Posts Tagged ‘Water’

Feng Shui Tips – Part 7 – Bathrooms

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

In Part 7 of Madonna’s Feng Shui Tips Madonna shares some Feng Shui Tips regarding how you may use Feng Shui to improve the balance of your bathrooms:

The toilet and bathroom are extremely important rooms in the house as they are places where water (money) drains away.

The ch’s should be allowed to flow smoothly into and out of these rooms without impediment.

Consequently, overly ornate bathrooms are not good from a feng shui point of view as they tend to hold the ch’i inside the room.

In fact, the Chinese prefer relatively simple, functional bathrooms with little in the way of ornaments or other decorations.

All the same, you should make this room a pleasant one with delicate colors and one or two objects that you find attractive.

A potted plant can also help encourage ch’i into this room

Green and blue colored towels help you relax, while at the same time, encourage the water to flow freely down the pipes. Blue is also a good feng shui color for the bathroom and toilet as it relates to the water element.

If the bathroom is located in the middle of the house in the good luck area, it will send negative ch’I through out the house. It will also send all your good luck down the down the toilet. If the toilet is located here, it is known as a “dead” toilet. The remedy for this is to place mirrors on all four walls inside the bathroom, which symbolically make the room disappear. It is also a good idea to place a mirror on the outside of the door to a dead toilet.

The other unfavorable locations for the toilet and bathroom are in the southwest, northeast, south, and beside or facing the front door. It is believed that if the toilet and bathroom are placed in the southwest and northeast the occupants will squabble and not get along with each other. If if is placed beside or in front of the front door. It is believed that the occupants will get a bad reputation

The bathroom also should not be located at the end of a long hallway, as this creates a shar heading directly toward it. This means that the beneficial ch;i that has come in through the front door ends up in the toilet! The remedy for this is to keep the lid down on the toilet and to keep the toilet door closed. It would also be beneficial to place a mirror on the outside of this door to make the room symbolically disappear.

These are traditional interpretations, and there is a remedy for each of these locations. A mirror on the outside of the door reflects the ch’i away from the toilet and bathroom.

Mirrors are necessary inside the bathroom, of course. Avoid mirror tiles though, as they create a netting effect that constricts the flow of money.

Light colors are better than dark ones in the toilet and bathroom. Different shades of blue to represent the water, element make a good choice. However, any color works well here. Except for red ( as water and fire oppose each other)

The one exception to a simple, purely functional bathroom is when it is located in the marriage sector of your home. If it is located here, make the bathroom as beautiful and as attractive as possible. Display favorite ornaments and hang a crystal from the ceiling to encourage the ch’i.

Ideally, the bathroom should have a window to allow light and ch;i to enter. This is because the bathroom is considered a negative location in feng shui. We do not want all the love and romance to be symbolically flushed down the toilet.

Enhance and beautify this room by encouraging ch’i in and effectively remedying what is normally a negative situation.

I hope my Feng Shui tips will help you!

- Madonna


Please find more of Madonna’s Great Feng Shui tips at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/topics/feng-shui-tips/

and …


Please Reply Here with Your Comments regarding any other Great Feng Shui Tips you may have?

and/or …

Please also Post any your questions you may have regarding how you may encourage as much positive chi‘i as possible into our home, ok?


Do you need more help encouraging more positive chi’i as possible into our home and/or making your home more attractive, more comfortable and more balanced?

Please see Madonna’Staging Interior Redesign Services at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/services/redesign/


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Cleaning Tip of the Day – Laundry Tips 1

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Herein Madonna shares some of her first tips for quickly, easily, safely and cost effectively cleaning, drying and ironing all of your laundry / clothes:

Tip for drying clothes:

Keeping a tension curtain rod or shower rod set up in the laundry room or in your shower makes it easy to hang your clothes up for drying. (and will also save you $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)

Energy-Efficient ironing:

Put aluminum foil-Shinny side up- between the ironing board and the ironing board cover.

The aluminum foil will reflect the heat upward onto the garments you are ironing, so it will iron both-sides at one time save you time and energy.

Keeping ironing boards clean:

To keep your ironing board clean longer, spray the cover with spray starch and iron over it. This will let the iron move easier, and save your ironing board from wearing.

Pressing embroidery:

Lay the piece of embroidery face-down on a towel, and iron it on the reverse side.   That way, you won’t flatten the embroidery.

