Off-Grid Desert Homestead Resources

Hi friends, just introducing ourselves 👋 We're Jonathan & Ashley from Tiny Shiny Home.

Once upon a time we lived in a normal suburban life in a normal house in a normal subdivision. But as our kids got to school age we realized we wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.

So we started homeschooling them, sold our house, and started traveling the country in an RV. This was a huge risk! We had never set foot in an RV let alone driven one. We had years worth of stuff accumulated that we had to get rid of.

But we set off on an amazing adventure that changed us forever.

The first year was a good start - we visited some amazing places, but with such a large rig we felt like we had traded one subdivision for a dumpier one by having to stay in campgrounds. We loved the places we visited, but not the home we came back to.

It wasn’t until we experienced boondocking or camping without hookups that things begin to click into place. We fell in love with the views, the solitude, and the freedom of living off-grid.

We sold the big RV and bought a 1972 vintage Airstream, renovated it for extended off-grid camping, and spent the next 3 years visiting and living in some of the most beautiful places you could imagine.

5 years and 100,000 miles later, our kids were getting even older, and our Tiny Shiny Home was getting tinier by the day. Ashley and Adali had a dream of a small homestead - a place we could put down roots and become more self sufficient.

Camping in all those beautiful, untouched places had ruined us, though. There was no way we could go back to a normal house.

After lots of discussions and research, we bought 11 acres of undeveloped land in South East Arizona, and are currently building an off-grid homestead from the ground up using natural building methods and permaculture inspired designs. We’re doing it together as a family, making videos on YouTube, and are sharing everything we learn along the way.

Some of our most popular videos are article are:

Hyperadobe Earthbag Solar Shed Office Build https://youtu.be/I9mYlHBez0Y

DIY Off-Grid Solar Wiring Installation https://tinyshinyhome.com/diy-off-grid-solar-system

Shelter Logic Garage-in-a-Box Rebuilds https://tinyshinyhome.com/shelter-logic-rebuild

Permaculture Berms & Swales https://tinyshinyhome.com/permaculture-berms-swales

Airstream Metal Truss Carport w Rainwater Catchment and Solar Power https://tinyshinyhome.com/airstream-metal-truss-carport-permanent-trailer-site

Mini VRM Remone Monitored 12V System Installation https://tinyshinyhome.com/remote-mini-vrm-system

Gray Water Septic Build https://tinyshinyhome.com/gray-water-septic

While most of the knowledge we share is freely available, we do have some supplemental paid products over at https://products.tinyshinyhome.com if you're interested.

imagine my excitement seeing you on here.  i started watching yall after seeing you with my little homestead, whom i have watched since their first earthbag build.  permies is an awesome place to be with an awesome group of people.  just want to say i love what you all are doing and how awesome you seem to be doing with those wonderful kids.  i often refer parents who say  they cant do stuff because of their children to my little homestead and you guys.  it is so refreshing to see kids learning how to live and think for themselves rather then just exist and do what they are told.  thank you for all you do.

Aww thanks so much Lisa - that means a lot Glad to be here!