Homemade Laundry Detergent

Recipe (small batch):

1 cup Fels-Naptha Soap (grated)

1/2 cup Borax

1/2 cup Super Washing Soda

I use my kitchen aid attachment to grate the soap, which goes pretty quick.  I can imagine grating this by hand would be the biggest pain.  After I grated 1 bar of soap, I measured it, and I got about 4 cups worth out of 1 bar.  To make a large batch I do the following:

3 bars Fels-Naptha Soap (grated)

1 box Super Washing Soda

6 cups Borax

Use the following measurements in your washer:
small load: 1 tablespoon
normal load:  2 tablespoons
heavy load: 3 tablespoons

I know this sounds like it is not enough to clean your clothes, but it really is!  After washing our towels and cloth diapers in this detergent, it has taken out any smells that were in them.  Allen and I have been using this detergent for two months now and absolutely LOVE it!  It keeps our darks dark and our whites white.  The detergent smells SO strong, but with such a little amount in the washer, your clothes smell so clean!  We have noticed our towels and bedding feels so much softer with this detergent than when we used tide and fabric softener.  We will never go back to buying store bought laundry detergent again!

We purchased these items at Walmart in the laundry isle.  Here are the breakdown of costs:

Fels-Naptha Soap: $0.97/bar

Borax: $2.98

Super Washing Soda: $2.33

I believe those were the prices I paid.  I roughly calculated the cost per load.  I figure we will get 192 normal loads out of the large batch recipe.  I am guessing I used about 42 oz of Borax, so with the left over borax I figured it cost me $6.88 for the large batch...which breaks down to $0.035/load.  That is amazing!

(I will make another large batch soon and really figure out 100% accurate costs per load)

Happy Halloween

I hope everyone had a great Halloween.  I know we did!  We had costumes planned for us, and then the last week of October we had to change them...so I had to think quick.  The next few days were spent making a couple trips to the fabric store, desinging patterns for the costumes, and sewing all night long.  My sewing machine even broke half way through and had to call my sister in law at 10:00 at night to borrow hers.  I was so exhausted when I finally went to bed at 3:30 in the morning.

On Friday we went to Allen's work party which is always a treat.  We all wore our costumes and went trick or treating around the school and then had a cafe rio party.  Always delicious.  Then, since Halloween is on a Sunday this year, Utah makes Halloween on Saturday.  Pretty convenient! :)  So on Saturday I worked until 2:30 then came home and had pizza.  We then went trick or treating for 2 hours.  Riley was so cute!  He was such a trooper and didn't cry once.  We were so proud of him.

Riley is obsessed right now with Dr. Seuss...so I felt it only appropriate to dress up as Thing 1, Thing 2, and the Cat in the Hat.  He was so excited when he saw what he was dressed as.  I brought him into the bathroom and he got the biggest smile on his face when he saw himself in the mirror.  Gosh he is so cute!  I had a lot of fun making our three costumes this year, and even happier that I didn't even spend $20.  So proud!  I am already so excited for next year.

Talking child

Holy cow!!! Riley is starting to talk so much. I am just shocked at all the words he learns almost daily. He is so fun, and so cute. I just love this kid. A few days ago he started something new, which I think is so funny. When he goes to the bathroom, he points to his diapers and exclaims, "Poo Poo!!!!" It is just the funniest thing ever. I just love how much he talks.

I started training in Orem last week for custom framing. I am really enjoying it a lot! It seriously beats being a cashier. My favorite thing to do it cutting the glass, and stretching canvas. I seriously love gallery wrap canvas's and now I know how to make them! So fun!

I really have nothing to write about and am just rambling...so I am just going to stop now...okay...

I love life

Life has been crazy busy every since I started working again.  I feel like I never see Allen anymore.  We get about 30 minutes a day together now and it is just sad.  He gets home from work at 2:15 and I leave for work at 2:45.  In between that time, we spend it eating dinner together....yes, I know, it is WAY too early.  But that is our only time to eat dinner, so we do what we need to.  I feel like my days consist of waking up, getting ready, getting Riley ready, playing with him for a little bit, and then making dinner.  That is all I have time for anymore.  Then I go to work and am there until 10ish.  By the time I get home, Allen is ready to go to bed.  It is really hard, but we make it work.  We never see our friends anymore, which is really sad.  We are just busy working and Allen going to school.  Life can be so crazy sometimes.

No matter how busy life is, I am really enjoying it.  I am having fun spending the time I have with Riley.  He just makes me smile all day...I love that kid!  Heavenly Father knows how hard we are trying to make life work, and he has really blessed us so much.  I am grateful to have already been promoted at work and gotten a raise.  That makes me so happy.  I am so grateful for everything around me.

