Homemade laundry detergent

7/22/14

I posted last week 5 things I was going to be trying over the next few weeks.  Naturally, I waited until today to figure out which to make.  I intended to make ketchup.... until I read the recipe I picked and realized it would take 12 hours (you use a crock pot).  Then I thought, OH, I'll make mayo, and we'll have it for lunch on our sandwiches-- but then I read the mayo recipe and found that they use a RAW egg.  I don't think raw eggs are probably THAT bad, but I'm not messing around when I'm pregnant.  So, I'm going to need more time to search for a recipe.  I didn't do shampoo because I want to use it more than once before I can give a reliable review..... and finally, there aren't any mosquitos out this morning to test out homemade bug spray.  Lesson I learned? Don't wait until the last minute.  That's a familiar lesson.... and I keep thinking I've learned it.... Welp, there's always next time.

ANYWAY.... I decided to post on laundry detergent!  I've been making our laundry detergent for 4 yearsISH, and so I think I can give a decent review.  I love it.  It's SUPER cheap (like 5 cents a load?!) and, I think probably better for your skin. Plus, I'm not forking it over for Dreft for my kids; and I don't want a harsh detergent for them.

I make the powder kind. Always.  I have looked into the liquid kind, I think it looks like a bunch of extra work.

Here's what I do.

I put a bar of fels naptha soap in my vitamix and ground it all up. I recommend using some kind of food processor.  You could also use a cheese grater-- and I used to do that, but I started hating my life, so I quit.

This is fels naptha soap. It's found in the laundry aisle in case you're unfamiliar =)

Then after I ground that all up, I pour it into a bowl and add 1 cup of Borax. This is Borax, also found in the laundry aisle.

and then I mix in 1 cup of WASHING soda... not to be confused with baking soda.

This is washing soda, found in the same aisle (isn't THAT convenient? ;)) I used to have some trouble finding this where I used to live, but now the Walmart I live near always has it.

And finally, I don't use this, but I'm going to use it in my next batch, which I will be making on the next rainy day...

This is Oxi Clean.... (guess where it's found?)

I've been looking online at all different laundry detergents-- you can find a lot of info! AND, I'm finding that a lot of people really like adding oxi clean, so that's why I'm going to try it next time.  Many people also add stuff to make it smell, but I don't really care about that.  I think we smell fine ;).  I also think we have clean clothes using this detergent.  And, if there's a reason we don't, it's usually because we've spilled on them and haven't changed. The four of us are good at spilling on ourselves.

My current recipe I'm very happy with.

1 bar fels naptha soap grated

1 cup washing soda

1 cup borax

Mix it all together, and it will look something like this..... Per load I use about 1 1/2 tbsp of powder.

Last time I made a massive recipe and filled this entire container.  This is what's left... ...I don't think I've made laundry detergent for a loooooooong time (probably just under a year).  I'm just starting to run out.

Ok, and here's the recipe I will be using this next time I make it....

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax
1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm and Hammer washing soda
1 (3 lb) Container of Oxiclean
2 (5.5 oz) Bars of Fels naptha soap
1 (5 lb) Bag of Arm and Hammer baking soda.

I'm excited to try a new one and see how I like it!

Do you have a homemade laundry soap you love? I'd love to hear the recipe!

-Melanie

Pregnancy brain, beach, and a little boy afraid of swimming....

6/19/14

I know.  It's Thursday night.  I totally forgot what day it was and that I try to post on Thursdays.  I blame pregnancy brain.  When I was pregnant with Caleb I would forget something, and everyone would say "Oh that's just pregnancy brain".  I'd usually say.... "No I'm ALWAYS like this" but then I started taking advantage of it.  You know, same as going to the bathroom all the time.  I've gone to the bathroom ALL THE TIME my whole life, but I thought being pregnant would be the PERFECT excuse to go a lot. Before it was just weird "You have to go again??" someone might ask, but when I was pregnant people were much more understanding.  Although, I also thought when I was pregnant I wouldn't have to go even more than normal (I didn't think it was possible) unfortunately, I was wrong.  A person CAN go every 10 minutes.  Anyway, back to pregnancy brain.  I actually am starting to believe it's a thing.  I forget EVERYTHING lately, and it's super frustrating. I have always been forgetful, but lately it's been ridiculous.  I am starting to wonder what getting older is going to be like when I'm already having significant memory issues.  Oh well, I hope to have a lot of kids, and hopefully one of them will take care of me ... or they can trade off if I'm too difficult .... or Ben can until he's too old.

