Happy New Year!

I love this time of new beginnings--where you inherently feel more optimistic (despite the fact that you may have over-indulged over the past few weeks :)).

The New Year brings a lightness, a feeling of releasing the past 12 months and embracing the future that lays before you: unmarked, untracked, fresh powder (which, when you live up in the mountains, is a glorious sight!).

In the weeks after the New Year, that enthusiasm can wane. Resolutions don’t automatically incorporate themselves into your daily rituals. The shift you desire isn’t as easy as you first thought.

But never fear, I’ve got you covered. In this season of new beginnings, I am introducing a revitalized rhythm to my content, a theme for each month, corresponding to a particular area of your life.

This focus will enable you to dive deep into the areas of your life you may very well be interested in improving… allowing you greater clarity and renewal--which is what we all yearn for, what feels within our grasp in these optimistic first days of the year.

Last year, we went through Christmas ornaments and culled the ones that didn’t inspire of joy. That meant that we thanked and released our two Christmas tree toppers because they didn't make us feel happy when we held them. 

One was the angel from some point in my later childhood. She was quilted and sweet but also dirty and not well cared for. Generally, that doesn’t deter me. I immediately began thinking of how I could fix her hair and her crown and clean her up to be more presentable. However, as my mind churned, I remembered to stop, hold the angel and pay attention to how she made me feel. Turns out, the response was less than joyful. I happily thanked her and sent her along to be loved by another (joyful in knowing I’d also freed up some of my crafting time to make gifts!).

Our second topper was the one my best friend had picked out when she came to visit me in an early apartment of mine. She was pregnant with her first child and I had no kids yet. It was just the two of us, creating ornaments for the very first tree of my own (I’m tearing up--overflowing with joy--just thinking about that sweet time).

Do you know where everything in your home lives? I mean really, take a moment, be honest with yourself. Three years ago, before I’d heard of KonMari, before I’d touched all of my possessions and kept only those that inspire joy, I probably would have told you I basically knew where everything was, but let me tell you, I would have been deceiving myself.

We had long lost items hiding in all kinds of places, things I didn’t even remember we owned. Whole categories sprouted up after I thought I was done: hidden areas that had not seen the light of day since we’d moved into our home.

Now, after the fact, our home is easy to maintain and it feels great, but I’d kind of forgotten how it feels to live in a space where, half the time, you really can’t find what you’re looking for. Living like subtly raises your daily stress levels so that the littlest things can tip you over the edge into full blown overwhelm and anxiety.

As we enter the fullness of the holiday season, we tend to have more plans, stay up later than we are accustomed to with friends, and perhaps drink more than we may otherwise. I am fully in support of the festivities that bring joy to the winter season. They lend such jolliness to what could otherwise be a dark and isolating time of year (at least where I live!).

These moments of gathering and laughter and good times can occasionally throw you off your game. You get less sleep than your body yearns for, you feel the effects of that last glass of wine well into the following day.

Because of the many gatherings, the kids who will soon be home from school, the vacation time--either at home or away--I find that I occasionally lose my rhythm, forget to prioritize my morning rituals (the ones that help me to feel aligned and full of innate resources & support).

We had the joy and the fortune to spend Thanksgiving week living in a home away from home. My aunt & uncle’s neighbors, who were away for the holiday, graciously offered up their home to us while we were in town visiting. Thus, we spent the week in this lovely modern style home with clean lines and fantastic amounts of light filtering into the 14' wall-to-ceiling windows facing southeast (with new light from each day filtering in).

It is a funny experience to spend time in someone else’s home--someone you don’t know--and to be surrounded by all the stuff of life that tells a story about what life is like for their family.

I love my space, I love making my space easy to live in, relaxing to spend time in, rejuvenating from full days of work and play. And it’s so darn comfortable that often, I don’t totally want to go anywhere else. At heart, I'm really a homebody. Can you tell!? 

Transitioning back into life at home came in fits and starts. Want to hear what made it easier?! Read on...

Happy November! This time of year, I begin to think about all I’ve accomplished in the past 10 months… and all that I still want to get done before the end of the calendar year!

What often holds us back from achieving our goals, is mindset: our own (mental) stuff. As humans, we are quite adept at getting in our own way--through beliefs we may not even realize we hold, that keep us from taking actions to support the life we really want.

Why, you may ask, should a Feng Shui & Design expert--who focuses so much attention on the physical--place emphasis on mental well-being? Fantastic question--I'm so glad you asked!

In my line of work, I am constantly reminded of how your physical space is intimately intertwined with your mental well being.

Mindset work for me was solely about personal transformation for many years. But then it became professional: both in the mindset shifts I needed to undergo in order to be successful in my business and in the mindset work I helped my clients through as they purged their things.

I approach this work with my clients through the lens of their spaces. 

Your space is a reflection of yourself. 

When you want to change your life, change your space. 

However you come to it, this process of bumping up against and expanding your comfort zone is one that enables you to dig deep into beliefs you have that hold you back, beliefs that keep you from living the life you desire. 

It’s so rewarding to have a lightbulb moment of awareness that enables you to progress the way you want in life. 

So I wanted to share with you today, another story of transformation. That ‘aha’ moment that allows you to experience your life more fully than you ever thought possible. These moments are are so rewarding to hear, so eye-opening in our own lives, to our own experiences. So read on for a personal look into what a shift in mindset looks like...

