Homemade Laundry soap in 8 minutes for .06 cents a load!

I have been wanting to post about this for a while, so now I am.  Do you know what I am SO EXCITED about?  Laundry detergent!!!  WHY, you ask?  Because I home make it, it saves me about $100 a year and it takes about 8 minutes to make!  You will do a load of laundry for only 6 cents!!!  I have been home making my own detergent for a year now and I have never been more pleased.    

the # 1 question:  Does it clean as good as the top leading brands?  And my answer is YES!  It DOES!  
#2 question:  Is it safe and gentle for my baby and children's delicate skin?  And my answer is YES! It IS!  You just purchase the most gentle soap that you wish and use that.
I am not saying that it's not being a good steward of your money to buy premade detergents.... but for my family, it's a way to save hundreds and use that money towards paying off debt and much needed things.  It costs about $6 to get your initial supplies. 

All supplies you need are found in Walmart or your favorite grocery store in the laundry isle
Supplies:  
1 box borax
1 box Arm and Hammer Super washing soda (NOT baking soda!!)
several bars of Fels Naptha soap, Ivory, or Zote... or some other soap if you wish
measuring cups
a cantainer with a lid
a cheese grater or potato peeler


STEP 1:  Grate a whole bar of soap into a bowl with a cheese grater or potato peeler.  This is the longest you will spend on this project and takes about 5 minutes.  This is a GREAT step for older kids to help with.

What is Fels naptha you ask? This is the original laundry soap
and gets the tough stains out!   

STEP 2:  Measure out 1 cup each of borax and washing soda
STEP 3:  Mix very throughly for about 3 minutes with the soap shavings
STEP 4: Put in a container with a lid and store a measuring cup in it.  Use 1/4 cup per load

That's it!  Add a pretty label and store by the washer.  How much simpler can that be?  Come on moms, I know you have 8 minutes to spare, and you won't be dissapointed.  This will NOT ruin your clothes I promise.  

$6 Christmas wreath

Here is my first ever craft inspiration for you ladies and guess what?  I ONLY do crafts that I can afford and I can always find a craft to do and find all the materials at the DOLLAR STORE!  Everything for this project was found at the $ store except my trusty glue gun.  Never separate a girl from her glue gun!  I love it, seriously.  You can make an easy and beautiful wreath like this for only $6 total and make it for Thanksgiving OR Christmas, just change up the colors.  I bet no one else will have a completely homemade wreath looking THIS awesome for only $6!  Here's a tutorial from start to finish on how to make it!

Step 1:  Purchase *2 rolls of wire ribbon, gold and red, *a naked woven reed wreath, *glue sticks (yes they are at the $ store too in a big pack!), *green decorative reed grass, *2 packages of Christmas painted fruits, pine cones and berries.  (you may even be adventurous and make these yourself...lower the price by another $2.00!)

STEP 2:  cut off the long, hard stems from the green reed grass.  bundle up the loose pieces.  Starting glueing is the hardest part, but once you get the hang of it and start tucking the grass around the wreath, it will get easier.  Glueing as you go, wrap the grass around the wreath leaving spaces in between.  

STEP 3:  unravel and glue one end of the ribbon to the wreath.  Make sure you don't let it bunch up as you wind it around.  You won't need hot glue until you have it all wrapped around the wreath.  Make the ribbon go OVER the grass. The grass peeks through and gives it a unique look.  Hot glue the end to the wreath.

STEP 4:  Hot glue the accent fruits, pine cones and leaves on, varying them along the bottom.  After they are dry, puff out the leaves and branches for fullness

STEP 5  HOW TO MAKE A BOW:  Unravel a whole roll of the red ribbon and gather it in your hand like you would folding a paper fan.  It will be as big as the loops are long.  Loop it back and forth in your hand about 6-7 times.  Leave about 6 inches unlooped.  Pinch the ribbon in the middle.  Take the hanging piece and wrap it tightly around the middle of the loops.  Hot Glue the end of the middle and snip off excess.  Fan the loops out to make a pretty bow.  Then hot glue the center of the bow onto the top of the wreath.

The Finished result!  Enjoy your wreath and save it for years to come :) I hope you enjoyed my tutorial!  

Thankful

I have come away so encouraged from MOPS  lately.  I'm excited to see what God is doing, how he is growing me through new relationships and boundaries, and giving me the opportunity to serve is amazing!  

I am excited to announce that we have a guest blogger joining us soon from Albuquerque, NM who just happens to be my one and only sister, Rebekah.  God has put this Godly woman into my life as a sister, encourager, confidant and friend.  She has 3 children and a lot of wisdom to share and just happens to be on steering for her MOPS group.  I am going to be featuring an article written by her for some encouragement for you ladies!  More to come, please stay tuned!


That time of year is upon us--wait a second, didn't we JUST finish Halloween? It doesn't even seem like it's all about fall anymore, but all about Christmas already all around us. Pretty much every store I go into my 2 year old pulls on my sleeve while pointing his chubby finger and there is no quieting him as he yells in his high pitched voice "CHRISTMAS MOMMY!  LOOK!  CHRISTMAS!"  I am so excited this year to share the true story of Christmas with my son.  Also in a future post, I will be giving ideas for cute advent calendars.  I'm making mine this week and I'm so excited about it.  All of our MOPS kids are at a prime age for explaining why we celebrate. They soak things up like a sponge.  For now, lets focus on Thanksgiving!

I am so very very thankful to God for giving me the new relationships that I have made.  I have been stretched beyond what I thought I would be to relate to women who are not exactly in the same exact situations as me.  Stepping out into steering was intimidating at first, but very quickly, God has allowed me to pour into other's lives and I am thankful that He has done that!  I am thankful for a group of moms that understand and sympathize with me when I am having a rough day.  Where else can you go to be with a group of ladies for 2 hours and discuss why your clothes smell like mildew, why your house is a mess, how your week has been, how to potty train, and what are you cooking for dinner that night?  It's so encouraging and for THAT I am thankful.  What are you thankful for about mops?  

I have a GREAT example of how you can plunge into relationships this year!  My husband is deployed. We have been married almost 8 years and literally have spent 2 Thanksgivings together.  This year, one of my table members invited me and my son over to her house to spend the day with her for Thanksgiving. I just got such a warm feeling inside, it was great.  Christian love at it's finest. This is what mops is all about.  Just a challenge going out to you ladies to think about possibly opening your home to a lady that doesn't have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving.  You won't regret it, I promise!