In the craziness of planning for our holiday travel and vacations, we often forget to take the necessary steps to safeguard our home from intruders. It's not necessary to have a home security system such as a home alarm or security camera, although those types of precautions are a great deterrent. Here are some tips for homeowners who don't have home security systems but want some piece of mind before locking up.

1. Talk to your neighbors
It's always good to get to know your neighbors as it not only provides another set of eyes throughout the year that can watch over your property, it's also great to build your community. Before traveling, let a neighbor you trust know that you will be away and ask them to keep an eye on your property. That may mean taking out and bringing in the garbage, checking the mail, grabbing the newspaper and safekeeping packages that are delivered in your absence. If you don't have a neighbor you trust, talk to a friend or family member who can stop by.

Go through this easy checklist to prepare your home for snow before the white stuff ever hits the ground.

1. Check your gutters
You've probably already checked them since the leaves started falling but check again. Are they secure? Clean? Connected?

2. Tune up the heating system
If your pilot light was out for the summer or your thermostat isn't working, get your system up and running. It's smarter to take care of this sooner rather than later.

3. Remove screens and install storm windows
This is much easier to do before it gets too cold.

4. Replace worn weather stripping
Check for drafts around doors and windows. Fill any leaks with caulk--the cheapest way to save money on your utility bills and stay warm.

5. Clear your yard
Safeguard anything you don't want getting wet or rusting out. Cover or bring in appliances such as BBQ grills and swingsets.

6. Locate snow clearing equipment
Make sure all shovels and snowblowers are easy to access and in working condition. If the garage door is likely to have a foot of snow in front of it, move the snow supplies to the mudroom or somewhere else within easy reach.

Here's a common complaint: My kids bring the outside in and there's dirt in the house! How do I keep my carpets and floors clean?

This isn't an issue just with kids but pets as well and anyone who isn't diligent about wiping their feet on a mat outside. The way it's done in Hawaii is everyone removes their "slippas" at the door and nobody walks inside with shoes on. This is a Hawaiian/Japanese cultural habit with obvious benefits that has spread to the mainland. I've got quite a few friends in New York City that also adhere to this rule and wish that their guests would do the same.

If you'd like to try the shoe removal technique in your home then make sure all shoes are first wiped on the mat and that there is an easy-to-use shoe shelf or receptacle at each door. This is the number one solution for keeping mud and dirt outside but for some families it's just not going to happen.

We've all faced a closet that somehow ended up being the catch-all for everything we needed to store right away, get off the floor or pick up quickly before guests arrived. But there comes a time to face the ugly reality and we've got some tips for setting up your closet storage.

1. Purge the closet
Get rid of clutter by donating or throwing away anything that you won't be using in the next year, or haven't used in the past 12 months. Of course keep everything of sentimental value but if it's that old sweater you haven't touched in five years or some hockey sticks that are in better shape than you are, get rid of them. You won't miss them --we promise.

2. Evaluate shelving
After purging the closet you may have more space now than you realize. By getting stuff off the closet floor and up on shelves where you can see it and use it, you'll be winning the war on clutter.

Before painting a room or a wall you need to determine how much paint you will need. It's smart to buy just a bit more than you think you'll use as it's always frustrating to return to the hardware store praying they still have your hue. It's also handy to have a little extra paint to cover drywall patches or nail holes when the inevitable wear-and-tear occurs. Luckily, it's easy to calculate how much paint you'll need for any given project.

1. Measure the length of the wall in feet.

2. Measure the height of the wall in feet.

3. Multiply the length times the height to get the square footage of wall area.

A gallon of paint will cover roughly 400 square feet. Make note that if you need two coats then double the amount of paint needed.

Bathroom hardware can be a quick and easy way to update your bathroom. Here's a look at the many components and options you have when choosing your bathroom hardware. No matter the style of your bathroom, whether it is traditional, contemporary, nautical, modern, vintage, rustic or anything else, there is a complimentary bathroom hardware for you. Choose from designers that specialize in stainless steel, bronze, pewter ceramic or even hand forged wrought iron.

Towel bars are a great way to keep towels from taking up valuable counter space. Choose from single towel bars, double towel bars, towel hooks or towel rings, depending on how much space you have in the bathroom. For safety in the shower, if you have elderly folks or small children, a grab bar is a great option to keep them steady.

Coordinate the finish on the grab bar with your towel bar to help it blend in seamlessly with the rest of your décor. Many small bathrooms don't offer a lot of space for a mirror. Consider using the door to hang a full-length mirror or use a long or wide shape over the sink for convenience.

