Making the Most of the Christmas Lull : Holidays: The last week of the year might be the right time to catch up with things you’ve neglected-- including just staying home.

What do you do during that quiet lull between Christmas and New Year’s?

“Clean my closets,” answered one organized woman.

Others while away the time sleeping, watching videos or just hanging out. Even if you go to work, it’s probably a quiet week--unless you work in retail.

Why not do something a little different this year? Here are a few ideas to perk up what might be a dull stretch.

* Leave town. Escape for a few days of skiing or sunning in a warm locale. Or slip away to a spa to atone for your eating sins during the holidays.

* Stay home. If the whirlwind of holiday parties or travel to grandmother’s house have made you a stranger in your own home, curl up with a good book, a few videos and a warm fire.

* Visit local attractions. Be honest--how often do you go to the local zoo or stop by the museums? Take time to see what cultural attractions your city has to offer. There’s bound to be a production of “The Nutcracker” playing somewhere.

* Shop. Everything, but everything, is on sale. The very organized among us snap up boxes of greeting cards, rolls of gift wrap and holiday decorations at half-price to use next year. This also is a good opportunity to pick up something (workout clothes? sports gear?) that will help you stick to healthy New Year’s resolutions.

* Make resolutions. OK, OK, everybody makes resolutions only to break them by February, but try sitting down this year with a paper and pen--or computer--and writing down reasonable goals.

Instead of resolving to lose 25 pounds by March, promise yourself to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Instead of simply resolving to get a new job, write down specific steps to follow, such as updating a resume or getting more involved in professional associations.

* Get organized. Come to think of it, cleaning your closets isn’t such a bad idea. Why take the clutter of the old year into the new?

* Feed your friends. Everyone has leftover food from the holiday parties, so throw a potluck party to share your leftover bounty. If leftovers are scarce, serve cold cuts and store-bought goodies.

* Play games. Board games for players of all ages are one of the hottest gifts this year, so invite friends to bring their games to play. Children can spend an afternoon trying out each other’s Nintendo and Sega games.