No Cook DIY Laundry Soap

So in an attempt to save money, because lets face it who doesn't want to save money these days!  I decided that I would make my own laundry soap!  Well after reading one recipe right after another, NONE of them ever enticed me to want to make them.  I didn't want to cook all the stuff down and blah blah blah, so I continued to look.

Then I came across this blog {which I will post at the end}.  So I decided that this was the recipe for me!

Here is goes, you will need a few supplies because this makes A LOT.  I didn't have a 5 Gal bucket with a lid to store the stuff in, so I made a trip to Home Depot {well and Menards & Lowe's all in the same day, but more on that later}

Then you need to go to Wal-Mart.  In a failed attempt I tried to get all of my supplies at Target while I was there, but they only had a couple of the items that I needed so I just purchased what they had and made another stop.  Here is the recipe:

• 1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle
• 1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle
• 1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle
• 2 (14.1 oz) Fels Naptha  Found in the detergent aisle (she used pink zote in hers, but it is not available at our local Wal-Mart)
• 1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the detergent aisle
• 1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- Found in the detergent aisle- She stated that it was 100% optional, but I like my laundry soap to smell good, so it was not optional for me!

It feels like it takes forever to grate the soap, but that is the most time consuming thing!  Be careful not to grate your knuckles, or grate them twice in one spot like I did {I will save you the battle wound picture}  After you get both bars done, that is when you start to mix this in your bucket.  I added a little of each at a time and stirred, that way it was well mixed.  I don't just like the smell of this, I love the smell of the soap!  I took her advice and saved my Purex bottle and dumped it in, and put my huge bucket away until it needs to be refilled!  Every load takes 2 TBSP, or 1/2 a lid full.  I made enough laundry soap to last us a year or close to a year, in a little over a hour.  

After washing my clothes, blankets or anything else I could find to wash {because washing is fun when you know you are not going to run out of soap and you are addicted to the smell} I have noticed that my blankets and towels are even softer then when I was using Tide.  

I did a rough estimate on savings:

Homemade soap:  about $30.00

Tide- about $150/ year {give or take}

I already have a $120.00 savings for the year!  Go ahead try it, you will be very happy you did!

How Does She Blog:  http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/

A Little R&R......... Yeah Right!

It's been almost a month since we sold the store, and I haven't really had a moment to catch my breath yet.  My children have kept me on my toes and on the go ever since. Between school, dance, parents as teachers, appointments, and having the crud; our household has been busy! {and bleached a few times} I have trouble sitting and relaxing, there is just so much that always needs to be done. I am hoping that writing will be a source of relaxation for me along with working out at the new Hornets Nest Rec Center coming in July!

I decided to start blogging again and figured I could share my projects {because we all know I have TONS of those} decorating tips and maybe a few recipes, these things are my creative outlet and these are things that I love to do! I love to redecorate/remodel rooms, have fun little furniture remodeling projects and I love how a fresh coat of paint can totally change the way something looks! I love feeling you get when you keep looking around the room or at a piece of furniture because it just looks so different.

One of the things I have been working on is helping my Mother in Law out on a few projects around her house.  She has a to do list that she wants me to do, and it even includes me getting to use power tools......love power tools!  I will post some before and after shots soon! I am also working on a few other smaller projects that I look forward to sharing with everyone also!

So for now I challenge you to think outside the box, DIY and maybe even a little "treasure hunting"