Seriously, our playzone area is a lifesaver. It is a lot more than being organized (which we aren't, lol).
Newtimer is safe in it and very independent. And, she has a BLAST in it. She plays happily by herself for 45 minutes with NO interaction required by us. We put a big quilt down underneath -- no pulling/eating carpet problems. No cords, no stuff on the coffee table she can't play with. We even put her in it and leave the room and have a decent amount of time for S E X. We can hear her playing, so we know she is OK.
Also, I think you are owning too much of this and still trying to fix it too much by yourself. My guess is that H is so unhappy for his own private reasons that don't really have a lot to do with you, but unhappiness with himself. (Yuck.)
