Living in Tiny Home Adventures – Four Months

In late August 2015 I moved Team TLC into a 1 bedroom, 1 bath 810 square foot condo. If you are new to this blog or the tiny-home-adventures blog series, go here to read the first post titled, Living in a Tiny Home Adventures. It’s been a couple of months since the last update.

I’ve been busy with writing, subbing, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Another of my articles got published during this time also. It’s titled “The Gift of One” and was published by the Australian Institute On Intellectual Disability. Go here if you’d like to read it.


(The lake is frozen!!)

We’ve made so much progress since I last wrote. We got rid of the hide-a-bed couch that was in Thomas‘ “room”. I had Salvation Army scheduled to pick it up; but before that could happen someone bought it! I mentioned on facebook that I’d scheduled them to pick it up and that led to a friend of a facebook friend (who happens to live in the same condo complex as us) buying it. Wahoo!

Just this past Monday I removed the last of the items from the storage unit. Such a relief. There was a desk, an office chair, a filing cabinet, and a child’s recliner. I gifted my desk to a friend and moved the other items into The Romano Duo’s unit.

The plan is to bring the office chair here as soon as I make room for it. Not sure what I’ll do yet with the filing cabinet. I do plan on going through it to see what I can purge. And, Lillian wants to sit in the chair one more time to see if she’s ready to pass it on. There are a few more keepsake boxes in The Romano Duo’s unit. I’ll be going through those soon. Once all this is done, we will have everything we own right here with us!

The Romano Duo came up here for Christmas and we had a warm and cozy celebration in our tiny home. We opted for a small 2 foot artificial tree as there simply wasn’t room for much else. Plus, we already owned this one and I wasn’t in a position to buy another artificial tree or a live tree (which is what I had planned on doing).

It took some time, but eventually, Lillian and Thomas were okay with this and LOVED our tiny tree. We decorated our little tree with what would fit and then hung the rest in the window. It was really cool!

We’ve had an interesting and financially positive side to being in such a tiny place, sandwiched between other condo units. We’ve hardly had to use the heat. And, it was in the single digits some nights! We’re at the tail end of January and we’ve used it maybe 4 or 5 times. It’s staying anywhere between 67 to 73 degrees and we’ve actually had to open the windows to cool it down!

In a couple of the last posts I mentioned the street noise from South Meadows. Guess what The Romano Duo got me for Christmas? A silk eye mask and earplugs (amazon affiliate links)! I was so grateful and excited to receive these. And …. I LOVE them! Thomas got a silk eye mask from Santa and he loves his too! It has made a huge difference with falling asleep. Ahhhhhh!  I also use them for meditating .. so odd to hear your own heart beating sometimes!

The porch light stays on and our bedroom window is directly underneath it. It’s on my list to unscrew the bulbs and replace with dimmer lights or something else. Just haven’t gotten to it.

One night after dinner and dishes, I cleared the table. Thomas and I then played a “homemade” version of ping pong using what we had. Brought so much deep belly laughter … From Lillian too as she watched us. I think the ball had fun too.

I am still actively donating things to Goodwill. After Halloween I donated many of the decorations I was ready to pass on. I started with 3 storage tubs and took it down to 2 storage tubs. I donated Christmas decorations as we were unpacking them and also donated lights and other decorations after Christmas. I began with 6 storage tubs and am down to 3 tubs.

I just asked Thomas and Lillian if they enjoy living here. I got a loud “Yes, we love it” from both of them!

In the next update I’ll include more pictures of the inside as we’ve re-arranged some things and are still in the process of re-arranging. Stay tuned ….

That’s all for now … The adventure continues …. Thanks for being a part of it!

**LOVE OFFERING** If you find this content helpful, I invite you to toss a tip in the love offering bowl. With oceans of gratitude … Camilla ….

love-cards-in-a-basket-october-2016

Heartfuly Inspired™,
Camilla
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

Living in a Tiny Home Adventures – Week Two

Thomas, The Lake, The Ducks, The Sunset ... On One of Our Walks ...

