Ok.... it's been a while, but we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the laundry soap!! It smells so clean and fresh. I'm still getting used to the lack of suds, but we are really, really happy with it. Definitely a keeper.
The dishwasher detergent started leaving a film on all the dishes... I'm not sure if we need to change up our rinse aid or if the boys were being too "helpful" and putting in too much soap. That DIY is still up for debate.
I've been making my own pancake syrup for a long time now - that's a gorgeously easy recipe of 1C water, 1C brown sugar, 1C white sugar and 1Tbsp maple flavoring. Boil the water, dissolve the sugars and mix in the maple flavoring. Let it cool and you're good to go!! I haven't bought pancake syrup in months. Last night when I made another batch I even had to make my own homemade brown sugar because I was out. If you didn't know, brown sugar is nothing but white sugar and molasses. 1C sugar and 1Tbsp (or more, depending on your preference) molasses mixed together - I used a wire whisk to mix it up.
Last night was homemade potato chips in the microwave! Thank you Pinterest... they were so yummy. I'm going to give them a trial run with the family and if those pan out, they might replace the store bought ones in this house. Not that I keep chips in the house, but when we're having sloppy joes or something, it will be nice to have a homemade option. They were super simple... thin sliced potato coated in olive oil and sea salt (or seasoned salt, or whatever you like), plate coated with nonstick spray, pop them in the microwave for 3-4 min (or until they start to brown), flip them and cook until the edges brown up (that could be as quick as 30 seconds or as long as 2 min - just keep an eye on them). Remove them to a cold plate and let them cool. They will get crispier as they cool.
Next on the agenda is homemade hot cocoa powder. My littlest one is OBSESSED with the Keurig and loves to make hot cocoa for everyone. Unfortunately, I can't keep enough mix in the house! I'm hoping that homemade will be cheaper than the stuff in the canister - more on that to come later :)
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Another DIY!!
So, here is the latest and greatest DIY project that I whipped up in about 2 minutes tonight!
Homemade dishwasher detergent!
Super easy... 1C baking soda, 1C Borax, 1/2C salt, 10-12 drops of essential oils.
Mix it together and store in an airtight container. Use 1Tbsp in the main compartment and an extra 1/2Tbsp in the other one.
I used it tonight and it seemed to work just fine! I was a little skeptical that I wouldn't love it, since we typically use dishwasher gel here, but there was no gunk on the glasses or bowls in the dishwasher! I consider that a success.
I'll be running another load in the morning... hopefully test number 2 works as well as the maiden voyage :)
Homemade dishwasher detergent!
Super easy... 1C baking soda, 1C Borax, 1/2C salt, 10-12 drops of essential oils.
Mix it together and store in an airtight container. Use 1Tbsp in the main compartment and an extra 1/2Tbsp in the other one.
I used it tonight and it seemed to work just fine! I was a little skeptical that I wouldn't love it, since we typically use dishwasher gel here, but there was no gunk on the glasses or bowls in the dishwasher! I consider that a success.
I'll be running another load in the morning... hopefully test number 2 works as well as the maiden voyage :)
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Happy Momma!
So, I started doing a parenting devotional on YouVersion. It was a short one - only 5 days long - but I got one of the best ideas from it!! I'm very confident in my parenting abilities and I don't often have those "I'm a terrible parent moments", but because this is a trick that I've never tried before and it had such quick results, I wanted to share.
I love my kids to pieces. Like, I would walk through fire for them. But, like every parent out there, sometimes I get overwhelmed, short tempered, etc. It's not always fair and not always warranted, but it is what it is. That's just the reality of my life - I know that all parents can relate to this...
Anyhow, one of the things it said to do was to write your kids a letter. Just tell them 5 good things that you've noticed about them. So, Sunday night, I sat down and wrote a letter to each of my boys. I gave them to them yesterday morning as they were getting ready for school.
Wow.
The immediate response from my boys was amazing! They were both being all shy and blushy (like boys will get when they're embarrassed, whether good embarrassed or bad embarrassed) and came up right away to hug me and say thank you. Both boys had the letters set out in their bedrooms all day long. When I got home from work tonight, I noticed one on the kitchen table and the other on a pillow. Obviously, they were reading them again today! Josh even thanked me (again) for the letter as I was telling him goodnight. He said that the letter really made him want to get his grades up even higher (we've had a rough transition into middle school but he's really been trying and that was one of the things I pointed out) and that he really appreciates being noticed.
