8 Cheap Ways To Feng Shui Your Home

The Ancient practice of Feng Shui highlights the harmony between he individuals and their surroundings. It can help you create a happy home, a productive working space, and a beautiful garden. The usage of energy forces is within your hands!

Start improving your life while you are in quarantine by practicing these Feng Shui tips.

#1: TIDY UP

De-cluttering must be on top of your list as Feng Shui relies on free-flowing energy (chi). Let the chi flow smoothly without disruptions by clearing out the entryway of your home. Clean the dirt behind your front door so that you can open it all the way. Tidy up your space by getting rid of your dead plants, old newspapers, expired cosmetics, broken toys, and so on.

#2: FIX IT

Feng Shui focuses on well-functioning things around your house. Ensure that you fix the broken things inside your house to encourage good energy. Start checking your doors, windows, lights, floors, and furniture. Repair and revamp anything that needs to be tweaked.

Let us focus on your door. Tighten your doorknobs and fix your squeaks. Does your entry door squeak whenever you open or close it? It is helpful to put some oil into the door hinges to prevent this sound and to create more positive energy. Moreover, it reduces your frustrations upon coming in.

#3: COVER IT

Cover the television inside your bedroom to create a tranquil environment for sleeping. If you have trouble sleeping, it is a good idea to cover your television with a beautiful scarf or a patterned fabric. The active energy of your television may be disruptive to your sleep. Create a calming energy by reducing the electronic stimulation.

#4: SPICE UP

To spice up your love life, you may consider adding plants to your love nest. Create hope and cheer to your bedroom by addin three indoor plants. Moreover, you must position your beed in such a way that you can see whoever approaches your bedroom door. A bed in a “commanding position” attracts strength, love, safety, and calmness.

#5: ADD PLANTS

Indoor plants are known to bring positive health effects to people, while colorful flowers brighten up rooms. These home elements are believed to improve a home’s chi. One of the lucky charms that you may incorporate to your home is a bamboo. Beyond its Feng Shui effect, it adds character to your interiors. Bamboo is a stylish plant that works well at promoting peace and tranquility.

#6: ARRANGE IT

Arranging your pieces of furniture in a circular formation encourages the smooth flow of energy. You can attract positive energy in your bedroom by strategically placing your bed so that it stands diagonally from your bedroom door. Avoid letting your bed face away from the toilet.

#7: COUNTER IT

Flowing water is believed to drain the luck from your home according to Feng Shui. To counter this, you must introduce earth elements. Add accessories in warm tones such as yellow and gold accents. You may also put a fresh coat of paint in your walls or add yellow towels or gold rugs to lessen the elemental imbalance.

#8: BURN IT

Dollar stores have a wealth of incense in their counters. Cleanse your home by burning incense. Ideal types of incense for this purpose are sandalwood and rosemary. Not only will the smoke clear your space of the negativity, but your home will also smell heavenly. You will love how the incense will create a cozy ambiance, while inviting positive energy in!

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Sources: 1 & 2

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Budget-Friendly Places To Purchase Cleaning Supplies Against nCoV

Are you trying your luck in expanding your cleaning supplies? These days, “OUT OF STOCK” is plastered all over the physical and online stores when cleaning supplies are concerned. The zero traces of stocks correlate to the nCoV panic brewed in the shoppers all over Singapore.

The novel CoronaVirus (nCov) is a severe acute respiratory disease that can affect both animals and humans. It was first discovered in China last December 2019. With hundreds of deaths worldwide, The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Singaporeans must strengthen their immune system and ensure that their homes are clean to combat nCoV. On that note, here are some cleaning supplies that you may purchase as well as the places where you can find them.

#1: VACUUM CLEANER

A good vacuum cleaner can effortlessly keep the floors and carpets debris-free. Prevent dusts, food crumbs, human hair strands, and pet furs from accumulating by using the vacuum cleaner once a week. Increase the frequency if you have young children or several pets inside the house. Courts Singapore carry multiple brands and types of vacuum cleaners including the cordless handheld vacuum by Karcher, which retails for only S$398.00.

#2: BATHROOM CLEANER

Toilet and faucet handles are premium breeding grounds for virus and bacteria. I, for one, can attest that it is hard to keep the bathroom clean. However, keeping it clean can help you reduce the spread of germs. FairPrice has several toilet cleaners in stock including their own brand for S$3.70 and the Mr. Muscle value pack for S$6.15.

