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.

Keep a diary and put everything in it. Then don't lose it!

Liliac, I use Outlook.

I keep the global family and my work calendar in my office Outlook, so I can see at a glance what is happening in my life, work as well as personal and family. Nobody books anything without checking with me.

I guess you could call me "mission control".

I then transfer the bits that affect the aupair and the family onto the paper wall calendar in the kitchen.

This is what I use:
wall calendar, if it is not on the calendar, it is not happening.
handbag diary
Birthday Calendar in the kitchen.
birthday card organizer book
wall organizer for school letters, bills etc. I have a wood 4 tier one that I sloaned in red.

The cork board in the kitchen serves for concert/exhibitions/train tickets/invitations.
The shopping list is a pad with a magnetic back and it is stuck to the fridge.
One of the kitchen drawers holds scissors, envelopes, some coins for various after school/school activities, pens, sellotape etc.

Charlieandlola - with the icloud diary - is that one family diary that you can all access from your phones and add to so it appears on everyone else's phones?

And does it only work if you all have i-phones? That's exactly what i'm looking for, but though we have Apple computers, we all have different phones.

Pupsiecola where would I find the sheets in google to record finances? This sounds like an excellent idea as I need to get a tighter control of my finances.

I made them up myself...

Set up google drive. When you hit the + sign to create a new file, it asks you what type. You can do presentations, forms, all sorts. It's really simple. I love google but my windows pc does everything it possibly can to avoid me using it. But yes, I can take a pic, put it into google drive and store receipts that way.