Lately I’ve been looking at the stuff around me and wondering why we have so much of it. I think the capsule wardrobe has changed my world view. I’ve decluttered and purged before, but I changed my mindset while creating my capsule wardrobe.

From What can I get rid of? to What do I need?…

I believe there’s a huge difference. I’ve cleaned out my closet before, but it still left me with a full closet. I’ve kept items that I never wear, but I needed to keep them “just in case”. Like the world will never make another shirt like that NEVER AGAIN!

Once I changed the project from decluttering to minimizing, it changed everything. 

I haven’t missed any of my old clothes and feel more confident about what I’m wearing now. Several people have asked if I will continue to do the capsule wardrobe. The answer is yes!  I see this as a lifestyle change, not a trend. Just like when I quit drinking diet coke. I learned that I didn’t need it anymore and my life was better without it.

So now I want to take this concept throughout my entire house. It won’t happen overnight and might be difficult. However, I’m learning more about what I really need and how many things that I’ve been holding onto “just in case”.

Stay tuned…

*also this blog is a mixture of different things. Makeup, motherhood, failed cooking, essential oils and just a good mix of things that I’m learning about everyday. The name “The Cluttered Life” represents all of the thoughts and ideas in my head that I want to write about. In case anyone was wondering why I’m talking about minimalist lifestyle and my blog is called The Cluttered Life*

It’s only April, but I’m already declaring 2015 the year of purge. I’ve been on the war path, purging everything in the house.  I did a clothes purge, but still had too many clothes. Most of them don’t fit and are old or stained. The other day my friend posted a blog post about building a capsule wardrobe. I heard about this 3 years ago, but I was in between pregnancies so it wasn’t the right time. Now seemed like the perfect time, so I tackled it while the little ones played (buying a slide for the playroom was my best idea ever!).

It’s a little overwhelming at first, but Unfancy has some great guidelines and tips. First, I took all of the clothes out of my closet and organized them into four groups:

• Love it – items I wear all of the time, fit, and that I feel comfortable wearing
• Maybe– items that I’m not really ready to get rid of, but I don’t wear them a lot
• No– items that are damaged, stained, too big, too small, why the hell did I buy this, etc
• Seasonal– the easiest pile-items that are for a different season

I tried to organized these piles quickly and tried not think about it too much.  It’s amazing how many damaged or stained shirts I have kept.

Why am I keeping 3 $5 stained Old Navy shirts?!

Then, I packed up all of my seasonal and maybe items because I had plenty of love it items.  I also bagged up 3 garbage bags worth of no items. The great thing about this project is that I’ll change my capsule wardrobe every 3 months.  So if an item didn’t make it this round, I can always include it in the next round.  If I don’t use those items by the end of the season, then it’s time to get rid of them.

Then, I started going through the love it pile and tried to pick out the items that I love the most and are the most versatile. I have seen several different rules about how many items you should have in your capsule wardrobe. I decided to go with Unfancy’s rules, but I adjusted them a little bit. Unfancy suggest 37 pieces which include 15 shirts, 9 pants, 9 shoes, 2 dresses, and 2 jackets/coats. I wear more dresses in the Spring/Summer, so I decided to do 5 pants and 6 dresses. Dresses can always doubled as skirts too! You don’t have to include hats, scarves, jewelry, purses, workout clothes, pajamas, and lounge wear in your 37 items. I also didn’t include my rain boots or running shoes because I consider them a necessity, but not part of my wardrobe.

I’m excited to build a nice and cluttered-free closet! As a SAHM, I have felt like I only deserve the $5 stained Old Navy shirts. However, I’m learning that building this capsule wardrobe can build confident and style.  I usually buy cheap clothes that don’t last long. I would rather go for quality, not quantity now. This doesn’t mean that I won’t shop at H&M or Forever 21 anymore. However, I feel like I can buy nicer clothes because my closet is very minimum.  I’ll probably even save money!

Again quality over quantity…

So that’s it for now!  I feel very happy with the progress that I’ve made so far.  I do need to buy a few staple items before I reveal my capsule wardrobe.  I know it sounds overwhelming, but I feel so much better about my closet and myself!

I’ll be back next week with an after picture and what’s in my capsule wardrobe!

I love recipes that you can prep in advance.  I found this recipe on Real Mom’s Kitchen.  This one is probably my favorite because it’s healthy, easy to prepare, and my family loves it!

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 12 tortillas
• Toppings such as cheese, guacamole, sour cream, etc

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt
3. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat
4. Add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine
5. Baked uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.  Serve on tortillas with toppings

Enjoy!!

I love the Timehop app! It’s so fun to look back on old pictures and post. However, it is difficult for me to look at timehop this time of year. 3 years ago, I was announcing my 3rd pregnancy. We posted this funny picture 3 years ago today.

Every year it’s hard to look at this picture because I never met this baby.  I lost this baby at 14 weeks.  Every year I think about deleting this picture, the ultrasound picture that will post in a few weeks, and the many posts where I complain about how tired or sick I was during this pregnancy.  I think about just deleting the app during this time, so I don’t have to relive the pain.

But this year I have decided to embrace it.  These are the only memories that I have of my 3rd baby, Ansley.  This year I actually laughed when I looked at this picture.  Every year the pain is less and less.  I haven’t gotten over it or moved on or forgotten about this pregnancy and baby.  I’m just learning to embrace it and look back on the few memories that I have from this pregnancy.  This doesn’t mean that I won’t cry over the next month as I see these memories (or cry as I’m typing this).

I have learned that this is my story.  I’m not sure if I’ll ever fully understand why I had to go through this, but every year I grow a little more.

I’m grateful for a memories I have of my baby.  This announcement picture, an ultrasound picture, my necklace with the baby’s name (along with my other babies), and my tattoo.  I also remember that one day I will meet and hold my sweet baby.

Today I choose to embrace my story.  

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. I lost my third baby at 14 weeks 2 1/2 years ago. After two extremely healthy pregnancies, I lost a baby. I still don’t understand the reasons why and probably never will. I know that God has held my hand through this long healing process. I know that my friends and family took care of me in a huge way after my miscarriage. I know that I am 100% grateful for my “rainbow baby” who arrived almost one year after I lost Ansley.

If you have suffered this lost, know you are not alone. Today is a day to remember our babies. Whether the loss was at 8 weeks or 8 months. We all grieve differently and there’s no right and wrong way to grieve. Take your time, surround yourself with a great community of people, and try to find a way to remember your baby. For me, it helped to name the baby. The pain will never completely go away for me. However, as I look back on journal entries from 1 or 2 years ago, I can see how God has brought me through it. And I know one day I’ll get to hold my baby Ansley.

I love Aldi so much! I’ve been shopping there consistently for about 6-9 months now. It’s been a great way to eat healthier without spending too much money. I also want to say that I buy a lot of fruits and vegetables at Aldi. I didn’t show them in this video because I wanted to focus on the organic and gluten free products that Aldi offers. I just don’t want anyone to think that I’m saying that we eat healthier and then only showing cereal and pasta. I will be doing a series of videos about eating healthier over the next couple of months.

Also make sure you check out Aldi’s website for great recipes and list of products. *I am not sponsored or paid by Aldi.*