Any awesome organizers?

[Danestress]

OK. I am putting together a family command center. I am so NOT an organized person. It's actually my worst thing.

 

But my Mom gave me some money for my birthday, and I actually hired someone to help me. She is working with me on three areas but we are scheduling one day to do the actual work. She has already come by the house and is working with me on pintrest for ideas.

 

I have a large, entirely empty wall near my back door and right outside the laundry room. I want to turn into a family organization center, but one that LOOKS nice.

 

If you were designing from scratch, what would you include? I know I want a calendar. I want files for each family member. My youngest children are teens and go to private school, so they have lots of pieces of paper that come in and out. They have activities that require paperwork. I was just thinking that if each child knew where his permissions skips and lunch schedules are (etc) it would be good.

 

Does anyone have a wall like this? Does it work for you? What works and what doesn't work? I am very doubtful that I will like one of those dry erase calendars. I can't see me actually writing in all the days of the month on it. I really like paper calendars, but I never see them used on pintrest, so is there some obvious thing I am missing?

 

I think I want a little box or file there for receipts and one for coupons. I want a place to stick invitations, important cards etc. The rest of the mail will go elsewhere.

 

A few notes: I am going to transition the laundry room into the place where mail goes and gets processed. There are cupboards and drawers in there, so I don't need a place on the wall for major mail organization or for storing supplies like pens and stamps.

 

I don't want a "surface" (table) in the hall because we have one in the laundry room, it's a narrow hall, and they just collect junk.

 

I don't need hooks right here, because we are installing them elsewhere.

[Danestress]

Here http://www.onecreativehousewife.com/2012/07/time-to-get-organized.html is an example of a wall like I am talking about. But I don't love all the little squares of bulletin board - it doesn't seem useful. I don't love the dry erase. I don't need to leave notes for my family because I see them and text them.

 

Here http://www.sweetaprils.com/2011/09/tales-of-nursing-student-2-weeks-away.html is another one. I like this one. I don't like all the clip boards. That is the kind of fussiness that will probably make me not really use organizational process. I have to keep it EASY.

 

This http://www.bhg.com/decorating/storage/organization-basics/strategic-organization-storage/?rb=Y#page=3 is simple. I would want a calendar rather than the dry erase. Right? It seems like everyone likes dry eraIse. And I wrong to think I wouldn't use it?

 

I like this http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/2013-Paper-Source-Academic-Great-Big-Wall-Calendar/3205.001/842612043422.html calendar, which seems very simple and attractive to me, but probably won't be as attractive once I start writing on it.

 

Anyway, this can't be interesting to anyone but me, but if you are still reading, you are a great friend:)

[besroma]

What a great gift!

 

I agree with your comments about the various links.

 

Do you have a color scheme picked out? That would be one of the most important things for your wall to look really nice.

 

Martha Stewart has an office supply line at Staples with some really nice colors. They have beautiful files and organizers.

 

I like paper calendars also. I don't know your decorating style, but I am sure you could find a very pretty one with art prints on it (wildlife, birds, botanicals).

 

Have you looked at etsy? I have seen some organization center boards there made with designer fabrics that are gorgeous.

[Danestress]

lol. I am so decorating challenged:)

 

The wall is light yellow with white wood work. There is fair amount of woodwork - crown molding, a chair rail, and those little decorative squares of molding under the chair rail. I find this makes it hard to work with.

 

So I am thinking that the products probably look nice with that. The hallway is sort of independent from the rest of the house though. You can't see it from the living room, so it doesn't have to coordinate with anything too much, and I guess that means I can be creative. I haven't looked at Etsy, but I will check it out. Thanks.

[amey311]

I'm not terribly organized, so I won't offer you tips that way, but I'll mention this.

 

I have a friend whose mother was VERY PARTICULAR about their wall calendar, so she always wrote in VERY neat printing when something was added to a box, and wrote in lines starting at the top of the box, assuming that other things would need to be added. If something was cancelled, she didn't just cross it off, she used medical tape to cover the text so that something else could be written in that row (I'm guessing she'd love the new correct-o-tape you can get now). So! If a TIDY calendar is important to you, I'd stick with looking for white backgrounds. The correcting tape is almost always white, and you'll be able to better hide corrections/changes.

 

If you're dealing with many people, are you interested in one of those multi-person calendars? Otherwise, you could consider assigning everyone a color. I do that on my google calendar, and I did it in college. I used a desk blotter as a wall calendar and assigned each class a different color ink.

