This pic exemplifies why I think John will do well in our future small house.

He was headed out of town. Notice all those white shirts? The man likes to keep things simple. I do think he was gifted a blue shirt recently, but pretty much exclusively, the white button-down is his uniform. When one gets dingy or stained, he marks through the label with a permanent marker. This indicates that it has now been relegated from "bank shirt" status to "farm shirt." So, yes, whether he's signing off on loan applications or digging fence post holes, he can be found in a white button-down. I love this about him.

And, then there's my closet. . . This pic is not entirely accurate as a "before" pic, though, because that pegboard used to be covered in jewelry and other accessories. Still, you get the picture: I do not just wear white button-downs.

But, I've managed to scale down to this.

And, this little box now houses my jewelry.

So, we are working hard to pare down and prepare to fit all that we "need" into about 850 square feet. I was pretty worried about how the kids would handle the clean-out phase of our move. I have one certifiable hoarder and one who greatly values things that others would consider trash ("Mom, can I please get something out of the recycling bin"). But, I've been very proud of them. I've had to talk them through a few decisions: "When was the last time you touched that toy?" Or, "I know you really enjoyed that one when you were younger. Don't you think your little cousin would really enjoy it now?" Or "Let's think through how many throw blankets we really need to have on your bed." But, with a little guidance, they've made great decisions.

And we'll be having QUITE the yard sale very soon!