It's more than just redecorating, it's rethinking how your home's heating system works: Take a walk through your home and make sure all the vents and radiators are unblocked. Move furniture like sideboards and headboards away to let warm air properly circulate through the home. The thermostat for your home should also be free from any obstruction; a piece of furniture that blocks it can give the thermostat a false reading that the room is cooler than it actually is, forcing your heating system to work harder to heat up your home.

Water can be a valuable resource for birds when it gets cold outside. Sure, there are electrical heaters and fancy devices that aerate the water, but why bother when you can use the sun? If you have a birdbath, now is the time to give it a few coats of nontoxic black latex paint for outdoor use. Let it dry and cure for a few weeks, then place it on the south or southwestern side of your property, where you have the most amount of sun during the day. The black-painted birdbath will absorb the heat and keep water from freezing. 

Want to help wildlife make it through the cold winter? Don't do a thing! Leave your garden beds and container gardens full of dead stalks, leaves and flower seed heads. This will be vital food and protection for wildlife. Large flowers like black-eyed Susans, purple coneflowers, sunflowers, marigolds, phlox and zinnias should also be left alone. When they poke up through the white snow, it'll be vital food to help birds and furry creatures. Come spring, it's fine to clip them and start a fresh planting in your garden.