Command Center Part 3

So far, I've shown you two parts to our Command Center.  Part 1 being our 'Meal Planning Station':

Part 2 being our magazine rack with a meal idea binder (used this just this morning - I'm getting back on track this week - and I'm determined to NOT go to the store all week - we'll be eating meals from what we already have - EEK!), 'Random Information' binder (this has important numbers, business cards, reward cards, appointment cards, restaurant menus and professional cards, work schedule and daycare schedules in it), my address book (love this), and a place to put my planner (favorite thing) when I'm done for the day:

And now, for Part 3, our 'Daily Station' (I don't really call it this, this is what it was called when I ordered it online):

Why am I not showing you a picture of this all nice and tidy?  Well, because this is what it usually looks like during the week.  This is the point of this station, to be the "catch-all" for random papers and such.  The large calendar is perfect for our family so we can keep track of the goings-on in the home.  From appointments, to snack duty, to work schedule...all at a months glance.  There are 4 wood files (two on each unit) with each of our names on one.  So, we all have our own "dumping ground" so to speak.  I hung it like this (ok, hubby hung it, I'm terrible at that stuff...I tend to eyeball and he can't stand that) because I have a serious OCD problem with symmetry.  I purchased the wood files from, gulp, Pottery Barn...sigh, that's right, PB.  I splurged BIG time with these.  While I have a huge crush on PB, I can't justify purchasing items from that store on a regular basis.  These are the ONLY, and I mean ONLY items I own from there, but I LOVE THEM.  They are wood and come in various colors, I chose white because I like the clean look it gives.  Here is the link:  http://www.potterybarn.com/products/daily-system-white/?pkey=e%7Cdaily%2Bsystem%2B-%2Bwhite%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules  AND, just so you know, they are on sale right now...but by the time I post this blog, they may not be.  I couldn't justify purchasing the dry erase board through them because I was hoping Walmart would have what I was looking for, which they did, for $12 (not $59).  It serves its purpose and I won't feel horrible when I have to throw it away because someone forgets to use dry erase and uses permanant marker on it.  Hey, it could happen.

This specific calendar was originally a Monday-Sunday calendar...I didn't like that.  So, I decided to make it a Sunday through Saturday calendar with the help of, none other than - Washi tape and my lovable label maker!  Easy fix and added a little color.  Instead of writing each person's name by the event on the calendar, I just color coded everyone - saves space and time.

Oh for the love of messiness!!!  It's a mess, but it's contained.  We don't have papers all over the kitchen counter or table, an organized mess if you will, ALL papers/mail/coupons/bills get separated and placed in each person's "cubby" (as Peanutty likes to call it).  Once a week, we go through the papers and either: recycle, throw away, file them OR leave them in the cubby (depending on the material), thus leaving it nice and clean...for a very short time.  Each file is equipped with a metal label holder.  Here is where I took some pretty scrap booking paper and my label maker and made each file our own.  It's another simple way to add color and fun.  Finally, here is a picture of what the entire 'Command Center' looks like:

All in the same area and easily accessible for all of us.  It helps keep our daily lives organized and keep everyone on the same page.  I would be lying if I said it wasn't a lot of work to keep up (meal planning, kids daily schedules, appointments, writing it all down on the calendar AND my planner, bills, grocery shopping), because it really is.  Yes, I slip up and will forget to write things down from time to time, I'm human and I'm not on top of it all of the time.  BUT, this does help me TRY to keep up with everything.  Life's busy and sometimes hard!  *Please note, we did do the weekly purge of each file - nice and tidy...for today!*

So, there it is.  In all it's glory.  Just one of the many organized things that help us function as a family every single day.  Until Thursday!