Category: THE121

Everything you wanted to know about tiny house living

Tiny Living Myths (according to me)

I really should have started keeping a question book about all the questions I’ve gotten over the past few years… so I wanted to step away from all the health updates to debunk some tiny house living myths and maybe answer some questions you have had (even if you know…just in your head 😉

1.) I have to get rid of Alll of my stuff!

This myth just isn’t true. Might you have to get rid of some things? Sure. But truth be told, I got rid of very little when moving to THE121. Of course you’ll have to decipher between WANTS vs. NEEDS but I’ve found there’s also room for the things I want!

2.) I won’t be able to have friends over.

Also a myth. Fun fact.. at one time I had 22 friends inside THE121 at once! I can neither confirm nor deny that some may have been standing in the shower…).

THE121 can sleep 6 and I can fit 7 around my table and honestly as an introvert, 7 people is about my max! 😂

Friends around the table!

3.) I’ll have to give up my hobbies.

Fun fact, this tiny house girl has a side gig. It was very important to me to be able to keep said side gig. So my amazing builder designed my house to accommodate! I have room to sew, make t-shirts and truly do everything I want!

Embroidered blankets I made for an event
Maggie helping do a little cricut action.

4.) I won’t have enough storage

Would you believe me if I said I think I have too much space?? I’ve said it before. In fact, Maggie Marie has her own room! I have TWO closets in my bedroom, an entire storage loft, storage under my stairs (customized to fit my sewing machines), storage under my couch, kitchen cabinets, storage under my kitchen sink AND a broom closet! In the bathroom, I have storage under the sink, a medicine cabinet and a secondary storage closet.

My mother up in the storage loft.

5.) I won’t be able to take showers everyday and/or I won’t have modern luxuries.

Yes I’ve heard this one! While I do conserve water, I have lived in THE121 for 2 years and I have NEVER ran out of water! God has always provided. Not only do I shower frequently, I also have HOT showers!

I would also tell you that I have all the modern luxuries that those who don’t live tiny have. I have internet, TV, a washer and dryer, and I use to have a dishwasher (RIP to the dishwasher…).

So those are just a few. Sure, I’ll offer the disclaimer that I’m just one person, but life can adjust however you want it to (or not).

Got more questions? Shoot them my way! As you can tell, I’m pretty passionate about tiny living!

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Happy Year #2!!!!

It seems a little surreal to write that title! Two years ago on this day at 7:45 in the morning a few of us gathered at Teaberry Acres to welcome THE121 on her maiden voyage home!

I can honestly say that morning, those 120 minutes were the most nerve wracking minutes of my entire life. Thanks to a few skilled ex-Amish men and my amazing excavator, after two hours (from the road to the pad) from start to finish, THE121 landed with only a few scrapes and bruises.

Enjoy the video below that highlights the past 2 years of THE121 @ Teaberry Acres.

In some ways life looks a lot different and in other ways I’m still the simple girl living her simple life off grid somewhere in the woods of Pennsylvania.

The journey would not be possible without my God who has guided me each and every moment. He laughs with me. He cries with me. He talks with me. He has made the journey worth it.

So Happy 2nd Birthday house. I’ll enjoy you as long as the Lord allows.

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What about the 💩?!

I’ve advocated for off grid living to countless people… and the #1 question I get…

What about the 💩?!

If a composting toilet was or is an anomaly to you, there’s no judgement, it was to me too at first!

So here’s the basic Tiny House Girl breakdown of how the composting toilet works…

Step #1 Remove dog from bathroom

But seriously, that bucket in front of the toilet is the liquid bucket. No you can’t pee and poop at the same time (this may be a deal breaker for some people but, trust me you can learn to change your ways!).

My urine bucket gets dumped weekly and if you want to know where the pee goes you’ll have to message me as I can’t disclose that information in a public forum 😉.

Now what about the 💩?!

Step #2 – remove the toilet from the house.

My toilet literally screws to the floor. It’s super simple to unscrew! I take mine outside for obvious reasons (ain’t nobody want humanure on the kitchen floor!)

Step #3 – remove the head and dump!

The head literally just skids off of the base (the head can be seen behind the toilet)

Then place a trash bag over the base (the base is where the solids are stored) and dump!

Step #4 – remove the trash bag and set aside

This is what your solids looks like (pictured above) almost all compost!

