3 Months of Tiny Living - What we love and what we don't
Tosha Tingey • July 18, 2019
After 3 months of Tiny Living we are taking stalk of what we love and what we don’t
As with just about anything in life, you can only prepare so much until you are actually living it. We have been living in a 150 sq ft Airstream for the past 3 months and here are 3 things we love and 3 things we don’t.
Things We Don’t Love
1. Constantly cleaning
This was the first thing I realized I didn’t like about Tiny Living. For other people this may be a dream but not for me. With a tiny space messes get made very quickly and even the smallest messes look big. The up side is that it doesn’t take long to clean, but I feel like I am constantly cleaning to get the most out of the space I have.
2. No napping
So this only really applies with kiddos. But since we all pretty much live in one giant(ish) room, unless our daughter is sleeping, nobody else can be sleeping. This obviously isn’t a huge problem but the occasional rough night with her or is sick and one of us needs to get some sleep in during the day, it becomes more challenging. This also applies to having some alone time. I’m the kind of person that needs time to myself to recharge. I can usually get this during nap times or early bed times but otherwise I either go on a walk, a drive, or send Jonathan and Addie on an errand.
3. Rainy Days
One of the main goals with tiny living is to take advantage of the big big world outside. So it really doesn’t feel so tiny when you spend so much time outside. But when there are lots of rainy days in a row and aren’t getting outside as much, it can start feeling really small and tends to get much messier.
Things We Love About Tiny Living
1. Everything has its place
A big part is the minimalism! There is a lot of peace of mind knowing that everything you have in your home has a purpose and a place. Now, this isn’t saying you’re never going to lose things. Because I thought that and we somehow have still lost some things. But they usually turn up pretty quick. I love the order and the simplicity this lifestyle brings.
2. Spending lots of time together
I know what you’re thinking, “this should be on the cons list.” Haha but I’m going to tell you why this has been awesome for us! When you live in such a small place, it forces you to talk, hang out, and interact. I’ve noticed that Jonathan and I argue less and talk more. We both are extremely involved with Addie and we co-parent so much better which has eased a lot of stress. I've noticed that Jonathan and Addie's relationship has grown since we began living tiny. It also makes watching Addie so much easier because no matter what you’re doing, you can check on her. It’s awesome!
3. More time outside
I mentioned this on number 3 in my other list, but one of the things I feel like people forget when they think of Tiny Living is that it encourages more time spent outside! I’ve noticed a palpable difference in our lives. Our living space got smaller and our world got bigger. We take advantage of so many more things outside the home than we ever have. We go to libraries, parks, lookouts, beaches, trails, play places, and so much more! We spend so much time outside that when we do spend a day at home it feels like a privilege.
Is Tiny Living for everyone? Nope, definitely not. But despite the few things we don’t like, the things we do enjoy make up for it. The transition to tiny living was much easier than anticipated. It’s amazing how adaptable to our living spaces and situations we really can be. You never realize how little you actually do need until you try it out.
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