Dining areas frequently become multipurpose areas of our homes. Our dining table is for homework, crafts, entertaining, and dining. With all of those uses, it's no wonder that sometimes our dining areas need a little attention. As you prepare your home for Thanksgiving and other upcoming holidays, spend a little time cleaning and organizing the dining areas.

Week 4 Instructions

10 Week Plan

Week 1 Instructions

Week 2 Instructions

Week 3 Instructions

I always wanted a two-story house. It was my dream. Square footage didn't matter. Closet space was not a deciding factor. Two stories was a must. Now that I live with two stories, I have to wonder how so much dirt accumulates on the stairs. And stairs aren't exactly simple to clean, unless you enjoy bench pressing a vacuum cleaner down a flight of stairs. Luckily, there are easier ways tovacuum stairs.

My kids would rather ruin a vacuum cleaner than stoop to bend over and pick something up prior to vacuuming. I've heard that this trait is common in children. I had to do something to save my appliances. I explained how much it cost to repair a vacuum cleaner and let the kids know how long they'd owe me allowance and birthday money if they purposely vacuumed up a rock, a coin, or rope. We haven't had any problems since. Find out which vacuum cleaner mistakes you don't want to make.

I'm packing up light-up fake pumpkins, witch hats, and wigs this week, and unpacking ceramic pumpkins, fall foilage, and a very ugly ceramic turkey that my husband loves. Once I get all that done, it will be time to tackle the kitchen and pantry in my quest to have an organized holiday season.

Beautiful scented candles can add a beautiful touch to your home. In fact...I'm a little obsessed with them. At the end of a hard day, I can light my favorite candle and get a hint of a sweet smell. But what happens when a candle drips on your nice wood furniture?

I don't remember why I thought it was a good idea, but I distinctly remember gluing a lot of my first grade artwork to the sides of my dresser. Maybe I thought I could decoupage it up. It didn't work. Of course, my mom wasn't happy. Being a mom now myself, I can understand that. My kids have pulled the same stunts on my furniture with glue and stickers. Luckily, it is possible to remove glue, stickers, and other adhesives from your furniture.

We spend a lot of money on our furniture, and we want it to stay looking nice. Burn marks, don't really fit that bill. Whether it's a small burned area from a wayward match, or a larger problem from a hot iron, burn marks can be repaired and disguised on your furniture. Find out how to repair burned areas on your fine wood furniture.

How did you do last week on conquering your clutter and beginning your planning for this year's holiday season? If you finished it all...you're in great shape. If you fell a little behind, you can make it up this week as we focus on our living areas.

Okay, so chances are that your decorations are already in storage, so why should you learn how to properly store them? Is this a shameless attempt by me to make you feel bad for the current disarray of your decorations?

Actually, it's just a reminder of what type of care your holiday decorations need so that you'll be prepared as you decide what to use in your decorating, and what to keep in storage. These tips also work well for all other kinds of decorations. Like all of your light up pumpkins and fake spider webs that will be needing a home in the garage before you know it. Here's how to store your Christmas Decorations.

Are you hosting a party for Halloween? By now you probably have all of the supplies you need. You've planned fun activities and delicious treats. How is your house holding up? Have you saved cleaning for the last, most dreaded of all tasks. Don't be scared. This Party Preparation Plan can help get your home ready for anything goblins have to throw at it.