Yard Sale Treasure Map

What's a bargain shoppers best friend? Yard Sale Treasure Map! It's an amazing mapping tool that combines Google Maps with Craigslist. It culls the yard sale listings from Craigslist and create an interactive map with all the info you need to hit the sales in your area.

Let's say you wanna hit some yard sales on the upcoming Saturday. Just type in your address or zip code, your desired driving radius, click 'Saturday' on the drop down list and hit Search. The map of your area then loads with pinpoints of all the sales. Click on the pinpoint to get a description of the sale.

Once again...the internet is simply amazing! I love this!

TimeSavingTutorials.com has created a nice video tutorial of YSTMwhich covers most of the basic functionality of this tool.

There are countless websites today that claim to be the “place to go” on the web to find and post garage sales. But let’s be honest… there is only one globally accepted online source for garage sale ads… Craigslist! Not only is Craigslist a wonderful resource, it is also absolutely free! So honestly, why bother posting your ad anywhere else online?

YSTM doesn't make you create an account to log into or try to scam you into posting your sale explicitly in a way that no other sites can access your ad. They encourage you to post your ads on Craigslist because that’s where your ads will get the most visibility.

Hot Tip: when posting your yard sale on Craigslist, add your full address including city, state and zip. The system needs the info to correctly add your sale to the map.

Happy treasure hunting!

Diagnosis: Dysfungshui

I found this photo online in an article titled "Under Stairs Solutions." The materials are lovely and I'm sure it was pretty darn pricey, however...

From a Feng Shui perspective, the only thing this will solve is putting you on the fast track toward a short, unhealthy and unhappy life. 

If you add some things like old tax files, or a shotgun in the drawers below the sleeping platform, you'll get your wish even quicker.

Let's take a closer look from an energetic standpoint, shall we? 

Here are all the Feng Shui Don'ts

Shar Chi- Sometimes called Poison Arrows or Killing Breath, Shar Chi basically means 'negative energy.' It's the energy that forms from the edges (usually 45 degrees or less) of walls, beams, furniture and open shelves. If your body is in direct line of the edge, it's worse. 

In this case, there's six areas including the little shelf for the alarm clock. We can't see the rest of the room, so there could be more. (See photo with arrows) One of those Poison Arrows will do damage, imagine six! 


What kind of damage? Oh, how about illness, accidents, major losses and really bad, bad luck. On the Feng Shui scale of bad scenarios, this situation is at the top above the "You're $#&%ed" mark. 

I've witnessed the effects of Shar Chi too many times to think it's hooey or Feng Shui masters being dramatic for thousands of years.

As if all that Shar Chi is not enough, now add the pressure from...

Low Ceiling- Oh, baby, it just gets worse! A standard ceiling height is 8 feet. As the ceiling gets lower, the pressure gets higher. If it's over an area where you're body is for long periods of time (bed, desk, favorite tv watching chair), it will effect you even more. 

The buildup of this energy over time can bring a myriad of issues depending on where the bed falls on the Bagua Map. For example, if it's in the center of the home, it will effect health more than other issues. But with this many 'don'ts' there will be lots of other problems as well.

No headboard- Headboards signify having support in your life. It's almost as if the energy is saying, "I got your back." In this case, you get a hard empty wall to go along with all that pressure. 

Storage under the bed- It's best if you can have free-flowing circulation under a bed. If that is impossible and you must use the space for storage, only keep fresh linens, blankets, spare pillows under the bed. Get it? Soft stuff. 

Everything is made of energy. Soft bedding in the storage area is the least harmful. The thing is, most folks store junk in drawers like these. Or worse, that gun.

The "no room for you!" Bed Position. As I always say, it's important to have two equal-sized bedside tables with two equal-sized bedside lamps for an equally balanced relationship. Good luck attracting or maintaining a happy, healthy relationship in a bed like this where one person is smooshed against the wall. Okay, so there are spotlight kinda lamps. As far as Feng Shui cures go for a situation such as this, it's like putting one of those little round band-aids on a huge open wound. 

Let's go out on a limb and say that the person living in a space like this is a bachelor who's not really interested in finding balance in a healthy relationship. He might want there to be 'no room for you.' So kudos, he'll get his wish...along with accusations from all his conquests, courtesy of the Shar Chi energy. 

Good thing he has those spotlights on both sides of the bed so he and his partner can equally interrogate each other. 

Diagnosis: Dysfungshui

To sign up for for Feng Shui informations as well as free tips, visit my website www.space-lift.com

Cash in Your Castoffs

You know from past posts that I love cleaning out closets to make room for new. Once you're closet clearing is complete, chances are you've got something to sell. Here's the scoop for making the most of your castoffs in a great piece on Real Simple. 

I'll post all the pertinents for home decor items, but they have a lot of great info for selling your clothing and accessories on this link.

