Here is the information that interested ABC-TV and the tips that we sent to them – I hope that you enjoy these as well!

Tips To Use To Increase Your Wellbeing In A Down Economy That Don’t Cost You Money AND Help You Lose Weight:
A No-Nonsense Approach to Relationship and Health Issues

 Introduction: Work/life balance is more crucial now than ever, given how the unexpected changes on Wall Street have affected the small business on Main Street, and trickled down into our homes and in particular our bedrooms. Our mission is to help women see dramatic changes in their lives, including better health (weight loss), increased happiness (more vibrant sex life & increased energy and drive) and improved financial security (additional money flowing into their businesses, if they are entrepreneurs). Statistics show a direct correlation between the stresses of work and the detrimental effect it has on a couple’s relationship and intimacy level; we’re teaming up to provide a no-nonsense approach to solving America’s relationship and health issues. Sandy and Sheila have a seminar coming up and the VFTB audience can go to www.empower180.com to receive information. Registered VFTB viewers will receive a 2 for one bonus on Sandy and Sheila’s books at the seminar.

1)     Women and Men are Different! (Your Life Will Be Easier The Sooner You Embrace This). 

1. Talk Your Belly Off… Women need to talk, talk, talk to get their oxytocin up, which raises levels of serotonin and decreases levels of cortisol, which is the “belly fat storing” chemical. So, decrease your stress and improve your relationship by simply putting 6 grrlfriends on your speed dial. Talking has been medically proven to be chemically necessary to women.  It will decrease your stress, and increase your receptivity to your husband and availability to your kids.
2. …Just Not To Your Husband! Men need to have a short To Do list and a goal to achieve. Men have on average 3x the serotonin of women – so if you are trying to “get your serotonin up” by talking things out with your husband instead of a woman, (a) he is going to start falling asleep like you just fed him a bunch of turkey, and (b) you’re going to frustrate the heck out of him as he’s trying to figure out the 3 things you want him to “do” while you’re on number 99 and talking a mile a minute!
3. Breathe Your Way To Wellbeing. There is also a VERY quick breathing exercise that increases a stress-reducing chemical in your body (nitric oxide) – this is one of Dr Oz’s favorites in fact – it’s important to know this breathing exercise (in through the nose on a 6 count, hold, then out on a 6 count) and “how to breathe” (into the belly versus raising the shoulders).
4. Your Husband Will Love To Hear This: More Sex Is Good.  Though we try to avoid thinking about this, we are all mammals, and touching, sensuality, and sex increases things you want to increase (feelings of wellbeing, bone density) and decreases things we want to decrease (depression, blood pressure, etc.) (here is the link to this page in Fempowerment book. If this link does not work, go to Amazon.com, search on book “Fempowerment” then use “Look Inside” feature and search on “osteoporosis” – it will take you to the correct page in the book with the facts list and references.)

2)     Create An EnvironMENTALLY Friendly Zone In Your Physical Space. Organization is key to decreasing stress and having time and space for your relationships – so take the time to clean your physical space. We all have areas of our life that are cluttered. Just as we discuss how to remove your mental clutter (next 2 tips), you need to de-clutter your physical environment.  When you get organized and de-clutter, you feel lighter and rightly so…You have lost weight in your home! This will allow you to lighten your mind and become more creative with your thoughts – and more receptive to your mate.

 3)     End The Endless To Do List. Women are extremely talented at multi-tasking.  Yet, there are only 24-hours in each day.  So, the best phrase you can learn to adopt is…”Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Before you commit to the next task or project, pause and ask yourself if this is something that you can and want to do. If you instead go on a Guilt Trip, you will continue to find yourself on a never ending path of To-Dos. Another great tip is, instead of saying “Yes” – if “No” is too harsh –  get a concession. For example, “I can drop off the kids if you can pick them up tomorrow afternoon.” Exchanging will help you lead a more balanced – and happier – life. 

 4)     Dump your Head-Trash™ Sheila Stewart coined this phrase. It summarizes the little voices that pipe up in our heads at the most inopportune times.  These voices are the ones that sabotage you right when you are ready to step out and take a chance, or make a bold move.  These voices say things like, “Who do you think you are?  You’re too young.  You’re too old.  You don’t have enough money. Your friend failed, how can you succeed.”  And on, and on, and on.  We have over 30,000 negative thoughts every day.  This equates to 85% of our thoughts.  That means only 15% of our thoughts are positive.  The key is to dump the voices every day and reverse the statistic.  When the voices enter your mind, dump them out. 

