Camper Living

For those of you that own a camper or perhaps will be renting a camper for vacationing, staying in such a confined space can be challenging.

As you know my husband is in the Air Force and so our camper has not just served as a vacation home but as a living space while PCSing to our next destination. We again are a family of 5 and also have several pets so minimizing the chaos is imperative to keeping the sanity.

The idea for this blog actually came from my mom. She and my dad have taken up residence in their camper for awhile after moving to a new state. My mother is a lot like me (or vice versa) organization is a must.

My first tip is blue bins. Any and everything that does not have to be within arms reach can be placed into a blue bin and stored under the camper safe from the elements. This was especially helpful for the kids roller skates, helmets, and scooters. For the items that you wouldn't want creepy crawlies getting into like blankets, those space saver bags are amazing. That will also keep out any unwanted moisture.

Items such a hanging jewelry organizer or shoe organizer are awesome and can be placed on the back of any door. I used a jewelry organizer on the back of our bathroom door to put my make-up, hair brushes, toothbrushes, tooth paste, and really anything pertaining to hygiene that would be kept in the bathroom. I know our camper is VERY limited as far as storage or counter space in the bathroom. Organizers like that are very inexpensive and can alleviate the stress of lack of space. Using every inch of space in a camper is a good way to create storage when there is limited storage available.

Another easy bathroom organization tool that is fantastic is a wall soap dispenser. Not just for hand soap. We have one in the shower that has body soap, shampoo and conditioner in it. We do have the corner shelves in the shower but they are very small and having a bottle of shampoo land of your foot is no fun.

The kitchen..... the kitchen is a place that you must have proper organization or meals don't get made. I know that in my camper the cabinets are deep and tall. I am a short girl so deep is not ideal for easy access. Using baskets are fantastic for placing in those cabinets so that you can easily pull them out to reach the items in the back of the cabinet. They make the basket that are designed for that with the handles on the front but who needs the handle taking up the extra space where a can or two of green beans could go. The other issue.... tall... tell me what is the point of having a pantry with shelves that have enough space for you to sit up in. A lot of wasted space. Adding shelves is a perfect way to utilize that space. More shelve equal more storage. Yay!

Again in the kitchen space is precious. We did have a trash can in the kitchen but it wasn't able to be the size a family of 5 needed for disposables. We kept a pop up recycling bin outside for the cans bottles and paper. We didn't want to just throw anything out there though. Unwelcome animals make for an unpleasant mess.

Throughout the inside and outside of the camper (as well as my home) have the 'damage free command hooks'. There are so many things you can do with these hooks. from organizing the kitchen to just having a place to hang your keys. They are perfect for providing a proper place for those items that would end up being tossed into a corner.

When all space is utilized in the camper, you can always turn to your vehicles for extra space. When living in the camper, my kids were going to school and needed school supplies at home. We also needed certain thing that a filing cabinet or desk would house. I turned my trunk into a filing cabinet. You can use this space for just about whatever you need extra storage for (paperwork, blankets, clothes etc.) but keep in mind that the trunk does get hot so storing anything that may explode is not a good idea.

There are so many things that you can do to make your time in a camper more enjoyable. I am all about learning more. We are just about due for orders and will be probably be living in our camper again for a few months. If you have any comments or more suggestions please feel free to contact me. I may end up needing the advice myself. Don't forget to sign up to receive email updates. Thank you and good luck on your camper adventure.

Dreamcatchers

Phew... finally got the computer back from my husband. He's taking classes online so it has limited my access to the computer. However it has given me time to work on another project that I love doing. I've been making dream catchers since I can remember. I love the legend of them. I love having a serein calming atmosphere and I feel that dreamcatchers add to that.

Everyone's lives are different and therefore require different themes and techniques. It's fun for me to picture an array of lifestyles and try to fit one of my pieces into it. So far I have come up with 6 styles that I have decided to start selling on Etsy. Each one is handmade and near flawless... trust me, my hands are killing me because of the redo's I've talked myself into. I'm a perfectionist and anything less that perfect (for sale) is not acceptable.

