Kevin, I am doing much of what you are, for me, not for my spouse. I think the more organized we are, the better we look/feel, the better off we will be.
It is hard enough to feel stressed about my marriage, but if my house is a cluttered mess, if I schlump along in old, boring clothes, if I don't like how my body looks or how out-of-shape I feel, it is that much worse. That was me last Jan/Feb. This summer/fall I have lost 13 pounds, gotten my hair cut/highlighted, bought new clothes two weeks ago, and really focused on cleaning the house and organizing things. Not trying to hijack, just agreeing with you that these are all GOOD, necessary things. It is so nice to come home to a house that is in order at the end of the day. One less thing to weigh you down, right?
And although it is about us, not them, it is still nice when they notice. My H had to spend the night at my house Saturday night b/c I went out of town. He commented that the house was 'spotless'. So, yes, they do notice...
