Anyone have a sort of Command Centre?

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

With a dd due at Nursery in a few months and a second baby on the way, I feel I need to become more organised. DH and I both work ft (shifts for me, too) so at the moment I simply stick my rota on the fridge and text the Childminder the days and times she will he having dd.

Im envisaging years ahead of letters from school, friends addresses and phone numbers, doctor and dentist appointments and all the extra gubbins on top of managng two kids.

Anyone have a bit of a command centre - places for letters, calendar etc somewhere in their home?

What is essential? How did you introduce it? We dont have masses of space but plenty of bare walls.

Google calendar - just for me! (used to use desktop outlook)
I print off a month at a time and it is attached to fridge door (magnets)
Then any last minute changes etc are written on there...
(I liked desktop outlook better -you could print colour coded - google you can't (or I can't get it to at least))
I use google calendar on my phone - and try and put things straight in - so eg don't get a card from dentist - 6 month checkup appointment straight into google.
I have recurring appointments - eg birthdays/MOTs/Insurance on there - repeating every year and set up to get an email reminder 1 day or week or whatever in advance (Also have dcs activities as recurring and which bin is due out that week...)
Also I can download the ics file from the school website and it fills in our the school holidays automatically (would be better if they put events on there too)

Deal with notes/activity bills as soon as I get them if I can - entered onto calendar, permission slips into bags, online payment and then rest of note filed or on a bull dog clip on my noticeboard - in date order - so next due is on top -info about packed lunches etc.
Newletters etc -dates into calendar. Then into my filing cabinet - each child has a section and a joint child section - so that I can refer back to it if nec. I love my filing cabinet - only use 1.5 drawers but the other drawers are great for storing clutter...
I have an A4 file with polypockets for 'pending things' - unopened letters etc are put loosely in the front and I sit down and sort them out once a week - and go through the pending.
Tasks lists - not satisfied at the moment -
I used Outlook before- you could set up recurring tasks - like 'pay credit card' etc - I tried using a mixture of sticky notes (computer ones) on my desktop and the task list that came with my phone - now trying google tasks again but still not overly impressed ...still working on a better system (My phone is bada so no decent apps available to sync stuff)

We were paperless. Then bloody Apple bloody 'upgraded' the bloody iOS. And then synced the now-blank diary from iPad to iPhone.

Hurrah for paper! Paper family planner with pockets here (pockets are perfect for storing appointment letters, theatre tickets - basically any documents you need to take with you on a specific date. Google/Apple never managed that - and don't start on Evernote. Scan in a doc, throw away paper version, six weeks later print out virtual version onto... Paper.)

Good old-fashioned ringbinder with sections and pockets... After flirting with OneNote for a while.

Magnetic things stuck to fridge - meal planner with tear-off lists, wipe-clean list of emergency contacts (all v well having that list on your phone - till the day your mum is looking after your DC in your house because you're at a conference and she needs your GP's number!).

Shoe rack by door with low pegs above specifically for DC's shoes/coats (adult ones in hall cupboard but DC can't reach!) and basket in rack for sunhats/suncream/bike helmets.

Box files for stuff - school letters, medical, etc. one day I may file them, but in the meantime at least I know where they are!

It's all chaotic really, but it's my chaos. Tbh, remembering all this crap is about the only mental exercise I get these days, so I don't really have much incentive to get any more organised.

VueMinder works pretty well and syncs with Outlook.
Had an Android phone for a week - it was crap but I liked the Do It (Tomorrow) app.
Call me anal but what I would really like is a filing cabinet. Currently using a plastic stacking crate system that I got from Lakeland about 10 years ago which was ok when there was just me. A bigger house would help too

Forgot to say, the Do It (Tomorrow) app is also accessible on line so everyone can sign in and add things.

Lilac I use something similar called Cozi. It's an organiser app that someone else put me on to, and it's working for our family of iphone/ipad users so far. Everyone logs on to the same app, and it has tasks/shopping lists etc as well as the Calendar. Only been using for a couple of months, but good so far.

I haven't read the whole thread so forgive me if I am repeating others. Those little bits of paper/invitations/costume details kids bring out of school - take a photo of it on your phone and chuck it out.

Worked a treat for me and I've always got the details on me.

We use a mixture of these things. Expedit boxes for each person is by the door. Bags for swimming, dance class, scouts, hanging in the utility room and re packed straight from the dryer.

Plastic drawers/boxes on top of fridge for annual passes, things to do, filing, children's art work and memories ( then transferred to the loft)

Notice board with clips to hang important letters

Shared family google calendar that au pairs also add to

Two weekly tesco deliveries on sat and weds that au pairs can add to

Two wipe clean weekly calendars on the fridge - one for the werk's schedule and things to remember (trips etc) and one for the meal plan

Shopping list and to do list next to it

Every Saturday when we put the shopping away, I cross reference the family calendar, my work diary, birthdays, meal plan, shopping list etc

We have 4 children and with my commute I do 13h days

Oh yes, filing
I have two boxes per year

Jan- jun
Aug- dec

Chuck everything in
Put box away
Every few years I get out the oldest boxes and throw most of it away

I rarely need anything from the filing system, it's quicker just to leaf through occasionally than to file it all in immense detail

Also have lots of school uniform - 6 polo shirts per child for eg

KEEP ALL SHOES BY THE FRONT DOOR to prevent disappearance at inconvenient times

Take to do stuff to work with stamps and envelopes and cheque book

Sometimes it's easier to post school forms and cheques back than it is to rely on children taking them

Keep a stock of cheap cards, wrapping paper, card making stuff, £5 gifts suitable for parties. Bags for bottles so can send wine if adult gift needed.

