With an entire new year is ahead of you, decluttering your home may not seem so hard. But after January, when that new year energy begins to fade, the prospect of tackling big projects tends to be overwhelming.

Try this month-by-month guide for clearing the clutter from each room of your house. Feel free to reorganize this schedule as you see fit.

No matter what, by the end of the year, your home should be feeling more spacious and you will be feeling more capable of maintaining a clutter-free space.

Getting Started: 

Turbocharge Your Decluttering

If you’re feeling inspired and motivated by the new year, take advantage of that energy and spend a few weekends clearing clutter throughout the house. Making noticeable headway will help motivate you to keep up the decluttering effort in the coming months. Try to get the other members of your household onboard — but if they are not interested, don’t try to force it. Hopefully they will see the positive changes happening around the house and help you!

Create a Habit: 

Keep an empty reusable bin in a closet, and use it to put in items you plan to give away.

January: 

Kitchen and Pantry 

Give yourself a fresh start for the new year with a clean kitchen, decluttered cabinets and a healthy pantry and fridge.

*  Toss worn dish towels or cut them up to make rags

*  Sell or give away specialty small appliances and tools you

    seldom or never use

*  Recycle or toss freebie cups and Tupperware containers

    without lids

*  Toss expired food and spices

*  Take stock of cookware and dishes; give away or sell pieces 

    you do not need

Creat a Habit: 

Clean out the pantry and fridge each week before shopping.

February: 

Home Office — Digital Documents and Papers

Get a jump-start on tax time by getting your files (paper and digital) in order.

*  Sort through random stacks of paper; file, shred or recycle everything

*  Streamline your files, shredding any documents you no longer need

*  Use one calendar to keep track of all events

*  Switch to paperless bills and statements if possible

*  Clean out computer files and back up everything, using cloud-based storage and an         external drive

Creat a Habit: 

Sort your mail at the door, tossing junk immediately into a recycling bin.

March: 

Clothes and accessories 

The seasonal transition is a good time to sort through clothing. Sort through winter clothes before storing, and pare back spring and summer clothes as you begin to wear them.

*  Donate or sell clothes, shoes and accessories in good condition

*  Have winter clothes laundered or dry-cleaned before storing until next year

*  Try on all clothes for the upcoming season and give away or sell any items that do not        make you feel good

Creat a Habit: 

As soon as you wear something and notice it doesn’t fit, has a hole or doesn’t flatter you, toss it in a bag in your closet. When the bag is full, donate it.

April: 

Bath, Beauty Products and Medicine Cabinets

Give your daily routine a spring cleaning by sorting through all of those bottles and jars hiding in medicine cabinets, on counters and in drawers.

*  Toss expired makeup and skin-care items, as well as anything you do not use or like

*  Clean drawers and shelves before returning items

*  Store heat- and moisture-sensitive items (medications and some skin-care products)          away from the bathroom

Create a Habit: 

Keep a list of your favorite bath and beauty products and order them online rather than shopping in person. This helps avoid overshopping and impulse purchases.

May: 

Laundry Room, Linen Closet, Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning routines are much easier and more pleasant when the supplies you need are neat and orderly. Sheets, towels and other household linens do not last forever — go through them this month and make some space.

*  Recycle worn-out and stained towels, washcloths, sheets and tea towels at a textile            recycling center.

*  If your child has graduated a bed size, donate the old bedding to charity

*  Clean under sinks and in any cupboards where cleaning supplies are stored. Get rid of      empty containers and products you tried but did not like

Create a Habit: 

Don’t downgrade old towels and sheets to “guest” status. Only keep linens you would personally want to use — get rid of the rest. Your guests deserve better!

June: 

Family Room, Playroom, Media, Art and Schoolwork

The end of the school year is a good time to review collected artwork and school papers, and choose a small number of special pieces to save in a portfolio or document box.

*  Edit schoolwork and art from the past year

*  Gather a bag of DVDs, books and CDs to give away or sell

*  Sort through toys and games; get rid of those your family no longer enjoys, as well as        anything missing key pieces

Create a Habit: 

At the beginning of each school year, pick up a simple art portfolio. When your child brings work home, enjoy all of it for a while, but choose only a few special pieces to put in the portfolio.

July: 

Yard, Shed, Garage and Tools

Being outdoors in the summer makes this a good time to get outdoor tools and equipment in order.

*  Get rid of broken tools and those you no longer need

*  Sort through gardening supplies

*  Toss worn-out outdoor furnishings and decor

*  If you’ve been collecting items to sell, hold a yard sale this month. At the end of the           day, take unsold items to a charity donation center

Create a Habit: 

Keep everything in your garage or shed on shelving, not on the floor. This helps prevent accumulating a pileup of junk and keeps your gear cleaner.

August: 

Photos

Photos seem to be one of the most problematic items for many people to keep organized. Use the lazy days of August to sort through old photos and make books or prints from new ones.

*  Choose a few favorite photos from this year and have them framed

*  Edit digital photos and back up using a cloud service as well as an external drive

*  Make a photo album or book from recent photos

*  Sort through any bins of loose photos and put them in acid-free photo boxes or simple        albums

Create a Habit: 

Take a few extra moments to tag favorite digital photos each time you upload. Then when it’s time to print or make an album, you can go straight to your favorites.

September: 

Mudroom, Entrances and Junk Drawers

Embrace the back-to-school spirit by getting the busiest zones of your house clutter-free this month.

*  Put away stray items in entrances that belong elsewhere

*  Add extra hooks or shelves if you need them

*  Sort through junk drawers, baskets, trays and any other spots that accumulate random      junk

*  Invest in drawer organizers or a wall-mounted organizer to keep small items neat

Create a Habit: 

Do an end-of-day tidy-up of the entryway, putting shoes, coats and random items back where they belong.

October: 

Dining Room and Entertaining Supplies

With the big holidays coming up over the next few months, October is a good time to get ahead of the curve and sort out your entertaining arsenal.

*  Get rid of worn-out and stained tablecloths, placemats and napkins

*  Count your dinnerware and serving pieces and consider whether you have enough, too     much or too little for the amount you entertain

*  Get rid of decor, table linens and serving pieces that you don’t like or that no longer fit        your lifestyle

Create a Habit: 

Just like creating a wardrobe with lots of pieces that work together, think of creating an entertaining wardrobe that you can mix and match, rather than having lots of distinct sets of dishes.

November: 

Hobbies and Crafts

Get ready for holiday crafting and gift wrapping by clearing out your stash and organizing supplies this month.

*  Clean out gift-wrapping supplies, tossing empty tape dispensers, out-of-ink pens and          shreds of gift wrap and ribbon

*  Downsize your craft stash by donating spare fabric scraps, yarn, scrapbooking paper          and other materials — many organizations: schools, retirement centers etc. are happy      to accept donations of craft supplies

*  Keep works in progress together in bags, bins or boxes

Create a Habit: 

Take the time to put away your craft supplies neatly when you are done working. A messy stash makes it more likely you will buy something you already have simply because you couldn’t find it!

December: 

Holiday Items and Decor 

With so much going on around the holidays, it’s wise not to expect too much of yourself when it comes to clutter-clearing. That said, with all of the new gifts coming in, it does make sense to do some paring back to preserve balance in the house.

*  Give away holiday ornaments and decor that you did not use this year, or that you no          longer love

*  Toss broken ornaments and recycle strands of lights that no longer work

*  Exchange or give away gifts you received but know you will never use, and do not like       — don’t keep things out of guilt. The one exception to this rule may be hand-knit                 sweaters. The knitter will never forgive you; that’s just how it is.

Create a Habit: 

Tell friends and family who ask (in advance of the holidays) that you and your family would prefer gifts that are experiential or edible. Most people honestly want to give you something you will like, and are happy for the guidance.

Happy De-cluttering!

Thinking of renting out your condo, basement or house? Here is some advice for small landlords and how to avoid difficult situations with your tenants.