Insider tips on the best places to sell your stuff—and how to make (real) money. 

By Karen Cheney and Alexandra Kay for Real Simple

Furniture

The best marketplace: Craigslist.org, which connects local sellers and buyers in 700 towns and regions nationwide. Posting ads on the site is free, and unlike on eBay, you don’t have to pay a commission when you sell. 

Bargain shoppers and vintage-furniture hunters alike scan the listings, so you’re more likely to find buyers for nearly any piece of furniture, says Donna Hoffman, an interior decorator in Yardley, Pennsylvania, who also teaches people how to sell secondhand furniture.

Selling Points

• Compare your item to similar ones on the site before setting a price, which should be 10 to 20 percent higher than what you are willing to sell it for. That way, you have room to negotiate.

• Highlight the brand, the price, and any pertinent specifics in the ad title. For example: “Ethan Allen Walnut Dining Table, $600.” In the body, list the dimensions, shape, age, and other important features.

• Take your own photos. Buyers want to see the piece you’re selling, not a manufacturer’s photo.

• Deal in cash only, so you’re not burned by bad personal checks or fake cashier’s checks.

Household Goods and Electronics

The best marketplace: A garage sale is where you can unload everything from pots and pans to old TVs and computers, says Chris Heiska, founder of Yardsalequeen.com, a site that offers tips to buyers and sellers. Why? As a general rule, people buy on impulse at these sales, snapping up what catches their eye. 

And as a result of the lagging economy, they’re looking for deals on practical, frequently used items, so inexpensive appliances, like a hand mixer, and older electronics (five years or older; newer models can be sold on Craigslist) should go quickly.

Selling Points

• Recruit your neighbors to offer up their stuff at the same time you do. A cluster of sales is more likely to attract foot traffic, says Heiska.

• Group smaller objects (silverware, cups) in lots, so people feel that they’re getting a deal.

• Keep an extension cord handy to show that your electronics and small appliances still work.

• Antiques

• Fine furniture, jewelry, rugs, crystal, and artwork are best sold at auction. First have your item appraised (go to appraiserassoc.org to find an appraiser in your area). Auction fees can be steep, typically ranging from 10 to 30 percent. 

But the more your item sells for, the lower the percentage of commission you’ll pay, says Chris Longly, a spokesperson for the National Auctioneers Association.

• Decorative Items

• Ebay is a good bet, but if the objects are too heavy to ship, opt for Craigslist.

• Patio Furniture and Garden Equipment

• Like decor items, outdoor furniture and tools are often too large or too heavy to ship, so post them on Craigslist or in your local classifieds.

Books, CDs, DVDs, Games

The best marketplace: Amazon.com, which boasts tens of millions of shoppers seeking new and used items daily. “Media inventory turns over faster here than anywhere else,” says Michael Miller, author of Selling Online 2.0 ($15, amazon.com). 

What sells best? “Textbooks and recently published books,” says Priscilla Welbourn of Mendham, New Jersey, who has sold more than 6,000 (!) books on Amazon since 2005. Titles that have just been made into films, such as Nicholas Sparks’s The Last Song, sell briskly, Welbourn adds. Like eBay, Amazon charges a fee and manages the transaction for you.

Selling Points

• Price your book at a penny less than the lowest-priced copy, then check your listing daily to ensure you’re still offering the best value.

• Be honest about condition. If a DVD is scratched and you say it’s “like new,” your seller rating (a report card from buyers who have purchased your items) will go down.

• At the post office, send items via “media mail,” which is about half the cost of first-class service.

Baby Furniture and Gear

List gently used items on Craigslist or in local classifieds. Check with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for rules on what you can sell and to make sure your item has not been recalled.

Children’s Toys

As long as they’re in very good condition, playthings are popular items on Amazon. No luck selling? Hold a swap meet with friends and family and trade them for other items.

Collectibles

Old baseball cards, Hummel figurines, and the like will find takers on eBay. If you think your items are worth more than similar items are fetching there, consider offering them to a specialized auction, where buyers may have a more discerning eye. (Go to auctioneers.org to find a specialized auctioneer in your area.)

http://www.realsimple.com/

How to Set a Greener Dinner Table

From Re-nest

There's more to a sustainable dinner than the local or home-grown food (or wine!) on the plate. You can make small, simple adjustments when it comes to the setting and decor that make the overall meal a more conscious, thoughtful experience. Start with grandma's china, for example.

First off, there are tons of products you can buy if you're in the market for new tableware. Recycled wine glasses, organic cotton napkins, and sustainable cork trivets are everywhere. Go wild. But these tips are more about tiny things you can do without accumulating more stuff.

