Converted School Bus with a Salon from @adamjoanieadventures

Today I can’t wait to share with you Joanie and Adam from @adamjoanieadventures. They sold their house and business to hit the road on their self converted school bus, but that’s not all….There’s a SALON on board! Yes, a full working salon. As they travel around you are able to make an appointment to get your hair and makeup done! How cool is that?! Make sure to go to their instagram to see what state they’re in now!

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Have you ever thought that more nice things or a bigger house would make you happy or bring you that peace of mind you have been searching for?? For us it's been just the opposite- selling everything and downsizing to 40 feet has brought us more peace than the last 4 years have. To most people, home is comfortable and safe. But to me, leaving is comfortable and safe. Being I was a farm girl meant work started at age 12 and I have worked ever since. Travel? The states I have been to are counted on one hand really, and that's not good enough. Home is not calling us, the bus/rv life is, the mountains, the sunsets, the open road. Do you ever have that feeling there is something more, something different, something daring? We are less concerned with "feeling secure" as that sometimes means getting stuck. Have you ever wanted to hit the stop button, rewind or fast forward? New start, fresh start, wild adventures just waiting for you? But wait. ...what if? What about? Ya but? We have thought it too. You see we attach ourselves to things and people. We feel we can't survive without them or our things, big or small, it could be your dishes or it could be your home. We have learned something about selling everything that we can attach our identity to our belongings. Our identity is strong without the stuff. We are forced to re-evaluate beliefs, actions, and behaviors. It feels a little scary to be stripped bare of your environment, your business, your stuff and your home? Imagine it. ...we are currently about to live it. To give it all up for a 40 foot home and the hopes of adventure and a new life. The process can be a bit daunting, after all we find security in our stuff, don't we? There’s no one right way to leave everything you know behind and start over new. Have you ever had to start over fresh? Are you about to go through a big life change right now? What questions do you still have about the process? Freedom can be edgy, but hey, those pioneers got in a wagon and road until they settled. We have not found "settled yet" But we will. .............. But along the way we hope to share our marriage ministry and help restore others struggling, share food and fellowship and do some fabulous hair and makeup as we travel.   

            We bought a 1999 school bus and converted it into a tiny home on wheels!  Not only that......it also has a mini salon in the center of the bus!  We have the ability to work on the road through the salon and carry a fully stocked botanical/natural makeup line that we ship all over the country.  I (Joanie) have been a cosmetologist for 17 years and had to take the salon with me!  The whole project started in April when Adam flew from Minnesota to Montana to pick up the bus.  With a few breaks on the project to move and get rid of items, we were able to renovate the entire bus by December.  Leaving the Minnesota winter behind was a dream come true!  But don't be fooled, life on the road without a home base has its own set of challenges.  We expect those challenges and they are just part of this lifestyle.  Cheers to the open road and to this unfolding journey!

We have 3 children-Eden-8 Lincoln-6 Solomon-4

We have been married for 17 years!

WAYS TO GET IN TOUCH:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/adamjoanieadventures/

MAKEUP LINE: https://www.cherrypicksmakeup.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/adamjoanieadventures/

MINISTRY FB: https://www.facebook.com/Haven-House-Ministries-The-Wegmans-1636450519707502/

SALON WEBSITE: https://jamelias.com/

Leap of Faith with @thestreamlinedlife

I’m so excited to share Kate from @thestreamlinedlife on the blog today! I started following her family because of their travels, but quickly fell in love with her motherhood podcasts! My hope is sharing all these amazing families will give you a push to not let go of your dreams & trust the process!

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It took us nearly 4 years to get the courage to hit the road full-time and after 8 months of living tiny, we only wish we had taken the leap sooner. 

In less than a year, we traveled ocean to ocean (driving more than 8,000 miles!), took major leaps of faith, faced our fears, and became closer to our three kids than we could’ve ever imagined. It took saying just one yes to a different path than the typical American lifestyle to flourish and grow in ways we could’ve never dreamed of a year ago. 

Just one year ago we were drowning in old house repairs, busy and over scheduled days, and a lack of purpose. We knew we were capable as a family of creating a meaningful life together, but felt utterly stuck. My husband, Kirk, suggested we sell our house, pack up our belongings and hit the road; an idea I had had years ago, but decided would never happen. 

When we voice our dreams and give them the space to grow, big things happen. We followed through and hit the road in March 2018 with our then 6 year old daughter, our 4 year old daughter, and 10 month old son. 

We started in a 19 foot Scamp 5th wheel (just google it, they’re pretty tiny for a family of 5 and funny looking to boot) and later upgraded to a triple bunk 26’ Lance 2185 travel trailer. For once we had “just enough” and no visible clutter. The mental strain we had been under in our old life eased away, but it also made my anxieties more obvious. 

We had more time, open horizons to chase, and financial freedom. All of this potential was both absolutely freeing and totally overwhelming. You see, when we’re busy with the typical path, the home, the jobs, and all of the activities, it makes it easy to ignore what’s happening in our hearts. Full-time travel made it impossible to ignore the areas of our hearts that had gathered dust over time. 

My anxiety was always fear-related and spontaneous travel definitely triggered all of the “what if’s?” I learned to lean into the fear and accept it, such as the time we drove our truck and trailer on HWY 1 in California, with steep cliffs on my side and no guardrail or the countless times our GPS stopped working and we got lost. I let my children venture farther and farther from me in their outdoor play, trusting them as they also grew into their capable and wise selves. I trusted that God had led us to this path and that fear had caused me to play small my whole life. We wanted bigger for our family than the limitations we had always allowed to hold us in place.