I love my family.  I love the weather.  I love life!

Well overdue

It is pretty sad how long it has been since I have blogged. Sorry! I don't even know if anybody even checks this anymore. What is new with us? Well, let me tell you!

Allen started classes again. He is working his way to the fire academy right now. He is taking the EMT course right now and working really hard to get back into shape. After he finishes that class, he has a couple more of his generals to take, and then he is headed to the fire academy. Even though I would never choose this career choice for him, I am proud of him for finding something I know he loves and would be good at. He is really enjoying his class right now and that makes me really happy.

Allen is also working still, but much less than he used to. I started working again about a month and a half ago. I am so happy that I did. I feel much happier than I used to. It is nice to get out, stay busy, feel valuable, and also meet new people. I have seriously had a blast! I have already been promoted to do custom framing. I am still waiting to hear if I will also be a department manager or not. My manager really likes me and wants me to do both positions, but he is also nervous to give me two positions when there are other workers who also applied to the position. So we will see. I start training next week for custom framing. I am so excited to learn how to make really nice frames, cut glass and mats...and just learn something new. I have just recently started knitting and crocheting again. I forgot how much I loved doing it before. My sister was in town awhile ago and wanted to crochet a baby beanie, and since then I can't stop. :) I sure am having fun, and I feel like Riley and I have more patience with each other now. I just love this kid of mine!

Riley is super adorable, but also a major pill. He has recently become very active and can not sit still. He is getting into things much more and loves to make messes on purpose. He climbs up everything and is now also climbing out of his crib. Riley is really talking a lot more and I feel so bad for him. I can tell how hard he is trying to communicate and gets frustrated that we don't understand. He says a lot of words now so it is nice knowing what he wants. My favorite thing he says is thank you. He says it so cute, I just love it. He still adores our dog and asks for him all the time. Riley has just recently started to sit down and watch cartoons. He wanted NOTHING to do with the TV before, but now he loves it. When he hears music, he dances. When he hears clapping, he claps. It is so cute the little things he does. He used to eat everything we gave him, and now he only wants to eat bread. He wont eat anything else. He is still having reactions to milk and is now drinking goats milk...gross!

I think that's about all we are up to. I am just enjoying the stage we are in and wouldn't trade it in for the world. I just adore my family!

The value of a dollar

I have learned so much since I have been married.  Having a husband in school and having a young child, money is tight.  I used to spend money like you can't believe.  I thought it grew on trees.  I was terribly mistaken!  I decided to get into couponing awhile ago.  I would have never known that everything I needed and more, that I could get for free.  The first month, I was buying a ton because I thought getting body wash for $2 was a good deal.  Wow, I was wrong.  I only look for free stuff now.  Everything I get, I either get for free...or I make money off of.  Like, for example...my coupon trip from this Monday to Rite Aid.  Here it is:

I got all of this for free, but I actually made $0.28...so Rite Aid paid me to take all this product.  There are 3 boxes of laundry detergent in that picture by the way.  Later that day I went to Walgreens and got 21 packs of gum for free...and can go back on Friday to get 15 more packs.  

I am just shocked at the value of a dollar.  I used to think you couldn't buy anything for a dollar...I was so wrong.  I am so happy to learn how to be so frugal.  I have a hard time spending money now.  It is hard for me to go pay for anything now....I just think about everything I could be getting for that money.  I am just grateful for everything I have learned.

I am grateful for the opportunities that couponing has given me.  I now feel like I have done my part as a mother and wife to provide for my family.  My husband brings home the money, and I do everything I can to prepare our family for the tough times we may have ahead of us.  I have been so overstocked on so much, I have felt a little overwhelmed.  I decided to call my Relief Society president and ask her if she knew of some people in our ward that was struggling and could use a gift basket of goodies to help them out a little bit.  She said there were 2 families in our ward who were really having a hard time right now.  So I have put together 2 baskets full of everything from all beauty supplies, to dish soap, cleaning supplies, medicine, air fresheners, etc.  I am just so happy that not only have I been able to help out my family, but help out others as well.

I am so grateful!  So grateful for everyone who has helped me and supported me through my crazy shopping trips.  I just love how something as little as couponing has taught me so much.

I just love it.

Life

Today has been great.  It is Allen and my 2 year anniversary.  It is crazy how in those two years, we have lived in three places, had a son, and bought a dog.  It has been an eventful, and crazy two years.  I love my husband so much.  I am so happy with the choices I made.  I know that everything I have been through has brought me to where I am today.  I am so grateful for my little family and am so excited to see what's ahead of us!

I love you babe!