In an effort to save some money I decided that I was going to finally try making my own laundry detergent. I came across a post in a blog probably 3 years ago and thought it was a fantastic idea. We have always used liquid detergent so at first I was going to try the liquid recipe but the more I thought about it I didn't want the mess and fuss with having to cook the soap and wait a day before using it. I am the kind of person who likes to make and use immediately to see if it really works.
This past week I have slowly collected the ingredients for this recipe and on Saturday while I was at Walmart I bought the final item, a big glass canister, to place all the detergent in once it was made.
Over the past week I have been searching the internet for a "good" recipe. Every post I came across with a recipe in it had a different combination of items or extra items added. So in this post I am not going to give credit to any one blog for the recipe because I created my own from combining other recipes together. I looked at what they included and then read every single comment and figured out why each item was used.
So without further adieu here is the recipe.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Ingredients:
1 box Borax (I got the 20-Mule variety)
1 box Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1 small box of regular Baking Soda
5 1/2 cups of Oxyclean (I got the Sun brand from Walmart)
4 bars of Dove soap (original formula) (other recipes call for 3 bars Fels-Naptha, I chose Dove because I read that you can use any bar soap and I liked the scent of the Dove, but I specifically chose a variety that wasn't "moisturizing")
Shred the bars of soap. -- I used my food processor. I grated it with the cheese grater blade, then chunked it up into even smaller pieces by using the chopping blade.
Mix all other ingredients in a trash bag. Put all ingredients in a trashbag, tie tightly and shake it around to mix all the ingredients well.
Pour into a container large enough to store the detergent.
And that is it! It is that easy. This batch will last a good long time! Some blogs say it will last a year, but with my larger than average family, I estimate it will last me about 6 months.
I use a tablespoon or two for each load of laundry. It is safe for HE washers, though I don't have one. I have a large, top-loading washer.
I have used this now for four loads and I am pleased with the results. I think that two tablespoons are better than one for our messy, dirty clothes. I was a bit surprised that there is absolutely no suds with this recipe. None whatsoever! Not one bubble. But when I felt the water it felt soapy and slimy so I assume it is doing its work. I love how my clothes smell. They smell clean and fresh. Not much scent but I hear you can add a scent booster in this recipe to give it more scent if you want that.
Also there was much talk in the other blogs about it being safe for septic tanks and it is as each of the ingredients are safe.
I have one thing to ask. Since I created this recipe myself I appreciate if you post this on your blog please link it back to me. It is the right thing to do and everything I post here is copyrighted by me so please credit me. Thank you.
Have a great week!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Northwest to get SNOW this weekend. (and Freebie)
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| photo credit: http://www.picturesofwinter.net/snow_pictures.html |
For those of us who do find that powdery white stuff on the ground from time to time or for much of the winter there are a great many things on our To Do list before the storms hit.
To Do:
1. Pick up all toys and tools in the yard and straighten up the leaves and twigs that fall from the trees. Twigs, logs, tools and toys can be a trip hazard after a snow. You can't see what you are stepping on and can turn an ankle or fall. Plus you won't be able to find tools that you may need if it is covered with snow. Put tools and toys away in the shed or under the house or deck.
2. Cover lawn furniture and the wood pile with a tarp so snow won't ruin the finish on the furniture or wet the wood when it begins to melt.
3. Stack firewood and have a place for it to stay dry in winter storms and rain.
4. Finish winterizing the garden. Cover wintering over plants with straw, till in fertilizer or plant cover plants for tilling under in spring.
5. Make sure you have enough food storage and water for at least a week that you can cook with out electricity. (I like to have more but that is me!)
6. Make sure that you have your generator in good working order if you have one. Start it from time to time to make sure that it is running correctly. Top off oil and gasoline so it it ready to use. If you have a snow blower, snow mobile, etc. Prepare these for winter use also.
7. Prepare for an alternative source of heat and cooking in case storms take out electricity. This is very important so you won't worry or have to rush.
8. Check battery supply, alternative lighting supply, and other gasses like propane, kerosene or any other fluids that you use if power goes out.
9. Unpack winter blankets, flannel sheets, and freshen them up for use (I like to put them in the dryer for a quick turn with a dryer sheet).
10. Unpack snow gear such as hats, gloves, snow pants, boots, winter coats, etc. Try them on all members of family to make sure they fit and are wearable for this season. Make a list of items you need and check local thrift stores for these items first before buying new. (never hurts to save a bit of money).
I hope this list helps you. I have printed this list out in a form so you can print it off and check off the items, make a shopping list, and add additional items to your list. I keep a copy of this in my household notebook and use it over and over each year.
