snow days and messes

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I'm not much for the cold, but I do love when it snows, which is something that doesn't happen too often around here. my kids get ecstatic about playing in the snow. for our first snow day of the year, we took the kids on a sled ride around the block. when we got home we started to build a snowman, but had a snowball fight instead. all was good until their hands and feet started to get that painful tingly feeling...let the wining begin. so, we came inside to watch movies and eat warm home cooked food. being stuck in the house is okay for about two days, then I have had my fill and need to get out even if it is a quick trip to dreaded wal-mart. being a stay at home mom of three full-time kids is very messy, especially on snow days (since I have one kindergartener). usually a wet rag or a little vinegar water will wipe away most sticky messes, but sometimes I find a two day old splatter of chocolate milk on the wall and I need something with a little more scrubbing power. in my last post I said I would give the recipe I use for all-purpose cleaner. here it is:

1 teaspoon borax
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda or washing soda
1/2 teaspoon vegetable based dish liquid (I use a little more)
2 cups hot water

mix all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle and shake well (I usually give it a good shake before each use).

if you don't already make your own all-purpose cleaner, you really should.
this recipe works really well for me. although there are still times when I need a good bleach cleaner, I don't feel that it is necessary to disinfect my house everyday. I clean up a lot of messes, so making my own cleaner saves me money. and I can re-use the plastic spray bottle over and over. hey, every little bit helps...right?

thirfty mama and a homemade laundry detergent recipe

So, since my last post (almost a year ago), not a whole lot has changed except my kids growing like weeds and myself being a year older and wiser. I am still a stay at home mom, and like most SAHM's I am always looking for ways to save a dollar and give my contribution to the finances of the family. Most quests for thrifty knowledge lead you to couponing. Now let me tell you something about couponing...I am NO good at it. I have tried, trust me, and I always end up buying more than what I need and somehow spending more than what I should. If there were a grocery shoppers anoyomous, I would be a memeber of that program. The grocery store sucks me in and their coupons make it that much worse. That being said, I decided that coupon research was not for me. Now don't get me wrong, I love to use coupons and it is always a thrill when I get a really good one. You know like a free pound of bacon or a $1.50 off juice. But, I have accepted that I cannot purchase $150 worth of groceries and only pay $30. So, in my quest to be a thrifty mama, I have decided to take a different route other than the ever popular coupon craze. I have found that there are household items that I can make myself that save lots of money and sometimes even the planet. My first experiment in this area of thriftyness was with laundry detergent and I have been quite pleased with the outcome. Below is the recipe I use to make homemade laundry detergent. If you like to cook, this recipe is super simple and the ingredients you buy will make hundreds of loads worth of detergent.

What you need:

1/2 cup 20 mule team borax
1/2 cup arm and hammer super washing soda
1/3 to 1/2 bar of fels naptha laundry soap
2-5 gallon bucket

How to do it:

Heat six cups of water on the stove
grate fels naptha into water and stir until dissolved
add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved
remove from heat
in bucket, add 4 cups of hot water
stir in soap mixture
add about 20-22 cups of cold water
cover and let set overnight

the detergent will turn into a gel form
use 1/2-1 cup per load

easy peasy and the borax and washing soda will last forever, not to mention, you can use them for other household chores as well. I make my own all purpose cleaner (I'll give the recipe for that in my next post).
I have been using my homemade laundry detergent for about 3 months now and have not had to buy more supplies. For extra dirty loads, I add some clorox 2 or oxiclean to help get rid of stains. And some vinegar in the downey ball is an all natural way to freshen clothes and remove static. Costs a lot less than fabric softener. I switch out between downey and vinegar and don't have to buy it near as often.

p.s.- I found the borax and washing soda at kroger beside the stain removers and the fels naptha I found at Ace hardware in the house cleaning section.