About House & Home: Tips for a Happy & Properous New Year

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House & Home From Diane Schmidt, your About House & Home Editor The new year can either feel a little overwhelming, what with all the resolutions or exciting, thinking about the prospects that the new year may bring. Part of my anxiety is not knowing how to plan and the excitement from not planning at all. But this year, I'm going to attempt to straddle the line between the two with some tips from our Home and Garden Guides. Transition from Christmas to New Year's Day One way to jump start the new year is to host a New Year's get-together. But if this sounds like too much work then check out this practical guide to transitioning your home with some easy changes to your home holiday decor. 8 Easy Green New Year's Resolutions Need some inspiration to finish your resolution list? Look no further. These suggestions will not only put you on the road to living a greener life, but are so very simple that you'll be able to say you've met at least some of your goals for 2012. See More About:  green shopping  organic food  energy use Improve Your Finances in 2012 This should be on everyone's resolution list, especially now that the holiday shopping and gift-buying are behind us and our credit card bills are on their way. Get your finances under control and reign in debt with these easy to follow suggestions for improving your financial outlook. See More About:  new year's resolutions  frugal money management  Feng Shui Tips to Begin the New Year Many of us make resolutions and promises that are often hard to meet. Like losing that extra 20 pounds or cutting back on chocolate (both on my list for 2012); however, the new year is about more than just setting goals, it's also about new starts and making positive changes for a happier life. This article is the perfect place to begin. See More About:  feng shui tips  feng shui for a healthy home  feng shui colors House & Home Ads Christmas New Year Personal Financial Financial Worksheet Happy New Year歌曲 Featured Articles 7 Ways To Tell if Your Pet Is Overweight Resolutions for Healthy, Happy Apartment Living Making Herbal Salves and Creams How to Install a Dishwasher Best Place to Move to For Jobs How to Hire a Plumber   More from About.com Living with Depression By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, you can not only live with depression, but live well. More> 9 Symptoms of Depression If you have experienced five or more of these symptoms within the same two week period, this could be indicative of an episode of depression. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About House & Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Advertisement

About House & Home: Holiday Time Savers

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House & Home From Diane Schmidt, your About House & Home Editor Even though I had carefully planned each holiday task, including all the gift-buying, decorating and Christmas baking, I'm still going to run out of time. I could cut back on all the stuff I want to do, but instead, I turned to About's Home and Garden Guides for tips to save time and money for a stress-free holiday. Christmas Decorating in 5 Minutes Whether you have five minutes or four hours, this guide will show you how to decorate your home in the time it takes for the coffee to brew, the cookies to bake or the turkey to cook. See More About:  christmas decorating  holiday organization  holiday decorating 8 Quick Holiday Travel Tips Our family is traveling this Christmas, and while I've been concentrating on all the other prep, I haven't thought at all about our travel plans. I only realized this yesterday. So I was glad to find these quick tips for traveling during the holidays. See More About:  travel  organizing tips  productivity Last Minute Holiday Dinner Tips Dinner is usually the most stressful task on your to-do list. This year, I'm not the one having to prepare the family feast, but because I feel sorry for my sister, who'll be roasting a dinner for a group of 22 hungry individuals, I sent her these last minute holiday dinner tips. See More About:  gift ideas  holidays  hosting Save Time & Money with Affordable Gift Giving Ideas My favorite last minute gift from this long list is a restaurant coupon - perfect for the whole family. With the number of presents we give and receive that are never used, these suggestions are not only practical and affordable, but fun, too. See More About:  inexpensive gift ideas  planning a frugal christmas  House & Home Ads House Designs House Floor Plans Holiday House Building Home Building Plans Featured Articles Get Your Home Ready to Entertain Christmas Flower Gift Baskets 10 Great Dog Toys for Under $10 Fabric Gift Wrap Decorate Your Home with Red How to Fix a Cracked Floor Tile   More from About.com Living with Depression By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, you can not only live with depression, but live well. More> 9 Symptoms of Depression If you have experienced five or more of these symptoms within the same two week period, this could be indicative of an episode of depression. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About House & Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Advertisement

