Day 29: Tiny house Tiny movement - Why we decided to down grade and live small...

(I posted this in the past on my other blog and thought it is still how I feel and still related on us dreaming to live in a Van/RV.)

I grew up poor living in a very tiny space that we rented out. I dream of owning a home just like the photo above (dont know the owner of this photo). My mom is a single mom raising 3 kids on her own, we'll be lucky if we get to eat 3x a day and if we have money to spend the next day. Despite this, I never see or feel less of a person. Instead, I am happy that I have a home to live and that i have a family, though without a dad, I still have a family to call my own. I used to volunteer as a child in places like orphanage and other places and I see the areas I should be happy about in life. 

Now that I have my own family and have lived in a bigger house, I realized that happiness of the family doesn't rely on how big the house is or how much stuff you have BUT instead the quality of life we are sharing together. I told my husband that when we moved I would like to have a tiny home where we don't have to spend so much money to keep up, decorate, maintain and worry about. I would like a small house that we can call a home (even if its an RV, Cargo van or just our van). Every day I am realizing that stuff will never make me happy but the memories we are sharing does. 

Now our home doesnt have much. We have a tv but we hardly watch on it other than the news or when my boys wanted to play games or movie nights. We hardly eat out coz I like to cook and save and It is more fun when we get together and eat and don't worry about my kids screaming or making a mess or making others uncomfy while they are eating. I can see my kids often coz we don't have so many rooms that they can roam around and we can see each other often.

More and more, I am seeing why others are wanting to live small and be part of tiny home movement coz there is more to it than a small home. You don't have to worry about paying your mortgage so high every month, maintenance is little or hardly at all, utilities is so minimal. Less clothes and clutter. More savings and more time to enjoy your time doing something else beside budgeting or cleaning the mess. It will also allow you to finally save for that travel you are dreaming for so long.

I know I am all for saving BUT I love to travel and I love making memories, beside we don't have to spend so much to go places. We have so many amazing state parks that we can explore and then camp if we have to stay for a night or two.

Living small doesn't mean small but BIG in so many ways. It is liberating and makes you appreciate what really matters.

How about you? Are you thinking to down size as well?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Take care!

Remember Life Is Short... Explore. Dream. Discover.

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Day 28: Learning how to be self sufficient. Why it is important to learn how to do things on your own.

Day 28: Learning how to be self sufficient. After 2 weeks of not having a table to dine with, I decided to build one myself (technically 2 lol) 😊 

I wanted to learn and be able to do stuff with my own hands, when we build our RV or convert our cargo van - I want to see my own works inside. 

My tables are not great but I feel great every time I see them ❤

I got this cube seat/storage at Costco for $10 each and I thought this will be great for the van when you go camping coz I can store our clothes (one per cube) and we can use this as our seat as well. 

We have been wanting to build a booth in our kitchen but have no time for one yet so I decided to put this cube there and build me a table from hubby's wood scraps. Took me forever coz my 3yo decided he can build with me too. I like that we can use this for now and enjoy eating while viewing birds and squirrels outside.

I always wanted to learn how to build stuff or just plain learning new things. Last week I have learned how tiling works and how to put grout on it.

In the process I learned what I can and cannot do, adjust the things that I think will work better than the normal one and learned how to be patient.

I have learned a lot and though there are times that I get really frustrated, I realized that it is best to let go and just enjoy the time while doing it.

I also learned how to remove carpet the quick and easy way. I think the hardest part was removing all the furnitures and all the junk we have at home. I am cleaning little by little and now willing to let go of the stuff that we don't use or don't really matter if we have it or not.

I figure if we will live our lives in the road, it is best to just bring what we NEED and not carry the stuff that will clutter not only our RV (or whatever it will be) but as well as our well being. The less we have the MORE we appreciate what we have.

I am very excited once we really start have our own RV (or converted cargo van) coz I want to be part of the process of redoing it. This little things I am doing now will definitely help me when that times comes. Now I need to learn how to install solar panels and make our Van off grid :)

Thanks for being here.

