Author Archives: Lauren

Bedroom Storage Solutions

Your bedroom is your personal sanctuary; it must be a place filled with positive energy that will rejuvenate and reflect the kind of life you want for yourself. Create a peaceful atmosphere in your room by going through your things, sorting out what you need and what you can throw away, and organizing the ones you decided to keep.

If your bedroom is filled with clutter, get everything sorted out by separating your objects into different piles. The first pile should be made up of clothes and shoes. Empty your entire closet and shoe cabinet and decide which items you love wearing and which you can do without. Then grab your beddings and make another pile for them; throw out old or torn linens. Make another pile for jewelry and remove pieces that are broken or that you don’t wear. Cosmetics, perfumes, and lotions go into another pile; throw out items that are almost empty or that have been around for over a year. Finally, look under the bed for general clutter and throw out objects you have no use for.

Now that you’ve sorted through your belongings, it’s time for you to increase your closet’s efficiency by getting rattan boxes in different sizes. They can fit well in corners and can accommodate linens, clothes not often worn, and other items. You can also add canvas hangings for skirts and sweaters or fit in a tiered rack for shoes if you don’t have a shoe cabinet. If your closet already has shelves, place clear plastic boxes of different sizes so you can see at a glance what is stored inside. Keep all socks, underwear, and stockings inside drawers; plastic boxes can also be placed inside narrow drawers to hold your socks and underwear. If you don’t have space in your cabinet for linens, comforters, and other bulky items, place them inside wicker boxes and use the box to decorate the foot of your bed.

If you have a lot of jewelry and fashion accessories, invest in a jewelry tree – this serves the double purpose of organizing your accessories and being a decorative item on your dresser. Place all your cosmetics in clear plastic boxes with compartments so tubes and brushes can stand upright. Alternately, you can also use tiered or partitioned boxes to store pendants and earrings.

Finally, install hooks behind your door or inside your closet’s door where you can neatly hang bags, belts, bathrobes, and other items you use regularly.

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Feng Shui: How Clutter Obstructs the Flow of Chi

If you can never find the things that you need, it might mean that your house is a mess. Not only does clutter look unsightly, but the constant muddle of so many things makes you feel confused and stressed. The reason for this can be found in the ancient Chinese art of feng shui.

The Chinese believe that there is an invisible life force or energy that flows through all living and non-living things. This energy is called chi. Balancing and manipulating the flow of chi in the home is a major part of feng shui. The chi that flows through the home needs to do so freely in order to have a positive impact on the people who live there. It enters through the front door, moves through the room in a spiraling motion, then finds an exit through a back door or window.

Clutter is the biggest obstacle to a smooth chi flow because it acts like a roadblock that chi cannot easily pass through. When this occurs in the hall, which is considered to be the “mouth” of the home, it prevents chi from entering at all. If there is clutter all over the house, chi will move sluggishly, which affects the occupants and make them feel stuck in a rut. Feng shui experts who are sensitive to chi usually sense these stagnant areas by a “sticky” feeling and a stale, musty odor.

When you surround yourself with objects that you often use and love, they emit a strong energy that encourages the normal flow of chi and helps produce an atmosphere that makes your life happy. Loved possessions nurture and support you. Surrounding yourself with unwanted junk or broken items has the opposite effect – their negative energy will only pull you down, and the longer they stay there the worse their effects get. Start by throwing out all objects that have no particular meaning for you, and you might discover that you feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually.

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Feng Shui: Decluttering Your Home

The way your home looks is not only a reflection of yourself; the mess also tends to make you feel lethargic and confused about what you want to do with your life. One of the problems people face when they try to clear out their things is that they feel a strong attachment to some of their belongings. We hang onto memories we associate with objects and that makes us feel secure. While it’s all right to keep some things that remind you of happy times, too many of them will keep new things from entering your life.

There are certain areas of the home that tend to become hot spots of clutter. If these areas become too overcrowded with things, positive energy or chi stagnates and won’t flow throughout your house. Look at these areas of your home and decide whether they need to be cleared out:

The entrance/main hall – This is where your family, guests, and friends pass through and get the first impression of where you live. Ideally, it should be well-lit and welcoming but it is also usually the dumping ground of shoes, bags, children’s toys, and newspapers.
The attic/basement – Not everyone has an attic or basement but if you do, they are usually crammed with junk and things you never use but have not gotten around to throwing away.
Corridors – Clutter in this area usually gathers beside doorways and in wall crevices.

Before you start decluttering, assess which objects you want to throw out and which ones you’d like to keep. Go around the house with a pen and notebook and look at these clutter hot spots, as well as inside closets and bedrooms. Make a note of which areas have huge piles of junk and which have smaller piles.

Once you’re done figuring out where all the clutter in your home is contained, get garbage bags or cardboard boxes and label them according to how you want to dispose of them. Label the first bag as “junk”, for items that you definitely want to throw away. On the second bag, write “thrift store” for useful items that still work well and that other people might find a use for. On the third bag, write “things to be repaired”, for items that no longer work but that you might find a use for. On the fourth bag, write “things to sort out”, items that you’re not sure you want to let go of. Keep them somewhere for six months and keep the ones that you miss; if not, get rid of them.