It was a fresh start in every possible way. Kirk and I had nightly talks, envisioning our path together and as a family. We fixed the ways we communicated as a couple and learned to listen better to one another. We took the time to hear our children’s hearts, their fears, and their dreams. Bit by bit, we all began to grow into more resilient and happier individuals. 

As I overcame my fears and leaned into motherhood, I envisioned a community of mamas doing the same. Women choosing a streamlined home and life, whether that’s on the road or in their stationary homes, and finding their value as mothers. I created a podcast called Streamlined Motherhood to share what the road had taught me, and I began working one on one with other women to create their own meaningful lives. Kirk began writing music again and playing shows while we traveled, finding and breathing life into his own calling. The road life became an endless well of creative inspiration for both of us. 

Our gamble, this lifestyle that others see as so different and alternative, paid off. We began marking our days in the experiences we had. Our daughters learned to swim like fish in California, experienced their first waterpark slide in Nebraska, ate clam chowder in Rhode Island, and learned about pioneer life in Nevada. Our youngest learned to walk at an RV park in Northern California, and we celebrated his first birthday at the Pacific Ocean. Most importantly, we created a family culture around being brave, believing that your dreams matter, and that experiences are greater than things. Our children are not the same as that snowy day we left Indiana and neither are we. 

Road travel, for us, was always about more than living tiny and sightseeing in the United States or perfect Instagram shots. We love those parts of full-time travel life, but also craved the personal growth that we anticipated would come with this lifestyle. Road travel has been a way for us to grow into the family we saw ourselves as and become the type of people who are courageous, who take action, who love deeply, see education as a way of life, and who prioritize family and faith above all. It wasn’t easy to transition to this lifestyle, but we don’t ever see ourselves going back to the way we did life before. The road changed us for the better, and for that, we are so incredibly grateful. 

Find us:

The Streamlined Life website: thestreamlinedlife.com/socialmedia

Instagram: instagram.com/thestreamlinedlife

Cohesive Home, Kate's other podcast and community, for families choosing to live simply and by their values

cohesivehome.com

Streamlined Motherhood Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-streamlined-motherhood-podcast/id1436254835?mt=2

Kirk Saffle music on Bandcamp: https://kirksaffle.bandcamp.com/

Kirk Saffle music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5xkg3LShDnqQfWLINNpeM5

Van Life with the Rosenes from @rosenesontheroad

I’m so excited to have the Rosene’s on the blog today! When I stumbled across their IG I knew we had so much in common! Their van is a-m-a-z-i-n-g & we can’t wait to cross paths one day on the road! Be sure to check out their amazing videos on youtube!

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Hi there, We are the Rosene Family- Travis, Lexi, Finley (4.5), and Zealand (1.5).  We are a young, not so average family, who are choosing to do life a little different than most people our age. 

In the last 12 months we have radically changed our lifestyle and have documented the process in hopes that we never forget this transformative time in our life. We also hope to inspire parents to keep traveling, adventuring and exploring after they have children, if anything it's a greater reason to! In the past year we have left our home in Northern California, sold (almost) everything we own, self converted a Sprinter Van into our home on wheels, with plans to live and travel in it full time by Spring 2019. WHEW. Talk about change! I'm excited to share with you a little about our family, get a peek into our life, why we chose Van Life, the hard things and perks of van life, and how our kiddos do living this lifestyle. I'm no expert at this, as we're just getting started in this journey. We're pretty much just making it up as we go and we've never been happier! 

A little about us: 
Travis, my incredible husband of 6.5 years, boyfriend since I was 15 (actual babies in braces together) takes most of the photos you see, has many outdoor hobbies he's really good at- surfing, climbing, free diving, and spear fishing. He can play a few instruments, and is the nicest most honest person you'd ever meet. His work is in Marketing and Photography/videography. He is a really good cook, the best hands-on dad to our babies, and leads our family so well. In the beginning of our dating relationship when we were kids, he endured a very tragic time with my family and actually dropped out of high school with me and went to independent studies to help care for my little sister full time who suffered from a massive brain aneurysm. I knew i would marry him one day, even though i was 17. When my sister was starting to get well, we moved to the beach and became beach bums living in a tiny apartment, when most of our friends were just graduating high school. We got jobs, started businesses,  traveled to a few countries, learned a lot about life, married at 21 on his parents property, and had our first baby girl a few years later!

I (Lexi) love my little family hard. They're my pride and joy! I enjoy cooking, being creative with my hands, hiking, seeing new places and making new mama friends. I drink too much coffee and not enough water, I live for Hygge, I homeschool Finley. I help where I can for our Marketing business after the kids go to sleep! And I spend too much time on Pinterest designing our future tiny home and putting outfits together that i'll probably never wear. I let my kids watch Netflix, i feed them mac n cheese two nights in a row, and give them lollipops for 10 minutes of peace and quiet. Told you you'd get a peek into our life! One thing we told ourselves while documenting our Van travels is we will not glamorize Van Life, or traveling with kids. It is hard, it is messy and a lot of times frustrating. But is it worth it? Absolutely, yes! 

