Laundry Detergent

I absolutely love this homemade laundry soap! It saves me a bunch of money and lasts quite a while since you only use a little amount. But, I have to give all credit to my dear friend Megan for this one. She is the one who showed me how to make it and gave me the ingredients. So thank you Meg! Just passing your genius-ness along to others!

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup of Washing Soda (cooked baking soda, or you can buy it from the store)
1 Bar of soap

Step 1:

So what you need to do is cut the soap into smaller pieces and throw it into either a blender or a food processor and chop it all up. 

TIP: I keep my soap in the fridge so that it chops up better and doesn't stick to the blade as much as if I were to leave the soap out. 

Step 2: 

Once it is chopped up into super small pieces add the 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda. Then mix it all together. Make sure that it is well mixed, you may have to scrape some of the soap off the bottom and mix. 

TIP: I add the washing soda in very slowly because it is super powder-y and can float up everywhere! 

Step 3: Pour it into a container and you're all done! 

You will only need to use 1 - 2 tablespoons per load and I will double the recipe every once in a while just because it's easier when everything is out and messy! 

For tough smells add a little bit of White Vinegar to your load of laundry and (although I have never used it) Megan swears that it doesn't make your laundry smell like vinegar. We have yet to try it but I trust Megan's judgement when it comes to stuff like this (: 

Ok, washing soda time! 

Take Baking Soda and place it on a pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place the pan of baking soda and let it cook for 1 hour. I stir the baking soda 30 min through and when it's done it will be ashy and very powder-y. 

I always make a LOT of this when I do because it can be a hassle getting it into a jar or container with out it going everywhere so just a thought to make it in bigger batches rather than small amounts every time. 

Again, thanks again Megan for your mad skill! Go check out her blog! 

50 Uses For Baking Soda

Baking soda has been my new fascination lately (as you may be able to tell from the past few posts!) Anyway, below you will find 50 different awesome uses for baking soda. Are you ready?!

Toothpaste
A paste made from baking soda and a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution can be used as an alternative to commercial non-fluoride toothpastes.

Freshen Your Mouth
Put one teaspoon in half a glass of water, swish, spit and rinse. Odors are neutralized, not just covered up!

Soak Oral Appliance
Soak oral appliances, like retainers, mouthpieces and dentures, in a solution of 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in a glass or small bowl of warm water. You can also brush appliances clean using baking soda.

Use as a Facial Scrub and Body Exfoliant
Give yourself an invigorating facial and body scrub. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate the skin. Rinse clean. Your skin will clear up in no time!

Skip Harsh Deodorant
Pat baking soda onto your underarms to neutralize body odor.

Use as an Antacid
Baking soda is a safe and effective antacid to relieve heartburn, sour stomach and/or acid indigestion.

Treat Insect Bites & Itchy Skin
For insect bites, make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply as a salve onto affected skin. To ease the itch, shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it into damp skin after bath or shower.

Make a Hand Cleanser and Softener
Skip harsh soaps and gently scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize odors on hands with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, or 3 parts baking soda to gentle liquid hand soap. Then rinse clean.

Help Your Hair
Vinegar is amazing for your hair, but baking soda has its place in the shower too. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo. Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly–baking soda helps remove the residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is cleaner and more manageable. Works great for curly hair!

Clean Brushes and Combs
For lustrous hair with more shine, keep brushes and combs clean. Remove natural oil build-up and hair product residue by soaking combs and brushes in a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a small basin of warm water. Rinse and allow to dry.

Make a Bath Soak
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralize acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration, it also makes your skin feel very soft.

Soothe Your Feet
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak feet. Gently scrub and they will be nice and soft!

Make a Surface Soft Scrub
For safe, effective cleaning of bathroom tubs, tile and sinks–even fiberglass and glossy tiles–sprinkle baking soda lightly on a clean damp sponge and scrub as usual. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry. For extra cleaning power, make a paste with baking soda, course salt and liquid dish soap—let it sit then scour off.

Handwash Dishes and Pots & Pans
Add 2 tablespoons baking soda (along with your regular dish detergent) to the dish water to help cut grease and foods left on dishes, pots and pans. For cooked-on foods, let them soak in the baking soda and detergent with water first, then use dry baking soda on a clean damp sponge or cloth as a scratchless scouring powder.

Freshen Sponges
Soak stale-smelling sponges in a strong baking soda solution to get rid of the mess (4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water).

Clean the Microwave
Baking soda on a clean damp sponge cleans gently inside and outside the microwave and never leaves a harsh chemical smell. Rinse well with water.