Step #5 – coat the bucket

After emptying the solids in the trash bag, I coat my solids bucket with diatomaceous earth (think coating a brownie pan with flour before pouring in the batter). This helps a few ways:

a. Bugs don’t like it

b. It prevents sticking (you know what I mean!)

c. It also helps with odor control

Step #6 – prepare your material

Depending on the season depends on the compost material I use. This picture was taken in the spring and therefore I use pine pellets. Pine pellets help absorb moisture and odor so it’s a great agent. However I notice I have to change my solids more frequently with pine pellets. In the summer I use more coco core as I notice less odor with the coco core but also mix in some pine pellets to deter gnats. Coco core definitely lasts longer making it less of a chore, however it’s also more expensive.

Both the pine pellets and the coco core need to be hydrated.

The above pic is a few handful of pine pellets. The pic below is what they look like after hydration!

Step #7 – pour your compost agent into the bucket up to the agitator

Fill the solids bucket back up with your hydrated material and re-install!

It truly is that easy!

The entire process from start to finish takes me about 20 minutes and typically I only need to empty about every 2-3 months!

Now where do I put the compost?!

In the compost pile!!!

Before you start sending me hate mail…

1.) I don’t use this compost in the garden where I plant veggies or anything else for human consumption

I throw my kitchen compost, my yard compost and my solids compost all together and it truly makes my plants so happy!

And here’s the evidence 🙂 it takes about a year for the compost to all conjoin and break down…these flower boxes are planted with the compost from last year!

And there you have it!

Side note: did you know that the most water consumption in your house comes from flushing your toilet?

On average I save about 100 gallons of water a week by utilizing a composting toilet.

Is it for everyone?

No.

Is it hard?

No.

Tiny House living is an adventure and the composting toilet is part of it!

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Sleeping with Ants

A few weeks ago while changing out my curtains in my bedroom, I noticed a peculiar substance adorning my window sill. Not wanting to deal with it, I swept it up in my tiny vacuum and went about my day.

Fast forward a week or two when I was changing my sheets, lifted up my mattress and…I swear it started snowing in my bedroom! My hair was covered in fine white substance, my mattress had a good covering, and winter had arrived at THE121…only it was summer.

I quickly freaked out. Panicked and of course texted some friends.

Again, I vacuumed up the evidence and began my data collection. After a few days of sleeping on the couch and watching my security camera which I moved to my bedroom (yes you may judge me for that), I realized I had a carpenter ant problem.

I googled everything I possibly could and decided I could save myself quite a bit of money by attempting to take care of them myself.

Ready.

Until I couldn’t.

Long story short, the ants…just. Kept. Coming.

I called the exterminator. $200 bucks later and a few weeks and I think they are finally gone!

I live in the woods, of course I have carpenter ants. Now I know for next year…

The lesson learned?

Surrender.

Lay down my pride.

Take note and don’t ignore the problem.

Just like my spiritual life. There are signs when I’m off track. If I ignore the signs, it most likely will become more intense and complicated and in the end it will cost me.

Surrender.

God is so much bigger than the army of ants.

P.S. next summer I’ll spray around my house…

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New Beginnings

If I squint my eyes and look out my puppy kissed picture window through the towering trees and just down the gravel drive, I can almost picture THE121 making her maiden voyage onto Teaberry Acres. My mind can recall that hot August hair raising day, nearly two years ago (has it been that long???). It has. Two years. Almost.
My friend spoke over my house two years ago, that it would be a place of healing. Life hasn’t been butterflies and rainbows these past two years, so it was necessary as I went off grid literally, to go off grid figuratively. I needed the space and time to heal my body but most importantly my soul.
The quiet has been serene, it has been sad, it has been life giving, it has been breath taking, and it has been healing. But now is the time. The time to bring my voice back. To speak life to my own soul, but hopefully to yours as well. I am a firm believer in story telling. I believe that with the telling of a story, when it is held in sacred place, it can help the soul heal.
So welcome back. Thank you for allowing me the time. Thank you for allowing me the space. If you’re willing to journey with me, I’d love to share my story as God writes it. The story of the mundane, lessons I’m learning from life but also stories from the gift that THE121 gives me each day. Living in a Tiny House is glorious, but it’s not always for the faint of heart either.
We will laugh, we will cry, and I hope there will be a few celebrations along the way.

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