Meet Finley: She goes by Fin, Skippy, FJ, Louie- She is a ballerina and aspiring gymnast, she is really brave and kind, and is probably one of the silliest coolest 4 year old little chicks you'll ever meet. Her favorite color is pink, she enjoys riding her scooter fast, skateboarding, surfing on her dad's back, crafting and helping in the kitchen. Last but definitely not least Zealand, or... Z, brother, Z boy, tunny. He is the sweetest, yummiest, most cuddly 18 month old you will ever meet. He's always happy, always hungry, and is starting to talk a lot. Our family is obsessed with him and his little quirks. He likes to skateboard and ride his sisters scooter. He is a daredevil but can also sit and color for an hour by himself. He is pretty amazing and growing too fast!

Why we chose Van life. I recently wrote a blog post on this exact topic, you can read it here (https://rosenesontheroad.com/2018/07/21/vanlife-the-reason-why/). To sum it up, While living in Northern California we ran a very successful business. Travis worked 10-13 hour days, 6 sometimes 7 days a week. We had a beautiful home on property in El Dorado Hills, grew our family, life was good but it felt… stale. We were realizing that although Travis is so talented in what he did, it was not adding value to him or our family. Real heart value, not the dollar amount. The time we were apart, the holidays and birthdays missed, leaving when it’s dark and getting home past bedtime, it took a toll on all of us. After many life and business circumstances, that chapter came to an end. We could feel a huge shift coming in our life, but we never expected it to be this.

We always knew we wanted to live tiny (our first home was a studio on 5 acres), even before it was a movement. Never did i think prior to owning a van that we would be planning to live in one full time. A few weeks after our son, Zealand was born, Travis brought home our 2017 Mercedes Sprinter 3500 for business use, it ended up being the only thing we kept from our business. After discussions of self converting it for fun and long weekend trips, we quickly realized that there’s this awesome community in van life and it’s actually a thing. We wanted that lifestyle and all that it included. After we made the decision, things moved quickly. We moved out of our home in NorCal, started selling our stuff. We packed what was left of our things into a small storage unit in Southern California to temporarily live with family while we built our van. It took us 8 months to complete! We're still staying with family and for now take long weekend trips since Travis works an office job 2-3 days a week. We are hustling to be able to work from the road. One thing we've realized about our family is we get uncomfortable and crabby when we’re stationary for too long, so the anticipation to GO is rising!

The real meaning behind all of this is, We want to be Intentional with our lives and babies and the short time they are with us. We want to show them the world and see things through their eyes. We want to simplify our life and live minimally. We want to focus on what’s important to us and that is God, our marriage, our children, family + friends. Time is fleeting and this season of life of our children being this small will go by fast, so we want to spend it together, to set the tone for the rest of their life. We want to instill a love for nature, adventuring and family into them. We want to explore and see new places. We want to be in charge of our children’s education and educate them through experiences. We want to live life by our own terms. We want to see more sunrises and sunsets together. We want to experience the challenges we know we will face living in a van and tackle them together. We want to get out of our comfort zone and be stretched in new ways for our faith to be increased. We want to pay off debt, and grow our savings. We want to see our homeland as well as travel internationally. We want to grow our community. We want to encourage parents to continue adventuring through life, that it’s possible to do with children in tow.

 The last 8 months, during  the build of our van, we would take 3 day, 5 day, even 10 day trips in our unfinished van. Now that it is (finally) complete -sort of, we're always changing things- i'd say the BIGGEST PERK of Van Life, among many, is no matter where we go we always have the comfort of home with us. We always have snacks and a dry bathing suit or extra blankets, a bathroom, our bed. It's convenient in the fact that we have everything we need to do whatever we want. We save money because instead of going out to eat, we have a full functional kitchen with a stocked pantry. We can visit new beautiful places without having to pay for a hotel. It's freeing!

When doing something different, there's always drawbacks, which is why this lifestyle is not for everyone. Some of the things that i would see people not enjoying in Van Life is the extra effort it takes to do little tasks. For example, my husband and i really wanted our layout to have a walk way all the way through our van to the back doors. Since we went with this layout, in order for us to put our bed up at night, we have to be done with the kitchen and everything washed and put away, otherwise we'd pretty much be sleeping with our dirty dishes. We're somewhat clean freaks so we keep our van orderly, if we didn't things get messy QUICK, because it is such a small space. But, the perk of that is it cleans up quickly too! The same goes for our kids bed. Their bed triples as our dining table, work/homeschool table, and couch! We have a good system or flow that works for us but it definitely takes a tonnn of patience, especially when you have two overtired kids who are late to bed. We have our kids on a schedule and they're pretty much like clockwork so we eat early, have beds up early and they go to bed around 7/7:30. Another thing about living in 86 sq ft that most people wouldn't be used to is the obvious limited amount of space that makes you have to really communicate with everyone. There is not much personal space so it's important for us to communicate if we're feeling like we need a minute to ourselves, talking about our feelings, etc. We don't spend a ton of time just sitting in our van, we spend 90% of our time outside. Keep in mind home base for us is in Southern California where there's hardly 2 seasons. Next year i'm sure we'll learn a lot when we make our way to colder climates. 

