SOCIAL MEDIA

February 13, 2015

Kitchen Command Center

Kitchen Command Center with wire basket and Ikea magnetic message board-www.goldenboysnadme.com
Like in most families, the kitchen is the hardest working room in our house.  Sometimes it feels like a full time job just to keep up with everyone else's schedules in my house, let alone my own schedule.  As my family's needs change as my boys get older, I try to pause and consider what is working for us in the house and what isn't.  I decided to remove our kitchen desk because no one ever actually sat at it anymore.  My kids tend to do their homework at the kitchen island.  However,  I still needed a place to keep some of the important things that had been on the desk.  I ended up creating a kitchen command center on the cabinet side of our refrigerator.


Wire basket in Kitchen Command Center-www.goldenboysandme.com
I started with a wire basket, just like the one I have hanging on our kitchen island.  I love how versatile these baskets are.  I added my recipe binder (I keep print-outs of our favorite recipes here and also some frequently used take-out menus).  I added a small notepad and a folder to stash the things left on the counter that I needed to fill out or sign.   It's a never-ending cycle around here.
Kitchen Command Center with wire basket and Ikea magnetic message board-www.goldenboysnadme.com
Above the wire baskets, I added a magnetic memo board from Ikea.  It is nice and large.  I also added a couple of small plastic containers (also from Ikea) with command adhesive strips.  I have had this magnetic memo board for years.  It used to hang horizontally above my kitchen desk.  It works better vertically here as shown above.
Refrigerator with chalkboard attached using Command Adhesive-www.goldenboysandme.com
On the front of our non magnetic stainless steel fridge, I added a small magnetic chalkboard with command adhesive strips.  Now I can keep a list of things needed from the store right on the fridge.  I also keep a print-out of our monthly calendar.  My husband's schedule is crazy.  The shift he works changes every 6 days (he works a 4 days on/2 days off schedule).  To only complicate things more, he swaps with co-workers all the time so it is hard to keep up.  We have found it easiest to keep our calendars on our phones and computers.  I print out a copy to keep on the fridge so the kids can check to see if dad is working and if I ordered lunch for that day.  Inside our fridge, I have been using clear plastic bins to organize our food for about a year now and they work so well to keep things contained.  And they are easy to pull out and clean when there are spills.  I purchased mine at TJ Maxx.
Just remember not to put them in the dishwasher.  Oops.  I am now down to three bins.
For other paperwork, I keep a small file organizer on our hutch.  Each person in our family gets a folder and when they leave school work, paychecks or whatever else on the kitchen counter, I move it to these folders.  Inevitably, they will still ask me for whatever it is they are looking for.  I haven't figure out a way to solve that problem yet :)
Finally, here are a few sources for our new Command Center.
Kitchen command center sources-www.goldenboysandme.com

13 comments :

  1. Do you have a good way to organize coupons? I constantly have them all over or jammed into a zipper pouch where they get all mixed up. Thanks!

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    1. I have to admit that I am terrible about using coupons. I have a coupon organizer that you can actually see in the small white container on my command center. It is the plastic aqua envelope with compartments to keep things organized. I bought it at Staples with the Martha Stewart stuff. I actually went through the trouble of labeling all of the sections in an effort to use more coupons and save more money. The problem is I always forget to take it with me. I am trying to get better about it!

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  2. I love your ideas Courtney. I considered doing a desk in the kitchen but decided to use the space for other things. Since I have my office nearby, I try to keep the papers in there as much as possible. Even with that, we still have one counter where everything seems to get dropped. I need to get some of those little organizers that you have!
    Shelley

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    1. A couple of years ago I would probably have considered a kitchen desk a top priority. Funny how things change so much so quickly! I think you are smart to use the space a desk would take up for other things. And I think we all have that counter where everything gets dropped regardless of how many organization systems we come up with!

      Have a great weekend,
      Courtney

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  3. Love this Courtney. It saves on space and keeps you organized. Very creative and functional. Happy Valentine's Day. Enjoy the week end.
    Kris

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    1. Happy Valentine’s Day, Kris! I can sure use all of the organization help I can get. Hope your week went okay…you have been in my thoughts. Take care.

      Courtney

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  4. You have really got a system, Courtney, and I know they work, especially when you have younger kids. I used to be that way with a card system for everything I did in one day and a list of where everything was kept. I figured that when I "grew up" I wouldn't need it any more. Not true, things are kind of (very) unorganized lately and I think I will get back to my schedule so I can remember what I did yesterday!!..Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day..Judy

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  5. Lots of great ideas, Courtney...and thanks for the hint using the command strips...

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  6. Courtney...I just found your blog and this post and a few older have given me so many organizational ideas. We have a home office but its super small and I really never want it to be a "paper catch-all". I really strive to keep it neat and in order. I love your colorful filing system, And the Washi tape on the keyboard...genius!!

    I love your blog and am following! :)

    Jane x

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  7. I love the basket at the end of the cabinet for paper plates/napkins/silverware,great space saver for our big family get togethers!

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  8. I have been looking through all your kitchen posts and it is absolutely beautiful! I was wondering if your cabinets have a brown edging or glazing? We are painting ours now and am back and forth on adding the glaze or leave them plain.

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    1. Hi! Thanks so much for your compliments on our kitchen!! Our cabinets are an off-white color with a brown glaze. Honestly, if I had it to do over again, I would skip the glaze. They sometimes appear dirty to me :(

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  9. I have been looking through all your kitchen posts and it is absolutely beautiful! I was wondering if your cabinets have a brown edging or glazing? We are painting ours now and am back and forth on adding the glaze or leave them plain.

    ReplyDelete