Clean Coffee and Tea Pots
Remove coffee and tea stains and eliminate bitter off-tastes by washing mugs and coffee makers in a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water.

Clean the Oven
Sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of the oven. Spray with water to dampen the baking soda. Let sit overnight. In the morning, scrub, scoop the baking soda and grime out with a sponge, or vacuum, and rinse.

Clean Floors
Remove dirt and grime (without unwanted scratch marks) from no wax and tile floors using 1/2 cup baking soda in a bucket of warm water–mop and rinse clean for a sparkling floor. For scuff marks, use baking soda on a clean damp sponge, then rinse.

Clean Shower Curtains
Clean and deodorize your shower curtain by sprinkling baking soda directly on a clean damp sponge or brush. Scrub the shower curtain and rinse clean. Hang it up to dry.

Boost Your Liquid Laundry Detergent
Give your laundry a boost by adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to your laundry to make liquid detergent work harder. Check out my homemade laundry soap!

Gently Clean Baby Clothes
Baby skin requires the most gentle of cleansers, which are increasingly available, but odor and stain fighters are often harsh. For tough stains add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your liquid laundry detergent, or a 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle for deodorization.

Clean and Freshen Sports Gear
Use a baking soda solution (4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water) to clean and deodorize smelly sports equipment. Sprinkle baking soda into golf bags and gym bags to deodorize, clean golf irons with a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda to 1 part water) and a brush. Rinse thoroughly.

Remove Oil and Grease Stains
Use baking soda to clean up light-duty oil and grease spills on your garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.

Clean Batteries
Baking soda can be used to neutralize battery acid corrosion on cars, mowers, etc. because its a mild alkali. Be sure to disconnect the battery terminals before cleaning. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, apply with a damp cloth to scrub corrosion from the battery terminal. After cleaning and re-connecting the terminals, wipe them with petroleum jelly to prevent future corrosion.

Clean Cars
Use baking soda to clean your car lights, chrome, windows, tires, vinyl seats and floor mats without worrying about unwanted scratch marks. Use a baking soda solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Apply with a sponge or soft cloth to remove road grime, tree sap, bugs

Deodorizing Cars
Odors settle into car upholstery and carpet, so each time you step in and sit down, they are released into the air all over again. Eliminate these odors by sprinkling baking soda directly on fabric car seats and carpets. Wait 15 minutes or longer for strong odors and vacuum up the baking soda.

and tar. For stubborn stains, use baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge or soft brush.

Deodorize Your Refrigerator
Place an open box in the back of the fridge to neutralize odors.

Deodorize the Cutting Board
Sprinkle the cutting board with baking soda, scrub, rinse.

Deodorize Trashcans
Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of your trashcan to keep stinky trash smells at bay.

Deodorize Recyclables
Sprinkle baking soda on top as you add to the container. Also, clean your recyclable container periodically by sprinkling baking soda on a damp sponge. Wipe clean and rinse.

Deodorize Drains
To deodorize your sink and tub drains, and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water–it will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain. This a good way to dispose of baking soda that is being retired from your refrigerator.

Deodorize and Clean Dishwashers
Use baking soda to deodorize before you run the dishwasher and then as a gentle cleanser in the wash cycle.

Deodorize Garbage Disposals
To deodorize your disposal, and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water. Baking soda will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain.

Deodorize Lunch Boxes
Between uses, place a spill-proof box of baking soda in everyone’s lunch box to absorb lingering odors.

Remove Odor From Carpets
Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Let set overnight, or as long as possible (the longer it sets the better it works). Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda, and vacuum up the rest.

Remove Odor From Vacuum Cleaners
By using the method above for carpets, you will also deodorize your vacuum cleaner.

Freshen Closets
Place a box on the shelf to keep the closet smelling fresh.

Deodorize the Cat Box
Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda, then fill as usual with litter. To freshen between changes, sprinkle baking soda on top of the litter after a thorough cleaning.

Deodorize Pet Bedding
Eliminate odors from your pets bedding by sprinkling liberally with baking soda, wait 15 minutes or longer for stronger odors, then vacuum up.

Deodorize Sneakers
Keep odors from spreading in smelly sneakers by shaking baking soda into them when not in use. Shake out before wearing.

Freshen Linens
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle for fresher sheets and towels.

Deodorize Your Wash
Gym clothes of other odoriferous clothing can be neutralized with a 1/2 cup of baking soda in the rinse cycle.

Freshen Stuffed Animals
Keep favorite cuddly toys fresh with a dry shower of baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda on and let it sit for 15 minutes before brushing off.

