Holiday Planning

This is the time of year when holidays come along ~ bing bing bing ~ one after another, and the sharpest of holiday planners is ready for instant changeover once Halloween exits, Thanksgiving comes and goes, Christmas moves through and a New Year is ushered in. Going too fast for you too? Well, with your proverbial ducks in a row, holiday transitions will go smoothly all fall, and you'll look like a very close cousin to Martha Stewart.

To accommodate holiday decorations and accoutrements, it's never too early to do some sorting, donating, clean-up inside and out. And for that, getting a dumpster rental from Bin There Dump That can make the burden lighter -- no trips to the dump, no wondering what to do with yard waste, no struggling with old, broken stuff that's taking up space and taking down your attitude. With things neat and tidy comes a plan for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

The best places for your holiday spirit to shine include:

• Front door/porch outside
• Main entrance area inside
• Kitchen
• Family room
• Dining space

The most simple way to manage is to determine in advance what will change and how. Colors are first with orange and black, followed by more orange, yellows, earthy reds and the hues of marmalade. Then the vivid reds, greens and golds of Christmas, which give way to blue and silver for New Year's. More contemporary colors are being incorporated into these holidays, and Florida's signature shades of ocean aqua, soft peach and sandy beige are always welcome.

Your front door is the first welcome, and it's easy here to change a wreath for each holiday, along with a bucket or wood box of seasonally appropriate things like Indian corn, pumpkins (both which conveniently serve Halloween and Thanksgiving), ornaments, pinecones and twigs with a patterned bow. Change the bow.

Simple changes inside will set the stage for a festive, jolly, joyful decor each step along the autumn way of holiday cheer.

• Scented candles or reed diffusers
• Small seasonal rug
• Lamp and lampshade
• Throws and quilts
• Hand towels in kitchen and bath
• Strand of lights around outdoor railing
• Toss pillows
• Candy dishes
• Table linens
• Cookies in the freezer
• Holiday-theme plates, bowls or mugs

Now, you are seasonally decorated, and you know whom to call for all the clean up disposal: Bin There Dump That!