People are curious how Finley and Zealand have adapted as kids to this nomadic lifestyle. They would be the first to tell you that this new family adventure is so fun! They have mom and dad together everyday, happy and in love, they make new friends everywhere they go, they're seeing new beautiful places, they're trying and learning so many new things,  they're collecting stickers in every National Park they visit. Really though, they're kids and they adapt so easily as long as they feel loved, safe and secure. I promise our kids are thriving, if we felt different we wouldn't continue this journey. That is what's so  great about this is we can do whatever we feel is best for our family and change course whenever we want!  
One of the reasons we love social media is finding and connecting with other like-minded people. The #vanlife #rvlife and #tinyhome community is made up of some amazing people. We have made quite a few new friends on a silly app and can't wait to connect with new friends on the road! When we were in the very beginning stages of building our van we got so much inspiration from different people on social media. We asked a lot of them for advice and honest curious questions. We get so excited when someone messages us now asking questions because, we were just on their side! We love connecting with new friends! With all that said, Come say hi to us, let's be friends!

website: 

www.rosenesontheroad.com

IG:

 https://www.instagram.com/rosenesontheroad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCObjsVPggZPSPzR6unW_aqQ/featured?view_as=subscriber

Stationary life in Nashville with @fifth_wheel_living

I’m excited to share my friend Kirsten from @fifthwheelliving - I love how they designed their RV and took a leap of faith to this chapter of their life.

My name is Kirsten, and I am the person behind @fifth_wheel_living and this is my story. 

My husband is a very talented musician, and although he was very successful with pop music from Delaware, he wanted to break into country music. It was a random night In August 2017, a day without even talking about it to each other , we both got the feeling that we should move to Nashville. Devin immediately called me and asked what I thought, I told him YES, LETS DO IT! Right away we started planning, that planning shut our hopes down quickly when we saw how high the cost of living was! Apartments alone were around $1,300-$2,000 monthly for just RENT! So we started to look into buying a house, well I have never been to Nashville and my husband had only been a hand full of times. It just wasn’t a smart idea to buy right away and set ourselves up for debt. After that we kinda just said “oh well...”. I thought that’s what we did, but one night I was at work my husband Devin was doing some digging on the internet. He found a man living in a van and that led him to find 188sqft account. A couple who travels and lives in a fifth wheel! Devin asked me if we could do that and just be stationary in Nashville, obviously I was all for it. Fast forward to October 2017 we purchased our 2008 Keystone Montana. Luckily we had a friend who had all the tools and knew what he was doing.  Devin was touring and I was working full time night shift. We worked night and day, anytime we could to get things done in our soon to be home. January 1, 2018 we were pulling away from our old home and on our way to Nashville! We did it! Fast forward to now, it’s been almost 1 year guys since we went tiny. We love Nashville, so much music, entertainment and fun! Being stationary has been a major plus, we get all of the pros of Nashville without all the cons! Cost of living is low for us, we are saving money, and my husband is living his dream. Going tiny has changed our life. It was suppose to be a 1 year thing until we found our forever home, but right now we aren’t planning on leaving this lifestyle anytime soon. When we are ready to buy a house, we will have our fifth wheel to sell and use as a down payment. How exciting is that?! We are a tiny living, debt free life style, planning for the future couple. I hope our story inspires you to follow your dreams, no matter how crazy it may seem. Going from 1600sqft to barley over 160sqft we have adjusted very well. One of our biggest concerns were our dogs adjusting. Bonnie, phoebe and Daisy. Yes we have three sisters. Many people asked if we would get rid of them, heck no. Our dogs are a small breed and they run around our tiny home like they own the place. Even though they don’t have a fenced in area to run around in, they still get their energy out in long walks and playing inside. They have adjusted very well, I honestly think they like it better, because we are all always close to them all the time. 

If you want to follow and learn more about our journey, these are our accounts. 

@fifth_wheel_living 

@dev_trout 

Traveling out of the Country with Dogs by @cedar.stream

I’m so excited to have Nathalie, Louis, & Parker from @cedar.stream on the blog today! They travel full-time in their 1969 Airstream Globetrotter. The pictures from all their travels are breathtaking! I know you’ll love them just as much as we do! Today Nathalie is going to share all about their experience crossing the Canadian border with their pup Parker.

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The first time I saw photos of the Canadian Rockies, specifically Banff National Park, I knew I needed to go. The mountains have always spoken to me and these particular ones looked phenomenal.

When we started making travel plans for summer 2018, some friends reached out wanting to meet up in Montana. This meant we would be a matter of minutes from the Canadian border. This was our chance to go north and explore those beautiful places we’d seen in photos.

But what about our sweet pup, Parker? I knew we couldn’t leave her behind.

I quickly started researching what it would take to bring a dog across the Canadian border. After reading a handful of web pages, we were excited to find we could bring Parker across and that she would be able to explore with us!

Here is a list of the top 3 things you should know when traveling across the Canadian Border with your pet:

1-Your pet needs to be vaccinated against rabies. The little tag on your pet’s collar doesn’t count, you’ll need the actual paper your veterinarian gave you the day of the shot. The paper will list: your pet’s name, breed, color, weight, and age; your vet’s contact information and license number; and lastly, the serial number for the vaccination and where it was manufactured. If you don’t have this paper call your vet and have them send you a copy before you reach the border. Pet vaccinations are required in both Canada and the US. You never know when you’ll be asked to show proof so be prepared by keeping a copy with you at all times.

2-Open bags of pet food can’t be brought across the Canadian border. Know how much your pet needs for the duration of the visit and bring a new, sealed bag that is no larger than 40 lbs. The US is a little more relaxed in regards to pet food so if you purchased the food in the US, you should be good to bring the rest back with you.