The first one that I came up with is my 'Crystal DreamCatcher'. I had fun making this one. It was my first crochet project EVER. The web is crocheted as well as around the ring. I have hung lace ribbon and rope from the bottom to hold the crystals and feathers. This is definitely one of my favorites. Healing crystals are kind of my thing so to put them on a dream catcher was exciting for me.

The second one that I made was my 'Crescent Moon'. Personally I think this one speaks best when referring to the idea of a dream catcher. The net is crocheted surrounded by a crescent moon. Beautiful dark feathers flow from the bottom of it. It screams 'dreams' to me.

The third dream catcher is the 'Tree of Life'. Again I'm really into crystals, energy and life coming full circle. The tree of life represents just that. The roots dig deep, a trunk for stability, branches that reach out, leaves that collect strength and fruit that gives back, all while producing the very air all life here on earth needs to survive.

I had a lot of fun with my 'Multi Dimensional' dreamcatcher. I had seen one online before and thought that it was one of the coolest things ever. It's center is almost like a vortex and in the opening I have placed some stones. Hanging from all sides is a long strands of yarn full of feathers. This is truly a mystical looking dreamcatcher.

So I taught myself how to crochet and I thought that I would try 'macramé'. The beach themed dreamcatcher's web is done with macramé. I also placed some sea theme pendants that compliment the dreamcatchers perfectly.

I am in the process of making my 6th one. This one will be Hawaiian inspired. Who doesn't love the bright beautiful colors and calm in your soul when you think of a tropical place like Hawaii. I'll post some pictures of that one once it's completed.

Feel free to comment or make suggestions. Also please check out my Etsy shop "SweetDreamsByAmanda" where I am now selling each one of these beautiful dreamcatchers. If you click on the banner to the right on the home page, it will take you to my shop. Don't forget to sign up for my email updates. Thank you.

Student Planner

 My oldest daughter has graduated Elementary and is moving into Middle school. School tends to be an extremely stressful place for kids and one thing that helps them is to have school supplies that reflect themselves. One of items on her school list is a student planner. Now I could go out and just buy her one but since I have tons of mini binders I thought that I would put one together for her. One of the benefits of doing this is that she will be able to add to it. I have created a templates for a weekly calendar, monthly calendar, class schedule/ website password and notes. I'm sure I will think of a couple other things to add to it and will edit this post as I edit her binder. Under each picture is the template link. Just click on the name of the template to be redirected.

Binder Cover

Class Schedule/Website Passwords

Monthly Schedule

Weekly Schedule

Of course all of these are separated by nice tab dividers. I've also included a tab for notes that includes plain lined paper. Hope this puts a smile on your kids face. I know it did my daughter and her friends have asked me to make them one as well. If you have any comments or suggestions please feel free to contact me and don't forget to sign up with your email address to get notifications of new posts and updates.

PCS Binder part 2

So as if you didn't have enough to worry about during a move... you have to make sure that you are carrying (on you at all times) a billion copies of everybody's records. It's seems that when you are PCSing that all information (minus the last time you stubbed your toe) is to be documented and copies passed around to anyone who nods in your direction. In the post for the PCS Binder I mentioned a larger binder for the actual documents that need to be carried with you at the time of your move. In this post, I will show you how I have put mine together.

In this book... I have a 5 dividers but many sheet protector. Each sheet protector has it's own purpose and is labeled.

The inside of the front cover, I attached a notepad that is going to serve as a weekly calendar and notes.

The large pocket will serve well for keeping any large receipts, or accessories such as pens, tabs or notepads.

