CREATING A SIMPLER LIFE OFF-GRID
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    • What does OFF-GRID mean?
    • MINIMIZING >
      • Home Size
      • Room by Room
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    • MINIMIZE DEBT, MAXIMIZE SAVINGS >
      • Bills & Other Debt
      • Saving Money
      • Shopping Tips
      • Affordable Fun
    • BACKYARD CHICKENS >
      • The Coop
      • The Chickens
      • Feeding the Chickens
      • Fresh Eggs
    • HOME GARDENING >
      • Building the Garden
      • What We Grow
      • Seeds, Weeds, & More
      • Preservation & Storage
    • DO-IT-YOURSELF >
      • Health & Wellness
      • Simple Cleaning & Tips
      • Crafts & More!
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  • HOMESTEAD
    • The 5 Year Plan PLUS! >
      • 2017
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      • 2020
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      • 2022
    • WHY AN EARTH SHELTERED HOUSE?
    • OFF GRID TINY TRAILER
    • BUILDING our HOMESTEAD from Scratch >
      • BUYING LAND & GETTING STARTED
      • BUILDING THE CONCRETE DOME
      • FROM DOME to HOME
      • SURVIVING OUR FIRST WINTER
    • HOMESTEAD MACHINERY >
      • GENERATORS
      • KUBOTA TRACTOR
      • ATV'S & UTV'S
      • WOOD CHIPPER
      • CHAINSAWS
      • LOG SPLITTER
      • POWER TOOLS
      • SNOWMOBILES
      • AUTOMOBILES
    • BUDGETING THE BUILD
    • SUSTAINABILITY >
      • WATER
      • FOOD
      • SHELTER
      • ENERGY >
        • SOLAR POWER
    • The Adirondacks >
      • Wildlife & Nature
      • Insects & Bugs
      • Things to Do
      • Water Fun
    • ADIRONDACK CRAFTS
  • VLOG
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021

Blog

A little bit of anything and everything that's part of
​creating, enjoying, and living a simpler life!
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Choosing Our Homesite

10/21/2017

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Choosing our homesite was pretty easy. With the type of home we are building, the homesite was pretty much one of the most important determinations with respect to the property we purchased (Read more about the land we purchased here).

We plan on building an earth sheltered home. This means that all, yes all, of the windows will need to be south facing to make the most of solar gain in the winter (we have plans for special windows to minimize gain in the summers, more on that in a later post). 

Also, even though it is an earth sheltered home we intend to have an entrance on the north side  as well (most earth shelters only have an entrance on the south side).

For those two reasons we needed a bermed location with a small slope to the north, but a larger slope to the south so we could 'blast' through it and have a level north entrance, but the other side would be all windows facing south. All trees to the south would also need to be cleared to allow full access of the sun all day. If all goes well will will just need to add some dirt over the top of the home!

I know this sounds a little confusing, but you can check out these earth sheltered homes by Formworks in Colorado to see what we are sort of planning. We are in the process of working on plans with them and I will share those soon!
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This is the site. This is facing due south. We would need to cut through this small berm. The other side of the berm goes downhill for several hundred feet so we will have quite a bit of forest to clear. I know it is all hard to see/visualize, but since the house is relatively small (32 x 28) it should really work just right!
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This is our south facing view from above the trees. My husband took this photo with his drone! We will have a view of those mountains once we clear away the trees to the south!
Follow us to see our homesteading dreams
come true one step at a time!
​Sincerely,
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Mason Jar Mugs Instead of Plastic Cups