3-Research where you can or cannot bring your pet. Dogs are allowed on most trails in the Canadian National Parks. Make sure your pet stays on leash at all times. Leash laws are for the safety of your pet, wild life, and the beautiful land you’re exploring.

Now that you know the basics, I’ll tell you a little about our experience.

When we got to Montana I pulled out our folder of Parker’s paperwork. After flipping through it we noticed we had a paper saying which vaccines she had done, but it wasn’t “the rabies paper” we needed… crap.

The stress about whether our Canada trip would happen or not kicked in. I called our veterinarian first thing the next morning (just two days before we were supposed to cross the border) and was able to get a copy emailed to us within an hour. We were lucky to get a copy so quickly, however, I would not recommend putting it off until the last minute!

We were now fully prepared to cross the border. We knew all the rules and had a plan, yet I still felt so nervous! When we got to the Canadian border we rolled down our windows, even the back ones, so Parker could say hello. We had nothing to hide. We handed over our passports, had Parker’s rabies vaccination record in hand, and waited for the officer to ask questions. I don’t know why I was so anxious about crossing! It was so quick and easy.

We got into Canada, no problem. It was time to explore all the incredible lakes and mountains our hearts desired via kayak, hiking, hammock, and more, all with our little adventure pup by our side. We visited Banff, Jasper, and Yoho National Parks. They were all amazing and unique in their own ways. We met people from all over, who shared similar experiences of ease, bringing their furry friends on their travels.

If you are considering bringing your pet to Canada, don’t let crossing the border scare you. We experienced things seamlessly going both in and out. Parker enjoyed all the new places we went and we could sleep easily knowing she was by our side.

A little about @cedar.streams

We are Nathalie and Louis. We have been traveling full time in our self renovated, off-grid Airstream for a year and a half. Louis does carpentry work on the road, while Nathalie takes care of planning and documenting this big journey we call life. We boondocks everywhere we go to give ourselves, and our very adventurous dog, Parker, a chance to explore unique places and fully submerge ourselves in the outdoors.

To find Nathalie & Louis’ IG click HERE

For more cuteness from Parker search #Parkertheadventurepup on IG

The Pop Up Bed & Breakfast by @us3andtherv

I’m so excited to share with you Kelly & Andy from @us3andtherv. I love following along their travels and i’m in LOVE with their latest business venture, @thepopupbnb! I think you’ll love it just as much as we do. I mean who wouldn’t want to stay in this cute tent & have top notch service?!

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So the idea to start a full-service, glamping tent rental really came to us the same way the idea to live full-time, on the road in an RV did, out of pure necessity.  With the motorhome, we had hit a fork in the road as far as our careers and housing. At the time we were in a short-term rental that had run out and on the exact same day in which we were suppose to vacate the apartment or sign a new lease I found out I was being let go from my job.  Also happening at this time was the passing of my grandfather, who was the original owner of our RV, who we affectionately call “Homie”.  With no careers holding us back, no mortgage or lease keeping us stationary and the RV suddenly becoming available for purchase the signs all pointed to this solution.  Moving into the motorhome just seemed like the most logical solution and since we had just been married (and had not booked a honeymoon yet) we decided this would be the perfect time to do it!  So, without hesitation we sold our belongings and jumped into this full-time RV life head first.

We had been living in the motorhome for just over 1 year when the idea to start a glamping business came to us.  We had hosted a whole slew of friends and families coming to visit us on our travels and it didn’t take long to realize fitting extra bodies in a 33ft motorhome would be quite a struggle.  Our Homie girl is spacious but her limits have definitely been tested with our large gatherings, so we wanted to figure out something that would act as an extension of the motorhome.  Something that would solve our problem of not being able to comfortably host our visitors while also solving a completely separate problem of needing to generate income while traveling.  To be honest our first thought was a mobile vintage trailer that we could possibly tow behind the RV, but that just seemed like a lot more work than we were wanting to put into this idea.  It wasn’t until we were on a camping trip with some friends in Zion that we got our first glimpse of a CanvasCamp Bell Tent.  Our friends had one and we watched them set it up with ease and instantly knew, this would be the best solution to meet all of our needs.

Just like Homie, we purchased our 13.5 ft, all season, CanvasCamp Glamping tent to solve the issue of housing out of town friends and family but we also saw a potential income opportunity.  Insert ‘The Pop-Up BnB’, a full-service luxury camping experience.  Our love for camping in exotic places combined with the thrill of searching for those perfectly secluded sites really made us wish we had other people there to share it with.  We have stayed in some magnificently, breathtaking locations and we wanted to share that same magical feeling with other people.  Sometimes our guests have their own spots picked out that they would like their camp setup at and other times our guests solely rely on us to find them a spot that meets their needs.  No matter where the location they can ensure a care free, over the top, luxurious stay.  Our guests have hot meals delivered to their tent site, plush bedding, heaters and fans for temperature control and a plethora of add-on items to choose from, such as our “outdoor movie-night package”.  We want our guests to show up and relax, never having to lift a finger. So we do everything in our power to make that happen and so far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.  

