KIDS ROOM IDEAS?! — Build a Bunk or Canopy Sleigh Bed in Your Little Camper’s Room! Here’s how we built a custom sleigh canopy bed for our daughter, with a hidden stow away up to…
Source: DIY Canopy Bunk Sleigh Bed in RV
DIY Canopy Bunk Sleigh Bed in RV
Building a Cottage Sleigh Bed in RV Camper or Tiny Home — Our DIY Story in Before & After photos.
KIDS ROOM IDEAS?! — Build a Bunk or Canopy Sleigh Bed in Your Little Camper’s Room! Here’s how we built a custom sleigh canopy bed for our daughter, with a hidden stow away up top for her toys and dolls. She’s even able to crawl up there and play; though the head room is lacking because we had to build her bed up high to house the electric water heater.
Inspired by the charmingly wonderful book Mouse Mansion, I designed the bed with some changes and flourishes, and my husband Nico built it. This is PART I of the remodeling and construction process. I will share PART II, as soon as all the details have been put in place.
I hope this inspires you to build big and beautiful in your tiny home — or RV camper — space. We are so happy with the results! And…
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Halloween Haunting & Baby’s First
The world was brand new for our little girl, her first Halloween in Fort Worth when she was only a month old. We were still a part of the rat race, making the best of it in our little rock house o…
Family Adventures
Banana Bend on the San Jacinto River —
It had been 30 years since he’d last seen the place, but my husband Nico insisted on taking Baby and I on a family adventure to see Banana Bend on the San Jacinto River. I was a bit skeptical; picturing a run down, or shut down, remnant of what once had been a fun party place on the bend of the river. Boy…! Was I ever surprised! –In a very good way.
I had already found myself quite charmed by the tiny ferry boat that had carried our crew of three across the ship channel, quite a ways inland and up the waterway from Galveston Island. Able to carry not even 20 cars at a time, The Lynchburg Ferry was like stepping back in time, in a way. Unlike the Bolivar Ferry — which we’ve ridden often — The Lynchburg Ferry looked a bit unstable at times, and traveled much slower than its much larger neighboring ferry (Bolivar Ferry).
So I snapped one-after-another photos of our crossing, and we were on our way…yet-again, down the road, searching for that place Nico had left in his past…until this day. Bumping down the two lane road in our old VW Camper Bus, we stayed on the look-out for a sign…any sign, to let us know we’re heading in the right direction. Then…we spotted it! — Banana Bend…Just Ahead. The sign said, in a nutshell; though Nico was going too fast for me to read the small print.
A few miles down the road, we came to an overpass that Nico didn’t remember ever seeing decades ago when he last visited Banana Bend. So…we turned around and went back to the sign he’d sped past in such a hurry at last pass. Sure enough, in small print, it had listed the street where we should have turned before.
Making our turn onto a much smaller road — a Farm to Market road — we continued on our adventure, searching…searching. Then…there we were: facing two yellow kayaks planted vertically in the ground, reaching up into the sky, with a sign in the middle telling us we had arrived.
A nice little man was working the entrance gate, and let us in to look around since they were soon to close down for the day. I felt like we had entered an island hide-away…on the river! Palm trees everywhere, along with tiki palapas style cabanas and picnic tables. And it was all so secluded, you’d never know it was there…unless someone told you. I was thankful to Nico, for bringing us to such a charming island escape as Banana Bend.
And even though we were only able to stay for a short time before dark was beginning to fall and we had to head back and try to catch the last ferry, we had already began to plan a day trip to our new island escape (or escape from the island). Having recent bouts of island fever, I know Banana Bend is just the place I’ve been needing all along.
*Here’s to new adventures, inland…and beyond!*
**NOTE to Families** Recommended Family Days – Saturday/Sunday Afternoons & Weekdays (off-season): After careful research, it seems that BB is quite the party place during summer months and on weekends. We visited late on a Saturday during the off-season, and all was peaceful and quiet. It’s best to do your homework before visiting, to know of which events are taking place on any particular day or weekend. Visit Banana Bend on Facebook.
Friends and Home Schooling
A day in the life of a seven year-old may not seem like super excitement to some, but yesterday, to my Nixi, was a blast! Yes, the day might’ve started out quite mellow — me singing he…
Source: Friends and Home Schooling
Living the Full-Time RV Life
Mermaid Mansion, as she sits today.
To the naked eye, our tiny home on wheels looks pretty sapo’d in (sapo is Spanish slang for a frog that has buried itself in the ground and nested), but looks can be deceiving. In fact, everything we do is easily collapsible and can be taken down in less than a day…if need be. Living in a hurricane zone, we deliberately built it all that way — to be easily removed in case we have to evacuate the island.
If the way we built our place — or rebuilt our place — had been up to my husband Nico, we would still be sitting-bare…with no skirting around our trailer and no plants or pretties surrounding. Being a designing type personality, there is absolutely no way I could just sit and not be Glamped out in some way or another. Glamping is my way, even if our place is…
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Home School Science Experiments
Home School Science Experiments — Making Blue Goo *see recipe here*
Source: Home School Science Experiments
Book Reviews — Monday… Super-Fun Day
Sharing the latest reviews of my debut children’s book Monday… Super-Fun Day. On Sale Now at various online book sellers such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Lybrary.com (ebook). Pick up your copy today, and help your young reader learn the days of the week with fun and adventure!
Cheers!
