Laundry Soap

For five years I have been making our laundry soap. I was making the liquid type which required me heating up  a lot of water and storing many bottles of gallon containers. A month ago I was checking out at the grocery store and the cashier noticed I was purchasing Fels-Naptha. She asked if I made my own laundry soap and if it was the liquid or power. She said she made the powder and how much easier it was to make than the liquid. I was always worried that it would be to gummy and clog the washer but she assured me that it dissolved instantly. I was also concerned since we have a HE washer. So I did my research and  HE washers use less water so the less suds the better. Trust me this is very low suds (remember its the soap and not the suds that clean). So for my next batch of soap I whipped up the powder formula. It was soooooo much easier to make than the liquid. I don't have to let it sit for 24 hours nor store all of those gallon containers. Now a month later, I made another batch tonight and will never make the liquid again. This is so quick to make and you save so much money. With store bought laundry soap the average cost of a load of laundry is $0.21 per load homemade is $0.05 per load. Homemade is also better for your septic as it contains zero phosphates and zero fillers like store bought which will clog the lines and  is non-toxic so it will not harm necessary septic bacteria like toxic detergents and antibacterial soaps. Ok, enough with the facts. Here is how easy it is to make it:

For one batch you need:
1 bar of Fels-Naptha, 1 C. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, 1 C. Borax

Step 1: Grate the whole bar of Fels-Naptha with a cheese grater

Step 2: Add the grated soap to the food processor

Step 3: Add 1 C. of washing soda and 1 C. of  Borax

Step 4: Pulse until the Fels-Naptha is fine and well mixed with washing soda and Borax

Step 5: Pour into plastic container

Use 1 Tablespoon per load or 2 T. for extra soiled laundry. 

It takes me less than 10 minutes to whip up a patch and it lasts us a month. For even more cost savings I use white vinegar as a substitute for fabric softener (your clothes won't smell like a salad).

Happy 8th B-Day Josh

We celebrated Josh Man's 8th b-day Saturday. We picked up his buddy Caleb and went bowling and out to eat. In the evening the rest of the family came over to celebrate. Can't believe he's 8 all ready!

We told him he go anywhere he wanted for dinner. So of course he chooses Mc Donalds.

Dad got him a b.b gun for his b-day.

Truly humbled

Sorry I haven't been updating lately. Life has been very busy lately and in my spare time when I am  on the computer I have been diligently working on our family book that goes to the adoption agency. This book is shown to expecting mothers as they narrow down which couple they wish to have as adoptive parents for their child. I can't begin to tell you how many hours I have spent writing, cut and pasting pictures and questioning if it looks ok. One of the things we needed to have in the book was a recent picture of Jeff and me. I was wanting a nice professional picture taken so I called a friend at church who takes pictures and asked how much she would charge to come over and take some. She said she would like to do it as a gift for our adoption as well as take some new family pictures for us. That was just the beginning of blessings we have received this week. Tuesday I got an email from our church accountant that an anonymous person donated a large amount of money last Sunday towards our adoption. Today I went to church and found another an envelope in my mailbox with a typed out letter and a cashiers check from an another anonymous couple. While I was getting ready for service to start this morning, and getting over the shock of the money we just received, a gentlemen handed me a card from he and his wife and inside was another check. Jeff and I are truly amazed at the out pour of love and support our church family, family and friends has shown us. At the same time it has been very difficult to accept these blessings, but we have to continually remind ourselves that this is not for us but to benefit a life of a child. To know that you have people in your life that love and support is truly remarkable. We knew when we started this season in our lives that if this was truly God's will for our lives He would show up and provide. I was talking to our preacher about how in the past week we have been so blessed. He just reaffirmed that this was God's will for our family and He is blessing it. Here are a few pictures that were taken Saturday.

Had to have one with Ms. Allie.