Soap!

I'm really excited to share this!  Last year a friend of mine told me about making your own laundry soap.  I was skeptical, but it was SO cheap and easy, my friend and I set out to see if it would work.

We mixed up a batch, takes about 20 minutes, and started using it.  I had an 8 month old and was mostly concerned about the "messes" he makes.  Would this soap really get out everything that comes out of him??  IT DID!!  

It took me almost a year to use up that one batch, which cost maybe $1.50 to make!! 

The recipe is from the Duggers, you know, 19 kids and counting, they obviously know how to keep clothes clean!  

You start out with these three ingredients, found at Walmart in the laundry isle.  

 Shred the bar of soap, I use my chopper/blender. Do not confuse this with shredded cheese!  Although it did inspire me to make quesadillas for lunch:)

Next melt the shredded soap in 4 cups of water on med. heat.  Keep mixing it.

Measure out 1 cup baking soda soap and 1/2 cup Borax in a 5 gallon bucket.  

Once the bar of soap is melted pour it into the big bucket, add more hot water (from the tap), until about half of the bucket is full. Stir and dissolve the soaps.  Then fill the bucket to the top with hot tap water.  Stir it.

Put a lid on and let it sit for 24 hours.  Open it up and stir again, it will be a solid chunk of slime at this point.

Now it's ready to use!  Well, almost.  It's still highly concentrated so to make it last, pour 1/2 water 1/2 soap mix into an empty soap dispenser.  This makes 10 GALLONS of Laundry soap.

That's right 10!!  

I use about 3/4 cup of detergent with each load and add more of the Baking soda detergent as a booster.  Especially with the kids clothes.  

Seriously, this stuff is awesome, and SO inexpensive, give it a try and if it doesn't work for you, you're only out a few dollars!

Here's the link:  Duggar family laundry soap

Questions

Damen is full of awesome questions lately!

This latest one was asked as we navigated a very busy road biking/scootering to the pool today:

"Hey mom, what's a database?"

I gotta be honest, it's hard to think and ride a bike pulling a 50lb (at LEAST) trailer, but I love this kids curiosity.

Summer starts!

Summer has started!!  

We've got cousin Lincoln here most days, 

no car, and not a lot of funds.

So we'll be taking it easy these next few months!

We'll find some fun though!!

Snuggling boys in the morning (those blankets make good forts too)

Painting!  Mason had flour/water/food coloring, I knew he'd want to taste the paint.

Movies and popcorn!  

There are a few parks we can walk/bike to and even the pool isn't too far.  Wish us luck, no one wants to hear the word "bored"!

Ummm, Easter?

So, I was all set to put up a new post when I realized I haven't taken a picture since EASTER!!
And I never even posted them!  So here ya go :)

Saturday we dyed about a dozen hard boiled eggs using the vinegar/food coloring method.  Damen wanted to mix all of the colors and by the end everything was green!

I was taking this pic with Mason in my lap, trying to get the eggs in the background, you can see the egg carton. . . 

Sunday morning the boys were up bright and early, as usual!  We enjoyed our Easter baskets and had them search for the dyed and plastic eggs.  We put something special in the "sports" themed eggs just for Damen.

Lego candies!!  He was SO excited about these, and it took him about a month to finally eat them all.  


After the fun we went to church for a spiritual reminder about why we really celebrate this day:  

Luke 24:

 6 He is not here, but is ^arisen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

The love of a six year old

This morning, as I poured the last of the apple sauce into Mason's bowl I asked Damen if he wanted any for breakfast too.

He eyed the empty jar suspiciously but said yes.

I went to the cupboard, got out another jar and started to dish him some when he said, "You have TWO jars of apple sauce?"

"Yes"

"Hey guess what mom?"

"What"

"You're the best mom!"

Feeling the love.

Growing up

That's what my boys are doing, growing up!  

Seriously, in the blink of an eye these boys surprise us every day.

He gets taller, and smarter, way smarter every time I look at him!  

This is him with the robot he made at school.

It's name is April.

And then there's the baby.  Umm, maybe baby's not the right word anymore :(

He's a climber, a stubborn, do it my self, kind of a kid.  He can do things at this age that the other one hadn't even thought about yet.  

My eyes are on him every second!  

He does have the cutest bed head of any 17 month old EVER!!

They're growing up faster than I knew was possible.  

I'm grateful that they're healthy and strong, but sometimes I wish they'd just stay small, snuggly, and unblemished from the world.

My heart swells with unbelievable love for these two precious boys, how lucky are we to have them!

Cookies

Damen wanted to help me make chocolate chip cookies the other day.

He was SO excited to make his own "special" cookies.  He ran to his treat/snack drawer and pulled out a variety of candy to add.  

We had starburst, sweet tarts, and some weird block candies from China added to this special batch, he was very proud!

They didn't taste awful. 

 And here's a random pic of Mason snarfing melted chocolate, I had just made some chocolate candies.  

I like making treats for my family to enjoy, and they don't seem to mind either!