Special Delivery Tour
So, how do you fit 7 people and 3 pets into less than 400 square feet of space? It is one part organization, two parts just having less stuff, and another part acknowledging that sometimes you're going to have to cram stuff into odd places, and this really isn't causing anyone long term psychological damage.
Some things are just practical shifts in thought processes. Keeping counter space clear and dishes put away suddenly becomes far more important, and the fact that your husband's uniforms take up 3/4 of the closet becomes a non-issue when you remember that you a) have hardly any dresses anyway and b) no place to wear them even if you had them. Some things are just making the best use of space possible. The pantry shares space with the washer and dryer, and the cat litter box is under the girls' bed (which has really motivated me to keep it cleaned out). Under bed storage space is, in all honesty, prime real estate--the master bed has the laundry basket in it, sweaters, t-shirts, beach towels, spare sheets, and extra hangers (why? I don't know). Some things are admittedly just trade offs. For instance, the amount of storage space available underneath a king bed almost makes it worth it that we have no walking space in the bedroom. We've also utilized our vertical space by hanging stuff on the backs of doors...but this means some doors don't stay open/closed quite like normal. This is only affecting my sanity in small ways (all doors should be left open except for closet doors, which should always be closed--there are standards! unless you live in an RV).
But the best way to fit 7 people, 3 pets, and all their stuff into less than 400 square feet of space? Kick everyone out doors as often as possible.
However, should you decide you actually want a peak inside our RV...if you come in the door and turn to the right, this is the sight that will greet you: the main bathroom door, gaping open like a gigantic sink hole because my children can't remember to close doors.
Thank goodness for the full sized fridge, and thank goodness for creative cooking (because that oven is small). Gone are the days of sheet pan meals, and baking a full batch of cookies now takes an entire afternoon. Still worth it.
Every kid got their own bulletin board strip to display art work, mostly because I got tired of them trying to tape things to the wall all the time.
Here's the bathroom door closed. And yes, even homeschool kids need their own backpacks.
Littles has the top bunk, and the girls share the bottom. It is a smallish full, but it's getting the job done. The toy bin is under their heads. The shoe bin under their feet. Their bed can technically fold up and turn into a table and couches but considering that Twinkle takes a nap in the afternoon...ain't nobody got time for that. Although Bee has not stopped trying to talk me into it.
 |
| Twinkle is requesting a "Special Delivery". This blog is a special delivery for you. Also, it's a peak inside the RV. |
Some things are just practical shifts in thought processes. Keeping counter space clear and dishes put away suddenly becomes far more important, and the fact that your husband's uniforms take up 3/4 of the closet becomes a non-issue when you remember that you a) have hardly any dresses anyway and b) no place to wear them even if you had them. Some things are just making the best use of space possible. The pantry shares space with the washer and dryer, and the cat litter box is under the girls' bed (which has really motivated me to keep it cleaned out). Under bed storage space is, in all honesty, prime real estate--the master bed has the laundry basket in it, sweaters, t-shirts, beach towels, spare sheets, and extra hangers (why? I don't know). Some things are admittedly just trade offs. For instance, the amount of storage space available underneath a king bed almost makes it worth it that we have no walking space in the bedroom. We've also utilized our vertical space by hanging stuff on the backs of doors...but this means some doors don't stay open/closed quite like normal. This is only affecting my sanity in small ways (all doors should be left open except for closet doors, which should always be closed--there are standards! unless you live in an RV).
But the best way to fit 7 people, 3 pets, and all their stuff into less than 400 square feet of space? Kick everyone out doors as often as possible.
 |
| Trigger--out where I would prefer everyone to stay 90% of the time |
Here's what it's supposed to look like:
So much nicer, right? Regardless, if you choose to enter the bathroom first, most likely you will discover a cat perched on the sink ledge and Twinkle trying to force feed it milk from her sippy.
Behind Twinkle you can see storage (each drawer fits almost exactly one folded bath towel because of course) and the shower--which even has a seat! Luxury!
Other half of the shower and the toilet, which I somehow didn't get in the frame. Skills. Incidentally, when we left the RV for the first time in February, some of my children (who shall remain unnamed) had trouble reverting to a normal flush instead of a foot pedal.