• Use cloth napkins. This goes without saying, and we're guessing most of you use cloth instead of paper napkins. They're not just greener; they look nicer. If you don't have any and don't want to buy new ones, use your kitchen towels! Yours don't have to match. And when you're having an extra messy, sloppy meal, a big kitchen towel is a welcome accessory.

• Use a potted plant instead of flowers. We know, we know. Flowers are awesome. We have them in our house all the time, and there are plenty of sustainable, fair trade options available. But, again, if you don't have those options, or don't want to buy anything, use a pretty potted plant from somewhere else in your house. Other ideas: small pots of herbs (that might be hanging out on your windowsill) or the dessert you'll be serving later, just set up on a cake plate as a centerpiece.

• Use oven-to-table dishes. This is a very small thing, but you'll wash fewer dishes if you serve the main course straight from the dutch oven or casserole you cooked it in. We like the look of a big pot on the table; there's no need to transfer food to a platter or serving bowl.

• Watch unnecessary silverware. We can't count how many times we've cleaned up after a dinner party and thought, "Wait. Did people use the knives? They look clean. Are they?" And then we wash them anyway. Don't feel the need to have a full place setting of silverware out. If you're serving fork-tender meat, skip the knife.

• And unnecessary glasses. We do love our pilsner glasses, but they take up a ton of room in the dishwasher. The greener option would be to embrace the beer bottles and tag them with rubber bands so guests can identify theirs. And you can't have friends swigging directly out of wine bottles, but unless you're having a tasting, you can use the same glass for different reds.

• Borrow some china. This goes for any sort of fancy plate or specialty platter you might need. Surely someone you know has it, whether it's a pitcher for margaritas or a deviled egg platter. Go scavenge through your grandmother's china cabinet. Or, if you do want something pretty and unique, buy vintage, pre-owned china at a flea market.

• Make cookies. Yes, we said this had to do with the tableware, not the food. But if you serve cake, pie, or ice cream, you're washing an entire second set of plates and utensils. Anything you can pick up and eat requires less energy.

These are small measures, and they're just a start. What other green tactics do you take when setting the table for a party?

By the way, the photo above encapsulates the kind of borrowed, thrifted, cobbled-together table setting is from Country Living.

How To Freshen Up Candles

Here's a super clever way to get the most out of your great smelling candles that still have wax yet won't really burn any more 'cuz it's on the side of the container not in the center near the wick. You with me? We've all had this happen, usually to our most expensive candles. Now, there's a solution.

When I saw this on Casa Sugar, it was a hit-my-head-say-'D'oy!' moment. Seriously, why didn't I think of this? Why didn't you think of this and tell me about it!

How-To: Freshen Up Candles from Casa Sugar

Candles warm up your space, but all too often good candles are tossed out in the cold way before they're officially done. Throwing them out is not only a shame, but it's also a waste of money! Instead of trashing your burned-down bougies, freshen them up using this simple trick.

Step One

Start by gathering your materials. For this project you need: 

• an old candle in a glass container
• a birthday candle
• an empty votive
• a knife or scissors
• a pot
• some water

Step Two

Bring a pot of water to boil. You'll need enough water so that the wax part of the candle is below the water, but not so much that the water overflows into the top of the glass.

Step Three

Carefully place your old candle into the hot water. Use tongs so that you don't burn yourself.

Step Four

Keep an eye on the candle as it starts to melt. It's a fairly slow process — this candle took about 10 minutes to completely melt. You want almost the entire thing to be liquid. It's easier to fish out if you don't melt it all the way to the wick.

Step Five

Once the wax is completely melted, slowly pour it into your empty votive and discard the old wick.

Step Six

As you wait for the wax to harden, size the birthday candle so that it doesn't stick out too much from the top of the candle. Don't overdo it though; it's OK for the candle to be a little too tall.

Step Seven

As soon as the wax has hardened slightly and the top of the wax has formed a little film, gently insert the birthday candle into the center of the votive. If it won't stand up straight, hold it in place for a minute or two while the wax hardens a little more. 

Don't worry if the top of the birthday candle sticks out a bit, it will burn down quickly and you'll never even know it was there.

Step Eight

Burn, baby, burn — and enjoy giving your old candles new light!

One Minute Shift

I love this One Minute Shift video that features Dr. Bruce Lipton discussing the effects of our personal surroundings on our health.

Bruce H Lipton, PhD is an internationally recognized authority in bridging science and spirit. He has been a guest speaker on dozens of TV and radio shows, as well as keynote presenter for national conferences.

His most recent book, Spontaneous Evolution, is available now.

Earth- Feng Shui's Grounding Element

This week was the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. To celebrate the Feng Shui way, reinforce the Earth Element in your home.

The area where the Earth Element resides in everyone's home (or workspace) is pretty easy to find...it's in the center of your home!

To find out more, visit these links to the Bagua Energy Map and the Five Elements page on my website, www.space-lift.com.