Camping Cure-all
Baking soda is a must-have for your next camping trip. Its a dish washer, pot scrubber, hand cleanser, deodorant, toothpaste, fire extinguisher and many other uses.

Extinguish Fires
Baking soda can help in the initial handling of minor grease or electrical kitchen fires, because when baking soda is heated, it gives off carbon dioxide, which helps to smother the flames. For small cooking fires (frying pans, broilers, ovens, grills), turn off the gas or electricity if you can safely do so. Stand back and throw handfuls of baking soda at the base of the flame to help put out the fire–and call the Fire Department just to be safe.

Septic Care
Regular use of baking soda in your drains can help keep your septic system flowing freely. One cup of baking soda per week will help maintain a favorable pH in your septic tank.

Fruit and Vegetable Scrub
Baking soda is the food safe way to clean dirt and residue off fresh fruit and vegetables. Just sprinkle a little on a clean damp sponge, scrub and rinse.

There ya have it! Google helped with this as well as the baking soda bag (so thank you!) But there you have it! 50 different uses for baking soda. Good Luck!

Funky Laundry Smell?

This may be my favorite post yet! How many times have you forgotten about a load of laundry for too long in the wash and when you remember, it smells? I know that I have before and my clothes smell for the next few loads. Well I have found a way around that!! Below is the recipe and directions.. Read on!

What you will need:

1/2 Cup Baking Soda

1 Cup Vinegar

                                       

Take the cup of vinegar and the smelly clothes and put your water setting on hot and run the cycle. After that then take the 1/2 cup of baking soda and run the load one more time. Ya, ya, ya, I know it's a lot of water but I think that it's worth is so my clothes don't smell!

Once you have run the cycle with the baking soda throw them in the dyer and you're done. It's that easy and your clothes will come out smelling super fresh.

Good luck and hopefully this will work for your laundry like it worked for mine!

Puppy Accidents?

So how many of you have a dog that keeps going to the bathroom in the house? We my husband and I just got a new puppy! She is 8 weeks old and her name is Sam. She is a Blue Heeler mixed with a Lab so she is going to be big! Anyway, we decided to get her so that she can protect me while my husband works night shift. Ya, ya, ya, I know it's crazy getting a puppy before we have a baby but I know we will make it though! And I wanted to pass along a trick the seems to be working when it comes to house breaking your puppy.

Take:

2 Cups of warm water
2 Cups of white distilled vinegar
4 TBS of baking soda

Now, make sure that you combine the water and vinegar first into a large bowl and then slowly add the baking soda. Remember from all those science projects with baking soda and vinegar... Ya I didn't remember that and my first batch exploded everywhere! So once you mix those, put them into a spray bottle and every time they potty in the house, spray that to clean it up. They won't go in the same spot again, and some people suggest that you just lightly spray the carpeted areas in your house that way it prevents accidents.


Some other tips to help potty train your puppy are (and most people may know these but just in case):

1. After they have been asleep, make sure to take them outside right away because most of the time, they will have to go potty.
2. Be aware of when they eat or drink so that you can take them outside about 30 minutes - 1 hour after they eat.
3. Pretty good rule to go by is that a puppy can only hold their bladder 1 hour over however old they are. Example: your puppy is 4 months old, they can hold their bladder to the longest amount at 5 hours.
4. At night time, make sure to wake up 1 or 2 times in the night to let your dog go potty otherwise there is a good chance they will make a mess in their crate or your room.

Those are just a few tips that you may need reminding of! Oh and here is our new baby Sam :)

Coconut Oil

Have you been hearing a lot about coconut oil lately? I know I have, granted, I've been hearing about it for a few years now thanks to my husbands family. They absolutely love coconut oil! It's kind of crazy actually ha. Anyway, I am here to tell you a few ways I like to use this product.

Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment: Rub a small amount of oil into hair (mostly at the ends), comb through and place hair in a loose bun or in a shower cap. Let sit overnight and wash out in the morning and your hair will feel amazing!

Fix Dry Feet: Combine coconut oil with sea salt to create a foot scrub and BAM! You will have silky soft feet!

Make Up Remover: (My personal favorite) Rub a small amount of coconut oil on the make up and then gently wipe off and it will all be gone.

No Need for Aloe!: Rub coconut oil on burned skin to help soothe and repair sunburned skin.

Wound care: Replace Neosporin for coconut oil to protect and help wounds heal. Can also be applied to small cuts and scrapes to stop bleeding.

Popcorn topping: Melt some coconut oil and then pour it over your popped popcorn and it is a delicious treat.