 5)     Detox Your Relationships and Eliminate “Frenemies.”  Just as you detox your body to remove the excess and sludge that is causing fatigue and low energy, you must detox your relationships. Once we realize that our “Head Trash” often turns into gossip, fear, and stress in our lives, we can recognize and address the fact that our worst enemy is often “inside” of us – drawing toxic people to us. By doing a Frenemy (friends who are really enemies) Audit, we can create an environment that is filled with only clean and positive relationships. This includes friends, family, business colleagues – even clients!  When you evaluate each relationship, determine if it is helping you or hindering you.  If it is hindering you, time to detox! Wean off the toxic people slowly – but surely. The key is to become aware. We are becoming more aware of what we put in our bodies, yet we so often overlook what – and whom! – we surround our bodies with! Our challenge is to ramp it up in 2010 and create a healthy and wealthy mindset and lifestyle.

 6)     Become a Balancepreneur^TM.  There are five areas in any woman’s life, and Sheila coined this word to help women find their life balance. If she is “low” in one area, she can “borrow” from another area. For example, if she is low in money but high in her social relationships, she might find a way to turn a beloved recipe into an entrepreneurial venture! What does “balance” mean – to you?

If you are going to be in the audience – thanks in advance! If you can’t make it, here is the link to the live feed!

I’m on with another gal, and we only have 4 minutes. I hope that it goes well! Now to go shower, get my duds on (and makeup – huh what’s that?) then off and running!

Here’s our writeup and topic – our “Tips” will be posted on the View From The Bay website, and I will link them here later on today or tomorrow. They run to 3 pages – for a 4 minute interview! Oh dear!

Increase Your Wellbeing In A Down Economy with Tips  That Don’t Cost You Money AND Help You Lose Weight:
A No-Nonsense Approach to Relationship and Health Issues

Introduction: Work/life balance is more crucial now than ever, given how the unexpected changes on Wall Street have affected the small business on Main Street, and trickled down into our homes and in particular our bedrooms. Our mission is to help women see dramatic changes in their lives, including better health (weight loss), increased happiness (more vibrant sex life & increased energy and drive) and improved financial security (additional money flowing into their businesses, if they are entrepreneurs). Statistics show a direct correlation between the stresses of work and the detrimental effect it has on a couple’s relationship and intimacy level; we’re teaming up to provide a no-nonsense approach to solving America’s relationship and health issues. Sandy and Sheila have a seminar coming up and the VFTB audience can go to www.empower180.com to receive information. Registered VFTB viewers will receive a 2 for one bonus on Sandy and Sheila’s books at the seminar. 

Tips To Use To

Wish you had a large corporate budget for marketing, yet know you are on a shoe-string budget?
Know that every dollar spent on marketing needs to generate a return?
Not sure what to spend or what to do with your marketing?
Tune in to get affordable ideas that generate results!

If the above doesn’t work for some reason (because I was given it by the radio interviewer) here is the link; I am Episode One:

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=65954&cmd=tc

In the podcast, you will hear me mention a non-profit that takes your undergarments and gets them to women who need them – that company is Bosom Buddy Bra Recycling. Elaine Mitchell is an amazing woman, and I think we should do anything that we can to help her with her mission! I actually wrote about both Bianca and Elaine a while back!

Finally,  here are the Tips that we talked about in the podcast. I worked on it this past weekend; just going through these simple steps can make you feel so much more relaxed about what you have, who you are, and what you can do in $ Tested Times. Don’t forget about having a Clothes Trade Party, too! I’m planning one for October!

Ten Tips to Updating your Style on a Budget

1.  Clear the closet Clutter: only keep what you love, looks fabulous and fits great.  Let go of outdated pieces they bring you and your entire wardrobe down.

2.  Examine, try on and decide on each piece: clean it up, iron, de-lint, and de-snag.   A few pristine pieces are superior to a closet full of threadbare items.

3.  Small Changes, Big Reward:  New buttons, altered fit, and the tweak of a collar or hem can dramatically change a garment.  Refreshing what you already own can be a great alternative to buying new things.

4.  Plan, Plan, Plan!: create a list after your wardrobe inventory, you’ll know exactly what you need and won’t be as tempted to spend frivolously!

5.  Upgrade with quality: upgrade your entire look with a printed skirt, a structured blouse, or a show piece jacket.

6.  Accessorize!:  an animal skin bag, a wide belt or a bright colored pump are the key to polishing your look and creating individual style.

7.  Trust your eye: Invest in superior material and a perfect fit, not name brands.

8.  Experiment with Mix and Match: Play with combining your investment pieces with your budget pieces to create new looks.

9.  Streamline your color pallet: so it is easy to create a number of great looks with only a few good pieces.

10.  Impeccable Grooming: nails, hair, and skin is essential to a polished look and only costs some extra effort!

Finally, here is Bianca’s book – If you click on the photo, it should take you right to her website! To listen to the podcast, click below, and let me know what you think!

