How to Make Tin Lanterns

How to Make Tin Lanterns
Tin Lanterns are summertime crafts that even you teens can enjoy crafting.  Plus it is not very heavy which is great for Full time RVers!



Step 1: Gather Materials 
Pen
Papper
Empty Tin Cans
Nail (or punch)
Hammer
Water
Scissors
Tape
Tea Light Candles


Step 2: Prepare Cans
Remove food label and clean.  Fill with water and freeze overnight.  The ice will help the tin from denting when hammering. Dry the outside of the can.


Step 3: Draw Design
Cut paper to the size of the can.  Draw a design.  Tape to the can.



Step 4: Punch out Design
Using a nail or punch and a hammer, tap out the design.  Remove paper when complete.

                         



Step 5: Thaw Ice
Run the can under water until the ice thaws enough to slip out.  Dry with a towel. 

Step 6: Add Tea Lights & Enjoy



What kind of summer crafts do you like to do with your teens and children?  If you make your own Tin Lantern share a photo on Instagram and tag out Live Today Like It Matters Instagram account.  


5 Tips for Making Friends as Full Time Rvers

5 Tips for Making Friends as Full Time Rvers
Making Friends can be hard, but when you add changing your location every few days or weeks it can be more challenging.  In this blog we are going to share 5 tips on how we make friends with other Full Time Rv Families on the road.
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Homosassa, Florida

Homosassa, Florida


In the middle of January 2021, we spent a week in Homosassa, Florida. We reserved a campground with our Passport America discount, and checked Google Maps and Instagram to find fun things to do in the area. Many people travel to Homosassa in the winter to see the manatees. The manatees swim inland to the natural springs where the water is warmer. However, there are other things to see anytime of the year.


Manatees 


Stock Photo

If you travel to Homosassa in the winter, there are several places to see manatees. And while you may be able to spot them in the Homosassa River, you can get up close to the manatees in several areas near Homosassa. Here are a few places you can pay to see the manatees.

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

Crystal River Manatee Experience

Three Sisters Springs 


MONKEY ISLAND

FLORIDA CRACKER MONKEY BAR

One of our favorite places in Homosassa is Monkey Island. There are four spider monkeys who live on the island. You can kayak or take a boat near the island on the Homosassa River; however, you cannot go on the island since the monkeys are protected.  

Monkey Island

We did not take a boat or kayak but we were able to view the monkeys from the Florida Cracker Monkey Bar. The island was actually closer than we thought it was going to be. The Florida Cracker Resort staff feeds the monkeys twice a day and we happened to be there during feeding time.  

Monkey Island at Feeding Time

There is no cost to view the monkeys at Monkey Island, however we recommend the pizza at the Florida Cracker Monkey Bar. We ordered a Gator Sausage Pizza to share and sat on the top bar where we were able to see Monkey Island as well as other wildlife.  Pelicans hung around waiting for fishermen to catch fish. Manatees also swam by poking their heads out of the Homosassa River. 


DAMES CAVE

Dames Cave Location

Dames Cave came as a recommendation from my friend Jen from Stairs Up Handle In.  She wrote about it on her blog Dames Cave Area | Peace Cave + Hiking. Dames cave is about a 15 minute drive from Homosassa.

We love to explore caves as a family. However, most caves we've been to have been tour guide assisted. Dames cave, however, is an enter at your own risk type experience. There were several openings where you could go into Dames cave. Be sure to take a head lamp or a flashlight if you want to explore the darker parts of the cave.  

Dames Cave from the Inside


Dames Cave View from the Top

FORT ISLAND GULF BEACH

Fort Island Gulf Beach Location


Fort Island Gulf Beach is about a 40 minute drive from Homosassa, but if you are looking to spend some time on the Beach, this is the place to go. This beach is at the end of Big Grass Island in Crystal River.  It's not a large beach, but it does have a bathhouse.  Down the road from the beach is the Fort Island Gulf Beach Fishing Pier. The Beach and Fishing Pier is connected by a walking trail. The trail was our favorite part.  

Fort Island Gulf Beach Nature Trail

Be sure to check out our video about Homosassa.

While we were in Homosassa, we listed our Grand Design Travel Trailer and Ford F-350 for sale and found a buyer in Arizona. We shared a little about this in our video.  We also shared about Monkey Island, Fort Island Gulf Beach, and Dames Cave. Feel free to click through the chapters to see the part that interest you. 




Have you been to Homosassa?

Do you have a favorite thing to do or see in Homosassa?  Let us know in the comments. 

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RV Closet Organization

RV Closet Organization
Our family of five recently moved out of a travel trailer into a Class A Motorhome, which we full time in. The travel trailer had two bedrooms while our motorhome has only one bedroom.  We plan to remodel our motorhome to suit us better, however we still had to get all of our things moved in. 

The biggest hurdle for us was getting all of our clothing, extra bedding, and personal belongings to fit in one closet.  Especially when the closet is a wide-open space.  In this blog, I share what I did to make the best use of our RV closet space.

* This post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase after clicking on a link I may make a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.

Before
It's not easy moving from one RV to the next.  Especially when you are moving campgrounds.  We had to put our things wherever we could shove them, until we were going to be at one campground long enough to organize our things.  The biggest space we have is the large bedroom closet, but as you can see in the photo we were not maximizing the space. 


1. Empty the Space
In the large bedroom closet we had some clothing hung and boxes stacked on top of each other.  I knew we could utilize this space more effectively.  The first thing I did was moved everything out of the space.

2. Measure the Space
Next, I measured the space, as I would need those measurements when picking out my storage solutions.  I measured height, width, and depth. I wanted to make sure that what I bought would fit in the space.  I still wanted room to hang clothing, so I opted for height only on one side.
3. Purchase and Build Storage Solutions
We purchase a plastic 3-drawer storage bin and a six cube shelf.  We also purchased six bins to go inside the cubed shelf.  Here are examples of what I bought on Amazon. 

*Note, when buying a cube shelf and bins be sure the size of the bins will fit in the squares of the shelf.  I noticed different size bins when I picked out mine and had to make sure they would fit the shelf I picked out. .
 
        

The cubed shelves had to be assembled and I was able to enlist the help of my teenage son, who loves to build things. 



4. Put everything away 
Using the new storage solutions, I was able to put everything away in an organized manner.  These are the after photos. 

Left Side


Right Side

Do you share storage space with your family members? Let me know in the comments.

Want to see more?
 I've teamed up with some other RV Bloggers sharing their RV organization tips. 


* Cool, Mom, and Collected - Spice Rack
* Unravelled Thyme - Fridge Organization
* Big Hearts Tiny Spaces - Kids Clothing Storage & Organization
* Adventures with Tucknae - Jewelry Organization  
* Stairs Up Handle In - Bathroom Storage Ideas 

See our RV Switch 




Babies Don’t Keep

Babies Don’t Keep
Sometimes, you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
— Dr. Seuss

It's hard to believe we are almost 6 months into full time RV living.  But it's harder to believe how time passes so quickly when raising our children.  Did you know some of our children were not crazy about the idea of traveling in an RV?  In this Blog we share what we did to help our children get excite our children about our big life change. 
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