10/15/2017

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The past few months have been a little hectic for our family. My daughter, the oldest child, was married in September. She had a wonderful backyard wedding with about 250 people! Yes, 250! This was really only possible because it was in the backyard but it was well worth it.  So basically over the next few months I will be posting about how we planned this tremendous party. In fact, I have already posted some information about her shower and making two different dream catchers(see them below) that were used as part of the ceremony and as decorations for the party.  Today, however, is about using mugs instead of plastic cups.
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I know, plastic is so much easier. You just use it and throw it away.  But seriously, with 250 people, how many would we need to buy?  I couldn't imaging the nightmare that this would create with garbage after the party. And after all, all the plates, silverware, etc. were going to be recyclable bamboo!  So why would we ruin the environmental theme by using plastic cups? We wouldn't.  And in fact, we used mugs for the bridal shower as well!
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Bamboo utensil and plate. Note the mason jar in the background.
 A lot of people questioned the cost. Believe it or not, in my opinion (and my daughters as well), the cost was worth it for several reasons.  First, we weren't using plastic which we all know is not good for the environment because it literally never decomposes.  Second, we allowed guests to bring them home as a souvenir. This was especially good for couples because they would have two to bring home and use. This was also good for use because we wouldn't be left with hundreds of left over mugs!  However, any left over mugs could still be used for future parties, for gifts, or many other ways!  And what made these extra cool is that regular mason jar lids screw right on to them so they could even be used for storage! Anyway, back to the cost. We did end up buying a few cases from Amazon and they were definitely more expensive.

For the bridal shower we purchased the Libby Drinking Jar With Handle (Amazon affiliate link). A case cost 28.95 so we paid approximately $2.41 per mug. We had to do this because we needed them fast.  Since there would only be about 40 or so people at the shower I simply tied a paper tag around each mug and let everyone write their own names on it for the party (note the mug filled with markers). The mugs are also filled with tickets for the 'Chinese' auction game! Directions were provided on the welcome sign shown below.
Items purchased for the bridal shower mug display (affiliate links):
  • Libby Drinking Jar With Handle
  • Jute Twine & Craft Paper Gift Tags
  • ​Pink Raffle Tickets
  • ​Crochet Table Cloth (36" Round)
  • Large Standing Vintage A-frame Chalkboard Sidewalk Sign
  • Washable White Liquid Chalk Markers
  • Washable Colored Liquid Chalk Markers
Video "How-to" (see pictorial below):
Pictorial:
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For the wedding we had a lot more time to wait for delivery so we actually ordered about 12 cases of mugs from Dollar Tree. At dollar tree they were $1 per mug plus tax. Much more cost effective! But again, you need to have a lot of patience and time for delivery because I think they literally came from China. You also need to be prepared to go and pick them up at your local Dollar Tree Store.  The unfortunate part of this was the fact that every mug came with a sticker on the bottom that took my husband and I three nights to peel off of the mugs in all twelve cases.  Oh, and guess what! They were literally identical to the mugs we got from Amazon! Just no Libby name on the box! The Libby mugs didn't even have the name brand on the mugs either so they were really, truly, the same.
Items purchased for the wedding mug display (some are affiliate links):
  • ​Mugs ordered online from Dollar Tree
  • Removable Chalkboard Labels
  • Permanent White Sharpie Paint Marker (fine)
  • 8' Foldable Plastic Banquet Table
  • 8' Fitted Beige Banquet Tablecloth
  • ​Two 4' Foldable Plastic Banquet Tables
  • Two 4' Maroon Fitted Tablecloths
  • One Maroon Square Tablecloth (with crochet border DIY How To Here)
  • Chalkboard Easel from Michaels Craft Store (DIY How To Coming Soon!)
  • White Chalk Washable Paint Pens
  • Silk leaves decoration
  • ​Decorative flowers from Michaels Craft Store
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Heres How They Were Done:
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I created a list of everyone that responded "yes" to coming to the wedding in EXCEL by last name, first name. When the response date came and went I sorted the names alphabetically.
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Then I used the permanent paint pen to write the names on the labels. I skipped the shapes I didn't really want to use.
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After all the names were written in alphabetical order, I carefully placed them onto the mugs.
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The mugs were packed back into the cases in alphabetical order so they could easily be arranged on the table at the reception. This made it easy for guests to find their mug!
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I used twine to divide the chalk easel into even sections so I could write the saying on it using the washable chalk paint pens. I used some hot glue to add flowers to the corner as a decoration (see picture below).
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I even used the mugs to make these special Bride and Groom mugs! That post is coming soon too :-)
We have no regrets about using the mason jar mugs instead of plastic! One comment we recieved from guests at the shower was that it was a little difficult for them to drink from the mug being that it had the funny edge to screw on lids.
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Because of that comment we provided optional drinking straws at the wedding. Some people chose to use them, and some didn't.