Grab this file here.
Have a great day!
Grow an Avocado Plant
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| (Getty Images, pulled from iVilliage.com) |
Copied from avacado.org
Avocado Nutrition Information
Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. You can find detailed avocado nutrition information listed in our Avocado Nutrients section including all of the vitamins and minerals found in avocado.
Avocados and Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but a healthy diet and exercise plan may help reduce your risk of developing the life-threatening illness.
The American Heart Association (AHA) Dietary Guidelines recommend a diet that has at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, contains up to 30% of calories from fats (primarily unsaturated) and is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fats and sodium while being rich in potassium. Avocados can help you meet the AHA dietary guidelines because they have both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat and contain potassium.
Have a great day!
Weekly Menu Planning (and Freebie)
With all the changes that has happened in our household the past month one thing that we have had to be extra careful of is our money. We don't have a lot of it right now and we have been going through some transitions with that.
One thing that we haven't been doing much is going out to eat. The kids have felt the brunt of this. In the past we have gone out to eat at least once a week if not more often. Now we eat every meal at home. We have to plan when we go out that we won't be out during a meal time where we will be tempted to eat out. This also means that we must plan our meals more carefully so that I have all the ingredients I need to cook supper. I also have to be ever present to make sure that I take out anything that needs thawing in the morning so it is ready to cook in the afternoon.
This afternoon I decided to whip up a form that I can fill out for a weekly meal plan. I have covered this subject before but tonight I thought I would share my form with you all. It is yours for free to print as many as you want. What I love about this form is that it has room to write your menu items for all three meals a day and you have a column for your shopping list. You can create your menu and add any items you need to your shopping list immediately. When you are done you can simply cut or tear off the shopping list and head off to the store.
I have two links for you. The first is the Weekly Menu Plan with all three meals and the shopping list. The second is the Weekly Menu Plan with a "snack" line for each day. I also plan a snack. It just makes it easy for us to know what is available to eat for snacks. If you are like me, then there are teenagers in the house who seem to be ravenous all day long!
Weekly Menu Plan
Weekly Menu Plan w/ Snack
These files are in .ODT form, this is an Open Office file. I don't have MS Word on my computer but you can convert these over to a Word doc pretty easily I think. Let me know if you have any problems with the files.
Enjoy and I hope that you will get good use out of them. I pray that they save you money, time and effort in your busy days.
One thing that we haven't been doing much is going out to eat. The kids have felt the brunt of this. In the past we have gone out to eat at least once a week if not more often. Now we eat every meal at home. We have to plan when we go out that we won't be out during a meal time where we will be tempted to eat out. This also means that we must plan our meals more carefully so that I have all the ingredients I need to cook supper. I also have to be ever present to make sure that I take out anything that needs thawing in the morning so it is ready to cook in the afternoon.
This afternoon I decided to whip up a form that I can fill out for a weekly meal plan. I have covered this subject before but tonight I thought I would share my form with you all. It is yours for free to print as many as you want. What I love about this form is that it has room to write your menu items for all three meals a day and you have a column for your shopping list. You can create your menu and add any items you need to your shopping list immediately. When you are done you can simply cut or tear off the shopping list and head off to the store.
I have two links for you. The first is the Weekly Menu Plan with all three meals and the shopping list. The second is the Weekly Menu Plan with a "snack" line for each day. I also plan a snack. It just makes it easy for us to know what is available to eat for snacks. If you are like me, then there are teenagers in the house who seem to be ravenous all day long!
Weekly Menu Plan
Weekly Menu Plan w/ Snack
These files are in .ODT form, this is an Open Office file. I don't have MS Word on my computer but you can convert these over to a Word doc pretty easily I think. Let me know if you have any problems with the files.
Enjoy and I hope that you will get good use out of them. I pray that they save you money, time and effort in your busy days.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Homeschooling 101, part 2 (and Freebie)
This is a 2 part article on my homeschooling panic and return to reality. To read part 1 find it here.
In my struggle to figure out what I was doing wrong I went back to my sources. Clearly other people were not having the same troubles as me. Why was I struggling so?
I went back to the internet to look at other families and what they were doing and what I was doing wrong. I searched for a plan book that would help me organize my thoughts and my ideas. I found a few things, but nothing that I loved.
I decided on these things. I went from year calendars to month calendars and then all the way down to weekly schedules.
I also printed out Book Lists.
I can't wait to fill them in with all the books we have read. I plan to have the kids each fill one out with the books they read through the year and then I will fill one in with all the books we read together as a family.
You can find the Book List forms at freehomeschooldeals.com.
