Available in four inviting holiday scents including Fresh-Cut Fir, Fresh-Cut Pine, Fresh-Cut Spruce, and Cinnamon Stick, ScentSicles can also be hung from tree boughs or tucked into wreaths and garlands. ScentSicles.com, 6 sticks for $6.99.

Reduce humidity as much as possible
Reducing humidity decreases dust mite and mold growth. Air conditioners help reduce the humidity as well as prevent the exposure of outdoor allergens. You can reduce the number of outdoor allergens such as pollen and mold from entering the home by keeping windows and doors closed and the air conditioner set on recirculate.

Improve indoor air quality
Control dust mites by keeping surfaces in the home clean and uncluttered. It’s best to have bare floors and walls, especially in the bedroom where you spend one-third of your time. If you must have carpet, opt for throw rugs that can be washed or low-pile carpets.

Care for pillows and mattresses
Put zippered allergen impermeable or plastic covers on all pillows, mattresses and box springs. Encasing mattresses works better than air cleaners to reduce allergy symptoms. Every week, wash bedding, uncovered pillows and stuffed toys in hot water (130 degree F.) to kill mites.

Vacuum
Vacuum once or twice weekly to keep allergens to a minimum. Poor-quality vacuums can put dust into the air, so look for asthma friendly certified devices. Wear a dust mask while doing housework and use a damp or treated cloth for dusting, then leave the house for several hours after cleaning it.

Keep windows and doors closed
This helps prevent pollen from entering the home. Run the air conditioner in warm weather to helps control dust mites by reducing humidity, and change filters often in window units.

Avoid mold spores
Reduce moisture in the bathroom, kitchen, and other water areas around the home. Use a dehumidifier to help reduce both mold and dust mites and fix all leaks and other causes of damp areas.

Control cockroaches
Do not leave food or garbage uncovered. Use poison baits, boric acid and traps rather than chemical agents that can irritate rhinitis and asthma.

Shorter Wedding Dresses
Knee-length wedding dresses are more practical and more personalized for today’s bride. But shorter doesn’t mean dowdy, dresses can be glammed up or have a vintage feel. Clothing stores such as J.Crew and White House Black Market are now carrying their own lines, giving brides an affordable option. Another place to try is Etsy, where brides can pick up a custom hand-made gown for as little as $40.

Cultural Cues
Food cart fare is showing up in the pre-wedding cocktail hour and the after-party. Culturally significant themes like retro Asian flavors and ethnic icons like sushi, ninjas, geisha girls and Chinese lanterns are being used in inventive ways. Vintage board games are showing up as Monopoly pieces in bouquets and Scrabble letter tiles as signs for the buffet.

Punchy Personalization
While the structure of the wedding remains the same– a bride and groom, an officiant, a group of family and friends, a ceremony and reception– the look is anything but. Have a wedding during brunch; try tables and chairs so it doubles as a reception; and instead of traditional wedding favors, go with personalized takeaways, like souvenir photo booth picture strips.

Alternative Gift Registries
Many couples are registering for gifts that are more practical. Some travel agencies are offering honeymoon gift certificates while some auto dealers are offering gift certificates toward the purchase of a new car. CardAvenue.com allows couples to create a gift card registry for national retailers. Couples can get creative by requesting gift cards to home improvement stores to offset costs of home renovation, or register for local restaurants so they can continue dating as newlyweds on a budget.

Goodbye Wedding Cake
Instead of an expensive traditional tiered wedding cake, opt for nontraditional desserts like square mini-cakes and cupcake tiers or a dessert buffet that might feature pies, macaroons, Whoopie Pies, cake pops, color-coordinated candy and even ice cream sundae stations or cookies and milk bars.

One thing to note is that prices vary by store and that launderers and dry cleaners charge by the piece with a $35 minimum. If you’re in a time crunch and need pieces back that same day, be sure to pick a location that offers same day service. And if you’re going out of town or on vacation and can’t pick up your laundry right away, they will hold it without a storage fee.

You can also call 1-888-702-WASH for customer service questions and more information.

Know What You’re Pruning
Carefully look at your garden and identify what you’re going to be pruning. Use the internet to identify them if you don’t already know. You want to learn how the shrub should look so you can prune it to maintain its natural shape.

Cut Back to the Branch
Always cut back to a bud or branching point. Never leave a long stub. A stub will look ugly and it also invites insects and diseases that may cause long term problems.

Cut the Dead Weight First
Cut out the dead or broken branches before you cut anything else. Sometimes removing a dead branch will leave a big gap, so by doing these first, you’ll be able to tailor the rest of your pruning to compensate for that gap.