If you are new to this blog or the tiny-home-adventures blog series, go here to read the first post titled, Living in a Tiny Home Adventures. I imagine the updates will slow down as we get settled and get everything unpacked and organized, but for now I’ve been posting weekly.

Team TLC Out For a Walk

Week two was much smoother. I was not needed at HDMS for subbing so I was able to use my mornings writing and the afternoons unpacking. (I was quoted in a just published Huffington Post article titled, 6 Lessons Learned Through Divorce and Marriage. Pretty cool! Go here to read the article. I’m #6.)

The bathroom is finished! The living room is almost finished. Kitchen is the second runner up to being finished. The rest of the place, the bedroom and Thomas’ “room” are still a mess. I’m thinking at the two month mark we’ll have it almost finished and most definitely by the three month mark. It’s my goal to have the storage unit cleaned out by that time also, if not by month four.

Team TLC loves, loves, loves our new tiny place. Truly, we have so much to be thankful for with this home and blessings abound. The living room is big and so is the bedroom and bathroom. We get awesome sunlight in the huge, nearly floor to ceiling, living room window. The window faces Southeast so it gets great sunlight at different levels throughout the day. I’ve found 3 out of the 4 crystals we have and they are now hanging in the window providing us with beautiful dancing rainbows everywhere!! We love our crystals and they love us back by sharing their beauty!

Last week I wrote about how I have finally released the grip on my desk and will get rid of it as soon as I get to clearing the storage. This past weekend I decided that I would do the same with our kitchen table. The Romano Duo gifted me the table for my birthday in 2008. Something interesting happened after I decided I would pass it on. I found the perfect place for it and the chairs! HA! So, as long as it works in this location, we will keep it. If it seems to be in our way or a bother, then I have no concerns about passing it on to someone else.

I made the first trip to Goodwill and donated 7 bags of things. That felt good. I’ve already got 2 or 3 more bags ready and one bag ready for Grassroots Books (a local used book store). I will be going through my clothes to get rid of even more. I’ve gotten rid of almost everything I don’t wear or haven’t worn in a while. Now, it’s down to the items I only wear once or twice. The closet is just not big enough and I don’t feel like I need this many clothes. As I am financially able I will replace the huge amount of inexpensive clothes I own with a few good quality items. No more of this closet full of throw away clothing!

Now. For some of the un-lovely aspects. Thomas and Lillian have a more difficult time letting go and releasing “stuff”. I choose to see this as a learning experience for all of us. I do not require that they get rid of things. I simply ask. If they say “no”, we keep it. However, I model for them getting rid of things. I let them witness me doing it. They don’t always say no. In fact, they surprise me sometimes by saying yes, when I thought they’d say the opposite. Thomas is better about it than Lillian. That young lady wants to keep EVERYTHING!

Thomas is also struggling with not having a dedicated room to himself. I have created a space for him and most of his belongings. Yet, he craves something dividing his space from the rest of the living space. I’m researching what I can do for him and will take care of that as soon as I get everything unpacked. I’m pondering using curtains to divide the area and will search online for more options.

I am extremely happy with our place and the community. The only drawback for me is the traffic noise from South Meadows Parkway. This was the only 1 bedroom on the ground floor that was available for when I needed to move. There were plenty of 2nd floor 1 bedrooms available, but then there’s the whole stair issue with Lillian. However, I do not dwell on this drawback. It’s a very quiet location other than that.

Bouquet of Sunshine

Now. Back to the lovely aspects! I was moved to deliver a bouquet of sunshine to the kind ladies in The Vintage office. That was fun! Also, we had an amazing swim during last week too. It was a really warm day and the water was the perfect cool temperature. It was soothing, peaceful, and I truly felt one with the water. I was in the zone! Total bliss.

I sure do enjoy heading over to the lodge to get a second cup of coffee on some mornings. There’s a great industrial size coffee grinder/coffee maker which hosts Starbucks Breakfast Blend! They also have a wonderful selection of tea. I’m not quite sure why this feels so good; yet, I just love walking to the lodge with my coffee cup in hand (with a splash of organic half n half) and having some freshly ground and brewed coffee. I would prefer if they had a local company’s coffee and I may suggest that after I get to know everyone better.