Then I moved on to a Semester Planner. I like that each semester is on one sheet of paper. You can see that I have already begun filling it in.
Now I am beginning to see where we are going this year academically.
I made my own weekly scheduling pages since I didn't find any that I loved. I used Open Office to create this and I have the file right here for you if you want to use it too.
I made the pages colorful by adding color to the text.
Now I am finally beginning to see where we are going and what we are doing each day. I may not plan every week and I won't be planning our math for the older kids as their math program goes along in lessons and they do a lesson a day pretty much. I don't have to plan for that.
It may also be a good idea to use these as an historical record of what we did each day. I will be adding the books we read, the topics we study, the activities we do and the field trips we go on.
I am finding that most homeschool families teach a skill to mastery. My kids didn't always master all the math, spelling, and reading skills they needed and I will be spending some good time with them on these skills so they master them. I truly believe that this sets homeschooled kids apart from public schooled kids. It is the level of mastery.
In the process I realized that the state only requires me to provide math and reading scores. Realized probably isn't the word, remembered is more like what I am trying to say here. I remembered. Then I rationalized. "If I am only to turn in reading and math scores and that is all we get done this year then I am okay by the eyes of the state." If we get other stuff done too then I am better than the minimum, right? We will read and we will do math. We will learn lots more stuff in the process too. We will read these books I have spent a TON of money on and we will learn from them too. Bonus right???
A bit more organization for us are these great buckets. Each child has their own bucket with their name on it. They keep all their notebooks, workbooks, and projects in it. Inside they also keep their pencil and crayon case. Everything is in the bucket.
These are our flash cards. Most came from Target and are so useful for memory practice.
In my struggle to figure out what I was doing wrong I went back to my sources. Clearly other people were not having the same troubles as me. Why was I struggling so?
I went back to the internet to look at other families and what they were doing and what I was doing wrong. I searched for a plan book that would help me organize my thoughts and my ideas. I found a few things, but nothing that I loved.
I decided on these things. I went from year calendars to month calendars and then all the way down to weekly schedules.
This one is from donnayoung.org
Find these awesome month calendars at freehomeschooldeals.com
I also printed out Book Lists.
I can't wait to fill them in with all the books we have read. I plan to have the kids each fill one out with the books they read through the year and then I will fill one in with all the books we read together as a family.
You can find the Book List forms at freehomeschooldeals.com.
Then I moved on to a Semester Planner. I like that each semester is on one sheet of paper. You can see that I have already begun filling it in.
Now I am beginning to see where we are going this year academically.
I made my own weekly scheduling pages since I didn't find any that I loved. I used Open Office to create this and I have the file right here for you if you want to use it too.
I made the pages colorful by adding color to the text.
Now I am finally beginning to see where we are going and what we are doing each day. I may not plan every week and I won't be planning our math for the older kids as their math program goes along in lessons and they do a lesson a day pretty much. I don't have to plan for that.
It may also be a good idea to use these as an historical record of what we did each day. I will be adding the books we read, the topics we study, the activities we do and the field trips we go on.
I am finding that most homeschool families teach a skill to mastery. My kids didn't always master all the math, spelling, and reading skills they needed and I will be spending some good time with them on these skills so they master them. I truly believe that this sets homeschooled kids apart from public schooled kids. It is the level of mastery.
A bit more organization for us are these great buckets. Each child has their own bucket with their name on it. They keep all their notebooks, workbooks, and projects in it. Inside they also keep their pencil and crayon case. Everything is in the bucket.
These are our flash cards. Most came from Target and are so useful for memory practice.
Homeschooling 101
Boy do I feel like I am in the midst of a college level class and I am struggling to figure out what the professor is really trying to say. I sit in class, I listen, I take notes, I read the textbook, but they say one thing, I read about something completely different and then when I go to take the test none of the questions are anything about what the professor said or what I read and studied. Sheesh!
Homeschooling 101:
Here are things I have read. Everyone does it differently. All families are different. Teach what the kids are interested in. Most families teach skills to mastery.
Here are things I have heard from others. Everyone does it differently. All families are different. Teach in units. Explore your world.
Here are things I learned from the homeschooling convention last June. You need to pick a curriculum. Get stuff for all subjects and don't forget handwriting, grammar, Bible, and all the extras. Everyone does it differently. All curriculums are expensive.
Here is what I have learned from being a teacher in public and private schools for the past 19 years. Curriculum must be well rounded. Cover as much as you can in a year. Electives are important. Social Studies and Science are VERY important subjects to learn.
