Last night on Andy Jacksons evening show I was talking about clutter. We all know it’s easier to create mess than keep things tidy, although there are those who are completely obsessed with things being in the right place all the time.

I personally favour a big clean out every 3 months as I always feel so satisfied after, but it is up to you. You can start slowly if the thought of a big de-clutter overwhelms you. Start with one drawer, maybe kitchen or bedroom, once that is finished move on to the next.

Moving house is an ideal time to start afresh, it is a time to leave memories and clutter behind. You may have lots of items that you consider too good to go to the charity shop so put them all together, assess what you have then you can decide. You could invite good friends to come round and they can “take their pick” in return for helping you to pack or you could sell them at a car boot sale or on EBay.  

Here are the guidelines:

Donate, giveaway or throw out anything that is……

• Unloved – If you are unsure put the item away in a cupboard or drawer, leave it there for say 3 months, if you have not missed it within the time frame then you do not love it.
• Unwanted – don’t feel guilty about keeping things that have been given as gifts if you do not like them
• Unused – we all have gadgets, magazines, books that will never be used or read again
• Not been worn for 12 months – it is a great time to sort the wardrobes out and remember you only wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time!!
• Please don’t kid yourself that it may “come in useful someday” it wont

You will be surprised at how much you will let go if you follow the rules. Pile everything up in one room, this will then give you some idea of how much is actually going rather than putting it directly into bags.

You can always take photographs of items, that way you will still have the memory but not the clutter.  This is especially useful if you have young children – they all draw or make things that they are proud of but that would never adorn the walls of your home. Keep the item for a week on display, take a photo of it on a digital camera then store on your pc.

A cluttered home is a drain on your energy and time. Think about how much more leisure time you will have once you have everything under control. It is easier to do a little ‘maintenance’ every week than feeling constantly overwhelmed and hopeless when you are surrounded with clutter.

My son has more T shirts than you can shake the proverbial stick at – many have not been worn for months…… so, I take them out of his wardrobe and place them in the spare room out of sight. If he has not asked for them within 3 months then I bag them up and take them to the Cardiac Risk in the Young charity shop – simple.

Storage bags are wonderful especially the type that suck and seal so it compacts to virtually nothing. The items inside are kept clean and dust free so you can store the bags either in, or on top of wardrobes or pop into the loft.

Remember, making space will encourage more wonderful things to come into your life.

Well, I made my prediction at 3:21 pm, at 3.23pm Jermaine Defoe scored England’s only goal and my prediction came true. Maybe the team should wear red all the time now!!

Here is a confident prediction – England will win their game today as they are wearing all red for the first time in this competition- a very auspicious colour for them.

LONDON – Saturday 26th June 2010 – Come to the 3rd Feng Shui Society Conference

- a cornucopia of Feng Shui to energise your summer.

Ten top Feng Shui speakers offer their expert knowledge and wisdom to enrich your life.

Come and discover how you can use Feng Shui to dissolve problems, enhance your personal life, and boost your business success.

For the Feng Shui enthusiast and novice alike, this conference gives an excellent overview of the many ways in which you can be empowered by Feng Shui.

Date: Saturday 26th June 2010, 9.30am-5pm
Door opens: 9.30am Programme starts: 10.00am 

Venue: MI Centre, 81-103 Euston Street, London NW1 2EZ (Tube: Euston Square – when you come out of the station turn right, walk straight and you’ll come to Euston Street – it’s about 2 min walk to the MI Centre from the station – the best exit to use is the one opposite the Accessorize shop, next to tickets machines )

Cost: £40 for general public (that includes one year membership to the FSS; £15 for current Accredited Feng Shui Consultants; £20 for Friends of the Feng Shui Society

For more information log onto: www.fengshuisociety.org.uk

The Sun rose over Portsmouth, UK at 4.50am.

~  Happy Summer Solstice  ~

Peace and light

~  Rosie  ~

The Summer Solstice is fast approaching and it is a festival that I really look forward to.

Ok, the downside is we will be heading towards shorter days when we don’t really seem to have had any prolonged period of decent weather, nevertheless, the 21 June is a very special day to many people across the world.

Druids, Witches, astrologers and thousands of other people in the northern hemisphere will be joining large gatherings or just celebrating on their own.

I have not yet decided where I shall be; I have visited Stonehenge many times, also a lovely spot on the South Downs with like minded people, and have sat on a beach on my own.  I normally decide on what ‘feels right’ a few days before.

Stonehenge is magical and full marks to English Heritage and all involved for such fantastic organisation. Two things I would say about visiting this fabulous ancient monument……

1. Wear good shoes, it is quite a walk from the car park to the stones.
2. Make a note of where you leave your car as the car park is huge,  it once took 3 of us an hour to locate my car.

For more info on Stonehenge visit their web site www.stonehenge.co.uk

There are various web sites that will give you the exact sunrise time for where you live.

For Portsmouth UK it is 4.50am

Stonehenge UK 4.52am.

• Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

• If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.

• Some days you are the dog, some days you are the tree.

• Good judgment comes from bad experience … and most of that comes
   from bad judgment.

• A closed mouth gathers no foot.

• Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving

First impressions are very important, so today I thought I would write about Ming Tang –

Ming Tang literally means “bright hall” – however, this does not mean that you have to cram your hallway with chandeliers to get the desired effect.

The Ming Tang of a home or business is a well – defined area where chi will gather before entering a building.  When buying a property it is always advisable to give the outside as much consideration as the inside.

Your home:

This would be your front garden – a nice clear area between the road and your front door. Keep the garden tidy, clear of rubbish and weeds, and in all cases always make sure the front door is kept spotless.

If your front door opens directly onto the pavement or if you live in a block of flats ‘create’ your own Ming Tang by placing plants in containers either side of the door or if this is not practical consider hanging baskets.

 If you have a separate porch or entry hall just inside the front door then you could utilise this.

Business:

A welcoming reception area in any business is good Ming Tang; your visitors will be able to soak up the ambiance of the company before proceeding with their meeting.

In all cases the entrance should not be cluttered allowing chi to flow positively through the building. You should feel comfortable and at ease when entering any home or business.

As I said bright lights will not create Ming Tang but lighting can have a massive impact when used in the right way.  A client of mine had a straight boring entrance to his business so we worked on installing ground lighting. This was very successful as the lights were positioned to represent a winding path to the entrance. The lights are kept on all the time and visitors now meander to the entrance looking at the lighting and plants on the way. They arrive with a feeling of calmness before entering a well laid out, light and fresh reception area.

Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them granted.

Dr Samuel Johnson 1709 – 1784

Do try to take a look at the evening sky this week. The Moon is now waning and will disappear before emerging again as a beautiful Crescent Moon on Saturday (11.15 GMT). Time to make your wishes!

If you look towards the west/north west you will see what looks like a very bright star, it is in fact the planet Venus, the brightest object in the night sky. It shines like the proverbial ‘diamond’ in the sky and it is a truly a beautiful sight.

Mars the red planet is also visible in the south west after sunset and is very close to the star Regulus in Leo.

If you are an early riser or just getting home from a night out then look out for Jupiter rising in the east in the early morning.