My name is Amanda and I make my own laundry detergent...

Before you go assuming that I also make my own bread and my own dresses – I don’t, at least not yet.  (Updated to add:  I have now made both bread and dresses.  But not to mislead, we still wear store bought dresses and buy loaves of bread in addtion to the ones we make. lol)  We are doing this debt free living thing.  So, every extra dollar we can scrape together makes our debt shrink a little more.  I’ve been doing the frugal thing and finding all kinds of ways to save. 

Laundry detergent is expensive.  Especially since we have a High Efficiency (HE) washer and have to buy HE detergent.   The recipes I found initially did not specify if they were safe for HE washers.  So, I did a little research to find out the difference between regular detergent and HE detergent.  I found out that the difference is suds.  HE detergent is non-sudsing.  I use Fels Naptha, a non-sudsing soap.  Ta-da!  HE detergent.

When I first made it, we were feeling a little weird about it.  Maybe we were pushing this frugal thing too far.   My husband and I just kind of eyed it with uncertainty.  I can honestly say now that we are devoted laundry detergent makers.  It isn’t hard to make.  It is very inexpensive.  My recipe makes 2 gallons.  The total cost comes to a penny per load! 

The appearance of homemade detergent is very “goopy”.  It took some getting use to.  Trust me I’m over it.  "I won’t judge you on your appearance, my sweet cheap detergent.  Your beauty is within my washing machine where you work your cleaning magic and within my pocket book where you don’t waste our debt paying dollars."  

Recipe:

Note for HE users:  Fels Naptha Soap (which by the way, is made by Dial) is non-sudsing. 

3 pints water

1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated (or whole bar of other soap)

½ cup Super Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer)

½ cup 20 Mule Team Borax

2 gallon bucket/container

1qt hot water

 Optional:  Essential Oils (My favorite is doTERRA's On Guard blend of oils.  I use 10 to 15 drops.)

Mix grated Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap in a large saucepan with 3 pints hot water and heat on the stove over low heat until dissolved.  Do not allow to boil.  Stir in Super Washing Soda and Borax.  Stir until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 quart hot water to 2 gallon bucket.  Add soap mixture and essential oils.  Mix well.  Fill up bucket with additional hot water, leaving a few inches at the top and mix well.  Set aside for 24 hrs or until mixture thickens.  Use ½ cup per load.

If you decide to try it, you might want to visit here  to see how she makes her laundry detergent. 

Now I know that y'all will very graciously look over the load of laundry in my dryer.  Cause y'all know that with four kids there is always laundry in my dryer.

It’s FRUGAL FRIDAY! 

Go to www.biblicalwomanhood.com for lots more frugal tips that make budgeting an adventure. 

I love well manicured yards and lovely flowers.  Frugal and landscaping are hard to manage sometimes.  I manage it by being a beggar.  I’m not kidding.  Several of my family members have awesome landscaping.  I “begged” a few from each of them.  Hostas spread each year, so they must be thinned out in the spring.  Being the lovely family they are, they act as though I’m doing them a favor by ridding them of an abundance of hostas.

My dad gave me “starts” from some bushes.  We broke off a limb, put it in water and now we’re watching for roots to grow.  Once roots have formed, I plant the bush. (This works with vines, too.) Now I don’t go breaking limbs off a bush that I don’t know.  I make sure we are properly introduced first.  Someone might consider it theft (it is against the law in national forests and state parks) or at the very least unfriendly.  

Marigolds are very inexpensive and bring lots of color! (Rite Aid has marigold seed packets for 10 cents.)  Once my marigolds grow and start blooming, I save seeds for next year by pinching off the dead blooms.  I store my marigold seeds in sandwich bags.  All of the seeds usually end up in a shoe box in the garage. 

Try making a big impact by planting everything in one flower bed.  Everything close together will have more visual impact than a flower here and there, standing alone.