Tabs:

• Important Documents- I have several sheet protectors in this section and each sheet protector is labeled for the document that it's to hold.
• Orders- more the better... I've heard that you need anywhere from 10-30 copies. Better to be safe than sorry I guess.
• Medical/Dental- This is where I keep all the medical clearance paperwork as well as immunization and dental clearances.
• School- You can keep all your kids school records in this sheet protector. If you are attending school as well you may need to add an additional one for yourself.
• Housing/Movers
• Housing- Here you would keep all maintenance orders, bills for repairs, and housing clearance paperwork
• Movers- This may take up a few sheet protectors depending on the size of your move. You will want to keep an inventory, pictures, and mover paperwork. Again for overseas orders that may include 2-3 different shipments. You will also want to keep any short/long term storage paperwork with this as well.
• Travel Info- I have blank sheets of lined paper in this section. All travel information is kept here to include all hotel reservations, flight plans, driving route, rentals or pretty much anything else that has to do with your physical self traveling and arriving at the next location.
• Pets- Vet records, phone numbers, websites, paperwork, flight information, anything pertaining to your pets.
• Blank- I always keep a blank tab because there is always something that pops up.

After the tabbed sections I have several different types of sheet protectors.

• Full page-one pocket. Serves well for full documents such as orders
• Full page- 2 - 1/2 sheet pockets. Serves well for plane tickets or informational pamphlets.
• Full page- 9 card pockets. Great for keeping business card and Social Security Cards organized.
  

The very back of the book has a pocketed folder for odds and ends.

These Binders have proven to be sanity saving in the past and I hope that they help you out too. If you have any comments or suggestions feel free to contact me. There is a lot more fun and void filling things to come so sign up to follow my blog. Thanks

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PCSing Binder

One of the most important thing to do when PCSing (permant change of station) is to organize all the information that pours in. I am particularly proud of my PCS Binder. I have set up a Mini Binder with all the check lists and information that I could possibly think of. I have also put together a larger binder for the actual documents that are needed during the move but I will post that on another day.

This is my "Bill Book/PCS" binder.

I will show more of the 'bill' parts on a separate post.

As you can see there are many tabs and tabs within tabs.

Here is a list of the tabs:

• Bills
• Move
• Calendar - in this tab I have a blank month calendar and several blank week calendars. I will start filling them out when dates are finalized for the move. I've also included a sticky note with 'Official PCS Date' , 'Report No Later Than Date',  'Movers Ship Date 1',  'Movers Ship Date 2', 'Movers Ship Date 3'.
• Move- in here I have the template "Forward/Medical". 'Forward' is a list of all the places that will our new address. 'Medical' is for all of the pcm, dental and immunization appointments for each member in the family.
• PCS Checklist
• Move out Clean
• Issue to have Maintenance Fix
• Pet requirements for international move
• To do's
• Local- I put a template for my kids school supply list both for this base and our future base. This will make the transition easier seeing as how we will be moving during the middle of the school year. I also included a page with phone numbers for the schools, housing, TLF, and registration requirements.
• Packing- Templates - 'Colors for Moving' 'Packing checklist' 'Travel Checklist' 'Traveling tips' and also a few weekly calendar pages.
• Budget- I have a copy of all my bills minus the ones that we will cancel before the move. Template - 'PCS Spending Log' so that we can log all of our expenses thus making the travel voucher easier to fill out.
• Sources- is where I have a list of all the places that I've been able to gather information so that I can revisit if needed. I also have the 'Passwords' template so that I can keep all website and passwords in order. The last page in this tab is important numbers. Numbers for both the loosing and receiving base goes on this page.
• Contacts- accentually my address book but a little more broken down. I have templates for these as well but again will post that on another day.
• Family and Friends
• Kids Friends
• Healthcare
• Bills/Services
• School
• Calendar- I have a year as well as monthly calendars in this section.

Inside the front cover of the binder I attached an envelope for receipts from expenses during the move.

The 'Colors for Moving' Template is one of my favorites. Each room will have a different color tape of each of the moving boxes and I will place a sample of each piece of tape next to the list of rooms.

