A brand new year is the perfect time to organize the inside your home, pack away holiday decorations and make plans for a fresh new start in your spring garden.
Before taking the tree down, toss any damaged holiday ornaments, lights or ribbons that don't look newly store bought. Give away anything you haven't used this year. Don't store non-working strands of lights: Fix first, or discard. More: Holiday Organizing Supplies
Take down, clean and store ornaments, decorations and exterior lights. Recycle or store tree.
More: Post-Holiday Organizing Tips
Use small clear plastic food containers to organize extra fuses and replacement bulbs for Christmas lights, wire bulb hangers, pushpins and picture hangers. Aggregate these into one larger bin as your at-the-ready supply "cabinet."
Most homeowners tend to stay in their homes for about six years. More: Great Housewarming Gift Ideas
Are the faucets in the kitchen and bathroom(s) closing securely? Replace washers as needed or call a plumber for bigger jobs. Small leaks can cause big trouble, and waste precious water.
More: Fix a Leaky Faucet
Sort strategically, and create folders for the key categories of information that you will need like mortgage interest, real estate taxes, health-care costs, charitable donations and work expenses.
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Put 10 seeds from each leftover packet in a damp paper towel within a plastic bag to see how many seeds germinate. If fewer than 7 of 10 do, sow more thickly at planting time (or discard if below about 5 of 10).
After the holidays, your kitchen will appreciate an extra-thorough cleanup. Working from the top down, wash walls with a grease-cutting solution. Then use dish soap and water on windows. Finally, mop the floor, clean appliances, wipe counters and cabinets and scour the sink.
Store bins of untreated kitty litter or traction grit (coarser than sand) at key points along paths, and in the car. Both products are safer than de-icing salt, which can damage flowerbeds and the lawn. Look for litter containing vermiculite or pumice. An added benefit: Staying on paths keeps you out of soggy soil.
Do a quick sweep of your house, making a list of any broken electrical plates, locks that need lubrication, sinks or tubs that need caulk — the nagging things that have piled up and feel overwhelming. Buy everything you need at the home improvement store and get all of these little jobs done in one concerted campaign.
Did you store leftover soup from a dinner party or berries you picked during the harvest season? Don't forget these goodies. Take a quick inventory of freezer contents and post the list on the freezer door. Then enjoy the unexpected treats!
"'Home' is any four walls that enclose the right person." — Helen Rowland
Flip, spin and vacuum. Your mattress will last longer and you'll sleep better, too. While you're at it: Is the pad still in good shape, or should you buy a new one during this month's white sales?
More: Mattress Shopping Tips
When the Christmas Amaryllis has finished flowering, remove the spent blossom, place the pot in a bright spot and continue to water, treating it like a foliage houseplant. This is the first step toward reblooming your bulb next year. More: Create an Amaryllis Tree
Check the base of trunks and the entire tree for rodent and storm damage, respectively. Pay attention throughout the winter — particularly during and after bad weather — and remove any hanging, dead or otherwise damaged branches.
More: Winter Landscape Tips
Pick one that's manageable and decide to do it in one day. Throw away everything that's irreparably stained or torn (unless, cut up, it will make good cleaning rags); give away anything you haven't used in the last year. Just do it.
More: Closet Organizing Tips
Nearly 63 percent of all U.S. households have a pet.
Don't start feeding again until longer days of stronger light, and really watch the water. Overwatering is the most common cause of death for houseplants, especially in winter. Easy does it during these months.
More: Caring for Houseplants
Call the utility company and ask for an energy audit. Follow their recommendations to the letter to improve the efficiency of your home — and save big for the rest of the season.
More: Energy-Saving Tips
Dry indoor heat invites houseplant pests. Don't hesitate to give your plants a shower each month, either using the sink sprayer or the actual shower. Placing pots on waterproof trays of pebbles and water can also raise humidity.
More: Best Houseplants for Decorating
Carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture provide favorite hiding places, too; vacuum frequently in and under all such textile surfaces. Set pheromone traps if you have seen any moths, to gauge renewed activity.
Get the Most Out of Closet Space
Besides the weekly rounds of your home's primary surfaces, tackle knickknacks, lampshades and all framed things on the walls. Try it today: A damp microfiber cloth with loops or strips of microfiber cannot be beat. The material attracts dust like a magnet, plus it's machine washable for future use.
If it's looking bleak, take notes now. What can you do in the spring to create an outdoor space that looks good no matter what the season? Possibilities include adding colorful evergreens (which can be gold or blue, too!), fruiting shrubs and trees like hollies or crabapples and colorful-twig dogwoods and willows.
More: Winter Gardening Tips
Plant a batch of delicate paperwhites in pebbles and a solution of 1 part alcohol (generic-brand gin or vodka) to 7 parts water for ongoing winter color and fragrance. The alcohol prompts sturdier stems that won't topple under the weight of the flowers.
If you intend to start plants from seed this spring, get organized now. Start shopping for seeds; peruse new and heirloom catalogs to widen your plant palette. Have seed-starting mix on hand later this month. Are your trays and pots scrubbed, and your grow lights ready?
More: Choosing Annuals
"Human beings are the only creatures on the earth that allow their children to come back home." — Bill Cosby
Those delicious seasonal deals on clementines and other colorful citrus can do double duty as a room-brightening centerpiece. Uncrate and pile into a decorative bowl or footed compote. More: Citrus-Inspired Home Décor
Move your dryer away from the wall and vacuum behind it. Remove the tube that attaches to the machine and clear out the lint. Finally, use a shop vac to clean the outside vent, too. For maximum energy efficiency and to prevent a fire hazard, do this at least twice a year.
Keep birdseed feeders full, especially during the worst weather periods. Match seed type to local birds' appetites. Sunflower is widely favored, while many mixes, though technically cheaper by the pound, contain ingredients many species don't eat.
More: Bird Feeding Tips
Contain the toys. "For Legos, we have two brightly colored small trash cans with lids in the play area. All the kids know where to get them for building and where to place them when done." — Audrey in Island Park, ID
