Monday, July 23, 2012

Time To Get Organized


We are quickly coming to the end of July, and all I can think about is managing my kids' schedules once school starts. In previous years, our schedule was centered on my daughter's preschool classes and dance class. This year she will be in kindergarten and my son will be entering preschool. In my mind I see more papers, more activities, and more chances to forget something. 

My first priority was to minimize the papers that accumulate on our kitchen counter. By creating a semi-organized place to keep them, my hope is that it will be less likely for me to misplace something important.  

My second priority was to make our schedule available to everyone in our home. In the past, I kept my schedule on my phone and would just relay the information to my husband on a need-to-know basis. Even though my kids won't be able to read or reach or schedule yet. I think it will be good to start teaching them where to look for important information, so when they are older the habit is already in their heads.

I decided creating a family command center would work best for collecting our mess and keeping our general schedule. I started by trying to figure out what would work best for my family by "pinning" ideas on Pinterest.

My first thought was to place the command center in our family office. I then realized that there are days I don't even walk in there, so having it in there didn't make much sense. The garage entrance is the entrance we use 99% of the time. I ended up placing the command center as soon as you walk in the garage door. That way it'll be the first thing you see when you walk in the house, and the last thing you see when you walk out.

The items I decided we needed for our scheduling needs were; a dry erase calendar, a main note-board, and a note-board for each of the kids. For our paper issue we needed a bin for each of the kids' papers, and bins for our mail, budget notebook, receipts, and coupons.


The calendar and memo board are by Board Dudes. I purchased them Target for about $13.00 each. I had considered making my own, but these were dry erase and magnetic. I know I couldn't make them dry erase and magnetic for that cheap.


The calendar was actually silver when I purchased it. I just taped it off with painter's tape and a garbage bag. Then I spray painted it with the $0.99 black paint from Wal-Mart I already had. 


The 'Y' is from ACMoore. It was originally white, and I used the same paint I used for the calendar to paint it black.  

I found the wire baskets and the 2-bin wooden organizer at Marshall's.
I used a white Sharpie Paint Pen to write on the metal bins. The horizontal bin will be used for the kids' papers. The vertical bin will be used for our budget notebook, and mail. The wooden organizer will be used for our receipts and coupons. I labeled it by using my Silhouette to cut white vinyl and then applied it to the wooden organizer.

The two square frames are from ACMoore. All I did was place a piece of card stock in each of them. I plan on using them for notes specific to each child whose bin is directly under them.

To hang everything I took some of my kids' drawing paper and made a paper version of how I wanted it to look on the wall. I marked nail holes on the paper to try to make it easier to hang them.


Once I placed the papers on the wall I realized that it looked lower than I had envisioned it. Unfortunately moving it higher was not an option. I am 4' 10.5", and for me to use the calendar without a stool it had to stay where it was. I already need to stand on my tiptoes just to write the month...LOL

While my husband went to work hanging everything, I went to work creating something to hang above it. I chose three sayings that I thought were fitting reminders for everyday. Then using picmonkey I designed the sayings, printed them out on card stock, and placed them in 3-8"x10" frames I already had. 

Pinspriation1, Pinspiration2, Pinspiration3 

So far the command center seems to be working well. Once the school year starts we may end up changing something if it doesn't work for us. I'll be sure to keep you updated if I find something that works better.

*****UPDATE****

If you would like printables of the the sayings I used in my command center you can go here.

If you would like to make you own word art printables in Picmonkey check out this tutorial.

If you would like to read an update on how we like our command center, and the changes we have made you can go here.






51 comments:

  1. I LOVE this! I think we're following in your footsteps. We have a little girl in preschool and dance this year and another one who starts next year. Your command center is functional AND beautiful! Nice work!

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  2. This is such a great idea for organizing all the "stuff" of day-to-day life & school. A nice kick in the booty for my own goal to get organized before school starts LOL Fab job Andrea!

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  3. I love this space so much. Functional and good looking!! I'm working on a little space like this at the moment, I hope mine ends up looking half as good as yours :)

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    1. Thanks! I'd love to see a picture of yours!

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  4. I'm pinning this! I love how organized and how great it looks hung up. I like the black and how it looks so clean against the wall.
    I'm stopping over from a blog hop! Feel free to stop on by!
    http://www.onecreativehousewife.com/2012/07/time-to-get-organized.html

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  5. love this I so need one of these

    come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks! If you make one I would love to see it!

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  6. REALLY like this and it is just what I need for my family. You mentioned purchasing the wire baskets at Marshall's. We do not have one in our area. Do you remember a brand name?

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    1. The wire baskets just had Marshall's tags on them, but I have also seen them at TJmaxx and HomeGoods.

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  7. Andrea, this is awesome! You gave me so much inspiration for my command center re-do. I wanted to let you know I featured you on this week's Simply Sensational! http://bit.ly/Mp83gz Feel free to grab a featured button at http://www.organizinghomelife.com/buttons

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    1. Thank You for the compliment and for featuring me!!

