By MARY CAROL GARRITY, Scripps Howard News Service

One of my favorite traditions during the holidays is to learn about other people's holiday traditions. I enjoy hearing about their childhood memories, like baking cookies for Santa or caroling for neighbors, and how they have woven their holiday heritage into their own observances as adults.

A couple of years ago, in a weak moment, I vowed to never again host a holiday open house at my historic home. Getting ready for the tour, which was held during my busiest season at work, was giving me gray hairs.

After years and years of decorating my home and others' for the holidays, I've come to this conclusion: I think Christmas decor looks its best when it's subtly woven into our year-round displays, adding just a whisper of the season in a few key spots, rather than being the center of the show.

In my hometown of Atchison, we have all the ingredients for a chilling Halloween celebration, from creepy Victorian mansions to so many spooks we've been declared the Most Haunted Town in Kansas.

Fireplaces steal our hearts and fancy, and they are usually the first thing we lay eyes on when we walk into a room. Yet even though the fireplace is an undisputed focal point, when so many of us decorate this all-important spot, we dress up only the mantel, leaving the hearth tragically bare, a yawning, empty cave that grabs visitors' attention but leaves them cold.

For me, there is no better color palette than the rich hues of autumn -- burgundy, chestnut brown, mossy greens, pumpkin orange and amber. And there are no better decorating props than those Mother Nature provides this time of year, from gourds, harvest fruits, vegetables, dried grasses and vines to acorns and hedge apples.

"What makes a gourd desirable?" my husband asked, calling from a farmer's roadside stand where I'd sent him in a panic to find pumpkins and gourds for my fall open house. Everyone has her own answer to that question. Some love gourds with traditional shapes and colors of red, buttery yellow and persimmon orange.

If you've ever been stuck at the dreaded "kids' table" at Thanksgiving or been seated at a rickety card table stuck in to expand the main table, you know how important it is to have a dining-room table that can welcome the entire family. After years of stressing over how I was going to fit guests during holiday dinners, I finally decided to get a table that had enough room for us all.

If you're like me, your sofa is such an important part of your daily life that when it's time to get a new one, it's like adding a new member to your family. And just like family members, sofas have definite personalities. Here are some tips for picking the perfect one for your home:

When you live in an old house that's full of drafts, you have to get creative if you want to stay warm in the winter. One of my solutions is to head to bed early, bury myself in blankets and get lost in a good book. If you'd like your bed to be a warm and welcoming cocoon this fall, try some of these tricks.