I don't have open concept but the smell of cooking still permeates the whole house. That said, I agree that open concept is easy to overdo. So many families on HGTV think it is so important to have open concept so they can watch the little ones while cooking. Well, in a few years, those little ones are going to be playing with their video games or noisy friends or watching TV programs that you aren't interested in, and they no longer need such close supervision, and you will be unable to escape all that while you make dinner or eat lunch or unload the groceries. I kind of like the privacy from my family of a non-open concept kitchen . And when we entertain I like being able to clear the dishes without having to look at the messy kitchen while we adjourn to a separate room to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Our decorations go up gradually through December with the tree up before Christmas Eve, and everything stays through orthodox Christmas (Jan 6) or slightly later. We are not religious, but developed this practice when living overseas, realizing that our daughter and husband had multiple Christmas events to attend...a nice break and later Christmas with us, far less busy and challenging for a fit into multiple family traditions. Now, we're finding that Rob and I are invited to all the gatherings which rather defeats the "less busy" purpose. Might reassess! Tree down yesterday, decore in our suites removed today...planning for Spring ;-)

I would like to paint the accent wall black in my bedroom (which I share with my older sister). Right now it is purple stripes, same colour, but every other one is glossy. That is actually my favourite part of my room right now, but I want to change it because purple isn't my favourite colour.

foreverfarm11 - you are doing everything right...except the steam cleaner and the swiffer. Stick to vacuuming/sweeping regularly. The hardwood floor cleaners are a 1/week damp mopping. If you must use a swiffer, please use the "Hardwood Floor" version. The others will ruin you finish faster than the steam cleaner. You have 4 animals that shed...and shed heavily. Spring is in the air which means both the cats and the dog will go through their spring molt. So long as you have the animals and the hardwood, you will have this problem. There is nothing more to be done. You are already doing it. Remember: sweep/vacuum (turn off the beater bar...or else you will cause micro-scratches in your finish very, very quickly) 3-7 times per week, damp mop (water only...no additives...NO regular swiffer) a few times per week...hardwood floor cleaner 1/week. That's it. There is nothing more to it. If you feel this isn't enough, you may want to look towards a lower gloss (satin is best). If you have never had wood before you will feel over whelmed by the visible debris...if you had carpet you still had all this stuff but you didn't see it. Try to relax. Let it go from time to time and clean/damp mop only when mud/kitchen spills are visible. The floor won't change and neither will the amount of hair...unless you rid yourself of all your pets (don't do it...it's not worth it) there is only one thing left to change...your reaction. Imagine keeping up this pace for the next 25-100 years. Exhausting is the word I come up with.