It’s important to be prepared. Familiarize yourself with the Landlord and Tenant Board, the paperwork required to evict someone, and the standard lease agreement, before even advertising the unit.

You should have a financial cushion that can cover at least six months of the mortgage and other costs of the unit in case you don’t have rental income, as well as a little extra to cover legal fees. A month-to-month rental agreement instead of a lease with a fixed term, is also recommended, as it gives you more flexibility.

Screening is key when choosing a tenant, as you’re assessing risk. You need to look at the applicants’ income, employment, credit check, references and previous tenancies, and it’s important not to take any information, such as phone numbers, for granted. Always Google a person or workplace to check that the available information matches what’s on the application.

Assessing a potential tenant is a balance of intuition and looking at the facts. You can tell a lot about an applicant by meeting them in person, but you should still check everything even if you think the person seems trustworthy. “Do the math” yourself to see whether the applicant’s income seems like enough to cover their monthly costs.

As soon as something seems off — whether it’s a global pandemic or a late rent payment — the landlord should reach out to the tenant to figure out a compromise. However, you should also serve notice just in case, as that can always be withdrawn once the tenant pays rent or agrees to a payment plan. Throughout the tenancy, it’s important to have all agreements in writing.

Above all, the landlord needs to be professional and nice, regardless of the situation, as expressing one’s frustration or anger won’t help solve a difficult tenant situation.

Living with winter is about savoring the warm and cozy aspects of the season. Candles, fairy lights and a roaring fire can do wonders to boost light on short, dark days and (even more important) bolster the spirits. So pour yourself a mug of hot cocoa and get cozy around the fire. Here are some ideas for boosting light, lifting your spirits and creating a magical ambience around the house.

Keep Your Windows Clean

You may be surprised at how much more light comes in through crystal-clear windows. Even if it’s too cold out to get to the exterior side of the windows, cleaning even inside can boost light. And while there’s something to be said for the insulating effects of heavy window treatments, they do nothing when it comes to letting in maximum light on dim winter days — so open the blinds and pull open those drapes!

Line Your Hall With Lanterns

If you have a long hall, why not line it with a row of sturdy lanterns or hurricanes filled with pillar or LED candles?

This would make walking from one room to the next a far more romantic experience.

Have Your Fireplace Ready And Waiting

If you have a working fireplace or wood stove, stock up and get ready with everything you need to light a fire at a moment’s notice.

Chop and stack wood, prepare kindling and get your tools in order. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to have your chimney professionally cleaned. 

Knowing everything is ready to go may nudge you into having a cozy fire more often.

Use String Lights In The Bedroom

Whether you choose plain white twinkle lights or mini paper lanterns on a string, fairy lights bring a magical touch to the winter bedroom.

Drape them from the headboard, hang them vertically from a curtain rod or drape them across the top of the closet. Before bed put out all lights but the twinkle lights and candle, and revel in the ambience.

Enhance The Kitchen With Candles

Kitchen lighting can be a bit sterile — it gets the job done but doesn’t add anything to the mood. Supplement the overheads with a smattering of tea lights or votives on the counters, and I think you’ll find even chopping vegetables or washing up to be a more pleasant undertaking.

As always, keep an eye on burning candles, and never leave them unattended.

Light Candles At Breakfast

Winter mornings can be so dark. Why reserve candles for the dinner table only, when you can benefit from them at all times of day? I find candles have an especially calming effect on children; they’re great for soothing frazzled nerves before a busy school day.

Put Candles Around The Tub

If you don’t normally soak in the tub, make an exception for winter.

Bring in a few candles and place them around the tub, turn down the lights and relax. Repeat at least once a week.

Keep Your Holiday Decorating Simple

I’m not one for going overboard on holiday decor, but a few simple pieces can bring a welcome festive air to the home.

When All Else Fails, Treat Yourself To Color

I am a firm believer in the power of color to uplift the spirits. So if all of the tea lights, fairy lights and cozy nights around the fire aren’t helping you get your groove back, allow me to suggest splurging on something bright and bold instead.

