Homemade Laundry Detergent

The first time I made this was about a year and a half ago and I just ran out this week. I cannot believe that one batch lasts that long!

It only costs about $30 to make, so for me, that breaks down to approximately $1.67 a month for laundry detergent. Amazing!

We only do laundry for two, which equals to about 5-6 loads of laundry per week between our towels, darks, colors, whites, bedding and John's work clothes. I use 1/8 of a cup per load so it makes sense that it lasted us this long!

The recipe is so simple and all of the ingredients are easy to find at any grocery store.

You Will Need:

A large bucket

A huge mixing spoon

A fine cheese grater

Container to keep detergent in

1 Box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 Box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

1 Box Borax

1 Tub Oxyclean

1 Bottle Purex Crystals Fabric Softener

(I use Fresh Clean Waters Scent)

2 Bars Fels Naptha Laundry Soap

Step One: Grate the two bars of soap into a bowl. This method takes the longest and gives you hand cramps, but it gives you the finest result. You can also cut the soap into one inch cubes and put in the food processor until pulverized. (that's what I did last time) Or, you can try this method in the microwave and crumble it.

mmm... looks like cheese! But don't be tempted. Soap would not be good on your nachos!

Step Two: Take each ingredient and pour half into the bucket layering as you go. Do the same with the other half. I find this makes it easier to get it to mix evenly than just pouring all each ingredient in at the same time. Mix thoroughly.

Step Three: Pour into a container and start saving money!

I love, love, love this recipe because it's septic safe, HE compatible, it's gentle enough for sensitive skin like mine and it still gets the clothes clean and smelling fresh! Oh, and it saves me money!

Oh! And I like to save the empty Purex bottle for other homemade cleaning recipes, like this fabric softener I make.  You can save the tub from the Oxyclean too!

22 Weeks

How Far Along: 22w 3d

Baby Is The Size Of: A Papaya

Baby's Development: Baby boy's lips, eyelids and eyebrows are becoming more distinct. Baby is also sleeping in cycles now (12-14 hrs/day). Oh! And I forgot to mention in last week's post that at the last ultrasound (when I was 21w 6d) baby boy was measuring at 22w4d... almost a week ahead!

Sleep: Still awful. Still sleeping with ice packs. Still waking up itching. Still waking up to go to the bathroom multiple times a night. Still having back and hip pain. Good news... the testing for cholestasis came back negative. Bad news... that means I still have no idea why my feet and hands are itching like this! I go in again next week to the dr so hopefully I can get an answer. I have a feeling though that it's just a symptom of pregnancy as a result of all the extra hormones. Which is bad. Because it means there won't be any treatment!

Movement: Starting to feel more little movements here and there! It's so weird!

Cravings: Cereal, milk, fajitas, pizza and Mountain Dew Baja Blast

Aversions: Nothing too bad this week. Other than the stinky garbage!

Gender: Baby BOY! All I can think about is sports and trucks and blue and boy stuff all the time now!

Best Moment This Week: Not baby related, but John's sister finally got married! I'm so beyond excited for her! They did a simple courthouse wedding and John was her witness. It was beyond adorable to see how proud he was when he got home!

Looking Forward To: Feeling more movements and getting started on all my nursery projects! John is actually starting the trim right now in the hallway and nursery! (over 7 months after we put the flooring in!)

19 Weeks/ 20 Weeks /21 Weeks

21 Weeks

How Far Along: 21w 6d. . . Yes I know. I suck at pregnancy blogging for the last month! 22 weeks tomorrow

Baby Is The Size Of: A Mango. . . Then a banana. . . Now a pomegranate!

Baby's Development: Over the last 3 weeks baby has fully developed all 5 of his senses, and he has been practicing breathing motions and blinking! He's now about 10 1/2 inches long and weighs just under 13oz

Sleep: One word. AWFUL. I get up one to four times to pee, my back, hips and neck hurt constantly and I've developed this fun new symptom where my hands and feet itch constantly! It's the worst at night and I wake up scratching my feet to the point where it 's painful. I have to fall asleep with ice packs on my feet and I sit with my feet in ice water before bed. I called the nurse line at Group Health after a week of being miserable and they had me go in today for testing for cholestasis. I'm praying it's not, but I'd rather know now so I can start treatment. Until then, ice packs and a new prescription to help with the itching...