Home School Learning — Spelling with Building Blocks
Building Words with Wooden Blocks — Home School Activities
We recently acquired a set of wooden building blocks for our Nixi; which we figured she might’ve outgrown by now. Not our little’n! She has no qualms about playing with toys for babies, and Nico and I see no problem with it either. In fact, it seems to help her grow even more, when it comes to educating her here at home.
I’ve come to see, in my early years of homeschooling, that Nixi can make a learning game out of just-about anything. She amazes me at every turn; the way she is reading and spelling new words every day. One particular day last week, we sat down at the kitchen table (our desk, if you will), and dumped a heaping pile of wooden building/letter blocks out…covering the mass of our small dining perch.
In no time at all, we’d built a cozy looking seaside village of beach houses; complete…
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Stuck in Bermuda Triangle
For three years, we’v been stuck in a ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of sorts; spreading ourselves thin between three areas of our lives. Leaving loose ends at our last stop had inhibited us…
Source: Stuck in Bermuda Triangle
Stuck in Bermuda Triangle
*From fortysomethingworld.wordpress.com*
When you get caught up in going too many directions at once in life. What we did to simplify and find our True North once again.
*Click Link Below*
Galveston by Gypsy Vin Rose
Written for those of us who love Galveston, and all that island life entails. –A story in song and video, of the many memories made on G.I.as a child, over the last decade, and as IBCs (Isla…
Source: Galveston by Gypsy Vin Rose
Galveston by Gypsy Vin Rose
Written for those of us who love Galveston, and all that island life entails. –A story in song and video, of the many memories made on G.I. as a child, over the last decade, and as IBCs (Islanders by Choice)…raising our daughter within the embrace of Mother Ocean.
We sincerely hope you enjoy our video, and the home session recording of ‘Galveston’. Love and .V.. (Peace) we send your way.
GVR
*Follow Link Below*
Featured Article on My Children’s Book
I’m so excited about the article about my debut children’s book ‘Monday… Super-Fun Day’; which was featured in the August issue of Galveston Monthly. This just made my day…week…year! : )
Read all about it here — http://www.galvestonmonthly.com/Aug2016/#/78/
#NeverGiveUpOnYourDreams @PennyEspinoza @GypsyVinRose #GalvestonMonthly
Tiny Home (on Wheels) Remodeling
Tiny Home Remodeling — Before and After Video
A Journey of Before & After — The Making of Mermaid Mansion
Installing a Camper Canvas on a VW Bus — With the Top On
Cheap Cooking Off the Grid
Cooking Off the Grid in a Travel Trailer
It’s been well-over a month since Nico put the propane canister on the front hitch of Mermaid Mansion to test out my old Dixie Stove. Never would I have imagined one can of propane could last us this long! I’m not complaining though. –Not at all!
In our efforts to work towards falling off the grid, I’d say our propane cook stove will take us where we want to be when that day comes. And even though we’re still unsure where this journey of life will lead us next, Nico and I both realize that it’s time for a change. We do love our little island bungalow on wheels, but we’ve quite soured of the scenery around us (minus the sunsets).
For too many reasons to list here we feel ourselves being pulled in an entirely different direction than we had previously thought. I’m more than ready for a…
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Paddle Boarding — Never Too Young
Never too young…or old, to paddle board. Paddle Boarding the Gulf of Mexico.
I never could’ve imagined doing water-sports back when I was six years old; let alone paddle boarding or surfing. I grew up inland, though I was never a land-lubber. But as I stood watching my daughter stand with ease on a paddle board this past Saturday, balancing upon Mother Ocean, I couldn’t have been more proud of her natural abilities.
Looking back to my own childhood, I realize now that I wasn’t quite the athletic type. I didn’t even learn to ride a bicycle until I was 10 years old! But once I did — feeling the wind blow through my hair…free as the breeze — I was hooked. And to this day, I still love riding my bike more than most things I’ve ever done.
As for my young daughter, I can hardly wait to see her gliding on top of the water. And soon after she’s paddle boarding…
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Tiny Home on Wheels — Camper Garden Retreat
The Nomadic Gardener — Tiny Home And Garden
Early this year, I was rather on the fence about planting a garden; uncertain whether or not we’d be heading on down the road to our next destination. Alas…it was not to be. We have grown more attached to our island home than we’d like to admit. And, naturally…me being a ‘flower child’ of the new-but-not-so-new generation, I had to carve out my special place in the world of tiny island gardens.
Following months and months of hard work…digging, renovating, re-arranging, designing and replanting, I feel like my little courtyard style garden is finally taking shape. Looking back to gardens-past, I feel like this is one of my best efforts; though I’m still not done. There’s still more white pave stone to lay down…in-order to finish my circular patio, and more to plant; weeding and weeding some more.
I feel so Blessed for my little ‘bit of Earth’. May…
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Home School Cliques and Bullying Among Adults
Sharing a word about what it means to be a friend.
We met late last year, after my daughter had attempted to eat her son’s toy. My husband had witnessed it as it happened, and made Nixi apologize to the woman’s little boy. It was laughed off, and we started talking: me and the one I will refer to only as ‘C’…for sake of not gossiping.
She seemed pretty nice when we first met, though the signs of control were there from the git-go. I noticed it after briefly discussing travel and where-all we’d like to go. I told her I had always wanted to visit New York. She quickly came out with, “No… You don’t want to go there! Everyone just acts like you’re not even there when you walk down the street. They never look you in the eye, and they’re rude.” I just left it alone, but took notice for future reference.
I did want to go to…
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Writing & Wanderlust 