Miss E started preschool this year! Along with the first day of school and the thousand photo I took came the first of many schedules and reminder notices. I brought them home and put them in a folder that I had assigned to her and quickly forgotten what the dates were and why I needed to remember them. I knew then I would need something a little more organized and out in the open than a folder on a shelf to help me with my families new, busier schedule. For someone who is a expert organizer (in their head), like me, this brought on an exciting new challenge and I couldn’t wait to get started.
I had just read an awesome post about the five things I needed to know before starting, so I headed back to reread that and got everything in order 😉
We had recently had our whole house painted, which gave me an excuse to basically redecorate (this will not be the last time you see me write that phrase- warning in advance). I didn’t tell the husband that was part of the deal, but he went along and gave me the green light to simplify and reorganize a lot of the house and decor. We were left with one large wall in our kitchen that I wasn’t sure what to do with. So that was my space for our new family command center. We previously had an all-in-one command center setup, but I didn’t think that was going to work again as it didn’t have a calendar. I also had a space on the refrigerator for our menu as well as some counter space for most of our paper work and mail storage, and I wanted to combine all three.
First thing first, necessities- what did I need to make this the most functional space.
- A dry erase calendar.
- Mail sorting: I needed a space for mail that required action (to be mailed, paid, etc.), mail to be filed, and my husband mail so he can sort and decide what to keep and what not to keep.
- A weekly menu.
- Notes.
- A key holder for extra keys.
- A few basket/holder for miscellaneous items- magazines, file folders, important paperwork that requires action, etc.
Second, inspiration. Pinterest has no lack of inspiration when it comes to a family command center, so I narrowed it down to those that appeal to me the most visually and had the items that I needed as well.
Next up, the fun part- shopping! I visited a lot of the sites that created those command centers that I loved to see where they purchased their items from. A lot came from Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc. so I knew I wasn’t going to be able to repurchase those items. I would have to find something similar on my own. I looked at Marshall’s and TJ Maxx and came up empty, so then I turned to my trusty friends, Target and Amazon. Here are my favorites!
Industrial Wire Organizer Basket – Hang on Wall or Sit on Counter
In all honesty, I purchased almost all of these items and brought them home to decide what I really liked best. I loved the idea of the chalkboard/corkboard but there wasn’t any real organization to it, and I needed more structure. Plus, I have two large chalkboards already in my home, so I wanted to stay away from that. I also loved the three wire baskets (mail, magazines, stuff) but again, I needed them for more specific uses- so they went back and I purchased the three slot basket from Amazon, which I can specify the use for each basket. Both calendars worked perfectly, and the large calendar left me a little room for notes. The galvanized mail holder was also perfect, and I am in love with the look- so I bought two! I also purchased the small colored markers so I can color code the calendar.
Finally, putting it all together. Last year for Christmas I purchased what I though was a small roll of kraft paper gift wrap. When it arrived and the box was almost taller than me, I knew I hadn’t read the description well enough. Either way it has proven handy in other areas of the home, especially laying out wall decor before hanging. So I brought the giant roll back out and cut out each item that I had purchased. I was then able to arrange them on the wall without any holes. I taped an item on top of the kraft paper that the basket would hold, so I could be sure to leave enough room above the item.
During the handing process, I realized the basket for mail was a little larger than I pictured, so I made some adjustments.
I also created and ordered this family rules sign. I loved the way it turned out and knew it would fit perfectly in that space. The two airplants and globes were gifts from Candace and her husband for my birthday, and I love them there!
The only thing I didn’t find was a key holder, so I am still on the lookout for that. Other than that it has been great! I have already been using the calendar and weekly menu and I love the organization of the baskets and mail holders. I absolutely love the way it turned out!
I agree – it turned out really great! I’m still trying to keep my command center area tidy and organized. So far I’ve done pretty well. Did you ever find a key holder? The one I got from Target was simple and inexpensive.