one family. one bus.

big on adventure. small on stuff.

Hi! We're a family of 5 (sometimes 6 when we have our bonus child in the mix) on an epic journey to turn a retired school bus into a tiny house on wheels. We'll go from McMansion to Minimalist and you're invited along for the ride.

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The latest.

Blog
Busworthy: Silipints
Busworthy: Silipints
Reset.
Reset.
Better (Almost) Late Than Never.
Better (Almost) Late Than Never.
End of the School Year: How to Make a Clean Start for Summer in 6 Steps.
End of the School Year: How to Make a Clean Start for Summer in 6 Steps.
Mama Don't Need Your Crap: 5 Things to NOT Get This Mother's Day.
Mama Don't Need Your Crap: 5 Things to NOT Get This Mother's Day.
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bus stuff!

See the entire conversion from start to our current state.

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(in a totally non-creepy way, please and thank you.)

Sometimes you really just need a photo of a good looking bus in your life. . You are soooo welcome. 😆 . I feel like I have a million things and absolutely nothing to report all at the same time. The days are mostly me running around like a crazy person trying to sell all of our personal belongings, paint all the rooms, and squeeze in some mild panic attacks about if this is ever going to be finished and, oh shit, what are we going to do when this *is* finished?! ______________________
#skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #heynicebus #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #panicattack #thisisanxiety #worrier #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Sometimes I think far into the future to the time when my boys will inevitably tell stories about their childhood to their friends and significant others. . “So, this one time, my brother and I spent an entire day playing on what would eventually become the gray water tank for the school bus our parents turned into a house. By the end of the day, we were covered in bruises from falling off it. We had the best time.”
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Or at least I *hope* they’ll say it was the best time because I mean, really, why even grow up on a school bus if you *don’t* get to spend a whole day playing with a gray water tank every now and then? 😂😂😂 . Do you have a weird childhood story? Let’s hear it!
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#skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #homeschooled #homeschoolingboys #homeschoolfamily #weirdchildhood #storiestotell #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
“All day, I watch humans scurry from store to store. They pass their green paper, dry as old leaves and smelling of a thousand hands, back and forth and back again. . They hunt frantically, stalking, pushing, grumbling. Then they leave, clutching bags filled with things - bright things, soft things, big things - but no matter how full the bags, they always come back for more.” . We just finished reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and I need all of you to go and read it, too. It’s inspired by a real gorilla who lived most of his life in a circus-themed mall. This book took us through all the feels. There were moments where we snort laughed and others where we had to take a minute to wipe away tears and talk about how ugly reality can be. . I looked back through all my highlighted passages this morning (there were many), and the passage above stuck out as especially relevant to our own journey towards less. . It wasn’t until we got a strangle grip on our shopping and spending habits that a life of travel could even become an option for us. . It’s on trend right now to “Marie Kondo” your life, but an equally important part of the equation (that doesn’t seem to be talked about) is the part where you change the way you shop. I was an organized hoarder for years. Labels and super cute matching storage containers and way too much stuff. So I’d purge, reorganize, pat myself on the back, and then go out and buy more stuff. . Lather, rinse, repeat. It wasn’t sustainable. . So tell me...do your shopping habits match up to your minimalist desires? How do you get out of the spend and purge cycle? _______________ #homeschooling #homeschoollife #homeschoolers #homeschoolrocks #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolmama #homeschoolife #homeschoolperks #homeschoolingboys #homeschoolersofinstagram #theoneandonlyivan #homeschooladventures #secularhomeschool #readthisbook #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #themeasureofus #kindlepaperwhite
