Inside: I bought a 1Thrive wall organizer three years ago as an all-in-one command center to keep everything straight as a homeschooling, work-at-home mom of five. I’m sharing everything I love about this popular wall organizer AND its one annoying flaw. Plus, how to create your own for less!
A few years ago, I was heading to a child’s doctor appointment with three kids in tow.
I had plenty of time (or so I thought), so I stopped at the local park to let the kids get some of their energy out before they had to spend a long time in the car on the way to the doctor.
I was wrangling the wiggly little ones back into the car to leave and realized we would be a few minutes late. I figured I would call the doctor to give them a heads up.
I called and gave them my child’s name and date of birth. They sounded so confused.
“Late? Um, ma’am…your child’s appointment was yesterday. You’re already late…by an entire day.”
This has happened to me *never* in the history of motherhood. I was so embarrassed!
I apologized profusely, thanking my lucky stars that they don’t charge late fees the first time you royally screw up and completely miss your kid’s appointment.
If You Have Kids, You Absolutely Need Some Kind of Visual Command Center
This post probably contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through those links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can find our full disclosure HERE.
After I hung up, I vowed to get more organized. With five kids, a digital calendar would no longer cut it.
Because sometimes I feel the need to put my phone down, and be present (isn’t that what all the parenting experts say we should to do?).
And usually, that one time I decide to leave my phone upstairs is the ONE DAY I have a super important appointment with an actually legitimate “not Facebook telling you that person you went to high school with did something cool” notification attached. Or three.
I knew I needed some kind of large command center to keep track of all the important dates and papers.
While some parents adore Skylight, I knew I needed/wanted something NOT digital. I also value having aesthetically pleasing things on my walls, which made 1Thrive highly appealing.
Here are the great AND the not so great 1Thrive features, along with how to create your own if you don’t want to spend that much (been there!).
Related: 17 Little Ways to Make Life Easier (Because Adulting Is Hard)
My Favorite 1Thrive Wall Organizer Features (We Have “The Susan”)
Let’s start with the good, shall we? I’m trying to wear my “optimist” hat more these days.
For reference, I bought “The Susan” organizer. They do run sales pretty frequently – so if you’ve had your eye on one, stalk the website week by week.
Here’s what I love about it…
1. Massive Reusable Wall Calendar
I put everything important from my Google calendar onto the board. It’s so helpful to see everything in one place!
Not just dots on the monthly digital calendar, where that dot on Tuesday could just be some random holiday I couldn’t care less about instead of an actual event I need to show up for.
2. Place to Organize All the Papers
My favorite feature! I have five ongoing file folders I keep papers organized.
- Pending – Things that need to be filed or I reference frequently
- Homeschool Samples – Any and all paper “work” my kids do
- Current Tax Year Folder (Receipts, W2s, etc.)
- Work Documents
- Restaurant Menus
This keeps all the papers under control.
3. Magnetized Whiteboard and Chalkboard
I use this to occasionally write down upcoming important dates or events in the following month.
OR to hang up more urgent bills or documents (so I don’t forget – because out of sight out of mind).
4. Hanging Cups for All the Things
We use these for wet erase markers, push pins, sunglasses, months of the year magnets, etc.
5. Bulletin Board
I keep my meal plan for the week here, along with things like museum tickets or whiteboard overflow.
6. Hooks for All the Things
Sweatshirts, backpacks and more.
My Biggest Problem with 1Thrive Wall Organizers (All the Cons Come Back to This One Annoying Feature)
When I got my organizer, I thought I would use the whiteboard and the chalkboard all the time.
That is, until I started actually trying to use it. And I realized the absolute biggest pain the butt feature, which I’m not sure how this made it past the designers.
Major Flaw, In My Opinion: The Chalkboards and Whiteboards Are Wet Erase, Not Dry Erase
What were you thinking designers?!!
Dry erase, you can easily use an eraser to reset your lists. But wet erase is a royal pain to use a wipe or wet paper towel to redo everything, especially if you were using it daily.
I don’t mind it so much with the calendar, but with weekly to-do lists? I gave up using the whiteboard and the chalkboard with pens a week in.
Thank goodness they made them magnetic!