[Liz CA]

If you know you dislike dry erase boards, use whatever works for you! You can buy a medium sized one and see if you get any use out of it or if your dc use it.

Do you have a dayminder for yourself where you note things you want / need to do? If you are looking for one, I'd recommend Franklin Covey.

Post pics of your wall when it's done! :)

[besroma]

I just checked out etsy. They have so many there, and some in some horrid fabrics

...it might just give you a headache. :tongue_smilie: They are called memo boards.

 

Do you like the black and white color scheme that was in one of your links?

[amey311]

I'd prefer a paper calendar, only so that it's harder to remove things from the calendar. If I were going to use dry erase, I'd have to hang it high enough that no one would accidentally brush against it, which would make it harder for me to use since I'm only 5' tall.

[Liz CA]

I'd prefer a paper calendar, only so that it's harder to remove things from the calendar. If I were going to use dry erase, I'd have to hang it high enough that no one would accidentally brush against it, which would make it harder for me to use since I'm only 5' tall.

 

:D Good point...or one of the kiddos erases the math schedule or the appointment with the dentist. ;)

[Danestress]

I like to keep things simple and sometimes a little "vintage" looking. But simple is good.

 

I was thinking about a pinboard, but didn't know it was called a memo board some places. You are right about the fabric.

 

I was thinking about something like this http://www.ballarddesigns.com/burlap-message-boards/195170 but I do worry that a pin board will just get totally junked up. They look so nice with nothing on them:)

[besroma]

Would you want this to be a place for keys, or cell phones? Or just papers?

 

 

This one is a bit cluttered, but could be very nice and streamlined:

 

http://mahilu.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/home-office-working-space-2/home-office-organizer/

 

This also gives you an idea what the memo board would probably look like IRL.

 

I like the first link you had, but I think there is too much on the wall. I also prefer the look of solid wood organizer boxes to the wire ones.

Edited September 2, 2012 by besroma

[Danestress]

at first I loved it. The more I look, the more I think it wouldn't be right for me - apart from the wood file pockets, which I still really like. I don't like the size of the calendar or pinboard - I need something bigger. I don't love the price, either! I would love to have a place for cell phones - that is a great idea. I call mine from the home phone at least once a day because I can't find it.

[besroma]

at first I loved it. The more I look, the more I think it wouldn't be right for me - apart from the wood file pockets, which I still really like. I don't like the size of the calendar or pinboard - I need something bigger. I don't love the price, either! I would love to have a place for cell phones - that is a great idea. I call mine from the home phone at least once a day because I can't find it.

 

You could take the elements you like (such as the wood file pockets, and the cubbies for the phones) and sketch out what would work for you.

 

This pinterest board has some pretty ones:

 

http://m.pinterest.com/lorileigh/wall-organization/

[LucyStoner]

I love having a dry erase wall calendar and a dry erase meal planner. I have a spot for stamps and mail, and a little cork board. My wall is pretty small- small house, small family but it works for us.

[kubiac]

Ours is by the front door and has a clock, a calendar, a bulletin board, a mail box, a library-book box, a small white-board, a key hook and a wall-mounted flashlight in case of emergencies.

 

Runs off to look at all the linked pix!

[Danestress]

http://pinterest.com/pin/42502790202786778/

[OrganicAnn]

I think the ones that are too pretty are just for show and aren't really workable in real life.

 

I would consider the others (DH, kids) and how they will need to interact and if they can do so without fussing at them.

 

We only have a calendar with a bulletin board. I installed cup hooks along the bottom on the bulletin board to hold keys.

 

The bulletin board usually looks a little messy, depending on how much stuff is there. But that is where we put theatre tickets, gift cards, odd business cards that we need for a while.

 

I spray painted an old plain bulletin board, which looks a little better than a plain bulletin board.

 

Good luck. Hope you find a system that works for you. Please share when you get it done.

[besroma]

http://pinterest.com/pin/42502790202786778/

 

:iagree:

 

I really like that one also. I think it is very doable.....maybe a combination of the first you linked and this one?

 

You could use designer fabrics (memo board) or pretty scrapbooking paper for pops of color.

 

I can see what you have in mind, and think you can make it both attractive and functional.