So, how am I doing while Ben is away?  Glad you asked!  Better than expected.  On Tuesday my parents and I took the kiddos to the beach.  I figured if there were 3 adults to 2 kids, we'd be good.

This is what the beach looks like when you go on a cloudy and windy morning..... empty!  Now, I know I didn't get down by the water, but there was pretty much nobody there (the people you do see are my parents if you're wondering).  We were a little worried when we exited the car and almost blew away, but the wind died down pretty quickly.  Before we left, I was picturing our beach trip turning sour when I thought Caleb would get sunscreen in his eye and then wipe his sandy hand on it while squinting in the bright sun.... oh, combined with crying from the sand being too hot.  BUT, when it's cooler and cloudy, you have WAY less issues.

My dad walked Grace all over the place, and she even fell asleep.  She has SUCH an awesome grandpa.  (he walked with her twice for a loooong time each time)  He even rescued the sandal she took off!

And here's Caleb enjoying playing in the sand.  I tried to build a sand castle, but every time I would put a piece up, he would knock it over...... Oh, and now you can see how empty it was.  Although, it did get sunny as the day went on, and more people showed up around lunch time... apparently their children don't nap =)

And, one day this week I found out Gracie looooooooves the water!  She's so stinkin sweet I can't even handle it!!

Caleb is terrified of the water...well, of swimming.  So, I'm debating my options to break him of this phobia since being afraid of swimming is just not ok.  Basically, he likes getting his feet and legs wet and will dump buckets on himself, but going into water is apparently terrifying.  Do I take him to a pool and just go for it and he'll snap out of it and think, "OH, this is SO fun!" OR, will that make it worse?  Do I wait until next year? Will waiting until next year make him scared forever?! Do I give him swimming lessons and let the lifeguard deal with his meltdown!? Do I push him in a pool on "accident" ??

I JUST DON'T KNOW. (ok, I know the last one isn't a good idea....)

Please advise,

Melanie =)

My eyes have problems. Big problems.

6/17/14

My eyes have problems.  And guess what?  It's my children's fault.  I went to the eye doctor a while ago (a few months?) and he basically told me this is my lot in life-- TO BE STUCK IN GLASSES FOREVER.  Isn't that terrible?  He told me that people with my problem (hormones from being pregnant throwing off my eyes and making them SUPER dry) usually can get by wearing contacts through the first pregnancy but then have more issues the more kids they have.  I only had a little trouble during my pregnancy with Grace but basically wore contacts the entire time (and at that time I had no idea pregnancy  had anything to do with it).  At this last appointment after I was hearing this HORRIBLE news, I yelled at the eye doctor... "BUT CHILDREN ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A BLESSING!!!" and he yelled back.... "BUT, WE'RE UNDER THE CURSE!!" Amen?  Amen.  My hope.... my DREAM, is that once I have this baby, I can somehow get back into contacts.  And if I can't get back into contacts....... I guess I'll be in glasses forever since those are pretty much my options.  No glasses isn't a good idea for me since I can't see anything.  It's an emergency.  The other day I thought maybe I'd just try contacts again for a few hours or something because I figured MONTHS was long enough for my eyes to rest.... UM, it was a REALLY bad decision..... my eyes were burning so bad I could hardly get the contacts out again.  I don't think I'll be trying THAT again for a while.  I'll look on the bright side for a moment-- it's one less step before I can go to bed.  That's probably the only benefit of glasses.  Feel free to offer encouragement or a note of why you love glasses.

