…or return to Trending Topics: Home Organization.

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It’s that time of year again: students in San Francisco go back to school in less than a week, and the rest of the Bay Area follows quickly behind. Whether you’ll miss the lazy, crazy days of summer or can’t wait for the structure of a school day, it’s time to (re)develop your “school’s in” routine. Last year at this time, we discussed four great ways to get your home ready for the school year. New year, same helpful tips. Here are four things you can do to jump back to school with panache.

Create a family launch pad.
A launch pad can help soften the pain of school-morning madness…at least according to Cynthia Ewer, Read more

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Guest Post By Ron Smith, owner of J. Hettinger Interiors

Ready for a makeover? Whether your old sofa needs a facelift or you’re redecorating your entire home, selecting fabrics will be a key part of the design process. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

First, when it’s time to select a fabric for your furniture, cost should be just one of the many factors you consider. A design professional can help you choose fabrics that wear well, clean easily and keep their color over time. Read more

Earlier this week, we posted an article featuring expert tips on roof replacement and maintenance. One of the points mentioned was tile roof maintenance, which consists of several specific measures. To learn more about tile roof maintenance, watch this informative video by Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Tom Rhoads, owner of Roof-Life Construction.

To learn more from local top rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified Expert Reports at experts.diamondcertified.info. Read more

We’re thrilled about the publication of our 2016 Diamond Certified Directory. (If you haven’t received your FREE copy in the mail yet, click here.) The 10 county-specific versions have been arriving in Bay Area mailboxes throughout April and we’re already seeing significant usage. We spend a lot of time getting the Diamond Certified Directory just right, so we love hearing from consumers who use it.

Barbara S. writes, “My husband and I keep the directory in a handy place because it’s our ‘go to’ resource when we need to find a service provider for our home and/or health.” Read more

Guest post by Jennifer Filzen, Marketing Representative at Acme Sunshades Enterprise Inc, a Diamond Certified company.

Let’s say you own a restaurant and want to create an outdoor dining space for your customers. You can have any type of pergola, sunshade or awning built for you, but there are several things to consider before making a final decision.

Is your outdoor area surrounded by lots of trees? Too many trees could blow a heavy pile of leaves on top of your sunshade and cause it to collapse. If you want an outdoor area with a sunshade, you should consider a retractable shade that you can move out of the way in the event of rain or wind. Read more