September 16- Don't Fall into Clutter 11 a.m.- noon. Free class on home organization and systems to handle papers at Euless Public Library. Open to the public.

September 16- Don't Fall into Clutter 7-8 p.m. Free class on home organization and systems to handle papers at Parr Library in Plano. Open to the public.

September 17- Organizing Kids 6 p.m. Free talk on teaching kids to be organized at Hillside Academy in Garland. Open to the public.

September 25- East Texas State Fair Visit our booth on Senior Day in Tyler, Texas.

October 2- Organizing for Christmas 10 a.m.- noon. Class on preparing for Christmas including keeping a yearly binder to stay organized at Farmer's Branch Women's Club.

October 6- Organizing for Christmas (time to be determined) Free class on preparing for Christmas including keeping a yearly binder to stay organized at Krum Public Library.

October 24- What You Need to Know About Downsizing 2-4:30 p.m. Free presentation on downsizing for senior citizens at Heritage Place Independent Living in Burleson.

November 14- Love an Organized Home and De-clutter Your Life 9 a.m.- noon. Two sessions on systems for organizing your life and on practical tips for getting rid of clutter at Travis Avenue Baptist Church. Tickets required; contact the church for more information.

Does your garage look like this? You may need to spend some time putting it back in order now that cooler fall weather is coming. Get the help of other family members and work on organizing a section at a time so the task will not be too overwhelming for you. Here are a few tips:

Does the job of organizing your garage seem too overwhelming or do you just not have the time to do it right now? Contact Get Organized! to set up a consultation. We can give you a plan to organize it or we can do all the work for you.

Have you noticed the interest in standing desks lately? Research is showing that desks that allow you to stand or alternate between standing and sitting are better for your health than desks that you sit at all day. When you stand for longer periods of time, you burn more calories, improve heart health, and reduce risk of diabetes and some cancers. The constant movement throughout the day appears to be the key to the standing desk's health benefits.

If you want to make your life less sedentary and increase your activity, here are some affordable desk options you can try. The Varidesk offers different desktop configurations, many of which can be placed directly on top of an existing desk so you can move it to different locations. They pop up or down in seconds. Other sit/stand desk choices include electric height adjustment styles and hand-crank adjustment desks with broad work surfaces. If you do not want to move the desk itself up and down, another option is to use a tall desk designed for standing with a stool or chair that you pull into place as needed. A wall-mounted desk saves space in small rooms and can be installed at the height you need. 

Would you like to increase the amount of drawer space for your clothing? Discover the power of the the fold...that is, the power that folding t-shirts front to back gives you with visibility, function, and looks.

To fold your clothing, simply lay the front side of your t-shirt face down, fold each side of the shirt towards the middle long ways. Take the bottom of the shirt and fold up touching the neckline and then do that same fold again. This gives you a nice neat little package with the front of the shirt visible. Place the shirts in your drawer with the folded edge up to create an organized and tidy look.

When you fold your t-shirts or underwear this way, you maximize the space and allow each item to be visible when you glance in that drawer.

Do you have old stickers that have left a sticky, gummy residue on a surface? Goo Gone is one of our favorite products for removing adhesive from many finishes including painted walls, fabric, glass, or non-porous surfaces. Keep this in mind when you accidentally leave a nametag sticker on a shirt that goes through the wash.

Did you know Goo Gone has other uses? It can remove candlewax from tablecloths, crayon from painted walls, permanent marker from countertops, and tree sap from car hoods. This oil-based solvent, available in most supermarkets and hardware stores, can dissolve many stubborn spots around the house. Keep a bottle in your supply tote under the sink.

Did you know a child dies every two weeks from furniture or TVs tipping over? According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a child is injured every 24 minutes from furniture not securely restrained!

You can prevent such accidents from happening in your own home by making sure that all cabinets, chests of drawers, and similar furniture are securely attached to the wall using the appropriate hardware. TVs and other heavy objects should be anchored as well. Use lower drawers for holding heavy objects so that the weight won't tip the furniture over when the drawer is opened. Similarly, do not allow your children to climb on drawers or shelves. Teach them to use a small stepladder or ask for help. Do you need help to know how to properly secure cabinets? Use this illustrated guide for anchoring furniture. You can purchase the necessary anchoring items from most hardware stores, as well as IKEA.

Broken appliances often come at the worst possible time and can be very disruptive. Is it possible that you could repair it yourself? Yes, with the help of Adam the Answerman. 

This Plano-based company has been helping do-it-yourselfers for over 25 years with advice in diagnosing and fixing refrigerators, air conditioners, water heaters, and other large home appliances. Call for personal advice on your faulty appliance, how to fix it, and whether or not it is something you could tackle. If needed, you can purchase many repair parts directly from the company. Adam the Answerman is open Monday-Friday until 6:30 and on Saturdays, convenient hours for do-it-yourselfers.