Pregnancy/bearing children can REALLY do a number on your body, can't it?! But you know what?  Children are the best thing ever, so no matter if it's vericose veins, being stuck in glasses, stretch marks, or one of a million other possible ailments, it's still worth it. Totally.  So, I won't gripe about it.  Maybe.  I'll try not to..... but when Grace grabs my glasses and puts her fingers on them and suddenly I can't see, or tries to rip them off my face when I'm holding her, OR even somehow gets them off my face and starts swinging them around while I'm trying to get them back as carefully as possible, it's REALLY hard not to have a meltdown.  Little kids + glasses = disaster. And I'm a mother of little kids... probably for a while.

Now that you know WHY I would choose to wear glasses, I hope you've learned, I didn't. HAHA. It happened to me. And now, I will leave you with a pretty funny video about going to the eye doctor.  It's funny because if you've been to the eye doctor, you can relate. It's from an overall pretty clean comedian, and that's pretty hard to come by, but he does say a couple words I wouldn't =) Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8GMFkc3iSA

-Melanie

10 ok, 11 ways to make dinner more enjoyable for everyone!

6/10/14

Dear Moms and dads,

I know that dinner can be hard for you to enjoy sometimes because often your children are running around like wild animals and no one wants to eat the food you've made.  There is lots of shouting, chaos and whining.  Since that's not fun for anyone, I wrote out 10 ways to make dinner more enjoyable for you and your family.  Please remember, you are the parent and your child is the child.  You CAN have rules that your children follow, and you should.

So, here they are.

1. Have dinner time with the whole family and make it a priority. (It doesn’t have to be EVERY day.... but a lot of days-- or pick a meal where everyone is home together if you have a weird work schedule. =))

2. Require everyone to sit at the table the ENTIRE meal.  Yes, from the beginning to the end.  (unless of course they’re causing a huge problem in which case removing them to a different, boring spot would be appropriate.... like when Grace is screaming and fussing at the table, we put her in her crib or put her highchair in a different room)  Requiring them to sit in their seat after they are finished eating waiting for others to finish is a good lesson. I want my kids to care about others. Also, kids need to LEARN to sit still.  If you let them run wild, they will.

3. Require everyone to eat the meal you’ve prepared. It’s not an option.  Kids can eat what you’ve prepared. I promise.

4. Limit snacks before dinner.  If you are having issues with kids not eating the meal, don’t let them have any food after lunch.  They will not starve between lunch and dinner no matter how dramatic they are, seriously.  Hungry kids eat better than full kids.  Make sense, doesn’t it?

5. If they don’t eat their meal don’t let them have anything else (Especially not dessert...). A lot of kids don’t eat dinner because they know if they hold off they’ll get something they like better later.

6.  Do not allow them to whine and fuss about what you’ve prepared and stop letting them choose what they want.  Make them a plate of food and hand it to them. No I'm not joking.   Dads... you can say,“This meal is delicious! Thanks for making it for us”  If dad is fussing, your kids will too.

7. Start slow if your kids are older and this is new.  Sit your kids down and tell them your new rules for the table and the consequences for not following them and be consistent.  They’ll get it.  They really will.

8. Use dinner time to talk about everyone’s day and let each person have a chance to say what they did, how they’re doing. etc Don't allow shouting and interrupting-- it's highly unpleasant for everyone.

9. Have family worship and involve your kids with questions, let them comment, and even sing songs!

10. Be on the same page as your spouse when it comes to dinner expectations!

ok, I'll throw in #11

11. Don't make gross food that no one likes. ;)

Dinner time should be a FUN family time, not a nightmare for everyone.  Train your kids to enjoy it and to enjoy food.  They’ll miss out if they’re picky forever....  Oh, and they'll make MUCH better dinner guests.

 

 

Monday, bathroom, and goofy

Happy Wednesday!

Monday was a SUPER great day, so I'll tell you about it.

1. I went grocery shopping by myself (I do this every Monday, but it's still amazing)

2. At Aldi the price of Hershey bars went down.  YES!!!  And, if you know me, you know I eat a lot of Hershey bars.  In fact, I just finished one.  It helps me blog...??? Whatever.