About House & Home: Tips for Hosting Holiday Guests

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House & Home From Diane Schmidt, your About House & Home Editor For the first time in a long time, we're not hosting holiday guests. So why the newsletter dedicated to hosting? Because we'll be visiting and staying with family, I'm a little more appreciative of how difficult and stressful it can be to host friends and family during the holidays. Tips for Hosting Houseguests Whether you're hosting guests for a day or two long weeks, this article is a must-read. Not only does it offer suggestions for being a good host, but as a guest this year, this article gave me some useful tips that will help me be the perfect guest. See More About:  holiday houseguests  holiday houseguest cleaning  invitations Fast Home Remodeling for When Guests Come to Stay Most of us have been through this kind of scenario: family are coming to stay and the guest room is not quite ready now that it's been turned into the home office or junkyard storage locker. If you find yourself panicking over where everyone is going to sleep, check out this how-to for quick renovations to get your home ready for holiday guests. How to Fake a Clean House This article saved my life more times than I can count. Especially over the holidays when things can get a little out of control. Take last week when my in-laws called from the ferry to announce that they'd be arriving at our house for an impromptu visit in less than 30 minutes. Our house was a disaster. But we managed to make the place presentable just following these easy tips. Whew! See More About:  speed cleaning  cleaning shortcuts  Christmas Decorating All Around the House So after you've prepared as best you can for holiday guests, don't forget to decorate your home with the things that make the season sparkle and shine. And you can do it all without breaking your holiday budget. See More About:  christmas decorating  holiday decorating  seasonal decor House & Home Ads House Plans Holiday Inn Hotel House Designs Holiday Free Web Hosting Featured Articles 12 Christmas Crafts From The Laundry Room Container Garden Gift Ideas Christmas Postcards Holiday Travel Tips Christmas Soap Making Projects Top 5 Popular Bird Species   More from About.com Living with Depression By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, you can not only live with depression, but live well. More> 9 Symptoms of Depression If you have experienced five or more of these symptoms within the same two week period, this could be indicative of an episode of depression. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About House & Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Advertisement

About House & Home: Unique Holiday Gift Ideas

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House & Home From Diane Schmidt, your About House & Home Editor Every year, I struggle with what to buy members of my social group who some would call unique. Take my friend, Carson. He's an urban planner who moved to a few acres of land just outside the city and now grows turnips. Then there's Shayesteh whose passion for all things canine goes beyond the usual cute doggy collars and matching boots. But I think I've solved the gift-buying dilemma with this collection of great ideas for the impossible-to-buy-for. Top 15 Gifts for Dog Lovers As I mentioned, Shayesteh loves anything that barks, sits and stays on command. Really, I can't blame her - after a long day, there's nothing like being greeted at your front door by a big ball of tail-wagging fur. So for anyone with dog lovers on their holiday shopping list, check out these unique and creative gift-giving ideas. See More About:  dog supplies  dog gifts  dog products Top 10 Best Gifts for the Farmer Whether you have a farmer to buy for or someone who simply likes to dig in the dirt, here's a list of perfect gifts for the farmer, the gardener and the digger in all of us. See More About:  holiday gifts  gift giving guide  Top 10 Architecture Gifts I'm a big fan of a cityscape even though my knowledge of architectural form and design is lacking. That's why I'll be forwarding this list of gift suggestions to my husband so he knows how to fill my Christmas stocking. See More About:  gift ideas  architecture books  product design Ergonomic Tips and Tricks for Wrapping Gifts Once you've purchased a unique gift, the next step is wrapping it in festive paper and bows. I'm not the best gift wrapper, but this year I'll be using this guide to wrapping presents. It provides everything you need to create the prettiest packages under the tree. See More About:  ergonomic tips  posture  holiday shopping House & Home Ads Gifts for Men Unique Gifts Holiday Gift Ideas Xmas Gifts Romantic Gifts Featured Articles Before You Buy a New Laptop Centerpieces for Your Holiday Table An Overview of Carpet Choices Christmas Sewing Projects 19 Small Bathroom Ideas 8 Reasons to Buy a Home   More from About.com 2011's Cutest Winter Boots Snuggly snow boots are essential for women who live in cold climates, but still want to put their best foot forward. More> 10 Budget Work Essentials Figuring out how to pay for a fabulous work wardrobe can be a challenge. These 10 mix-and-max essentials are all under $50. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About House & Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Advertisement