trying to apply the principles of feng shui in my life for a few years and it has made a big difference to my outlook, how I live, and my life. What feng shui means to me practically (apart from the above) is removing the clutter from my space and organizing what’s left. Getting organized is a way of life that doesn’t just affect our crafty stuff. So let’s start with the kitchen. Caz uses these great containers for dry goods. Firstly they are made of glass so are easy to clean, do not scratch, are see through, and look good. Secondly they have a great seal so the contents stay dry and ‘fresh’. Thirdly you can see when they need toppng up. You can buy them from ASDA and most kitchen shops.

And how about these wonderfully shaped coffee jars also made of glass - and they are free.

Then to the crafty room. You may remember that I just put all of my ribbon and buttons into a BIG plastic container:

Well, this is the way Caz stores hers:

These jars are available from Ikea.

Ok and she also uses glass for buttons :

But she has recycled jars - her old spice jars! When I retired in January I planned to sell my home and so went on a major mission to clear the clutter. I planned a garage sale which was great and raised a lot of cash!!! What was left I donated to charity and they too raised quite a bit! OK I did go a bit far! This was my spare room... and this is it now.... But I did mostly get rid of stuff that I did not use, or did not know I even had! My home, and cupboards are now filled with beautiful SPACE. So a challenge, get organised and clear the clutter. Don't try to do it all in one day. Take just one cupboard at a time. You will be surprised and what you find, throw out and how GREAT you feel when it's done...You will create lots of space and energise your home. Caz has risen to the challenge and the "magpie" has started to clear the clutter!!! A quote from her blog "Today I have been clearing out. I have too much clutter in my house and I feel like I am drowning in it. I started with my books. Next stop is the coat cupboard! Isn't it amazing how much we collect over the years, little things that we can't possibly throw out :) Well my challenge is to find the strength to get rid of things that just take up space and serve no purpose!" "Well yesterday I managed to clear loads and start my big declutter, it felt so good to finally get some order back into the house. I still have some way to go but at least I have made a start :)" Oh don't forget the children's art competition. We are so excited to see their work! Finally, remember the easy peasy mini album we showed a few weeks back, well Charlotte (post from August 2nd 2007) created this album (Christmas memories) and agreed that we can share it with you... Thanks Charlotte for sharing this with us, we do love to see what you create!!! Thanks again for visiting love from Di XXX