Templates

PCS Binder

Places to notify of new address / Medical Clearances 

PCS Checklist

Move Out Clean 

Pet Requirements - Just a note... This is specifically for Hawaii. Other overseas bases are basically the same but require the microchip to be done before any vaccinations. Double check with your countries requirements. I have provided extra lines in this template for adjustments.

School List

Colors for Moving

Packing Checklist

Travel Checklist

Travel Tips Checklist

PCS Spending Log

Passwords

Thank you for reading and feel free to print these templates to make your PCS more manageable. Lord knows anything to make it smoother is AWESOME! I would love to hear any comments or suggestions that you may have. There is more to come.  :)  The next blog will be the 'Bills' section as well as the 'Contacts' section of this binder. Have fun and good luck on your new adventure.

Saying Hello

This is my very first post. I thought that it would be appropriate to say "Hello" and introduce myself.

My name is Amanda Proctor. I go by Mandi so should you see that throughout the blogging, it 's me. I'll tell you a little about myself and what brought me to blogging.

I have been married to my best friend Joey for almost 14 years. We met my freshman year of high school. He was a Jr. Our lockers were right next to each other and what can I say... he was cute. 16 years later we are still entertaining and supporting each other. After he graduated high school, he joined the Air Force. Our first duty station was Charleston South Carolina. The first couple of years we lived on JB Charleston. For reasons I can't gather now... we couldn't stand being in Charleston. We volunteered to go just about anywhere but were denied over and over again.

My first daughter was born during the summer of 2005. She is an incredible person. Out of all the lessons I've learn in life, she is the one who taught me to think outside the box. I am always telling people that my kids keep me young and make me old at the same time. Her being my first child, I had to learn to manage my time more wisely and be creative with absolutely random items.

My second daughter was born 2 days shy of 2 years later. She is my quite passive child. Although the older she gets, the more she is finding her voice. Patience! Patience has been the lesson I've learn with her. This baby has such a positive, full of love outlook on the world and takes her time to enjoy every moment. (Which is challenging when your late getting out the door.) My sister in law refers to her as 'Mother Teresa'.

My third and final Princess was born in the late winter months of 2009. They say redhead are firecrackers and they aren't lying. This baby has more enthusiasm in her finger than most people have in a life time. She is ready and up for just about anything that life throws at her. Definitely a natural born performer. If I recall correctly she started speaking in full sentences before even saying "mama" or "dada" and since then she thoroughly describes her every move through song.

Around the time that my second child was born, we had given up on trying to move away from Charleston. We bought a house out in Summerville, SC. Once we moved out there... We fell in love with the area. We were living in our own little paradise and didn't even realize it. Our 13 year settlement started coming to an end when we received our first set of orders to Germany. It was not easy but I managed to uproot and prepare our family of 5 to move to a different country. Roughly 2 weeks before we were to leave, our orders were cancelled. 1 month later we received notification of orders again to Germany. It didn't take as long but those too were cancelled. Again about 1 month later, we were notified that my husband was selected to be a Military Training Instructor for BMT at Lackland AFB. Those orders stuck and that brings us to today.

I decided to start blogging because I have learn throughout the years that most families at one point or another end up going through just about the same situations in life. It makes things so much easier when you have a network of people to reach out to for advice, information or even just an ear to listen. We are coming up on orders again and the prep that we are having to go through has prompted me to start blogging. I find myself frequently searching through blogs looking for information but can't quite find exactly what I need. I have decided that my blog will pertain to whatever events are going on in my life, whether a post is a new chore chart template or something a little more in depth like preparing for a life changing situation. I enjoy finding new ways to make my everyday as simple and stress free as possible so that I don't miss a moment of children growing up.

If you like anything that you see on my page. Please feel free to share it. Followers and feedback are always welcome. I can't wait to share my life's tips and tricks with you.