Remember Life is Short... Explore. Dream. Discover.

REVIEW - Day 27: What is the BEST Phone service for Mobile HotSpot Tethering while on the road, camping, RVing or living your life in a Van or always on the Go. TMobile vs Verizon

It's Day 27 and today I am going to let you know What is the BEST Phone service for Mobile HotSpot Tethering while on the road, camping, RVing or living your life in a Van or always on the Go. Is it TMobile OR Verizon?

This post is based solely on our experience. Hubby have Verizon and I have the TMobile Plan. Hubby have the unlimited plan with 20GB hotspot ($100/month plus tax) while I have the TMobile ONE Unlimited 55+ (photo below on what it covers) Plan ($70/mo with auto payment + monthly payment of the selected phone you chose - price varies depends on the kind)

If you live in the city or an area where there are lots of Cell Tower (not much of trees preferably) then you won't have problem using a TMobile mobile phone service nor data BUT tethering/hotspot can be laggy/slow. We were in San Antonio last month and I used my phone as a hotspot so I can post on my blog and it takes me 20 minutes to post a small blog with little photos on it. On the other hand, when I used hubby's Verizon hotspot I am blogging like I normally do when I am at home.

If you do a lot of blogging, vlogging or watching online on your phone then I highly recommend having Verizon as your mobile provider. I know they are pricey for $100+/mo for their "Above Unlimited Plan" BUT you know you are getting your money's worth for it. If working on the road is what you do, then you don't want a laggy connection. We have tried this when we did a lot of camping and have hubby work at the same time and it is not a problem on his Verizon while on my TMobile it is a hit and miss situation. If a slow connection is not a problem and you are not in a rush on blogging something then TMobile is for you. It is pretty close of being reliable and my kids still enjoy watching Youtube or Netflix while on the road. I can have them enjoy 8 hrs of online watching while we go on a road trip and I am only using at least 2GB of my 20GB hotspot. For $70/month for 2 lines that is quite a steal! This plan is only applicable if you are 55+ and above. You can get TMobile basic unlimited for $60/mo while TMobile One $70/mo. So make sure you take advantage of their special offer if you are 55+ or in Military.

The Verdict - VERIZON!!! If i have the money then I will go for Verizon knowing I won't have problem wherever I go (unless it is extremely secluded and there is hardly no Cell Service in the area (You can still get 3G in most cases). Remember this is based on our experienced. We've been to a lot of mountains and secluded camping sites and this is what we have learned.

Thanks for being here.

Remember Life is Short... Explore. Dream. Discover.

Day 26: Review of the new MotoTec Velocifero Mad 48v 1600W Electric Scooter. Is your $800 worth it! The Good, The Bad and The fun side of it.

Day 26

We purchased the new MotoTec Velocifero Mad 48v 1600 watt electric scooter  with 4 12v, 12ah batteries approximately 3 to 4 months ago for almost $800 and have really enjoyed riding it on both paved and unpaved/off-road trails. 

It's fast and the batteries that came with the scooter appeared to last a long time.  After about 2.5 hours of use on unpaved trails with a mix of sand and steep hills the battery indicator had just moved from Max charge to Mid charge.  Charge indicator has three settings (Max, Mid and Min).  The scooter comes with disc breaks, break light, horn, front lights with a setting for standard on/off or a blinking/strobe light affect, two storage bags (one for front and one for rear) and a storage bag for the batteries that is water resistant.   The Velocifero is made from solid materials with a nice bamboo deck that covers the battery compartment. 

The Velocifero seat and seat support can be easily removed should you want to just stand on the scooter while riding.  The handlebar grips can be folded down and the steering column can be folded down so that the unit can be easily stored in a small space.

