If you're like most families, life is zooming by at such a frantic pace; "Organizing" is often a lofty dream that never actually finds its way into your reality.  Every time you drop mail on the counter or find yourself looking for those pesky disappearing keys, you picture how nice it would be to have ONE designated space for all those family items.  Modern families may come in all shapes and sizes, but I think we can all agree that anything that will make life simpler….BRING IT ON! What is stopping us from starting the often dreaded task of organizing?  Procrastination ends now!  We can declare September 1^st as "O. M. L. Day" (ORGANIZE MY LIFE) which hopefully, will turn into a daily routine known as - Your Organized Family Life.  Let's all agree to take this in baby steps because we all know that ridiculously high goals rarely get accomplished.  Are you ready??  Here's our 30 Day Challenge! "Let's create a "Family Drop Zone" Imagine a place in your home designated & recognized (by all members eventually) for keys, mail, phone chargers and the like.  A simple hook that your child knows is "Backpack Central" or your spouse knows is really a home for his/her keys!  This look can be accomplished in many ways ranging from the custom built-in look that doesn't take away from crucial furniture space in your home or the Pinterest inspired eclectic look with more design ideas than I thought possible.  For the weekend DIY warriors that can take a couple of shelves and a few woven baskets and whip up a cozy "family zone" in any area of the home, I admire you!  Luckily for our homeowners, Sunrise Homes now offers that custom built-in look at no extra cost in select plans.  The design team at Sunrise Homes values the importance of function in a new home and implements this in every floor plan we build.  For those of you that aren't quite as fortunate, it's not too late!  Here are a couple of ideas on how a "drop zone" can work for you! Kid-oriented School/Activity Zone—Perfect and convenient place for backpacks, hats, and Little Billy's lucky mitt & glove.  Feeling like you need a little more individuality? Use removable decals or wooden letters to differentiate each child's space, so there is no longer confusion (or bickering ) over whose backpack goes on which hook. There are plenty of ways to create the same idea in your own home.  Of course, these ideas vary in budget, style, effort &/or ability.  As the old adage goes, First things First! 1)     Find the right location.  It may be time to turn that outdated utility room into a modern family's mud room.  You are looking for "potential".  Find the most functional unused space and it can easily be converted for this purpose.  An unused corner of a hallway or entry space would work too! 2)     Decide the time and resources ($$) you'd like to dedicate to this space.   It doesn't have to break the piggy bank.  Pinterest is a great resource for all sorts of ideas! 3)    What type of storage would work best for your family? Baskets for miscellaneous items such as balls, towels, bags, ect..  Or buckets for everyone's shoes, so no one is tripping on a soccer cleat as they dart out the next morning.  The point is there is no wrong way to do this. Check out your local décor store and you will find different sizes, colors and styles.  The hardest part is picking which ones will look best in your new home! 4)     A combination of hooks, cubbies, bench and some version of a shelf have become synonymous with this look.  See a few pics below for inspiration! Whether you are moving into a new Sunrise Home or you're one of the many families that are already enjoying their Sunrise Home, we could all benefit from a little extra organizing.  Good luck and Happy Organizing!   SOURCES: Pinterest Images/Drop Zone/Mud Room