Bathroom wall art because obviously.
Proceeding into the bedroom (Twinkle is everywhere!). Normally the creepy baby doll isn't hanging out on the bed and we're trying really hard to keep Trigger off too, but, as always, the Man has far more success with this than I do. There is storage above the bed and under the bed, and the closet is behind the mirrors. Both nightstands have turned into glorified bookshelves. Don't judge.
I cleaned all the hand prints, foot prints, snot prints, and paw prints off that mirror before I took these pictures so somebody be impressed with me.
Back out the bedroom and down the two steps, you land in the kitchen/living area.
Thank goodness for the full sized fridge, and thank goodness for creative cooking (because that oven is small). Gone are the days of sheet pan meals, and baking a full batch of cookies now takes an entire afternoon. Still worth it.
Here's a quick peak into our pantry/laundry room. Incidentally, this picture is super old and I thought I'd already posted it on the blog before. Twinkle is standing between the island/sink (left) and the stove (right).
And here's a quick look into our cabinets. Thanks, Oswald, for making sure that bowl stack was to scale.
Moving out of the kitchen, the corner shelf houses books, cat foot, protein shakes for the Man, and the griddle...because all those things totally make sense together. The door next to it leads to the kids' room.
Extra TV stands are stored under the couch (as well as library books, play dough, and my yoga mat). Homeschool materials, games/puzzles, and the Instant Pot go above the windows. Cats are stored in whatever sunny spots they can find.
See? So much space. We're totally getting spoiled.
Heading on into the kids' bedroom--and look, there's Twinkle again. I can't get rid of that child, she's everywhere. If you look carefully, you can see the litter box underneath the girls' bottom bunk.
Here's a panorama of the kids' bathroom/bedroom...because there wasn't anyone there to stop me.
The kids' bathroom is about the size of an airplane restroom, but it gets the job done. The job being, of course, providing an alternative place to pee for the child who desperately needs to use the restroom the second someone else is already in the toilet. Also, it's a great place to store Twinkle's diapers. And to display the road signs that the Man helped me scavenge from around the old neighborhood.
Command hooks are my friend. Because there are never enough towel racks for us. Even in normal houses.
The girls got the door hooks--and nobody who is reading this now actually cares.
Here's Tiny, diligently doing math in his bunk. Always so serious, that kid. Bottom bunk on this side is Bruiser's. It can be a couch or a bed or, in Bruiser's case, a couch-bed. Why take off pillows when you're just going to have to put them back on again the next morning? And yes, he's also our child who likes to sleep on top of the covers so he doesn't have to make the bed the next day.
Every kid got their own bulletin board strip to display art work, mostly because I got tired of them trying to tape things to the wall all the time.
Here's the bathroom door closed. And yes, even homeschool kids need their own backpacks.
Littles has the top bunk, and the girls share the bottom. It is a smallish full, but it's getting the job done. The toy bin is under their heads. The shoe bin under their feet. Their bed can technically fold up and turn into a table and couches but considering that Twinkle takes a nap in the afternoon...ain't nobody got time for that. Although Bee has not stopped trying to talk me into it.
Lego storage (and more books and spare sheets) are up top. Then under the books/globe/alarm clock are the boys' drawers (one for each). Bee and Twinkles' drawers are set into Bruiser's bed. Do not ask to look in those drawers. The kids put away their own laundry and dress themselves. I avoid their drawers at all cost, and the last time I looked in them I was attacked by a rogue pair of underwear and nearly strangled by a chain of long sleeved t-shirts that had unionized and were attempting to escape out the window.
And that is everything. Your tour of the RV: done. I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I'm pretty sure that's only because half of my children weren't in any pictures. I'm still not positive how that worked out, but it does give much more of an impression of spaciousness. Most likely, they were all outside harassing our neighbors or hacking each other to bits with light sabers or throwing apple cores into the bayou and hoping to hit an alligator. And most likely, I wasn't feeling guilty at all about kicking them out into the great outdoors. Vive la fresh air. And maintaining what's left of my sanity.
