Organizing A Trailer While Keeping Me Company

 2012 27' FB International Signature, How I Organize our Airstream, Oliver  10 Responses »
Jan 232013
 

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We are going on three years of proudly being Airstreamer’s and I am STILL trying to get the inside organization of our trailer just right. During each trip I find things that I should have organized better in addition to finding things that I haven’t used in a long time. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to spend some time in my Airstream, with Oliver (♥) to help get things together in a practical organized way not only for our ski trip coming up, but for all future trips (but the ski trip definitely has me excited – 10 days of glamping in the snow).

I began my organizing (or re-organizing) in the kitchen while Oliver watched my every move . . .

My cutlery drawer now.  I was able to add some more knives and spoons as well as our egg cups to this drawer since I moved some other items into the drawer below.  The thing that’s great about these drawers is that they are deep so you can actually place some items upright (egg cups and small saucers) and still be able to close the drawer.  I also decided it was time for my sushi mat to go since in three years I have never made sushi!

♥

I have found that using containers to hold smaller items in addition to a larger one to hold cooking utensils has really optimized my space in this drawer.  I’ve also discovered that my pastry cutter works just as well, if not better than my potato masher so there you go — two uses in one and good bye to the potato masher :)

So this was pretty exciting to find.  A collapsible salad spinner I found at the store called Ross for $19.99.

. . .  and speaking of Ross I also found these colorful steak knives for only $15.99 from Laguiole.

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How I have organized the top drawer in my pull out cabinet in the kitchen . . .

I can probably say that I feel like I am FINALLY happy with the organization of the cabinet above the pull outs in the kitchen.  The storage in these cabinets are long and deep (and dark – which is why I have those LED battery lights from Costco).  I thought I had organized it before so well but found during cooking on our trips that if I needed something from way in the back — every item in the front had to come out.  Ugh.  After a while it became a total mess in there and I knew there just had to be a better way to organize this awkward space.

Thanks to the Container Store, I am pretty happy with these plastic pull out bins.  They are sturdy, stay put (with the help of non-skid shelf liner) and the top bin slides over the bottom one allowing me to be able to see, and easily access my pantry staples.  I feel pretty confident I can check the organization of this space off my list :)

This bamboo dish dryer fits perfectly in the sink.  I am hoping it will function as extra counter space while I am cooking as well as doubling as a strainer of sorts to wash fruits and veggies.

I added this round mirror to the bathroom.  I always felt sorry for B having to stand there brushing his teeth or hair and not being able to see himself (even though he insisted he could see his reflection in the aluminum).  This mirror solves that problem and since I applied it to the wall with velcro, it can easily double as a hand held mirror if need be.

These two remotes look alike yet are very different.  Hubby and I would sit there (especially after a glass of wine – or two) trying to figure out which one was for the DVD and which one was for the TV.   By labeling them, life is a little simpler now :)

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Like with our last Airstream on our ski trip, we keep our ski boots under the dinette/lounge area.  I can tell you that the furnace on this Airstream is POWERFUL.  It blows some serious hot air, especially under the dinette.  So hot in fact that my helmet was close enough to the vent that the heat melted the little clip that holds my goggles in place right off.  Yikes.

This system of keeping our boots here to dry off works so well.  Not only do they dry quickly but nothing feels better than being able to slip on a pair of ski boots that are toasty warm and then stepping out into the cold snow outside.

So there you have it.  Three years along and still trying to get everything right but I can honestly say, I truly enjoy it.

The next organization I have to tackle will be the hall closet, then under our bed (which lifts up to quite a bit of storage room) and lastly the overhead cabinets.

If you have any organizational tips I would LOVE to hear from you.

xoxo

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When the Mountains Call

 2012 27' FB International Signature, Mt. Rainier National Park  10 Responses »
Oct 022012
 

Just a few weeks ago we said goodbye to our beloved Airstream.

As I shut her door for the last time I was surprised by the flood of emotions that run through me.  It was honestly a very bittersweet moment for me handing the keys over to the new owners because, afterall, she was my lucky charm.  From being the star in the 2012 Airstream Marketing Brochure to her trusty little kitchen which inspired me to publish “An Airstream Travel Trailer’s Storybook of Recipes, Vol. 1” the memories, inspirations and happiness she brought my family and I will never be forgotten.

However, I am happy to know that she is in good hands with her new family that has an agenda of future trips to places hubby, B and I could only dream of going.  So off she goes and we say goodbye knowing that her next chapter in adventures has only just begun.

