Free day at a museum?  Yes, that's right.  With more than 1,500 museums participating nation wide, tomorrow is free museum day at 11 Chicago institutions and 20 in the Minneapolis area.  There's one catch - you have to register by today at www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday to receive two free tickets for admission tomorrow.  Here's a list for Chicago:

Adler Planetarium
1300 S. Lake Shore Drive
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
6500 S. Pulaski Road
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St.
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Clarke House Museum
1827 S. Indiana Ave.
Guided tours at noon at 2 p.m.

DuSable Museum of African American History
740 E. 56th Place
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gallery 400
400 S. Peoria St.
Noon to 6 p.m.

Glessner House Museum
1800 S. Prairie Ave.
Guided tours at 1 and 3 p.m.

International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 N. Lake Shore Drive
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

INTUIT — The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
756 N. Milwaukee Ave.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Loyola University Museum of Art
820 N. Michigan Ave.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
220 E. Chicago Ave.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

National Hellenic Museum
333 S. Halsted St.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

National Veterans Art Museum
4041 N. Milwaukee Ave.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 N. Cannon Drive
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Smart Museum of Art
5550 S. Greenwood Ave.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Swedish American Museum
5211 N. Clark St.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Here's a few on the Minnesota list:

   

Minnesota History Center 345 Kellogg Blvd W, St. Paul, MN, 55102

Bloomington, MN

The Works Museum 9740 Grand Ave S, Bloomington, MN, 55420

Minneapolis, MN American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Avenue , Minneapolis, MN, 55407

St. Paul, MN

Goldstein Museum of Design Free everyday 241 McNeal Hall, St. Paul, MN, 55108

Saint Paul , MN Gibbs Museum of Pioneer & Dakota Life 2097 Larpenteur Avenue West, Saint Paul , MN, 55113

So register today and have a free museum day tomorrow brought to you by Smithsonian Museum Day.

It's here...Autumn...nature's last party of the year.  Enjoy the cool mornings and warm afternoons.  As  the leaves start to change colors and before they drop, we urge you to get outside and enjoy.  Did you know that this Saturday is National Public Lands Day?  You can get free admission into any national park, so get out there and marvel at the beauty that Autumn brings. 

This coming Monday marks the first day of fall.  Can you feel it?  I've been sensing it for a few weeks now, especially in the evening and early morning.  At Twist OP, we can help you get ready for the new season.  It's never too early to be thinking about the fall holidays which will be here before you know it.  We've got you covered for hot coffee and teas, red cups for an October fest party and everything in between. 

Having your most used tools and references handy on your desk helps you work faster. Here are some ideas for fast and easy access to your most important reference information.

Follow these three principles for making your desktop an efficient work area: 
1. Make groups
2. Put in order
3. Keep close

Having things right at your fingertips makes you highly productive and feel totally in control. Use Colored SuperTab Folders in a desktop rack to hold frequently referenced material.

Make Groups
• Gather the materials that you refer to frequently throughout the day; phone directories, email addresses, lists, catalogs, schedules, prices.
• Group items by the way you will look for them, such as suppliers in one group, customers in another.
• Assign a different color SuperTab Folder to each group. 

Put in Order
• Place materials in SuperTab Folders using the appropriate category colors.
• Write the name of each type of reference on the oversized tab.
• Order the folders alphabetically within each color group.

Keep Close
• Put the folders in a desktop rack.
• Position the rack near your computer within easy reaching distance.

Order your Smead Colored SuperTab Folders today at www.twistop.com and your desktop will be efficient by the end of the work week.

Think of the students you know and how much time they spend studying (or socializing) on a computer, laptop, or tablet. Reading from a screen is much different and much harder on the eyes than reading from a book. No wonder so many school and college-aged students experience itchy, dry, red, burning, tired eyes.

With a new school year starting, now's the time for students to be proactive about protecting their vision. Here are the 6 best ways to reduce computer eyestrain.

1. Choose the right lighting. The room where a computer is used should be evenly lit. Too much light from windows or other direct light reduces screen contrast, making it more difficult to read words or numbers. Closing window shades or using fewer lights can help. Some computer users find standard fluorescent lighting too harsh and are more comfortable using "full spectrum" bulbs which closely resemble natural light. Since vision varies from person to person, finding the right lighting may take some experimenting with different bulbs and lighting angle.

2. Cut the glare. Avoid aiming a desk lamp directly at the computer screen to eliminate glare. Even stark white walls can create a distracting reflection. If practical, paint walls a darker color with a matte finish. Eyeglass wearers can have lenses treated with an anti-reflective coating to decrease the amount of light reflecting off the front and back surfaces of lenses.

