JOIN ME ON MY JOURNEY TO SET UP OUR HOME OFFICE ON A THRIFT-STORE BUDGET

I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I’ve posted last.  Between family issues, football, work, and small home improvements, life has been pretty hectic!   

BUT…I did make time (here and there)  to read some of my favorite blogs.   And while searching for ideas/tips to set up a home office/family command center,  I’ve also stumbled upon some new favorite blogs.   

I personally like using our home management binder.  It works for me, but it’s not working so well for DH and DS.  They need a system where it’s more “in your face…and out in the open” . 

So I took every page out of the home management binder and nailed them to the wall…just kidding.

I just want a place where I can pay bills, plan menus, post everyone’s chores, sort mail, drop off keys, etc., etc., etc.

So, let’s break it down and see what all we’ll need. 

First, we’ll need a large calendar.  I don’t care for the whiteboard calendars because they’re just so boring looking.  But I love these ideas:

I recently stumbled onto Just A Girl's  blog.  She has one of the prettiest Organization Station's  that I have ever seen.  Wouldn’t you agree?  And look what she did with an old wooden wall pocket.  (kicking myself for giving mine away…)

Then I came across The Creative Crate's $3 frame makeover.  How creative!

  

That would be perfect for our home office.  We are already using a similar setup for our daily chores.  I printed off our daily chores and put them in sheet protectors then hung them on the wall.  Then we use a dry erase marker to check them off as we do them.  But using picture frames would look so much prettier.  So, I’ll be on the lookout for a large cheap/free frame for our calendar.  YES!!!  I scored one tonight at Goodwill.  It was marked $8 but everything was 50% off today.  $4 is right up my alley!!!  …doing a happy dance…So one of tomorrow’s projects is to fix that calendar!

Next comes the mail.  It needs to be sorted immediately after it comes in the house.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  So we’ll need a system set up for the mail.  Here is some very good info on that subject. 

I decided to use 3 baskets because, well, that’s what I had on hand.  To make them look like they go together, I had my DS spray paint them all the same color and then I hung little labels from them.  It’s a temporary fix, but I think it’ll work.  (I’ll see if I can borrow a camera and get some before, during, after pics )

Are you curious to see what else I’ll be doing? 

I guess you’ll have to check back in and see : )