If you are really pressed for space, a medicine cabinet with a mirrored door is great way to add storage for small items, while still giving you the convenience of a mirror. Also don't forget the shower curtain. A curved rod can give a little more space in a cramped shower stall, but it may take up bathroom space if hung incorrectly.

A bathroom looks its best when the hardware is coordinated, including: towel bars, toilet paper holders, faucets, shower rods and everything else you need to make an elegant throne room.

Choosing a finish for your kitchen cabinet can be tricky, as there are seemingly endless arrays of choices. By understanding some of the more popular options, as well as your personal kitchen habits and needs, you may be able to pick a finish with as little hassle as possible.

Conversion finishes have become popular for kitchen cabinets as well as industry finishes because they offer a protective coat that is resistant to heat, wear, water, and solvents. However, conversion finishes are also highly toxic and can be difficult to strip and remove and cannot be used over certain sealers.

Painting is another popular way to finish kitchen cabinets. Painting gives you the option of matching your cabinets to the color of the kitchen. You can also use a stain on your kitchen cabinets, which is a relative to paint and therefore retain the natural grain of the wood. Paint can also help make kitchen cabinets more durable and stain resistant.

There are a wide variety of kitchen cabinet finishes, and the best way to find the right one is to consider your needs as to how you use the kitchen and how important it is to find a water-resistant or heat-resistant seal.

Painting a hardwood floor is a lot easier than most people think.

Painting is a great way to rejuvenate floors that have been scarred and damaged, without having to go to the expense of replacing hardwood.

The only problem with painting a hardwood floor is if the floor has suffered water damage or is in a basement or other moist area. The paint won't adhere as well and may end up peeling rather than providing the protective barrier it should. However, many floors installed after the 1970s have been sealed to prevent moisture vapor.

To begin painting a hardwood floor, sweep or clean the area of any dust and debris. Then, fill in any holes, gaps, dents, large seams, etc., with a plastic-type wood filler (which can be found in a hardwood store).

Once the gaps have been filled, you can then begin to prime for painting. If your hardwood floor has a varnish or urethane finish, it must be sanded before being primed.

After priming, you can begin painting. Oil based paints are best for floors because they are most resistant to foot traffic and also dry more quickly than water-based counterparts. Feel free to get creative with your painting and create a faux finish, using stenciling, borders or pinstriping to get the look you want.

Once the paint has been allowed to dry, apply three coats of non-yellowing urethane.

For maintenance, apply a coat of urethane to floors every couple of years.

Plates hung on a wall provide a 3-D visual impact that a photograph can't match. It is important to hang plates properly, so that they don't become a safety hazard.

One of the easiest ways to hang plates is to purchase a plate hanger. You can find them at craft and hardware stores for just a few dollars. Generally these come in several different materials to coordinate with the hardware in your home, including: brass, lucite and wire. Some have springs and some don't.

Another way to hang plates is with double-sided stickers or tape that are designed just for hanging things. Depending on the weight of the plate and the strength of the wall, these sticky devices can be either a good or bad option.

Another option is to make a wire plate hanger yourself. Many do-it-yourself gurus, including Martha Stewart, offer advice on how to make wire plate hangers. Depending on the size and weight of your plate, you may find that making your own wire plate hanger is a better option because it can be customized to fit any size or weight plate. Making your own plate hanger is especially nice if you are planning to arrange plates that are different sizes.

To make sure your plate is safe, use the same guidelines as you would to hang an especially large painting: a stud finder and a nail or picture hanger for stability.

You may think that choosing a paint is only as complicated as picking out a color, but you'd be wrong. Choosing a paint has become a lot more complicated, thanks to new information that has found that traditional paints "off-gas," creating toxic fumes that have been found to harm and create health problems in the environment, humans and animals. To prevent these problems, choose an eco-paint.

An eco-paint is non-petroleum based paint. These paints often come with an eco-conscious label, unlike a standard latex-based paint. Eco paints don't have the unpleasant odor or the possible health hazards of chemical or biological pollutants found in paints. Eco-paints are labeled with a non-voc label. (VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound).

While eco-paints were once hard to find and only available from select manufactures, primarily online, many bigger brands and companies have gone green, making finding an eco-paint as easy as going to your local paint supplier or hardware store. Some of the more accessible eco-paint brands include Benjamin Moore's Green Promise line of eco paints, Natura Paint, which are produced with industry standards and no VOC's.

Hardware store giant, Home Depot, now carries Eco Options, including a range of non-VOC paints. FreshAire paints and primers are designed to make the air inside easier to breathe.

There are also many smaller eco paint brands include BioShield, Yolo Colorhouse, The Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company's Safepaint and others.