Enter the Bosom Buddy Recycling Program (www.brarecycling.org). Johnny and Elaine Birks-Mitchell are the founders of this organization, an ambitious new business that distributes donated bras to women in need.

The idea for the program was sparked when Elaine could not find an organization that would accept used bras. Extensive online research led her to several recycling programs in the United Kingdom, but none stateside.

Eventually, Elaine hopes, donors can expect their bras to reach women across the globe. Elaine has named this anticipated project Project 10,000. The mission of Project 10,000 is to collect 10,000 bras for deserving women. Elaine hopes that this goal will cause communities to arrange local bra drives to get the word out.

“Think of all the women around the world who need bras,” said Birks-Mitchell. “We can never collect enough of them.”

A bra is considered ‘donatable’ if it has working snaps, adequate elasticity, and is generally in good shape. While all sizes are accepted, larger sizes are in higher demand.

Bras can be mailed to The Bosom Buddy Recycling Program, 23844 S. Power Road, Suite 102-433, Queen Creek, AZ, 85242.

What a great idea, eh?

I have such a blast when I do these episodes. Don’t you think Oprah and I would have fun? (BIG SMILE) OK I admit, I should have worn more makeup. I always forget the whole “TV makeup” thing. My bad!

Let me know what you think! Gosh we had fun. Thanks ABC! And if you don’t have my book – the first chapter is FULL of these sort of tips. If you look under the “link” on the ABC-HD LIVE WELL website, you can see a few more tips that there just wasn’t enough time to include (I’m cutting them in below, as well). And GEE, there are a dozen other chapters on living well, finding your passion, sexology, men, attitude, finances… (hey so OK, I love my book. M’wa M’wa let me kiss my own shoulders :-) )

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Household Chores Made Easy

Save yourself time and money by de-cluttering and simplifying your life. Check out these easy household tips for you and your family.

Sandy’s Household tips:

1. Put a laundry marker in the kitchen and master bath to keep track of “aging” items. Use the laundry marker when you put cans, boxes, etc. away – mark on the top when it entered your “domain.” Do this as well for makeup and toiletries. After a certain amount of time – could be 3 months, 6 months& you want to cycle this stuff back out of your life. Keep what’s going into and onto your body fresh!

2. Tea/spices/flour/sugar. No more purchasing bulk! The essential oils (and the gluten in flour, etc.) just “gets old” and ultimately all you’re doing is adding “color” but really no flavor to your food. Ditch the spices/herbs/old tea, buy new, but buy small if you can when you need it. Store in the freezer – and date it.

3. “Sheet packet.” One of my best tips – take your sheets, fold them as usual and fold all the pillowcases that go in that “set” except one. Turn that inside out, “grab” the pack of sheets and pillowcases, and as you turn the pillowcase “right side in,” you will have the sheets and other pillowcases in it. Tuck the top down, and you have a “sheet packet” that you can store in your closet – everything together! As a corollary, if you have quilt or duvet covers, store them folded but INSIDE OUT – when you take them out to change the duvet, put your hands in the top and reach down for the bottom corners, grab the duvet by the corners, and as you shrug the duvet cover down off your arms and turn it “right side in,” the duvet will be inside – and centered, easy as pie.

4. Dry cleaning: Always get your clothes out of dry cleaning bags – OUTSIDE. There are chemicals there that you don’t want in your house. My dry cleaner actually uses green techniques – and takes the hangers and plastic bags back! Look for this. Similarly, to save YOU time (it’s always you, right?) when you do laundry or dry cleaning, everyone in the house should be “stain spotters.” Get your husband, kids, etc. in the mode of pre-treating any stains that they have on their laundry, zipping zippers, and putting them into the laundry bin. This will save you a LOT of time, and also save you clothes that you “miss” a spot on that then gets set in from the dryer. Also, get STAIN stickers from your dry cleaner, and as soon as a dry clean item comes off, if it has a spot, put the STAIN sticker right on it. That way, you don’t have to remember. Make sure that everyone in the house is “trained” to do this – this will save you SO much time!

5. Ugly towels. We all have ugly towels/linens/etc. but we’re not sure what to do with them. Call your local veterinarian – they are almost always desperate for these, for animals coming out of surgery. Live a little – have nice matching ones. And WHY do you have so many linens/towels anyway? More than 2 pair for each bed/bath is really a little silly.

