Breast Cancer Awareness : Men

It’s that time of year when we hear a lot about breast cancer. Did you know that breast cancer isn’t exclusive to women? Each year, about 1,700 men in this country learn they have breast cancer. If you’ve been looking for a resource to help you talk about the illness on your blog or some information to help keep your readers informed, here is a PDF from the National Cancer Institute that you may want to share with others.

Download or read “What You Need To Know About Breast Cancer” here.

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Bread Making

I had been practicing my bread making skills for about 4 months when I gave up. I had tried several recipes and came close a few times to what we felt was ideal bread, but none of them were 100% crowd pleasers.

Maybe we just need look at homemade bread differently than the store bought brands. It’s difficult to do though since a pb&j will never be the same and my little ones are not easily persuaded.

How do you do it and satisfy your family at the same time?

See more progress on: learn to make bread

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Nature Valley {Giveaway}

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* WINNER*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Congratulations Joan!  You're are the winner of this awesome Nature Valley Snack Pack!  Please think of me the next time you go to Gooseberry Falls!  Please send me your addy so I can get your Snack Pack shipped to you.  You are going to love it!  Thank you Joan and Angela for participating.  Have a great day!

Nature Valley is re-shaping snack time with the debut of a delicious new treat and I'm so happy to be able to share it with you.  MyBlogSpark sent me this awesome Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters "Snack Pack" to review and I get to give one away!


Nature Valley's Oat's 'N Honey granola bars have always been my favorite.  I remember a family friend that would visit from the "Cities", he always had goodies for us kids and I'd always hope he brought some of these along.  Then in 2004 while pregnant with my first child, I discovered Nature Valley's Sweet & Salty Nut Almond... I could not get enough.  They were so sweet and salty and chewy...  mmm  heaven.  Although I don't remember eating a whole box in one sitting or day, but I know I came close.  You know, pregnancy can do that to you.

Anyway...

One of my lucky readers will win this wonderful prize pack and receive everything that you see here!!

Thank you MyBlogSpark and Nature Valley!!

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters are a bite size blend of 100% natural ingredients that include select roasted nuts, whole grain oats and a touch of honey - a wholesome and delicious pick-me-up any time of the day.

 I love these little nut clusters.  The serving size is quite generous and perfect for a snack, anytime.  The sling backpack is a perfect companion to carry your snacks (or first aid supplies) for a short hike and my children negotiate turns with the binoculars and flashlight!  An intervention is almost always required.

Everything you need for a fun, get out doors, excursion.  My kids can have fun with the binoculars and flashlight and I can make sure they have a healthy snack and stay hydrated.  It's a perfect combination!  I can't wait for our next trip to our favorite hiking spot!

Ok, so what do you need to do to get in on this little awesome piece of snack heaven?

Leave a comment to let me know that you were here, but when you do, share some of your favorite elements of nature or places to visit.  Our family loves Interstate Park for the easy hiking trails, camping options, river boat rides, and historical glacier facts.

It's not fair not to share, so for additional entries share with others by inviting them to visit this post.  Leave me a comment, only one is necessary for the extras, just let me know where you dropped nuggets of invites to come here.  So for example, you could say, "I shared via email and on Twitter".  That would get you two extra entries.  You choose where you want to share.  The social media options are endless, as you know.  That's it - easy peasy!  Right?

Get your entries in by Monday, September 28th.  A winner will be selected (the old fashioned way) and announced on Tuesday.

Have a great day!

~Shanna

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Last Chance to Enter and Win :

Win Music that Naturally Rocks! Today is the last day to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Marié’s new album Breathing Underwater. Be sure to sign up before midnight.
 

 

You can listen to her hit single, "Avalanche" on the site too!

I'm so happy to be able to share this with you.  It can be a bit overwhelming and finding a place to start is not easy when it comes to "Being Green".  It's everywhere.  And it should be.  The key is to start.  I started learning with Ideal Bite a little over a year ago and love 'em.

Ideal Bite offers bite-sized ideas for light green living - ideas for real people who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results. Our Daily Tips cover everything from biodynamic wine to eco-pet products to organic cosmetics. The secret sauce? A spoonful of "incremental environmentalism" combined with a keeping-it-real attitude.

Ok, so I've listened to her song four times now!  I love it.  I'm kinda weird that way when I find a new song I like.  I want to listen again and again to really soak it up.  Anyway...  Maybe I'll get my own CD with the gift cards I earned.  hmm...

