Once you have organized your home, keep it ready for un-announced guest with a few beauty tips.

Organizing is the first critical step to increasing the functionality and enjoyment of your home. Once you have put in the effort to organize your spaces it makes sense to keep it that way by establishing rules and routines to keep your life in order. Making your home cozy and welcoming does not need to be difficult or expensive. Simply using things you already have can make your world a more comfortable place to welcome friends and family.

Tip  #1: Flowers and Plants
Flowers and plants are two elements of décor that will add life to your home. Studies show that flowers and plants have a positive impact on our moods. Not only do they uplift and warm a room, they also prevent clutter from building up, when they are placed on surfaces and tables to avoid accumulation. Even a few blooms in an impromptu container will add life to your spaces.

Tip #2: Family Photos
Not only are photos of loved ones cherished, but they can be neatly displayed in just about any public area of the home. You can declutter surfaces by arranging frames on the wall instead of propped on tables. Photos give a sense of history, belonging, and fellowship and can brighten any hallway or room. Color photos can take on new life by being scanned and applying a photo effect using a photo retouching software which comes on most new computers. Simply use a copy of the photo and apply different effects such as Water Color, Oil and Canvas or Pastels and then printing on a color printer. Mount on photo mounts available from the hobby store and group two or three in a hallway. This is a terrific, inexpensive way to add an artistic flair to family photos.

Tip #3: Marvelous Memories
Nothing personalizes a room better than a collection of family heirlooms. Items such as antique vases, musical instruments, or teacups that have been passed down make great conversation pieces and add personality to any room. The key is to display your collection artfully and with simplicity. I have several very precious pieces I acquired from my great-grandmother and wife's grandmother. Two of the most special are some very old cooking pots, neither of them are of any value but they remind me of my relationship to these two wonderful women. I simply keep them in my cupboard and occasionally bring one or the other to the counter or stove top. They have a wonderful, antique quality and their presence reminds me of the generations of meals these two marvelous cooks served to family and friends.

Tip #4: Everyday Extraordinary
Even ordinary items like purses can be organized in a way that maximize access and add beauty to the home. Grandma's costume jewelry mounted to a ribbon and hung from the mirror will keep your grandmother close to heart.  Greeting cards can become cherished focal points, old pots can become lovely plant holders. I use olive oil that comes in a cute bottle and when emptied it becomes a lovely vase for my short-stemmed garden flowers.