The Issues with the “Supposedly Tiny” ~ Goodnight Moon ~ Storybook Bedroom

Source ~ This bedroom is enormous. There is no one, I think, who has not noticed this. As someone who has lived in apartments only slightly larger than “a little toy house,” it’s mildly vexing that this bedroom is the size of a banquet hall in Downton Abbey.

This post from “The Ugly Volvo” is simply a hilarious look at the children’s book “Goodnight Moon” house as if it was real. The blogger doesn’t share her name, but in her words ~ “A writer and stand up comic raising a child in Jersey City. I live in a two bedroom apartment that I foolishly thought would be big enough for three people and a dog and all of the stuff that comes along with having a baby. Clearly, I am an idiot.”

I love her take on this book and how she compares it to the reality of living in a small apartment ~ just like hundreds of thousands of folks have been living in tiny apartments, in large cities for years now. It’s simply all they can afford. Sixty years ago, it was standard to live in a 1000SF or smaller home with 2-4 kids in one bedroom. Our “Tiny House Movement” is not new or not even a trend really. Just because we put a “well built” home on wheels doesn’t make it a movement. Well, technically it can move, but it seems like most Tiny Homes on wheels are parked in one place and happy to find that! Very few folks will actually take the tiny home~owner plunge, but according to Multifamily Executive, as of 2013, the average apartment size in the US today is only 982 square feet. That still meets our personal Shiny Tiny size limit of 1000SF and under.

Remind you of anyplace? LOL!!! OK, we don’t refer to Shiny Tiny Mansion as a Storybook Cottage for no reason. Let’s all lighten up a little when we talk about this “Tiny House Movement.” There are no arbitrary size rules and you can live a more minimal, easier life if you just think smaller. All the press the movement gets is overblown just like the press does with everything, so let’s calm down and just try to live a simpler life because it makes life better.

Sue and I have some big news to share soon ~ (No, she is not pregnant!! Dear God, NO! ;)). Our younger followers seem to live a bit more of a carefree lifestyle. We remember that, and we want to grab hold of it with them. For those of us in our mid 50’s, life can become mundane at best and unhealthy at least with stressful work projects, false commitments, and unhealthy coping habits that seem like an endless downward spiral. Even here at Shiny Tiny the stress is far too high. So, we are starting a year-long experiment in even smaller living, minimizing the unnecessary, getting healthy on the cheap, and following our passion to a creative and more meaningful life. We are giving ourselves 1 year, but the goal is to make this permanent by habit and emotional wealth. We will share all the details by the end of this month. Looking forward to taking all of you along with us on the journey.

Cheers for now, Ron

via All of my Issues With the “Goodnight Moon” Bedroom – The Ugly Volvo.