After any event (holiday, party) keep a little list of things that could be improved next time ... In fact always try to learn from mistakes, things that went wrong or were more work than they needed to be. I learnt a lot from the 'missing shoe and has to go to clarks on a Monday morning which didn't open till 9.30' drama

I have lots of high tech gadgets I never use, and a big desk diary that me and the dc write in. They aren't allowed to fiddle with my phone etc so they need to see plans and help make them.

We talk about the next day at dinner the day before.

I have a magazine thing for interesting events etc.

I have a large drawer full of paperwork which I get out occasionally, re pile and shove back in. There are drawings everywhere:)

These are all very very helpful thank you! Rolls of wrap are currently down the side of the couch and spare gift cards in a box file in the bedroom so I need to collate and add to it all I think.

I can never find a wine bottle.bag in this house for love nor.money.

Our wrapping paper and gift bags live in a tallish box a bit like an umbrella stand, in a wardrobe.

For kids' drawings etc i've put 2 baskets on a bookshelf. Anything I want to keep for memories goes in there. They also have a folder each at the bottom of a drawer (under clothes) for their certificates - stuff THEY want to keep.

Hey nonny that is my worst nightmare. Put everything in digital form and then lose it. And actually it leaves more room for error when typing info in. Also dcs can't use it. And phones might stop working.

I would like to get my paperwork digitised though, that's how I do receipts.

I stick to the wall calendar and the accompanying letters go in the pocket.

Shopping is done from memory while going round a nice small shop like Lidl.

I agree Cretaceous . Google calendar here too. I went through a stage before that of using another electronic calendar AND writing everything out in a diary to carry with me. What a faff and a complete waste of time! Also I double booked/forgot a couple of things due to forgetting to write them in the diary.

All paperwork is in a Lever Arch file divided into relevant sections. Some stuff is scanned (passports) and kept on Google Drive. Easy to access any time, any place.

Less is more here and it works for us.

Re losing an electronic version on your phone and worrying about losing it, if you upload to Google Drive or Dropbox (or the Apple equivalent - iDrive is it?) it's accessible from any of your devices.

Re losing everything digital!
I used to use Hotmail as my main email account for everything ...had it for almost 20yrs and never really delete anything. One day I was locked out as someone had tried to hack it - too many failed password attempts.
A real shock - I realised that I had so much information in there...and if it was successfully hacked I might not know someone else was using it at the same time as me for days...
Opened a gmail account - forwarded all my saved email into my new account. I still give out my hotmail email but everything is forwarded onto gmail - my hotmail account is empty no messages, trash, contacts and I don't give my gmail address out.
Not safe if someone 'gets' email lists directly from google but shouldn't show if they got them from somewhere else. (Could get it if they managed to get into my hotmail though ...but then they'd have to hack into another email too)
My google email downloads to (doesn't syn with) Thunderbird free desktop email application - I delete emails from google every month or so and so I have all my email archive on my desktop not in the cloud - and it is regularly backed up. Thunderbird calendar and tasks do sync on opening but hopefully if I had a problem with google calendar losing everything I could just change my google password which would stop the sync. Then use the thunderbird to update the google one. Task lists I also print to PDf regularly and they are backed up too.

My laptop is password protected but easily hacked - looking into a better way of protecting the info on it if it was stolen....

(I also have hooks in my understair cupboard at door for coats, bags and kits - and shoes off and straight on rack by door. DD1 has a plastic tub for her stuff at the moment - in new house I'm having a custom built unit - including individual boxes for everyone's passes, keys etc.)

Carelesstalkcostslives I meant to say about Google Keep too. Very handy. I used Evernote before I they brought out Keep, but found it far too complicated for my needs.

I have Google diaries for the boys, myself, DH, school holidays and holidays. Great to be able to view one, some or all.

I also put appointment addresses in the "where" box which then enables you to click through to Google maps. Handy for somewhere you've not been before.

Then I put any extra info in the description box. So if it's a school trip and they need uniform bottoms, top of their choosing, packed lunch, a quid or whatever I stick that in. Then I set an email or phone reminder for say 24 hours, 3 days, a week in advance, depending on what needs prepping and it reminds me of what needs to happen.

It is so simple and saves so much time not having multiple systems in place.

I love Google!

Oh, and my phone screen went the other day and I couldn't use it and it had to be replaced. I couldn't even log on to log out of my accounts. But one simple Google password change on the laptop and even if someone had been able to hack into my phone they wouldn't have been able to do anything because I had reset the password.

Why is google keep better than google tasks?
I can see you can set a reminder - but you can do that in calendar too...
What I'd like is a task list that allows you to repeat tasks...
(Thunderbird has one but that bit doesn't sync with google...so not available on my phone!)
Also tasks - if you set a due date will appear as a list at the top of your google calendar - which is great except annoyingly if you have different lists trying to keep work etc things sep only the open list appears ....

I like the sound of Google Keep. I'm not sure I need it as I have my calendar, with letters on hand, and reminders come from school via dcs.