Laundry detergent making day.........

I know this doesn't look like laundry detergent and trust me it isn't.  But they opened a new coffee shop in town and I thought I'd mosey on over there and see what they had.  Lo and Behold!  Pumpkin Spice Latte just like Starbuck's!  OMG!  I thought I'd died and went to heaven!  I haven't had one of those for years as the closest Starbucks is 2 hours away!  What a great start to my Saturday and a real treat for me!

 Okay....on to the laundry detergent making since I am now motivated and wired.........
I know I've shared this recipe before but just in case someone is new to my blog I'll reiterate as it is so simple.  These are my backup supplies and what you'll need to make your own laundry detergent for pennies and much gentler on your clothes and you.  You can also use essential oils of your favorite scent to make it smell however you want.

These old cereal containers are what I now use for my ingredients.

I usually use castile bar soap but they didn't have any so I bought Fels Naptha bar soap but I wouldn't recommend it as there is a warning on the label that says "eye and skin irritant".  Now why would you want to wash your clothes in something that was a skin irritant?  Never again but for purposes of demonstration that is what the yellow soap is...........Castile is white.
 You only need 1 bar of soap per batch and I used to slice it like this and then put it in my food processor and it would grind it up into a fine powder consistency but my food processor broke and I am trying to do without it so I just hand chop.

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  Once you get the bar sliced up the chopping is really easy.  It practically falls apart by itself.

I use a rectangular Lock N' Lock container for holding it all.  You can get them at Walmart or QVC     online.  QVC has a better selection with colors and sizes.  The reason I like the Lock N' Lock is because it is spill proof and water proof.

Once I have all the dry ingredients and the chopped up bar soap in there I add some essential oil.  This time I used lemon grass but I've used lilac and pine scent and somewhere I read that tea tree oil has germ killing properties.  You don't have to add any if you want scent free but I for one always love a good scent.
Then because the Lock N' Lock is spill proof, I close it up, lock it down and shake it like crazy.  So much so that I'm sure it qualifies as exercise!  It breaks up the hunks of borax and baking soda which tend to have clumps and mixes everything together and spreads the scent throughout.  This is what it looks like after mixing and shaking.

 

  Here's the actual recipe if you don't already have it........

Homemade Laundry Detergent
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 bar Castile soap chopped
2 C Borax
2 C Washing Soda
1 C Baking Soda
Essential oil is optional

I use 1/4 C per load and it is safe for front loading HE washers as that is what I have.  I've been using this for years now and wouldn't go back to the "pricey" and chemical laden variety.  It only takes minutes to make and lasts me a long time.  Of course I only do about 2-3 loads a week if that much.
I hope you're having a great Saturday!  It's gorgeous here and cooled off into the 50's but I'm loving it! 

My bookie came through for me today!

Yep!  She gave me another bag full of books and guess what I found....the 4th book in the DIY series that I was going to order! Yippee!  I did start another book but now I have 2 more of the DIY mysteries to read....I am a happy camper!  Thank you, Sue!!!!!  I have enough books to keep going until Spring and they're all  "cozy mysteries"...my favorites!
My home is filled with flowers and plants tonight as there is a frost warning!  The first indication that Fall is truly here and Winter is on it's way.....let the coziness begin!

I cut the last of the roses and they were just starting to come back after that burning Summer!  I just can't leave the plants out there to die although most won't make it in the house either but I can't help myself so they're all over the kitchen tonight.............

I hope you had a great Friday and I think I'll be curling up with a good mystery tonight....now.......which one do I chose????  TTYS!

Finished 2 books and going for more!

  This book was PHENOMENAL!  If you want to know how to be "green" in every area of your life either a little bit or a lot...Sophie Uliano can take you there!  This book is fun, well written and contains the most resources and website listings than any book I have ever read.  It is a keeper for sure and a reference book for a green alternative for anything in your domestic life.  One of the things I was most impressed with was the listing of organic makeup, moisturizers and bath products.  I have had problems with a lot of these types of products and she tells you what chemicals you need to steer clear of and how unregulated products are when it comes to dangerous ingredients.  She also lists and explains the recycling numbers on plastic and so much more.  She has a website with much more information and keeps it updated.  It took me a while to read this book as it is packed with so much information I couldn't absorb it all at once but I highly recommend it and I will be sharing some of the websites and products I find helpful.  Sophie is friends with Julia Roberts who wrote the foreword to the book.  Granted, some parts of the book were hard to relate to as these people have money and lots of it!  But for the most part, we all have a vested interest (or should) in protecting our planet and preserving it for the next generation(s).  

 While Gorgeously Green has been my non-fiction book, Jennie Bentley's DIY murder mysteries have been my fiction choice.  This is the 3rd book in the series and they just get better and better.  Her plots are really good and keep your attention.  I went to read the 4th book and discovered it was the 5th book!  Oh no...you know how anal I am.....I'll have to order the 4th book before I read the 5th!  Don't worry...I have plenty of other books to read in the mean time! LOL!

Below is the boring, not very interesting or blog worthy  but necessary work I have been doing outside.....
BEFORE removing old white caulk

AFTER but before I have re-caulked with transparent caulk..........

 

 This is not something I would wish on anyone...it is boring, hard on my hands and slow going....I use a putty scraper, 2 different screwdrivers and a hammer.   There is no FAST way to do this unless you get a chemical solvent which would not be healthy for me or the environment so I will do it "the old fashioned way".  Persistence is the only thing that will get this job finished and some good old "elbow grease"! LOL!

I hope you are doing more fun-filled projects than I so I can go look at them after my above drudgery is done for the day!  I have miles to go before I sleep or rather days.  TTYS!

Whoa Nellie have I been busy!!!!

I don't know about you but Fall is quite the busy season for me and this year is even busier.....watching the debates and all the election info plus all those "robo calls"!  I've been dealing with financial, retirement, physician, legal and all sorts of other issues this month when all I really want to do is ENJOY this gorgeous time of year and maybe get a few outdoor projects done! LOL!
I got my flu shot and "the girl's" got their annual shots plus their nails clipped and an allergy shot for Nitty.
They slept quite a bit yesterday when they got home but today they were "up and at 'em".....they have to keep a close eye on those sneaky squirrels!

The flowers are doing better than they have all Summer!

I finally managed to get some Halloween and Fall decorations up outside.....

The school bus goes right by my house so I always like to have the decorations up outside for the kids to enjoy.  In fact they know my girls better than they know me! LOL!   They refer to me as Nitty and Annie's "MOM"!  Ha! Ha!

Here's the wreath on my front door...............

and of course I had to put up my ceramic pumpkin in the window.....I have 2 of them that my Aunt Alice made when she was alive......... they always remind me of her, she was a wonderful Aunt and had no children of her own so she spoiled her nieces and nephews, one of which was MOI!!!

I finally got a bit of time to work on my applique quilt block and now I just have a little enhancement embroidery to do on it and this block will be done!

I should be back blogging on a more regular basis now that I've gotten all the "not so fun" stuff taken care of and that gives me more "fun stuff" to blog about!!!!  Hope you've had a great week so far!