Specs:

Motor: 1600W 48V / 12A
Handlebars: Adjustable Height
Throttle: Twist
Max Rider Weight: 310 lbs
Recommended Age: 13+ Years Old
Frame: High-tensile steel
Battery: Four 12v/12Ah Lead-Acid (48v Total)
Range Per Charge: 18-22 miles in optimum conditions
Max Torque: 21
Charge Time: 4-8 hrs
Tire Size: 145/70-6
Deck: Wood (Bamboo)
Shocks: Single Front, Dual Rear
Horn: Yes
Headlights: Yes
Folding: Yes
Brake: Front and Rear Disc
Fintal Transmission: Chain
Box Size: 53x14x23 inches
Box Weight: 120 lbs
Scooter Weight: 106 lbs
Warranty: 60 days parts replacement

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Pros - Solid metal construction, fast, capable of going up steep inclines and can be used off road.  Fat tires makes it great for moving through sand (although it can struggle in deep sand) and over all types of material in an off-road situation.

Cons - The cons are all related to the batteries.  The bag provided to hold the batters fell apart when attempting to place batteries back in scooter housing due to extremely confined area for holding batteries. No instructions were provided  for wiring the batteries. I left the battery charger on for about 3 days while the scooter was not in use (as I have done with all of my electronic devices) and this caused the batteries to heat up and the plastic housing melted enough to fuse the four 12v 12ah batteries together.  All 4 batteries deformed but didn't explode or leak any material.  However, they were no longer usable.

I have to take some responsibility for leaving the batteries on the charger for a few days but I had assumed the charger would have a circuit to protect it from over charging.

Changes I've made:

I replaced the 12v, 12ah batteries with new 12v, 15ah batteries (129 dollars for all 4) but once the charger indicates the batteries are charged, I disconnect it.  The new batteries appear to give it a little more power and provide a little more distance.  However, I've not run any specific test for distance or speed but plan to do that in the near future.  I found that one can order 12v, 18ah batteries as well on Amazon.

The new batteries come with different connectors so I reused the wires from the old batteries after placing new connectors on the ends (which works much better).  Another plus for the new batteries is that they are a much better fit for the battery compartment (making the setup much easier than the old ones).

Recommendations:

1. Don't leave the battery charger plugged in after the chargers green indicator light comes on to inform you that the batteries are charged.

2. Tighten all the bolts and screws that are part of the assembled scooter.  I found a few of them loose.

3. Check tension on the chain that drives the rear wheel as it will need to be adjusted after a few rides (unless you tighten the bolt before initial use, which I didn't).  

Future Plans:

1. Looking to add a battery charge indicator that gives me a better idea of where I stand with battery charge.  The current indicator only provides a setting for Max, Mid, and Min without any indication of how much time or charge is truly left.

2. Looking to add some type of device that will indicate the speed at which I am traveling.

How to wire the batteries so that they deliver the 48 volts required:

The batteries will need to be connected in series to get the 48 volts needed.  Connecting batteries in series basically adds the voltage of each battery (4, 12v batteries to equal 48 volts).  I hope the diagram below helps anyone that is not familiar with wiring batteries in series.  In the diagram you can consider the 48V Charge Controller to be the controller wires provided for power of the scooter. 

Thanks for being here and we hope we have helped you decide if the Velocifero Mad 48v 1600W is a NO or GO of your hard earned money.

Remember Life Is Short... Explore. Dream. Discover and Enjoy the Ride!!!

Day 25: Why The Woodlands, Texas is the perfect place for the family, couple, retirement and anybody who loves nature.

Day 25: Why The Woodlands, Texas is the perfect place for the family, couple, retirement and anybody who loves nature.

3 Years ago we are informed that we can pick our new place to call our home. The states to pick from was Kentucky, Missouri, Colorado or Texas. Coming from North Carolina I am skeptical of picking another cold place so I told my husband if he wants a cold place it needs to be Colorado because I want to be close to nature. I told him I really don't want to move to another cold state because I belong to the tropical one lol. After so much debating and pros and cons we decided it is time to check Texas and see if this is the ONE.

We drove from North Carolina and checked different areas out here. With just 3 days to drive around we only get to see a few areas like Pearland, Sugarland, Clear Lake and The Woodlands. I did so much research and told my husband I want to spend the whole day just driving around The Woodlands, Texas (this is after checking out the places I already mention above). I have to say this is the closest place that reminds me of North Carolina. As a matter of fact The Woodlands have more trees than the area we used to live in NC.