I used to be a regular devotee to the idea of writing “Morning Pages” ( a la Julia Cameron as described in The Artist's Way). 

The practice has gained much popularity. Some of you may not be familiar with the idea. Many of you are. It’s simply a morning brain dump of all the thoughts going on in your mind--no matter what they are. You are getting them down on paper, airing them out… the idea being it frees up your mind to think more creative, productive thoughts when you’re through.

Today I promised you the story of an emotional transformation that came about after altering physical space. This particular story is the kind you love to hear about, the kind that ends with an emotional connection, an intimate relationship that feels so right.

I promised you a brief and beautiful story of transformation. Today I bring you the photos of a physical transformation within a space. Tomorrow I bring you an emotional transformation that came about after touching the physical space.

Having just finished up my 5-Day Closet Challenge--with a fantastic group of you--I am reminded of my own journey from chaos & clutter to calm & connected... and how it all started with a closet.

So today I'm sharing with you a visual story of the baby steps I took to achieve a big transformation.

+ your DOWNLOADABLE BAGUA GUIDE below!

We all have unfinished business hanging out in our homes: things that need to be fixed, sent, taken elsewhere, finished, completed. In fact, I read recently that on average, each of us has 40 hours of unfinished business hanging out in our homes. Nope, that’s not a typo: 40 HOURS. 

No wonder we all feel swamped by having too much to do in too little time.

How is it that, at times, you can attract the exact thing you want? And other times, you aren’t able to materialize what you desire?

Today, I have the story for you of how I manifested a day at the spa--the exact reward I’d been picturing--without it costing me a dime. I also created a Road Map for you, so that YOU too can easily materialize your desires. Read on to realize your greatest dreams and download your checklist. The story doesn’t begin where you might expect it to…

Something I feel all too often... and hear oh-so frequently from the people I work with is that “Life is too busy,” or “I can’t find the time.”

And mind you, generally, what we can’t find time for, are important things--things we really want to do, things that make our lives easier in the long run, things that enable us to connect with the people we love, things that are really important.

This can leave you feeling like life is a rat-race where you move from one distraction to the next. Like you have no control over the course your life takes.

LOVE. CHOCOLATE. FAMILY. TIME. SPACE. 

So what do homemade Almond Butter Cups have to do with Feng Shui and decluttering?

The end result of all the work I do--creating functional spaces through Feng Shui, design, & decluttering--is living in a home that is easier to maintain. My space supports my life: bringing me ease rather than overwhelm, balance rather than stress.

Being surrounded by only the things I love removes the visual static that overwhelms my mind. As I spend less time dealing with my stuff--moving it, organizing it, fixing it, putting it away--I have more time and energy to do those things that I love, with the people that make me happy. READ ON TO LEARN HOW YOU TOO CAN HAVE MORE TIME AND ENERGY IN YOUR LIFE...

There is so much stuff in our homes that blends into the background. We don't even see it anymore. Even though we don't SEE it, you guessed it, it still affects us, every day. All that visual clutter is like static on a tv screen. It fills your mind, making it difficult to think clearly, make easy decisions and know what needs to be done next. So take a few minutes and follow these steps to successfully clear the visual static from your home. 

WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO GO THROUGH A LOVED ONE’S POSSESSIONS IF EVERYTHING THERE BROUGHT THEM JOY?

Have any of you had the experience of going through a parent or loved ones things after they die? I don’t mean to be morbid, but I have worked with so many people who have had this very unique experience.

And I will never forget the stories of overwhelm and of how much stuff got tossed directly into the garbage because it was so overwhelming to sort through and because so much of it was clearly not loved or utilized. In the end, often the boxes that remain get transferred to your home, to the basement, to the attic and they are still sitting there--because you don’t know what to do with them.

Read on or watch the vLog!

1. Getting dressed in the morning takes way too long, it’s stressful and you don’t always like the results. You have a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear!

2. You resent constantly picking up after your family...so much so that you consider taking a trash bag around the house with you instead of putting things back where they go!

3. Cleaning your home is like a marathon: slow and steady and man does it take forever.

4. You have holiday cards up from last year, and--now that you mention it--pictures that got stuck up on the fridge years ago, and knick-knacks you’ve never touched except to dust.

5. You are constantly purging, but it just doesn’t seem to make any difference. Your home still feels cluttered right after you’ve spent a good chunk of time picking up and purging.

6. You target everyone’s stuff but your own. My stuff?: ‘Oh, it’s pared down about as far as it can go.’ (No judgement--I’ve been there.)  

7. You have so much “useful stuff” in your garage/junk drawer/utility closet that when you actually need that widget, you can’t find it, even after an hour of hunting. You could go out and buy another for $3, but you don’t, because you know it’s here somewhere!

8. You’re not 100% sure what is at the back of that closet, deep down where the light never shines.

9. Walking into your home at the end of the day, you feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Everywhere you look, there are things to do, piles to put away. You plop the mail down on the growing stack--you’ll deal with it “later.”

10. Just figuring out what to make for dinner is so overwhelming, you decide to order out… again. It’s just so much easier.

11. You’re not comfortable hosting Bookclub or having friends over---your space doesn’t accurately reflect YOU.