I still use the white board and the chalkboard as a reminder board. But I use post-its or magnet clips to hold things up, and I would never use it for a daily to-do list.
If I could tell 1Thrive one thing, it would be to make the calendars and whiteboards dry erase. Ya listening?
P.S. The Mini Bulletin Board Feels Pointless If You Have a Big One
I never use the mini bulletin board. I will probably replace it with more hooks at some point.
P.P.S. If You Are Not Artsy, You Might Not Love This Organizer
All the ads have people doing genius level chalk art with quotes and lettering.
If that’s not you, you probably won’t appreciate a 1Thrive quite as much, and you could create a copycat one yourself. See DIY tips below.
Extras I Bought to Go With Our 1Thrive Command Center
Most of these purchases came about because of the “it’s not dry erase” situation.
Months of the Year Magnets
I quickly got tired of writing my own months. I don’t love my handwriting for whatever reason.
THESE cursive months of the year on Etsy are perfect.
Date Magnets
After my husband accidentally used a sharpie instead of a wet erase marker on the whiteboard (“But it was in the hanging cup!” he said), we bought date magnets on Etsy – THESE are similar.
We love them, and they kinda sorta mostly cover up the sharpie.
Kind of.
Wet Erase Magnets
My husband bought these last year during his “calendar as an ADHD hobby/obsession” phase.
While I was initially not a fan, now I begrudgingly admit that they’re pretty great for recurring events like soccer practice or library story hour.
Again, so much comes back to the whiteboard and calendar not being dry erase.
If it was dry erase, it wouldn’t be so annoying to reset or erase an individual square (I strikethrough canceled events instead of erasing).
Why 1Thrive? Why????
Magnet Clips
I adore THESE rose gold magnet clips!
They are so handy for hanging up bills I need to pay, invitations for events I don’t want to forget to RSVP to, and the occasional picture.
Post-Its
I can’t seem to get away from using post-its lately. I try to go back to my notebook, but I love using post-its for daily, throw away to-do lists.
I also put our weekly meal plan on one and pin it to the bulletin board each week. It helps me remember my plan when my mind throws a complete blank the day after grocery day.
You Might Also Like: How to Create a Minimalist Meal Plan (Save Your Sanity!)
File Folders & Push Pins
For the file organizer and the bulletin board, of course.
Can You DIY a 1Thrive Wall Organizer? Absolutely! Here’s How I’d Do It
The price of 1Thrive can be steep, depending on your budget.
If you’re trying to save your dollars for things, like, I don’t know, groceries, here’s how you can DIY it.
Get these four components, and you can arrange them in the same formation of the 1Thrive organizer, just without the metal frame holding it all together.
Using the DIY approach, you can create your own command center for half the cost of the version I bought.
Whiteboard Calendar
I found THIS whiteboard calendar with name personalization that’s pretty comparable to my calendar size.
Going any bigger doubles or triples the price.
Hanging File Holder
There are way too many different varieties for wall-mounted file holders!
Choose your style: clear, metal, wire mesh. Whatever floats your home decor vibes.
Square Bulletin Board
You can use the bulletin board (you might want two?) for everything from bills to meal plans to to-do lists. You could shop around at thrift stores, but the price might be the same.
Eliminate the need for magnetic clips and put everything here, instead.
Wall Rack with Hooks
You can use THESE cute wall racks with hooks for sweatshirts and coats, or you can hang little metal cups on them for sunglasses or markers.
They have shelves, too, for plants or decor!
Bonus: Family Name or Sign
Buy some wooden letters from a craft store or a fun long sign to go above your whiteboard calendar.
But if you go with the one above, it already comes with last name personalization.
Keeping Everything Straight Is A LOT These Days – 1Thrive Helps
As my kids get older, their activities are increasing. Appointments, sports practices, volunteering, and more.
In less than two years, I’ll have a teen driver. HOW?!
(Our kids only have one daily chore, and I hate chore charts. But if I did love chore charts, I’d put them here, too.)
And in between juggling all of that, there are still bills to pay and forms to fill out. So I’m super thankful for this wall organizer that keeps it all organized in a visually pleasing way.
Personally, I would buy it again, but I would likely design my own (you can do that HERE).
…but I still wish it was dry erase.
Do you have a command center? How do you keep everything organized? Share in the comments!