Smoothies: Add a spoonful or so to your smoothies in the morning and it will help with your energy levels and so much more.

High Heat Cooking: Use it rather than butter or other types of oil. It is much healthier for you!

Hydrating night cream: Replace your night cream with coconut oil. Apply coconut oil to the areas that tend to wrinkle and crease lock in moisture and hydrate skin.

Lip balm: Pretty self explanatory... Just add a tad to your lips!

Fizzy Hair?: Rub a little coconut oil between your palms and rub through hair to tame frizziness and fly aways. Don't add too much though or it will make your hair rather greasy.


There are so many other uses for Coconut Oil, you just need to get out there and research it yourself!

New Dresser!

So this lovely dresser was my husband's, little brothers and before that, who knows? We got it when my husband moved out because they wanted to keep the better furniture for the boys and we could re-paint this dresser. Well it sat in our other house for almost a year with my husbands clothes inside with broken drawers, missing knobs and it just wasn't in the best shape. Well since we found out we were having our first baby we decided to keep it and re-paint and fix everything ourselves. Me, thinking that this wouldn't be too much to handle decided to try and do it in a day or two... That was a joke! Anyway, the process wasn't hard, it was just a lot for me and my pregnant belly to handle so I am now completely exhausted!

First, because there were so many layers of paint we knew that we would have to strip all the paint off. Well my mother-in-law is very natural and organic and she gave me this amazing stuff that is non-toxic and wouldn't kill me or harm the baby!

Super great stuff! Make sure that it's not in plastic and you use a regular paint brush. Make sure that you glob it on and let it sit for like 2 hours! We only let is set for 30 minutes and it took some nice hard arm work to scrape the paint off. 

Anyway, my sister-in-law came over and one of my good friends to help with this crazy task. 

This is what the dresser looked like before...

Then after letting it set and scraping all the gook off we finally got them down to bare wood.. For the most part. By the end of this day I was so sick of scraping that I gave up and just sanded down the drawers to make them look smooth. This actually helped a lot when it came to painting the drawers. 

Once I sanded down the drawers I primed them because there was still some flame residue on the drawers. Then we painted 3 coats of navy blue and viola! We were done! Oh, we painted the top of the dresser white again (husbands idea to keep the dresser white and the drawers blue.) Anyway, here is the finished product! 

Might I just add how proud I am?! It is my first big transformation when it comes to second hand furniture. I think I may do it more often now that I know I can! Plus there are lots of drawers for when it comes to putting all of our sons stuff! 

This is what the stripping gel does to brushes if they're not the right kind :)

One Pot Meal! (Hint: Chili!)

Who doesn't love chili when it's fall time?! I know that we do! So I found this amazing recipe that was quick, easy and only made one dirty dish! Here goes!

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef

2 teaspoons of chili powder

1 can of rinsed kidney beans

1 can of tomato sauce 

1 cup of salsa

3/4 cup of uncooked pasta 

1 cup of shredded cheese

(I added corn but it was not in the recipe but feel free! Just 1 can of corn drained.)

What to do:

Place the beef into a decent size pan to cook and mix with the chili powder

Then mix all of the other ingredients into the pan

Boil and then place on low/simmer for 15 minutes

Place in a bowl and add some cheese on top and you're chili is done! 

I made some rice to go with mine because the pasta was very tiny and there wasn't a whole lot of pasta so we added a little extra to spice things up a bit.

This whole dinner took me about 30 minutes or so to make and my husband loved it as well! Now it's not like real chili where it sits and there are a few different beans but in a bind or on game day, this is simple and yummy.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

I loved this dinner!! It was really yummy, made a lot, and my husband enjoyed it which is always a plus! Although, when I found this recipe they did not say anything about certain order so I was very scrambled and rushed while making the sauce! And on top of that baby was moving a whole lot which made it hard to get anything done! Anyway, here is the lovely recipe in the correct order!

For the Casserole:

1 Pound of broccoli steamed 

3 Cups of Chicken cooked and cut into small pieces

1 1/2 Cups of grated cheese 

2 Tubes of Ritz crackers crushed

1 Stick of melted butter

For the Sauce:

1/3 Cup of melted butter

1/3 Cup of chicken broth

2 Cups of milk

1/4 Cup of cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup of COLD water

Salt & Pepper

1 1/2 Cups of grated cheese

Make sure all sauce ingredients are ready to go before you start making the sauce! This was my mistake when making this dinner dish. 

Now for the actual cooking part!

• Turn your oven on to 350 and take a 9x13 pan and grease it up so nothing sticks. 
• Once the chicken and broccoli are done put them into the bottom of the pan and then put it off to the side. We will get back to that later.