When it comes to clothes, be a little more careful – keep only the ones that you enjoy wearing or that you wear regularly. Try on the ones you’re not sure about and if they don’t fit you well or if you don’t like the way they look, get rid of them. Sales and bargains make you buy clothes that you don’t particularly like or need, so make a conscious decision to never again buy items that you’re not 100% happy with.

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Stay Safe During the Holidays: Christmas Decorating Safety Tips

It isn’t even December yet but already, stores, malls, and houses are showing the holiday spirit and decking out their walls and windows with Christmas lights and decors. Christmas decorations are a beautiful sight but without taking the right safety measures, they can also cause fires and other accidents. Here are some ways you can stay safe during the holidays.

The Christmas tree

If you’re buying a new artificial tree this year, check the box or ask the salesman if the tree is “fire resistant.” This doesn’t mean that the tree won’t catch fire if a fire breaks out; it simply means that it will be more resistant to burning and won’t enlarge the blaze immediately.

When placing the tree inside your home, make sure you keep it in a corner away from the door and other areas where people in the household might accidentally walk into it. Do not place Christmas candles or any other sources of fire near the tree (or any other decorations for that matter).

Christmas Lights

If you are reusing last year’s Christmas lights, inspect the wires and make sure that none of it has been damaged by rats. Check the lights for any broken or cracked sockets, loose connections, or bare wires. Replace any damaged bulbs immediately. Never pull on the Christmas lights as this will add stress to the cords and cause it to fray or break.

When using extension cords, tape them to the wall so that nobody accidentally trips on the wires. Make sure you do not plug too many lights or other electrical appliances onto the cord if you intend to use them for a long time; extension cords can burn if they are overused.

Finally, make it a habit to see that the Christmas lights are switched off before heading to bed.

Christmas candles and other decorations

Candles add warmth and holiday cheer to a room, but they can also be a source of accidents as well. As mentioned earlier, do not place lit candles near the Christmas tree or any other decor where the candle’s flames might reach it. Place all candles out of reach of children and pets, and use non-flammable holders. If you are going to light any Christmas candles, make sure you are within eyesight at all times.

If you have toddlers and other small children at home, do not use Christmas decorations that resemble candy because they will be tempted to see what they taste like! Do not use decorations with small removable parts either; children have a habit of putting things into their mouths and they could easily choke on small parts.

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Condo Investments: Things To Look Out For

Despite rising oil and commodity prices and the ongoing crisis in the US economy, now is still the best time to invest in real estate in the Philippines to safeguard your savings or your liquid financial resources. Real estate investment is the a good way to stay safe from inflation. Right now, the best kinds of property to invest in are high-rise condominium units located in prime areas like Makati, since the values continue to appreciate. With so many developments being built in the area, buyers also have the luxury to choose among the condominium developments available.

So what exactly should you look for in a high-rise condo?

First: location, location, loaction! Choose a condo situated in a premiere city center as the property values here will continuously appreciate. Makati is your best bet, as well as Fort Bonifacio and Ortigas. Condominiums in these areas are within walking distance of corporate, entertainment, and leisure facilities, as well as hotels, schools, and banks.

Make sure the condominium is developed by a reputable real estate firm. Only choose a developer who has experience, a proven track record, and a premiere roster of projects.

Fully fitted and furnished units are ideal, as it will lessen move-in stress caused by hiring designers or shopping furniture and appliances.

A condo that allows you to expand your living experience beyond your unit and caters to your lifestyle is the best investment you could ever find. Look for amenities such as a swimming pool, gym, spa, and childcare facilities.

Finally, a condo that is well-designed will increase your pride of ownership and will guarantee that ever single peso you invested in it is well worth the price.

Tough Times Ahead for Philippine Real Estate

It’s no big surprise that the global finance crisis is going to make things hard for the Philippine real estate industry, but even Ayala Land Inc. and SM Prime Holdings, the country’s biggest real estate moguls, aren’t too optimistic about the year 2009.

According to Ayala Land president Jaime Ayala, the company’s sales of low and middle-income residential properties are still strong for the third quarter of 2008, but the impact of the US crisis might be felt by the Philippines next year. Right now, sales from the United States represent only 25% of the company’s total foreign sales, whereas it used to account for almost 50% of their sales in the previous years. Because of the instability of the US economy, Ayala Land is now looking for markets in other regions such as the Middle East, where sales increased by 70% from January to September of this year. The first half of the year earned them a higher net income from Php 2.13 B to Php 2.91 B on strong residential sales.

As for what will happen in the year 2009, Jaime Ayala says there’s nothing to do but wait and see how the economic crisis will play out. Despite the uncertainty, however, Ayala Land will not slow down on ongoing developments nor reduce their capital for next year.

SM Prime Executive Vice President Jeffrey Lim also says that 2009 looks to be a difficult year for the real estate industry. The country’s largest commercial center developer received a growth in their net income for the first six months of 2008 – from Php 2.9 B to Php 3.17 B – because of the company’s consolidation of three China malls. While revenues increased by 8%, SM Prime is still wary about the market. Like Ayala Land Inc, they are going to expand their shopping centers in 2009 as planned, but they’re watching the market carefully to see how the economy and the real estate industry will be affected.

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