Revealing My New Family Command Center

So here it is...my new Family Command Center! It literally makes me dance with joy. Are you familiar with these things??? Let me school you just in case.

This is a space in your home where you attempt to organize your life (and that of your family). It’s a space for calendars, notes, reminders, announcements, keys, etc. I often encourage this space creation for the moms that I coach who are trying to carve time out of their busy lives for wellness, fitness and self-care. I’ve had one of these for at least the last 6 years or so. But since moving into our new home last November, this particular command center has become my passion project. Why? Well that’s the interesting part.

As much as I love organization and color coordination in my life, I recently had to admit to myself why I REALLY developed such a passion for stuff like this. This required a bit of unpacking, so let me give you the abbreviated story. Essentially, I grew up in a lot of chaos. My family home was always CLEAN (my mama made sure of that), but it was almost NEVER organized. There were always too many people in too small of a space (7-8 of us in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom to be exact) and way too much going on. School activities, family events, trips and everything else we did was often last minute, late or completely disorganized. I found myself as a child trying to coordinate and schedule things so that I felt some sense of control over the chaos.

I inadvertently took over. I planned, I organized my small spaces, I scheduled, I started color-coding my closet and my school notes...and eventually, I began to feel a sense of control and calm. No matter what craziness was happening around me (like even down the hall from me), I was able to make my space what I wanted....and sometimes that “space” was my bed and dresser or my book bag and planner. But it was enough for me.

As I grew older and occupied more space, my desire for organization, neatness and control also grew. I became even more particular about how I wanted things in my daily life to flow. I was honestly living my best life...until I welcomed a husband and children into “my space.” That was the game changer and the shock to my soul that forced me to think outside of the box and to be more flexible in my scheduling/organization and overall control.

Though it has taken time, the result has been a family that seems to understand my need for structure. And I have been able to loosen the reigns a bit to give them a little bit of flexibility as well. Despite this, after pondering my reasons for needing a family command center (and organization in any room/space), I had to admit that these needs stem from a very deep anxiety that I associate with disorganization. Because of some aspects of my childhood, I find it difficult to thrive in environments that lack structure and organization or that are filled with clutter.

I make my kids clean their rooms daily (sometimes twice). I can’t let anything sit in my living room that does not belong. I can’t sleep if my stove is not clean. I meal prep (almost) religiously to ensure that food is available and accessible. I keep lists on my phone for everything. I am always thinking of ways to make parts of my life more streamlined and “simple.” Sometimes these thoughts keep me awake at night.

And just to clarify, I don’t think that ANY of these things are wrong or bad. I actually think they help me in many ways, because if I don’t have these things in place, I feel my anxiety rise. However, there are times when my desire for organization or control also heightens my anxiety. So I am constantly striving for the “gray area...” the space where I have enough organization and coordination to bring me peace, but not so much that I am stressing over it constantly. Sometimes I feel like I’m on a tightrope, but fortunately for me, I have systems in place to keep me in check and ensure that I am remaining in my gray space as often as possible.

So, again, here it is. My new family command

center. A space that so far has brought me joy by eliminating my view of clutter, papers, trash, etc. I have tagged where most of the items are from (on Instagram)...though 80% is Amazon. Lol.

I utilize the cube shelf boxes for my kids’ homework caddies, school books and miscellaneous stuff that I don’t want to see.

The felt letter board is amazing because I like to leave cute notes for my family at least once a week and this thing literally has a gajillion letters/numbers/symbols to choose from.

The clipboards are for my kids’ weekly chore charts that I am currently working on. The top two were snagged at Target, but that bottom one is thanks to Amazon.

The cork boards are great for reminders, invitations and anything you don’t want or need to write down. And the metal file holder is where we keep mail, bills and other papers that my husband and I need to take care of.

The clear file holders are where we keep important school papers or homework assignments for the kids. This summer, it’s just for extra practice worksheets to keep them sharp until school starts back.

The key holder is kinda obvious, but the hooks are my favorite! I love a good command hook but there’s nothing like a sturdy metal hook to seamlessly hold up to 16 pounds! These will be used for the kids’ book bags and my work bag and/or purse.

The space really came together and it’s just another huge step toward making my kitchen area exactly what I desire...a space to serve the utmost function while being extremely pleasing to the eye.

Hope you like it. If you’re inspired by it, that’s awesome too. If not, no worries...this crazy organization life ain’t for everybody. And that’s okay. Do what makes your soul smile.