Friends, the holidays are rapidly approaching. It's a time of family gatherings, excitement, good cheer and thinking about the many things that we have to be thankful for and to celebrate. But the holidays can also be a time of stress and high-drama—especially in homes where things are disorganized or where clutter rules.

With this in mind we're kicking off this month of Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour by focusing on your family and living rooms—those spaces in your home where you'll be spending a ton of time this holiday season with family and friends.

These very 'public' rooms in your home should welcome guests, encourage people to sit and share and, more than anything else, say to family and friends 'let's gather together and enjoy the experience of each other's love and company.

What greater motivation can you have than knowing that together we're going to create wonderful spaces for you to spend time in this holiday season and beyond!