Pollen is incredibly sneaky. It sticks very well to anything that touches it, and that includes, well, you. Once it's in your home, pollen mingles with other allergens to make life unbearable for anyone in its path. Below, we've compiled a list of ways to help you keep pollen out of your home.

- Wash your bedding on a regular basis.

- Put allergen-resistant covers on pillows and mattresses.

- Take off shoes, coats, and other outerwear before entering your home.

- Place doormats inside and outside of your home.

- Shower and change as soon as you get inside.

- Pick a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.

- Vacuum frequently, emptying bagless vacuums outside.

- Dust regularly, starting high and working your way down.

- Keep blinds, curtains, and ceiling fans clean.

- Bathe your pets often.

- Keep your windows closed during peak pollen season.

- Replace your AC filters with HEPA filters.

- If you have a garage, park in it as often as possible.

- Keep outdoor furniture clean and pollen-free.

Cars are pollen magnets. No matter where you park it, pollen finds a way. Let's take a look at how you can keep pollen from clinging to your car.

1: Wash Pollen Away ASAP  In our neck of the woods, pollen latching onto our cars is an everyday thing. Essentially, you're going to want to wash your car as often as possible. Whether you spray it down or run it through a car wash, washing your car as soon as pollen begins to build up keeps the spiky substance from latching in. Refuse the urge to brush it off with your hand, as pollen can scratch your paint job when brushed away while dry.

2: Wax On, Wax Off  Giving your car a coat of wax while washing can reduce pollen's chances of hanging on to your car for the ride. It also reduces pollen's chances of scratching your car as it blows away. If you run your car through an automated car wash, many cleaning packages will take care of this step for you!

3: Use Windshield Water Repellent  Windshield water repellents serve many purposes. One of those purposes happens to be making your windshield too slick for pollen to stick around. Much like waxing your car, applying water repellent to your windshield as you're washing your car can save you a lot of headaches (literally) in the long run.

Snow-covered lawns and cool winter weather can be nice when watching from the confines of a warm, cozy house. It can turn ugly in a hurry, though, when it causes serious damage to your home and property! Let's take a look at a few ways to shield your home from the damage winter weather can cause.

1: Take Care of Roof Leaks and Tree Branches  The pain a leaky roof can cause speaks for itself, especially during the winter! Melting - or fresh - snow dripping in can cause severe water damage to your house. Tree branches can snap and damage your roof, or take out powerlines. Make handling roof leaks and tree branches a priority before any winter weather floats in!

2: Have Your Chimney Cleaned and Inspected  Been a while since you used your chimney? Take some time to get it inspected and cleaned, because you never know when you'll need it during the season. Ideally, you should have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year to remove excess soot, dust, and creosote buildup.

3: Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors  This one goes hand in hand with having your chimney cleaned. A fire in the fireplace can keep your house nice and cozy, but it can turn dangerous if left unattended. Mistakes happen, and your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can protect you in case they do. Keep your detectors in working order by replacing batteries when needed and checking to, well, make sure they're working!

4: Protect Your Pipes  Any time temperatures fall below freezing, the risk for frozen pipes rises. Frozen pipes can be inconvenient in many ways, not to mention very expensive if they burst. Check to make sure your pipes are properly insulated before severe cold temperatures arrive. Also, when they do arrive, drip your faucets during the night to better prevent your pipes freezing.

5: Make Sure Your Home is Properly Insulated  A home that isn't insulated well can lead to higher energy costs during the winter. Windows and doors that aren't insulated allow drafts to enter your home. Drafts force you to keep your heat going longer, which keeps that energy meter ticking at a faster pace than you'd probably like. There are many ways you can work to eliminate drafts in your home, including installing storm windows and sealing window and door sills with weather stripping.

6: Invest in a Generator or Wood-Burning Stove  Harsh winter weather can cause power outages. This means that, if you rely on HVAC or electric heat completely, when the power goes, so does your heat. Keep your family safe and warm in the event of a power outage by purchasing and installing a backup generator or a wood-burning stove. You can't go wrong with either one!