Although this success has been wonderful and we feel extremely blessed, we still have a whole slew of hardships to tackle with this tent business.  Growing pains at any new startup are common and we are no different.  One of the biggest issues we have to continually tackle is the need for a large, open (and ideally flat) clearing to fit our tents 20 ft diameter.  Nature is not always so friendly in providing us with a perfect area, so we work with what is there and are continually coming up with ways to improve this issue.  Another battle to tackle in trying to run a glamorous camping experience in nature is dealing with the elements.  We don’t always have the best weather, so if it means setting the tent up in pouring rain, we do it.  We do our best to relay to our guests that this is a true camping experience and as such they could incur inclement weather in which they would be stuck inside the tent rather than exploring the area, like they had intended.  So far, our wonderful guests have rolled with every element and made the best out of the situation.  Which totally speaks to their rad personalities, but then again, if you book an overnight stay at a mobile tent in the middle of a secluded forest then you have to be pretty rad in the first place.  We have hosted bachelorette parties, romantic getaways, kids’ birthday parties and single travelers just looking for a “once in a lifetime” experience.  We hope to grow our business in 2019, though we are not entirely sure of what that looks like right now. I’m confident it will be unique and totally off beat, so stay tuned!

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HOW TO BOOK THE POP-UP: CLICK HERE

FOLLOW THE POP-UP BNB: CLICK HERE

FOLLOW KELLY & ANDYS TRAVEL/RV LIFE: CLICK HERE

Healthy Road Snacks by @mollyandjonathan

I’m so happy to have Molly + Jonathan on the blog today from @mollyandjonathan. On road trips I struggle with reaching for the healthy gas station snacks + instead grab the less healthy. Today they will share a range of healthy snacks they eat while traveling! Hope you enjoy + make sure to head over to their IG account. They will also be launching their website soon!

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When most people hear Road Trip, they think chips, candy, soda, fast food and trash everywhere. Well, now that our life is one giant road trip, that kind of food won’t really work for our budget or our bellies. Sometimes, it’s not just a few hours traveling, it’s all day! So road trips now have to encompass a wide range of meals and snacks.

We have had to get pretty creative since we tend to eat when we’re bored. Not that we don’t love each other’s company confined in a small space for eight hours at a time, but food can really break up a drive. So the trick is, over pack the snacks! We find ourselves reaching for food about every hour, despite how hungry we actually are. The more variety and options we’ve packed, the less likely we are to buy a candy bar at the next gas station.  

Some of our favorite snacks include:

• Fruit - Our go-to’s are apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, cut cantaloupe

• Cut Vegetables - Our favorites for the road are cucumber, carrot, peppers

• Avocado - We cut ours in half, add a little salt and put it back together before we hit the road, bring a spoon to eat this one!

• Dried Fruit - We love dried pineapple and mango

• Nuts - All of them!

• Trail Mix  - See, we’re not monsters, we included chocolate!

• Granola Bars - Bring a variety of flavors

• Kettle Chips - A little indulgence is okay

• Rice Cakes w/ Almond Butter - Bring a bag of rice cakes, a jar of almond butter and a knife

• Seaweed Snacks - These snacks are awesome for flavor, we love the wasabi kind

• Rice Bowls - Just throw some rice, veggies, and sauce in a jar, don’t forget your spoon!

• Leftovers from dinner - if it doesn’t need a knife, bring it!

We are not exaggerating when we say we will bring EVERYTHING listed above for a full day drive. We mean ALL the different kinds of fruits, vegetables, nuts, granola bars… yeah, everything. We go through a multitude of cravings - sometimes we want something sweet, salty, crunchy, filling - and if we don’t have it on hand, boredom will drive us to buy it!

We also try our best to be mindful about the waste consumption, so we attempt to buy as limited packaging and plastic as possible. We don’t use plastic bags to hold fruit and veggies at the grocery store, we buy our dried fruits and nuts in bulk, and we make our own trail mix. In the car, we use a cooler and store items in glass jars, stasher bags, cotton bulk bags, thermoses, and canvas lunch bags to keep things fresh. We don’t use paper towels or napkins, so we bring a few of our rags to keep us neat and presentable. Don’t forget to bring cutlery and be aware - the person riding shotgun may have to feed the driver!

We are Molly and Jonathan, our health and happiness is living tiny, eating good food, practicing mindfulness, having adventures and chasing joy! Molly is an online professor, website consultant and yoga teacher. Jonathan is a chef, park ranger, and teacher. We travel the country in our 19’ travel trailer with our two dogs! Follow us at @mollyandjonathan and soon check our website iconoclasticwellness.com for tiny living adventures, recipes, zero waste tips, and yoga flows and meditations.

Molly + Jonathan’s IG: HERE

Molly’s IG: HERE

Website: COMING SOON

Road School by @weelittlenomads

I’m so excited to share Mary from @weelittlenomads today. She was one of the very first accounts I started following when we were looking into Airstreams. I love following their family travels & hope to pass them on the road one day! They are in mid-renovation of a new trailer so make sure to go see their progress! - Colleen

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Making the decision to educate your children at home is momentous. It not only dictates the learning environment for your kids and their childhood experiences, but also your parenting schedule and strategy.

Now that we have this big ole ice cream Sunday in front of us called HOMESCHOOL- let’s just put a cherry on top by putting that school in motion on wheels and calling it ROADSCHOOL.

There are so many similarities between the two and many times they go hand-in-hand with curriculums and schedules, but there are also many differences. The most notable one is the lack of a permanent home-base. This creates challenges such as - library cards, sport leagues, subscription mail kits, and inability to form weekly learning groups or join co-op schools.

