What are we reading, Wednesday? Part III

What are we reading, Wednesday? Part III

Morning!  (I know I put an exclamation mark there, but really I’m waiting for my coffee pot to finish brewing so until that happens I can’t be held responsible for what I write.) *heehee*

coffee

TGIW, right? *Hump day!*  What I can’t believe is that it’s already the middle of May and summer is just around the corner.  When do your kids get out of school? I know some that will be out next week and a few parents that may or may not be panicking.  We homeschool, so for us, our schedule is a bit more relaxed, with our family we kind of school all year (so if we are sick or in this case moving – we just moved to Florida), then we won’t be behind.  I have been researching different kinds of curriculum, thinking about what we might use for next year and have been reading homeschool blogs.  One in particular that I wanted to mention here called, There’s No Place Like Home, by Shelly Sangrey.  She just started a series called, “Why Should we Homeschool,” that kind of outlines a few reasons that some families choose this path for education.  Our family occasionally gets asked why we made this choice, but I think that homeschooling is becoming more common and less surprising to people so I don’t get asked this question as much as I used to.

Secondly, I’ve been reading a lot about Tiny Houses.  If you haven’t heard of this movement, basically the concept (and this varies) is downsizing from a typical American home (which I’ve read is around 2,500 square feet) to something much smaller (for our discussion here, something under 500 square feet).  The reasons for people following this path are as varied as the styles of housing, but I can tell you that what appeals to me is the financial freedom that comes from owning your own home, less maintenance, and much smaller monthly bills.

This is the Kasl Family Tiny House - You can follow Kim Kasl and her family on www.blessthistinyhouse.com.
This is the Kasl Family Tiny House – You can follow Kim Kasl and her family on www.blessthistinyhouse.com.

There are at least four or five shows, that I know of, about this movement, one of the most popular on FYI called Tiny House Nation, where they show a tiny house being built, but also how the family or couple downsizes their belongings to fit into their new home.  I have to say, the concept when I first saw it, was intriguing but not anything that I was seriously considering.  But, as time has gone on, this lifestyle has begun to really begun to appeal.  I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to be mortgage free at a young age?

To give you a real look at what this all might entail, I highly suggest you check out the blog called, Tiny House Giant Journey, by a couple named Guillaume and Jenna.  They decided to build their own tiny house on wheels (THOW), and have been traveling ever since.  Their blog covers everything from cost of materials they have used, to what living tiny means not just for them, but for others. (They also profile other tiny housers.)  It’s a great blog and they are very responsive with questions.

The book that I have been reading that goes with this theme is called, Tiny House Living, by Ryan Mitchell.  The pictures are great and the book breaks down different aspects of the Tiny House Movement.  A great read.

tiny house living

If the question in your mind right now is if we are considering going tiny, I would answer yes, we are in that stage.  We’ve gone back and forth over whether we should build our own or have someone build ours it for us; but knowing my husband as I do, I feel like he leans more towards the “we should build our own” camp; which honestly freaks me out a little.  We’ll have to see how that discussion ends up.

What have you been reading lately?  Any great blog posts?

4 thoughts on “What are we reading, Wednesday? Part III

  1. Thanks for the mention, Nicole! Right now I’m reading Light of the Last, by Chuck Black. I actually chose it to write a review for it and didn’t realize that it was the third in a series which I’ve never read, so this should be interesting. 🙂 I have started it, though, and so far it’s a great read. I didn’t know you moved to Florida. Lucky! (We’re in PA where it gets rather cold.) Anyway, thanks again!

    1. Of course! I’ve really been enjoying your posts! How’s the series going? I always love a good series. We’ve been enjoying Florida weather so far. 🙂

  2. Nicole, I have often seriously considered living in our RV full-time or semi-full-time (sort of snowbird-ish). Then we ended up sort of inheriting a bunch of stuff (my parents are still living, but have most of the furniture and interesting or sentimental items they wanted to keep). But the heart and desire for simplicity beats strong in me, so I at least want to respect that desire and value I hold, even in my big ol’ suburban house. The KonMari method of decluttering (“what brings you joy?”) has provided one filter. Have you been decluttering and simplifying as if you might move in this direction of tiny living?

    1. We are giving it a lot of serious thought. One thing living in the military highlights is how much you accumulate in life, because you have to pack it up and unpack it every few years you; forcing you to deal with even things you might pack up and store in the attic and want to forget about. As an example, for our latest move, I was startled to discover that we had four coffee pots. How in the world did that happen? I have a lot of respect for people that can declutter once and be done, but I feel like our lives are in a constant state of “decluttering.” You know what I mean?

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