EARTH- Feng Shui's Grounding Element

The whole idea of Feng Shui is create a home that allows you to be grounded in the center with all the aspects of your life surrounding and supporting you. That's why the Earth Element is represented by items that come out of the ground (crystals, gems, granite, marble, clay, terra cotta, ceramic, etc). 

In addition to grounding forces, the Earth Element supports self-esteem and areas of health that you've accumulated on your own, as opposed to the hereditary issues that are addressed in the Family Area with Wood Energy.

Adding the Earth Element to your home

To create Earth Energy support in your home, select an item that represents Earth. 

Choices include items made with:

*Earthy materials (again- crystals, gems, granite, marble, clay, terra cotta, ceramic, etc)

*Earthy colors (yellows, oranges, browns)

*Square shapes- that's right, in Feng Shui, the Earth shape is square. I suppose it's because Feng Shui's origins are pre-Christopher Columbus!

Place your Earth item in the center of your home.  

Intentions

Always place your Feng Shui 'cure' items with the intention of your desired outcome. In this case, it's to ground yourself and to attract a sense of balance.

How many Earth items do you need?

You don't have to over do it. One item placed with strong intentions will hold the energy better than a lot of items placed with needy intentions. Be assertive, add gratitude, and then leave it alone to do it's thing. 

I also advise that you keep your intentions to yourself. This holds the energy better.

Have you signed up for my Free Feng Shui Tips? A reader applied last week's tip for creating wealth energy and she won the lottery! Sign up on this link. 

Creating Balance with Yin Yang

How can we appreciate the light if we've never experienced darkness?

A lot of people say they want balance in their lives, but what does that really look like? One way to add balance is to use the principles of Yin Yang when decorating your home. 

Yin yang theory teaches that we are dependent opposites that must be in balance. We are in continual change, mutable in a constant state of flux.  At times mostly light, at others mostly dark but always with a little of both. 

Notice in the symbol, there is part of yin in yang and part of yang in yin.

The next time you're in a room that looks great, notice the yin/yang balance. Chances are there's a balance of feminine (yin) and masculine (yang) items, both light (yang) and dark (yin) materials are represented, and some items are hard (yang) and some are soft (yin).

If you're feeling stuck in your home decor, look to see if your home has…

• too many feminine accessories, balance with masculine touches like leather
• too much hard modern-edged furniture, add soft curtains or throws
• too much floral patterned fabrics, add solids or linear patterns
• too many cushy, soft upholstered pieces, add wood or metal furniture 
• too much dark wood accents, add lighter paint colors
• too much cold tiled floors, add warm rugs
• too many knickknacks & collections, add free space for the eye to rest

For more information, visit my website www.space-lift.com on the Yin Yang page. 

Happy Earth Day

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. -Native American Proverb

It may be hard to imagine that before 1970, a factory could spew black clouds of toxic into the air or dump tons of toxic waste into a nearby stream, and that was perfectly legal. They could not be taken to court to stop it.

How was that possible? Because there was no EPA, no Clean Air Act, no Clean Water Act. There were no legal or regulatory mechanisms to protect our environment.

In Spring 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a way to “force this issue onto the national agenda.” 20 million Americans demonstrated in different U.S. cities, and it worked!

Today, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Back in 1970, green was a color. Today, it's a way of life. 

Let's raise our refillable stainless steel water bottles in a toast to Mother Earth: 

We honor you today and every day. Thank you!

source: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/history.htm

Food, Inc. on PBS tonight

"The way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000...” — Michael Pollan, author of “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto"

PBS is airing the documentary Food, Inc. tonight. Set your DVR, because this is a must see film for everyone who cares about their health.

Synopsis

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA.

Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli — the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually.

We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation"), Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma") along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield Farms' Gary Hirschberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising — and often shocking truths — about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Food, Inc. will be accompanied by Notes on Milk, a short variation of the 2007 feature documentary Milk in the Land: Ballad of an American Drink. Ariana Gerstein and Monteith McCollum, whose Hybrid aired on POV in 2002, take a quirky and poetic look at some lesser-known aspects of America’s favorite drink: the industry’s spiritual underpinnings, politics and the struggle of independent farmers.

In most areas it airs at 9pm, but click this link to check your local listing for times.

http://www.pbs.org/pov/tvschedule/

Behind The Burly Q

It's a big week around these parts. No, not just Earth Day on the 22nd. It's also the week my friend and collaborator, Sheri Hellard, has a film opening that she produced with her partner, Leslie Zemeckis. It's a documentary called Behind The Burly Q. The premiere last night in New York received rave reviews. Hurrah! 


If you're in New York, it opens April 23 at the Quad Cinema. Here in Los Angeles, it opens May 7 at Laemmle Sunset 5. I can't wait!


Check out the trailer...



http://www.behindtheburlyq.com/