As the world turns, so do our seasons. While many of us are preparing for warm summer days, others are making plans for the winter months ahead.

Here are some tips that I hope will get you into the season's spirit.

Spring:  Spring is all about fresh flowers and pretty colors. Add a pink gingham table cloth to your table and dress it with daises. Get rid of your heavy winter duvet and replace it with a lighter throw in a pretty pattern. Remove your heavy draperies, replace them with sheers and let the light in.

Summer:  Now's the time to take it outside. Now's the time to make your patio a great place for the family to gather for wonderful fresh-air meals. Refinish your wooden patio furniture or get creative with colors and new decorative elements. Stock up on stylish and colorful, yet break-resistant, plastic tableware. Bring on the birds with nicely-designed birdfeeders and houses.

Autumn:  As the temperature turns a little colder and the leaves start changing color, add some earth-tone throw pillows to the couch. Give your home a harvest flavor with a squash centerpiece with a variety of shapes and colors. Burn pumpkin or apple-scented candles in your home - there's nothing like the smell of homemade pie. Or better yet, make some pumpkin or apple pie!

Winter:  As the days get shorter and we spend more time indoors, make your home as comfortable as possible. Bring out a chenille throw and more comfy cushions for cozy couch snuggling. Don't forget to light the fireplace and prepare some hot apple cider. For bedtime, add a thick down duvet with a warm color to your bed.

For those of you making preparations for Independence Day, I have a few ideas to help make the special day a success.

If you're planning on hosting a gathering, you'll want to have invitations that suit your theme.

Use a photo or word processing program on your computer to create custom invitations. You can find plenty of 4th of July clip art online, or create your own by taking festive pictures of the family decked out in red, white, and blue. Use a simple invitation template to create printable invitations that can be folded and mailed.

Get the kids involved!

Fold red, white and blue construction paper into cards to create Independence Day invitations with a charming touch. Help the kids cut out and draw flags and fireworks. When their masterpieces are complete, you can write the details about the party inside the invitation.

Now that your guests know to come, it's time to get your home ready for the celebration.

Go to a party store and get crepe paper streamers in red, white and blue. These can be used to decorate picnic tables, banisters and porches. They can even be tied around the lamppost or mailbox to indicate where the party's at. Add plenty of colored balloons for a cheap and easy festive touch.

Scout local stores for plenty of decorations with an Independence Day theme. You'll find everything from cardboard cutouts in the shapes of the founding fathers to Independence Day wallpaper. Get creative with scissors and glue. Cut out Independence Day images and tape them to the front door. Use colored metallic streamers to create faux fireworks falling from the ceiling.

Decorating for the 4th of July should be fun and easy. There are plenty of supplies available for anyone in the holiday spirit. Make sure you start early so you have plenty of time to enjoy yourself before the party starts.

And finally, don't forget the most important decoration of all... a big American flag suspended high overhead will welcome your guests and proclaim your national pride.

Until next month .. remember to hold your head high and reach for the stars ......