Homemade Laundry Detergent

Guess what? I just made homemade laundry detergent!
And here it is at home between the toolbox and the toilet paper:

Now this could either work out really well, or it could be a total fiasco, dunno, haven't washed any clothes with it yet, but I will let you know what happens when I do. It's a very simple recipe that uses Borax, Arm & Hammer washing soda, and one bar of soap.

I first came across the basic recipe/idea when I was researching cloth diapers for Sarah and was trying to decide what detergent to wash them in. I've always wanted to try making it, but I couldn't find washing soda anywhere in California, and I wasn't about to buy it online figuring that that would kind of put the kabosh on the money saving aspect of it. Luckily, we're able to get it here in North Carolina, woo hoo!

So anywho, I ran out of detergent today and remembered that old recipe. I actually found another recipe here that I went ahead and tried. I liked this one because it used up the whole box of the ingredients instead of mixing up a bit at a time. For my soap I used lavendar scented Dr. Bronner's castille soap and my detergent smells scrumptious, I can't wait to use it!

*Update* Well, I threw our kitchen towels in the wash to try out the new detergent (they were dirty, c'mon, I'm not that bad) and nothing's blown up yet. They're in the dryer right now and I'll update the update when they're done.

*Update on the Update* The towels came out beautiful! Well, as beautiful as beat-up kitchen towels can be anyways. The detergent worked great, the towels we so soft and clean smelling. I love it!

Oops

... and I just set off the fire alarm making lunch for the kids.

Yes folks, we are back in business.

Woohoo!

I am now officially online y'all!

I finally bit the bullet, broke down and got internet. It's scary that it has become such a necessity, geez. I mean I felt so isolated without it, isn't that sad?

So anyways, I'm back. Yay.

Loss

My sweet, sweet grandmother passed away suddenly towards the end of June. It was a terrible loss for our family, and one that I think I am still processing.

It happened the day after the kids and I had gone to visit her, and I think that it was such a shock because she seemed so full of life when we saw her. I just thank God that we got to see her one last time and that our last words were I love yous.

I miss her terribly, and I know that my mother, aunt, and uncle feel that loss even more. What hurts the most is that we weren't able to attend the memorial service, it kills me to not have been there. It was held in California because most of my family is there, and the place that my grandfather was buried and where my grandmother wanted to be buried is there also. I just didn't have the money to fly the kids and I out there, and it makes me ill to think about it, but I  remind myself that the times that we spent together and the last visit that we were able to have with her are what was important.

I was blessed to have four generations of my family alive and together at the same time. It was a precious thing that my children got to know and love their great-grandmother, their Nana, and to know that she adored them in return.

I love you Nana, and I miss you.

Saturdays are good days...

“Saturdays are good days
for taking care of chores”

This was the fortune I got when I went to Panda Express the other day.

How depressing.

I mean seriously, is this some kind of ancient Chinese curse or something? What kind of sadist puts something like that in a fortune cookie?

Of course this could be God’s not so subtle hint that I need to catch up on housework...