Warming Up Your Home As It Cools Down Outside

Anjie Cho November 17, 2021

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping lower. Even if you’re a big fan of winter and its climate, you likely welcome a warm home, preferably without high heating bills. I’ve got a few tips to help warm you and your nest without a big impact to your wallet.

Add layers

Your cold weather closet boasts sweaters, coats and scarves. You know a thing or two about layering, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. Your home can benefit from layers too. According to the National Energy Foundation, your floors can account for up to 10 percent of heat loss if they’re not insulated. That gorgeous area rug you’ve been eyeing isn’t just another pretty accessory. It’s insulation. Your toes will thank you.

Open, then close

In the morning throw open your curtains and raise the blinds. Let the sun shine in to warm things up. When the sun sets, however, it’s time to pull the blinds and hold in all that warmth. Consider switching out your airy curtains for something a little more substantial in cold months. If a new set of curtains isn’t in the budget, look for thermal liners that you can add to your existing window treatments.

Bake something

Winter is a wonderful time to work out your culinary muscle! If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at making bread from scratch, turn the oven on and go for it! There’s nothing better than fresh bread from the oven with a pot of rich stew bubbling on the stove to warm you up – and not just from the belly out! Your cook top and oven will share some of its heat with the room too!

Seal the deal

Before the frost debuts, check your windows and doors for drafts. Caulking window frames, installing weather stripping and deploying a draft stopper at the base of your doors will help keep more warm air in and the cold air out.

Consider humidity

In the summer we bemoan the hotter-than-it-is feel of humid days. Don’t forget that in the winter. Humid air feels warmer. Put a humidifier to work, or leave your bathroom doors open a crack when you shower (or after your warm shower!) to let some of that damp air warm you up.

Reverse your fans

If you have ceiling fans, put them to work in the winter! Just be sure to change their direction first. Running your fans clockwise will push the warm air that’s risen back down to you.

Change things up

If you’ve been thinking about trying out the view from another side of the room, now’s a good time. Move your favorite chair or sofa away from large windows and outside walls. In the bedroom, break out the flannel sheets and pile on your favorite quilts.

Focus on you

Being toasty isn’t just about the room temperature. Grab yourself a good book, nestle down into your favorite seat with a warm, cuddlesome quilt. Don’t forget to fill up your mug with something warm to drink and don a plush pair of socks.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Q&A Sunday: The Best Feng Shui Bedroom Color

Guest User November 14, 2021

What’s the best feng shui color for a bedroom?

I get asked some version of this question a lot, and I’m going to let you in on a feng shui secret: there’s no perfect feng shui color for a bedroom, or any room for that matter. The best color for you depends on what you want to manifest, your unique energy, and what colors you like. For me to recommend a color for your bedroom, I would need to know what elements you need more of, where you need more support, and what you’d like to work on.

For example, if you want to invite in a partner, pink or peach could be a supportive color for you. If you want to feel more grounded, an earthy brown or yellow might be the most nourishing. We can look at feng shui color theory, but I can’t give you a cookie cutter answer. If that was how feng shui worked, it would be really easy to just say that all bedrooms should be blue. However, not everyone wants a blue bedroom, and it might not be the best fit for everyone energetically either.

When choosing a color for your bedroom, first think about what it is that you want. Then, you can start looking at different colors and the connections you have to them. You can look at the feng shui meaning behind colors, but also pay attention to what you like and what resonates with you. If you read somewhere that orange is the best color for a certain room but you hate orange, it will be bad feng shui for you to paint your room orange.

What colors do you gravitate towards? What colors do you not like as much? I have a lot of metal element naturally and I love metal element colors, like whites and off-whites. I also really like black, which is connected to the water element. Those tend to be good colors for me to work with because I enjoy being around them.

Another thing to note is that there are many ways to bring color into your life besides painting the walls. Once you’ve figured out what kind of energy you want to create and which colors resonate with you, you can start by bringing in that color in small ways. It’s often a good idea to play around with accessories before committing to a new wall color. You can even start wearing a color, and see how it makes you feel.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Feng Shui for Autumn

Guest User November 10, 2021

We’re well into fall here in the Northern Hemisphere, when the weather gets cooler and things start to die away. The leaves on trees start to change color and fall, and things start to get slower as we wind down for the holidays. During this season, we also have more yin time. Yang energy is related to the sunshine, while yin energy is related to nighttime and darkness. During the fall and winter, we have more dark hours of the day and less sunlight.

At its core, feng shui is really about connecting to the cycles of nature. Applying feng shui principles can be a way to engage with these cycles and the changing seasons in our homes and our lives. If you want to really embrace this time of year, here are a few ways you can do this using feng shui principles.

The metal element

First, you can work with the metal element, which is related to autumn. Metal also gives way to water, which is connected to the season of winter that we’ll be moving into next. One way to embrace the metal element is just to understand that we are moving into a time where things are falling away, and that it’s okay to let go of things. It’s okay to be going through a transition. The metal element has the feeling of a sword or scissors cutting through something. What do you need to cut through? What do you need to let go of that is no longer serving you? Once you’ve done some reflection on this, take action. Metal is about movement and taking steps to move things forward, not staying still. It’s also about contraction and becoming more compact. Think of an acorn: it has all the energy and wisdom of an oak tree, but in a smaller package.

Protect your neck

My acupuncturist always tells me to protect the back of my neck during this time of year as it’s getting colder. It’s a good idea to protect this part of your body from the wind. There’s actually an area of the feng shui bagua that’s related to your neck and head, and it’s usually near the front door. To support this part of your body and your home, make sure you have extra protection from wind and drafts.

Accept sadness

With the change in seasons, some people start to feel more sad. The metal element is connected to sadness as well. If this resonates with you, I would encourage you to recognize that it’s okay to feel sad. If there were never any sadness, you would also never feel any joy. It’s a part of life. It’s not about trying to eradicate sadness, because there is always sadness in the world. Begin to embrace all parts of you, including the sad parts.

If you are feeling very low and sad because of the waning light, there are a few practical things that you can do. You might want to bring in more full-spectrum lights to use during the day, and go out in the sun more. You can also look at how things are placed in your home. Is your bed or the artwork in your home placed especially low? If your mood feels low, and especially if you have a tendency towards depression, you might want to pay attention to this, and maybe take some time to lift the qi of your home. You might want to get a taller bed frame, or add a box spring or lifts for your bed. You also might want to carefully rehang one or more pieces of art. Take it off the wall, dust it, and place it even just an inch higher to lift your qi and raise your spirits.

I hope these tips help you to welcome autumn!

by Anjie Cho