The time has come, the wind-up walrus said.  Talking about decluttering and organizing is all well and good, but it has nothing on actually doing it.  One of the most useful general tips I’ve seen was the suggestion that you pick one particular area at a time so as not to get overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task.  I’ve decided to start in the bedroom, and specifically to start with my closet.  I will admit, I’m starting here partly because I’ve done some work on the closet already and have a better feeling for what I need to do.  I’m also starting here because it’s one of the most pressing issues from the make-room-for-the-boy standpoint.  Winter is coming on, and he’s going to need to have space for some bulkier clothing.  Heaven forbid he should freeze to death because I have too many t-shirts.

In some ways, this is also a challenging place to start.  Closet decluttering can be a more emotionally fraught process than cleaning out the kitchen.  For most of us, there’s a certain amount of sentiment and personal image caught up in our clothing, present and past.  You’re clearly never going to get any use out of your high school prom dress ten years later, but throwing it away can feel like you’re leaving part of your life behind.  (I am not personally disturbed by the idea of high school fading into the past, largely unremembered and unregretted, but I know some people are.)  However, if you shop regularly, at some point you have to admit that you can’t possibly keep all that stuff without making your current life way more difficult than it needs to be.

Luckily for me, I am mostly embarrassed by the stuff that I used to think was wearable (ah, the pink glittery top of my dreams — there’s a reason that was on sale), but even so, there were some sentimental items I hated to trash.  I was also helped by the fact that most of my REALLY old clothes were at home with my parents until they moved, when my mother summarily threw it all away.  So much for sentiment.

I read a couple dozen articles about closet organization before I started.  Here are some of the more useful tips:

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Looking to increase your good cheer for Thanksgiving?  Permit me to recommend the Smashing Pumpkin Martini, made with home-infused spiced pumpkin vodka. Infusing the vodka requires a week, so you’re just in time to pull it together for your holiday celebrations. I’ve been coming back to this recipe in the fall for several years; it makes a deep-orange martini that smells shockingly like a pumpkin pie. If you can’t find vanilla or cinnamon vodka, no worries — cinnamon sticks work just fine and the vanilla beans already called for are in my opinion plenty of vanilla. I like to throw in a whole nutmeg and a few cloves to round things out, so feel free to adjust per your favorite pie spices. Enjoy!

Winter white from Kenneth Cole Reaction.

No white after Labor Day?  Please.  One of my favorite trends of recent years is the white or cream-colored winter coat.  Living in an urban area where I go everywhere on foot, they’re 100% impractical.  Which is probably why I love them so much.  There are few things as gorgeous on an awful winter day as a woman chicly bundled in a winter-white coat, defying the elements and the gray street slush.  Sure, they require a little extra effort to keep clean, but they’re that little bit of luxury and cheer in the most depressing of seasons.

I, um, already own one (a long Soia & Kyo coat from a couple of years ago), but that has not kept me from desperately lusting after this great number from Royal Underground.  (The chevron detailing on the sleeves?  Shoot me now.)  After the jump, the results of my vicarious romp through the online stores in search of this season’s best.

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‘Nuff said.  No money of mine is supporting her continued notoriety.  I know, it’s like watching an accident happening, but seriously.  Say no to funding her next attempt at the presidency.

That's right. It's a wedding cake.

Thanks to the Official Star Wars Blog (yes, this exists), some amusement for the fans on this gloomy Friday: the Tauntaun groom’s cake, complete with Luke Skywalker spilling out of the so-cozy warm entrails. The mind reels.

I’ve always been a little fascinated by the bridal industry.  So much money spent and so much fuss made for a single day in your life!  Recently, I was lucky enough to have the chance satisfy my curiosity by attending a discussion on bridal trends and the bridal industry and behind-the-scenes tour at Kleinfeld, New York’s destination wedding salon and the setting for TLC’s series “Say Yes To The Dress.”  Kleinfeld owner Mara Urshel and bridal fashion editor Juli Alvarez of the recently closed Modern Bride spoke on the trends and the business of this high-stress industry.

First of all, just going into Kleinfeld is quite a trip.  Even though I know I have in the past mocked the existence of a tv series about nothing but women trying on wedding dresses, I have to admit that I have in fact seen the series.  As with all reality TV, the participants (who have to apply) are selected to up the drama quotient.  I invariably end up thinking either a) “Wow, your friends suck!”,  b) “Wow, your mom is a b****!”, or c) “Dude, CALM DOWN.”  It is quite something else to actually walk into Kleinfeld and see the dresses in person.

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I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that you, gentle reader – like me, and like Kai – have too much stuff.

Once you’ve sorted and sifted, perhaps with the help of Kai’s Clutter Chronicles,  you’re probably left with a pile of things – clothes, books, toys, housewares, CDs – that you just don’t need or use anymore.   What do you do with it?

Don’t trash it just yet.  Besides the eco-green factor, there are plenty of non-profit organizations out there that can make great use of your unwanted, but still serviceable, possessions.  And for some of the stuff that’s broken or obsolete (like old iPods, cell phones and computer equipment), there are good ways to recycle it instead of dumping it your garbage can.  And, of course, let’s not forget that your charitable donations can help you reduce your tax bill!

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‘Tis the season … for shopping headaches and annoyances.  Yes, folks, the holiday gifting season is upon us.

I love my family, I do.  But finding gifts for my “no drinking, no dancing” born-again in laws?  Impossible for this wine-imbibing city girl.  Tracking down the right baby gift for my friend’s new daughter?  The only time I ever look at baby items is when I’m trying to figure out if my cats will fit into infant clothes (don’t judge me, I work from home – the hours get boring). 

And while I scoot through the infant section of my local department stores at light speed, I do need to find a little something for my friend’s wee one.  So I was thrilled to discover Funkoos, a great little start up company offering something no one else seems to be able to:

High quality, 100 percent organic baby clothes featuring mom-approved details like enclosed embroidery.  Even better, the company is dedicated to fair trade compensation for all of its employees, and gives money back to the environmental charity One Percent For The Planet.

DING!  We have a winner.  Just check out how adorable this is:

Super cute little patterns (like the monkeys on the boy’s outfit) and super soft, breathable cotton.  My friend will be so pleased that her little one will be sporting such stylish, green baby clothes.

You can see the entire line at Funkoos.com.

That’s one difficult present down.  Up next?  The fun-unloving in-laws.

Nothing like a bright tartan print to perk up your winter!

We, um, won’t count the number of winter jackets I own.  But suffice it to say that after filling wardrobe holes over the course of the last several years, I don’t have a reason to buy winter coats this year.  This has of course not kept me from shopping for them.  What I don’t have, aside from an excuse to buy more coats, is a coat in one of this season’s great plaids.  Admittedly, there are a lot of ways that plaid can go bad.  But some of these coats are gorgeous, rich, and interesting — just the little something different your winter wardrobe needs.  After the jump, some of the best of this season’s offerings.

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I'm going to get around to toilet training the cat soon, I swear...

My crusade against clutter begins!  Over the last few days, I’ve been reading organizational advice on the internet.  There is a LOT of it.  Some of it is helpful, some not so much.  (“There should be a place to put away every item.”  Gee, you think?)  I haven’t thrashed my way through all of it yet, but I’m realizing that I’m going to need some specialized solutions in addition to the general advice.

I own the same stuff that everyone owns.  Clothes, pots and pans, glassware, random Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers, CDs and DVDs, and so on.  I’m assuming that the same general advice that works for everyone will be just fine for dealing with this stuff.  Then there are my own special clutter issues that the general rules don’t necessarily address.  In the interests of dealing with everything effectively, I’m going to list them here:

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