Command Center

A command center should be the go-to place in the home. Properly organized, it will be the place where everyone has a spot to organize their paperwork, mail, schoolwork and access important family information. It should be a spot where it's easy to find frequently used papers and make life easier for families who are on the go regularly. 

Here are a few suggestions for your command center:                    

Meal Plan

Having a meal plan easy to access and visible to the family holds everyone accountable. A meal plan is also vital in the home budgeting process as you can adhere to a budget easier if you already know what foods you will be needing for upcoming weeks. If you have everything laid out there will never be an excuse to not have the meat pulled out the night before and reduces the possibility of waste. As an added benefit it also makes it easy for other family members to chip in with meals as everyone knows prior to the day what will be for supper.

Calendar

A calendar is a fantastic way to organize your life so everyone in the family can easily see what is scheduled for the day/week/month. It should be hung on the wall where everyone can see. This will give everyone a piece of mind knowing they are not going to miss any important upcoming appointments, activities and chores.  A calendar is a very simple organizational tool that can eliminate the possibility of wasted time due to an unorganized schedule. The key to a calendar is keeping it up to date and clearly written.

Paper File Organizer

For a paper file organizer there are several options you could go with depending on the space you have. I however, love the wall hanging ones as they are easily accessed and take up a very small amount of space. You should pick a system based on your needs and volume of paper you have to keep organized. 

To Do List

Adding a to-do list to your command centre will hold every member in the home accountable for tasks that need to be completed. It keeps everyone on track knowing what needs to be completed. Get creative with this task, add a list and have each member initial beside the task they complete. Try to keep this short and weekly instead of monthly as it can be overwhelming to see too many items. If you can, add an element of fun or good natured family competition. Maybe the family member with the most initials on the list gets a reward at the end of each week.

The command centre should be the heart of the home and can look good as well. Check out YouTube or Pinterest for lots of creative ideas on how to decorate and keep your command centre fun and inspiring. Creating your command centre could even be a fun activity for your whole family to get involved in and would inspire your kids to use it as they helped create it.

Melanie McConnell is a Professional Organizer and the owner of Mello Spaces. She helps busy professionals and parents get the organized home of their dreams. Check out her website www.mellospaces.com and follow her on Instagram: @mellospaces

Florena Davies is a Professional Organizer and Owner of Organize by Flo. She uses her experience as a wife and mother of 2  to create real life organizational systems and changes for work and home that allow our 2 worlds to co-exist and 'Flo" together. Check out her website at https://www.organizebyflo.com/ and on instagram @organizebyflo.

Marybeth Welty is a Professional Organizer, Interior Designer, and Mindful Living Coach, and is the owner of Sustainable Lifestyle Solutions. She helps her clients create a calm, organized, and sustainable home and the life of their dreams by utilizing refined design principles, organizing best practices, mental wellness strategies, and a holistic lifestyle approach to sustainability. You can connect with her at www.sustainablelifestylesolutions.com and on Instagram at @this_sustainable_lifestyle.