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Lorraine Brock, President
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Fans and Followers, a word from our President:
We have just wrapped up National Get Organized! Month by giving away IKEA gift cards on our Facebook page. Congrats to all our winners!
Now we are entering Love an Organized Home Month, and what better way to give the gift of love than by surprising your true love with an organized space? Get Organized! will even top off your gift certificate with a box of chocolates or cookies mailed directly to your Valentine, announcing your gift. How sweet!!!
In January we held an IT training day for our organizers to learn new technology that will be used to keep our organizers and clients better organized. We are also preparing for our annual GO Training days in March to continue the education of our organizing team. We will select one home in the DFW area to organize over three days for free. If you would like to submit your home, see the link below for details.
Personall y, this month I took on my own small organizing project to maximize my space even better on the inside of my pantry door. For years I had used a no-name brand wire shelf system, and while it worked OK, the white coating was peeling off and I was not truly utilizing the entire space. I logged onto The Container Store website and ordered myself an Elfa over-the-door organizer. 
I had used this system before for our clients and loved it. There are a few options to choose from: white or silver frame, and mesh or wire baskets. I originally choose mesh, but found they were not as sturdy as the wire. However, upon switching to the wire, I did notice I lost just a bit of space as the wire is thicker. I also had to use hollow anchors to secure it to the pantry door as the tension was not strong enough to keep it from moving. This was because my door is not a standard size.
My family loves the new system and it has given us extra storage space. I will also say that these systems come in narrow baskets as a well, for closet doors that are more narrow. Oh, and did I mention they are 30% off right now?
Do not forget to enter our DFW Organized Home Contest. You may win 3 days of free organizing planning and labor with our specialists. Click here for details. 
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 February 8 - Organize Your Totally Out of Control Time 10:00 a.m. Lorraine speaks to the Coppell Early Childhood Association at the Coppell YMCA on time management and systems for making your calendar work to keep you organized.
February 12 - Parenting Teens and Tweens 9:30 a.m. Hear Lorraine talk on guiding your tweens and teens to greater responsibility with less frustration for the family, at the Frisco Bible Church Moms' Exchange.
February 17 - How Get Organized! Can Help Your Business Grow 7:30 a.m. Lorraine addresses the Tyler Chamber of Commerce at their monthly Business Breakfast at Traditions Restaurant. February 27 - Step into De-Cluttering and Step Out of Clutter Lorraine presents morning workshops to seniors on products and systems for staying organized, maximizing space, and keeping clutter under control at the North Texas SeniorFest at Messiah Lutheran Church in Plano. March 9 - Senior Downsizing 1:30-2:30 p.m. Lorraine shares ideas on sorting and purging, disposing of unwanted items, and handling keepsakes and photos at Lakestone Terrace Senior Living Community in Granbury.
March 10 - IKEA Workshop - Messy Desk and Missing Papers 1:00-2:00 p.m. Free IKEA giveaways will be given out...seating limited come early.
March 28 - Messy Desk, Missing Papers with bonus photo tips 7:00 p.m. Hear Lorraine's free talk on systems that help you manage piles of paper in your home with bonus ideas on organizing photos at Plano's Parr Library.
March 31 - Organizing Your New Home 6:30 p.m. Lorraine shares practical solutions for organizing closets, kitchens, garages, and more into functional areas of the home. Free at the Grand Prairie Warmack Public Library.
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Time to Tackle the Closet
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 Do you have closet clutter? Things in your closet that should never be there in the first place, like old vinyl records and boxes of papers? Closets also tend to collect items that are beyond their usefulness, like worn-out shoes or too-small clothes. If you are ready to de-clutter your closet, here are some helpful hints: - Weed out the excess. Working one shelf or one wall at a time, sort like items together. Once all items are sorted, go back through the sorted boxes or piles and remove unneeded items. This decision-making time can be difficult, but keep in mind how good the freedom from clutter will feel once you are done! Have a box or bag nearby to collect donated items as you go, along with another box nearby to toss things that belong in other parts of the house so you will not lose your momentum by stopping to put these away. Keep a trash sack with you. You may be surprised at how much you get rid of and how spacious your closet looks once the unnecessary items are removed.
- Give everything a home. Decide where things will go by keeping in mind how often you use them. Jeans that are used regularly need to be readily accessible, but your ugly Christmas sweater can be put on a high shelf or other out-of-reach place. Also, think about where you use the item. It makes more sense to keep your daughter's hair bows in a drawer in the bathroom than to walk back and forth to the closet when fixing her hair.
- Choose containers or storage systems to keep everything in its home. Be sure you can either see the items in the containers or add identifying labels on boxes so you can find things in a hurry. Choose storage solutions after you have sorted, purged, and assigned items a home. Resist the urge to buy containers until you know what it is (and how much) you need to contain.
- When you are done, be sure to find new homes for the items you purged. Evaluate your new set-up as you use your newly organized closet as you may need to adjust a few things to make your new system work best. Most of all, enjoy that lightened feeling of an organized closet!
Remember, if this process seems overwhelming, we are here to help! We can do as little or as much as you need: creating an organizing plan, shopping for products, or working to de-clutter and reorganize the entire closet, start to finish. Contact us to find the right solution..
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Products for an Organized Closet
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Here are some good answers to common closet challenges:
Consider your shelving. If you have more hanging rod space than you need, it may be time to reconfigure your closet using customizable systems from Lowe's, The Container Store, or IKEA. Be sure to take accurate measurements of your existing closet to guide the design process. You can browse your choices online before setting foot in the store and get further help there. Your options for shelves, drawers, and custom features are vast.
