Little Kindnesses

I like to keep the pencils in the house sharpened and well-stocked—it's one of the little kindnesses I do for the family. No price can be put on a timely pencil. And no curse like a bad pencil, when you're trying to jot an urgent phone number. Another little kindness is to throw out the bad pencil—the kind with leads that break when you sharpen them—immediately. Likewise pens that don't work.

Another kindness is to throw out small toys that end up under the kitchen table, such as cars, marbles, and crayons, though this one might be construed as selfish. I generally do it while everyone is sleeping. I've also been known to donate books that I thought were superfluous, but I quickly learned that this was a mistake.

These days, everything I use daily on a daily basis, from kitchen tools to art supplies to fabric to household tools, is jumbled into ikea baskets. Will is constantly rummaging through them, saying, "Where the heck is the tape?" (bandaids/soap/garlic press/address book, etc) and ignoring my highly intuitive system of organization.

I don't know why. It's so easy—all you have to do is remember which basket you put it in!

But obviously I need to start thinking like a man. I need labels. And clear tupperware boxes. Screw the aesthetics, I need an organized home, where people can find what they're looking for.

Here's my humble start: the cloth diaper pail. If your nose didn't tell you first, the label on top warns the unsuspecting passerby that here there be soiled diapers. Don't try to use this pot for any other purpose.

What are some of your little kindnesses?