I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that that could be interpreted as he doesn't feel noticed on a regular basis - I'm choosing to hear him say that because this isn't a way I typically give him props, it's a good kind of different :)
I understand the power of positive reinforcement and use it on a consistent basis, but this was positive reinforcement in a different way than how I usually present it and I was so impressed with the way my boys responded. I don't want the novelty to wear off - the way it sometimes can - so I think this is something I'll save for every once in a while and not make into an every day thing. Try to keep it extra special, ya know?
I love my kids to pieces. Like, I would walk through fire for them. But, like every parent out there, sometimes I get overwhelmed, short tempered, etc. It's not always fair and not always warranted, but it is what it is. That's just the reality of my life - I know that all parents can relate to this...
Anyhow, one of the things it said to do was to write your kids a letter. Just tell them 5 good things that you've noticed about them. So, Sunday night, I sat down and wrote a letter to each of my boys. I gave them to them yesterday morning as they were getting ready for school.
Wow.
The immediate response from my boys was amazing! They were both being all shy and blushy (like boys will get when they're embarrassed, whether good embarrassed or bad embarrassed) and came up right away to hug me and say thank you. Both boys had the letters set out in their bedrooms all day long. When I got home from work tonight, I noticed one on the kitchen table and the other on a pillow. Obviously, they were reading them again today! Josh even thanked me (again) for the letter as I was telling him goodnight. He said that the letter really made him want to get his grades up even higher (we've had a rough transition into middle school but he's really been trying and that was one of the things I pointed out) and that he really appreciates being noticed.
I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that that could be interpreted as he doesn't feel noticed on a regular basis - I'm choosing to hear him say that because this isn't a way I typically give him props, it's a good kind of different :)
I understand the power of positive reinforcement and use it on a consistent basis, but this was positive reinforcement in a different way than how I usually present it and I was so impressed with the way my boys responded. I don't want the novelty to wear off - the way it sometimes can - so I think this is something I'll save for every once in a while and not make into an every day thing. Try to keep it extra special, ya know?
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Jumping on the DIY Bandwagon!
So, my husband is on a mission to make a substantial dent in our debt this year. Basically, that means taking a closer look at where we spend our money and cutting out some of that unnecessary spending that seems to attack our bank account each month.
One of the things he wanted to try was making our own laundry soap. Now, laundry soap is not a huge expense for us. I only ever buy one brand, I can only find it at Menards, and it only costs $3 a bottle. I would typically buy 5 bottles at a time and that would last us a good long while. By the time it was time to replenish our supply, I couldn't remember the last time I had to bought it. But, he wanted to give it a try, so I was fine with that.
If you've ever checked into it, I'm sure you've seen that there are about a million recipes for making homemade laundry detergent... especially if you like Pinterest. I think that making powdered detergent is less time consuming, but we have always used the liquid, so that's the route we went. This recipe came from my friend Erin over at http://elfetc.blogspot.com/. She's been making it for her family for quite a while now. The nice thing about making it myself is that I know exactly what's in it - and exactly what's not. I can pronounce everything, which is a good thing too!
We took the plunge Friday night. I was able to buy everything at Meijers in the laundry section and it was ridiculously cheap. We had the first batch made in about 20 minutes and were able to use it the next day. I don't have an excess of time, so the fact that it was so quick definitely got a gold star from me. I didn't take pictures or anything like that, but here's the process in a nutshell:
What you need
(1) Fels Naptha Bar - at my Meijers it was located on the other side of the laundry aisle by the bar soaps in the grocery section
(1) box Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
(1) box Borax
water
5 gallon bucket with a lid
What you do
We filled up old laundry detergent bottles with the homemade soap. I like the convenience of having the measuring lines on the lid - and the idea of not having to dip a measuring cup into the detergent every single time. You will want to use about 1/2 C of soap per load and don't freak out that the soap doesn't foam up in the washing machine. That was a little strange to me at first, but I used it with all of the laundry this weekend and it seemed to work just fine!
