If you are lucky, you will have guests coming and going over the next six weeks blessing your home with love and laughter, great conversation, fabulous food and gifts. Feng Shui principles can help you prepare for them and keep your home running smoothly. With Feng Shui, we’re always looking to make our spaces safe, comfortable and harmonious. We know that all things are alive with energy, connected and changing and that small adjustments can often reap exactly the change we’re hoping for. Let’s apply our principles to the influx of holiday guests!
1. Look at your guest room through Feng Shui eyes and ask yourself these questions: Is the bed placed in a correct position — across or away from the door, not next to it — for maximum relaxation? Is there one bedside table for a twin bed set-up and two for a double or queen bed? Is there enough light for reading as well as a night light for finding the way to the hall bath? Are there places to store suitcases and/or some empty bureau drawers and closet space for their clothing? Are all things up off the floor and in their proper place? Tissues, bottles of water, ibuprofen, and even some packaged snacks will all be welcome in the space. Fresh sheets and towels are a must. Clap in the corners before they arrive to “wake up” the room for them. 
2. If your guest room also houses an office there are some ways to minimize the conflict of room use. Set up house rules for using the space, for example, if the office-space user must work during the day, have a set time for all work to be put away out of sight prior the guests using the room. A folding screen is a great way to separate the spaces and their uses. Make sure faxes and phone ringers are turned off so as not to wake guests during the night. Be sure to cover all electronics that may be “always on”, like computer printers, or simply unplug them. Putting the office to “sleep” at the end of the day will help to quiet the energy for the guest.
3. What if the guests are taking over one of your children’s rooms? Now your job is to ready the room for your guests and to identify a space for your child’s “room” for the duration of the stay. Have your child welcome the guest to “their” room and show them around – where the light switch is, which drawers they can use, etc. It’s very important to keep the floor clear of all toys and clothing. Energy gets stuck in anything on the floor and will make it difficult to rest in the room. Change out the Superman sheets for something plain and calming. Have fun arranging a space for your child to stay in, whether it’s under the stairs, like Harry Potter, or with a sibling.
4. Now that you’re making physical space for your guests to sleep and rest, make space in the coat closet for their outerwear and for their special food needs in your pantry. When you arrange the environment for your guests you invite welcoming energy into your home.
5. Use your fine china and crystal. Get out the vases, platters and cookie jars that your guests may have even given you in the past! Having guests is a special occasion – celebrate them with your fine dishware.
6. When this set of guests leaves, after washing the sheets and towels, you may wish to place a round, glass bowl of sea salt in the room to cleanse the air and refresh the energy for your next set of guests. The salt will absorb and purify the energy of the room. Leave the salt in the room for 24 hours, then rinse the bowl and pour the salt water down the drain. Open the windows for a few hours, too. The room should be fresh and ready for your next guests.
Prepare for your guests this holiday season. They’ll notice the difference and so will you!