6. Folding towels. Great trick and looks great in the closet: Fold towel in thirds (length-wise) so the “edges” are tucked in. Then fold it in half over your arm, and then in ½ again. When you put it on the towel rack, tuck the ends “down the back” – and then fold will be on the front, no edges. (Hard to explain in writing – though I mention this I think a bit better in the book)

7. Clean to music: I just interviewed Eve Abbott, of ABrainNewWayToWork.com, and she stated that cleaning (or doing anything) to music can “engage” your left and right brains, and makes it easier to get rid of stuff that you’re “emotionally tied to” but that doesn’t “sing for you” anymore or doesn’t have an immediate use.

8. Time block to do your spring cleaning. Don’t try to do it all at once, but also really say when you will do it – and do it.

9. Touch everything in your house (in every drawer) and be sure it has a use right now, or you LOVE it. If not, it’s dead energy – you’re just cleaning it, moving it, dusting it. Time to get it to its “next best use.”

10. Small ideas – put magazines in your boots to make them stand up and not crease. “Cut through” magazines when they come in the door – cut out the interesting articles, and get the rest of it somewhere else (dentist? Gym? Friend? Etc.) Don’t let them sit around gathering dust for months and months.

11. Consignment Day – a local school has “consignment day” – every kid gets to bring in stuff to sell, and they do it all day (keeping the $ that they got) – then anything “left over” goes to a charity that they have all learned about.

12. Soup in zip locks – if you make a lot of soup, pour it into a zip lock, and put it FLAT in your freezer. Then, once it’s solid, you can stack it up and it takes barely any space. We all should be storing water jugs, etc. in our fridges (a) b/c it gives us water in case of an earthquake and (b) because the more you have in your fridge, the less energy it uses (b/c the water jugs helps it be cold). Be sure when you clean out, go through all the stuff on your door of your fridge – condiments, etc.

13. Taking off your shoes when you come into the house. We make this a “ritual” (of taking off our “work armor” as it were) – but it also doesn’t track any nasty stuff that we might have walked through all day into the house.

When I get home, I’m going to start recording a series for my Web Radio Show (not “podcast” – learned that at the seminars I recently went to) on Finances, and in particular a bit more about home-based businesses. I have friends who are losing jobs, I’m watching stores that have been around since I was a kid close, etc. Now’s the time to get the word out about some things that everyone can do for themselves and their families.

The TV show that we’re taping will be on the first chapter of my book (cleaning/clearing) – that’s always the start!

OH and by the way – didn’t gain an OUNCE on the cruise. How great is THAT! I’m down around 164 – still working my way down to my goal, which is another 20 lbs!

I was up at 4:00 this morning, because the economic news is not good in this Bond Grrl’s household. My James told me his take-home is being cut by 25% (though he still has a job). We talked about it a lot, and went to bed, and I woke up in a cold sweat at 4:00.  Not very Bond Grrlish of me, is it?

SO, I went downstairs to catch up on my email/bills/etc. from our being away (nothing like returning from an expensive trip and having another on the horizon – already paid for – to make you freak too!). OK and catch up on Criminal Minds, Bones, CSI NY, Oprah…At about 7:00, I got a text from my bff, Domino. She is moving this weekend, had said she didn’t need help, and then realized she DID need help. She asked if I could be there by 9:00, and I said I’d do my best.

Woke my James up with coffee at about 8:30 (VERY early for my handsome husband secret agent!) and told him I really had to (and wanted to) go – Domino has moved me probably 5 times, and somehow I have never reciprocated. He had a bunch of “honey do” stuff for me – mainly going to a local home improvement store that’s going out of business and looking at things we don’t quite need now, but we definitely WILL, since they’re marked down 50%. I wound up with a kitchen sink and a huge outdoor amphora in the back of the SUV – and off I went to Domino’s.

I was about 2 hours later than she wanted me there (I got there at about 10:45) – so I didn’t actually help with packing the moving van as her James and his buds had hoped (or bring them bagels and coffee as they’d hoped!). The boyz were all done, and she was up at the new house when I showed up at the old. Both he and Domino said that there were “just the baby clothes left” in the closet, and could I get them and bring them up?  SURE, I said.

OK, so I swept through that house like the Grinch in Whoville. (I actually texted her at one point “I feel like I need to look for Cindy Lou Who’s lollypop!”) There was a lot of “stuff” that hadn’t been packed – you know, odds and ends – but all over the house. I wound up starting downstairs, and just bringing everything up to their foyer, first – then taking a look at what I actually could pack and bring.

The funniest part was that there weren’t a lot of bags or boxes left – just a few – but as I dove into back closets and the like I wound up finding things like the cover for her massage table (HUGE score for carrying stuff!), old Nordstrom’s bags that suits come in, grocery bags, stuff like that. So I went to tackle their bedroom, last (which was the one place that I was supposed to really clear out - the baby’s closet).