Instead of focusing on the closed windows, let’s focus on the doors that open for a child and parent that school on the road. 

1. Ability to travel to various points of interest and not only teaching something, but experiencing it. Lessons about different climates and land formations are more exciting when we can explore deserts, volcanos, and coastal regions. We can touch sea stars in tidal pools on the rocky Pacific Coast, and walk along the harsh terrain of the Arizona desert. We can color pictures of peninsulas and plateaus and then see the landscape with our own eyes - bringing geography and geology to life in unforgettable ways.

2. Nature at our doorstep, an ever-changing backyard. One day we are picking poppies and identifying the California wildflowers, and the next we are in the Pacific Northwest touching moss and fungi species on the rainforest floor. Nature studies is a very prominent part of our schooling journey because we are constantly outside exploring our new surroundings. National and State Parks are great roadschooling resources - with junior ranger programs making it fun and accessible for kids to learn about the wildlife in that area.

3. Cultural and Social skills flourish. I know what you are all thinking - but what about socialization?!? Won’t you raise an unsocialized weirdo living this way?! All I know is that my children are incredibly social and make friends everywhere we travel - they have learned how to communicate and create relationships that are respectful and culturally sensitive. If they do not enjoy the company of another child, they can walk away - they do not learn the ill behaviors of classmates - instead they form friendships at playgrounds, museums, and with fellow traveling families. They have strong bonds with their siblings and love to meet peers along the way.

4. Technology has come a long way. Online resources are available to fill in some of the gaps. We can do online art classes, music classes, math classes - you name it! We can download any book with a library card from our home state. Online subscriptions are available for National Geographic Kids Magazine or documentary series. The possibilities are endless! 

In fact, we created an online subscription for a human anatomy and physiology homeschool curriculum to fill in a science gap. My husband and I are both medical - he is an ICU nurse and I am a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. We wanted to create a simple lesson plan for families to learn about health and wellness. Each month introduces a new bodily system with a correlating disease or disorder; for instance, respiratory system and asthma lesson is month 1. It can easily be applied to homeschool and roadschool families alike because it is conveniently sent to your email at the start of each month with the downloadable PDFs and linked resources.

To learn more visit https://www.littlenomads.net/wee-little-learners/

I have learned so much from teaching my children on the road. It takes patience and perseverance and a large dose of flexibility. Here are my main takeaways from this type of education:

Let the travels be your guide to teaching - base your lessons on your surroundings. 

Don’t get weighed down by materials. School supplies are wonderful, but most of the time less is more.

Experience trumps worksheets. If you have to choose between your child sitting in a chair and writing 100 multiplication problems versus creating tiny boats to float down the nearby creek - always pick the latter. Kids learn through play! 

Mother Earth is the greatest teacher, let her do most of the work.

Most everything worth teaching is done outside of a desk. 

Visit us @weelittlenomads on instagram to follow our roadschool journey! 

Vist our website https://www.littlenomads.net

Journey to Jackson Hole | @honeysucklesweetlife

I’m so excited to share Tristen and her family with you! She is sharing her journey to Jackson Hole and some amazing photos! If you aren’t already following her on Instagram you need to, her pictures are always breathtaking. Make sure to check out her blog for yummy recipes, all about wellness, and adventure! @honeysucklesweetlife

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Our Journey to Jackson Hole

My husband and I were both raised in Southern California and our boys were both born there so our move to Jackson Hole, Wyoming this summer was a pretty big step for us. 

Our journey started 8 years ago when we went on a camping trip with my husband Darren’s family to Lake Arrowhead, Ca. We were tent camping with a three year old and a one year old and lets not forget the pack n play. We did this two years in a row. This situation was not ideal for me, however, this is when we realized how much we enjoyed the outdoor life and time out of the city. We had some good friends that had an RV and camped in comfort as I call it. I started looking into travel trailers since we had the car to pull one. I knew the layout I wanted after researching and I had a tight budget. I found a great used trailer that I updated a bit and we set out on our first big adventure to Yosemite with two other families. We had never owned a trailer and yet there we were dry camping in Yosemite for eight days! We had an amazing trip hiking, fishing, campfires and my oldest learned how to ride a bike there. And so began our RV adventure travel. 

Over the next couple of years we explored Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Redwoods and most of the California Coast from San Diego to Big Sur. We found ourselves trying to spend as much time as possible out of the city. Our life really changed when I planned a trip to Yellowstone and Jackson during the summer of 2015. We drove to West Yellowstone explored the park for a couple days then drove down to Jackson Hole. As we were driving into town all four of us had this overwhelming feeling we were going to love it. We stayed outside of town at a little ranch called Rockin M Ranch. I had researched all of things we should not miss while and Jackson and we packed it in! The Tetons, Rodeo, Persephone Bakery, hiking, floating on the Snake River, Horseback riding you name it we did it! 

Something changed when we got home from that trip and we started talking about moving from California. We looked at Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming. My husband just could not get the Tetons out of his system. We decided to head back to Jackson for Thanksgiving Break that same year. It was the coldest trip I have ever taken. We arrived to negative 9 temps and so much snow. It was 75 when we left So Cal. After that week I was not sure I was feeling Jackson anymore other than for vacation. By the following spring Darren was still all things Jackson Hole. He would wake up and have his coffee to the webcam in Jackson and he had subscribed to all of the online platforms. He was checked out of Southern California. We had taken Colorado and Oregon off of our list at this point so it was down to Jackson and Boise. I felt like I needed to spend more time in Jackson other than just a week here and there to really see if I could live here. That is when I had the idea to spend the summer in Jackson in the trailer. Darren thought I was nuts at first but quickly jumped on board. He works from home so we found a co op office space in the square where he could work, we sold our 24 foot trailer and upgraded to our brand new 32 foot trailer with slide out, found a house sitter for our home in California and hit the road. 

