Quick and Easy DIY Laundry Detergent

Last year (after coming across this post from Erin at Why Not Sew?), I decided I'd try making my own laundry detergent. I found that not only did it save me TONS of money, but it didn't take much time either! And my husband (a Tide loyalist) could find no reason to dislike it. Over the past year, I've made three or four batches of liquid detergent with about $6 of supplies. About a month ago, I ran out of detergent and needed to make more, but I was feeling lazy. So I headed back to Pinterest to see if there were was something that was quicker and less messy, which led me to Yellow Brick Home, where I discovered (as far as I'm concerned) the perfect do-it-yourself laundry suds!

Three ingredients in three minutes (or less). Here it goes. You ready?

1 cup Borax (found on the laundry aisle)
1 cup Washing Soda (found on the laundry aisle)
1 bar of soap (you can use Fels-Naptha or Ivory or any soap with a smell you're particularly fond of)

Grate the soap.
Pour in the washing soda and borax.
Mix and put in a jar.

You're ready to go! Add one tablespoon to each load of laundry. Add an extra for a load of whites to brighten them.

Practical Tools for Getting Organized

Organization is not my forte. My tendency is to give my time and attention to whatever is screaming the loudest – the result being that I always feel like I’m dropping something. I have trouble balancing being a wife/mother, maintaining our home/household, my business, and ministry… not to mention making time for friends and for myself.

I always felt like when my kids started school, I’d have an abundance of time and that getting things done would be easy.

Wrong.

I still have to grocery shop, do laundry, run a business, plan Sunday school lessons, and more. And I’m still disorganized. So the past month or two, I’m on a mission to improve this about myself. I’m on a mission to become more organized and to practice self-discipline, and I’m finding there are a lot of tools and strategies out there that are helping me a lot. So I thought I’d share a few.

1. Family Binder This is still a work in progress, but so far I really like the idea of having a binder with all family and household information in it, from a shopping list and menu plan, to medical information, to schedules, etc. There are a ton of resources online with suggestions, but you really just have to play around with it to make it work for your family. My favorite find has been this Daily Docket from Simple Mom. I love it and it’s amazing and it helps me SOOO MUCH. I print one off for each weekday and make my lists first thing in the morning.
2. The One Minute Rule I came across this in an issue of Good Housekeeping. The one minute rule is simply this: “Any task that can be finished in less than one minute is something I must do. Hang up my coat, read a letter and toss it, put my umbrella away, answer an e-mail, note down a citation, pick up my phone messages, file a paper, put a cup in the dishwasher, put the magazines away...and so on. Because the tasks are so quick, it isn’t too hard to make myself follow the rule — and I get big results.” (Read more of the article here.)
3. Google Calendar has been incredibly helpful in managing our family's schedule. At any given moment, I can view my work calendar, school calendar, and my husband's calendar. I even have a meal plan calendar so that planning is easier. (Include the links to your recipes in your calendar to make meal time even easier!) I also hear wonderful things about Cozi, which not only manages calendars, but to do lists, shopping lists, etc.
4. Evernote I feel as though I've only just begun to discover the merits of Evernote, but so far I love it. It's basically a digital file cabinet that you have on you at all times that can include photos, documents, voice memos, lists, and more. Also, when I receive emails (bills, emails from clients, etc.), I can just forward them directly to my Evernote to be filed. Pretty awesome!

I’d love to hear how you do it. I have so many women in my life whom I admire and know that I could learn a lot from, so please share!

Back To School Dinner

Back in 2010, we started a new tradition in our family (that I totally copied from my friend Jenn). A day or two before school startes, we have a big back to school dinner for the kids. The kids get to pick what they want to eat (dinner and dessert), there's sparkling grape juice in fancy glasses, and we decorate the table up nicely. Not only is this dinner a time of celebration, but we take time to set goals, pray for the new school year and our teachers, and choose a special verse for the year. The kids love it and are already looking forward to the next one. (Is it really just around the corner?!)

I'm sure you can find tons of wonderful ways to decorate and make this your own. Here are some pics from our 2011 dinner.

I made placemats out of colored paper.

Saw a similar centerpiece idea on Pinterest and put my own spin on it.

The kids requested (for the second year in a row) that we have spaghetti and meatballs.

The kids write down things they want to accomplish this year...

and the things/people they'd like to pray for.

This has been a great new tradition that our family really enjoys. What does your family do to prepare for the new school year?

Good Reads [May 2012]

I haven't read near as much lately as I'd like, but here are a few of my recent reads that I loved!

• Jane Eyre - I downloaded this book free on my Kindle and had no idea what to expect, but I loved this book. It was a beautiful story, and I was riveted from beginning to end. You should read it. Especially if you enjoy books like Pride and Prejudice.
• Hunger Games Series - I know this is all the rage right now with the movie and all. I read this series a couple years ago, and then am reading them again this year along with my husband. I enjoyed them the first time through, but I have to say, I like them even more the second time. (We read Hunger Games on our recent trip to Florida, and Catching Fire on our next trip. Hoping to read Mockingjay on our summer trip to the coast.)

What books have you enjoyed reading so far this year?

Free (or Cheap) Summer Activities with Kids

As the end of the school year is upon us, I'm working on putting together a list of things that the kids and I can do over the summer to make it fun, educational, and memorable. I'll continue to add to this list, but I'd love to hear your plans too!


GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE

• Public Library - I have to say that for a long time, I completely underestimated our public library. The past couple years the kids and I have really enjoyed visiting the library once every week or two for their weekly story times. Not only do they engage the kids with stories, but also music and craft time. They have different times for each age group so that your toddler isn't having to sit through an elementary age stories/activities, etc. In addition to these weekly activities, the library hosts several plays and other special events that are a blast. And FREE! 
• Bowling - Check Kids Bowl Free to see if a local alley near  you offers free bowling for kids during the summer. I signed up last week, and this week there are coupons for two free games per kid for every day of the week! There's still shoe rentals, but at just a couple bucks each, you could easily enjoy a fun afternoon bowling for around $5-10.
• Swimming - we are fortunate enough to have a neighborhood pool that I will be taking advantage of for much of the summer. It's free, it's a great way to cool off, and it totally wears my kids out!
• The Park (and Sonic Happy Hour) - There comes a point here in Texas where going to the park (unless it's early in the morning) is just too hot to go to the park. But for now, my kids love going to the playground and running around like crazy for a while. If Happy Hour is near, we'll stop by and pick up a drink or slushy to keep us cool. Love those half priced drinks!
• Movies - Most movie theaters offer free or $1 movies for kids and families on certain days of the week. Check out your local theater to see what deals they have going!

AT HOME

• Reading - now that my kids are getting older, they're enjoying reading more. Start a series together and make it fun! Also, sign your kids up for summer reading programs in your area so they can earn free books. My kids loved this last summer. Check out this post on 2012 reading programs.
• Imagination Box - I haven't done this with my kids yet, but right now I'm collecting completely random items in a shoe box to prepare for it (toilet paper rolls, ribbons, rubber bands, etc.). On days when the kids are saying "I'm bored!", I'll hand them the box and tell them to make/build/invent whatever they want with the items in the box. My eight year old daughter came across the box the other and said, "Ooooh, can I have this?!" I think it'll be a hit. Cost: FREE!
• Quiet Time Boxes - I came across these on Pinterest and thought they were the greatest idea (for younger and older kids), and I wish I had come across them sooner! Create several boxes with small toys, notepads, stickers, blocks, etc. so that your child can entertain himself for a while each day.
• Scavenger Hunt - I have not yet done this for my kids yet, but I remember my mom putting together scavenger hunts for my sister and I during the summer. She'd write up clues and hide them all over our back yard that ultimately led us to our "treasure". I have no recollection of what the treasure ever was, but we LOVED the adventure!
• Cooking - Why not get in the kitchen and teach your kids how to cook. Let them plan the menu for dinner and help make it. Or bake cookies and then deliver them to neighbors, nursing homes, or dad's office!
• Gardening - We started a garden this year, and I've been amazed how much my kids love it. They go out every morning to see what's growing.

What are your favorite affordable summer activities?

Tomato Basil Pizza

I love pizza. It's one of my go-to meals after a long day. And while I love the convenience of picking up a pizza from Domino's, I've realized that putting together my own pizza is not really that much more time consuming AND (depending on the toppings) it feeds our family of four for around $3. Can't beat that! The possibilities are endless with the toppings too. It seems I can always find something to throw on top of a pizza, whether it's leftover chicken or pepperoni. This is my favorite pizza recipe from the Pioneer Woman's Cookbook, only I've been using whole wheat flour (which surprisingly, our family likes better).

FOR THE CRUST (MAKES TWO CRUSTS):

• 1 teaspoon Active Dry Or Instant Yeast 

• 4 cups Whole Wheat Flour 

• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt 

• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

FOR THE TOPPING:

• Pesto (to taste. I usually use 1/2 small jar)

• 2-3 Roma Tomatoes

• 6-8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella (the shredded stuff works fine too)
• Chicken, cooked (optional)

• Fresh Basil leaves (optional)

Drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet and use fingers to coat thoroughly. Remove HALF the pizza dough from the bowl. Stretch pizza dough into a large rectangle, pressing with fingers to finish forming. Dough will be very thin.

TO MAKE THE CRUST:

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. 

TO MAKE THE PIZZA:

Preheat oven to 500. 

Lightly drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and use fingers to spread on baking sheet/stone. Spread pesto over the surface of the crust. Thinly slice tomatoes and layer on top of the pesto, then cover with cheese (and basil, if you like).

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from pan and slice with a pizza cutter. Serve immediately! (A little freshly grated parmesan will also kick this up a notch!)

Good Reads [February 2012]

I've really begun to enjoy reading over the past couple of years. I'm not as good about sitting down with a book as I'd like to be, but I'm working on it. I'm currently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, but am always looking for my next book, so I'd love your recommendations!

In the mean time, here are a few recommendations for you!

• A Homemade Life (Molly Wizenburg)
  This is a memoir + cookbook. If you love food, family, and travel, you'll think this is a delightful read.
• The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls)
  Jeanette Walls tells the story of her family and her growing up. This book is hard to sum up, but deeply moving. 
• Half Broke Horses (Jeannette Walls)
  Another great book by Walls. In it, she tells the story of her grandmother -- a strong, hard-working woman. Fantastic book.
• Travels with Charley (John Steinbeck)
  It's John Steinbeck. Need I say more? Alright, well... this is his account of his journey across the United States. Short, quick read.
• The Love Dare (Stephen Kendrick)
  If you're married, I highly recommend going through this book.

For other books I've read, check out my list at GoodReads... And please share you favorite reads with me!