Five Routines I Started My First Week of RV Living!
Hey ya'll!! Today is officially our ONE WEEK ANNIVERSARY since living FULL TIME in our RV!! We're currently getting settled, and we've been LOVING it! The transition has been pretty effortless aside from some procrastinated decluttering we're still currently working on, but hey, we're getting a little closer everyday! Today, I wanted to share five new routines I started in my first week of RV living! I'm so excited to share these changes that seemed to develop naturally out of living in this tiny atmosphere! It's encouraging to see so much personal growth in such a short time, and I want to keep that going into long term, healthy habits! I hope you all enjoy! You can watch my empty RV tour here!
1. Bible reading and prayer journaling
Prior to tiny living, I found it very challenging to spend my mornings wisely with the Father. Instead, I'd sleep-in in an attempt to recover from binge watching Netflix the night before, or I’d desperately tend to the mess I was too lazy to clean the night prior! In this past week, I gravitated in the early mornings towards the U-dinette shaped table with large windows, and spent time in the Word. There was no mess to wake up to, no restless night prior…just an opportunity that seemed impossible to resist. So far, I've done this all week, and it feels great to start the day off with His truth over the lies of the enemy!
2. Making my bed
Okay, I'm just going to be honest and say it…Making my bed in our past living space was NEVER a priority. I mean...it's just going to get messy again right?! So, “how did I solve this unmade bed scenario,” you may ask? Just close the bedroom door, and Voila!, I don't have to see it until I jump back in bed again! Being that our new tiny bedroom is pretty much just a bed with built-in side and overhead storage, I find that this one simple task literally makes my whole room look immaculate! I leave our sliding bedroom door open, and can view my made bed from anywhere in the trailer! It looks beautiful, and is way more feasible now that I have more time, and less mess.
3. Opening windows
In our old apartment, our windows were SO LOW to the ground, it was pretty impossible to keep them open with kids around. Our house we owned prior to that had NO screens, so opening a window was like holding an open casting call for BUGS!!! There's already something so "nature-like" about living in an RV that letting the fresh breeze flow through just feels “right!” It's a small routine change, but it makes a huge difference with feeling like your outside even when you're not!
4. Cleaning the kitchen before bed
Speaking of having "less to clean,” it now probably takes me only 10 minutes to clean our ENTIRE kitchen, and I'm here for it! I've been able to "put my kitchen to bed" every single night since we moved into our RV, and wake up with more time for healthier habits as previously mentioned. (For those of you that don't know, this seemed to be an impossible feat in my last living space!) We downsized our dishes, bowls, and other cutlery prior to moving, so I can attest that "less stuff" is truly "less mess!"
5. Minimal TV/More reading/Communicating
This has been one of the biggest changes to a previous unhealthy habit of mine! In our past living situation, our TV dominated our living room. Most nights after our kids went to bed, “date night” with dinner and Netflix just seemed to be the easiest way to unwind, (and there’s nothing wrong with that, however, this was our “go-to” routine MOST nights). Since moving a week ago, we haven't turned the TV on once, and we’ve had plenty of opportunities to do so. I actually forgot we even had one to be honest. We have a TV in the RV, but it's not the focal point of our living space, and it seems to no longer be our "go to" way to unwind in our tiny environment. I'm sure we'll watch a movie occasionally, but we've been able to do other forms engagement throughout the day like reading in bed, interacting more with the kids, having more energy to talk, being productive, etc. TV is no longer the only option, and we prefer it this way!
I hope you all enjoyed reading about five routines I started my first week of tiny living! Do you have any healthy habits you'd like to form in your current living space?! Of course you don't "need" to move into a 36ft trailer to make the change, but it's definitely what it took for me to take the leap! Wishing you regular routines that turn into healthy habits!
Cool, Calm, and Collectedly Yours,