I know, you think maybe it defeated the purpose because they too are plastic, however, the amount of plastic used by 100 or so straws was nothing compared to how many cups we would have gone through!

We would love to hear from you so please share your thoughts and experiences with us!

Check out our other DIY Shower and Wedding Ideas here.

Sincerely,
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Making Our RV Feel Like Home!

10/10/2017

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This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com.
Having an RV (recreational vehicle) is awesome! It gives us the freedom to be able to travel and always have a comfortable place to sleep with no worries. It is also super convenient to just pull onto the side of the road if  you have to go to the bathroom! No more painful waits for the next rest area or searching for a gas station with a working bathroom.  Maybe that's just me. Either way having an RV with all the comforts of home and stocked with just about everything  you need for traveling makes traveling simply delightful!

​However, our RV, being inexpensive and small, did not come with most of the comforts we wanted nor did it have a lot of space for all of the above, so here is what we did to make it like home for us.

1. The Bed
We chose an RV that had a bed that never needed to be 'broken down.' In other words, in many smaller RV's the bed is also the kitchen table and benches.  We made sure this was not the case for us so even though our RV is small (18') it has a permanent bed. The bed also had to be a decent size. Our RV is a queen size bed and this was very important to us. 
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  • ​To make it more homey we made our own custom headboard. Note that the bed was meant to be slept in with our heads at the other end, but we couldn't cover up the emergency escape window so we covered the window at the other end instead. To make it we simply cut a piece of Luan to size, covered it with a foam, and then stretched material over it using staples to hold it all down. Now we have a soft back to sit against while in bed. Note that because it shows through the window we also covered the back to look nice! Here is a great DIY of how to make a foam headboard, but note that we used 1" velcro to hold it to the wall instead and had to make a few customizations so that it would fit our trailer bed instead (we left the bottom part off).
  • Next we improved upon the mattress.  The mattress it came with is thin and uncomfortable so we purchased a 3" foam mattress topper with gel cooling. It makes the bed so amazingly comfortable we don't even want to get out!
  • Last but not least, we purchased a nice matching comforter set and some extra decorative pillows. I don't know, it just looks nice and is easy to 'make' on the fly (check out my post on Ways to Simplify Your Life Now).
2. The Entertainment Center
OK, I know it is not camping if you have an entertainment center, but really. It's not exactly camping to stay in a nice trailer with the comforts of home anyway!  At our age, we just don't care. We want to travel all around the country and at the end of the day we like to relax and watch some TV. Even if it is just a DVD, we don't care. It is relaxing. So Since our RV didn't come with an entertainment center we had to make our own!
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  • First we purchased a TV/DVD combination unit because it would take up less space. It is a great little unit but the sound could be better. 
  • Next we purchased a TV wall mount. We mounted it to the side of the kitchen cabinet which is very secure and the TV can be moved so that we can comfortably watch it from the bed or the kitchen area.
  • Lastly we purchased a pre-stained wall shelf that matched the stained wood in the trailer. We had to custom cut it to fit between the kitchen cabinet and the cabinet holding the air conditioner. We used metal L brackets to mount it to the cabinets on each side. We avoided putting anything into any of the outside walls.
  • For 'looks' was purchased an extension cord and a special wire channel to hide the cord under down the wall to the outlet. This was so that we could plug the TV cord into the end of the extension cord under the shelf and out of the way and not visibly see any wires.
  • Lastly, we contacted the RV dealer and purchased matching wall paper to cover the channel with. It matches the walls perfectly!
3. The Bathroom
I don't know about you, but this room is pretty important to me! In a small trailer you get a small bathroom. In our case it is really, really small. In fact, it only came with a tiny shower, a toilet, and a mirror on the wall! Nothing else but a door!   
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  • I have no idea why it didn't come with a towel bar or toilet paper holder, but these are the first two things we added. They were easy to install on the wall between the bathroom and the closet, that just happens to be on the right side of the toilet. It makes sense to have them there so I am not sure why the trailer didn't come with them in the first place!
  • A small caddy with a handle to hold soaps and shampoos is all that was needed in the shower. It can be hung on one of the hooks on the back of the door when not being used.
  • A nice soft brown toilet shaped rug fits nicely on the floor (after we custom cut one corner) and is great for keeping your feet warm and absorbing water when getting out of the shower.
  • Lastly, we just added metal over the door hooks. This is simply to hang our wet towels on after getting out of the shower.  
4. The Kitchen
Of course this is really part of the bedroom, the living room, and the dining room! Ha Ha. But who cares? It's still my kitchen and I knew I could improve upon it!
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  • Added a magnetic bar to the stove to hang our knives on. Despite how many bumps we have hit a knife has never, ever fallen off!
  • Hung a paper towel bar the upper cabinets over the counter.
  • Bought a small electric coffee maker with a metal pot that can't break, but also keeps the coffee warm!
  • We have a bamboo utensil and napkin caddy for all our silverware! It's easy to use in the trailer, or to take outside if we are barbecuing.
  • Bought simple matching dishes and cups to always keep in the trailer. The dishes are kept on a plate cradle in the cabinet to save on storage.
  • Theres no oven so we purchased a small simple toaster oven. 
  • We hung acabinet kitchen towel bar on the pantry door.
  • We added sticky tape hooks to the inside of the pantry door to hang all the cooking utensils.
  • We stocked the kitchen will all the basic needs: pots, pans, knives, silverware, potholders, utensils, towels, matches (to light the stove with), dish soap, sponges, napkins, and more!​
5. Key Holder
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  •  We added a key holder basket to the side of the cabinet so as soon as we walk in the door we can hang our keys or find a small flashlight quickly!