~Shanna

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This promo is referral link and will be managed by Ideal Bite; however, it has been brought to you because I love Ideal Bite and... I'm really liking this song.  I'll never share anything that I don't already love.  You won't want to miss tomorrow!!

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Blog Action Day Announced!

...and for 2009 Climate Change is the buzz. In 2008 it was Poverty and 2007 was the Environment. I wasn't blogging in 2007, but if you were with me last year at this time, you may (or not) remember what I pledged to do. Um, it was a lot harder than I thought! Usually is, isn't it? :) Here's my It's a Wrap post from last year.

So, what is Blog Action Day?

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web. One day. One issue. Thousands of voices.

View this short video to learn more and click here (blog/site required) if you'd like to join the conversation. Let me know that you have; I'd love to support your site with comments or even a carnival and we can support each other, what do you think?





"Be the change you want to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

For those of you who are new to my humble site, first off, thank you for stopping by. I mostly participate in carnivals, chat about my babies (not really babies anymore) or chime in from time to time on stuff that just plain matters from the heart. New friends and old alike, regulars and those just passing through, please know that I truly appreciate your visit and I hope you enjoy your stay.

~Shanna

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I've got a give-a-way coming up!!  First one ever on this site!  Just in time for my blogoversary, yeah!  I'm so excited!  Are you in?

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Sunday Citar : Life of a Child

Welcome to Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Tabitha @ FreshMommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

One Hundred Years from Now...

It will not matter
What kind of car I drove

What kind of house I lived in

How much money I had in my bank account

Nor what my clothes looked like.

But One Hundred Years from Now...
The world may be a little better
Because I was important
In the life of a child.

I found this in an old, old Bits & Pieces magazine.  No author was cited.

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Tell Me Thursday : Perfection

You may have been wondering what knitting needles and a partially completed something or other has to do with perfection.

Well, this something or other is actually going to be a scarf.  Something that newbie knitters start off with as their first project.  Something simple.

Now, this soon to be scarf has many imperfections.  There are a couple small holes where I grabbed to many stitches at one time, but you only notice them if you are looking for them.  This new venture of mine as seen it's many restarts too - at least three with a close call not too long ago.  (Hollywood decided to pull the loops off the needle, fortunately, I was able to thread the needle all the way back through...  perfectly.)

Well, perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.  Honestly, anything, as it's perceived, is in the eye of the beholder.  True?

This scarf has given me ample time to reflect on what my eye beholds.

Having nothing to do with knitting and lots to do with perception and what one's eye beholds...  (ok, I'm done beholding my eye)

I came across a blog sometime ago and the post I read was absolutely hilarious and thought provoking.  It hit home with me.  Big time.  Click here to read, "Half Empty or Half Full?" by Dawn over at Because I Said So.

Having three small children can leave me feeling like Senario Two, although I'd much rather be feeling like Senario One.  And while the chaos may run rampant around here from time to time, I've been choosing to see things differently.

How about you?  Anything that you could be seeing in a different light?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are looking to get started knitting or need a refresher course, be sure to check out this great resource. This site has helped me tremendously and I recommend it to anyone.  It does't cost anything, you don't give any of your information.  You just follow along and learn.  Their button is on my side bar too.  :)

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Wordless Wednesday : Perfection

Visit more Wordless Wednesday fun over at, none other than Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Tell Me Thursday!

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Sunday Citar : Youth

Welcome to Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Tabitha @ FreshMommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Since I cannot locate a good photo with a fave quote, I thought I'd share a couple of fun photos with an intriguing quote.

Age considers; youth ventures. ~Rabindranath Tagore

I'm sure once they get a bit older, their age will hinder this type of behavior, but for now...

By the way... doesn't this look familiar?

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So it begins...

I have enjoyed having my children at home with me. Most of the time. I'd be lying if I said that all was hunkie-dorie all of the time here. But, we did what we did when we wanted to do it. Never having to worry about schedules, appointments, deadlines and laundry - Oh. My. Gosh. The Laundry! I'm so glad I found a cheap laundry soap or I'd go broke just to keep clean clothes!

I manage to keep our house some-what orderly, the children, bathed, fed and clothed. Outings to the park or beach were usually last minute, haphazard - 'hey let's go!' ideas that turn out better than something planned.

No schedules meant no alarm clock, unless you count the kids waking you up in the morning asking for cereal cause they are hungry...

and well, um, it is time for breakfast.

Here is the so it begins part...

