A Year Of Tiny Living
Hi! My name is Sara Miedema and I blog over at Tiny Home Dream. A little over a year ago, my husband decided to return to school after over a year of unemployment. In an effort to save money and stretch our resources, my husband, 2 children (ages 2 and 4) and I moved into a 300 sq foot RV.
We spent a month ripping it apart and renovating it before our big move and it’s been such a great home for us! I thought I’d share a little bit about what tiny living with a family is like by reviewing our first year.
Summer
We moved in right at the beginning of summer and it was SO lovely! The space that our RV is parked on is totally fenced in, so our kids were able to enjoy lots of freedom in our backyard, something we missed in our old house! The first summer felt a lot like camping, in the best way possible. We spent most of our time outdoors. Lots of campfires and hot dog roasts!
Our tiny home was easy to keep clean and tidy and since we were hardly ever inside, it was hardly a chore to clean it. Our kids learned so much about playing together, pretend and outdoor play. My husband and I enjoyed the relief from financial stress and the time we were able to spend together.
Adjusting to our tiny space was surprisingly easy, we transitioned our kids to sharing the same room and once they were used to the idea, the rest of it was easy. We got used to cooking and baking in a small kitchen and got comfortable using a compost toilet. We spent more time at home than at parks and beaches, because we love our outdoor space so much!
Fall
Thankfully, we enjoyed a mild fall and it gave us time to get used to the idea of spending more time indoors. We invested in good rain gear for the kids and pulled out some hidden boxes of toys as we moved indoors more and more. Unless it was absolutely pouring, the kids continued to play outside for several hours a day. We also began to attend programs in our county to help us get out of the house more often. Storytime, drop-in preschool, dance class, Bible study and toddler time kept us busy almost every day.
We rarely felt cooped up, and relished a quiet day at home! As the days grew colder and it rained more and more (PNW, don’t forget!) I started implementing daily quiet time with our kids. Our 2 year old gave up naps right around this time and I needed a few quiet moments to myself every day! The kids spent a lot of time listening to audiobooks and playing quietly with their toys. As the rain poured, we found several leaks in the roof and did our best to repair them. It was discouraging and frustrating, one of the downfalls of living in a 25 year old rig….
Winter
Our biggest challenge was definitely surviving the winter! The previous winter was mild and we only have a tiny dusting of snow and very few days below freezing. Of course, this winter was brutal! I’ve heard it was the coldest one we’ve had in 30 years! On one of our first cold days, our pipes froze and we were not only without water, but facing the reality that we had a whole season of freezing weather ahead of us!
We brainstormed and budgeted and researched and in the end, came to the conclusion that there wasn’t much we could do without spending a fortune. Instead, we turned off the water and drained our pipes each time the weather dipped. This meant many days, and weeks, of no running water. We lugged water in in 5 gallon jugs, did laundry elsewhere and showered anytime we were visiting friends or family. Our friends got used to us tossing in a load of laundry and bathing our kids each week at Bible study and our neighbors graciously helped us out when they could!
It’s also worth mentioning that we found out we were pregnant at the beginning of the winter. So along with these challenges, I also struggled with nausea and exhaustion. We celebrated a simple, cozy Christmas in our tiny home and loved it!
In January, an ice storm presented us with another challenge when our power was knocked out. Several large branches broke and landed on our roof and the strong wind rocked us back and forth so it felt like we were on a boat. We ended up making the trek to my parents’ house to wait out the storm.
Surprisingly, staying warm was never an issue. 4 bodies and a couple space heaters in our tiny space kept us nice and toasty all winter! I found myself growing discouraged and burnt out on tiny living, especially when the weather forced us to stay home for days on end. The first stretch of days above freezing were such a relief!
Spring
I can’t describe the joy we felt when the weather began to get warmer! Running water felt like such a luxury and doing laundry in our own space was a treat! The kids began spending more and more time outdoors again, usually ending up filthy and muddy, but I didn’t mind!
We were able to pack up our space heaters and dehumidifier, which made our small space feel larger. The kids and I were able to go for walks and play outside and visit parks and beaches again. At this time, we were also able to make the last payment on our student loans and that gave us another big reminder as to why we made the choice to live tiny! We realized that we had been able to save almost a thousand dollars a month in living expenses and that gave us renewed motivation and determination!
As we approach summer again, we’re loving our home and space! We just passed the one year mark and we wouldn’t change a thing. Our next big challenge is coming this month, as we’ll be adding a newborn to the mix! We’re preparing our home for a new baby and trying to envision what the next year of tiny living will be like!
Follow Sara Along On Her Journey!