Whether you have the clean slate of a freshly decluttered home or if you are working in a space filled with messy heaps of stuff, there are always going to be things that need to be picked up, put away or thrown out. Some people leave these daily messes until some big weekly cleaning session, while others (like me) can end up letting it get even worse. There has been many occasions where I thought I may have to call in a New York exterminator because the mounds of dirty dishes and unwashed clothes had gotten so bad.

Painting a room properly is not that hard if you follow all the right steps. After prepping the surface and cutting in the edges, the next and last thing to do is actually cover up the remaining bare sections of the wall. If you've got this far, great. But the challenge becomes how to smoothly paint these empty expanses without leaving marks, drips or patchy areas. Atlanta-area painter Pam Estabrooke says that the key to mark-free walls is to use an "m" shaped zigzag stroke with an evenly (not drippy) covered paint roller, working with 3 to 4 square feet of wall at a time.

Small houses have become increasingly popular over the past few years. From Jay Shafer's tiny Tumbleweed houses to downsized lifestyles, people are gravitating towards simpler ways of living. In Tokyo, Unemori Architects have taken tiny footprint living to the extreme with the "Small House." Measuring only 13 feet wide, the home fits in all the necessities of living in a surprisingly spacious feeling but compact space. Would you want to live in this kind of micro home? If you live in a densely populated city like I do it might make sense.

When trying to maximize the efficiency of your home, no stone should be left unturned. Every little bit counts in the effort to save money. This Old House has shared a valuable tip which seems so simple, yet can save you $25 a year on electric costs. It's especially useful for anyone who does a lot of laundry or for residents of rainy areas like the Pacific Northwest. It's an easy job to do, though if you're lacking in DIY skills you could always call a Seattle electrician to take care of it for you.

Cleaning is a pretty polarizing task. People usually fall into two categories, those who love cleaning and those who hate it with a passion. Although I'm one of those people who enjoy cleaning, I'm still a bit lazy and am always looking for a way to do it easier, faster and cheaper. Andrea from Simple Organized Living just shared a great recipe for a simple, inexpensive shower cleaner that will surely be a mainstay for lazy cleaners like me. To get your showers clean without breaking the bank over expensive gizmos or cleaning fluids, Andrea recommends mixing white vinegar and Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle.