Homemade Detergents

I recently have been cutting costs to try to move the remodel along...unfortunately hubby's truck has absorbed our savings this month (and probably next)...ugh!  Tires and other maintenance stuff...

I started making my own household detergents: Laundry, Dishwasher and Dish detergents.

Top: Homemade Laundry Soap

Left: Dishwashing Liquid

Right: Dish Washer Detergent

The Laundry Soap was the biggest pain but the payoff has been nice as I am two thirds of the way through the batch I made a month or more ago.  It works fine - just like any other detergent.  The only difference is there is no scent.  When I make my next batch I am going to incorporate some essential oils.  The texture is pretty watery with lumps of gel - this is normal.  I have a high efficiency machine and have had no problems.

The Dishwashing Liquid was not as time consuming as the Laundry Soap and has a great consistency.  The Octagon Soap used in the recipe has a nice scent but I added grapefruit essential oil too and the results are great!  Things (including my hands) definitely get and feel very clean with this soap but it does not make a good lather.  The cleaning effect is wonderful so no biggie.

The Dish Washer Detergent is SUPER easy to make and I feel like I've saved a bunch here.  Since I have a stockpile of Borax and Arm and Hammer Super Washing Detergent all I have to buy each week is 2-4 packets of Lemonade Kool-Aid which is super cheap compared to the 1-2 bottles of detergent I was used to buy.  The dishes are clean but I do use more than the recipe site suggests.  The bleaching effect is no where near as great as it was with my store bought detergent but that hasn't been a big deal.

This month's grocery budget was blown...hubby had to go to the store when we were sick and then we had a $200 family trip to Saubel's...better luck in March!

remodeling continues...

After a brief hiatus (almost two whole months!) the remodel continues.  The current projects are not terribly bad or annoying so that is a plus.


During this "hiatus" I did manage to paint the foyer.  The only thing that still needs paint is the huge wall going up the steps and I am not about to do that.  I love the color, Sedona Sands from Ace.  It reminds me of the color of our living room at the old house but has cooler undertones.

My mom and I through many weeks here and there managed to take down the wallpaper in the dining room (remember we were using it as a living room at the time)...Mom took down the last piece of wallpaper yesterday!  Unfortunately it looks like the walls were never primed...

the changing table/toy chest had to be temporarily relocated...

 

check out this hideous fan...yuck!

it will be replaced with this chandelier I found on clearance at Home Depot

 

The playroom is getting a closet!

 and a light thanks to a flea-market $5 find...this brass one is a little out-dated...

 

Compared to the other remodel projects these are pretty darn easy...and affordable!

Thanks Mom for the wallpaper help and Dad in-law for mudding those corners!

Scrap-happy

This V-day my gift to myself is to start crafting again...  

Last week Toby and I had an excellent day crafting, Toby made an extra special gift for PopPop, a deer cameo, which he loved!

D showed me an idea on Oopseydaisyblog.com of course I didn't have a chance to look at it until the next day, but by then Ms. Oopseydaisy posted this awesome idea

Here is hubby's V-day "card":

 

the scratch-off paint worked great!