Handling large items:

Before you start ironing, turn the ironing board around so that you are using the wide end rather than the point.  You can cover more area if you iron this
way.

Fold items, such as large tablecloths, in half  and iron this way.   Fold items in half and iron one side, then fold in half again and iron the both sides.

Cashmere:

This is an expensive fiber that comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats.

Treat it with respect.

Dry-clean these prizes or hand-wash with care in cool water and well-dissolved gentle soap.   Rinse well, and do not wring. Dry flat, reshaping the garment as it dries. Iron on the wrong side while still damp with a cool iron, if necessary.

Down:

Down is the soft under feather of waterfowl that is often combined with adult feathers.  It is machine washable and dry-cleanable.  Just be sure to follow the care label closely.

Do not air-dry down. It dries too slowly, and mold or mildew in the process.

Dry down items in your dryer, or use a large capacity dryer if needed.  Set temperatures low (under 140 F) fluffing and turning the item often.

To remove butter or margarine:

Scrape off the solid concentration of butter with a dull edge, such as the back of a knife on washable fabrics, work in dishwashing liquid and wash.
(Do this only on washable fabrics)


Please Post / Share Your Tips for cleaning, drying and/or ironing your laundry and/or any of Your other Great Cleaning Tips here, ok?

and …

Please come back here for more of Madonna’s Tips on how to clean dry and/or iron your laurndry  and Please find More Madonna’Staging Cleaning Tips at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/topics/cleaning-tips/


and Yes Madonna’Staging will also Help You clean all of Your laundry as part of our comprehensive cleaning services!

Please find more information regarding and schedule to have Your Home and Laundry cleaned Today! at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/services/cleaning-services/


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Cleaning Tip of the Day – Cleaning Lampshades

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Madonna’s Cleaning Tip of the Day Today is How To Clean Lampshades:

Most of you probably ignore lampshades when you’re cleaning, …

but take it from me …

Lampshades are loaded with dust and dirt.

You need to treat each type of lampshade differently when you’re in cleaning mode so you don’t damage it.

Fabric-covered and stitched shades :

I find the easiest way to wash these shades is in the bathtub!

Put enough cool water in the tub to allow you to roll the shade on its side.

Add some mild soap or detergent.

Gently swirl the shade in the water and soap combination.

Drain the soapy water and rinse the shade with cool water, using the same swirling method.

Shake the shade gently to remove excess water and allow it to dry upright.

Drying can be speeded up by using the blow dryer. This works particularly well on the corded areas that are hard to dry.

Paper shades and shades with glue :

You can not wet paper shades or shades with glue, …

so …

Your best bet is to vacuum them frequently with the small brush on the vacuum sweeper.

Please Post / Share Your Tips for cleaning lampshades and/or any of Your other Great Cleaning Tips here, ok?

and …

Please come back here for more of Madonna’s Tips on how to clean your lampshades and Please find More Madonna’Staging Cleaning Tips at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/topics/cleaning-tips/


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

What do You Think of the Results of this Landscaping Project?

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

We were asked by a friend to help her with the landscaping for her yard.

Madonna is also trained as a Master Gardener,  so …

As a favor to her we agreed to provide a landscape design for the front of the property and part of the back.

We decided to do it pro-bono to decide if we want to and should also offer  landscaping services to our other clients.

She wanted a yard that was very low on care (water, weeding, and etc.).

So …

We used mostly native plants and eliminated most of the grass.

The landscape was designed as a “zero landscape,” meaning that all plants were to be native to South Florida with no watering system.

The plants that were picked are drought resistant and need little water once the roots are established and are therefore very low maintenance.

Here is one of the Before Picture of the front yard prior to any of our landscaping work there:

Front Yard Landscaping Before Picture
Here is one of the After Picture of the results of our landscaping of this same front yard:

Front Yard Landscaping After Picture

What do You think of the Results of this Landscaping Project?

Pretty Dramatic difference!, isn’t it?

and doesn’t this home have a lot more “curb appeal” than it did before?

We had several helpers in the execution of this now beautiful ‘yard.’Paris working on back Patio

Paris and his helper hauled and placed the materials for us.

I don’t know if we could have completed it in the 11 days without you Paris!

Please Post Your Comments Here and let us know what you think of the results of this landscaping project and to help us decide if we should also offer landscaping services to our other clients,  ok?


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Cleaning Tip of the Day – Cleaning with Baking Soda

Sunday, December 27th, 2009
An American bathroom of a freshly renovated ho...

Image via Wikipedia

Baking Soda has been around for centuries.

It has so many different applications. cooking, cleaning, deodorizing, and even healing.

A) Baking Soda will clean and deodorize your (Vinyl) shower curtain:

  1. Sprinkle baking soda directly on a cloth or brush.
  2. Scrub the shower curtain.
  3. Rinse clean.
  4. Let dry.

B) Baking Soda will clean fiberglass and glossy tiles:

  1. Just sprinkle baking soda directly in the tub.
  2. Scrub with a cloth.
  3. Rinse and let the shine come through.

( No Harsh Chemicals)

Please Post / Share Your Tips for cleaning with baking soda here, ok?

and …

Please come back here for more of Madonna’s Tips on how to clean with baking soda and Please find More Madonna’Staging Cleaning Tips at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/topics/cleaning-tips/


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Cleaning Tip of the Day – Remove Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

This is a cleaning tip on how to take out white water marks from wood furniture.

Spray vegetable cooking spray on the white marks.

Let it set for a minute or two.

Than rub it in with paper towel and walk away.

In about 5 to 6 hours later it will be gone.

What other ways do you know of to remove water marks and/or other stains from wood?

Please Post / Share Your Tips for removing water marks and/or other stains from wood here, ok?

and …

Please come back here for more of Madonna’s Tips on how to remove  water marks and/or other stains from wood and Please find More Madonna’Staging Cleaning Tips at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/topics/cleaning-tips/


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Feng Shui Tips – Part 1 – Introduction to Feng Shui

Sunday, November 1st, 2009
Feng shui Luopan compass
Image via Wikipedia

Ch’i is the universal life force.

It gathers near gently flowing water and is created whenever anything is done perfectly.

To operate effectively we need to encourage as much chi‘i as possible into our home.

Ch’i can be both positive and negative.

For instance, gently moving water creates positive ch’i, while stagnant water creates negative ch’i.

We want as much good ch’i as possible, but naturally want to eliminate any negative ch’i.

Ch’i needs to be nurtured and gathered.

Chi’ is made up of both YIN AND YANG.

Yin and yang are the two opposites in the universe. For instance night and day, short and tall. None of these can exist without the other.

The ancients never tried to define yin and yang, but just collect lists of opposites.

YIN is represented by black, and YANG is white.

The concept began many thousands of years ago when the ancient Chinese called the shady, northern slopes of the mountain YIN and the sunny, southern slopes YANG.

The ancient Taoists used the familiar symbol of yin and yang to represent completion.

This symbol, which looks like two tadpoles in a circle, symbolizes the universe.

One tadpole is black with a white dot in it and the other white with a black dot in it.

The dots indicate that inside every yin there is a certain amount of yang, and inside every yang is a degree of yin.

If your property is too yin, (t0o flat) you can remedy this by planting shrubs and trees or perhaps by the introduction of rocks or a garden shed. It is important to think ahead.  Small trees grow into big trees, which can alter the feng shui of the immediate area.

If your area is too yang,  (too hilly) you may be able to flatten part of your property to create a balance of yin and yang energy.

Even the house itself is divided into yin and yang areas.

The front of the house, which serves to greet people to the property, is outgoing and yang.

The farther inside the house you go, the more yin, and private, the rooms become This is why bedrooms usually feel better if they are situated well away from the front door.

For those of you out there that are starting to get your home in balance, I hope my Feng Shui Tips will help!

- Madonna


Please Reply Here with Your Comments regarding any other Great Feng Shui Tips you may have?

and/or …

Please also Post any your questions you may have regarding how you may encourage as much positive chi’i as possible into our home, ok?


Need more help encouraging as much positive chi’i as possible into our home?

Please see Madonna’Staging Interior Redesign Services at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/services/redesign/


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Cleaning Tip of the Day – How To Clean Oven Doors

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
Modern oven

Clean that brown stained oven door glass fast by using this tip: Make a thick paste of water and baking soda, then cover the glass on the door with the mixture and leave it on for about 10 to 12 minutes.  Then rinse off with water and you will have nice clean glass.


Please Reply Here with Your Comments regarding any other Great Cleaning Tips you may have for How to quickly and easily clean those brown stained oven doors fast.


Need more help getting everything in your house cleaned?

Please see Madonna’Staging Cleaning Services at:

http://blog.madonnastaging.com/cleaning-services/


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]