Our New "Kitchen Command Center" for a New *Organized* Year!

The holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years) left me yearning for utterly routine and boring days and weeks.  The kind where I can go a few weeks able to simply go to work, make dinner everyday, keep the house clean, do laundry on Saturday's, relax with mu hubby at night and play with my sweet boy.  There was a time (before having a child) when several weeks of routine would bum me out.  Now that I have a two year old boy who is constantly changing and somewhat unpredictable I yearn for my basic routines to be mundane. 

The last few months have left me feeling so out of sorts that I feel the need to get more organized than just putting away Christmas decorations though.  This (in conjunction with my recent addiction to Pinterest) brought me to this weekends project.  I will attempt to give props to all of the awesome ideas I found on Pinterest but feel free to follow my "Home" board to see all of my inspiration.

Here is our freshly finished "Kitchen Command Center".  It's a combination of things we were already using in different formats (a weekly meal plan on the fridge, grocery list and single to do list) with idea's I found online including a Home Management Binder and mail sorter.

The basic structure of the board is a bulletin board that I had on hand.  I added some fabric (which not-so-coincidently matches the curtains on the play kitchen I made that is across the room - I love when things match!).  The calendar is the Everything Perpetual Calendar Kit from Clean Mama Printables on Etsy.  The grocery list and to-do lists/message boards are labeled J, K, and A for each member of the family.  They were prompted in part by my husband not always realizing the to-do list on the fridge can also apply to him ;) But I also found inspiration from these magnetic chalkboard's from the Creative Organizing blog on Simplify 101.  Mine are made with dry erase stickers on metal boards.  The Sunday-Saturday schedule is also dry erase but not magnetic.  The plan is to use if for our weekly dinner menu and daily chores. 

I'm hoping the addition of a mail sorter keeps mail from piling up on my kitchen counter and also makes it less of a frazzled search to find bills when it's time to pay them.  The structure was bought at Craft Warehouse which is quite possibly my favorite craft store. I modgepodged fabric and letters to it - so simple and fast!

While it looks pretty this is the part that is still very much in process.  This is my Home Management Binder.  I got the idea and guidance from a blog called A bowl full of lemons.  I am so excited to get it done but it will probably take me a few more weeks (depending how much time I put into it) to fill it up.  It will grow with our family and needs which I love.  I'm hopeful that it really will keep everything vital and those things that should be referenced daily easily accessible.  Mine includes sections for: calendars, schedules (work, kids activities etc), cleaning (someday I want to be on one of those amazing schedules that helps you deep clean your house in a few minutes a day. But for now it's empty), menu planning, finances, medical and contacts.  Please see A bowl full of lemons blog post on it which details each section.  She links to multiple forms to use in the binder as well.  I am using the Week at a glance form from mommytracked.com that she recommends.  I am also using the Budget and Bill Pay Kit from Clean Mama Printables on Etsy.  I pulled some simple contact and medical information forms from Word in Microsoft. 

And a very important (not just decorative) "blessed". I saw a "blessed" sign posted over a calendar (Infarrantly creative) on Pinterest and absolutly had to use it here.  I can often get stressed while budgeting (shocking right?), scheduling, meal planning and general life as a family.  It's such a  great reminder that we have been blessed by a loving God who has taken care of us in very hard times and will carry us through the future as well. May all my friends and family be as blessed!

I hope you have enjoyed my first in-depth blog post and I truly hope I referenced enough of my inspirations! Always want to give credit when due.  :)