The plan!

So, a decision needed to be made, are we going to stay in our house, or are we selling up and living freely on our land....
We have decided to stay for now, however, we have our names down at a sailing port about 20 mins away, and have 2 years left to wait for a place - so it's a VERY good compromise. 
Just one thing, we'd better get saving up for a boat!
I found a renovation project (boat) last week, it was a 20m iron sailing boat, at a bargain price of 5k, no surprise it's been sold already!  However, I think our maximum size at the port is 15/16m, as we would have to moor at the pontoon rather than a buoy, as we have young children, so I must be sure not to get carried away when I'm looking, lol!

Recycling and gardening in one!

Well, we've not used the BBQ in ages as we don't eat meat (even though I bought it with the intention of cooking lots of lovely veggies burgers on it), and in the summer we prefer cold veg rather than roasted/BBQ'd veg, so....we have a new salad bar, lol!

This week hubby will be digging up some of the side garden so he can fill an old wheel barrow with soil (packing the hole with left over rubble from when we built the patio), and it will be filled with strawberry plants grown by his mum.  I need to crack on and get some rotavating done too as I've 200 young spring onions to put in, green beans, radish, carrots, and peas to sow, followed by a variety of herbs and some tomato plants to pot.  How I LOVE this time of year!

Long time no post, still thinking!

So, it's been aaaages since I last blogged!  In the time between then and now, we have finally managed to come up with a plan to extend our house, making the most of the size we're allowed to add on (36m2)....therefore, a decision needs to be made - spend a few more years here and create more equity in our home, or break free and find ourselves an alternate, free living home?!
We've had some cracking storms this winter, with several days of hurricane force winds, we were VERY lucky to only have damage to trees and nothing structural.  It does worry me how we would manage when the winds return next winter if we're in a caravan/truck/bus!  Many local fields flooded too and are only now drying out - over a month later!  Ours were very wet, and one of our horses suffered with it.  So there are also plans of moving our field shelter to where our garden chalet is as there is a concrete base which is perfect for standing on when it's wet, and we could add on a goat and chicken house without going over the allowed size (20m2).
We need to write up a list of pros and cons, and we need to come up with a back up plan - what if we sell and alternate living doesn't work out, would we really be able to start again?
I was reading another alternate blog a few days ago, one of the reasons many people don't go for the free lifestyle of not being tied to a house, is fear, I don't want to be held back by my own fears and worries....

It's a caravan....

....no, it's a mobile home....no, it's a.... TRUCK?! 
Love this, if we could create/covert a truck and it be as beautiful and functional as the one in the link is, then we will be very happy!  It has slides outs (dining and sofa area) AND a full solar roof, amazing!!!!

Alternate living is back in the game!

Spoke to hubby this morning, and the fact we would be MORTGAGE FREE, be able to build a fancy trailer/convert a bus AND buy a boat is enough to spur us on....I spotted a beautiful boat online last week, and hubby keeps mentioning it (when we met, he was due to leave France and go sailing around the world, going from job to job, but obviously he didn't). 
Although it would be hard living in such a small space, when we already feel like sardines squeezed into our 4 bed detached house, with an integral garage, a garden chalet/garage, various (small) outbuildings/shelters for our animals, it would give us the way of life we desperately crave....
I can't begin to imagine what an impact it will have on our girls, being more with nature and less with a screen in front of them, showing more respect to our resources (cause we will be off grid so electric and water will limited), sailing wherever and whenever the mood takes us (as long as we have pet sitters lol). 
I know it feels like too big an adventure, what if we don't enjoy it, what if we regret it....but I can't see a reason for any regrets, or any reasons why we wouldn't enjoy it!

The latest purchase!

So, below there should be a video of our new purchase, 2 acres of gorgeousness!  

In case I'm being a bit backwards (highly likely) and the video doesn't work, I will post a photo too ;)

Wow, time for an update!

Well, the last time I blogged I was happy to share the news of my new job....6 weeks in I was made redundant :(  I was sooooo happy there, and the other staff and the boss were great!  However, business wasn't doing well and myself and the other newest member of the team had to be laid off. 
I'm back job hunting, but it has got me thinking.... this year, between my seasonal job and the new job, I had been working full time hours, which is busy when you're a mum too, and even more busy when you've got so many animals and several plots of land to look after!!!! 
I would love to not need the money, but bills to pay and all that....But, what if....what if we did it, what if we just went for it, and converted a bus or a trailer, or got a boat, there would be no mortgage, no utility bills (self sufficient), even the council tax would be minimal as we'd be living as gypsies on our own agricultural land.  Oh I wish I was brave enough to just jump right into the adventure rather than being sooooo cautious and unsure!