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  8. I L.O.V.E it! We come through the garage too and I made one quite a while back but I need yours! The end of our kitchen counter top is always covered with papers and it drives me insane! I'm on the hunt for specific metal baskets like you have and I'm redoing ours similar to yours. My husband is going to be sooo happy! LOL Thanks for sharing. Three Mango Seeds

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    1. Thank You! I would love to see a picture of yours when you complete it!

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  9. Can you tell me where to find the wooden pockets please?

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    1. I got them at Marshall's. I believe it was $9.99.

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  10. This is incredible. I absolutely adore it!

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  11. I love this, organized and cute at the same time :)

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  12. Awesome.. I am gonna copy
    Thank YOU

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    1. Thanks! I would love to see a picture of yours when you complete it!

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  13. I want those metal bins! This is the most practically attractive command center I have ever seen.

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    1. Thank You!!!! I got the bins at Marshall's but I have seen them at TJMaxx and Home Goods too.

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  14. Oh my! My husband would be in love with you!!! He is very organized and neat! Unfortunately he married his opposite! I only organized all of my crafts for him! I might try this out in his office! Awesome blog! Where do you get all of your wonderful ideas? Would I be able to feature you in one of my blog posts? Thanks!


    www.thecraftysailorwife.com

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    1. Thanks for the nice compliment and for stopping by!! LOL...My husband and I are opposites too when it comes to organization. I think that is good because we level each other out. I get most of my ideas from Pinterest and necessity. I keep at notebook next to my bed because when I lay there at night I come up with tons of ideas to solve problems I have around the house. Of course you could feature my blog on your blog; you can email me at onecreativehousewife@gmail.com

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  15. Love this & your blog...
    your newest email subscriber and Pinterest board follower!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  16. This is fabulous!!! I just started my own business and with 3 kids and a full time day job this is PERFECT for me!!! What a great idea and very cute!! Great job!!! I'll send you a pic when I create my space!!! Thanks again!!! :)

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    1. Thanks! Sounds great, I can't wait to see it!!

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  17. I *LOVE* the sayings you did on picmonkey. I just spent some time trying to recreate them, but it was an epic fail. Would you be willing to email me your files so that I can print them out and use them like you did (stjill@fuse.net). Thanks in advance. Jill

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    1. I got the files. Thanks so much.

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    2. Can I get those too? I love them!!! Gordo5569@gmail.com

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    3. Watch my blog this week, I will be offering the sayings as free printable and giving an update on how much we like the command center!!! Most likely Tuesday or Wednesday :)

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  18. Just found your fabulous command center (and blog!!) on Pinterest and you have inspired me to create one of my own! Between school and activities for my three little boys, I feel like I have million balls in the air! I especially like the framed sayings above it all. Would you mind sharing your picmonkey files again?

    Thanks in advance!
    Christie

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    1. Hi Christie! I can not tell you how much this command center has helped my family. Watch my blog this week, I will be offering the sayings as free printable and giving an update on how much we like the command center!!! Most likely Tuesday or Wednesday :)

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  19. amazing. job. trying to search the metal baskets online... no luck. could i just have yours??? { hahaha } great post. thank you for sharing!

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    1. Thanks! You'll have to try a TJMaxx or Marshall's

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  20. OMG, Our command centers look so similar! I have the same baskets - use them to corral my boys' school/daycare work and art before I file away the "keepers" permanently! Check it out: http://styleoyster.blogspot.com/2012/08/wall-organization-system.html

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    1. When I looked at your I thought it looked familiar. Then I realized I have yours pinned on Pinterest! Love it!!!

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  21. Love this, I
    Have three kids and working on one myself. Are you still liking what you have? Any changes that you've made since. I just got a bunch of stuff at hobby Libby and excited to start but wanted to see how you are likin yours! Thanks so much!

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    1. Thanks! I actually have a post planned for next week for an update on this post, but the short version is that we love it. I added a few more colors of markers, and another little magnetic cup thingy on the plain dry erase board, but other than that it remains the same :)

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  22. I'm so excited to get started on our family command center! I LOVE your post and your command center. I do have a question...How do you use picmonkey? I'm having a hard time figuring out. I'm really wanting to copy you:) LOVE the sayings you used.

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    1. Here is a post on how to use Picmonkey. http://www.onecreativehousewife.com/2012/07/how-to-use-picmonkey-to-create-word-art.html

      Here is post with printable versions of the sayings I used above. http://www.onecreativehousewife.com/2012/09/command-center-update-free-printables.html

      I hope this helps you :)

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  23. Fantastic job.. will definitely take some of these ideas into consideration . Thanks

    http://www.housefulloffur.com

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  24. How can I access the quotes without having to pay to download it?

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    1. If you upload something, they will let you download for free. Other than that I'm not sure. If you give me your email I will send them to you.

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  25. Love this a lot. Your schedules and arrangements are great.

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  26. Where in the world did you find the wire in/out wall rack? It's amazing and I can't find it anywhere. Thanks so much for your help!

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