Living With Boys

Let me preface this by stating what Matt reminded me when we had this discussion: I have it pretty good.

BUT ...

I still live with two boys right now. Ordinarily, that's fine by me. I get to be the Lady of the house, and the go-to gal for anything requiring a feminine touch. As the only lioness in the pride, I don't have to mark my territory as often, which is also nice.

There are times, though, when a gal needs another set of X-chromosomes around for backup. What made me run screaming for my bedroom, cell phone in hand, to reach out to another girl--any other girl--was the following:

• Toilet paper is optional for men. Not in the ucky way. Just generally. Toilet paper is not optional for women. It is right up there with food and shelter. With two boys in the house, somehow all the toilet paper is consistently used up before I enter the bathroom. Apparently, if your dignity does not depend on a consistent supply of TP, you just don't think about refilling the roll when you leave the room.
• A shower has multiple uses for a boy in a hurry. I love to take baths. I don't want to get too into this, so go ahead and do the math.

It was just too much for me this week. So I'm taking tomorrow off work and spending the day my XX way: shopping. I'm overdue for some cute summery tops that will stand up next to my hubby's rock-n-roll preppy look; could use some new candles and room fresheners; and just need some retail therapy. It's the Gilroy Premium Outlets for me.

So how does one prepare for a trip to an outlet mall that takes up four blocks?

1. Throw open the closet doors and take a long, hard look inside. I like to make sure the laundry has recently been done before taking this on.
2. If something doesn't fit, is falling apart or no longer makes the wardrobe cut, put it in a bag. Even if you've worn it recently. I have a couple sports bags I use for this purpose. That way, it's not in my closet but not at Goodwill, either. If I pull it out of the bag over the course of a year, I keep it. If not, all my giveaway clothes are in one place.
3. Take note, mental or otherwise, of needed necessities. I, for instance, will be on the lookout for a white button-down shirt, a plain white t, and a new pair of jeans.
4. Also note favorite colors. I am guilty of buying everything in blue, brown or shades of red. Knowing this, I try to avoid those colors in the store to freshen up my wardrobe.
5. Recognize the stores that carry clothes for your figure, and stick to them. I don't waste my time shopping outside of Ann Taylor, Banana Republic or Gap.

I have a good mental picture of the outfits I consistently wear, so if something goes bad or missing, I can generally replace with without too much trouble. But there are times when I go clothes shopping with a list of things to be on the lookout for.

I am also a penny-pinching shopper. I look for the lowest prices possible, even if it means I skip out on some trends. Why? Because trends are disposable. I will shell out top-dollar for well-made, nicely cut classic items. Like the white Anne Klein trenchcoat I saw at Macy's last season but couldn't afford. This year, it's mine ... and I know it will work for years to come because well-cut trenchcoats never really go out of style.

So that's why I'm spending the day at the outlets tomorrow.

When I come home, I'll be roasting my first chicken. In the barbecue, no less. Check back for updates!

The Sorting Room

You know how Harry Potter's Hogwarts has the Sorting Hat?

You remember. Every year, the day before term started, the incoming class of First Years would sit on a stool, don the Sorting Hat, and be shuffled off into their respective houses.

Well, after our big move, I created a Sorting Room. Every box that didn't have a home, and every slip of paper that didn't have a purpose was tossed into that room for Sorting At A Later Date.

Here's what it looked like after I cleared the furniture out of the way:

As you can see, the general theme was "Junk Overflowing."

Here's what it looks like now, after about 90 minutes of sorting and putting away:

It's not perfect, but it's a start. This is what I call "Step 1 Organizing."

Step 1 Organizing is a preliminary process to getting a project done. It's where you figure out what can be put away, what can be thrown away, and what needs a new home.

Here's how to tackle Step 1 Organizing: Constant motion. Set aside a couple hours when you know you won't be distracted. Then tackle the project methodically. For me, I start at one side of the room and make my way to the other. I opened one box at a time, and every single item in that box had three options:

• Put away in an existing container.
• Put in the "throw away" box. This box helps avoid the distractions that can happen when you're running back and forth to the trash.
• Put in the "keepsake" box. Typically I avoid sorting items into new boxes, but in this particular instance I knew that I'd end up needing this keepsake box to hold wedding/honeymoon stuff until my sister could help me scrapbook it. I know that on a future trip to Ikea, I'll be purchasing a nicer-looking keepsake box, so it's OK.

The time-frame is really important. By 90 minutes, I was starting to feel lazy. When that happens, it's time to stop. When you lose momentum, it's too easy to skip a box, set items aside "for later" or overfill the (in my case) keepsake box.

So that's it! That's Step 1. All those boxes and bags were unpacked, and the items inside were put in their proper place. But since proper doesn't necessarily mean organized, I'll need to prepare for Step 2.

Step 2 requires shopping, so it's important to check the budget before attempting it. And that's why I'm stopping at Step 1 today.

Organization

I am an organization addict.

There's an episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" where Frank mocks Marie for over-organizing.

"You've got a box of string marked 'Pieces of String Too Small to Use'!" he bellows in frusteration.

But I get it. There's not much more satisfying than sorting items into their correct boxes, bins, bags and files. My dear husband, Matt, once asked me to spend a Saturday organizing his desk at work. It was like being proposed to all over again.

I emptied every drawer out, wiped them down, and started inventory. Papers in one pile, office supplies in another, pens and pencils tested and kept or tossed, files sorted in order of use and necessity.

Then I got to go to Office Depot and use the Big Cart. I picked up notebooks, dividers, drawer-organizing baskets, stand-up filing units and flat ones. I bought cups for desktop pens and pencils, and an extra filing setup for an empty drawer.

When he saw my haul, one eyebrow went up.

"I think we're going to have to add a line-item in our budget for your Office Depot supplies," he said as I excitedly explained my new system to him.

But now he raves about his organized desk. He lets me tackle his closet and dresser drawers when they get too crammed. My own closet is sorted by sleeve length (long, 1/2, 3/4, short, shoulder-covering tank-tops, and tanks). My pantry is divided into supplies (further categorized into baking, breakfast, lunch, dinner and spices) and meals.

Since we moved last weekend, the house is ready for a whole new makeover. Harry Potter has a Sorting Hat. I've got a Sorting Room: The guest bedroom is where all the boxes with miscellania are collecting. They're waiting for me to clear an entire Saturday, hook up a TV and DVD player, pop in Season 1 of "Gilmore Girls" for background noise, and start sorting.

After that, my car will practically drive itself to Office Depot.