That’s all for now … The adventure continues …. Thanks for being a part of it! Go here to read the next installment about living in our tiny space!

The adventure has begun …. Thanks for being a part of it! Go here to read about week seven!

Heartfuly Inspired™,
Camilla
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

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Living in a Tiny Home Adventures – Week One

Team TLC On Our First Walk Around the Lake

Last week I wrote about how and why Team TLC moved into a 1 bedroom 810 square foot condo. I’ve decided to write update posts as time allows. The still inner voice urges me to share this adventure and journey with others. Anyone who knows me also knows that I freely and openly share my life’s journey for the growth and benefit of others as I feel that is what I’m supposed to BE doing.

What You Do With the TV Nook When You Don't Own One - Fill It With Books!

Bedroom Still A Mess! All That's Been Done is Rearranging Dressers.

Week one was a whirlwind. We moved in on Sunday. I subbed every day last week so the unpacking and rearranging was very slow moving. (I substitute teach at the school that Thomas attends – High Desert Montessori School.)

Love The Sun Shining Through The Prism - More Prisms Coming - Haven't Unpacked Them Yet!

All of us adjusted pretty quickly to our new place. So far we’ve not had problems or emergency situations with having only one bathroom. In case of emergency, we can use the lodge bathroom. We’ve mostly been mindful of the call of nature for one another!

Our First Walk Around the Lake .... xoxo

There were no problems sleeping or worries about being somewhere new. We all slept in the bedroom through Friday when I was finally able to clear the boxes around the hide-a-bed couch. Lillian’s full size bed and my queen size bed both fit into the bedroom so that’s where we’ll sleep. Thomas gets to have his own little area and will sleep on the hide-a-bed. He’s always had his own bed and bedroom in the past, with his latest bed being a queen size that he got from Grandma Marge (Frank’s mom) when she moved into assisted living. He has never slept well on the bed, so we both decided to get rid of it and will eventually get him a brand new one.

Thomas' "Bedroom" - Getting There ..

The place is still a mess, yet, it’s coming together finally. We still have some things in the storage unit also. There’s another couch, my desk, a filing cabinet, holiday decorations, two child recliners, an office chair, Thomas’ desk, keepsake items, pictures, Thomas’ HUGE box of LEGOS, and probably some things I’ve forgotten about!

Still Need to Put Away Things, Yet The Kitchen Is Almost Done ... Team TLC!

Beautiful!! Our First Walk Around The Lake

I have a wild and crazy plan! Ready ….. I’m making it my goal to clear the storage unit completely and have everything we own here with us in this beautiful 810 square foot oasis! Purging and simplifying are not new concepts for me. This truly began in July 2011 (read about it here). The couch is gone as soon as I schedule a donation center to come pick it up. I’m going to release my grip and let go of the desk. The desk was handmade especially for me in the late 1990’s, so I have been reluctant to release it. Now is the time. I will bless it, thank it, and pass it on. I plan to make space for Thomas’ desk once things are unpacked. We’ll see how it all progresses.

View From the Front Door

We’ve had several dinners on our patio, had our first movie night (and an extra movie night), went for our first walk around the lake, have gone to the pool several times, had the first beanie baby birthday party, and I taught Thomas how to play pool Friday afternoon in the lodge.

Great Heated Pool!

Hot Tub

Pool

Birthday Party For September (The Blue Beanie Baby Sitting On The Car)

Beautiful Lodge! Haven't Played Pool In Lots of Years!

GREAT Movie For Our First Movie Night!

Another GREAT Movie For An Extra Movie Night!

The adventure has begun …. Thanks for being a part of it! Go here to read about week two!

Heartfuly Inspired™,
Camilla
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

Go here to subscribe to my blog to ensure you receive new posts delivered straight to your inbox! Right here!