There are endless ways to decorate a bedroom, but the room should above all encourage relaxation and sleep. A good night’s sleep is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle. Here are some effective ways to create a calm and relaxing environment in the bedroom.

Opaque Window Coverings

Blackout shades are recommended for bedroom windows. Your body repairs itself while you sleep, and it needs darkness to do so effectively. There are many options for blackouts that filter enough light so you can wake up in the morning naturally to sunshine yet provide sufficient privacy during the day.

Calming Color Palette

Many people prefer warm colors over cool ones, but when it comes to the bedroom, cooler hues are the better choice because of their calming effect. Blue, lilac and cool shades of gray promote rest, while warm tones can often be energizing and more likely to keep you up at night.

Minimal Decor

Even though your eyes will be closed when you go to sleep, if you have too many distractions in your bedroom, it may be hard to actually fall asleep. It’s wise to get rid of the clutter around your bed. Keeping your bedroom clear of distractions will help you clear your mind at the end of a long day.

Properly Positioned Bed

Positioning your bed so it’s one of the first things you see when you walk into a room is a great way to invite you into the space. However, if your windows have a view consider having your bed so that it faces the view. Just make sure to purchase those blackout shades.

Safe Circulation

Ensure that you leave enough room around your bed so that you aren’t bumping your shins or stubbing your toes when getting in and out of it. Consider the actual dimensions of the bed frame when purchasing a mattress, not just whether it holds a twin, full, queen or king size.

Adjustable Lighting

Bedside lighting is critical. Soft, soothing lighting is ideal for a bedroom. Having light fixtures on a dimmer is also a smart move since it lets you regulate the amount of light. Adjustable sconce lighting is a great option because it allows you to keep your nightstand neat and tidy, and it can be positioned to provide optimal lighting for reading in bed.

Expressive Headboard

You want to keep your room free of distractions and other stimulation, think about using an interesting headboard. This is an opportunity to express your creativity. If not a headboard, then think about installing an interesting item above your bed. It’s also important to consider what your headboard will look like to you when you’re lying down on your bed. Is it distracting? Will it affect the way you sleep? Remember, achieving a good night’s sleep is key.

Quiet Ceiling Fan

Fans help provide good circulation and fresh air, which will help you get a good night’s sleep. It’s not imperative to have a fan, but it’s certainly a bonus to any healthy bedroom. Just be sure to find one that makes as little noise as possible.

Peaceful Artwork

In keeping with the theme of creating a relaxing environment, it’s important to choose art that’s calming and sleep-inducing. Choose your art wisely, and keep it sparse in your bedroom. Again, you don’t want too many distractions.

No Tech

Banish the television, computer and exercise equipment from the bedroom. To make it a peaceful haven, you need to ensure that you aren’t bringing your work to bed with you. Creating an oasis devoid of technology will allow you to connect better to your natural biorhythms.

Here are some tricks can help you expand your bathroom or powdr room space without moving any walls.

Most of us dream of having a vast, spacious bathroom with a separate tub and shower and two sinks. Whether you live that dream or not, you can make your bathroom live up to its full potential by using these strategies to give it a larger look. 

Go Airy With White On White

One of the easiest ways to give your room a spacious look is to use lots of white — white tile, white paint, a white vanity and so on. This noncolor-color naturally, makes a space look bigger. It also reflects any available light, rather than absorbing it.

White finishes can make any space look bigger, but they’re especially effective in a bathroom. Since a bathroom typically has lots of white fixtures already (the tub, toilet and sink, for example), using white for other surfaces creates a seamless look that makes the space appear as airy as possible.

Note that using lots of white doesn’t mean the space has to lack character. Using different textural elements such as molding, pale stone or tile and fabric accents, as well as the occasional touch of metallics or wood, will retain the seamless look while still giving the eye lots of richness to take in.

Try Tone On Tone

Not a fan of white? You can still get a very big and breezy effect with a tone-on-tone palette in warm beige, soft grays or even faint hues such as powder blue. Choose a beautiful tile, and find a paint color for the remaining walls that picks up on one of the hues within it. The overall effect is still serene and spa-like, without the jarring visual breaks to shrink your perception of the space.

