more than just "halving" our stuff

So last night we more than "halved" our book collection, and Brett just got back from dropping off 194 books to a local charity, leaving us with 158 books that we are keeping, though part of me feels like even having 158 books may not be in line with my ultimate goal of living more simply. I'm just not sure where to draw the line. We each have some work related books included in that number, and the rest are pretty much fiction books that we love and plan to share with our children, like our double set of Harry Potter books. We have, more than once, decided to re-read the same Harry Potter book at the same time (in addition to reading several of them the first time through simultaneously, including reading book 5 chapter by chapter, followed by intense discussion and speculation after each chapter, while on our honeymoon almost 7 years ago) so sharing one set of Harry Potter books is just not an option for us. 

But what does it really mean for us to live simply?  As we continue this process I can see that some categories will be easy to "half", like books, and others will be more challenging, like furniture (not sure if we can do it, Brett, especially with me now wanting to keep the kitchen table....sorry!), but more than whether or not we achieve our goal of having half as many possessions as we did 6 months prior by the end of August, I'm concerned with whether I will have even scratched the surface of what it means to live simply, and if I'll actually be happier in my life.  When I imagine what I want my life to be like, as opposed to what it is like now, I imagine a simple, relaxing life with lots of space both physically and metaphorically so that I have plenty of room in my life for the things that are the most important to me.

But then when I try to imagine what I will be willing to sacrifice to make my life seem less "full", I'm not sure if I'm really ready to make those tough choices.  Stuff is one thing, because for me, I've become as cluttered as I am more because of my lack of proper concern and care for stuff, rather than an inability to let go of stuff.  But even once I get my house simplified and as easy as possible to maintain, there will still be the necessary cleaning, dishes, laundry, maintenance chores, in addition to work, and planning and cooking meals, exercising, and gymnastics classes, and preschool, and the list goes on and on.  And out of those things, what I could sacrifice I don't want to and what I would want to sacrifice simply has to be done.....so then what?

Anyway, that's where I'm at, but onward we go, and here are the before and after pics from the book halving :)
Before:

After: