“What items does a person need in their family communication station and central nook of the house that will allow everything to be organized and seamless when someone calls or the family calendar needs to be updated?” asks professional organizer Patty Barr, founder and owner of The Elegant Organizer, which services clients from NYC to Montauk.
“Every family is busy, and sometimes it’s hard to keep everyone’s schedule together,” says Barr. “Do piles of papers collect on the kitchen counters? Do Post-it notes hang all over the place and get lost? Does the electric bill go missing, so no one knows when it needs to be paid?”
Barr says that if you can answer “yes” to these questions, it is time to reclaim your space! Create a centrally located station for the entire family to get all things organized, from bills to homework to soccer practice schedules to appointments.
Barr offers these eight steps to follow to create a command center for your own home:
Where is it located? It should be in a place where the family gathers frequently or where they pass through, such as a kitchen area, small alcove, mudroom or hallway near the entrance of the home.
What goes there? Bills, coupons, homework for mom and dad to look through, soccer or dance schedules, kids’ lunch menus, permission slips to sign, even the children’s chore list.
Create a file, color and label for each member of the home—Create a mailbox or mail slot designated for each family member, including pets, to house each person’s items (Ikea has some great mailbox solutions for the home. Visit Ikea.com.) Create a slot for coupons, bills and mail as well.
Hang a bulletin board or dry erase board in the same area or even beside the mailboxes where the communication is housed between family members (“went to John’s house,” “ran to get milk, be right back.”) If Post-it notes are used, they wind up on the floor.
Hang a dry erase calendar to list important dates and appointments. The recommendation is to always have two months—one for the current month and one for the following month to plan out.
Inspirational message at the top of the station like “Home is where the heart is” or “There is no place like home!” Barr recommends having a picture of the family to tie it all together.
Charging station, pens, dry erase markers and pencils—Install a small bin or cubby to coral all of these items so they are readily accessible.
A clock to keep everyone on time.
“Make it your own and be creative,” advises Barr. “When creating and organizing a station, hold a meeting with all family members to get their ideas and to ask them what is important to them for this important nook of the home. Get the kids involved; they will feel part of the solution and it will help create a habit for organizing that will help them in the future.”
For more information about Patty Barr, of The Elegant Organizer, call 631-251-1414 or visit TheElegantOrganizer.com.
