Thursday, April 24, 2014

Command Centers

One key household management device I use is a command center.






It is here that we manage incoming bills and mail, monthly events, weekly schedules, cleaning chores for the week/month, grocery shopping, dinners for the week, and projects. We update the command center every Sunday, the same day we plan meals and grocery shop. The command center hangs on the wall above my sewing machine, which occasionally becomes an impromptu desk.

The large "bulletin board" on the left is not a bulletin board at all. When we moved, one of the large frames that held my bridal portrait was damaged. The glass broke and it was cheaper to buy a new frame than to cut a new glass pane. The frame itself was in good shape, and I really needed a bulletin board with a black frame. I opted to get a piece of foam poster board, which I covered in fabric I already owned. It made a nice bulletin board!


The whiteboard calendar was just a regular whiteboard and bulletin board combination that I picked up at Hobby Lobby. I used line tape and washi tape to create a dry erase calendar.

I then bought inexpensive black 8x10 frames and printed a weekly chore list and a menu for the week. The weekly schedule is something I already had on hand, and the memo board, where we write what bills are due, is just a plain piece of paper. All are fully "dry erase" thanks to the glass.

The three mail bins actually aren't bins at all. They are fabric covered cardboard boxes with letter plates attached. You can read more about those here.

This command center is then synced (by hand, you techies) with my home management binder. Think of the binder as a mobile command center, as it is with me always and includes the exact same info (monthly calendar, weekly calendar, weekly menu plan, project plans, blog plans, finance chart). I'll post more about the binder soon.

I also employ this same tactic in my classroom. Here I manage weekly duties, monthly events, weekly events, and just general info that I need to remember. The wire rack is for items that need to be filed, taken to the office, or taken to the media center. I update this, you guessed it- every Friday.
                          


What household management ideas work for you?

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