Now, mind you, this baby has more clothes than ~I~ do (she’s like 4 months old). But there was still about 1/4 of Domino’s closet, some still in her James’ closet, a boatload of hangars, and all the baby’s clothes. And the breast pump. And the baby bath. And…oh Lord…all Domino’s bathroom stuff.

INTERVENTION! I started texting her as soon as I opened up those bathroom drawers! She had a bottle of massage oil I had brought her back from Scotland – FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.  (Yes, really.) Oil…goes…bad…hello…I texted her to say “Just Say ‘Throw’!” She had dozens of lipsticks. I’m cleaning out the drawer, there are 3 Chanel of the same color, unopened, behind some QTips…ok yeah I could go on. And so I totally busted her chops. And dozens of jog bras. Sweaters smashed behind sweaters.

Why are they moving? Like all of us, they need to save some dough. They can get a better house by moving farther from the city, and into a more “cookie cutter” neighborhood and rent there for a while, as they save for their own place.

She’s skimmed my book, but I guess it just didn’t “catch.”

Lots of Brands in the clothes and accessories…but Safeway-brand vitamins. 

How many of you are like this? Be serious. Have you really gone through YOUR house? How about taking some of your extra stuff to a Consignment Store? Or eBay? If not there, how’s about doing a Clothing Swap party (I’m having one on Monday!), where you can all get “new clothes” from your friends, and then give the rest to charity! And I can’t stress enough that your “big money” should be spent going into you…not onto you. You never EVER see a Bond Girl in brands…

About 8 years ago, an Auntie of mine (Rosemary Manell) had to be put in an Alzheimer’s Home, and my James and I helped my Mom clean out her house. Holy cow. It was one of “those” situations – books up the stairwells…stuff everywhere – and we are talking GOOD stuff. She was Julie Child’s best friend, and her husband had been Consul General during World War 2, and she had lived an awesome awesome life – so she had GREAT stuff, just a LOT of it. After we worked for weeks on it, all of us wound up cleaning up our stuff, because we realized we just did NOT want to be in that situation later in life! It was just one of those moments. And it was what formed how I explained how to “attack these issues” in the first Chapter of my book!

Well, there I was, facing it again…and I know (because my bff just texted me!) that she thought she was SO GOOD! Woah.

OK, one funny thing – I wound up PACKING my car and I mean PACK-ING it with stuff to bring up to their new house…but the stuff I’d had to get with my James was all still in the back too.  When Domino’s James’s BFF saw it, he said “HEY, look, she’s got everything, and the kitchen sink….SERIOUSLY.” It completely cracked me up.

So, that’s the update. And yeah, I’m goin’ back to the bloggin’ style that got my book written – write stream of consciousness, post.  So there. See ya, maybe not tomorrow, but definitely Monday after my Clothing Swap Party!!

We had a BLAST, and all the clothing that wasn’t taken (which was thousands of dollars worth) went to a charity, Image for Success, that dresses women (and their families) with two weeks’ worth of business and personal clothing. Check it out! 

* How the Unclutterer Got Started, including all about Mazes of Stuff and the Bud Lite Bottle rising from the Dead/Rubbermaid Coffin (cue scary music);

*  How to terrorize soon-to-be-husbands (N.B.: Mazes of stuff will do it);

*  Dealing kindly with a Packrat;

*  How to start the decluttering process, be dispassionate, and communicate;

*  Two great ways to diminish the “mine v. yours” struggle;

*  How to discuss what “Simple Living” means to each of you and how to imagine living together as one;

*  Your Toaster or Mine: How to deal when the space won’t hold it all (especially two of everything);

*  Who are You, Really: What new and exciting thoughts you could entertain about decluttering and how not to drag the anchor of the Old You, along with all of her dead/post energy and stories, into your new life; and

*  A whole lot more!

I hope you enjoy this podcast, and please let me know if there are other experts you might like to hear interviewed on our Coffee Chats. We sure had fun doing it – you might just listen to give you a smile!

Here are the links to Erin’s two interviews on the Precision Change podcast: Tired of the Crap? Become an Unclutterer! and What is Clutter Costing You? Just to have it all in one place, here is the summary link to all the uncluttering entries I’ve made on the website.  If you have my book, you know that the entire Chapter 1 is dedicated to this topic… You can’t release your Inner Bond Girl if you can’t find her under the Piles of Stuff!!! 

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

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I read this great article on Emily Wilska’s website, OrganizedLife.org.  She recommends getting rid of 50 things in the next 3 weeks – whether they are a book you haven’t re-read (or never read at all), a mate-less earring, or even bigger.

This is a great way to look at “cleaning out” – as long as you get to 50, you’re all set. Big or small, love this idea, because it’s kinda a game – and more importantly, a fun way to rid yourself of 50 things you don’t need!

