DIY Tips

Storage tips that’ll make packing up jollier.

Decking the halls is good fun and all, but shuffling through piles of wreaths, lights, ornaments, dreidels, wrapping paper, and stockings is nothing to fa la la about. 

Cut back on the holiday overwhelm with these organization ideas for your festive gear.

#1 Make a Holiday Closet

Instead of doing a holiday-themed scavenger hunt each November, put all your holiday gear in a single closet. You'll keep it dust-free, together, and at your fingertips. Since this closet will be all holidays, all the time, leave some of your decorations out and use them to adorn the space. Easy to find and festive; it's a twofer.

If your closet is unfinished, use the space between the wall studs to store hanging items.

Don’t come home to a nightmare and the feeling of being invaded. Here how to stop a house burglary from ever happening.

You come home to an open front door, a ransacked house, and missing valuables. How did a burglar know you’d be gone? How did they get in? 

Here are nine tips from a burglar's perspective about how to keep them out. And try these home security tips to prevent burglary, too.

#1 Put Ladders Away

Call me a social climber if you will, but I love ladders. They make it so easy to reach a second-story window. I really love it when upper story openings aren’t wired to a home security system. 

So, if you want to keep me out, store your ladder in the basement or a locked garage. And call your security company to wire upper-story

Steer clear of bulk shopping and other don’ts in your holiday prep.

When you’re cleaning for the holidays, you want to make every minute count. Home cleaning professionals see firsthand where mistakes are costing us nonpros. Debbie Sardone, owner of SpeedCleaning.com, shares hosting tips that will dodge some holiday prep missteps.

5 Don'ts in Home Cleaning for the Holidays

#1 Bulk Shopping

We’re not judging all those Costco runs, but maybe think twice before packing that shopping cart to the max. “Hold off on those super-duper giant size jars — at least for right now,” Sardone says. Bulk items will clutter closets and your refrigerator just when you need that space the most. So, save that purchase of a 10-pound roll of paper towels for a

Quick-and-easy tasks that’ll brighten up your interior.

December.

The year's coming to an end. Time to do four small tasks for a bright (and money-saving) new year.

#1 Clean Light Bulbs and Fixtures

Two great reasons to clean your light bulbs: You want as much light in your house as you can get as the days grow shorter, and, you'll save money.

Dirty bulbs apparently shed 30% less light than clean ones, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Wipe bulbs with a cloth dampened by a mix of 1 oz. dish soap, ¼ cup white vinegar, and 3 cups of water. Get to it Dec. 1 so you're ready for the curtain fall on the shortest day of this year: Dec. 21.

#2 Evaluate Homeowner's Insurance

The holidays. You love them, but they do seem to eat

Put the happy in your holidays by working with the home cleaning style that’s the real you.

Your hosting style shapes how you do your home cleaning for holiday entertaining — and the challenges you might have along the way. Whether your vibe is perfectionist, relaxed, or balanced, you can use related cleaning tips to focus on what's most natural and productive for you. That way, you'll simplify your holiday cleaning, de-stress — and max your enjoyment.

Which Vibe Is Most Like You?

Vibe 1:  ‘Everything has to be sparkling clean and in place.’

Cleaning personality: Strives for perfection, wants the home dressed to impress 
If there was a Martha Stewart award for the most effort and the highest standards in home cleaning for a holiday

By: Jan Soults Walker

Make an outdoor living area comfy long after the sun sets or the leaves turn with outdoor lighting, a patio heater, and a glowing firepit or portable fireplace.

Light the Deck or Patio

The sun sets sooner on your outdoor living space in the fall, but that shouldn’t limit the hours you use your deck or patio. Adding low-voltage or solar outdoor lighting fixtures lets you party or relax well after dark.

With both lighting types, you can:

• Light deck railings and stairs
• Define the patio perimeter
• Illuminate the edges of paths and walkways
• Draw attention to a planter or tree

Other fixtures light up dining tables, grill surfaces, and even underwater in swimming pools. 

Low-voltage fixtures clip onto a

Quick-and-easy tasks that’ll brighten up your interior.

December.

The year’s coming to an end. Time to do four small tasks for a bright (and money-saving) new year.

#1 Clean Light Bulbs and Fixtures   

Two great reasons to clean your light bulbs: You want as much light in your house as you can get as the days grow shorter, and, you’ll save money.

Dirty bulbs apparently shed 30% less light than clean ones, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Wipe bulbs with a cloth dampened by a mix of 1 oz. dish soap, ¼ cup white vinegar, and 3 cups of water. Get to it December 1 so you’re ready for the curtain fall on the shortest day of this year: Thursday, December 21.

#2 Evaluate Homeowner's Insurance

The holidays. You love

It’s the spring cleaning of fall, so to speak.

With THE HOLIDAYS coming at you fast and furious, you want to be sure your home is cozy, but with that fresh-as-spring feel — as opposed to that musty-damp-winter feel.

Here's how to make that happen (along with a few other timely tips):

#1 Wash Bed Pillows

You love your trusty, old, perfectly-snugged-to-your-head pillow. But guess what's also snug against your head? Fungus — 4 to 16 species to be precise. Gross!

With fall being the height of guest season, you'll want your pillows fresh, too. Pop them in the washing machine and dryer for an all-over clean feeling. (But check manufacturer advice, too. Some pillows shouldn't be washed, but replaced instead.)

#2 Clean the Mattress, Too

Three young entrepreneurs give tips on staying organized and calm while living hectic lives.

Life is crazy. Cah-ray-zee. And while you wouldn't have it any other way from 9 to 5 (OK, more like 8 to 7), the insanity should stop at your front door.

That's why you bought your home, right? To have a place to rest, recharge, and come up with your next trailblazing idea. A few inspirational ideas for your home may be all you need to put it on the path to tranquility.

Three super-busy entrepreneurs — a brewery owner, website founder, and organic farmer — know exactly how important a tranquil home is to achieving personal success. Here, they share how they created Zen-like havens in their homes to foster stress-relieving routines.

A Nook to Bliss Out

Start saving those egg cartons!

Give or take a Scrooge or two, everybody loves the holidays: Decorating the tree, hanging lights, hanging holly ... all those things! But you know what nobody loves? Taking all those things down.

Because, wow, what an unorganized mess.

Before you go all Scrooge, get your jolly back with these simple holiday decorating hacks.

#1 Protect Ornaments With Holiday Recyclables

Trimming the tree should feel like the happy ending of a Lifetime holiday movie, not a game show guessing which box will contain broken memories.

Keep ornaments safe for next year by stowing them in leftover party cups, hot-glued onto a piece of foam board cut to fit inside a storage bin, recommends Lisa Woodruff, a Cincinnati-based