Dabblings in Self-Sustainability

With all of my experimenting with making things, I had been bursting at the seams to tell everyone what I have been making.  I have had lots of requests to share my recipes, so here's a few to start!

Laundry Detergent
1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda (not the same as baking soda)
1 bar Fels Naptha laundry bar soap
**NOTE: all of these items can be found in the laundry section - I found Walmart to have the best variety, unfortunately..)

Carefully - I stress CAREFULLY - grate the Fels Naptha bar.  From experience - grating fingers is NOT such a fun endeavor...  Add to the shavings your Borax and washing soda.  Voila!  That is it!  You can add a couple drops or so of any essential oil for scent if you would like, but I LOVE the scent of Fels Naptha - so fresh and clean and lemony!  I keep my detergent in a plastic container with a tiny scoop.  Besides the awesomeness of making your own laundry soap, another bonus is....  It only takes a Tablespoon to clean your clothes!  What a deal!  :) 

Vanilla Coffee Creamer
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I use the fat-free one)
14oz. milk (your choice - I use either 2% or nonfat)
2 tsp. vanilla extract (or any other flavor you would like)

I combine all ingredients into a quart mason jar, tightly screw on the lid, and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE my frustrations out.  See?  It's a dual-duty recipe!  The result is a tasty, custardy, vanilla creamer - AND less stress.  :)  Emma also likes this mixed with her milk for a treat.  I also have old creamer containers that I have saved and just refill these with MY creamer!

Apple Cider Vinegar Conditioner
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
a couple drops lavendar essential oil
Ok, so this is more of conditioning rinse, but hey, it does the trick.  I mix the ingredients in a large jar and just keep in the shower.  After cleaning my hair, I simply pour the rinse over my hair (usually less than 1/2 cup) and rinse well.  Don't worry about the smell - after your hair dries you won't be able to tell!  The result is soft hair - that isn't weighed down by those heavy conditioners. 

That's it for now - I have many more recipes to share, but need to head out to find beeswax for my next endeavor - moisturizer!  Pics coming soon....

Long time gone....

Guilty.  I am absolutely shocked to see it has been almost a year since I have been on here (red-faced right now...).  Life has clearly gotten the best of me.  :)  Although I could write a page or too to catch up, I will try my best to condense...

Micky and I finally took a honeymoon in December (better late than never, right?) to beautiful Playa del Carmen in Mexico....  What an experience - one of my highlights was definitely the local food - WOW!

We took another amazing fishing trip with Tres Hermanos in Cozumel while we were down there - always successful!

The girls are getting soooooo big: Chloe just turned 7 and Emma will be 8 in May - Crazy to think about that! Chloe is kicking butt in Tae Kwon Do and Emma is still rockin her guitar lessons - she might even get to start Rock Band classes this summer! 

My dear husband has had a promotion - he is now the Assistant Manager of Critical Care at our hospital. It has been quite an adjustment, but very exciting for him.

As for me, I have been delving headfirst into trying to make as much as I can from home, from laundry detergent, skin care, shampoo, clothes.... Lets just say, my husband HAS accused me of becoming a hippy. ;) It has been WAY too much fun - but more posts about that later! For now, this is the quick update!