Now that I've, reluctantly, enrolled them in school, all of that has changed. We now have appointments, schedules and deadlines to keep track of and fit into our family nonchalant lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, keeping up with three active, into everything toddlers, kept me quite busy, but we did everything on our terms. So what if me and the kids stayed in our pjs all day long, on a Thursday. I don't think the school staff would agree that pjs are appropriate attire for school.

Now that school is in session, I feel like I'm constantly on the go... parent meetings, dentist and doctor appointments, homework, yes homework! Oh and did I mention trying to run a business from home too.

Calgon, take me away!

Hollywood, Lil' Momma and Prince Charming during their first week of school.

Oh, and speaking of appointments...

Congratulations on a clean bill of dental health from the dentist on Friday! Momma is very proud of each of you!

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Wordless Wednesday on Thursday

Here's my Wordless Wednesday on Thursday. I know I'm late, but ha! I can get meet you in two places at once!

Isn't s/he gorgeous?! I'm not necessarily a fan of these eight legged buggers, but it was just sitting there so pretty. It even waited for me to go in the house and grab my camera.

Anyone know what kind it is? I have no idea.

Go visit 5 Minutes for Mom or Wordless Wednesday for more WW fun and if you haven't already stopped by... your WW friends may be talking about their WW over at Tell Me Thursday!

Have fun!

Oh, and if you know what kind of spider this is, I'd be very grateful. I'd rather find out now if it's poisonous or not. ;)

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Sunday Citar : Kindness

Welcome to Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Tabitha @ FreshMommy. You can stop by her blog to the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

I love quotes. For a short time, I had been posting my own quote of the day and am so happy that FreshMommy has a weekly meme.

This week, I'd like to share a quote that has been on my mind daily. I work in the retail industry and while most customers greet me with the same courtesy or smile as I do them... some do not and are, well, rude. mean. condescending. are having a bad day and need someone to take it out on no matter how brief.

Yeah, that's me, a real live live person you are dumping on! I have feelings. I have three small children waiting on me at home who'd rather have me at home with them instead of sharing me with you.

But before I start to take it personal or a used punching bag, I discreetly take a deep breath, I remember...

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." ~Plato

You can go here to browse through some of my other favorites.

Thank you for stopping by. Until next time.

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3 Year Olds

The babes have just gotten up from a nap. "E" got up a bit later than the other two, so she missed out on her after nap snack when the other two had theirs. Instead of her snack, she wanted something else... OK, no problem.

"E": Mom, I'm thirsty.

Ok, just a sec. Do you want a banana? {My atempt to offer her the missed snack.}

"E": No! Thirsty!

"E": MOM! I'm thirsty!

Hold on honey, I'm coming. Ok, do you want Grape or Orange Tangerine?

"I" pipes in: Grape.

She happily trots off to drink her grape juice.

"E": Kool-Aid. {Funny, I don't remember offering Kool-Aid.}

Grape or Orange Tangerine?

"E": Kool-Aid.

Grape or Orange Tangerine?

E: KOOL-AID!

Grape or Orange Tangerine?

E: KOOL! AID!

**Sigh**

Offereing only two choices doesn't always work, usually, they come up with a third option, but I'm chosing not to have this battle, so she got Kool-Aid. LOL

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Tell Me Thursday : Working from Home

Well, if you stopped by yesterday, you caught a glimpse of my daughter chattin' on the phone while listening to headphones. The kind that allows you to sing along - kinda like karaoke.

I don't think either of them were working, but she was having fun anyway.

Oh, yeah, and you don't you just love the background? Toys everywhere! That looks like it was a good day. LOL

Some things never change.

As you can see... toys everywhere! Oh yeah, the girls were doing some body painting with their butt cream. They did the same thing with the same tub of butt cream about some months earlier. It was the best butt cream evah!

Anyway...

Don't ya love it?

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Wordless Wednesday : Working from Home

Visit more Wordless Wednesday fun over at, none other than Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Tell Me Thursday!

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Shrinking Jeans : Shred Days 2 & 3

Wow! What a week! I started The Shred just last Tuesday (Day1), skipped Wednesday cause my legs still felt like jello and then did Day 2 & 3 back to back Thursday and Friday.

Thursday (Day 2) I felt awesome. I felt stronger. Yes, I still felt like jello, but I also know, for me, the best way to work out workout soreness... is to, um, workout. I had my reservations about being able to commit to every day, but at the end of Day 2. I knew I could and I felt relieved...

