Happy New Year! I had a great holiday break and I'm back on the road with the show. During these first two stops of 2010 in Texas and South Carolina, I was reminded yet again of how important and inspiring our volunteers are. Every week, I see what happens when people simply show up and say, "Here I am. How can I help?"

This same spirit of giving can also help the people of Haiti recover from the devastation caused by earthquake. If you're interested, www.charitynavigator.org has information on organizations that are providing relief. But, helping Haiti doesn't have to mean donating money. You can donate your time and do it right here at home. Just show up! Show up and help your local Red Cross or local church pack medical supplies. Or help your local Boy Scout troop gather clothes and shoes. "Just showing up" is a huge step towards making a difference in our world.

And if you're out to make a difference in your own home, check out my tips for organizing home office space plus a good lesson on how to stay positive and focused during any improvement project. If there are topics you'd like to see in upcoming newsletters, send me an email at info@typenningtonstyle.com.

Is your home office buried under a paper avalanche? There are all kinds of storage solutions to help manage the mayhem from built-in cabinetry to portable file boxes. But, the first step is to weed through the piles. Shred and recycle the unnecessary stuff, then sort and file the rest. With everything its its place, your command center will hum. Click on the image to the left to see organizing solutions for four different kinds of spaces: one wall, a corner, the closet or a whole room. You'll find tips to create orderly and efficient spaces that suit any work style. Sisters Felicia and Cassandra Jackson had promised one another that if anything ever happened to either of them, the other would take care of her kids. When Cassandra died unexpectedly, Felicia made good on her promise and became mom to her 10 nieces and nephews in addition to her four kids. Unfortunately, the Jackson’s home was in no condition to safely shelter such a large family. The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team came to the rescue, tearing down the old house in Poolsville, Maryland, and replacing it with a traditional-style brick residence. My special project for this episode was an elegant master bedroom I designed to celebrate the devoted single mother of 14. Click here for a behind-the-scenes look at how this bedroom came together.

I've been blogging recently about the 12 steps to a perfect room makeover. One of my suggestions is to try and do as much as you can in as short a time as possible. There's nothing worse than living with a makeover project in process. Of course, this advice takes on new meaning at Extreme Makeover where time is never on your side. If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by your project to-do list, I hope this video will prove that you can get a lot done in a weekend if you just power through!