Here is the link: http://www.organizedlife.org/tip.html

And don’t forget we have the De-cluttering View From The Bay, and a number of Podcasts (here is the link to Podcast 2, our first clutter/clearing related one), in our archives for you!

Emily Wilska gave some great ideas for Mom’s Day gifts that can help, as she said, ”bring more organization and less stress to the lives of the ladies you love.”  Here are The Tips:

1.  Tastebook is a new service that lets you create personalized cookbooks that include both recipes from your own collection (or your mom’s) and from the voluminous online archives of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. Choose a cover and a theme (you can even upload your own photos), select and organize recipes, and customize your book.

2.  If Mom is overwhelmed with junk mail, sign her up for 41 Pounds or Green Dimes, both services designed to significantly reduce unwanted mail. Because both of these require a little bit of work (such as filling out Do Not Mail postcards to send to direct marketing services), you might include in your gift an hour or two of time to help get Mom up and running. (While you’re at it, go to Catalog Choice and help her stop unwanted catalogs from cramming her mailbox; the service is free.) Another clutter-clearer is Shoeboxed, a service that will scan any and all of your receipts and upload them to an account on a private, secure website.

3.  Last but not least, consider giving Mom something only you can give: your time. Most people I know (including myself!) have at least one or two organizing projects they’d love to tackle if only they didn’t have a dozen–or more–other things on their To Do list. Giving your mother a hand with the project of her choosing is a simple but powerful way of saying thank you.Remember that, with any project, it’s smart to keep things on a reasonable scale (don’t try to attack every closet in the house or 20 years’ worth of photos at once). If Mom’s project of choice is a large one, you might spread your offer of time over a few weeks or months to keep things moving forward without burning out. And at the end of the project, why not take Mom out for a celebratory lunch? You’ll both have earned it.

Great Tips!!!

Can I tell you one thing? I’m in LOVE with Lisa Quinn (host) and David Corona (cameraman). I am honored to have been asked to come back to View From The Bay (ABC) to chat about another portion of my book – on feng shui. As you know, I’ve done two podcasts on feng shui (I actually just linked them on my Home Page to make it easier) – but this was my 3 minute “down and dirty” feng shui episode.

Now, if someone could teach me to MENTION THE NAME OF MY WEBSITE when I say “go to my website” - I would be Golden!

If you’d like to see the video – click here!

Click here for a printable Bagua map (from www.wsfs.com).

I know it’s difficult to “imagine” the bagua square just from my talking about it, so this should help.

If you have comments on this episode, please call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl[dot] com or leave a comment below.

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The article described the Native American tradition of the “potlatch.” It is a tradition that values generosity above all else.  A potlatch, which is a very grand ceremony, is an exercise in giving away material possessions, food, and money.

Apparently, it is not uncommon for the host of a potlatch to give away so much of their own resources to guests that the host ends up with nothing. However, the host can regain this wealth by attending potlatches as a guest.

 In this way, a potlatch validates generosity and encourages the flow of resources in a community, while at the same time continually reaffirming the importance of community ties.

This paragraph really made me sit up and take notice, because it reminds me of what I learned from “John Jr.” in my car ride with him, as detailed in Podcast 9 on “Living Green”:

“When we are held in a web of trust and connection, we can give generously, knowing that when it is our turn we will be supported. In this way, our whole sense of ownership becomes less individualistic and more communal. Resources are in an acceptable state of flux, moving within the community through the vehicle of the potlatch, which serves the additional function of strengthening community ties. This seems clearly preferable to isolating ourselves from one another and hoarding our resources.”

Isn’t it time to create a community in which a flow of resources happens in this way, in which we support one another to be generous?

The “Give Away Girls’ Nights” listed in my book is an example of a potlach – having fun, and giving away an object that is dear to us. By doing this, perhaps we can inspire someone there to throw their own potlatch. And so on, and so on – by starting this out, trusting, and loving, perhaps we could find ourselves with a tradition that supports and validates generosity even as it creates a safety net for leaner times.

Don’t just think about it – do it.

The video podcast that I refer to in this podcast is The Story Of Stuff by Annie Leonard. You can go back and find where I blogged about it a few weeks ago, or just click the link here. It’s a bit long, but it definitely explains the whole manufacturing process and Planned Obsolescence — I think this would be great to show kids.

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Make sure to watch both halves of the interview. They gave me 4 minutes, and then decided to give us 4 more after the commercial! We were having so much fun. This is my parents’ house, and a friend had come over to watch it Live with my mom. She said my mom basically freaked out when suddenly we were down in her closet! She said that she “Hadn’t had time to clean it” (As if!)

