< by Jill >

When the honeymoon ended, Nate and I came home to an apartment stacked with boxes. We didn’t have any furniture—no couches, no chairs, no beds—so the process of organizing went pretty fast. It’s amazing how much work you get done when there’s no place to sit down!

Amidst our frazzled unpacking, we learned a lot about each other. I learned that Nate organizes by staying in motion. It’s as if the simple act of moving around in space gives him the momentum to power through the chaos. I’m different. I clean and organize in strict accordance with the OHIO principle—Only Handle It Once. If pick something up, I keep it in hand until it’s reached its final destination. As a result, I organize meticulously and slowly.

To cap one particularly rigorous cleaning session, I hand-washed the living-room floor. It was a Saturday, and the Badger game was on. So we just sat there, on the floor, and watched the game on Nate’s laptop. The room echoed like surround-sound.

Eventually, we made the trip to Ikea. And I’m happy to report that we’re a two-couch family these days, living in organizational harmony. I only handle it once and Nate runs around me like the Tasmanian devil. But it works! Nate says (with a smile), “I haven’t had to change nearly as much as I thought I would.”

> Click a photo to begin the slideshow!

A one-inch-tall stack of stickers from Crate & Barrel glassware. We’ll never go thirsty!

Tackling the kitchen—in mom gloves.

Our living room! (the source of huge anxiety for 2 weeks)

The dining room! (oof, makes me cringe just looking at this!)