Time for Frugality

Lately I haven't been thinking too deeply, or at least about anything I want to share... but I have been trying to curb our spending. 

I think I'm going to try something new.  I'm not a "greenie", but due to the cost of a bottle of laundry soap (that I know works great) being over the $22 mark, I think I'll try to make my own liquid laundry soap.  I'll put the ingredients on the grocery list for Tim to pick up next time he shops and will try er out.

If you have ever tried this, please let me know how it worked for you.  There's also a Dishwasher Detergent recipe I might give a go on, as I hate spending so much for things like that!

The recipe is from a blog I happened upon this evening (check it out, it's pretty good):

I have become the epitome of frugal: I just made my own laundry detergent. I decided it sounded like a fun project to do today, so I hunted down the ingredients to make it, and voila! I know have a ton of homemade laundry detergent stored in a trash can down in my basement. I decided the liquid homemade laundry detergent would be my best bet, so that’s what I decided to make.

Before I started, I gathered up the following supplies:

* A pot to melt the soap in
* Bar of soap (I chose Ivory soap because it is non irritating)
* 1 gallon jug
* Trash can to store laundry detergent in
* 1 box of Washing Soda
* 1 box Borax
* Long handled spoon to stir mixture

Where to buy washing soda? It was a little tough to find, but my local Meijer carried it in the laundry detergent aisle. I called 1-800-524-1328, put in my zip code, and it told me where I could find it.

Here is the recipe for dry laundry detergent:

* 2 1/2 ounces soap bars, grated into flakes (Approx. a half a bar of soap)
* 1 cup borax
* 1 cup washing soda

Here’s the homemade laundry detergent recipe for liquid laundry detergent:

* 1 bar of soap of your choice
* 1 cup washing soda
* ½ cup borax

My first step was to almost boil about 4-5 cups of water, and shave the bar of soap into the water, stirring occasionally. Once that was done, I let it sit on the stove while I poured three gallons of hot water into my trash can. I then measured out 1 cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax. I took the hot soap mixture, added it to the water in my trash can, and stirred until it looked pretty evenly distributed. Then I slowly added my 1 cup of washing soda until that was dissolved, and then did the same to the borax. That’s it. Fairly simple. I’m going to let it sit and get cool before I try to use it. It’s pretty liquid right now.

I have a front loading high efficiency (HE) washing machine. I’m going to use about a half a cup of this for my laundry loads. I’ll let you know how well it works!

Laughter

I've decided to take things "lighter" today.  With two teenagers in the household, who we tend not to see very often, due to schedule conflicts, or the fact that they burrow themselves in their rooms when they are home, I have recently been trying to at least bring us together to have a good laugh or two every day.

Anyone who knows our family realizes we tend to do our own things:  Tim hikes, Candle texts, Nathan games, and I Facebook.  But when we do actually have conversations together, they tend to be humorous.

Since we all enjoy animals, here are a few places we have found some expressions of hilarity in our "moments" together:

1. Cute Overload
   
2. Yum Yum Kitty 
3.  ImprovEverywhere 

Enjoy your week everyone!

We Raised You Both Exactly The Same!

Since writing my last post I couldn't get the rambling ideas for other topics to use to quit ... and the next day I promptly forgot them! 


Anyways, my outlook on life is going much better today.  I have seen the Hand of God used to bless my family this week, through various ways.  All of which I must admit that, Yes, God does really and truly care about where I am at today.  (an AHA moment!)



If God has used you, even in ways you may think are minute, be encouraged!


The one random topic that has been popping up in my mind lately is something my Mom use to say to me.  Now, I'm sure it's not something every Mother has said to her child... but hopefully you'll understand better once I'm done this post.


Most of you may have heard a parent at one time or another say, "Why can't you be more like your Brother/Sister?"  Well, Mom explained herself to me in this way:  "I don't know how you and your Sister can be so totally different.  After all, we raised you both exactly the same!"


Okay, you can stop snickering!  Yes, of course, I was the goody two shoes...


My Sister Tracy and I have discussed this at great length... and here are at least some of our arguments against what Mom was saying:

• First and foremost, my Sister (Tracy)... I only have one sibling, was adopted into our family when I was 7 years old and she was 1 month old.  
• We have since met her birth Mother, a lovely woman whom our families thoroughly enjoy being with... and we can see where Tracy gets her quirkiness from... okay, maybe I should say - her spunk.
• Tracy was able to meet her birth Father  a few years ago.  She found out this week that he has passed away.
• Tracy has found 3 other half siblings! 
• I lived with my parents from birth to when I was 12 years old, which is when our family moved to Kenya, East Africa for the first time and I went to Rift Valley Academy (RVA).  I then only saw my family every 3 months, for a month at a time.  After 1 year there we returned to the Yukon for 2 years, where I again lived at home, and then returned for my Senior year at RVA.  
• Tracy lived at RVA for Grades 4 through 12, with only a couple of years in between where she lived at home.

Although our Mom has passed away over 6 years ago now, it was always hard for her to deal with the knowledge that Tracy had made contact with her birth parents.  Mom (and Dad) I know she did not mean any harm or disrespect to either of you, and that she really needed to find her roots.


Anyways, now you know a bit about me and my Sis.  I love her dearly, and enjoy getting to know her more as we are adults... I was pretty mean as a big Sister... I think she's forgiven me now.


Tracy,  I'm sorry for your loss this week. I know you don't know how you are "suppose" to feel, but know that I love you, and pray God will help you through it all.