For storing shoes, these boxes from IKEA are easy to access and affordable. They come in four color choices, four to a pack.
If you prefer shelves for shoes, a sturdy chrome rack from Lowe's holds up to 30 pairs and is easy to assemble.
Another option is an over-the-door pocket shoe holder with see-through pockets. These are made for holding flat and low-heeled shoes, but we also love them for storing scarves, workout clothes, and similar small items. They take advantage of wasted vertical space on the back of the door.
To keep tall boots from flopping over at the ankles, insert dollar store pool noodles that you have cut to length with scissors.
For storing purses, this hanging organizer  holds up to 12 bags and hooks over a closet rod. Remember when storing a purse, it is a good idea to stuff it with tissue paper to help hold its shape.
Make more room in your closet by putting out of season clothes in boxes in the attic or other out-of the way location. Sturdy bins can stack easily and keep out dust and pests. Try using these stylish chalkboard labels on your plastic bins. They come in a variety of sizes and are repositionable. There is even a large chalkboard decal (15 1/2" x 11 1/2") for the wall that can serve as a memo board to list wardrobe items you need to buy. Use them with chalkboard pens that erase with a damp cloth.
Another helpful item for organizing closets is a shelf divider. It attaches to a shelf and acts like a bookend, keeping stacks of folded clothes or handbags from sliding over.
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 The Drawer Doubler is a simple tray that increases storage space in a drawer. Made of sturdy acrylic, it rests on the rim of the drawer and can be expanded to fit spaces from 10 3/8" to 16" wide.
With little compartments that are about 1" deep, it organizes cosmetics, office supplies, and similar small items neatly in place while allowing you to see what is stored below in the main drawer. Try this inexpensive way to maximize drawer space.
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 We welcome Jennifer as one of our newest organizers. Born in East Texas, she moved back to Texas after living in Monroe, Louisiana for 25 years. As a young stay-at-home mom of three, she was highly involved with volunteering at her children's school and at church. After raising her children, Jennifer began helping others at her church's small clothes closet ministry. She volunteered for two years before becoming store director of the growing thrift store, managing 14 employees and 50 volunteers for eight years. Under her direction, the store grew to a large-scale ministry that serves the community. Additionally, while working and overseeing all aspects of the thrift store, Jennifer also managed the church benevolence program.
People who know her say that Jennifer is organized, compassionate, and detail oriented with a strong work ethic. She excels at paper management, is handy with tools for assembling bookshelves and organizing products, and can break a large job into smaller steps to manage a project to completion. She has first-hand experience at purging and downsizing, which she recently put to the test when she moved to the DFW area from her home in Louisiana. Jennifer's hobbies include cooking, baking, gardening, water sports, and spending time with her family and friends. Her many life experiences will be beneficial to our Get Organized! clients, not only with organization, but with purging, family management, and working with seniors.
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We are looking for a few awesome, organized people in the west DFW area, including North Richland Hills, Grapevine, Lewisville, Southlake, Arlington, and the surrounding areas. We also have an opening for an organizer to cover the Dallas area.
Candidates must be extremely organized and not overwhelmed at the sight of clutter. Work is part-time and you must be available to work at least three days a week, 9-5. Email us at Info@GetOrganized.ws if you are interested in joining our team.
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 Do you have extra "stuff" you would like to get rid of? Have something you want to buy? Craigslist and Facebook pages can be very helpful for buying and selling in your area, but here is new online/mobile source that promises to be even easier: letgo.com. The mobile app that lets you conveniently buy and sell just about anything in your neighborhood including vehicles, furniture, clothing, and all kinds of household items.
From your phone, post a picture with description and price to the letgo mobile site, and the ad will be listed for sale in your local area. When a buyer is interested (or if you see something you want to buy), both buyer and seller can chat safely and directly without accidentally missing each other's messages in the inbox as can happen with Facebook. The mobile platform is easy and free to use. If you have been de-cluttering to start your new year, you may want to give this app a try to make money from your purged belongings.
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Moving Soon?
NDMS coordinates moves within DFW, nationwide, and internationally.
This is the official moving company of the Dallas Stars with an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau..
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Need a Realtor?
Mary Pat Elledge is our recommended realtor for all our GO Clients.
Serving the Dallas area.
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Need Childcare?
Families turn to Mom's Best Friend to find the best nannies and babysitters in Dallas and Fort Worth. Providing senior care too.
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Luxury Apartment Living in Frisco
Downsizing in the Dallas area? Check out Origin at Frisco Bridges. These apartments are walking distance to world class shopping and dining plus all the attractions of Frisco and North Dallas just minutes away. Origin amenities include a dog park and wash station, leisure pool and lap pool, multi-level parking garage, unique technology features, and EXTRA storage. Visit us at Origin at Frisco Bridges to see our floor plans.
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Get Organized! services the DFW and Tyler, Texas area: Getting organized is a decision that will change your home, work, your family, and ultimately your life. It is more than a pretty closet or a clean counter top. It is about changing your lifestyle by turning chaos into calm.
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See us on Good Day Fox Check out one of our many Get Organized segments. "Kids School Papers"
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See us in D Magazine Get Organized! helps an employee at D Magazine clear her desk clutter.
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See how our GO Team helped a family get
totally organized during our 2015 Training Week.
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