You Said It: ‘Life Is Better When the House Is Clean’ and More

Happy New Year, Houzzers! If you’re like me, this weekend is going to be one of cleaning up your holiday decorations and riding that wave of organizational motivation that comes with a new year. I know I have to ride it immediately, because it won’t last long. This week we learned how to reuse our live trees, clean up and organize our holiday decorations, make realistic resolutions to enhance our homes and fight off that January let-down that can bring the winter blues. We also got some inspiration for making spring garden plans. Have a happy and productive weekend, everyone, and best wishes for 2015.

“But there can be a different end for your tree, one in which it serves a useful purpose that will benefit nature.” — Noelle Johnson

When I was little, I used to lie under the Christmas tree and look up at the lights, and when it was finally dragged out to the curb, I would go lie on the grass next to it, completely forlorn. It’s nice to know there are ways to make your not-so-alive-anymore tree live on rather than sending it to clog up a landfill. Johnson lists 10 ways to put your tree to good use, including using it for mulch, fish habitats, erosion control and more.

Full story: 10 Ways Your Christmas Tree Can Live On After the Holidays


“Keep only the decorations you use and love.” — Laura Gaskill

Cleaning up after the holidays is kind of the pits, but it can be a great opportunity to get some feel-good organizing done. Purging decorations you don’t use anymore, donating toys, repurposing boxes, recycling, rethinking what you give and receive in the future (perhaps you have enough things and would prefer a museum membership or Netflix subscription) are all good ways to wrap up the holiday season.

Full story: 9 Ways to Unclutter Your Holiday


“Life is better when the house is clean.” — Alison Hodgson

The winter blahs can be overwhelming, but Hodgson gives us ways to keep them at bay. Cleaning the house is the only one that requires any real work, while the rest are about embracing the cold weather and snuggled-in comfort. Treat yourself to her list and make your picks.

Full story: 6 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs


“The spot where you drop items as you walk in the door can be a clutter magnet.” — Laura Gaskill

Gaskill extends the list of productive ways to get a shipshape house in 2015. As she suggests, I just gave my command center a reboot, and I cannot tell you how great it feels. My electronics have a neat, uncluttered and protected spot in which to charge; my keys have a designated landing spot; a small lamp has made the formerly dark space much more attractive; and now when I reach for a pen, I can be sure it actually has ink in it. It’s so nice to walk in the door and have a place for everything rather than encountering a messy counter.

Full story: To-Dos: Your January Home Checklist

More: A New Drop Zone Keeps the Clutter at Bay


“If you’re in the mood for making a few resolutions, why not consider what you can do at home to help enhance your life?” — Laura Gaskill

At this point in rounding up the advice that resonated with me this week, I think I need Laura Gaskill to guide me through 2015 with a daily phone call! Her advice helps us embrace what we have, realize we may not need those things we think we want, and take action to make our homes the best they can be.

Full story: 8 Life-Enhancing Home Resolutions for the New Year


“Your city and state cooperative extensions are likely to have great resources available to help you design your rain garden.” — Bruce Parker

Planning your spring landscape is another way to keep yourself busy while you look forward to longer days and warmer temperatures. A rain garden is a wonderful way to improve the environment. Did you know a lot of our pollution comes from non-point-source pollution? This is a fancy way of saying that when it rains, the water runs over pavements and picks up pollutants, and eventually it winds up in our creeks, rivers and oceans. The way to act locally to help with this global problem is to create a rain garden.

Full story: Protect a Precious Resource With a Rain Garden


“If you have an aphid problem, it won’t take long for lacewing larvae to devour the insect population.” — Heather Holm

Holm introduces us to friend of the garden, the lacewing, and then teaches us how to lure lacewings to our own backyard oases. And there’s good news — not doing too much garden cleanup in the fall will help. But the thing I love most about this story is the stunning, National Geographic–worthy photography. It is absolutely breathtaking.

Full story: Look Out for Lacewings: Beneficial Insects Coming to a Garden Near You

More garden planning help: 9 Creative Ideas for Urban Outdoor Spaces


“In case you missed them, here are the articles that everyone was talking about.” — Mitchell Parker

Parker has compiled a list of the 10 most popular stories on Houzz this year. Clearly, Houzzers needed the most help with bathrooms and kitchens, but I was tickled to see 11 Reasons to Paint Your Interior Doors Black make the list. It’s one of my favorite design moves, and it was neat to see it resonate with so many folks. What was your favorite story on Houzz this year?

Full story: The Top 10 Houzz Articles of 2014


“Share your kitchen handiwork with us. If you can, include your budget breakdown, a ‘before’ photo and the size of your space.” — Mary Jo Bowling

Houzzers, we’re turning the tables and asking you for some inspiration for 2015. If you’ve completed a DIY kitchen project, please share it in the Comments section of Bowling’s story.

Full story: Houzz Call: Show Us Your Fabulous DIY Kitchen

URL: You Said It: ‘Life Is Better When the House Is Clean’ and More http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-25339.html