As a mom with young children, I love discovering fun and easy ways to tame our everyday chaos and stay organized at home and on the go. This summer, we set up a command station in our mudroom to prepare for the upcoming school season. It is a one-stop organization centre that keeps bills, school forms, upcoming important dates, menu planning, to-do lists and small items such as keys and sunglasses neatly arranged & accessible.

I’m going to walk you through 5 essential steps to creating the command station of your dreams. Before you know it, you and your family will be the proud owners of an organized, functional and beautiful planning centre that will help keep you on top of the demands of a new school year.

1. Discover the perfect location for your command station

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A command station does not require a lot of room in your home. If you have a closet, hallway or nook by your front or back door or an empty wall space close to the kitchen, you have the perfect space to begin creating your own ultimate organization station. You may need to think outside the box! We transformed a crowded and awkward coat closet in our mudroom into a functional and accessible command station.

2. Choose functional storage solutions

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This is the fun part: think baskets, bins, buckets & trays!

We used hanging wire baskets to store our incoming bills and forms as well as items that are ready to be filed or returned to school.

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We included a tray to hold my agenda, and small tins that keep coupons, clips, chalk & sunglasses accessible. A cute metal bucket holds our must-have Mabel’s Labels for all of those school items that need labeling along with the dog leash and treats.

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We found a budget friendly storage chest that has 6 beautiful woven baskets to hold all of our outdoor clothing from our local Canadian Tire on sale at 50% off! (If you follow the link, the 6 drawer chest is currently on sale! Bonus!)

There are many stores throughout the city as well as online companies that offer a great selection of budget friendly storage solutions. Some of my favourites include Home Sense, Michaels, Chapters, Canadian Tire & Amazon.

3. Include a clock & calendar IMGP6656

We live near a lake in the city so we found a cute nautical clock to hang on the wall. Not only does it keep us punctual but it also fits in with the lake house style we have throughout the rest of our home.

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We used a hanging frame to display our family calendar that we create each year through Shutterfly. It’s the perfect way to display some of our favourite photo memories and important dates for the year. (If you sign up for their email updates Shutterfly offers a FREE calendar a few times throughout the year, all you have to pay for is the shipping cost!) The frame also comes in handy to clip & display our girls’ artwork and notes.

4. Incorporate a chalkboard

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A chalkboard is a multifunctional tool. You can use it for meal planning, grocery lists, to-do lists, reminders, important upcoming dates, inspiring quotes or “I love you” notes to encourage and inspire your family as they walk by or head off to work & school for the day. Consider picking up a chalkboard marker to keep your notes looking fresh & legible. When you are ready to write a new reminder or note, all you need is a damp cloth to wipe away the chalk.

5. Consider function & style

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The wonderful thing about a command station is you can adjust it to suit your family’s needs.

Take some time to reflect on the purpose of your space and write down your organization needs to keep you focused. Do you need a designated drop off zone for bills, school forms & keys? How about a place to record important dates & to do lists?

Lastly, think about the style of your home and choose items that compliment your home decore. Consider including a variety of textures & materials to add interest to your space. Label baskets and bins. Choose storage items that both bring you joy and serve a purpose.

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Now, you have all the tools you need to create the command station of your dreams. Enjoy the process and get organized!

 

 

 

 

 

Resource List:

Nautical clock, wire baskets, chalkboard frame, tray, tins, white metal bucket – HomeSense

2016/17 Agenda – Chapters

Calendar – Shutterfly

Storage chest – Canadian Tire

Chalkboard Labels & Chalkboard pen – Michaels

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