7: Stock Up on Heating Fuel  If you don't rely on electric heat, you're using fuel of some sort to heat your home. Don't let cold temperatures catch you off guard: stock up on whatever kind of fuel you use to make sure your house stays warm.

8: Winterize Other Structures on Your Property  Do you raise livestock or grow plants year-round? Do you have a guesthouse or other structure on your property that hosts family members or other company on a regular basis? If so, take the time to winterize those structures as well. Barns, sheds, greenhouses, guesthouses - make sure they're all properly insulated to seal in the heat and keep out the cold!

9: Keep Emergency Preparedness Kits on Hand  Weather-related power outages or issues can last for some time if they occur. For this reason, it's crucial to keep emergency preparedness kits that include non-perishable foods, bottled water, tissues, flashlights, batteries, and more on hand to get through them safely. For good measure, keep one in your home and one in your car.

Once you've covered the basics, you can get to the cosmetic stuff. Here are a few extra New Year's resolutions you can make to improve the look and feel of your home.

Streamline and Declutter  Extra clutter can make your home feel claustrophobic and, well, not cozy. Those old shoes you don't wear anymore? The old clothes that no longer fit your kids? Dusty books you haven't read in years? Resolve to make them part of a streamlining and decluttering process. This gives you a great opportunity to donate the things you no longer use to charities that can help people get back on their feet.

Develop a Weekly Cleaning System  Let's face it: busy lives make it tough to keep your homes as clean as you'd like. While you try to stay on top of it, sometimes handling the routine tasks necessary to clean your house can fall to the wayside. Resolve to develop a weekly cleaning routine that'll help you stay on top of things. Break things down into daily must-dos, such as washing dishes and clothes, to weekly needs, such as cleaning your house top to bottom, to make cleaning easier!

Prep Your Home for Entertaining  Has hosting more dinners and get-togethers for friends and family been a longtime resolution on your list? Before you can make that happen, resolve to prep your home for entertaining! Plan to invest in things that make your home feel more inviting, like houseplants or vibrant decor. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh coat of paint on your walls to make a big change!

We always want to jump into the deep end of the pool head first. The key to keeping our resolutions, however, is starting small. Sticking a toe in the shallow end, as they say. Below, you'll find five basic "smaller" resolutions that'll ensure your bigger resolution to take care of your home gets off on the right foot.

1: Resolve to Assess Your Home  Before you can improve your home, you should know what it needs. To discover what it needs, you'll need to assess your home's overall condition. Kick off your home assessment by creating specific needs lists by type: mechanical and structural, cosmetic, and other. Then, take those lists and go room to room. Look for issues, and document the needs of your home.

2: Resolve to Build an Emergency Fund  It's easy to be caught off guard by sudden issues that arise with your home. Pipes spring leaks. HVAC systems stop working. These things sound like nightmares, but they don't have to be. Resolve to build an emergency fund for your home that you contribute a little to each payday. By doing so, you ensure that sudden repairs won't catch you by surprise!

3: Resolve to Maintain Your HVAC System  Your HVAC system is what keeps your home feeling nice and cozy, no matter the temperature. It can be a real pain when your HVAC system goes out beyond the realm of repair, forcing you to cover the cost of a new one. From changing your air filters to calling a pro to tune it for each season, resolving to properly maintain your HVAC system will keep it running like new.

4: Resolve to Test Your Alarms  This goes for both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors! Your smoke alarms are probably the best line of defense you have at detecting potential house fires, just as carbon monoxide detectors keep you safe from dangerous poisoning. Alarms with fading batteries, or alarms that are failing in general, put your family in serious danger. Make sure to swap out the batteries in your alarms as needed, or if your alarms have aged out and no longer work properly, switch them for new ones.

5: Resolve to Clean Your Gutters  Sure, cleaning your gutters can be a pain. To be honest, it seems like cleaning them really serves no purpose, right? That kind of thinking can be harmful to your home. Clear gutters keep the drainage system of your home performing efficiently. If your gutters are clogged, they can't drain properly, which can lead to serious water damage. As much of a pain as the task can be, resolve to clean your gutters at least once every three months. It makes a difference!