Today, I took down wallpaper. . It was the wallpaper that I put up when I was way too pregnant to be hanging wallpaper, but this baby needed wallpaper, damnit, and I was going to make it happen. #nesting #dontmesswiththepregnantlady . Generally, I’ve been fairly unemotional throughout this whole life purging process, but today, taking down that cloud wallpaper, I was a complete mess. . No more wallpaper. No more baby. So much stress. So much uncertainty. . Lava tears trailed my face as hot, soapy water ran to my elbows. Ugly, gasping sobs covered the ripping sound of paper. Eli, ever like his father, came up to check on me and patted my back cautiously, “You’re doing a great job, Mama.” . I commented over on a @theskooly post today about how I could do nothing but things to get the house ready for sale for an entire month and still be no where even close to done, never mind all the bus stuff and keeping the children alive. . Overwhelming is an understatement. . But, I’ve got to make it happen, again. And at least I’m not 9 months pregnant this time. 😆 #silverlining __________________________________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #sellthishouse #theydontstaylittlelong #mamasbaby #nomorebabies #endofanera #movingon #biggerandbetterthings #themeasureofus
I feel like sweeping is the number one thing I do on the bus. . About to start a new project? Better sweep first. Finishing a project? Gotta sweep up the mess. Waiting for Jake to cut/measure/muscle something? Might as well sweep while I’m standing here. . I can’t even begin to guess at how many times I’ve swept the bus, never mind how many more times before the bus is officially finished. . Tomorrow though, I’m not only going to sweep up the mess from the ceiling going in (check my stories for more on that!), but I’m going to vacuum too...because this weekend...THE FLOOR IS GOING IN!!! . Yah for a new thing to sweep! 😂 🙌🏻 . Tell me, what’s the thing you feel like you are constantly doing? ________________ #sweeping #chores #neverending #broom #housework #constantlycleaning #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
I’ve been meaning to post about these handmade mugs crafted by @andreahillpottery that I got the kids to celebrate our love of Poetry Tea Time! . Initially, I kinda rolled my eyes at the thought of having a weekly time for reading poems. In the past, I’ve groaned my way through poetry and I didn’t think the boys would be interested. . Whoa was I wrong. They love it! And I have a pretty good time, too. . We bake a little something, we put a fancy runner on the table, we fill up our mugs with some hot tea (although Silas often asks for his with ice 😂 #southerner), and we read aloud from whatever poetry collection caught our eye at the library that week. . It turned into a weekly thing and I wanted everyone to have a real mug just to up the specialness of it all. . I found Andrea on Etsy and she was so kind and thoughtful. She made sure the mugs were right for small hands, with some room to grow. They are the best blue glaze and feel good to hold. . Who else is a Poetry Tea Time fan? Do you have special mugs?
__________________________________________ #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife #homeschoolers #homeschoolrocks #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolmama #homeschoolife #homeschoolperks #homeschoolingboys #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooladventures #secularhomeschool #bravewriterlifestyle #poetryteatime #handmademug #supportartisans #potterylife #blueglaze #bookishplay #hottea #themeasureofus
I was really hoping there would be a photo of a completed bus ceiling to show all of you tonight. . Instead, I’ve got about a 25% completed ceiling, a lot of details figured out (Where exactly is the mini-split going? Are you sure? Well it doesn’t fit there! Hope you’d like to spend the next 2 hours pretending that you know a damn thing about the efficiencies of heating and cooling to figure out a new, less than stellar plan.), a kitchen full of groceries, five loads of laundry that need to be folded, and a couple of boys who were happy to get to spend some time snuggled with their Daddy on the couch watching Batman and eating BBQ chips. . And those last couple of things are what we struggle with on weekends…balancing the here and now with what needs to happen for a future dream to become reality. . We’re on a tightened deadline and the need to get both the house ready to sell and the bus livable have turned every free moment into a race to get as much done as possible. But in that race, daily life gets shoved to the side. On weekends, the dishes pile in the sink, the laundry gets neglected, I rummage through an empty fridge to see what I can throw together, and the boys hear, “not right now; we’ve got to get this done” over and over again. . And we know this isn’t good for any of us. We see it on disappointed little faces that the precious few hours they have their Daddy home has to be spent on projects. I feel it come Monday morning when I’m scrambling to get the house back in order and us back to our school routine and everyone has a case of the sads that they didn’t get enough Daddy. . So today, we called it earlier than we normally would have. I threw in another load of laundry. Jake took care of the dishes. I went to the store. All my guys ate an entire bag of chips and ordered a pizza. But everyone is going to bed feeling loved and a little less stressed. . It may only be a fourth of a ceiling done, but it’s a whole life we need to be thinking about.