I have UBER sensitive skin so I'm excited that it's unlikely I'll react to this detergent. It smells really clean and fresh, but I think I'm going to add some lavender essential oil to a batch and see how that turns out. I have a delicious lavender and tea tree oil blend that I think would be fantastic in a laundry soap!
Husband is definitely a fan. We have enough stuff to make 25 gallons of laundry soap before we'll have to buy more Fels Naptha bars (but at about $1 per bar, when we run out, the cost to replenish that stock will be minimal). I'm pretty sure it'll be spring before we need to mix up another batch of laundry soap, although we did give a bottle away for a friend to try. Considering I'm not out by Menards very often to buy more laundry soap, the idea of not having to think about running out is pretty sweet. It's funny how you always need to do laundry when you're low on detergent... I'm excited to have everything on hand to make more when we need it!
If you make your own laundry soap, do you have any tweaks you recommend?
One of the things he wanted to try was making our own laundry soap. Now, laundry soap is not a huge expense for us. I only ever buy one brand, I can only find it at Menards, and it only costs $3 a bottle. I would typically buy 5 bottles at a time and that would last us a good long while. By the time it was time to replenish our supply, I couldn't remember the last time I had to bought it. But, he wanted to give it a try, so I was fine with that.
If you've ever checked into it, I'm sure you've seen that there are about a million recipes for making homemade laundry detergent... especially if you like Pinterest. I think that making powdered detergent is less time consuming, but we have always used the liquid, so that's the route we went. This recipe came from my friend Erin over at http://elfetc.blogspot.com/. She's been making it for her family for quite a while now. The nice thing about making it myself is that I know exactly what's in it - and exactly what's not. I can pronounce everything, which is a good thing too!
We took the plunge Friday night. I was able to buy everything at Meijers in the laundry section and it was ridiculously cheap. We had the first batch made in about 20 minutes and were able to use it the next day. I don't have an excess of time, so the fact that it was so quick definitely got a gold star from me. I didn't take pictures or anything like that, but here's the process in a nutshell:
What you need
(1) Fels Naptha Bar - at my Meijers it was located on the other side of the laundry aisle by the bar soaps in the grocery section
(1) box Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
(1) box Borax
water
5 gallon bucket with a lid
What you do
- grate the entire bar of Fels Naptha into a small bowl using a cheese grater
- bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan
- add the grated Fels Naptha to the water and turn the heat down to medium
- stir continually until all the soap is melted (be careful not to let it boil over) - the mixture will be frothy
- set aside the soap mix and fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with hot water
- dissolve 1 C washing soda and 1/2 C borax into the water
- pour in the melted soap mixture and stir until completely mixed
- add more hot water to the bucket, filling it to about 2 inches from the top
- stir it up again and put the lid on
- let it sit at least 8 hours (overnight worked well for us - make it after dinner and let it sit in the basement)
- when you take the lid off, it will be gelled - we have a paint stirring attachment for the drill and used that to mix it all up. Your other option would be to use your hands to break up the gel, but I'll let the drill do the work for me.
We filled up old laundry detergent bottles with the homemade soap. I like the convenience of having the measuring lines on the lid - and the idea of not having to dip a measuring cup into the detergent every single time. You will want to use about 1/2 C of soap per load and don't freak out that the soap doesn't foam up in the washing machine. That was a little strange to me at first, but I used it with all of the laundry this weekend and it seemed to work just fine!
I have UBER sensitive skin so I'm excited that it's unlikely I'll react to this detergent. It smells really clean and fresh, but I think I'm going to add some lavender essential oil to a batch and see how that turns out. I have a delicious lavender and tea tree oil blend that I think would be fantastic in a laundry soap!
Husband is definitely a fan. We have enough stuff to make 25 gallons of laundry soap before we'll have to buy more Fels Naptha bars (but at about $1 per bar, when we run out, the cost to replenish that stock will be minimal). I'm pretty sure it'll be spring before we need to mix up another batch of laundry soap, although we did give a bottle away for a friend to try. Considering I'm not out by Menards very often to buy more laundry soap, the idea of not having to think about running out is pretty sweet. It's funny how you always need to do laundry when you're low on detergent... I'm excited to have everything on hand to make more when we need it!
If you make your own laundry soap, do you have any tweaks you recommend?