Here is what I learned from the homeschool laws of Virginia (where we live). You must turn in a list of subjects you plan to cover over the course of the year. At the end of the year you must turn in standardized test scores for reading and math for each child. Period!
So in my effort to be prepared I have scoured the internet looking for homeschooling families and reading their daily schedules, lists of subjects they are learning, and the curriculum they use. I went to the Homeschool convention here in town (our state convention) and I listened to the speakers, I talked to the people in the vendor's hall and listened and looked at all the curriculum out there. I thought about where my kids were in school (public school) and figured their grade levels were correct since they were all making decent grades in school. I brought home all the catalogs and literature that they gave us. I read homeschooling magazines, and I talked to any other homeschooling moms I could.
I read more. I surfed the internet more.
I emailed other homeschooling moms.
I chose a curriculum. I paid a TON of money for it. I opened the boxes when they arrived and was excited to see the wonderful books I paid a TON of money for. I was happy. I took the instructors guide to bed with me that night. I pulled the books we would begin with. We started the next day. I read to not let the curriculum guide you but for you to guide the curriculum. I WANTED to check off the boxes when we finished with each thing. I WANTED the curriculum to guide us.
In regular school (public or private) the teacher stands in the front of the classroom and the kids sit in the desks, eyes open and pencils sharpened and ready to learn. The teacher teaches. The students learn. This is what my kids did on the first day with our new things. They sat around the kitchen table and looked at me. I started to "teach". But it didn't go well. We didn't know where we were going. We didn't understand how this curriculum was set up. There were no textbooks so we didn't know the sequence of things. We didn't understand what we were to get from this reading. I went back to the instructors guide for guidance. It didn't answer my questions. We continued hoping we would figure it out. We kept going for two weeks. I became frustrated because we weren't getting anywhere. There was too much to do, not enough writing for the kids, not enough time in our day to get all the stuff done they wanted us to do. We never even got to science! NEVER!
This week I have had a panic attack about this. My husband asked me if this was all going to work. He questioned if we should send the kids back to school (public school). I immediately said NO! I just needed a plan, a sequence of things, a scope. I needed to revamp.
Part 2 of this post is here.
Homeschooling 101:
Here are things I have read. Everyone does it differently. All families are different. Teach what the kids are interested in. Most families teach skills to mastery.
Here are things I have heard from others. Everyone does it differently. All families are different. Teach in units. Explore your world.
Here are things I learned from the homeschooling convention last June. You need to pick a curriculum. Get stuff for all subjects and don't forget handwriting, grammar, Bible, and all the extras. Everyone does it differently. All curriculums are expensive.
Here is what I have learned from being a teacher in public and private schools for the past 19 years. Curriculum must be well rounded. Cover as much as you can in a year. Electives are important. Social Studies and Science are VERY important subjects to learn.
Here is what I learned from the homeschool laws of Virginia (where we live). You must turn in a list of subjects you plan to cover over the course of the year. At the end of the year you must turn in standardized test scores for reading and math for each child. Period!
So in my effort to be prepared I have scoured the internet looking for homeschooling families and reading their daily schedules, lists of subjects they are learning, and the curriculum they use. I went to the Homeschool convention here in town (our state convention) and I listened to the speakers, I talked to the people in the vendor's hall and listened and looked at all the curriculum out there. I thought about where my kids were in school (public school) and figured their grade levels were correct since they were all making decent grades in school. I brought home all the catalogs and literature that they gave us. I read homeschooling magazines, and I talked to any other homeschooling moms I could.
I read more. I surfed the internet more.
I emailed other homeschooling moms.
I chose a curriculum. I paid a TON of money for it. I opened the boxes when they arrived and was excited to see the wonderful books I paid a TON of money for. I was happy. I took the instructors guide to bed with me that night. I pulled the books we would begin with. We started the next day. I read to not let the curriculum guide you but for you to guide the curriculum. I WANTED to check off the boxes when we finished with each thing. I WANTED the curriculum to guide us.
In regular school (public or private) the teacher stands in the front of the classroom and the kids sit in the desks, eyes open and pencils sharpened and ready to learn. The teacher teaches. The students learn. This is what my kids did on the first day with our new things. They sat around the kitchen table and looked at me. I started to "teach". But it didn't go well. We didn't know where we were going. We didn't understand how this curriculum was set up. There were no textbooks so we didn't know the sequence of things. We didn't understand what we were to get from this reading. I went back to the instructors guide for guidance. It didn't answer my questions. We continued hoping we would figure it out. We kept going for two weeks. I became frustrated because we weren't getting anywhere. There was too much to do, not enough writing for the kids, not enough time in our day to get all the stuff done they wanted us to do. We never even got to science! NEVER!
