Nest Your Best: An Organized Command Cabinet

He there! Today I am sharing a cabinet that works overtime in our kitchen. I have an actual office upstairs, but let's face it. Life happens in the kitchen.

I'm not a fan of a cluttered counter, so I designated this entire upper cabinet and the big drawer (more on that in another post) to things we need to stay organized, safe, and full of coffee! It's been working well. Recently, I upped the cute factor by making some colorful labels.

LOVE this calendar from Paper Source. It's pretty, functional, and blends well with my decor. Yay for not forgetting show-and-tell!

As the only coffee drinker in the house, I have a little Keurig, which is the best! I've been looking for a tray just the right size to corral it. I'll be sure to update when I do!

(The little white dish was for my phone, but I have since replaced it with a scalloped bowl I found at Goodwill. You can see it in the last picture of the post. I was also trying out some new knobs, which we're way too noisy, so those are back to normal in the last picture too!)

Back to the cabinet...

Inside, I cut cork board to fit and hot-glued it into the cabinet.

Next, I made a printout for quick reference items. These are things like important phone numbers, frequently made recipes (rice, oatmeal, sweet tea), etc.

After seeing the idea from Courtney at A Thoughtful Place, I made a cute little pennant out of scrapbook paper. Makes me smile!

Here are the recipes. I always forget the ratios for rice and oatmeal! Not anymore!

I created a write-up on how to use our TV, DVD player, etc for guests and babysitters. When we have someone watch the little guy, I always show them this cabinet for emergency numbers, Band-aids, etc.

The little write-up directs them to the media cabinet where there are complete instructions (color-coordinated!)

The other door houses a cute little pouch from the Martha Stewart line at Staples. This holds the week's receipts before they are entered into my budget system (more on that in another post!).

I left the top empty so I could pin up school flyers, etc.

On each shelf (on each side) I have a little canvas bin. The bins hold anything from office supplies, to sunscreen, to K-Cups.

Here's how they're labeled and what's inside:

"Batteries"
"Office Supplies" (pens, screwdriver, glue sticks, mini stapler, etc)
"Chargers" (Inside of this bin, there is also a large plastic bag. When we go on vacation, we simply pick the chargers we need and put them in the bag to take.)
"Coffee" (Decaf Donut Shop to be exact. Mmmmmm.)

The other side looks exactly the same and holds bins for:

"1st Aid" (Band-Aids, wound cleaner, ice pack holder etc)
"Personal Care" (sunscreen, lotion, nail clippers, lip balm, bug spray etc)
"Other Drinks" (tea, cider, etc)
"Pending" (This is where I put the toy airplane with the broken wheel, the screw that needs to go back on the cabinet, the spoon you need to return to a friend. All those little things you don't want to throw away, but need to tend to "when you have a minute")

Other Drinks Bin

Personal Care Bin

First Aid Bin

Pending Bin

Another thing this cabinet stores is our behavior system. Having been a teacher, I'm a big fan of positive reinforcement, but also having consequences. We use a simple "pom-poms in, pom-poms out" method. In for good behavior, out for naughty. Earn 10, pick a treat from my stash of toys, coloring books, etc.

This is usually on the counter, but when we have people over, I tuck it in the cabinet.

When I had my first apartment, I had a jar I kept tea bags in. When my parents would come visit, they would always give me a little cash before they left. I stashed it in this jar with the tea. "Mad Money", "Fun Money", what have you. To me, it's always been "Tea Money". I like knowing there's always a little something for a rainy day!

Well, there you have it. A lot of jobs for a little cabinet, huh?

We've been living with this new cabinet organization for several months now, and it has stayed perfect. That's when you know the system really works for you!

This cabinet keeps me sane, organized, and happy. Hope there were some ideas you can take away to better your space too!