Q&A Sunday: Storing Legal Paperwork for Children

Hi, I was wondering where to store child court order paperwork. I currently have full sole legal and physically custody, and the father is still trying to change that. It would be dangerous for him to have any custody over her. Please help me keep this current order in place. 

Anonymous

Hello,

Thank you for your thoughtful question. I’m sorry to hear you have a difficult custody situation with your child. I do not know your specific situation and without more information cannot offer more advice in regards to helping you keep the order in place as you desire. 

However, similar to the question of how to store divorce paperwork, my first thought would be that you locate any legal paperwork in regards to the finalized court decision for your child in the Completion area of the feng shui bagua map of your home to encourage the situation to remain resolved in the best interest of the child. The Completion area is also the Children area of the feng shui bagua map, so this may keep your child’s best interests at the forefront. You must do this with the interests of the child’s safety and future first in mind. 

Please let us know if you want to share any more info! It’s a very delicate subject, and it would be prudent to wait for more information. 

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

6 Trees to Plant Indoors for Earth Day

Earth Day is Saturday, and as always, we're excited to celebrate the greatness that is our planet and express gratitude to the universe and Mother Earth for supporting us. One of the most popular ways to honor the Earth and help counter environmental damage is to plant trees. If you own your property or have a yard, planting a tree is easy. Just be sure to care for it after planting! If you're in a New York City apartment, planting a tree yourself may be a bit more difficult. In honor of Earth Day, you can donate to Trees for the Earth or the Canopy Project, or you can choose an indoor tree for your holistic space! We've got a few suggestions. 

Fiddle Leaf Fig

The Fiddle Leaf Fig is enjoying plenty of time in the spotlight right now and for good reason. They're easy to care for, bright and look fantastic in practically any space. The Fiddle Leaf Fig enjoys bright light, isn't so fond of drafts and needs water when its soil feels dry. It's also a good idea to keep an eye out for whiteflies or aphids! Our friends at The Sill have beautiful figs for delivery in NYC. 

Fishtail Palm

If you're craving a tropical touch, the Fishtail Palm is the perfect addition to your holistic space! These trees grow best in bright, indoor light and warmer temperatures (like the temp inside your home), which makes them ideal houseplants. Just be sure to keep a spray bottle nearby for misting, because these tropical trees need lots of humidity!

Madagascar Dragon Tree

The Madagascar Dragon tree gets extra points for being a well-known air-purifying plant. So not only does it brighten your space, it helps remove some of the harmful chemicals we bring into our homes. Like the Fishtail Palm, the Madagascar Dragon tree thrives in average home temperatures and enjoys bright, filtered light. You'll want to keep the soil slightly moist and keep pets away, since the Madagascar Dragon Tree is poisonous! 

Money Tree

This indoor plant gets extra points too, since it is associated with wealth and prosperity in feng shui! Take a look at your bagua and find your Abundance gua, then add your Money Tree to let the universe know you'd appreciate some prosperity! Keep your tree watered regularly, give it bright light and avoid placing it in the bathroom (as water can drain the wealth), the Relationships gua or the Knowledge gua. 

Norfolk Pine

The Norfolk Pine tree is another popular indoor tree with the flexibility to add nature and the Wood element to any room. Like most indoor plants, the Norfolk Pine just wants medium to bright light and water, enough to keep it moist but not soggy. Easy enough!

Rubber Tree

Add some glossy dark green to your space with a rubber tree. These trees grow quickly, especially with bright, filtered light, regular water and well-drained soil, so it may be necessary to repot your Rubber Tree on a yearly basis until it's the perfect size for your holistic space. It's also a good idea to slip your Rubber Tree some weak liquid fertilizer during growing season. 

There are so many more than six trees that make amazing additions to our indoor spaces, and adding a tree anywhere is a great way to thank Mother Earth for keeping us alive all these years! Not to mention, many trees, like other indoor plants, are excellent absorbers of excess carbon dioxide and harmful chemicals that start in our homes and often make their way outside. If you're looking for easy-to-love trees and all-star air purifiers, also check out the Parlor Palm, Ponytail Palm and the Dracaena anita. Then send us pics of your new Earth Day trees!

by Anjie Cho

Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui Adjustments for Unused Doors

Thank you so much for answering my question! It is uncanny what you say about all the doors. We moved into this house 2.5 years ago with 9 people. We are down to 6 now, and we are indeed, all very loud and opinionated. There are often power struggles among the family members. The room in which I spend the most time (the kitchen) has doors to outside, a back hall, a pantry, a staircase, the basement, a bedroom, and the dining room. Is opening the door to let in light and solar heat sufficient, or should I open the storm door, too, and walk through it?

Judy S., Alstead, NH

Hi Judy,

It’s so nice to hear from you again. And…wow, that’s a lot of doors in your kitchen! 

In our previous post where we answered your question, we advised that even if you don't use your front door as the regular entrance, you should lay your bagua from there, and that it's also important to open that door on a regular basis. 

Your follow-up question regarding the door is “Is it enough to just open the door, or do you need to walk through it?” The answer is that it’s most beneficial if you walk through it. By walking through the door you activate it. A door is a portal for energy. In BTB feng shui we call your front door the “mouth of qi”. So, I would say, if possible, walk through the door. A little effort goes a long way!

And with regard to all the doors in your kitchen - as I said before there may be a lot of voices and opinions in the home, possibly conflicting. It would be helpful to place a feng shui faceted crystal ball in the center of the kitchen to provide clarity to those voices. We have them available at our shop here.

Perhaps it would be helpful to share your intentions with these adjustments with your family members so that everyone understands the significance of the doors and crystal and is on the same page. In either case, remember to walk through each door every nine days or so (not just once) and cut the cord for your feng shui crystal at a multiple of nine. These details will enhance your adjustments even more!

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!