Simplify is the word in most people’s minds when they are looking to take the plunge into living tiny. But if you only needed to throw out most of your stuff, getting ready to live tiny would be a breeze. Simplify just scratches the surface.
Here are five more words to help ease you into living tiny:
- Prioritize: For every person who can’t live without his gourmet cooking utensils, there is someone else who needs all her make-up. Knowing what you need is the first step into a less-culture-shocked beginning (because, let’s be real, living tiny will take some time to get used to). While whittling your belongings, remember what you need to make you happy. You may be living in less than 300 square feet – but you are still you.
- Condense: Look for smaller, more space-saving versions of what you need. If you are a chef, check out rubberized, collapsible mixing bowls. There are even collapsible bowls that do double-duty – they can be used in food prep, but many come with lids, so they can also be used for storage. There are also new, reusable, leak-proof, freezer proof zip lock bags. When not in use they take up practically zero room. A tiny house dream!
This is a sweeping statement, but almost every woman has more make-up than she needs. Do you really need the mascara that volume-izes and the one that lengthens and the one that curls? No, you don’t.
- Organize: A tiny house is a benevolent dictator. It will be obeyed! If you have only the storage under the stairs leading up to the loft for clothes, don’t try to outsmart the house by hoarding clothes and shoes elsewhere. Start putting your clothes in the cubbies under the stairs and then the cubbies are full – that’s your wardrobe.
Linens take up a ton of room. Exactly how many towels do you need? What about sheets? Blankets? How much space do you have to house them. Organize your linens in the space allotted and call it a day.
- Innovate: Check out camping stores and websites for ideas that might work for your new life in a tiny house. You’ll find “compact dinner sets” that will not only take up less cupboard space, but will be made of a hearty material that won’t break in transit. And don’t forge the trusty “spork” – a fork-spoon combo that can see you through an entire meal.
- Levitate – Get everything off the counters! An electric can-opener, a small microwave, a coffeemaker can all be mounted under cabinets. Use the walls as practical space. Hang kitchen utensils, hats and sporting equipment and call it art.
And don’t forget the most important word of all:
Enjoy!
It’s not the size of the house . . .
At twenty-two, Vivien is already a homeowner—albeit of the tiniest of tiny houses, a whopping 64 square footer called “Shrimpfork.” It’s the perfectly portable home from which to run Organization Oracle, Vivien’s new business as a personal organizer. In fact, she’ll be toting Shrimpfork to her upcoming client’s home near Taos, New Mexico.
Seventy-year-old Priscilla has a colorful past, a rambunctious boxer named Clay—and a home crammed with treasures. . . . Priscilla also has a love for the TV program “This Old Thing?” Her twenty-five-year-old neighbor, Marco, is happy to watch it with her—while watching over her. When Vivien arrives, it’s clear she and Marco are suspicious of each other’s intentions. But Priscilla’s determination to get her most cherished possession appraised on “This Old Thing?” soon has all of them grudgingly working together. Vivien and Marco find themselves in cahoots, Priscilla discovers the wider world, Clay digs up trouble—and everyone learns that sometimes the greatest treasures are valued for their flaws . . .
Praise for Celia Bonaduce and her novels
“A bingeworthy triology about smart, quirky women who feel like friends. In Much Ado About Mother she shows us just how strong (and funny) the mother-daughter bond can be. Loved it!” —Clare O’Donahue, author of The Kate Conway Mysteries
“Celia Bonaduce writes well rounded, real life characters straight from the heart. I loved this book!” —Phyliss Miranda, New York Times bestselling author on A Comedy of Erinn
“The Merchant of Venice Beach has a fresh, heartwarming voice that will keep readers smiling as they dance through this charming story by Celia Bonaduce.” —Jodi Thomas, New York Timesbestselling author
Escape the Christmas Cheer with Thrilling Chills