Downsizing

Once you get on a roll with this lifestyle it really is hard to stop! It feels so good to let go.  Everything I've held onto for so long I now question WHY?? What is this object's purpose in my life, why have I held onto it for so many years, and does it contribute to my or my family's happiness?  Obviously, if I did this day in and day out it would become tedious and quite a chore to maintain, so please don't misunderstand me.  I only do a little bit of minimizing when I feel like it.  Some days I don't get rid of anything at all.  Some days, I may get on a roll (like Saturday) and throw out whole bins of stuff.  The end goal is not going to be achieved very quickly. The minimizing process should not cause so much stress that you're dreading doing it.  It's supposed to help you feel better.  I feel much lighter after every purge. It may not ever be completely finished, but my goal is to pair down every single room in the house before it's time to move.  Oh, I haven't shared this with you yet!
Over the past few weeks, we've made some important decisions about our future. Moving time is quickly approaching and I've not yet told you about our plans! We've decided to save money, downsize all our stuff, and downsize our footprint and dependence on amenities for at least one year.  What this means is, we will be moving out to our land before our house is finished being built.  Since my husband is building the house himself, with a little help from me and the kids, it may take over a year to complete.  Instead of sitting in a rental home exhausting resources that could be more effectively put towards our end goal, we are downsizing....substantially. 
Camper living here we come!
I lived in a houseboat with my dad as a child, but I've never lived in a camper or RV, so reading up and following blogs of people who have or currently do live in them with their kids is a must.  We will park the camper under a shop that my husband will build. The shop will store the things we want to keep in the new house and also serve as additional space to utilize when we need alone time!  This will allow us to not pay rent, not pay for a storage unit, substantially downsize our utility bills and truly embrace the minimalist lifestyle.
This is a big, scary, leap to undergo with kids.  If it were just us two I'd have no reservations whatsoever, but having 2 kids, a boy and a girl, along with dogs and cats, I doubt my sanity some days.  Overall, the response has been positive from most everyone.  I believe it will make us closer to each other, teach us a lot about how to live off the land instead of continually taking from it, how to conserve and not be wasteful, and most importantly, how to live with only what we need.  Nothing in excess.  STUFF will no longer rule our lives.  We will focus on experiences and making memories instead. Outdoor play, hard work, and just enjoying each other sounds amazing!
Our new home will also reflect our budding minimalist values.  We plan to incorporate solar panels, collect rain water, have farm animals, grow our own food, and plant as many trees as possible.  We will all learn together what this lifestyle really means, how it really works, and will actually have the space to thrive.  I'm interested to see what each of us will gain out of this experience.  Will keep ya posted :)