When you follow the link, you can see lots of tips that I gave them that I could talk about. If you’ve read my book, you know there are about 50 pages of tips! They picked some of them for me to show on the air, and have others posted on their website.

If, after you read this, you could put a comment on their website, I would sure appreciate it! I’d love to get invited back!

I mentioned (in this Coffee Chat and I believe my Chat with Scott Smith) the book by Oprah’s Organizer, Peter Walsh. The actual title of that book is Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? Like Eve, Peter Walsh states that clutter is basically symptomatic of an unresolved issue in your life. I saw him on a recent episode of the Oprah show, and his specific quote was that “eating more and buying more is an attempt to fill the need for something more. Until you get those underlying issues dealt with, all the rest is a waste of time.”

I hope you enjoy this podcast, and please let me know if there are other experts you might like to hear interviewed on our Coffee Chats.

And, yes… next podcast will be a “regular” one—I promise! I’ve been working on the V.I.P. Podcasts and having a great time with them… but Regular Podcast 9 is on its way soon.

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 The restaurant’s owners say “the designs are aimed at creating a soothing setting that will encourage diners to linger over their burgers and fries, and come back again.”

It has waterfalls, red accents for good luck, etc.  Too much!  Aaaand, the owner says that business has picked up.  Aha!  Abundance! :-)

 I was particularly interested in some of the quotes about “planned obsolescence.” I also had to ruefully smile when Annie points out that, after 9/11, the President could have asked us to grieve, to be compassionate, to come together… instead, what he told us to do was Shop. (True!)

I’m not particularly political, but I do have a strong feeling that we’re getting to that Al-Gore-Nobel-Peace-Prize “point of no return” when it comes to our resources.  This should lead to a change in priorities… and to having a good, long look at our lifestyle. One of the things that Annie points out is that the two biggest leisure activities in the U.S. are watching TV, and shopping.  And if you’re watching TV, you’re getting exposed to commercials, which are basically telling you that “You Suck” (her words, not mine) and that you need to buy their products, to “Not Suck.”  So you go to work, or maybe work two jobs, to buy the Stuff that the advertisements say will make you Not Suck, and then you’re so exhausted when you get home, all you can do is watch TV… when tells you that You Suck (dot dot dot)

I was also very interested that the whole “planned obsolescence”/concentration on Consumerism thing started in the 1950s — which was the “peak” of our Happiness Graph as a society (it’s fallen since that time).  Gee, maybe because instead of using stuff until we’re done with it, having extra time to spend with our families, etc. we are being bombarded with advertising that says We Suck, news that says The World Sucks, and feeling that the only way for it all to be fixed is — surprise! — to buy more!

Have a look — I think it would be great to watch this with the kids, too, and be ready for some hard questions from THEM, about how YOUR household fits into this mix.

 I am REALLY excited to post this! I just received “before and after” photographs from a Bond Grrl who read my book, and took Chapter 1 to heart!  This is the sort of thing that TOTALLY keeps me going! Any of ya’ll out there reading the blog, or listening to the podcasts, that want to call or send these sorts of “testimonials,” please please do.  It just makes my day, week, month!  Send to doubleohsandy[at]yahoo[dot]com (has to be written that was so nasty spammers don’t steal the address) or call me at 206.350.3537.

 SO, here is ABG (Anonymous Bond Grrl)’s “before” photo.  Note that you can see the bed (behind the pile of stuff) and the lamp (in the right corner of the photo).  ABG said that she had been just piling up stuff for years in a not-so-big house — and she was inspired to dig “out from under.”  So take a look at what she was dealing with….

AND, here is ABG’s after!

I know, “Get Out!” huh? How jazzed am I? Love to make a difference!

 I’m a little behind in episodes, but this past weekend, I tried to catch up on VFTB and Oprah. VFTB had an episode on cleaning out your makeup brushes. Their makeup/fashion host, Audrey Mansfield, shows you how to clean your makeup brushes — and to Janelle’s horror, has grabbed a few of Janelle’s makeup brushes, and has Janelle clean them on camera.  Janelle asserts that she cleans them “every week,” but Audrey asserts that everyone should really do this every DAY.

 HELL-OO……I had NO IDEA that I should be cleaning out my makeup brushes.  And I’m a “bacteria fanatic” (I’m constantly throwing my sponges, etc. into the dishwasher, using and washing tons of towels to keep things clean, etc.) — and it NEVER occurred to me to clean my makeup brushes.  As I watched Janelle’s water turn a not-so-pretty shade of brown, I slinked off to the bathroom, sudsed up a bowl, and started cleaning MY brushes.  (As you can see from the clip, they actually have a very easy method that you can use — just put a little shampoo into a bowl and swish them around and spread the brush out with your fingers to get the makeup out). Oh…my…LORD!  Ick ick ick! I turned the water TOTALLY dark brown, started over, brown again…started over…

 Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!!  So I’m sharin’ this with you, Bond Grrls — maybe ya’ll all knew this already and it was just me, but if not, CLEAN your MAKEUP brushes!  They are full of dead skin, bacteria, and just i-i-ick.  I have a new routine now — thanks to View From The Bay.

