This week I personally learned a lesson I thought I already knew. Multitasking is cool (but not exactly natural for humans), but getting things done, one job at a time, is better.

My morning duties include getting the kids' food ready for the day, breakfast and lunch and somehow in the midst of that making my own breakfast and lunch and brewing coffee for my wife and myself. I always take care of the kids, and I'm pretty on point when it comes to the coffee for the wife. But it's been hit or miss whether or not I take care of myself. I often leave the house feeling disorganized and the rest of the time I'm leaving stuff at home, such as my phone, and at my worst, my work laptop.

After packing up a 3 bedroom apartment and moving into a 4 bedroom home best believe I did what most people and especially men do --- I unpacked what was essential and the rest I stuffed away not too neatly in corners and the garage, making the mental note to "get to it later." Later didn't happen until now.

Armed with my Brother P-Touch Label Maker, 2 sets of wire racking, a Husky tough hook and some generic wire hooks from IKEA I set out to change the unbearable into the functional.

Back in August of last year I initially reviewed the Brother P-Touch Label Maker and tested the durability of the labels under the stresses of wear and tear and water. The labels passed with flying colors. From there it was time to put them to practical use around my home.

I began in my garage. That deep dark place where men stuff junk. Only a very small fraction of men own what I call "coveted garages" those stylish places where everything is neatly arranged along the wall, their is functional lighting, maybe even some artwork on the walls and the car or cars sit beautifully tended to smack dead in the middle, like beloved stallions. Then there are people like my father who upon raising the door a gasp of fright fills your lungs and you blurt uncontrollably, "Oh...my...God."

I'm trying to be in the first category. I'm not trying to be my dad on this one (sorry, Dad). Making matters even more challenging I am a recent transplant from the Northeast to the Southeast.

A Grown Man's Drawer

No way I was providing a "Before" picture...

When I was a child I thought and acted like a child...

But now that I am a man I put away childish things... or something like that...

Rather than continue to complain that I only have one drawer in my bathroom built for two people...

Rather than roll my eyes and curse quietly to myself because when I opened my drawer I couldn't find anything I wanted and then couldn't close it back...

Rather than ask that people (the wife) respect my property, I decided to get even...

I'm a neat freak. I don't know if by nature, but definitely by nurture. Ever since college days as a fraternity pledge cleaning up the filth of other college aged boys (and some men) caused me to quickly develop a heightened sense of cleanliness and a distaste that borders on disgust for all things slovenly.

Maybe awareness even predates college. Maybe as a child I was being programmed to become neatness personified while I watched Odd Couple reruns with my mother. Felix Unger is alive and well inside me, particularly to my wife's chagrin, who prior to meeting me prided herself on being neat and clean. However when I get into cleaning mode, especially because I lecture while doing so, she's made it a point not to like me.

So when the good folks over at Brother offered, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a Brother P-Touch Label Maker.