Before and After: Family Bulletin Board

After: A Custom Calendar, Plus Paper Tamers

Real Simple swapped Bevin’s small board for a three-by-four-foot one and, using index cards, turned it into an easy-to-update monthly grid. Keys, tacks, and pencils hang to its left. Clear containers (labeled by family member) corral papers and random items below.
 
 

Supersize Calendar

Real Simple spray-painted a large corkboard white (Quartet, $41, staples.com), then pinned down ribbon to make a grid. To mark the days of the month, index cards (Wausau Exact, $14 for 250, officedepot.com) were stamped with numbers (Cavallini, $28 for 28 stamps, amazon.com) and tacked up. Bevin can write on the cards, add stick-on notes, or secure info with tacks. She keeps cards for future months in a nearby drawer.
 
 

Round Magnetic Boards

Calendar supplies hang on 12-inch-diameter boards ($15 each, threebythree.com), as do keys, gift cards, and notes.
 
 

Bins for Belongings

Thanks to two mesh basket ladders ($37 each, stacksandstacks.com), each child has a reachable slot for assignments, lunch menus, and items that can clutter the kitchen, like flashcards. In Bevin’s bin is a note pad with a yearly calendar that she takes on the go. If plans come up while she’s out, she scribbles them on the pad, then transfers them to the wall later.