Fix-It: Home Command Central: Binders

As I hinted in my previous post, one of the bigger re-organization jobs has been 2 fold: creating some improved work areas for myself and the kids, plus a Home Command central space.

I got busy looking over many pins for inspiration and found some great printables along the way.

I needed a new system. so I began a complete overhaul and have been using and re using my new finds and inspired ideas from pinterest.

The Home Command Center:

as seen in the above picture of the side of our refrigerator...who doesn't use their fridge as the go to area for information of your home? well we do...and it has been a sore spot for awhile now trying to figure a better way to utilize that space and the area directly around it and our back door, which for the most part is the main coming and going area in our home for our family.



Matt and I chat of these grand remodeling plans of re using this back area space to make a proper mudroom, etc....but well you needs FUNDS for that...and funds just aren't part of this equation right now. So what do I do?

we have limited space

we have limited funds

and a lot of mess and disarray

which may not cause stress to my family but it does to me and well if Mama ain't happy than no one is...


somehow I "conned" Matt into helping me set up a "new" organization desk/work area in our family room and well it's moving along.


Emptying the desk shared by both the kids and I was like an archaeological dig and it took over the dinning room table for a good week as I sorted and looked on pinterest for new ideas of how to organize all of this "stuff"

I  decided I needed a new way to sort, file and keep track of everything from finances to meal planning and family time...

this is my temporary "desk" area until I have shelves installed over my new desk area. I sorted through my current system and condensed and reused the storage items I had around the house already. Plus the added bonus of a surplus of white binders I had stored up.

I decided on a system of 3 main binders:

Finances

Home/Family Life

Get Creative



I also have 6 paper organizers for items that don't quite fit in the binders' system.

A "to-do" file

A general school file

and one file per child

I have tweaked and moved things around a bit over the last weeks as i get used to using a new system. In the end to make life not just organized and more efficiently functioning I want it to look pretty too. So I plan to do something like this:

as seen from this pin/blog:  iheartorganizing

here's a peek into each of my binders and where i found the printables on pinterest:

Finances

it has 5 sections:

savings, with pocket pages to keep gift cards, lists, saving plans for trips, camp, etc

Budget and Bills,  with a general monthly bill list, a working budget spreadsheet, pocket pages for bills, payments, etc

the budget sheet was found here: simple-dimples organization-binders

Monthly Calendar (of expenses/income), this has a calendar to fill in when items are due and pay dates; a register or track your spending sheets, and pocket pages for receipts

the register pages was found from the same blog link above

this one I found while searching for something else, and I think i like this format a bit better...will be trying this one February. Found here: yourway-spending-worksheet

The last two sections are for misc receipts and any credit card purchases made. Plus an area for any other documents, notes that pertain to bills and finances and websites for billers.

Home/Family Life binder

 this Binder has 8 sections

Important appointments/reminders pocket page:

Meal Planning, which includes a pocket page for recipes to try (from magazines, friends, etc)

 my master meal list and chart to fill in new recipes to try again

weekly evening calender so i can plan out the weeks meals accordingly

the Next section is for Chores/Cleaning:

I have a pocket page for chore/cleaning instruction cards that i give to the kids when we play the "House Game" on most Saturday mornings. I have created a section with cleaning schedule samples and blank sheets for me to fill in as I come up with a better schedule than just the random cleaning spurts or the "we have company tonight....AHHH!"

The GREAT "To-DO!" section:

   

Pocket pages above (self explaining) and then one of the best pins (IMHO) the Things to do list:

I printed and then made multiple copies of.  I pull a new sheet out each week (the goal is to do it Sunday afternoons) and begin filling it out. It stays on a clip board in plain site for me to keep track of what I'd like to and am suppose to get done during the week ahead, from laundry to Disney planning....

I then have two sections for Finish It Friday's (what didnt i do and now prioritize that out) and Action plans for trouble spot areas in the home/outside that we want to tackle.

the last section is for Family Time:

I have a calendar printed so I can keep track of weekend and Friday night activities so I can set aside some intentional time for us to do things as a family or just Matt and I

the pocket pages in this section hold Family Night cards, and other items to help inspire fun :-)

Get Creative Binder

this binder hasn't received much use yet...but I have fun plans for this binder to help keep me organized for crafting, gift-giving, holidays, scrapbooking and blogging....stay tuned to see more.

Here are the links to the printables I have used for my binders:

weekly Menu planner: artsyfartsymama-get-organized-printable

Things to do list: www.apairofpears.com

various printables from Simplify Life (link is to a blog about Sunday planning and offers many links to printables): printables c/o designfinch

Printable calndars: todayscreativeblog

Fill in Weekly chore chart: my3monsters-housekeeping

Chore cards for Kids: organicfamilies.blogspot-chore-cards

I hope I inspired you to get organized, please stay tuned for the final installment of this Home Command Central remake as we get back to the Fridge information disarray....

thanks for reading, Julie