The morning after

This is the week my home always looks its absolute worst. The needles are falling off the Christmas tree faster than I can sweep them up. Some of the gifts -- the ones we haven't yet found a place for -- are still sitting on the kitchen island. And those seasonal decorations that felt so fun and festive when we put them up? Now they just look like clutter.

But that's not all. There's holiday detritus in weird places -- price tags, bits of Scotch tape and residues of flour, all left behind from frantic, last-minute wrapping and baking marathons.

Then there's the regular, year-round mess, only more of it. Housekeeping has definitely taken a back seat to the holidays for the past two weeks. While we were out shopping and celebrating and hanging with the relatives, the dirty clothes, dog fur and dust bunnies continued to accumulate. Yuck!

No wonder so many of us make New Year's resolutions to clean up, get organized and clear out the clutter. It's time for a clean sweep. But where to start?

Where do YOU start? Now that the holiday party's over, what's your game plan for putting a fresh, orderly spin on your space? And if you need some tips to jump-start your resolve, check out the National Association of Professional Organizers' website (www.napo.net/get_organized/tips/home_organization.aspx)