Bringing out the Duggar in me.

Some of you know that I make my own laundry detergent.  Being a one-income large family means saving where I can.  Thought I'd show those of you who have asked me how to do it.  Of course, I forgot to take pictures along the way yesterday, when I made the detergent...sorry.

Here are the things you will need to buy to get started.

1 cup of Borax 

1 cup of Washing Soda

1 Bar of Soap (any bar of soap should work, just be sure nobody in your family has a sensitive reaction to the brand you choose).

I found the Borax and Washing Soda in the cleaning isle at Market Basket, though any grocery store, Target or WalMart should have them I think.  I use Ivory soap, because you can always save the extra bars for future detergent or you could let your kids microwave an extra bar of Ivory soap and it does that fun science experiment thing.  (Heads up though, your kitchen will smell like soap for an hour or so if they do.)  It's been a while since I bought these supplies, and the boxes are still half full.  I'm pretty sure these supplies cost less than $10, and will last you more than a year of detergent.  Yes, I'm serious about that...this is very inexpensive and works great.  I wish I had known about this a long time ago. 

Also, you will need to save two empty and rinsed gallon jugs (we use the milk ones as our kids drink so much) for easy storage.

Here's what you do:

1) Grate your bar of  soap with a regular cheese grater.  The entire thing.  Put it in your pot.  

As for your pot, it should hold 2 gallons of water.  Otherwise use 2 smaller pots and split the ingredients evenly.  That's what I have to do, making two batches at the same time.

2) Add 1 gallon of water (any temperature) and cook over the stove until the soap is fully dissolved.  

3) Add 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda and still well.  

4) Allow it to boil.  Then remove it from the heat and add 1 gallon of cold water.  Stir well.

5) Allow the detergent to cool a bit and then use a funnel to transfer the mixture into the empty gallon containers.

And that's it!  So easy.  I let mine sit overnight and it actually congeals.  Then I shake the gallon containers well to break up the detergent a bit.  To use the detergent I pour just a small amount (maybe 1-2 tablespoons - really) into the washing machine right out of my milk containers.  

The other good thing about this detergent is it is far gentler on skin than store bought detergents.  They typically add unnecessary dyes and scents.  I have used this detergent on babies laundry too.  No more need to buy expensive Dreft!

OK, here is the original link.  I can't claim this as my own.  But I do love it!

http://whynotsew.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent.html

The Pageant

Today was the Christmas pageant.  Caroline was an angel, that was believable.

Jackson refused to be the angel he was cast as.  I tried bribery, offering to treat him to lunch at McDonald's if he wore the angel costume.  He agreed, and then back out again.  Opting to become Josh's shadow throughout the service instead.

Ryan was too young for a formal role, but he did wear angel wings for a total of 10 minutes.

Service started with a children's time at the altar.  Josh has been doing these puppet show children's moments with the help of a few church members...they are so fun and cute.  As an aside, I LOVE how our church includes children into the services every week.  Kids are welcomed and it makes the experience so much better if you ask me.  Part of this children's moment was about lighting the advent wreath.  Josh wisely advised the large group of kids to stay away from the candles on fire.  Leave it to the preacher's kid to reach right for that lit candle.  Mid-prayer I lunged towards Ryan, still too far away for me to reach him, snapping my finger, pointing at him saying "Ryan no!"  Thankfully that did the trick.  But I felt compelled to apologize to the congregation for my interruption.

Throughout the service Jackson was shadowing Josh.  While I was sitting in the pew I could see him picking his nose, several times, on the altar.  Right there for all to see.  Gross.

During prayers and concerns I blinked and Ryan dashed for the altar, adorned with angel wings, to sit next to Jackson, aka Josh's shadow.  What is supposed to be the only quiet moment of this children's service was when Ryan decides to roll around on the altar with his wings on.  Jackson then starts tying his elastic boot string things together, so if he were to stand his legs would be tied together and fall.  He's a one man show that kid.  Once the prayer was over I scooped him up and the angel wings were over.

Just before the pageant is to begin Ryan tells me he has to pee.  I didn't want to take the long way to the bathroom, because I didn't want to miss Caroline doing her angel thing.  So I tried to sneak out the side door.  Only to run smack into all of the angels awaiting their big entrance.  "Excuse me.  Sorry, Ryan has to go to the bathroom."  As I'm squeezing through the sea of 5-7-year-olds I feel my boot (yes, hard snow boot) step on a little boy's toe.  And then I realize he's not wearing any shoes, as the angels are just in their socks.  And now I'm apologizing to Charlie as he's bravely trying not to cry though he is clearly in some pain.   Awesome.  The pageant leader ushered me along and comforted Charlie.

The pageant went on and it was awesome.  Every aspect of it.

Nose picking and all, bring your kids to church people.  There's Purell at the back so it's all good.

Please excuse the finger in the photo, clearly I am a bit busy in church to notice a bad photo.