Lazy, Noncommittal Capsule Wardrobe

Laundry is a huge problem in our house. 

HUGE.

It might actually be our WORST problem. The one that we continually complain about several times a day. There are currently piles of clothes in the living room, basement, upstairs hallways, and in each of the bedrooms. There's also a big pile of stuff that needs washing. And just thinking about it completely overwhelms me. I simply don't have time (or desire) to deal with this.

I've tried capsule wardrobes from time to time myself, and I don't love them. I even wrote recently about why I quit my own capsule wardrobe. In the new year, however, I'm having a change of heart -- and it's for the entire family.

I'm approaching things differently this time around:

• I'm going to try a 5/5/5 "rule" inspired by Minimal Mom -- five shirts, five pants, five dresses/other items, and maybe a couple sweaters/hoodies tossed in for layering in these colder months. 
• I'm going to do the same with the kids as well. Though I'm not exactly sure how much I'll keep for Eden at this stage. I'm thinking maybe five sleepers, five daytime onesies, and five pants? Is that enough? I guess we'll see.
• The big safety I'm building in is NOT getting rid of any of the clothing that I'm packing away. Kids play hard in clothes, and I know that Ada's leggings don't last long. I don't want to go out and buy new stuff because we just aren't that wealthy. I'll store what we keep (because we will inevitably get rid of some stuff) on our basement rack of hand-me-downs.
• I may also keep two pairs of play clothing for the kids and for myself. Consider this our "home clothes" that can get as dirty as necessary for playing/working outside, cooking/baking, etc.
• And on top of that, add a couple pairs of pajamas to this mix. I basically live in pajamas, so this part will be hard for me.

You guys always ask about workout clothes. This is a tricky area for me. I'm not sure what I'll do yet about my workout clothes. I have a good number of them and don't want to part because they're expensive. So, I'll likely pack away all the stuff that isn't seasonal (except maybe one pair of shorts and a couple tanks) . . . and pare down the rest to maybe three good outfits. 

I'm sweating just thinking about how on top of laundry I'll need to be. But I'm hoping having far, FAR fewer items will mean I can get it done without as much struggle. I'm also going to start expecting that Ada manage her own clothing. If she has much less of it, it's a no-brainer. In the past I've tried to delegate this task to her, and it's been too much. I don't blame her. A huge mountain of clothes brings me to tears too.

Anyway, I'm going to try this out for a few weeks and report back. The beauty of it is if I hate it or feel like we've cut too close to the bone, I can go back and get out a few more items. I guess we'll see!