Saturday Chores

We have a few things on the to do list for today that I am anxious to get done. Jeff and I started on the list last night and got two items completed, yeah.

1. Jeff color my hair DONE

2. Install RV stabilizers under camper DONE

3. Debbie cut Jeff's hair DONE

4. Install skirting around RV ABOUT 1/4 DONE

The skirting will allow us to insulate the RV, make it more attractive and will allow for some storage out of site. We will be storing things like the Bar B Q and charcoal in plastic totes under the RV.

5. Put together the corner section of the couch sectional and install it. DONE

6. Move the videos and such to the cabinet under the TV so they are not under the end table. DONE

Joy is on her way home to our new abode for the first time and I want to have this all done by the time she arrives.



We are thinking about going to Amarillo next weekend to shop and pick up supplies for the next projects. What are our next projects? Well I will tell you.

I want to buy a tie rack and install it in my bedroom to hang up my necklaces. They are still packed and then I can get my jewelry out.

Install a coat rack behind the divider curtain to hang our towels to dry. That way they wont be so visible in the living area.

We want to tear the steps to our bedroom out, they are flimsy and destined to break some day. We want to replace the steps with wood steps that have a storage place under the step. Kind of like this....

This is a picture I found of some other person's RV where they remade the steps. We don't have carpet so we wont have to tear that out like he did but we will have to try to stain the steps to match or contrast with the rest of the wood. I will probably put some sand in the varnish or do something to make the steps non slippery.

Its kind of fun to look around the RV and find the wasted or unused storage space and make changes that allow you to utilize that space. Jeff and I were talking and we wondered if we will ever run out of things to do to the RV. I wonder too.

We've been here two weeks

It has been two weeks since we moved into the RV. I thought I'd give a report on how we are doing and how we are liking our new abode.

It has actually been very easy to get used to the small space and togetherness. Our family always spent our time mostly together even in the large house so this is just a bit more closeness. When everyone is up and moving around there does tend to be a traffic jam so we are learning to back up and allow others to pass.

We are constantly making improvements to make the RV easier to live in. For instance this weekend we will be installing the RV skirting to make the RV look better and to insulate it for winter. I plan to add insulation to the skirting. We will also be installing stabilizer jacks to make movement inside the RV when people walk around less noticeable.

We are still waiting on the corner piece to the sectional couch. That will be a nice improvement when that comes in.

Just yesterday I ordered shades to install on the outside of the windows to keep the suns rays to a minimum.

I also found a place I want another coat rack installed to hold the towels after a shower. We use our towels 3 or 4 times between washings so we each pick out a color and use that same towel until we wash again.

I haven't gotten input from Hannah but yesterday I was talking about maybe we need to start looking for a larger RV and Mollie said, "No, I like this one". That was good to hear because it was because of the girls that I would want a bigger RV. Their room is coming along nicely as we make changes, add shelves and they put up posters and such.

Remember, the house tour will happen soon. As soon as the corner sectional comes in and we get the skirting installed. Should be very soon. Hope you are all getting your homes ready to share.

Organizing the 5th wheel kitchen

A few months ago I purchased these cardboard can rotators for my pantry. I love them. I was worried that they would not work in the 5th wheel. They do, yeah. As you can see there is still room above the rotators so I will utilize that for baking sheets or something like that. There is room along the side to slide my cutting boards for storage. There is also room in front of the can rotators. I will have to think about using that space.
Maybe those long narrow organizers you use in the utensil drawers to hold spices. I have been wondering where to put my spices.

I have 4 of the longer rotators that do not work in any of my cabinets in the RV. The place now makes a medium organizer I would like to try but for now I am happy that these work in the RV. We sorted and arranged a few of the cabinets today.
On top of the cabinets I put my crock pots, rice cooker and things like that.

I bet you are wondering where my dishes are? We need plates and glasses to eat all that canned food.

Well I have a nice kitchen cart I use for more counter space and it has two shelves and a cabinet with doors. It also has a leaf that you can raise for even more room. When Jeff was living in the 5er it was very handy.

Well anyway. I put the plates, glasses and bowls in the cupboard part of the kitchen cart. I put my mixing bowls, rolling pin, and such on the shelves. I am hoping that my kitchen aide mixer will fit on the bottom shelf.

There is almost no wall space to speak of in the kitchen area although I do want to install a magnetic knife holder behind the stove on the wall.

We have several modification we intend to make to the RV. As we accomplish these I will take pictures and post them.

The wheels are turning

I was thinking that many of you don't know what we are up to as far as selling the house, moving where we are going and why. This post is to clear some of that up for you.
We live in the house pictured on the top of my blog. Its located on 16 acres in rural Oklahoma.

We moved to Oklahoma from eastern Kansas almost 6 years ago when a head hunter found my husband and he got a job at Seaboard Foods. The company moved us. It was so easy. They packed, loaded and unloaded.

We have enjoyed our country life but feel its time to close this chapter in our lives. We both feel God calling us to simplify and downsize and become more mobile. We also feel the call to get debt free as soon as possible.

Right now we can afford our home but the future is never certain. What is affordable today may not be affordable next year. We both felt the time to sell our home that we love and move was while we could still afford to live here. If things go south we didn't want to be in a position where we were hanging on by a thread with the threat of losing our house hanging over us.

Our house was on the market for two years. It is now sold. A local young lady with a small child is going to be the new owner. She is a recent widow and a school teacher. This house will be wonderful for her. She will have room to have her animals and things around her. I know she is going to love this place. Plus she will be neighbors to some of their family friends.

Anyway, we have been sorting, packing, and purging with a vengeance. Our plan right now is to live in our 5th wheel in an rv park near where Jeff works.

We had run through several options and ideas of what to do with our excess stuff that wont fit in the rv but we need and use and just plain don't want to part with.

One option was to buy a container and place it on my sisters land, use it for as long as we needed to and then give the container to her. When we priced the containers we found that they were twice as expensive as we had thought. Plus we would not have ready access to our belongings.

I love to can. Sew. Make soap, etc. I wanted an alternative that allowed me to have my extra stuff close by in a usable format.

Another option for storage was to rent a storage unit. I don't like the idea of giving my money away each month and not having my stuff close where I can get to it and use it anytime I want.

Finally we hit upon the solution we think will work for us. We are going to purchase a 24 to 26 ft. enclosed trailer. We will build shelves along each side to store our totes of things we want to keep. We thought if we had an aisle down the middle it would keep our things accessible and usable as opposed to piled in like a moving van. We knew if we didn't organize from the start we might as well get rid of everything.

We are in the process of finding an enclosed trailer as well as sorting through all our belongings. We have found that we have an amazing amount of belongings.

My idea is to park the 5th wheel facing one way. Park the enclosed trailer facing towards the rv and then putting one of those tent roof things for shade between the two and tying it down to both trailers.

We have already asked the park owner if we can have both the 5th wheel and the enclosed trailer and he has agreed it will be fine.

We also want to install a small chest deep freeze in the trailer so we can have a small stash of meat on hand. Right now we have two large upright freezers.

I will be chronicling our adventure as we live it. I will also try to take lots of pictures so you can see what we are doing.

Home made RV holding tank solution

For those of you who own and use an RV, you know that the chemicals you buy at the store to put in the holding tank can get costly. And, you are literally flushing the money down the drain. Makes ya sick.
I found a home made tank solution that is much cheaper.
In an empty and clearly marked one gallon container place the following.
1 c. Borateem
1/2 c. Pine sol
3 T. Ammonia
Fill remainder with warm water. Make sure you have at least 10 gallons of water in your tank before you put this solution in. Then just put about 2 c. in to control odors.