Day 1

Alright, so I have 2 adorable children, 1 cuddly teddy bear of a husband and work full time as a preschool teacher (which means work is often brought home with me). Time is limited as it is but on top of that I always feel like I need to go to every event I am invited to. For example, my daughter has 15 other kids in her preschool class and we haven't missed 1 birthday party...ever! I know it's crazy.

Today is that day this all changes. I don't really have a plan other than something I read on several minimalist websites (my current favorite is http://zenhabits.net/a-guide-to-creating-a-minimalist-home/)
Rule #1 ~ Limit to 15 outfits per family member.

I started with my daughters room. She has so many clothing sources; cousins, aunts, grandmas, etc. I feel ungrateful turning things down so I keep e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g resulting in...
That's right, these are just dresses and skirts. (after I got caught up in laundry I counted 37 skirts in a size 3T. 26 of which she had never worn) I spent one evening after work paring down her wardrobe and toy collection to;
-3 skirts
-3 dresses
-5 outfits
-10 pairs of socks and underwear
-5 pairs of shoes (that was a hard one. they're all so cute)
-3 swimsuits
-2 sweatshirts
-5 pairs of pajamas
-2 dolls, 2 doll outfits and 1 doll blanket
-1 small drawer of art supplies
-1 small box of small toys
-1 big basket of books (I took a few to the preschool which could be considered cheating, but we actually read all of them)
-1 tea set
-1 winter coat (she had 5)
-3 blankets

Elapsed time: 1 hour-including bagging up unwanted items and putting in the trunk of my car to go to good will.
Time it takes to clean up now...even when every single toy is out: 5 minutes

The same evening I went through my little boys room;
-10 outfits
-2 swimsuits
-1 hat
-1 basket of toys
-20 books
-5 pairs of pajamas
-2 pairs of shoes (going with only foot forming shoes made it easy to narrow it down)
-3 blankets

Elapsed time: 15 minutes
Time it takes to clean up now: 5 minutes

I know it's not exactly 15 outfits per person but I'm working on it. My closet will be much closer and I can't wait to start the next phase.