Cutleaf maple before and after trimming

Crossing Over
After eliminating the dead branches, target crossing branches or branches that are likely to cross in the future. Once they start rubbing against each other, they’ll leave a wound that will invite insects and disease, so you want to eliminate this threat.

Cut With the Flow
Finally, cut out all branches that are not going in the natural direction of the plant. This is good for the health of the plant, as well as the look of your garden.

Carol Chernega has worked as a professional gardener since 1992 and was the first International Visitor for the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) which allowed her to work for two months in Jane Austen’s garden in Chawton, England. You can learn more about her pruning techniques from her DVD Pruning Shrubs with Your Personal Gardener.

Purge the paperwork
Clear the clutter. Go through all paperwork and eliminate what you no longer need. Shred identifying documents to protect against identity theft. Get rid of expired warranties and year-old receipts and bank statements.

Safely store crucial records
Designate a specific storage space for important documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, passports, wills, and social security cards. These items, as well as any important memorabilia, should be stored in a locked, fire retardant box such as Master Lock’s 7142D storage box.

Create a tax file
Create a separate file for all of your tax documents. Use a customizable, portable filing solution such as Master Lock’s 7148D storage box for simple that you can easily transport to meet with your tax adviser. Organize this file into 10 categories: income (pay stubs, W-2s, interest statements), medical (medical expenses and health insurance out-of-pocket), donations (cash and non-cash donations), real estate (interest statements from mortgage, tax assessments), child care (payment receipts), tax correspondence (important IRS or state revenue service letters), student loans (statements of payment), miscellaneous receipts (any receipts that might be needed for deductions), payments (records of advance payments) and old tax papers (old tax returns). Continue to use your tax file year-round, and you won’t have to scramble for these documents when it comes time to file next year.

Back up everything
Make digital copies of important documents and store them in your fireproof box on a zip or thumb drive. Use a secure online organization and security solution, such as the Master Lock Vault to store log-in and password information for bank accounts and credit cards as well as lock combinations or key numbers to your file boxes. Consider appointing a guardian as an additional security measure who knows where and how your records are stored for easy access in your absence.

Make it a tradition
Select a specific time of year (perhaps when tax time rolls around again) and make your review of these records an annual occurrence. This will ensure your information is streamlined and up-to-date and that finding or organizing this information is never an overwhelming process again.

Make guests comfortable with a warm, welcoming ambiance
Inspire holiday cheer with a lit fireplace, candles, festive place settings and inviting decorative elements. If you’re hosting a sit-down dinner, create seating arrangements in advance to avoid potentially awkward pairings.

“A Case Just in Case”
Always be prepared for the unexpected gift or a last minute invitation. Have a case of wine (such as Hall Wine) on hand for hostess or reciprocal gifts.

Don’t overstay your welcome
Don’t linger or reach for another drink when your hosts are already cleaning up. Take the hint if you’re being shooed out or if the crowd is beginning to thin.

Bring two different wines
Everyone has a different palate and tasting different wines side by side adds a conversational element to any dinner party. Gifting two different varietals will satisfy tastes and evoke dialogue about preferences.

A short ‘Thank You’ goes a long way
A handwritten note or a phone call to your host shows your appreciation for the invitation, while acknowledging all their hard work. Always make your note personal, mentioning a specific aspect of the party that you particularly enjoyed.

Here are some flowers that eco-friendly, mission based florist, Organic Bouquet recommend keeping in your home:

Asiatic Sunset Lilies
Flowers can easily take the place of boring everyday table décor. Coordinate bouquet colors with your space, or place a bright bouquet on a shabby old table to draw the eye and lend to a fresh new look.

Vibrant Orange Petite Bouquet
Smell is one of the most powerful senses and can trigger instant memories. Choose familiar bouquets that bring back fond memories of growing up in the country, taking a final bow on stage, or even those used on your wedding day.

One Dozen Peach Roses
Fresh flowers have been shown to stimulate creativity while promoting concentration. Add flowers and fresh plants to your child’s bedroom or play area to brighten the space and grow their imagination, while encouraging responsibility.

Tropical Bromeliad
Providing workers in underdeveloped countries everything from zero-interest loans, childcare, healthcare, education, environmental protection, supplies, and more, each purchase from Organic Bouquet helps to improve the life of a flower farm worker, their family and the local community. They are also a carbon neutral company, partnered with ClimateFund.org in a carbon offset program supporting re-forestation projects in Guatemala.

Architectural style of the home
“Some styles of architecture look best in a particular color, while others welcome an imaginative color choice. For example, a Greek Revival home virtually demands a white exterior, while Victorian homes, with all their fretwork and gingerbread, can be painted in a rainbow of colors,” says Zimmer.

Likewise, owners of historical homes or those that mimic them may want to choose colors from a traditional, historically-accurate color palette, while those who live in contemporary-style homes have more freedom in choosing a color scheme.

The natural environment
The natural surroundings of a home can be a great source of inspiration for color ideas. Houses looks best when its color scheme harmonizes with the environment.

“Homes in a beach setting look great in oceanic colors like blue, blue-green, coral and turquoise, while those in the desert look very attractive when painted in the natural palette of that landscape – dusty gold, terra cotta, muted red, and olive,” she says.

If your home is located in a tree-dotted landscape, think in terms of your local earthy hues – paint colors in the green and brown families are especially appropriate.

“Fixed” colors on the home
Another important consideration involves the “fixed” colors that are already present on a home. Brick and stone have colors, as do roofing shingles. It’s important to select a paint scheme that is compatible with these existing architectural elements.

Color compatibility with neighboring homes
When selecting a color scheme, walk down your street and take notes on the colors used on nearby homes.
Then visit your local paint store and try to find color cards that match what you’ve seen on your neighbors’ homes. Line them up in the order of the homes on your street, leaving a gap for your home. Then see how different paint colors would look on your home in relation to your neighbors.

Color restrictions
Before purchasing the paint, make sure the color scheme you’ve selected doesn’t run afoul of any local color restrictions. “Designers of townhouse communities and condominium complexes have long recognized the importance of house-to-house color compatibility, and many of them have strict rules concerning the colors you can paint your home,” says Zimmer.

Whatever color scheme you ultimately decide upon, use top quality 100% acrylic latex paint when doing exterior painting. “Top quality 100% acrylic paints are extremely durable and resist fading, so they’ll faithfully retain your carefully chosen color scheme for years to come,” she says. “Plus, these paints often cover existing colors in fewer coats and some even function as both primer and paint. So, even though they cost a little more than ordinary paint, they often end up being the more economical choice!”

Take down family photos
You may consider it the crown jewel of the living room, but future buyers will see outdated family photos as years of wear and tear. Clear the room of family portraits and other items that say “you don’t live here” to buyers.

Consider curb appeal
If you can’t hire a professional landscaper, make sure lawns are freshly mowed, leaves raked, and paths cleared. Scrub the front door, porch, railings and steps, pick up a new mailbox and welcome mat, and add a fresh coat of paint where needed. Add seasonal potted plants and a bench to the entryway to welcome visitors into a clean, fresh and relaxing space.

Rearrange refresh
Arrange the room in a conversational way. You may have preferred for every piece of furniture to face the television, but potential buyers will appreciate more of an open room vignette.

Kitchen clean up
Kitchens play a big part in home resale value, so make sure buyers are impressed. Spend extra time scrubbing, cleaning and de-cluttering, and make sure counters are clear of appliances. Re-stain shabby cabinets, replace any mismatched hardware, add fresh cut flowers, turn on lights and open curtains for a clean, bright and attractive gathering space.

Let in some air
Keep stuffiness and odors at bay by opening windows for at least 10 minutes prior to showing. Go easy on the air freshener, but bring in fresh cut flowers for a natural look and smell.

What’s behind door #3?
While shoving everything into a closet has been your go-to cleanup plan since your teen years, potential buyers will undoubtedly look behind every door in your home. Keep bedroom, linen closets, and storage spaces neat and tidy to avoid any embarrassing surprises.

Scrub until it sparkles
Clean bathrooms until they look like the model sets at Home Depot. Signs of use, like soap scum and toothpaste stuck to the sink, will turn buyers off. Replace any outdated fixtures with sleek and modern ones, and add fresh cut flowers to help with aroma and appearance.

What once was old, should be newly slip-covered
No need to splurge on new furniture and home assets when your budget is already tight. Cover up outdated, worn and loud furniture with neutral colors. You can also use throw rugs and even coordinating curtains and dining room sets to make your home décor look like new.

Sleep tight
Keep bedrooms neutral, comfortable and spacious. Buyers want to picture themselves relaxing here, so use soft colors, light scents and earth tones to “set the mood.” Make bedrooms appear larger by limiting items in the room to a bed, dresser and small seating area for the Master Bedroom. Update any outdated bedding and use a lavender oil diffuser to keep relaxation a priority here.

Better backyard
Outdoor living spaces have become exponentially more important to potential buyers. Treat your back deck or patio like any other room in your home. Scrub down patios, touch up worn fences and banisters, and make sure your yard is free of clutter. A few decorating touches can make your space much more than just a “backyard.” Cover a worn picnic table with a bright tablecloth and replace worn chair cushions with new ones.