THRIVER of the Month: Casey’s Family Learns to Corral the Chaos, Quite Literally!
Mayra Kavan,
Getting organized until the cows come home
Casey shares how her 1THRIVE Center allowed her to:
But before we really get into all that, let’s find out who Casey and her family are.
Casey is an interior designer, and her husband, Ryan, has a full-time job in training and development. As if that’s not enough to keep them busy, they also have a one-and-a-half-year-old son and a cattle farm. Despite being naturally organized people, their jobs and family dynamic tend to introduce a little extra chaos into their lives.
“At any given time, we could have a cow get sick or get out, so we feel like we’re always on call with the farm. You just never know what’s going to happen out there,” Casey explained with a laugh when asked to describe how they manage their time.
So, it’s no surprise that receipts, bills, and invitations accumulated in various locations throughout the house, including a basket in the guest room, in the laundry room, and on the refrigerator, which Casey is not a fan of.
Tried and failed
As an interior designer, having an attractive and well-organized space is – well, literally – Casey’s job. Aside from that, running the cattle business requires careful record keeping and involves receipts for feed, supplies, and medication. Casey and Ryan also have a rotation of caregivers for their son, making it essential to organize and maintain a schedule that could be updated and viewed by everyone involved.
So, they tried a large, vinyl wall calendar at first.
“It was big,” Casey explained, “and it didn’t really work. I didn’t like the maintenance of filling everything out every month since it was so big and hard to reach. It was kind of messy, and I didn’t have anywhere to put everything. It didn’t really solve the paper problem. It just didn’t do everything we needed.”
They also tried a bulletin board in the laundry room, but she found herself just hanging things like party invitations there and then forgetting about them.
The eventual (and accidental solution) ended up being an assortment of baskets that her husband would empty his pockets or the mail into – and that wasn’t working well for anyone.
The solution
So, what finally helped them moo-ve in the right direction?
“When I saw the 1THRIVE Center and pitched it to my husband, he was really excited,” Casey said. “Then when I got it, I sat in the living room and put it all out on the floor like it was Christmas, Ryan was really interested in which pieces were going to be for his stuff, too. So, it was definitely a family setup night.”
“Was it easy to install?” We asked because we were curious. Okay, some people call it nosey.
“Super easy. Two screws in the wall. So easy.”
The set-up
Learning about how everyone configures their 1THRIVE Center to meet their needs is one of our favorite parts. Casey uses The Casey (see what we did there?) to:
- Manage and maintain the family calendar. Its place in the laundry room allows for daily visibility, and she copies its contents into her planner for portability. Being able to write down upcoming deadlines and events as she goes through the mail is essential to her organizational process.
- Organize the bills, receipts, miscellaneous paperwork, and invitations. One particularly helpful element for her is the bulletin board – as soon as she receives an invitation in the mail, she posts it there instead of cluttering up the refrigerator. She also adds a reminder on the calendar to purchase a gift. Eliminating the need to stop by the store to pick up a present on the way to a party has been one of the greatest unexpected benefits of her 1THRIVE Center.
- Keep important information easily available. With a busy toddler and a constant rotation of babysitters, having emergency contact information on hand brings a great sense of relief to everyone involved. They also write down any upcoming bills or reminders so that they don’t have to sift through paperwork to stay on track.
- Create her own little space. Casey’s all about decorating, and she’s made the 1THRIVE Center her own with some personal touches, which she plans on changing out for various holidays. “It’s kind of my spot where I can do what I want,” she said.
Everyone deserves a spot where they can do what they want. Especially if it also helps make their life easier by offering support for their organizational efforts.
Casey and her family have truly made The Casey 1THRIVE Center their own, and we’re so glad to see them THRIVING.
1THRIVE creates beautiful, customizable command centers with interchangeable components that support your efforts to live a more organized life. Find your ideal 1THRIVE Center here and follow us on Facebook for more advice on living your best life.
