Even if there are fewer events to attend and fewer gifts to buy this holiday season, I know we could all get behind the idea of enjoying a relaxing night in.

Even this year, when so many people have plans in flux, everyone I talked to wanted to get ahead of this one small task.

Ina Garten showed us a peek at the her clean dishwasher load, revealing a few "forbidden" items that just took a spin through the machine.

The kitchen can be such a black hole for storage, because everything in it feels necessary. When it comes to tools and cups and food storage containers, no amount feels like enough. And in your mind, you probably have a use for all of it.

When you’re culling through a collection, you should spend your time thinking about what you want to live with, instead of what you can live without.

There are many reasons to let your neat freak flag fly. For one, your home is probably the most spotless of your friends. And you can likely clean house in record time, too. But your knowledge and enthusiasm for cleaning might also pay off for you in bragging rights, today. (And, even if you aren’t in the sweeping and scrubbing fan club, read on, because we have a really fun quiz for you…) On a scale from Danny Tanner to Homer Simpson, how much do you know about cleaning products?

Lemons are kind of a miracle to me. Their wizardly talents range from saving sailors from untimely scurvy deaths, to working equally as well in savory and sweet dishes. And on top of that, lemons are an ace all-natural cleaning agent to use around the house. Lemon is a cleanser and deodorizer that can work wonders for your skin, wardrobe or dresser drawers. Make a serum to calm your puffy, swollen eyes. Mix lemon juice with sugar or salt to create a deliciously smelling body scrub.

This year, we’re on a mission to help you tackle spring cleaning on your time. Each weekday until April 13, we’ll guide you through a plan to clean and organize different areas of your home, but you’ll have the flexibility to choose exactly what to work on and how long you have to dedicate to the job. Five days down, and five days to go. We’re at the halfway point of our spring clean and I hope you’re feeling reset for the home stretch.

There are many right ways to do this, but here's my favorite—if hacky—method.

Once you identify the good feelings hidden in these so-called "chores," it'll be a lot easier to start and stay on top of the things you know you ought to do.

You can make spring cleaning less overwhelming by starting small.