3. The checkout guy at Walmart tried to scan MY coffee mug ....again. HAHAHAHA. It gets me every time.  Seriously.  It doesn't even phase them that it's full when they pick it up.  

4.. Ben was home all day.  So, Monday is usually a good day anyway.

5. Ben and I got to go on a date (that's TWO Mondays in a row..... crazy!)!  We went to Bd's Mongolian Grill (which you may have seen on facebook), and it was DELICIOUS.  If you sign up for their Club Mongo, you get a FREE birthday meal.  That's a great deal... because Bd's ain't cheap!

6. Ben got me a mini ipad for my birthday, and it came Monday.  It was a HUGE surprise.  He felt bad he broke the last one because although it was "his" I used it ALL the time for cooking.  I usually cook from the internet, and having the computer in the kitchen is kind of hard.... and dangerous for spilling.  I thought it was so sweet of him.  Plus, he knows I would never buy one or say I wanted one.  It's better if he just gets it for me. ;)  He's the best.  And not just because he got me a present.  He's was the best before that... it just REMINDED me. haha. I'm just kidding. 

7. We went bowling after Bd's.... and I bowled a 74! I know...super bad.  I think I was distracted by the high schoolers next to us acting like the F word was a perfectly normal adjective to use.  

8. We stopped at Ikea too, and I bought more plastic plates, cups, bowls, and silverwear.  I LOVE their kid dishes.  The bad part was seeing someone wearing a shirt with the F word on it.  Ben and I decided that should be illegal.  That's JUST what I want people to be wearing when Caleb starts learning to read...... ?? "Hey Mom, what does F**** mean?!"  No thanks. 

Now, let's talk about bathrooms (I like when subjects flow naturally after all......).  I find it frustrating that restaurants have to have cutsey names on their bathroom doors.  I prefer walking into the bathroom with TOTAL confidence.  My favorite sign is a picture of a lady in a dress with a "WOMEN" sign above or below it.  You know why?  Because I never question if I'm going in the right door. 

We go to Northwoods occassionally and I think I've got it now, but the first 5 times I went, I had a panic attack every time because the door says "Doe".  I know, I know, everyone knows doe is a female deer.  BUT, you do NOT want to walk in the wrong bathroom, so even if you think you know it, you second guess yourself. (I am QUEEN of second guessing myself and freaking out) I seriously sang "Doe a deer, a FEMALE deer" every time before entering.  Why do they do that to me?  Bd's had "Mongals" on the door.  It's OK, but you have to focus for a second to be sure.  Ben said he once went to a place where they had the male and female signs-- you know, the arrow or the cross on the bottom.  Those were the ONLY signs for the bathroom. I burst out laughing-- that is CRAZY!!!  If you are unsure of the signs google "gender signs".  I just did it (since I'm second guessing my description of the signs...).  Don't worry, wickipedia just informed me of all the additional gender signs.  Apparently you can be "other" or be genderless.  Interesting.

Speaking of gender.... I know that the world thinks you can be genderless, but since I know better, I have decided whether the child in my womb is a boy or a girl. My official guess is... GIRL!  So, we'll see.  Ben is guessing boy, so we have to decide what kind of bet to make.  The other day someone asked Caleb about his siblings, and he said he had a brother in mama's belly. HAHA!  Girl would be easier since I already have my name picked out.  Ben says it's my pick (within reason obviously) since he picked the last two. =)

Since we haven't had a picture yet, I better add one....  Here's my sweet little peanut!  She has a bruise on her cheek from banging it on a drawer, and then yesterday she crawled into the corner of the wall and got the gash on her forehead.  Accident prone?  Hmm.... weird.  Wonder where she got that?  Probably Ben......;) 

And here is Caleb after I gave him "goofy"  I pretty much got him nothing for his birthday, and so the other day when I was at the store and saw Goofy, I HAD to buy it.  Ok, "had" is a bit strong, but I just knew he'd love it SO much that I bought it.  And, if you know me, (which I say A LOT), I NEVER do things like that.  Enjoy the blurry picture.... whoops.  It's hard to get a good picture when Goofy can't stop dancing.  