Use A Floating Vanity

In a tight bathroom space, it can be tricky to balance a demand for storage with a desire for space. A floating vanity is a great answer. It gives you lots of room to store daily essentials, but the peek of flooring underneath makes the area feel more open. In a very small space, having a little bit more room to plant your feet can make a big difference.

Less Is More

If you don’t really need maximum storage, consider using a smaller vanity to leave a bit more open space, rather than fitting in the biggest unit you can. Leaving a little negative space will make the area feel roomier. And if your toilet or tub is next to your vanity, you’ll appreciate the extra open space even more.

Go Big With Your Mirror

A large mirror can double the size of your space and, in a bathroom especially. A very large mirror can be a bit expensive. However, compared with the price of tiling that wall, a mirror can actually give you an equally dramatic look at a better value.

Splurge on a large mirror with a beautiful frame, or go wall-to-wall with a custom-sized piece. The effect can be so powerful that you need little else to make the room look perfectly finished. This can be especially effective in slim powder rooms with small walls that don’t take much glass to cover.

Use A Glass Panel

Another great way to expand the look of your space is by replacing a shower curtain with a glass panel or door. The entire square footage of the room will be visible at once for a bigger look, especially when you’re in the shower.

If you prefer more privacy, you can use a frosted or tinted glass panel, which will still allow a lot of light to filter through.

If you’re performing a complete renovation and don’t consider yourself a bath person, try skipping the tub altogether and installing just a shower instead. They are easier to get in and out of, and removing the tub eliminates a lot of bulk that eats up precious room.

Find Your Niche

Sometimes a little extra space can go a long way. Adding an open niche not only steals some empty wall cavity space to use as storage, but it can add a lot of visual depth that makes the walls look farther away than they really are.

Don’t love open shelving? Use that niche space for an inset cabinet and get all that functional storage without having a large object protruding into the room at eye level. This will make the vanity area feel much more open and give you lots of extra elbow room.

Keep in mind that plumbing, studs and other hidden conditions can affect where you can and can’t add a niche, so you should definitely talk to a professional before planning to open any walls.

Apply Bright Lighting

Good lighting is important to making any space look big and open, but in bathrooms, which often don’t have much natural light, it’s especially important. Plus, you need good lighting to do things such as shave or apply makeup effectively. Its importance can’t be overstated.

For these reasons, it’s key to have a good lighting scheme, preferably with multiple light sources at different locations. A grid of ceiling lights, as well as sconces or a contemporary edge-lighted mirror will help you avoid shadowing and make the space feel bright and open.

In a small powder room, or where you can’t add new electrical for lights, try changing your ceiling light to one with multiple bulbs so you have light coming from several directions from one fixture.

Create Long Lines

Whether your bathroom is a typical rectangle or more oddly shaped, you can usually find one wall or area that’s a bit longer than others to emphasize. Adding a shelf, a band of tile, a molding chair rail or another long element (even a simple stripe of paint) can help emphasize the longest line in your room and draw the eye to the widest point.

Visually Push The Walls Apart

If your bathroom is already very long and tunnel-shaped, rather than emphasize the length even more, consider working against the length and visually stretching the width instead.

Go Vertical

If your bathroom has small square footage, rather than try to make it look bigger horizontally, the smartest approach is to embrace the height as the largest dimension and emphasize that feature instead.

Using vertical elements as simple as a tall, thin mirror and a bold accent color on a skinny wall can enhance the height of a space and make the room feel big and breezy. Add some delicate lights and a little black and white tile, and you’ve got lots to keep the eye moving from flooring to ceiling.

Keep A Low Profile

Want to add some personality or drama to your bathroom without visually shrinking the space? Just look down. Try adding drama to elements with a lower profile, such as the vanity or the floor tile, while keeping the elements around your eyeline more simple and open. This approach gives the room lots of character while still maintaining a sense of openness. In fact, having a dark or vibrant color near floor level can sometimes make the upper half of the room feel even more open and airy by contrast.