Monday 11 March 2019

Good Ideas and Storage


One of my best ideas came to me in Asda the week after the Shopping Haul Challenge on my other blog.  Perusing the homeware shelves I had spotted hot water bottles in cosy 'jumpers'.  I thought they would most likely be pretty welcome in the Van during the first few months of the open season. ... and then again during the last.

So I called back in the next time I was fuelling the car, and lo and behold there they were reduced to clear at just £5 each.  I can honestly say this has been the best ten pounds I have spent over the last few months.

I pop both onto my side of the bed sometime during the evening when I'm here alone, and then once we go to bed I move one to the edge of Suky's little dog mat on the bed, but still under the duvet, and the other stays by my feet while I read for a while and then goes in between me and Suky for shared warmth.

In their little 'jumpers' the bottles are good to cuddle up to without risking a burn and stay lovely and warm all through the night.


So warm in fact that I use the water out of them to wash the first pots of the morning.  We're not on metered water here, but I still don't like to waste any if it can be used for something else.


An area of storage that I absolutely love is hidden under the king sized bed.


It's this huge space ... the full size of the bed.  Which cleverly lifts up easily with just one hand and lowers equally simply. 

At the moment it looks pretty full, but that's mostly because the twin beds aren't made up so all their bedding ... Winter and Summer duvets, mattress protectors, four pillows and four bedding sets are all under here, as well as the Summer duvet for our bed and four spare pillows in case we decide we ever need to use the pull out double bed, that is hidden under a couple of the sofa seats in the living room.

Talking of the living room, there is also a huge void for storage under the rest of the sofa seats but this is empty, we just don't have any 'stuff' that needs storing ... and hopefully it's going to stay that way.


And talking about storage ... the little homemade shelf in the kitchen is working out brilliantly. 


As is the idea for having some fruit and vegetables out in a basket on the worktop for the few days ahead.  Seeing what you have makes you want to use it.  Since this photo was taken though I have used some of the garlic, so the rest of the cloves were seperated and popped into a little box in the freezer.  I find garlic stores much better this way.


Sue xx


19 comments:

  1. Those hotties are splendid - what a great thing to find.
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're the perfect colour to match the van too ... it's funny how a little thing like that can make something even better 🙂

      Delete
  2. I love my hot water bottles too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am loving the water bottle cozies!!! What a splendid idea!!! And so super cute! I also love your under the bed storage! What a great concept! Annster's Domain

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The underbed storage is fantastic. I've always shied away from this type of bed, but now I'm converted. We need this in our little retirement flat too, once we live there as there's absolutely no storage there!

      Delete
  4. I have always loved my hot water bottles too as I don't like to have heating on in the bedroom. Heather

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly. I can't sleep with any heat in the bedroom, I need nice cool air to breathe, so these are perfect.

      Delete
  5. I have 2 of similar hot water bottles I got them a few years ago in the January Sales from WHSmith we take them with us on our Van holidays and also use them at home when it's cold. When we had our static I kept board games under the seats and our wellies, spare shoes, slow cooker and bbq. We had under the bed storage but back in the 80's they didn't have hydraulic struts. Great use of storage and glad your other extra storage is working xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brilliant aren't they 🙂

      It would be no use putting my wellies in storage at the moment, they are by the door ready for doggy walks. The place is very wet with all this rain and I need the wellies for riverside walks ... and jumping in puddles 😄

      Delete
    2. A girl after my own heart, I love jumping in puddles with my 2 grandsons and I always take them to the coast out of season for a paddle in the sea xx

      Delete
  6. I have a hot water bottle with a cover almost identical, only that I knitted it with some leftover yarn a few years ago. I do love a hot water bottle but hubby not so keen so don't get used that much. Having come across it in our motorhome a couple of weeks ago I was only thinking I might make some more knitted covers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're just like little polo neck jumpers aren't they, funnily enough I was only looking at one the other day thinking 'I could do with a jumper like that for me' 😄

      Delete
    2. Ha ha, could probably knit you one of those too!!

      Delete
  7. I have trouble commenting many days (iPad issue I think) but wanted to let you know that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your tour of your new caravan home. Really lovely and efficient. I hope that you will be very, very happy and I look forward to following your adventure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have trouble commenting on a couple of blogs too, funny how things work isn't it. I'm glad you managed this time though, it's lovely to hear from you, and thank you for your good wishes 🙂

      Delete
  8. I lived in my touring caravan for 5 years - absolutely loved it - and was amazed at the amount of storage space in there. What a shame that designers of houses don't have regular meetings with caravan designers.
    I'm now encouraged by you to buy 2 hot water bottles and look for a suitable knitting pattern, to furnish my next purchase - a campervan. One bottle for me, one for the dog! Thank you - and sincere good wishes for your future years in your lovely caravan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's funny you should say that,the last flat my eldest son rented had been fitted out by his landlord, who worked for a caravan fitting company. The kitchen although only about eight foot square and a walkway from the back door, which was the main entrance, to the living room AND had the bathroom off it, was fitted out so well that all Simon's things were tucked away with space to spare and all his appliances were able to be tucked out of sight in cupboards. I was like a child in a sweet shop the first time I went round there opening and closing all the cupboards :-)

      I have clicked Follow on your blog and hope to see some photos of the camper when you get it.

      Delete
    2. Oo-er! I'd better pull my finger out and get blogging regularly again, then; my blogging mojo seems to have done a runner lately. I'm hoping the adventures in the campaervan will set me up again - and I'll definitely be putting photos on the blog. Probably bore everyone to death, rabbiting on about it. I hope my little rescue dog will take to the change in style - he took to tent camping like a good 'un.

      Delete

Comments are now turned off for this old blog of mine. Thank you for reading the posts, I hope you enjoyed them. xx

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.