Flower pots are a great way to liven up your home exterior.  I find pots at yard sales for pennies.  I use old baskets, old cooking pots, plastic icecream buckets. Any container will do.  Just last week I found a rusty old pot intended for the trash pile.  Well, Old Rusty came home with me.  He’ll look dandy holding a bouquet of marigolds this summer.  I have a resin turtle with a little two inch hole on his shell.  He is meant to hold a picnic umbrella.  Instead, he will handsomely carry a vine. 

Pumpkin vines are beautiful and grow easily.  Back in the fall, we saved our pumpkin seeds.  This is especially frugal as we will have a head start on our fall decorations. 

Rose bushes are excellent mother’s day gifts.  My brother never sends my mom roses, instead he gives her rose bushes.  Who wouldn’t love receiving rose bushes from their son?  Roses all summer and the next summer and the next summer . . .  (You can buy the whole bush for much less than a dozen.)

If the Lord allows my frugal flowers to bloom and flourish this summer, I’ll post pictures.  If my green thumb turns out to be brown, I’ll discreetly avoid the subject.  I know that y’all will mercifully go along.

It's Frugal Friday over at Biblical Womanhood http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm.  Today's frugal tip was actually a Frugal Friday link several weeks ago.  Unfortunately, I can't remember who shared the tip but it is a good one.  I had been spending $$ on a face scrub.  I used my last squirt and was debating on what to do.  I'd been watching my coupons and store ads for an inexpensive scrub.  I had not come up with anything suitable.  So, when I saw this link my heart was beating a little faster.  Face Scrub for pennies!  How could it be?  I'd been spending $$!  Let me just say that I've been using it for two months and I have no complaints.  It actually works better than my previous face scrub.  Are you ready for the recipe?  (Drum roll, please . . .)  Baking Soda.  That is it.  Put baking soda in a small container or baggie.  Keep it near the shower.  While you are in the shower, put a small amount in your hand.  Drip a little water in your hand.  Make a paste.  Taa Daa, face scrub.  I use it every three days.  I scrub and rinse immediately.  LOVE IT!  I'm even using it on my hands and feet.  They deserve to be pampered, too.  

Why do I use a face scrub?  Christie Brinkley.  She's a fifty something beauty!  She said in Good Housekeeping that the secret to her youthfulness is face scrub.  She gave a very good argument.  Men shave everyday and essentially shaving scrubs your face.  That is why they stay younger looking than us.  Who knew?  I choose to believe her.  I choose to believe that face scrub makes you look like Christie Brinkley, not plastic surgery.   

Disclaimer:  I am not a dermatologist. I tried it on my hands first and then a small section of my face.  When I saw that I had no unwanted effects I used it on all of my face.      

My glasses arrived at the end of last week.  They are awesome!  I absolutely got my $$ worth.  I had great glasses previously.  However, one of my lenses somehow cracked.  I'm thinking this little guy might be responsible.

I know, I know.  He looks innocent.  This is the look he gives me just before he grabs my glasses. 

Here are my new glasses,

These are my favorite,

I will be stylin' at the park, pushing those swings in the sunshine.  

My www.39dollarglasses.com experience has been awesome!  I whole-heartedly recommend them. 

It's Frugal Friday over at http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm.  My frugal tip is www.39dollarglasses.com.  Glasses for $39!  How awesome is that?  If you enter the promotional code "WINNER", you get $10 off your order, plus free shipping!  So, the next time you need glasses bring your prescription home with you.  Have your doctor measure your PD before you leave or you'll have to measure it yourself (the website gives step by step instructions).  They also make sunglasses.  I had my friend who works for an Optometrist check them out before ordering.  She said they are exactly like the lenses their optical shop sells.  My glasses and sunglasses will be arriving next week.  I plan to take them to a local optical shop to have them adjusted.  I will pay them a small fee (although, I've been told that most do not charge for this service).  I'll post pictures  .  My savings?  Over $372 for the two pairs of glasses!  I love frugal!