Well. Let me tell you. Friday (Day 3) was the clincher. Although I didn't think I'd be able to get a workout in before work on Friday, I did anyway, well cause - I had to. You know. I felt so good the day before. How could I not keep the momentum?

Boy was I sorely mistaken! That was all she wrote. I could feel my legs, knees, ankles and feet aching all day, but that was due to working out, of course, and my body still getting used it. BUT, while kneeling to a squatting position at work to restock/front face merchandise at the cash wrap, I had a painful discovery. My knees had swollen so much that I could not bend them without being in excruciating pain - needless to say, I could not bend them. And because my muscles were weak, I had to pull myself back up from the shelf with one hand while pushing up from the floor with the other.

Ah, the perils of being young and ignorant. I used to be an active person. I loved to ride my bike, go roller blading around the lakes, walking, hiking, working out at the gym, etc...

In 2001, I suffered my first knee injury, partial tear of the ACL. I'm not able to go into details, but needless to say, it was not taken care of properly by the responsible entity and I believed the doctor when he said he didn't see anything wrong with it anymore. Hmmm, yeah, whatever! I was young and naive.

Then in 2004 I suffered a complete tear of the ACL of my other knee, surgery followed 15 months later cause I could not under go surgery while pregnant. My body did not respond well to physical therapy and honestly I should have put more effort into it. Again, I was naive and have never regained full range of motion in that knee, not to mention I've lost a lot of muscle mass due to that injury.

Ok. So. Back to today.

The Shred and the Sisterhood were going to be my way of getting back into shape and essentially get my physical life and knees back. I have three little ones to keep up with you know. LOL! The Shred cause a good friend has been raving about it and the Sisterhood, cause now she and I can both be held accountable in a fun, supportive way.

So, with that, I'll be modifying all of the high impact exercises with once I've learned from my past days of working out. I think I'll try one day a week to do the whole exercise like the video, but the rest of the week, I need to go a bit slower to get my strength back in knees.

Mr. Scales has me at 161 pounds this week. Oh well. I still feel better and I'm so lovin' the ab workout as I sooooo need it. :)

Until next week!

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One year ago today...

we packed up the mini-van and my three babies and I drove 1300 miles to my mom's. It was something we had to do. Having three small children is not easy without family near by, add financial struggles on top of it and you have a recipe for disaster.

The decision was to stay with my mom for a couple of years. Grow up, get our finances under control and move back home once the babes were in school.

It was planned that hubs would tie up loose ends through the summer and make the trip by himself to be with us.

The plan, I'll admit was flawed. We didn't plan for the unexpected. He never made it.

It has been a year since we have seen him. He is still back home, struggling financially and lonely without his family. We are here, struggling financially and lonely without him. We miss him... terribly. This past year has been extremely difficult on many fronts. I can't even begin to explain. All of the things that we have missed by being apart, we'll never get back.

We'll keep drawing up new plans. Plans for me and now 3-4 year olds to get back home. Until we get it right, we'll be here.

It's not easy, but we'll keep trying.

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Tackle It Tuesday : Not Sew Easy

This is my first Tackle It Tuesday and if you remember, I did my first Works for Me Wednesday, just last week. I've been a reader of these memes for some time, but really nothing more than a bystander. I'm always in awe of all the things these bloggers accomplish, so many great ideas - such a great platform to share. I love it. Well, I've finally gotten the courage to do my own posts about what I'm 'tackling' and what's 'working' for me.
I've been slowly but surely finding the means to get back to basics. I'll be using these platforms to chronicle my progress. And solicit your advice as not everything I tackle... will be working for me.
This week is a prime example. My first sewing project.

Find a pattern, size your children, cut out your pattern.

I am trying a simple nightgown for the girls.

Sew the shoulder seam, easy. Sew the side seam, easy.

Sew the bottom hem, easy.

Sew the neck and armpit holes... NOT SEW EASY!

I got so frustrated. First of all, the hem is a lot smaller and more difficult to fold under for a clean seam... let alone sew it on the machine.

Worse yet, it is almost too small! When I sized all three of my children, their measurements came out to a size 4 according to the pattern. Size 5 should fit just right, so the next one will be a size 6 so they have room to grow. Maybe I should go bigger?

This exploration project took me an afternoon. Considering I haven't sewn anything from a pattern like this or anything for that matter since Junior High Home Ec class, I guess I did alright.

However, any ideas on how to make the armpit and neck holes less frustrating? Otherwise we'll be sewing square ones from now on! ;)

What are you tackling this week? Head on over to 5 Minutes For Mom to get some inspiration or share your own!