[besroma]

http://pinterest.com/pin/42502790202786778/

 

You could do three columns of squares in a style like your pin and down the right side (or across the bottom) use the organizational file holders and cubbies similar to the ones in this pin:

 

http://m.pinterest.com/pin/42502790202788240/

 

Does that make sense? I really like the blackboard square!

[T'smom]

I couldn't figure out how to post a link to a pin on my pinterest account, but I think you can find it by searching for cork board calendar. Anyway, I love it and I have been trying to come up with a fun way to use someting like that.

[Plink]

I adore this calendar (look at the last photo on the page)

http://shop.flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_calendar.asp

 

It doesnt have any cutesy pictures to clutter up my space visually, the writing area is huge, and the years run from Aug through the next Dec (15 months) so our entire schol year is visible at a glance.

 

I am on my 5th year of ordering the same calendar, and I just can't say enough about it. Having a functional tool makes all the difference.

[AmyontheFarm]

If you use a white board and you have a smart phone you might like this suggestion.

 

Fill in the calendar on the white board for the month and then whip out your smart phone and take a picture of the white board. Use this picture as your background photo or screen saver that way when you are out and about and you have to make an appointment you can quickly check to see if something else is already booked that day. When you update the calendar during the month it's easy to take another picture and repeat.

[2squared]

I have to put in a plug for whiteboards. not calendars, just a plain white board. I have one on my fridge, and I do a data dump on there. if you had one on the wall, you could write all kinds of notes and reminders to your kids and dh.

 

I have my weekly menu in one corner, a grocery list on the other side, and a to-do list as well. Everyone remembers to add to the grocery list b/c it's easy and visible.

[MariannNOVA]

I made what I call 'air traffic control' when we moved into this house. we have a rather good sized mud room, so on the largest wall in that room, i put up cork wall tiles in a large rectangle.

 

I have a large paper desk calender in the center. i write on that in pencil. on the wall to the right of that, i have a write on/wipe off 7 day martha stewart calender that sticks on the wall. each week, i wipe it clean and copy from the paper calendar what is going on to the write/wipe 7 day calender.

 

i have two vertical hanging cloth pocket organizers that are made for magazines, but i have the pockets labeled:

catalogs, church, take out menus, bills, kids, coupons, etc

 

originally, i had 'kids' but now i am going to have everyone's name separate.

 

on the counter on the other side of this wall, i have a place for the day's mail to sit so it can be opened and then put in the appropriate pocket of the hanging organizer.

mostof what i purchased is martha stewart from staples-- i love the colors, i no longer have a junk draw anywhere, and we have expanded into the garage with a shelf system for dog leashes, garage door openers, ikea shoe storage containers, etc.

 

i will get the camera and take a picture of my wall.

[Ellie]

I like the action notebook described in Pat Dorff's "File--Don't Pile!" I modified it slightly:

 

1 three-ring notebook, with a "monarch" size calendar in the front (you know, a two-page spread for each month).

 

January-December dividers

 

1-31 dividers.

 

Each month I put the appropriate month divider in the front of the 1-31 dividers. Every piece of paper that is due or must be touched in some way for that month is filed behind its appropriate date. Papers for the next months are filed behind their appropriate month divider.

 

I write brief appointment information-in pencil--on the calendar; more in-depth info would be on the pieces of paper filed behind their due dates/

 

At the end of the month, I move that month's divider to the back of the month dividers, and put the new month in front of the 1-31 dividers, and file anything due that month behind the appropriate dates.

 

I can put my hand on any piece of paper that comes in my house. So can anyone else who lives here. "Mom, where's the permission slip for the field trip?" "In the action notebook." "Mom, where are the directions to get to the field trip?" "In the action notebook." "Mom, where is the order form for the raffle tickets?" "In the action notebook." "Mom, were are the raffle tickets?" "In the action notebook." :D

 

Bills go in a bill-paying action notebook which looks like this. I open bills while standing over the trashcan. The envelopes they came in go right in the trash, along with any pieces of paper that were stuffed in them. I keep the bill itself and the mailing envelope (if I'm not paying online), and it gets filed either behind this month's date when I'll be paying it, or behind the month when I will be paying it. Each month I move bills from behind a month tab to a numbered tab.

 

So there I have corralled two kinds of paperwork into two tidy notebooks. The billpaying action notebook can be stuck in a drawer, as it doesn't need to be out in view all the time. The other action notebook can be open to the two-page calendar so people can look at it easily, or closed and put away.