That's all.  Hope you have a good Wednesday! Tonight we go cheer daddy on at his softball game!

-Melanie

Ebates

So, recently I came across something called ebates.  It is a site that claims to give cash back on your internet purchases.  I felt a little bit weird about it.... but then gave it a try anyway.  UM.... it's BRILLIANT, and I've gotten a check and a giftcard in the mail from them, so I KNOW it's real. Bascially, before you buy anything online, you go to ebates.com.  You look through their stores and click the one you want. (There are A LOT of different stores on there...)  It will tell you how much cash back you get for that store.  Sometimes different stores have double cash back-- it just depends on the week.  Anyway, you click on the store you want, and it directs you to their site... and THAT'S IT.  Seriously.  It's not really a hassle at all and you earn cash back!  I use it all the time-- like when you buy on Amazon (which is currently 5% back!!)... or at Christmas it was really helpful.  It's just nice to get a little bit of a discount when buying online.  The only negative thing is that you get a lot of e-mails from them.... but my brother, who I referred a while ago, said that he changed it so he only gets them once a week.... so really, I guess that's not a problem at all!  To sign up or see what it's about click here.  And you know what else!?!  When you sign up you pick where you want a $10 giftcard from (there's like 4 store choices I think, Target, Walmart, Kohls... etc.)!! I do think with the gift card thing you have to buy something within a certain time frame or it starts losing money-- I'm not positive on that.....

You're welcome.  ;)  I actually first read about this through southernsavers.com, which is a coupon/thirfty website I sometimes look at.  I used to be more faithful with reading it, but sometimes the drug store coupon thing overwhelms me.  Maybe I'm just lazy.

I've been meaning to mention this for a while since I feel like it's a really easy way to save, and I know a lot of you reading are into great deals =).

Stay tuned because tomorrow (I think) I'm posting about Caleb's Birthday BASH.  There were a whopping 6 people there!  You won't want to miss it.... ;)

-Melanie

Family pictures!

 We went to portrait innovations yesterday, and I was a little bit nervous about how it would go.  Caleb is REALLLLY bad at taking pictures (kind of like his mother....) and so getting him to say "cheese" is a bad idea because it turns into a veeerrrrryy dorky, fake, squinty eyed smile (although I generally never have the squinty eye problem....).  The key is to get him to laugh... and then close his mouth and smile....  Oh, and get him to do that for a strange woman, in a strange place, standing in the exact position she put him in. I believe the words "Cross your legs. Put your arm here" "Ooop! Cross your legs!" "Ooops! Put your arm here" etc. was said over and over and over and over and over again.   UM... kind of overwhelming for an ALMOST three year old. ....and maybe more overhwhelming for his mother. (By the way, he turns three next Wednesday. I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.)  So, I promised him he could watch Mickey Mouse (which turned into cookie monster) if he obeyed nice and smiled.  I generally stay away from bribery, but when something is new/different/possibly scary, I try to extend some grace.  Back to pictures...  we had to have Grace sitting still and smiling too.  Another thing, Grace (OF COURSE) woke up with this beautiful little red rash on her cheek.  Doesn't it just figure? The night before Ben asked what I wanted him to pray for, and I said that pictures wouldn't be horrible and we'd get some nice smiles, and that Caleb would be able to obey.  (Caleb was HORRIBLE last time we tried to have pictures taken... I think that's why I was on edge.)  Anyway, prayers were answered.  Enjoy the pictures!  OH, and my parents came along to get some Grandparent pictures too.

 

 

I'm SOOOOO pleased with how they turned out!  I think Caleb looks super grown up.... and Grace looks like she has crazy hair.  Oh wait, she does ;)

Oh, and BIG NEWS.  I think Caleb is potty trained.... or at least really really really close.  It's like the happiest time of my life.  The only horrible part is that I have to do it all over again with Grace....

-Melanie