#3: DUSTING GLOVES

Keeping your nest as dust-free as possible will help you control dirt and other allergens. Moreover, it will freshen up the appearance of your living space. Control dust in a fun way by using microfiber gloves such as the eight-dollar Leifheit dusting gloves from Lazada Singapore.

Run your microfiber dusting gloves all over your house! The microfiber gathers up the mess without scratching the surface or scattering dust into the air. Once you are done, you can simply toss your gloves into the washing machine and use it again in your next cleaning session.

#4: ANTI-BACTERIAL MULTI-PURPOSE CLEANER

Anti-bacterial multi-purpose cleaners are believed to leave your premises free from germs and to prevent the spread of viruses. It can be used on different surfaces such as ceramic, enamel, and stainless steel. You can purchase this at Horme Hardware for as low as S$6.

Horme Hardware is a virtual hardware that houses more than fifty thousand products in its inventory. No matter how specific your cleaning item is, you will find most of what you need in here. You may also head down to one of its trade centers at Ubi, Changi, and Jurong East.

#5: ANTI-BACTERIAL HANDSOAP

Never touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unclean hands as germs spread this way. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 30 seconds or the entire “Happy Birthday” song.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

I found two places where you can stock up on your anti-bacterial handsoap. I am referring to Amazon Singapore and Lazada Singapore. The former has Dial Complete Anti-bacterial Foaming Hand Wash for S$35.58 (i.e., pack of 4). While, the latter has Dettol Profresh Strawberry Anti-bacterial Handwash for S$25. Both are marketed to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria.

Stay safe and protected! 🙂

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4 Pro Tips for Designing Your New Home

This is it! You’re about to take the plunge and build your first home from the ground up. But before you break ground, you’ll need to spend some time working on your design. Whether you are a new home buyer or a seasoned veteran, here are 4 tips for designing your new home!

  1. Assemble Your Team First

Before you begin the process, you need to make certain to assemble your design team. This can include your interior designer, contractor, architect, etc. If you are unsure how to find this team, ask around for personal recommendations within your circle. Always make certain to ask homeowners that experienced a project on a scale similar to your own!

If you’ve already found a contractor, make certain to check their input as well: in most scenarios, they already have a trusted professional circle of artisans and tradespeople.

  1. Get Everything in Writing

This may seem obvious, but you need to make sure that each and every specialist is working off a contract. Building houses is a complicated and messy business. You need to arm yourself for any future calamities.

It doesn’t matter if you know the builder, or if they have a trustworthy aura; this is a business relationship. As an employer, you need to protect your employee and yourself from possible delays and mistakes.

Most professional contractors will provide a legal contract. Make certain to have your lawyer thoroughly examine this before you sign it. If your contractor does not provide said document, it is up to you to draw up the paperwork. Make certain that the contract includes specific deliverable dates and costs, and create a contingency plan in case things go wrong.

  1. Design for Details

During the design process, you need to take into account the minute details of the house. It’s easy to be blinded by the grand scale of your project and forget about the smaller things. It’s understandable: designing Dutch thatched roofs will always seem more interesting than your basement insulation materials.

However, these unseen details are important to remember. Although the world will see the grand facade of the house, you will see its smallest details on a daily basis. You will experience and live this detail for decades. This is why it’s crucial to think on a smaller scale.

This scale includes deciding where electrical outlets need to be, ensuring each room has access to ample lighting, and making sure the kitchen is close enough to the water heater. Check with your contractor to ensure everything in the design is up to code. They have undergone multiple types of exams and countless building projects: this allows them to find flaws that are nearly invisible to the untrained eye.

This may seem tedious, but it’s worth it. If you put the leg work in now, you can save yourself a whole lot of grief in the future.

  1. Consider the Future

If you are going to design a house, make certain that you are creating it for every possible version of yourself. This means that you must design for your present self and for your future as well!

Remember, a house is a semi-permanent fixture of your life. The average mortgage loan term is thirty years. As such, you should design your home as something that will be inhabited for that period of time. For example, a spiral staircase may be easily maneuvered now. However, thirty years in the future, it may pose a mobility problem.