For making the sauce

Turn the stove onto medium heat, or a little lower and pour all ingredients (EXCEPT THE CHEESE) in, in that order! And make sure you do it slowly. Once everything is dissolved and turning into a thick sauce you can slowly add the cheese to the pan. Little at a time to make sure that it melts. If the sauce is a little clumpy it's ok :) Mine was and it still came out delicious! 

• After the sauce is done, pour it over the chicken and broccoli.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese

• Take the crushed ritz crackers and add the 1 stick of melted butter and sprinkle the crackers on the top of the cheese.

• Place in the oven for 15-30 minutes. Everything is already cooked so its more to brown the top and melt the cheese.

Let it set for about 5 minutes or so and then your dinner will be complete!

A Late Night Snack... Yum!

One of my new favorite snacks is a semi healthy type of snack... I at least like to think it can be healthy that way when I eat a million of them, I don't feel guilty!

Ok so here it is:

Strawberries 

Icing

Crushed Graham Crackers

What to do:

Take the strawberry and cut the top off (the green part). But cut in a circle so that it creates a little hole. Then take the icing, just a little, and fill the hole with the icing and then sprinkle the crushed graham crackers on top! 

It tastes like a little cheesecake.. but with a real strawberry! It makes for a nice little late night snack when you don't want to feel really heavy right before bed with something sweet. Plus, you get the real fruit part of it as well! Which is always a nice little bonus. Hope you enjoy!!

A Realtors Secret

Get this. It is my new favorite thing to do! I actually mean that too... I do this almost every day now because I love it so much. You ready to hear this fascinating idea?!


Turn your oven on to 150 or 200 degrees, something low

Take a coffee cup and add vanilla extract

Place the coffee cup in the oven and leave it there

Your house will smell like fresh vanilla for as long as you leave it in there!! Just make sure to check it every few hours to make sure all the liquid isn't gone :) But its super easy and fun and when people come over they think your house smells amazing!

Clean your dishwasher!

Cleaning your dishwasher... What?! I had never heard of this until today! I've always heard of cleaning your toaster or oven or even your washer but your dishwasher?! Well I did it and it looks great! So what do you do you might ask? I shall tell you!

• Take 1 or 2 cups of straight vinegar and place it in your dishwasher on the top. 
• Run your dishwasher on the longest and hottest cycle you have. 
• Once that cycle is done sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom on your dishwasher. (Not a lot though or it will leave a white residue)
• Run another cycle, the shortest one you have and then you're done! 

Simple and easy as that! This should last you about 6 months or so, depending on how often you use your dishwasher. Regardless, it's good to do every once in a while!

BBQ Sauce & Ribs!

Who doesn't love a good set of Baby Back Ribs?! I know my husband will never turn them down so I decided to make some tonight for him (sorry, no pictures but they looked yummy!) Alright, we had this big slab of ribs that were about to go back and heaven forbid that happens! So I had to figure out how to make ribs and make them quickly. But I had a dilemma... no BBQ sauce. Me being the creative person I try to be (ha!) I decided to make my own. And when I say that, I mean really on my own, no help from Google! Let me tell you.... my husband ranted and raved about this BBQ sauce the whole dinner! Now these are not exact measurements but I can at least tell you what I put in there.

BBQ Sauce:

Ketchup (Lots. This is the base of your sauce)
Mustard (Powder or regular)
A little bit of water
A splash of Apple Cider Vinegar
Curry powder
Hot Sauce
Liquid Smoke (A decent amount)
Ground Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce
Little bit of Soy Sauce

Mix all of this together in a sauce pan on low. If it is too thin add some flour or cornstarch but make sure to sift it in so it doesn't make your sauce clumpy. I left my sauce to simmer once it was all mixed for about 30 min or so.

Now on to the ribs!

Easiest recipe ever!

Take the ribs and rinse them off in water. Then place the ribs on some foil (make it a big piece) and add all the sauce you want. The more the better! Once you add the sauce add another piece of foil if needed to wrap them up tightly and let them sit for as long as you can (no more than 8 hrs though.) I let mine set for about 2 hours. After that turn your oven to 300 and place the ribs in there for 2.5 hours. Once you have let them cook in the oven for 2.5 hours, take them out, add more BBQ Sauce and then throw them on the grill (optional!) We put ours on there for about 15 min or so on medium, just enough to get the grill taste. Then voila! Your ribs are complete!

Hopefully your ribs will turn out just as delicious with or without the homemade BBQ Sauce! Let me know how yours turns out :)