3. Control screen settings. Use system or monitor settings to adjust brightness, contrast and text size. For most, the ideal combination is black text on a white background in type large enough to avoid squinting or leaning in to read, typically twelve to fourteen point.

4. Consistently blink and take breaks. Computer users naturally blink less when looking at a screen and that's part of the problem. Blinking moistens the eyes to reduce dryness and irritation. Another problem? Not taking breaks. Make a conscious effort to take four to six mini breaks every hour or two. For five minutes stand up, stretch, relax the neck and focus on a distant object to give eyes a rest.

5. Correct posture. Slouching in a desk chair, or worse lying in bed, affects where the eyes hit the screen. Sitting up straight at a desk in an ergonomic chair with both feet flat on the floor is the ideal. The screen should be a comfortable 20-24 inches from the eyes, or approximately the length from your middle knuckle to the elbow. Schoolwork often requires looking back and forth from a printed page to a screen, causing additional eye and neck strain. Remedy this by placing printed pages on a well-lit copy stand.

6. Consider computer glasses. Designed specifically for looking at a screen, computer glasses have a special coating to reduce glare and a tint designed to eliminate eye strain. They're available in both prescription and non-prescription lenses.

Back-to-School TransitionAlthough summer's heat has not yet faded, ready or not, the new school year is here.   And with that comes the early-morning frenzy as parents across America race to get kids out the door on time, properly fed and with all the snacks, books and homework they need for the day.

The start of school brings on new challenges as families juggle various activities and multiple schedules. The good news is that you can bring order to this chaos and stay organized throughout the year when you apply the following tips.

Clear the Clutter

Kids and clutter go hand-in-hand as they outgrow clothes, wear out toys, and change interests. Along with your child, cull through their closets and drawers for items to give away or store for later. Organize the remainder and make room for the new. Each child's room should be neat and orderly before school starts.

Stock Up and Save 

Don't miss out on huge savings on clothing and school supplies. Take an afternoon to assess each child's wardrobe. Before making your list, check for possible hand-me downs from older siblings. Once you start shopping look for mix-and-match outfits to stretch your dollars and simplify mornings. Find out from the school or teacher what supplies might be needed and take advantage of savings by stocking up on the usual items they'll need throughout the year like paper, folders, pens, pencils, markers, binders and so on.

Establish Guidelines and Routines Ahead of Time

The most important routine to establish is a set bedtime. It's a proven fact that well-rested kids are more alert in school, so get them to bed early on school nights. Establish appropriate bedtimes based on age. A 3 to 6-year old child needs 10-12 hours of sleep, 7 to 12-year old need 10-11 hours and 12 to 18-year olds need 8-9 hours. The night before school starts is not the time to set up the household sleep schedule. Instead ease kids into the school year routine slowly during the last two weeks of summer. Gradually begin earlier bedtimes and wake up times as the start of school approaches. Keep in mind it takes an average of two weeks for your body to adjust to time changes.

Set ground rules for other school-related issues as well. For example, establish where, when and how homework will be done - in the dining room, bedroom, with music and the TV on? While some kids sit down immediately after school, others may need to relax before tackling assignments. It's fine if kids have different times and styles as long as they know the rules and stick to them. Make it clear when cell phones, computer games and internet is shut off. Turning devices off early allows for kids to unwind before lights out.

Have a Dedicated Space for School Items

Select a spot near the door to stash backpacks, books, homework, lunch money and supplies so they're not strewn about the house. Having a dedicated space or cubby for each child makes it easy to grab what they need without frantically searching the house in the morning. If it stays in one place it will not be forgotten.

Establish a Central Calendar

Between school projects, lunch menus, and sports practice, it's hard to keep busy schedules straight. That's where a central calendar helps. Whether you select a large paper calendar with big squares, a bulletin board, an erasable whiteboard or use a smart phone app, choose a format that works for you. Make each child responsible for reporting and recording his or her events. Don't forget to block off family time each week so you can all reconnect.

Start the Day Calm, Cool and Collected

The more you can do ahead of time, the smoother the mornings will go. The night before set out breakfast dishes, make lunches, lay out clothes, and collect supplies and homework needed for the next day. Older children can assume these responsibilities but be sure to develop consequences if they become lax. Allow for plenty of time to get ready in the morning with a set schedule for the shower, getting dressed and eating breakfast. Many parents find it helpful to complete their own morning routine before getting the kids up. Staying with a set structure creates a sense of order and calm that continues throughout the day.

Planning is key to lowering the anxiety of a new school year. Start organizing today for a great academic year ahead.