Take into account any possible lifestyle changes. Do you have children? If not, do you see them in the future? Are there elderly family members who will be moving in with you? All of these scenarios should be considered and accommodated. By factoring the future into your design, you can create the perfect home that suits you at every stage of your life.

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Home Renovation Hacks That Will Save You Money

As I enter the complex process of spearheading a school’s renovation, I am embroiled in a tedious task of finding the most cost-efficient options. I have been saving those picturesque renovations and design ides on my Pinterest mood board. However, a renovation design only works when you add the element of realistic budget.

When it comes to build-to-order HDB, the average spending on renovations is between S$30,000 to S$50,000. A resale flat can cost you around 50% more! Imagine that. The huge amount of money highlights the importance of preparation. You need to prepare for the upcoming costs! Moreover, you must find ways to save some money.

LESS IS MORE

When it comes to home renovation or alteration, many people turn to Pinterest for inspiration. A home with a minimalist interior is likely to be more affordable to renovate than a home with an opulent interior. Your renovation’s theme can dictate its costs and your savings. Having said that, you must go back to basics. You do not need to compromise style to save money! After all, simplicity is beauty.

WALLETS ARE TIGHTENED

Upon the completion of your desired theme, do your research on the items that you need to purchase. List down the prices of each essential purchase. As much as possible, compare the prices from online and physical retailers. Stick to this planned budget!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

There may be unforeseen circumstances whereby you need to address costs that exceed your planned budget. To tackle this issue, you must give yourself an allowance of about 20%. Who knows? You might end up with an unfinished kitchen.

RECYCLING AND REVAMPING

There are two types of home or flat owners, second-hand or first-hand owners. It is very tempting to customize every inch of your new flat. However, you must keep in mind that you will not be able to bring these customization to the next home that you will purchase. The same idea can be applied to second-hand owners.

For people moving in to a “new” home, consider the things that can be kept. Revamp furniture or structural elements that are still in relatively good condition.

PLANNING PURCHASES AHEAD

Much like the two types of owners, there are two types of purchases. There are often urgent items or an items that can wait. Nonetheless, you must look out for warehouse sales to enjoy bargain prices. Go to various fairs such as Home Planner Furniture and Renovation Fair, which attracts a range of merchants selling products you might need. Compare prices online and often you can find the best deals out there including tables, chairs and smart mirrors.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

You may also consider scheduling your purchases during special holidays such as the Great Singapore Sale, National Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Yuletide Season. These are the periods wherein retailers exhaust their efforts to provide attractive discounts. Planning ahead can save you a lot of money!

Sources:1 &2

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Furniture Shopping For Your Dream Home Starts Now!

In the process of building your new home but find your furniture shopping expenditure piling up? Help is on the way!

Tmall Signature Store (by Taobao, if you haven’t heard, is an official store that is run by Tmall selling all kinds of home furniture. Items sold in the store are specially picked for overseas users and must have met a certain standard in terms of quality and popularity amongst their overseas shoppers.

They are now running a series of promotion such as 1.1RMB Daily Flash Deals, giveaway of 150RMB off vouchers to help make your furniture shopping less stressful than it already is!

Be the first to preview and cart out between 20 – 22 September, and enjoy FREE SHIPPING to Singapore on your shopping!

1.1RMB DAILY FLASH DEALS

Beginning on 17 September through to 22 September for a specific time of the day, snatch deals for as low as 1.1RMB. The magic hours are 10am & 6pm, so don’t forget to check back every day!

150RMB OFF VOUCHERS

In that same period, log in to your app daily to redeem vouchers worth up to 150RMB. These vouchers are shopping credits that can help you offset your purchased items once the value reaches a certain amount for a particular category of products.

FREE SHIPPING TO SG

Build your dream Taobao Home and save on shipping for selected bulky items! Only from 20 – 22 September, get free shipping to Singapore.

UP TO 800RMB OFF CATEGORY VOUCHERS

When you exceed a certain amount shopping on all participating merchants on the Taobao app for a particular category of products, these shopping discounts can increase exponentially to up to 800RMB!

A LITTLE EXTRA FOR NEW USERS

Attention all new users of Taobao! Enjoy 20RMB OFF your first purchase when you shop on their website.

If you haven’t tried shopping for furniture online, this gives you a perfect opportunity to decorate your new house!

Browse their online store now and who knows, one little piece of adornment for your house can lead to a whole makeover for your dream home!

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