This week I have had a panic attack about this. My husband asked me if this was all going to work. He questioned if we should send the kids back to school (public school). I immediately said NO! I just needed a plan, a sequence of things, a scope. I needed to revamp.
Part 2 of this post is here.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
In the midst of chaos.....I find???
Things have been quite chaotic around here. Let me fill you in on the past month.
1. I stopped working the first week in September to stay home with the kids and homeschool.
2. A week and a half later we got our curriculum and "school" books from Sonlight. We were so excited with the three huge boxes that came. We opened them up, felt and smelled the new books, and promptly put them on the shelf for us to keep nice and neat. More on this later.
3. My husband's work exploded with customers and he begged me to help him get everyone scheduled and straight. I worked day and night for two weeks getting everyone scheduled and him organized.
4. I have been to the grocery store, Costco, and Sams Club so many times I can not even count and it has only been a month! Remember that we were moving? Because of this I didn't want to move all our food storage so we "ate it down". Now I want to stock back up.
5. The kids and I have been on three official homeschool field trips and they have been wonderful. But I have not been able to blog about that.
6. Remember when I said I stopped working? Well that cut our household income by over half. So I have been working on making things for craft shows and to sell at our local pharmacy (think small town pharmacy with a big gift shop attached to it). I consign my work up there and they sell it and take 1/3 and I get the other 2/3s. Unfortunately I only get paid quarterly so what I put in there now I won't get paid until January. But it is a nice little check. In the meantime I have been working on making things for craft shows around here and have already been in 3 since September. Some good, some bad. But that is a way of life.
7. Homeschooling and having the kids home have been wonderful. I have enjoyed getting to know them better as people and learners. I have learned a lot about myself too and I am loving the real me.
8. There is no ideal or perfect homeschool curriculum and even after 19 years of teaching in public and private schools was I feel only marginally prepared to teach my own children. They are great sports and do whatever I ask. I think, honestly, I am being too hard on myself and need to relax a bit.
So in the midst of chaos, I am finding that I still love my family. I love them even more now than ever before. I love being home with them. I love homeschooling (even though I feel like I don't know what I am doing). I love that my husband goes out every single day and works harder than he has ever worked before because he loves us that much. In the midst of chaos, I find that my house won't be any cleaner than when I was working full time, we eat so much food being home all day long, and yes, my kids can make some incredible piles of laundry!
In the midst of all this chaos, I find that I am the happiest I have ever been!
1. I stopped working the first week in September to stay home with the kids and homeschool.
2. A week and a half later we got our curriculum and "school" books from Sonlight. We were so excited with the three huge boxes that came. We opened them up, felt and smelled the new books, and promptly put them on the shelf for us to keep nice and neat. More on this later.
3. My husband's work exploded with customers and he begged me to help him get everyone scheduled and straight. I worked day and night for two weeks getting everyone scheduled and him organized.
4. I have been to the grocery store, Costco, and Sams Club so many times I can not even count and it has only been a month! Remember that we were moving? Because of this I didn't want to move all our food storage so we "ate it down". Now I want to stock back up.
5. The kids and I have been on three official homeschool field trips and they have been wonderful. But I have not been able to blog about that.
6. Remember when I said I stopped working? Well that cut our household income by over half. So I have been working on making things for craft shows and to sell at our local pharmacy (think small town pharmacy with a big gift shop attached to it). I consign my work up there and they sell it and take 1/3 and I get the other 2/3s. Unfortunately I only get paid quarterly so what I put in there now I won't get paid until January. But it is a nice little check. In the meantime I have been working on making things for craft shows around here and have already been in 3 since September. Some good, some bad. But that is a way of life.
7. Homeschooling and having the kids home have been wonderful. I have enjoyed getting to know them better as people and learners. I have learned a lot about myself too and I am loving the real me.
8. There is no ideal or perfect homeschool curriculum and even after 19 years of teaching in public and private schools was I feel only marginally prepared to teach my own children. They are great sports and do whatever I ask. I think, honestly, I am being too hard on myself and need to relax a bit.
So in the midst of chaos, I am finding that I still love my family. I love them even more now than ever before. I love being home with them. I love homeschooling (even though I feel like I don't know what I am doing). I love that my husband goes out every single day and works harder than he has ever worked before because he loves us that much. In the midst of chaos, I find that my house won't be any cleaner than when I was working full time, we eat so much food being home all day long, and yes, my kids can make some incredible piles of laundry!
In the midst of all this chaos, I find that I am the happiest I have ever been!
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