CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS DAY. MONTAUK!

I know, I know, I am very late for the Christmas post bandwagon.

This saltwater mama here hates the cold, but it was about time we spent the holidays in Montauk, my and Tobias’ hometown. I didn’t really have to do anything as far as decoration goes; Debra, my mother-in-law did most everything and all we had to add were the gifts under the tree!

It was a pretty chill couple days, we all just stayed in enjoying each other’s
company (and waiting for Santa, of course). Nana read stories and we
cozied up with eggnog and other christmas-y treats.

Hope you all had a great Christmas! Angus’ birthday is now on the 28th, so there’s still more fun to come.

LIFE UPDATE: 4 YEARS LATER.

And you thought you had seen the last of me. Since my last post on this blog so much has changed. I got married to my best friend, moved to my dream home in my dream place, got pregnant one more time and adopted two dogs. So here we are: Hawaii. It just fits our family so well.
What happened to me? Am I crazy? That woman whose dream was to travel the world and never settle, always seeking adventure. Thing is: I changed. The realization came to me 4 years ago, once I realized we had been docked in the same place for four whole months, because I just didn’t feel the need to leave. I had settled. I found my home not in a place like I always thought it worked, but in a person, in a feeling. If I told myself that seven years ago, I would have laughed at my own face. Now, it just seems natural. So this brings us to the present: we’ve landed, and this time for good.

xx Io

This post has been long overdue, right? I finally got myself to take all the pictures of our small, floating home. In a previous post I explained how the house came to be – but I never got to show you guys what it looked like from the inside. Well, let’s get to it:

The outside: our “yard”, full of small plants and a cozy spot to get that vitamin D going! The “birdie” wind bells is Angus’ favorite thing.

Here we got the living room and the view from the kitchen counter. Everything is mashed up into one big environment since we suffer a bit from the lack of room. Optimizing the use of space is essencial for living like this, and to be honest, I am still learning (so forgive the mess haha). Look at all the toys scattered around!

More pictures of the kitchen, dining space, and the boat navigation area. Can you spot my little sailor?

Last but not least, the bedroom, where I keep the most clutter. I may or may not qualify for that hoarders show (shhhh).

That’s where we live! It’s small but it’s a home, and the best thing is we get to go wherever we like with it. I hope you enjoyed this little tour, and if you’d like to know anything else, just hop in my ask box! See you all soon.

xx Io

messy fun

The weather was fairly good here in New York so I took those old paint tubes out so Angus and I could make artists out of ourselves. I really like messy play and activities that stimulate using hands and actually making something (even if this something consists of splotches of paint all over Angus! Hahaha).

I had a washable playmat spread into our little “yard”, and I gave Angus freedom to do whatever he wanted with the paint. At this stage children are still discovering colors, textures and most importantly, their own senses, which makes such activities essential to their development. And let’s face it, it’s too much fun!

The boy ended up looking like he was dipped into paint, who knows how, which meant a very colorful bathtub later!

xx Io

home.

Hello, how is everyone? Today I’m here to talk a little about our small home, the SS Jupiter, as I like to call her. This houseboat has been my faithful companion for over 3 years, way before my boy Angus was even a thought.

I bought the boat structure in a clearance sale from a very shady seller and had to rebuild the house part almost entirely. Thank goodness the engine was in good condition! After a lot of trip to building & construction stores (and a few tears and anger fits), and with the help of Tobias and my dad, we turned a total disaster into this:

As I travelled around, I collected almost all the pieces of furniture and decoration I have. Now, the house is filled to the brim with children’s toys!

This is our home. The scenario is not always the same, but the warm feeling you get when you arrive home is just as a land one. Hope you loved it as much as I do!

I still want to do a complete tour of the inside, so stay tuned!

xx Io

Shots of a beautiful and funfilled day!

It’s a good thing when your best friend is a skilled photographer. I think I abuse him too much! Ain’t the pictures beautiful, though?

follow Tobias on instagram: @tobias.trent

first, introductions

Well, hello world! This is Io Martin speaking. I’m 26, a single mom to little Angus, who is now 13 months old.

I was born in Durham, North Carolina, and moved around a lot. Maybe that is why I’ve never been one to settle in just one place. After graduating college, I gathered my savings and bought a houseboat, and have been living here eversince, sailing to all kinds of places. Then Angus came along and suddenly this captain had gotten a wild haired, curious and lively little imediate.

In this blog I hope to fill you in about how it is to live at sea, as well as life updates, my personal parenting experience and much more. Join me on deck!

Io xx