But… I kinda wish I hadn’t known.  GEE, and I was wondering why I get clogged pores?!

I also received some Listener Feedback on our Listener Feedback line — I love it! Please call, keep me company! :-) This was from Clementine (her Bond Grrrrl name) on the Yankee portion of the East Coast somewhere. Her Mom has a GREAT method of sorting through all the bits of personal “stuff” that we all gather each year, and Clementine shared. Kudos to her and to her Mom, a Bond Grrrrrrrrrl family!

Finally, I talk a bit about bringing Ritual into your life this year. Rituals are so wonderful, and they are very much a part of the human culture. It could be thanking your teeth as you brush them, a Grace at every meal that you really pay attention to, or something of your own. If you have your own Rituals or make up one that you love, please share!

xoxoxo Solitaire

P.S.: So now, my James has to figure out how to post the Podcast. It seems highly likely (as, since you can see, we are on a new server and “such” now) that it’s not going to be pretty. I better go and shake a martini or three! :-)

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Bernanke signals more rate cuts in testimony
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said during testimony to the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday that the central bank would consider more interest-rate cuts. “He didn’t say the word recession, but if you read between the lines, all this talk about further downside risk is dealing with the risk we may already be in one,” said Scott Anderson, a senior economist at Wells Fargo. Bernanke said the slowing economy posed a greater threat than rising inflation.  ClipSyndicate/Bloomberg (2/27), Bloomberg (2/27), Washington Post, The (2/28), Wall Street Journal, The (2/28)

I heard this covered on KCBS right after Bernanke spoke.  The drive-time team was stating that he used wording that sounded “cautious” but in Fed-speak basically means The Economy Is BA-AAAAD.  Then they interviewed a number of economists, and what their “take” was about this.

One of the economists stated that the “first thing to go” would be “Brand buying” — and that folks would then “just feel poorer.”  That when folks aren’t able to “buy their Brands,” they feel deprived.”

Well, let’s start right here, Bond Grrrrrrls.  We know, right, that Bond Grrls are not “Brand Flashers”?  That’s the thing here.  Bond Grrls live amazing lives, and look great, NOT because they have Chanel on their glasses or Armani on their jeans… but because they are confident, chic, fabulous women all by themselves!

With the economy heading South per all the experts, it’s the time to take a look at your life.  If you have my book, you know that involves going through your ENTIRE house, office, etc. — and taking stock.  What do you have that you shouldn’t?  Can you sell it?  Can you put on a yard sale, or just start doing little bits of sale on eBay? If you itemize your deductions, how about getting some charitable deductions or giving away some of your possessions for a charity you love to auction off in a “silent auction”? 

The best part about this all (paradoxically) is that EVERYONE is going to be tightening their belts.  We keep hearing it/hearing it/hearing it — and so you can intelligently say that you are “paying attention to what the Fed is saying” (sounds good, huh?) and NOT go Mall-bopping or shoeshopping.  Open up all your bills.  Take stock.  Then use all this as an EXCUSE not to go and spend.  Because so many people are in trouble now, you need to help light the way. Be an example. Get your bills paid down. Stop spending needlessly. Heck, start brown baggin’ it! And once you’re out of your hole, and once you realize that your worth is in your awesome SELF, not in the umpteenth BrandBling purse you buy, you’re going to be sooooooooooooooooooo much better for it!

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

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I know it’s difficult to “imagine” the bagua square just from my talking about it, so this should help. I tried to find one I could insert here — but most of the ones that are available on the internet are “Magnetic School” and more difficult to understand. I think that this one should help to envision “what I’m talking about” in podcast 4!!!!!

Let me know what you think about the podcasts! If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

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If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

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Here are the resources that I mention in Podcast Episode Two and Three…

1. Podrunner: Here is a great podcast to download some tunes for your closet cleanout!
2. Beatport Here’s another one!
3. Image for Success
4. eBay and Half.com
5. Freecycle

And, if you’re interested in reading up on the subject of Podcast Four, see if you can pick up a copy of The Western Guide to Feng Shui — a click through is under Library on the BeABondGirl.com website :-)

Happy listening!
– S

Note: any peculiarities in the audio are due to Audacity’s “Truncate Pauses” effect. Oops! Still learning.

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

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