Laundry Detergent Recipe - Gain Scent (optional)

Funny how things run in cycles. I started making my own laundry detergent a little over a year ago. I also started catching grief from my friends over my "Martha Stewart" ways. Now some of those same friends are giving the homemade stuff a try. Go figure!

There are zillions of recipes out there, I mean really, ZILLIONS. Who has time to figure out what works? So, I figured I'd post what works for me and you guys can copy, tweak or ignore as you see fit :)

Hardware:
Medium sauce pan - I have a cheap on I bought JUST for soap making
Fine grater - I have one JUST for soap grating
Wire whisk - I have one JUST for soap making
Five gallon bucket - I have one JUST for soap making
Do you see a pattern here? Who wants to risk having soap residue in their next cooking project. Yuck.

Software:
1 bar of soap
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
Hot water
Small bottle liquid Gain detergent (optional)

Instructions:

• Grate your bar of soap, the finer the shavings the easier it melts.
• Fill your sauce pan with about 6-8 cups of water and heat over medium high heat. Amount of water doesn't really matter, but you want enough liquid to dissolve all of your soaps.
• Add the grated soap and whisk until completely dissolved
• Add the Borax and whisk until completely dissolved
• Add the washing Soda and whisk until completely dissolved
• remove from heat
• Put approx one gallon of hot tap water into your 5 gallon bucket
• Add your hot soap mixture and whisk to incorporate
• Fill the bucket with warm tap water - if using the optional liquid detergent, only fill it 3/4 of the way, then add the detergent, whisk together then top off with warm water.
• cover the bucket and set aside for about 24 hours, at least overnight
• pour into containers for storage
• Use 1/2 cup per load

Note - this recipe makes at least 4 gallons and up to 5. You decide how much water to add based on the concentration you want. I have made this both with and without the Gain. If you do not use it your detergent will be a little bit goopy and have some little floaties in it. This is not a problem and will still work great, just give the jug a shake before use. If you choose to use the extra Gain detergent the consistency of the final batch is like water.

If you choose not to use the Gain then discover that you don't like the consistency of your detergent without it after the fact, you can add the Gain later. It will still break down the floaties and give you a loose, water like consistency. Just pour all your detergent back into the bucket, add your Gain and stir. Let sit over night again and then pour back into containers.

Well, you can't protect them from everything...

For all of those who know me, you know I'm a pretty laid back parent. I do expect my children to behave, I'm strict when I have to be, but in general, I roll with the punches ok. The one area I'm over protective about is what goes into their little minds. TV is limited to cartoons on Noggin and the Disney channel on Saturday mornings. Movies are Disney movies and Veggie Tales. Music is whatever Mommy & Daddy are listening to. So how, I ask you, does my 6 year old know the words to Justin Bieber?!?!? No, Mommy & Daddy do NOT listen to the little Bieber.

The how, is Kay Margaret and Kenzie. The two that make up Grace's rat pack at school. Did you know that Kenzie is Justin's #1 Fan? Well she is, she told Grace so, therefore it must be fact! Kenzie also believes that she will be Mrs. Bieber in the not to distant future. Kay Margaret has been kind enough to teach Grace the words. Fantastic.

I must admit, part of me is smiling. It's fun to be a girl, I just wasn't quite ready for it to come home yet. Don't worry, this new revelation won't be changing what we watch at home - it's still a Bieber free zone. I guess it just goes to show you that we can't protect them from everything - even if we want to.

Easter Pictures

So this Sunday we had an impronptu photo shoot hoping for some Easter pictures. I think Cole and Miller just about sum up how that went. Mica was snapping away with her mega camera too, so maybe when she has a chance to upload them we can photoshop happy children together. Of course that will only work if there are any of Cole faceing the front!

It's Me again!

I'm back! It's been a crazy six weeks around here, and I have been a terrible blog neglecter, but hey, such is life. Since this is really just my technologically advance journal I guess i can tend to it how I like.

What's been going on around here you ask? Well, Grace has lost another tooth, this time right in front. She also has 3 more that are loose. I keep threatening her with "billy bob' teeth - she doesn't find it very humorous, i do :). She also celebrated her 6th birthday at the beginning of April. We partied all weekend long and she got everything she could have wanted, from light up shoes to a real basket ball goal. My oldest chick is actually pretty darn good with a basketball - makes this mommy proud!

Cole Troll is earning his nickname. At 3 1/2 he's really starting to push the boundaries and form his own mulish, I mean pigheaded, I mean stubborn opinions. Sometime talking to him is like talking to a rock, or his daddy - I guess it just depends on the day :)

Kayleigh Blair is also coming into her own. The terrible 2's are arriving a wee bit early but hey, 3rd time around it's not quite as shocking. I do miss my sweet compliant child, but hey, this age is fun! She is really starting to expand her vocabulary and it's wonderful to watch her figure things out. i can almost hear the wheels turning in her head.

Tim and I are good. He's keeping busy around the house. Hopefully, we'll get the kitchen completely finished before too long. It will be nice when this 2 week project finishes at the end of year 2. Yes, I said year. It's been a bit of an ongoing project :)

More later, I just had a minute to type and figured i should take it. I'll shoot to get some b'day pics up soon!

Tooth Fairy

So this was Thursday morning, all our baby teeth in a nice row, looking lovely for pictures.

And this, was Thursday afternoon after school - see the gap? This is her 3rd lost tooth, but the first 2 were bottom teeth and didn't really rattle me. Now every time I look at her it startles me, just a little bit, to see the hole in her mouth. She's my oldest, my first, and still my baby.

Something about that little gap is leaving my heart tender. She's growing up so fast - I am so proud of her, and love her, most truly!

The Pioneer Woman

Ok - I'm in LOVE. Thank you Iana for introducing me to "The Pioneer Woman"! For those of you who have no clue as to what I am talking about, it's a blog that I have started following. Primarily because I had heard her recipes were easy to follow and quite tasty. I can say from experience that so far, I haven't made anything I didn't like, and I actually had the necessary ingredients!

Not only are her recipes great, but she is a great writer - fun to read. Go check her out at www.thepioneerwoman.com

Personal recommendations...

Beef with snow peas - even the children loved it, FANTASTIC
Beef Stew with Beer and paprika - mmmmm
TOMATO SOUP - holy cow, it was fantastic. I followed her directions exactly, but in the end I use my stick blender to puree all the chunks of tomato so it was creamy, talk about smack yo' mama good!!!

Go check her out and see what you think - you will NOT be disappointed!

On the Mend

Well, the children are FINALLY all feeling better. I know this reprieve will probably only last a short while but I am still so very thankful! I was at home all last week with Kayleigh and her nasty RSV. She has responded well to treatment and is right as rain now. I let her go back to daycare yesterday, which I'm sure just means the next thing is coming, but for now we're good.

Grace had RSV too, but hers wasn't nearly as bad, she was back to normal within just a few days. Cole man has been going strong the whole time :)

But of course we can't just all be well, now the dog is sick. Yes, the dog. Bailey is our 8 yr old boxer that Tim and I got right after we were married. He is old, but he's always been so spry! But he came in a few nights ago and he looked like a skeleton, limping, front paw swollen and struggling to breath.

Honestly, I thought we were at the end - but not without a fight. I started soaking down his food with warm water to make it easy to eat, adding some other things to help bulk him up and did some handy online research - you can really find ANYTHING on the internet...

He's not 100% yet but he's on the mend now. Swelling is doing better, limp is about gone and he's acting more like himself. Hopefully, he's got a few more good years in him!