An organized space for keeping track of family to-do’s, scheduled events, after school activities and grocery lists can make a huge difference when it comes to starting the new school year off on the right foot. Usually called a “command center” this area of the home should be a place where all your events, ideas and lists come together and are accessible and visible to everyone in need of the information. Here are a few tips from the team at School Specialty for getting your command center ready for the new school year.
5 Must Haves for Your Home Command Center
Don’t have a command center? Just want to take your command center space to the next level? We’ve got ideas for both of those situations, and affordable, attractive storage and organizational tools that make it easy and fun.
Family Calendar
The family calendar is a key part of any command center. This is where all the dates and events are recorded and will help family members to see what’s going on. Whether you’ve got a dentist appointment, dance lessons or a family get-together to remember, put it on the calendar to keep it in mind!
File Storage (Wall or Cabinet)
Your command center is bound to become cluttered with paperwork, bills, and notes if you don’t have a “home” for each type of item. Use wall storage for a command center with less space, or consider a filing cabinet or filing boxes for keeping important papers sorted and safe from the commotion of the house.
Post-it Notes for Reminders
Post-it notes are so much more than the classic yellow slips of paper that we all know so well. They come in many different shapes, sizes and with varying uses these days, and the right Post-its can really make reminders more organized and engaging. Take advantage of the Post-it flags for your daily planner or calendar, the Post-it roll and temporary Post-it whiteboard surfaces can make your command center more versatile than ever!
Pens, Pencils and Colored Markers
Humans naturally sort information when it’s listed, and it makes it even easier to sort through reminders and events if they are color-coded. Use fun colored gel pens, fine tip Sharpie markers, and colored dry erase markers to let yourself know which reminders are the most important.
Pens and markers can also make a command center feel cluttered, so invest in a desk organizer to keep your push-pins, writing utensils and other small items neat and orderly.
To-Do Lists/Checklists
Finally, consider getting a clipboard or two to fit to-do lists and grocery lists that you can carry around the house while you brainstorm and return to the command center. Clipboards often have a hole in the top that works perfectly if you need to hang them on the wall. Otherwise, consider a basket where you can drop them off and pick them back up at any time.
Command Center Tools & Ideas at School Specialty
If you’d like to check out some of the command center tools available on our website, follow this link and take advantage of the large variety of tools in all shapes and colors to match your personal preferences and command center style.