We parked the trailer at the Fireside RV resort for the next eight weeks. In the morning the boys and I would drop Darren off in the square to work and we would go play. We would go to the parks in town, ride bikes, and skip rocks. At the end of the day we pick up Darren and grab a pizza or pack a picnic and head into Grand Teton national park for the evening since it does not get dark until 10 pm! I spent the summer watching my boys just be boys and have a freedom they did not have at home. I was sold. I toured schools and made plans. One of the hardest things we had to do that summer was go home. None of us wanted to leave. As we drove into LA my oldest said “ mom look at all of the pollution”! It was crazy after spending so much time in the most beautiful place just how changed we were. 

Our plan was to move to Jackson the next summer however that was not the same plan the universe had. Corporate America and mergers and acquisitions derailed us for a year. We spent one more year in California than we had planned while we rebuilt and recovered. Early this year we started working with an agent who would FaceTime us houses to rent and on June 28th this past summer we set off for our new life in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We moved into our home July 1st. This was three years in the making. 

We have learned that the life you want is worth fighting for and maybe it won’t come easy. We have learned that as long as the four of us are together we are ok. Even though this is the life we craved is it perfect? 

 For me this journey has been bitter sweet. Yes, I wanted this move but change is hard. Leaving my mom in California and all of my friends has been incredibly hard. I was the President of the parent association, Team mom for sports and very social. I am starting over at 44. The boys wanted this move and they love Jackson but there are so many adjustments in a new school and a new place. We are all finding our way and growing so much. I have discovered a passion for photography and I am more at piece then I may have ever been. We live in the moment rather than never having a moment. We are looking forward to ski and snowboard season and I am going to try to embrace all things winter! We have spring and summer trips planned in the trailer to Moab, Arches, Canyon Lands, Glacier, Banff, Olympic and the Oregon coast. And lets not forget a California Christmas to see family and friends and defrost! 

When Colleen asked me to write this article I thought it was important and might help someone else with their journey. Never give up on your goals and dreams!! 

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Ways to find Tristen..

IG: @honeysucklesweetlife

Blog: https://honeysuckle.me

Reflections on Minimalism by Christine A. Platt | @afrominimalist

I’m so excited to share with you this week, Christine Platt from @afrominimalist. She’s a mom, author, & on her journey of minimalism. I can’t wait for you to hear about her approach to minimalism.

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There was time when I would have never associated myself with the word “minimalist”. I was more of a maximalist. A woman who prided herself on finding the best deals and discounts. A woman who treated Black Friday as if it were a national holiday or popular sport.

I spent money aimless because “I worked hard for it” and “I deserved to enjoy the fruits of my labor”. I didn’t realize what I was doing—that I was buying things to fill voids I didn’t even know I had.

When I reflect on those years of my aggressive spending, I can easily see the areas in my life where I was unhappy. I was an emotional spender who ran to the nearest Target or HomeGoods when I needed a fix. And I never truly felt bad about my purchases because I always scored a deal. It’s why one of my favorite mottos these days is: “It’s not a deal if you don’t need it.”

A motto that’s hard to practice unless I am being intentional. 

We live in a society of consumerism, where things we need (or simply want) are available at the click of a button. It so easy to get emotional fixes! But it’s important to remember that such fixes are only temporary. That’s what happened to me. I woke up one day in an immaculately furnished home, closets full of designer clothes—and I was still unhappy.

It took me approximately two years to find my minimalist happy zone. My wardrobe consists of only clothes, shoes and accessories that I wear regularly. I love bright colors and bold prints, so my home is far the aesthetic of monochromatic minimalism. But I’ve learned to surround myself with only the things that my family needs and loves.

Our home is smaller (630 square feet.) Many of our neighboring communities boast properties of 4000+ square feet—space that I now feel is too much for our little family. But it wasn’t that long ago that I toured some of those very homes, daydreaming and imagining the joy of decorating each room and filling each closet.

I share my minimalist journey online as The Afro Minimalist because I remember searching “minimalist homes” when I started my journey. I was so discouraged to find more information about the aesthetic of minimalism than the practice. Minimalism will look different for everyone because we all have different needs, wants and desires. And I feel it is the practice of minimalism that is most important—living intentionally and on your own terms.

Changing my lifestyle has afforded me the opportunity to do what I love regardless of the pay. I have time and energy to clean my home. And I love that the tight living quarters forces our family closer. There’s not much room for anger and resentment in a small space—you get to the root of the issues and fix them quick, fast, and in a hurry!

 I’m a minimalist and living the life I’ve always imagined. And for me, therein lies true happiness.

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More about Christine Platt, she is the author of the award-winning novel, The Truth About Awiti, and the poetry collection, Dear Ancestors. When she isn’t writing stories about the African diaspora, Christine serves as the Managing Director of The Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University. She is currently curating a 635 sq ft living space in Washington, DC. 

Click HERE to check out her IG

Click HERE to check out her website