Tell me about your "command center" or mom desk

[WatchingThemGrow]

What kind of furniture do you have? desk, shelves? bookcase? boxes? bins? labels? What all do you have there?

I've been trying to make do for so long without a real desk/bookcase for myself. It's not working, and I'm miserable trying to have no real space for my "stuff."

[SkyrMommy]

My desk in my studio is the catch all for my household paperwork (not usually bills) as well as my art related work. To keep things easier I have a dedicated file drawer for just household and personal info and then a bin to toss things in on top of the desk as a 'to-do' organizer. My art related work is filed in another drawer and has a different bin to toss works-in-progress into.

DH keeps much more of the household daily bills in his office and has a terrible mess of a desk until he attacks it once or twice a month. Then things get filed nicely in a built in cabinet/bookshelf that lines one whole wall of his office.

[vludmilla]

I have this and I love it.

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/eastman-secretary/season/jf-dream-closet/12202?isCrossSell=true&strategy=3

[WatchingThemGrow]

I have this and I love it.

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/eastman-secretary/season/jf-dream-closet/12202?isCrossSell=true&strategy=3
Really... I've always thought one of those would be too small to contain all the "stuff" that makes a family work. I think they are beautiful, but I'd love to know more about how it works for you. What all do you keep/do there?

Where do you keep the influx of kid-papers? Do you keep it open or closed most of the time?

[vludmilla]

Well, I live in a smaller house (1850 sq ft plus finished basement) so I didn't want it to be too big. I keep it closed all the time. I keep files in the bottom (2 rows) with school stuff, car stuff, insurance, last few years of taxes... I also have a nice framed "board" in the kitchen where I keep things that change weekly or so like a calendar, lunch menu, invitation to a party, etcetera. The inside of mine has far more paper in it and isn't as lovely as the picture but it works quite well for us. I keep spare printer paper in it and toner cartridges. I also keep the reading assessments and work that I use sometimes with DD. We keep stamps, envelopes, checkbooks, in there as well. Bills to be paid. catalogs that I want to review at a later time. My nice colored pencils are in there...calculator, some books, it holds quite a lot, I think. The one thing that I don't use it for is a true desk to sit at since I don't prefer to work that way. I don't find myself wanting to sit at a desk much, I usually sit at our kitchen table to complete paperwork but it stores all my paperwork quite well.

[wendibird22]

We have a desk in our family room that has a file drawer. I have hanging files for DH, me, bills, and computer/printer manuals. When I get the mail junk goes right into recycling and then I stick the rest in the respective file folders. At our back entrance (small) I have this (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rolodex-Mesh-3-Tier-Organizer-Black/15074511) mounted to the wall with 2 tiny screws. Each kid has a file folder for school/daycare and one for activities. In those go permission slips, calendars, classroom lists, etc. In the activities folder are dance class schedules, summer rec schedules, etc. Above this file organizer is a small magnetic dry erase board. Any school reminders and "to dos" are written there and we hang up the daycare check, a permission slip that needs to get turned in that week, etc. so that we remember to take care of it that particular week.

So, it's not ideal that I have stuff in 2 places but so far the system is working. It keeps us from having piles everywhere. It helps DH who sometimes gets the mail but isn't the one who pays bills to not just dump it all on the counter/table. It keeps stuff out of sight (DH can go months w/out looking through his stuff so at least it's hidden away in a drawer). It puts the stuff we need most often and most importantly for school right at the door we use daily so it can't be missed/forgotten.

And just to mention that on an adjacent wall to the hanging organizer is a row of coat hooks where the kids coats and backpacks go. So again, we can't help but see the dry erase board and folders.

[boolady]

I have this and I love it.

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/eastman-secretary/season/jf-dream-closet/12202?isCrossSell=true&strategy=3

I love this. Thanks for posting.

[hillview]

Well I have a large book shelf with parenting books. In our newly done kitchen I have a work area. I have a huge drawer where all he kids art work and stuff from school goes. It holds a ton and I weed it out from time to time. In anger drawer is a very organized "junk" drawer with hammer, screwdrivers, first aid mini kit, rubber bands, check book, envelopes, stamps, paper clips etc. on the top are 2 mail organizers, scotch tape roll, stapler, pencil sharpener, pens and pencils, a space for homework and the kid's chore charts. Love it.