Friday, March 22, 2013
Happy Dance!
So, we had our annual appointment at the Children's Hospital today. Josh had a visit with his amazing oncologist and we had an MRI tonight. Thank goodness we only do this once a year - it's exhausting! I remember how hard it was when we were dealing with this every day and I'm so glad that's not our life anymore.
I hope I'm not jinxing us (although I really don't believe in stuff like that...) but it looks like Josh has been issued another clean bill of health. Two more years of annual scans and then we are DONE! Crazy exciting. Our oncologist, Dr. D, told me today that the long range data from the clinical trial that Josh was a part of looks really great. That hopefully translates into many more years of great health!! Honestly, it's still amazing to me how good Josh's health is, even after all the poison we pumped into him... I'm very thankful that we were able to avoid radiation therapy because I'm pretty sure Josh's health wouldn't be where it is if we would have had to do that. So thankful that our oncologist had the foresight to enroll us into that clinical trial and that it worked as well as it did.
We'll get the all clear call on Monday, but Dr. D did happen to mention that if there was anything suspicious on the MRI, Radiology would call him before we left, so if they let us out the door, we're probably good :) No one stopped us on the way out, so I'm taking that as a good thing. Besides, Josh passed all the "how is your cerebellum working" tests with Dr. D and that's usually a good indicator that everything is fine.
Josh was a little stressed about the blood draw today. Funny story, though - John, from the Hem Onc Clinic did the labs (as he ALWAYS does every year!) and Josh had a hard time with it. First he asked whether or not they had to do it (to which John replied "Absolutely, because even though you were young and don't remember how hard it was, your mom remembers, your dad remembers, your grandparents remember and I remember. And no one wants to go through that again.") and then he cried just one tear during the poke. When the poke was over, John asked Josh how bad it actually was (which it really wasn't bad at all), and then told him that he bets that at some point this weekend Josh will do something to himself that hurts worse than the poke did. About half an hour later, Josh was dancing in his socks in the room and wiped out flat on he floor - which hurt significantly worse that the poke did :)
The whole point was that the worrying about the poke was worse than the poke itself - and Josh wasn't worried about hurting himself any other time this weekend, but we thought it was funny how John's prediction came true before we even left!
So, here we are - 8 years out - and there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!!
I hope I'm not jinxing us (although I really don't believe in stuff like that...) but it looks like Josh has been issued another clean bill of health. Two more years of annual scans and then we are DONE! Crazy exciting. Our oncologist, Dr. D, told me today that the long range data from the clinical trial that Josh was a part of looks really great. That hopefully translates into many more years of great health!! Honestly, it's still amazing to me how good Josh's health is, even after all the poison we pumped into him... I'm very thankful that we were able to avoid radiation therapy because I'm pretty sure Josh's health wouldn't be where it is if we would have had to do that. So thankful that our oncologist had the foresight to enroll us into that clinical trial and that it worked as well as it did.
We'll get the all clear call on Monday, but Dr. D did happen to mention that if there was anything suspicious on the MRI, Radiology would call him before we left, so if they let us out the door, we're probably good :) No one stopped us on the way out, so I'm taking that as a good thing. Besides, Josh passed all the "how is your cerebellum working" tests with Dr. D and that's usually a good indicator that everything is fine.
Josh was a little stressed about the blood draw today. Funny story, though - John, from the Hem Onc Clinic did the labs (as he ALWAYS does every year!) and Josh had a hard time with it. First he asked whether or not they had to do it (to which John replied "Absolutely, because even though you were young and don't remember how hard it was, your mom remembers, your dad remembers, your grandparents remember and I remember. And no one wants to go through that again.") and then he cried just one tear during the poke. When the poke was over, John asked Josh how bad it actually was (which it really wasn't bad at all), and then told him that he bets that at some point this weekend Josh will do something to himself that hurts worse than the poke did. About half an hour later, Josh was dancing in his socks in the room and wiped out flat on he floor - which hurt significantly worse that the poke did :)
The whole point was that the worrying about the poke was worse than the poke itself - and Josh wasn't worried about hurting himself any other time this weekend, but we thought it was funny how John's prediction came true before we even left!
So, here we are - 8 years out - and there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!!
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