Family Command Center

Family command center has become quite the buzz phrase in this time of Pinterest and blogging.  Had we opted for the sprawling Highlands Ranch Haus, we would likely have a large desk area right in our kitchen and even maybe have an office on the main floor that would make a family command center easy or unnecessary.  Our office, however large, (for our expectations) is in the basement, and we have only one eating table, so we had to get creative to control the clutter.
I have given in to one pile of papers being on the dining table or living room side table as there is always a bill to mail or form to fill or article to read.  I am very happy with how organized our little idea turned out.....

We first had to decide between this wall where the aprons are (there is a brick chimney under there which means hanging is hard.  Those nails the aprons are on were already there.)

Or here on the side of the fridge and next to the sink.

 Per Ryan's good point of standing at the sink a lot, this spot won.  The metal board and towel bar are from Ikea and were less than $20 total. 

There is room for the family calendar, recipes for the week, and current activities and coupons are housed in that clip at the top.

Our individual and family calendars automatically sync (thanks to Steve Jobs,) and I added the recycling, large item pick-up, and Ben's school calendars so we only need one calendar displayed.  I also love that I can now look back at our weekly menus for ideas and to reduce repetition.

My genius engineer husband also came up with this idea for cooking, and I just move the clip to the side when not in use.  It was quite handy to be able to read and stir this week.  

Skoghall

Gesundheit!!  No, it's not a sneeze, just another oddly named Ikea product.  It has been mind-boggling how many Ikea products we have purchased recently as most people try to move away from it rather than back to it in their 30's and 40's.  The sad but honest truth is that no one gives more options for small-space organized living than Ikea, and at great prices too.
Today I wanted to share a quick post about a space-saving great that would work for even the non space-challenged.  

Ben's jammie pants are drying after he tried to hop in the shower with me:)

The Skoghall over-the-door laundry bag has been amazing for us.  We no longer need bulky laundry baskets taking up space in both our closets and the dual compartments make sorting a breeze.  Additionally, there are no more clothes left just outside the basket leaving me to wonder whether they are clean or dirty.  We are talking full-fledged commitment here people! And my boys pre-sort the laundry for me too!  Sadly, you can't get it online but if you venture to a store it is about $10 and available in black, red and white.

(afterthought-eeeeee! talk about airing your dirty laundry for all the world to see!)