Take a little video tour with us.....

Now our trailer is always organized, ready, and feels like home no matter where we go!
Happy Travels!
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    Hi there! I'm Kathie, the author behind Creating A Simpler Life blog. I'm excited to share our longterm projects (and planning) toward building our future retirement homestead in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In the meantime I will be sharing all the other little things we do that are part of creating our simpler life!
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  • Home/About
    • What does OFF-GRID mean?
    • MINIMIZING >
      • Home Size
      • Room by Room
      • Get Organized
      • Household Waste
    • MINIMIZE DEBT, MAXIMIZE SAVINGS >
      • Bills & Other Debt
      • Saving Money
      • Shopping Tips
      • Affordable Fun
    • BACKYARD CHICKENS >
      • The Coop
      • The Chickens
      • Feeding the Chickens
      • Fresh Eggs
    • HOME GARDENING >
      • Building the Garden
      • What We Grow
      • Seeds, Weeds, & More
      • Preservation & Storage
    • DO-IT-YOURSELF >
      • Health & Wellness
      • Simple Cleaning & Tips
      • Crafts & More!
      • Printables
    • CROCHET >
      • IDEAS & MORE
      • VIDEO TUTORIALS
  • HOMESTEAD
    • The 5 Year Plan PLUS! >
      • 2017
      • 2018
      • 2019
      • 2020
      • 2021
      • 2022
    • WHY AN EARTH SHELTERED HOUSE?
    • OFF GRID TINY TRAILER
    • BUILDING our HOMESTEAD from Scratch >
      • BUYING LAND & GETTING STARTED
      • BUILDING THE CONCRETE DOME
      • FROM DOME to HOME
      • SURVIVING OUR FIRST WINTER
    • HOMESTEAD MACHINERY >
      • GENERATORS
      • KUBOTA TRACTOR
      • ATV'S & UTV'S
      • WOOD CHIPPER
      • CHAINSAWS
      • LOG SPLITTER
      • POWER TOOLS
      • SNOWMOBILES
      • AUTOMOBILES
    • BUDGETING THE BUILD
    • SUSTAINABILITY >
      • WATER
      • FOOD
      • SHELTER
      • ENERGY >
        • SOLAR POWER
    • The Adirondacks >
      • Wildlife & Nature
      • Insects & Bugs
      • Things to Do
      • Water Fun
    • ADIRONDACK CRAFTS
  • VLOG
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021