The Woodlands Texas have this resort, tourist, nature feeling on it. 

Every day we get to enjoy riding our bikes or just plain walking on The Woodlands Trails and pathways. The trails connects the whole The Woodlands area which is super cool. There are more than 160 miles of pathways and trails that connects The Woodlands villages, school, parks and shopping centers.

Today we rode our bikes for 2 hours, despite the Texas heat it is still very nice to be outside and enjoy. I love seeing the some of the trees changing colors already and some getting ready to be part of the Fall season. 

If you love to play golf, The Woodlands Texas have them too. I think they are one of the Best here in Texas. That is why I think this is a great place to retire. They have so many things to do here. I will have all night writing them.

The Woodlands Texas have parks every where. The kids and adults can definitely enjoy them because they have basketball and tennis court and in some areas they even have beach volley ball areas. I think there are few big parks in every village and there are small ones for the kids in less than 5 minutes drive.

Our Bikes and electric scooter (Velocifero) here gets plenty of usage. If you love kayaking, fishing, boat (most john boats) rowing and paddle boarding - this is definitely a place for you to go. You can rent paddle boats and kayak in 2 areas near The Woodlands Lake. 

We have so many hiking trails out here too and they are worth checking. 

If you love shopping and dining, this place offers plenty of them. The township offers FREE ride on the Trolley or you can just drive or ride the bike. No bike? No problem! They now offer "Mobike Bike Sharing Program" where they let you rent Mobike using your phone and then just drop them of in the designated areas.

If you have kids going to school, I know the school have high rates BUT if I have to compare it to schools up in Raleigh, NC I think some of the schools here are not as great as they claiming when I read the reviews on line before we move here. I am still bummed that science and math (specially STEM/Robotics subjects are not as great as I hope they are (this is just based on my experience from my son). Some school are outdated and I sure wish that they will focus more on making sure the students are getting amazing lessons for subjects that I know is much needed in our times now.

Also, driving here is NUTS! It's been 3 years and I am still adjusting from people in the road. There are so many who text and drive and only few uses turn signals. It is very frustrating at times and you have to always remind yourself that "you will get used to it some how!" I also hate that some school crossings or park crossings some cars don't really yield even though it is a State Law to do so. 

The beach is not as great as the Carolinas but we can drive 2 hours to go to Matagorda Beach or a little further the Mustang Beach and they are a little bit nicer than the Galveston Beach.

Anyway, those are just few of my concerns when we moved here. Other than that, this place is truly one of a kind. Houston is just 30 minutes drive and the other big cities like Austin, San Antonio and Dallas are 2-4 hours drive from here.

Now, The Woodlands Texas is the place we call HOME!

It's almost 10pm and my little ones need to go to bed so this momma needs to stop typing lol.

Thanks for being here.

Remember Life Is Short. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Day 24: Where is The Best Hiking and Camping experience for the whole family... Ours is Yosemite National Park

Day 24: I was asked Where is The Best Hiking and Camping experience for the whole family... And without a doubt Ours is Yosemite National Park. We've been to a few National and State Parks and based from our previous experience - Yosemite National Park Tops it all.

Last year we were debating if we want to go to YellowStone National Park or Yosemite National park, after weighing things out we decided it is worth checking the Yosemite National Park and we did not regret our decision. Today I look back and all I can think of is how amazing that experience was. A week of camping/vanping (You can boondock "boondocking" free camping in National Forest if you decide that staying at the Park is beyond your budget or if the camping sites are full - most are full and only available through reservation.) 

Since our decision is not planned we end up staying/camp outside Yosemite National Park which makes it very special. There is NO shower area there but the VERY cold river next to our camp site is great enough to help us stay clean. I make the kids hot water to use on their shower and that helps tremendously. I think that was the most exciting camp we ever had. Next to a gushing river and we can see deers roaming freely in the camp site. 