Movement: Finally thinking I'm feeling something!!!!! I'm so beyond excited! I found out today at my anatomy scan with Group Health that I have an anterior placenta (which means that the placenta is in the front of my belly rather than behind the baby towards my spine). This totally explains why it took so long for me to feel movement! I have no idea why it took 21 weeks for me to find this out... but I really wasn't happy with the care I received at Multicare so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Cravings: Cuties, fajitas (although I haven't had any in over two weeks! I'm dying!), pizza, cereal and milk. I used to hate drinking milk but now I'm totally happy with a glass of milk with ice cubes =)

Aversions: Not too much has been bothering me lately. The other day I did attempt to eat two hard boiled eggs for breakfast (1st time having eggs this pregnancy) but I ended up nauseous the entire morning. No more eggs for me!  

Gender: We have a little BOY!!!! Mommy's intuition was right! Can't wait to meet my little guy!

Best Moment This Week: Getting to see my little man today at my ultrasound! I think he might have John's nose! He's so precious and I'm so in love already!

Looking Forward To: Feeling more movements and getting started on all my nursery projects!

19 Weeks

Gender Reveal Party

 
Sunday December 15th we had our gender reveal party for little baby Wallace. After getting an ultrasound Saturday night we brought the results to my best friend Kassie's house so she could bake either a blue or pink cake. As much as the anticipation killed me, it was so awesome to find out with our family and friends when we cut into the cake! Here are a few ton of shots from the party! Be prepared for a million pics! 

18 Weeks

How Far Along: 18w 3d

Baby Is The Size Of: A Sweet Potato

Baby's Development:Our baby BOY is about 5 1/2 inches long! He's yawning, hiccuping (which I'll be able to feel eventually...so weird), kicking a punching around in there.

Sleep: Still crazy dreams. Still getting up a few times a night. Still tossing and turning from back/hip pain. Sooo not much has changed

Movement: Still waiting!!! I'm starting to get really impatient....

Cravings: All the same things! Cuties, pickles, fajitas (although I haven't had any in over a week! I'm dying!), pizza (again, haven't been eating it though) and Mountain Dew Baja Blast! I keep forgetting to mention it. I can't tell you how many times I went to Taco Bell and walked in just for a large Baja Blast. haha The workers always look at me like I'm nuts when I don't order any food.

Aversions: Still chicken and food with weird consistencies. 

Gender: We have a little BOY!!!! Mommy's intuition was right! Can't wait to meet my little guy!

Best Moment This Week: Finding out we're having a little boy!!!

Looking Forward To: We have our anatomy scan tomorrow so we'll get to see our little boy again. Two weeks in a row... so blessed!

DIY Snow Globes

Last Christmas I made some DIY snow globes inspired by a pin I saw in Pinterest. I've gotten so many compliments so I thought if do a tutorial. A few of these will be gifts this year and they are definitely budget friendly. I already had everything I needed except for extra trees so this project cost me less than $3. 

You Will Need

Glass jars if varying sizes (wide mouth if using mason jars)

Glue gun

Epsom salt (mine is from the dollar store bought last year)

Clear or white glitter (optional)

Bottle brush Christmas trees (mine are from Ben Franklin)

Little critters if you want

I started by laying out all my jars and supplies so I could see how many little trees would fit in each one.

Next I cut out little bits of cardboard so I could make my trees sit up higher. If you skip this step your trees will sit much lower and you will barely have any snow in the bottom if your jar. Little wood dowels would work well too.

I started gluing the little bits of cardboard to the bottom if the trees. While those were drying I glued my mason jar lids together. Don't hot glue your thumb like I did... I forgot how much that little bit of glue could hurt!!!

After putting everything together I added the Epsom salt and glitter to the bottom of the jars. I just eyeballed this and added enough to where I thought it would reach the bottom of the trees. This was definitely trial and error but there's no easy way to try and measure it out.

Finally, I glued the lids on and voila! Done!