Focusing on the future now, I would like to introduce you to:

our new 2012 27′ FB International Signature. She is a very different animal in both size and interior design (as far as colors and finishes go).  It took me a while to get used to her and figure out what she liked and didn’t like.  There were a few days I didn’t even go inside because I was frustrated.  Goodbye to my fun magnetic colorful balls I adored so much.  Goodbye to suction cups everywhere displaying my funky colorful kitchen gadgets.

They were not going to work in this Airstream.  That was for sure.

So that is when I decided that a true “glamping” theme was in order for this Airstream.  From the dark elegant wood and glossy white overhead cabinets complete with interior led lights and opaque sliding doors there was no question that a glamorous theme was most appropriate here.

Our first trip with her was to beautiful Mt. Rainier.  Specifically White River Campground.  This was the last weekend this breathtaking campground would be open and lucky for us, we found the perfect site:  D29

~ A view of Mt. Rainier in the distance and White River down below

~ Still trying to figure out a system for storing cutlery and the like

~ White magnetic board with white spice holders; Kuhn Rikon (super sharp) colorful knives I found at Uwajimaya; and a blue kitchen timer from Kikkerland; a row of oils and vinegars

~ Stainless steel drink ware is the way I decided to go this time.  Easy to clean, looks elegant and retains the temperature of hot or cold beverages amazing well.  Microwave is a keeper too.

~ Still trying to figure out the best practical way to wash dishes in the single round sink.  At this moment, I miss my double sinks.

~ Bedding set from Bliss Living (Ashley Citron Duvet Set)

~ Bedside acrylic lamps from Target.  Our yellow sleeping pillows are in the overhead lockers and at night we swap them out for the decorative ones on the bed.  We also have the Nintendo Wii in this room.

In addition to enjoying our new Airstream and figuring out how everything works we also experienced two incredible hikes.  Our first day we hiked Sunrise.  This place was amazing with rocky, glacial filled landscapes.  Reminded me very much of Switzerland here except for the lack of cows.  From White River Campground, Sunrise is a short 12 mile drive away.  I say short because time goes by quickly as you are in awe of the incredible landscape that surrounds you.

~ Shadow Lake taken from above and then from down below

That is Ranger Dave thinking of an alternative way we can get up closer to the glacier.  Turns out if that’s what we had in mind, a hike to Glacier Basin was in order.    We were happy to hear that because the trail head to Glacier Basin was located in the White River Campground.

When we came back to camp I snapped some shots of of the exterior of the Airstream in all her glory here.  I also took some pictures of some of the things we like on our 2012 that we did not have on our 2006.  For example, we now have a propane outlet on the front of the Airstream to where we can hookup a gas grill or propane campfire.  Airstream gives you a nice long hose for this as well.  I also like that we have two power plug ins.  One is located in the usual spot on the side but the second is located on the front of the Airstream.

The media system in the Airstream comes with Bluetooth connectivity as well as a Pandora app programmed into it.  You simply connect your phone, turn on Pandora and the media system takes over.  It displays your channels and you can control the songs through the buttons.  You can skip Pandora and just listen to your music on your phone too.  You can also connect your ipod to it as well and the entire front face of the radio/media system opens up so your ipod can slide right in.  Also a microphone comes with the media player so if you want to send and receive calls — you can do so through the system.  Not sure we’ll be needing that, but still a convenient option if you work out of your Airstream.

The BlueRay DVD player also comes with a feature for USB connectivity so you can play movies from your handheld device as well.  There seems to be many options that I still need to explore.  For now, however, we watch our movies through my ipod which is plugged into the back of the TV.

~ A truck comes by at dusk to offer campers firewood

~ Wildflowers B called “Grinch” flowers on our Sunrise hike; Nespresso U espresso maker; acrylic utensil caddy 

~ Glitter glass colorful plates from TJ Maxx.  Wish I would have bought more when I found these a while ago.

~ Exploring White River with access from the campground

The next morning we wake up completely refreshed thanks to our comfortable bed and the sound of the soothing river outside.

We begin our day with a seven mile hike up to base camp.  Seven miles up and a few hours later we arrive at Glacial Basin Camp.  Here is where you will find mountaineers gearing up for a hike to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier.  I was in complete awe knowing that this was the end of the trail (for us) and what was beyond was a world of pure beauty and mystery.  To hike beyond here you must be incredibly experienced.  It seemed to be so close, yet so far and all at once magical.

With only four models of the 2012 International Signature in the entire U.S.A., I would like to give a big thanks to Airstream of Seattle for assisting us in the purchase of our new Airstream.  Thank you Craig, CJ, Shelby and Roy! !

Our weekend spent at Mt. Rainier was one we will always remember from getting up close and personal with our Airstream to the two most beautiful heart pumping hikes we have experienced in quite sometime, this is a place we will definitely come back to.