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Even if you’re more clean than messy, it’s still easy to end up with more than a few disorganized piles of stuff lying around the house, office, car, or even in the depths of your purse. Most of us function better in an organized environment, so if you have some clutter getting you down, see my tips and read more

Since we spend most of our time at work, our cube or office space essentially becomes our home away from home. I've never gone so far as to put frames on my desk, but I definitely have my fair share of unique touches that makes my desk feel homey and familiar. On the flip side, some people don't even feel comfortable sharing their personal life with their co-workers so I'd assume personalizing their cube would be out of the question. What about you? Do you set up camp in order to make your workplace more pleasant or do you think adding personal touches is a don't since mixing business with pleasure can easily become too complicated?

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Let's be honest: sometimes our pets smell. And, try as we might to bathe them often and keep their bedding clean, sometimes that stink seeps into our entire home. P.U.! In addition to those standard air fresheners and aroma sprays, there are plenty of products out there to help us battle the smelly furmonsters like the Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh line with odor-eliminating foams, powders, and even a vacuum.

It's a bit overwhelming because they don't come cheap, and how will we know what will work . . . without making our house smell like a phony flower garden?! I'm curious to know what odor removers you include in your reek-wrecking army – so share all tips in the comments below!

Too many times, I'm guilty of thinking of "home" as my house. Every time I visit a community garden, drop by a public park, or take a stroll around my city, I'm reminded that home means much more than my house. Home is your neighborhood, your street, your city, your country — the entire world. The more that we can cultivate this attitude, the safer and more vibrant our homes will be, however broadly we define that term.

Preservation magazine, the publication for the National Trust For Historic Preservation, has 10 green tips for an eco-friendly home based around the notion that "the greenest house is the house already built." Here are some that you may not have thought of or known about:

• Keep original windows intact.
  

  Studies show that older windows can perform as well as vinyl replacements. Weatherstrip them so that they seal tightly, caulk the exterior trim, and repair cracked glazing or putting around glass panels. You'll reduce landfill waste and the demand for vinyl, a nonbiodegradable material that gives off toxic byproducts when it's made.

• Plant trees.
  

  Evergreen trees on the north and west sides of your house can block Winter winds, and leafy trees on the south and west provide shade from the Summer sun. Using old photos of your house, try to match the historic landscaping.

• Restore porches and awnings.
  

  Porches, awnings, and shutters were intended for shade and insulation. To save energy, draw shades on Winter nights and Summer days.

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While North doesn't show much interest in the closed window (unless we're feeding the birds), whenever I have it cracked just the teensiest bit, he loves to put his paws up and sniff that fresh air coming in. Now my window ledges weren't in the greatest shape when we moved in but, if I owned my home, I would consider getting one of these Sill Shields to match any window I'd have open.

Made from heavy duty, outdoor grade PVC, these attachable shields protect the surface beneath them, while still hiding the scratches better than painted wood. With three sizes of depths and three for widths, they're designed to fit most windows – and, starting at $12.95, totally affordable too. To see another piccy of my lil guy trying to get a good view from our top floor apt when you read more

Got a stinky smell in your home? You might want to pause before turning to that can of synthetic air freshener.

Did you know that most synthetic air fresheners — such as Lysol — do little to nothing to freshen the air? Instead, these chemical-laden products simply add more pollutants to your home when you spray them around your living room or bathroom. So, instead of making a bad situation worse, combat unpleasant smells with something that is derived from natural ingredients and won't detract from your home's indoor air quality. Take a look at the widget below for some of my favorite natural air fresheners.

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