We get to enjoy outdoors and the family didn't use any gadget other than taking pictures. The kids didn't even mind not having their normal iPad time and just enjoy being with us and out with the nature. I have to say that was one of the best 1 week vacation we ever had. Simple yet soothing to our soul. We get to meet really nice people in the camp ground and we get to see and be part of the nature.

I honestly think words cannot explain the beauty of this place. There are so many hiking trails (good for beginners and even the pros). I suggest that you bring lots of snacks that is full in protein coz some trails will make you tired and you can easily get lost if you tried the none marked areas (we did this and we got lost but it was a fun experienced.) Luckily i bring plenty of snacks and peanut butter sandwiches. I even get to enjoy banana with peanut butter for the first time.

The El Capitan, Half Dome, HorseTail Fall and the Yosemite Falls are our favorites sites. We are hoping that when we go there next time we will get to hike the "John Muir Trail" (he is one of my favorite person when it comes to traveling and adventure) - so fingers crossed that we will get there soon!

Biggest tip I can give you is bring a great cooler with you if you are planning to stay there for a long time. Buy ice or make sure you have plenty of frozen food that thaw over time and just cook it. It gets expensive buying them in the groceries out there. Also make sure you bring winter clothes and extra blanket if you are planning to camp. Even though it is technically summer - the weather at the mountain gets really cold and it is best to be safe than sorry.

Use Pine cones as your fire starters. It is free and they are every where. Hubby bought a fire starter (expensive at the groceries) and then we see this gentleman next to us using pinecones and he is having fire faster than ours.

I will try to make a specific post that is meant for MUST HAVES for camping and hope that will help not just us but you as well.

Anyway, just reminiscing the amazing time we had at Yosemite National Park. It's been a depressing weekend due to family issues and I need this thought to help me dream again.

Thanks for being here.

Remember Life is Short.... Explore. Dream. Discover.

Day 23: Taking one small task at a time. How minimalistic mind set is helping us focus on what we really NEED vs want.

It's Day 23 and today I am Taking one small task at a time. We have been discussing How minimalistic mind set is helping us focus on what we really NEED vs want.

After so many talks and planning we are still back to not knowing what we wanted when it comes to RV lifestyle so for now I am focusing on cleaning up our house and ditching stuff that we really don't need but we are hanging to.

I decided to start on small task a day, less frustration and less stress on my part. Lately, I am hating making this big list on what I need to accomplish and then something will come up and I can't do even one. It is heart breaking and making me feel so depressed. Taking small steps/task at a time makes me realize and think through in each process.

Today, I got up early and clean up our Fridge. I didn't realize how much junk food we have in there and food that we thought we will eat BUT we DON'T and there they are making our fridge so yucky every time we open them. You won't believe how much I threw. All the money & fridge space that we wasted. Makes me feel sick to my tummy that I let that happen. I told myself and the family that if we are going to live in RV we have to just bring what we NEED there will be no wants other than the adventures that are waiting in our horizon. 

I labeled every container so I don't need to get "interrogated" each time they want something lol and I make sure the food that they always wanted are on top and easy to find. I got my FREE containers at Kroger. They have this perfectly square ones that I can use permanent markers and they stacked really good too. You can always ask the deli/bakery section of your favorite store to give you their unwanted containers and buckets. I got FREE buckets from them too that we used for fishing, storing toys and so much more. They are very helpful when it comes to organizing with little or no money involved just your time to ask those containers and cleaning them up.

Planning to clean the closet today when I get a chance, need to pick up hubby at the airport so that might not happen knowing he was out all week and we are excited to spend time with him. I am hoping to ditch 75% of our stuff and donate the rest.

We don't really need this much "material" stuff and just want to focus on what we need and enjoy life. 

The less clutter out there - the less cleaning and frustration it will be on our part.

I want to teach my kids the importance of being minimalist and just keeping the ones that is NEEDED instead of always wanting something else. 

Being an example is going to be a huge help on making them realize this goal and I am taking one small steps at a time.

Keep following our journey and thank you for being here.

Remember Life is Short. Explore. Dream. Discover.