Jake’s friend Nick at @maanumknifeworks is a crazy talented knife maker, so when we had a bucket full of random steel bits left over from riveting the bus, we passed it along to him, thinking he may be able to recycle the metal. . And oh did he ever! 😍 . I was completely surprised to be given my very own Pigeon Bus utility knife, made out of steel from our bus! Those are our rivets in the handle and he melted down what we gave him to make the blade! Nick even etched the pigeon on it and made sure there was a clip on the back of the sheath so I wouldn’t have to wear a belt! (I’m a yoga pants wearing bus converter. 🤷🏻‍♀️) It’s just the right size and I’ve already put it to work cutting insulation and stripping wire. Super handy and such a cool reuse of materials. . If you’re looking for a hand-crafted, heirloom-quality, veteran-made knife, Maanum Knife Works has you covered. The craftsmanship is beyond stellar and Nick’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail is on point. . Thanks, Nick! You’re awesome! Can’t wait to bring the bus for a visit!
_____________________________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #knifemaker #customknife #handcraftedknife #truecraftsmanship #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
“Aren’t you worried about being too crowded? Won’t the kids need more space?” . I think space-related concerns are the most common bus-related question we get. (Maybe tied for first with, “Are you seriously going to live in a bus?!?) . But this - 3 boys and a dog in one chair - is the norm around here. One brother decided to sit and read. Another thought this was an excellent idea and joined him with his own book. A third figured this was the place to be and snuggled in. The dog is wherever he can be most ready to receive belly rubs. . They are all within feet of wherever I am. . Here we are in nearly 3,000 square feet, with everyone occupying a fraction of the available space and it happens all day long. I rarely find myself alone in a room for long and if I go looking for the boys, I expect to find all of them in the same place. . So, no. Space isn’t a worry. Next question? ________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #homeschoollife #homeschoolers #momofboys #whatispersonalspace #bettertogether #lovegrows #threebrothers #theylikeeachother #themeasureofus
Well it’s a good thing that we’re so good at house camping (thanks, yearly hurricanes), because we can’t use our house toilet (see my stories for a video of what happens anytime water goes down any drain in our sticks and bricks) or sinks or the shower or the washing machine or the dishwasher. But at least the power is still on and I’m not cooking over a campfire, too! #silverlining . It’s also a good thing that I’ve got this guy who always wants to help and thinks stuff like this is fun. (“Mama! It’s like we’re back in time! This is good practice for living on the bus with no dishwasher! *I’m* the dishwasher!” 😂) We knocked out two days worth of dishes since it doesn’t look like the issue is getting fixed anytime soon. __________________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #thisishowwehomeschool #homeschoollife #handwash #housecamping #littlehelper #thisishowwehomeschool #momofboyslife #dishes #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
“Take a picture of my bunk window! It looks like the moon!” . It instantly puts a huge grin on my face when I think about all of the amazing sights the boys will get to see from these windows. . What was the most picturesque place you’ve ever travelled to? ___________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #roadschool #travelfamily #bunkhouse #porthole #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Swipe to see what our friend (and roof raise helper) @rcody86 saw this afternoon when he came to visit his favorite bus! . Side walls are all buttoned up and I am off to spend several hours looking at wallpaper (for the bathroom!) and tile (for the kitchen and the shower!) under my electric blanket because I’m officially southern now and I can’t deal with this 37 degree business. . Got any favorite places to shop for wallpaper and/or tile? Favorite Instas to follow for either? I’m looking to go big and fun in the bathroom and subtle and cozy in the kitchen. __________________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #skoolielife #skoolielove #skoolienation #skoolies #skooliekids #travelgoals #bucketlist #livesimple #minimalist #microhome #tinyhouseliving #buslife #travelwithkids #prioritize #dowhatyoulovemore #travelfamily #dreambiglivetiny #wallpapers #lookingforinspiration #tilebacksplash #wallsup #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus