Two Months In

We have been full-time RVers for a little more than two months now and so far so good. 

We continue to work to be more organized and to streamline things but that really isn't so different from when we lived in our other house.  Combating clutter and the urge to accumulate stuff will continue to be an ongoing mission for us.  But it definitely keeps us thinking about the stuff we wish to have versus the stuff we already have and what we are willing to part with in order to make room.  Especially with two birthdays coming up and Christmas right after that. 

Our quality of life seems much improved in the past two months and we all seem happier and more content.  We definitely spend more time together, have more conversations, read more books, our cats get a lot more attention and we do more things together instead of splitting off into separate rooms.  However, when we do split off everyone seems to know not to bug the other.  We go to our respective bedrooms and enjoy a moment of privacy and autonomy. 

So far no one has complained that they don't have enough room or that they "need their space" and there hasn't been any unusual bickering or irritation  Quite the opposite, in fact.  I do hear the girls discussing how they feel they have too many clothes and how they should donate more to the thrift store.  They do have a lot of clothing but I'm glad they realize it and I don't have to tell them.  I am also impressed that they are dealing with it. 

In order to stay caught up I have to do laundry nearly every day because the washer runs small loads.  It only takes about thirty minutes and while a load runs I am well able to do other things like make my bed, get dressed and ready to start my day and finish the breakfast dishes.  Or just sit on my butt and write a new post for my blog. J 

Here are a few things we've done to make life easier on ourselves and just plain nice. 

 

The new oil filled radiant heater is perfect for heating our RV.  When not in use it fit under our dining table and out of the way perfectly.  It as a thermostat so it shuts off when it gets warm enough.  Energy efficient and safe to run too. 

 

Our new cordless electric kettle is great.  I use it to heat water for my morning coffee and warm the girl's thermoses before I fill them with their heated lunch.  I drink a lot of hot tea when the weather cools so it will be nice to have hot water at the ready.  It also shuts off automatically so I don't have to worry about forgetting about it.  Our old one didn't have this feature. 

The big cutting board I bought at Walmart.  It is the perfect size to cover one side of the sink or the top of our stove to give us additional counter space when preparing meals and school lunches.  I paid about $14 for it which was less than half the price of one specifically made for an RV.  It does what I need it to do. 

I also bought this wooden TV tray which fits in the space between the counter and the sofa perfectly.  I thought I'd use it to put the printer on but decided I didn't want it that close to the sink and risk it getting splashed with water.  Now it holds additional kitchen stuff and yes a bottle of tequila.  My red boxes of stationery too, which got them off the table and gave me more space there. 

The printer has taken up residence at the end of the sofa, where no one sits, for the time being.  Hopefully we'll come up with a better idea soon but for now it works out okay.