drowning in too much stuff

I am getting stressed out- and my first attack is going to be on the stuff we have accumulated. It drives me up the wall that I am not more organized.

Seriously, when I was younger, everything had a place and I was fanatically about putting things away. Somewhere along the line, stuff has gotten out of control.

As I sat folding laundry last night, it really struck me how much we have just in clothes- we could go 3 weeks without doing laundry. That is just too much stuff!!!!! My kitchen is filled with gadgets that I do not use. My closets have things that I never look at up on the shelves. It is time to do some serious cleaning out in this house. Now to find the time- but I think 15 minutes every night (OK, maybe a hour) and I could have things under control.

My biggest question though- how many clothes do we need?

I work from home - so jeans and tee shirts are fine- although I am beginning to hate them and want some change. I do have times I need to travel, so 2 suits and 4 nice tops, a couple of skirts- I should be set- OK, some shorts too.
3 pairs of shoes (I have never been a shoe person)- 1 pair sandals, 1 tennis shoes, 1 pair dress shoes.

Bug-
7 tops, 4 pairs of pants, 4 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of shoes

Maybe that is cutting it to the extreme- but how many sets of clothes does he need, do I need? This is bugging me alot. Do we need enough clothes to not have to do laundry for 3 weeks- when the reality is that if I do laundry, we wear the same things over and over?

Maybe I am being inspired by the TV show I am watching, but I think deep down inside I realize that we are drowning in material things. The more work I have to spend to find places for everything or the more time I have to see it piled up, the more I am stressed and I don't need another stresser this week.

I am off to clean out Bug's room- since he is co-sleeping with me, his room has become the dumping ground for everything.

Love to you,
Deb