Can rearranging your furniture really help you to find and keep "The One?" Can storing your underwear in the Tupperware drawer really heat up your love life?
Well, the jury's still out on that one - But hey, it
can't hurt, right? According to Feng Shui (say FUNG SCHWAY) experts, little changes can make a big difference where romance is concerned.
An ancient Chinese practice, "Feng Shui is purposefully arranging your stuff around you to gain positive results," says Karen Rauch Carter, author of "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life."
So, what can you do to get your love life on track fast?
Add a little Feng Shui to the "relationship area" of your home. As you enter through your front door, the relationship section is located at the farthest right hand corner at the back side of your home.
According to Feng Shui practitioners, specific items in your
relationship corner can spice things up considerably - whether you're already in a relationship, or a single looking for love.
Add these items to perk up your love life:
1) Anything red and pink -- Sure, it makes for a decorating
challenge, but these colors represent love. You can't go too crazy with red and pink here.
2) Candles -- They create heat, they're romantic, what more could you want? For extra vaa-vaa-voom, try two pink or red candles sitting side by side. (One for each of you.)
3) Round mirrors -- This has to do with a more complicated idea of reflecting energy, but all mirrors are good here, and round mirrors are best.
4) Whatever symbols signify love to you -- Anything goes,
and it goes here. Flowers, cupids, romantic photos of the two of you together, hearts, bride and groom cake toppers, candy hearts, chocolate or a Barbie Doll in full bridal paraphernalia. If it means romance to you, put it here.
As you might expect, there are also a number of things that can put a Feng Shui damper on your love life as well.
Try to avoid putting these items in your relationship corner:
1) Negative images -- This is not the place to store that shoebox with old photos of your exes, or any other negative images from bad weather to bad times.
2) Anything that encourages distance -- Put the cactus and your ceramic porcupine collection somewhere else. They're not helping.
3) Anything with a chill factor -- If it's cold, it's bad news.
Move the refrigerator and the poster of the polar bear unless you want your relationship to cool too.
4) Singles only -- Avoid photos of yourself alone here, your
one-slice toaster and that picture of you as the lone, uncoupled bridesmaid at your cousin Bertha's wedding. Single-girl (or single boy) reminders have got to go.
5) Games -- If you want to avoid games in your relationship, you've got to avoid them here.
6) Distractions - Something coming between you and your
one-and-only? Maybe it's the big screen TV or your decoupage supplies. Put 'em somewhere else.
Try these simple techniques to add a little (or a lot) of
toe-curling romance to your life. You'll never know how good it can be unless you're willing to give it a shot.
