If you've been easing your way into warmer weather and summer living, now is the time to jump (or dive) in.

Having what you need to enjoy the season is only part of the plan. Being prepared to take advantage of opportunities to use what you have will make outdoor breakfasts, relaxing on the patio with a good book or spur of the moment entertaining possible and easy.

Make a list of the things you would like to do this summer. What would it take to make these possible?

Do you need more time in your life? Getting more organized can give you more time. You'll spend less time searching for things and less time shopping for things that you forgot that you had. Having systems for dealing with your "things to do list" will make projects less time consuming.

Paring down possessions can mean less time cleaning and caring for things. You may be surprised at how liberating this can be. Box up some of your "heavier" looking accessories for the season. Consider sending your area rugs out to be cleaned and enjoy your hardwood floors. If the look is too bare, consider using a lighter textured cotton rug that will harmonize with your room's colors.

Summer-ize and Simplify! Think easy care, readily available/accessible, comfortable and enjoyable!

Garden accents, like the iron tuteur shown, can be the perfect addition to a garden, patio, deck or front entry when you need something that is tall and interesting, but isn't bulky or heavy looking. It can be used to support annual climbing vines or evergreens like ivy or used as a sculptural accent in a planter with layers of plants. A series of planters with obelisks can create a wind break on a patio or deck and provide a sense of privacy without closing in a space.

The frames can be used for seasonal displays or when entertaining, supporting decorations, garlands, mini lights and ornaments both indoors and out.

Check the finish on the piece before buying and make sure that the structure will support the intended use. Some pieces are purely decorative and not meant for extended outdoor use, meaning the piece will rust or the finish will deteriorate if left outside. Other pieces are fine for protected use, such as screened porches or covered entryways. (HomeGoods and other decor stores may have both types.) Other pieces are created to be outdoor fixtures.

Now is the time to look for these pieces in nurseries and garden centers while they are well stocked. The style shown is the half round version of the Essex. Click on the link below for more information and to see other styles.

There are design principles that can be summed up in one word. This month's buzzword is not about mental focus, but the grouping or massing of elements. When you concentrate a display it increases its impact and importance. It has the same effect in the use of color. Applied to furnishings, it can create better use of space. Applied to organizing, it can streamline and reduce.

Concentrating lighting can create pools of illumination that can set the mood, designate work areas, highlight walls and art, safely light walkways and amplify a theme.

Concentrating lighting is particularly important when planning for outdoor living. Creating smaller areas, rather than flooding the entire space with light is less harsh and can save money. It also contributes less to light pollution, a growing threat to the environment. (Read more about it here.)

When you concentrate your outdoor lighting, you will have less to put out and less to store. That will save you time and space in your home.

A cluster of lanterns will concentrate lighting and will provide visual impact, indoors and out, throughout the year. A cluster of candle holders, such as the one shown, will do the same and take up less visual space outdoors on a table top or later, indoors on a mantel. Both options can be incorporated into arrangements to fit your decor or entertainment theme.

Remember the word, "Concentrate" when planning your outdoor room, particularly when considering your lighting options. For more on the candleholder shown, please click below.

Outdoor living and entertaining call for easy care, easy to transport and break resistant serving accessories. Need a a substantial stand in for a trivet to diffuse heat from a sizzling platter of steaks or a chafing dish? Try using a cheese board. It can reduce condensation on cold dishes when they are placed on warm surfaces. It can even save space (and prevent airborne napkins) by lifting a serving tray enough to tuck paper napkins slightly under it.

The style shown cleverly stores its own cheese knives. For more information, please click below.

This is a busy season for buying greeting cards. Along with any birthday and aniversary cards you may have on your list to send, there are those for Mother's Day, graduation, weddings, showers and Father's day coming up.

If you like to buy cards well in advance and keep them handy through out the year, filing them in an organizer like the one shown will allow you to store them on a bookshelf or on your desk (saving drawer space).

You may never miss sending the perfect greeting card again!

If you dislike throwing away old things thinking that you may find a use for them some day, this may be the book for you. If you thought that you would never find a use for that odd item, this may be the book for you, too. If you like the idea of re-purposing and appreciate innovative thinking, well then, check this book out. It's from the editors of Real Simple Magazine.

Please click below to look inside the book.

Most people realize that bookcases and built-in shelving can contain and display more than just books and the occasional figurine or collectible. Often they are an overlooked opportunity to create attractive "hide in plain sight storage". Who doesn't need more of that? With planning and repurposing decorative accessories, you can have your display space and storage space in one attractive unit.

It's a fact that no matter how sleek our media components may get, they are not exactly decorative accessories. Keeping them hidden yet accessible is possible using Infrared Repeater Systems that allow the signals from your remote controls to work even behind closed cabinet doors.

IR Repeater systems can allow you to repurpose buffets, credenzas, dressers, chests and other furniture into TV stands and media centers. It can also allow you to locate equipment in closets!

Some equipment may not work well with IR systems so check with the manufacturers and local electronics stores for recommendations. To see examples, click here. For more information about the systems, read the article on About.com below.