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Works for Me Wednesday : Frugal Laundry Soap

****UPDATE***

I just realized that unless you got to the original post you may not get the recipe. Oops. Sorry.

Here it is.

1 Cup of Borax (20 Mule Team Borax)

1 Cup Washing Soda (not Baking Soda)

That's it!

Mix in a bowl and store in an air tight container. I've been using 2 tablespoons per load and have had great results. I do not use any kind of softener or vinegar for that matter.

This recipe can be doubled or more based on the amount of combined ingredients you have. I think one whole box of each can net you a total of 6 cups each with some left over of the Borax. Which, the Borax has lots of other cleaning uses around the house.

This basic recipe may or may not work for you. I've been using it for about a week. Read through the tipnut.com links I shared for tons of other info if you like.

Take care,

Shanna

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Here's my first Works for Me Wednesday post. If you've been around my blog for a while, you'll know that I've been experimenting with homemade laundry soap. I must say that I am still quite impressed and here's why:

• It is easy to make. I modified my recipe from grating the Fels Naptha to not using Fels Naptha at all. Thanks again Anne for the tip.
• I don't need softener! I always forget the rinse cycle anyway, so it saves on energy and water too!!
• It costs pennies per load. {$0.0490 per load based off my ingredient purchase}
• It's only TWO ingredients.
• My clothes smell fresh, clean AND they are soft!

I'm still testing my new found love, but so far, I'm extremely happy. Go to my Frugal Laundry Soap : Follow Up post to get the "gist", a short Q&A session and links to other great sites for recipes and FAQs.

Get motivated, be inspired and visit more Works for Me Wednesday posts over at We are THAT Family. You'll be glad you did.

Thank you for stopping by! Until next time!

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Shrinking Jeans : Day 1

Thank you for coming back today. Today is weigh in day with Mr. Scales over at the Sisterhood, but before I get to far, here's a quick back story.

Last week, I decided to jump on the scale, just to see if I've been maintaining my weight. I'm not trying to gain or lose, so I usually get on the scale about once every two months. Just to 'see'. Well, let me tell ya! I thought the scale was broke cause it said I had GAINED almost 10 pounds! Ok, ok, I love to bake, what can I say? It was bound to catch up with me eventually! LOL

Fast forward a couple of hours...

While blog hopping after posting my Wordless Wednesday, I came across mommie blogs and while I had no intention of joining, offered some encouragement for her decision to join the Sisterhood. She responded to my comment and said for me to join with her cause, you know, the more the merrier. Thank you C for the return encouragement and the fact that Mr. Scales is not my friend right now, I'm gonna be Shreddin' with the rest of you.

Although putting my weight out there for everyone to see is a bit intimidating, you only live once, right? Besides, I weighed more in high school. Having three children and knee surgery in one year shredded about 35 pounds too, so I'm ahead. *wink*wink*

So there you have it.

Today Mr. Scales says I'm 160 pounds, last week, when I freaked out, he said I was 164... hmmm... maybe he is broke.

Since my good friend from college convinced me many months ago to get The Shred, I and the babes will be hanging out with Jillian as much as possible and yesterday she kicked our butts {well, mine at least} I can barely walk today. LOL

Until next week!

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Sure, Why Not?!

While blog hopping last week, which is coincidentally a main reason, along with my three small children, that I don't post more often. I get side tracked, hopping along and before I know it. My bloggy time is up and I have to get back to real life. :) I came across mommie blogs who decided that she was going to join the latest Sisterhood Challenge.

Now, I'm not one who is motivated by challenges or prizes or money. It's like telling my son that if he eats all of is dinner, he can have ice cream for desert. Those of us rookie moms still learning a few things would think that he's scarf it down, right? Um, no.

If he really doesn't want to eat his dinner - whether he doesn't like it, is full, doesn't feel good or whatever, he won't... he misses out on ice cream. He's usually upset that he misses out, but that doesn't motivate him to eat his dinner.

Well, I left a comment for mommie blogs and she sent me a response tell me that I should do it cause we could join together. Cool. I've already made a friend.

So, I've decided that I'll be joining too.

Sure, Why Not?!

I'll be back tomorrow with stats.

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Wordless Wednesday : It's Summer

Visit more Wordless Wednesday fun over at, none other than Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Tell Me Thursday!

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Frugal Laundry Soap : Follow Up

Well, it's been almost two and a half weeks since posting my public Frugal Laundry Soap journey and I must say, I am still quite pleased.

I've also learned that my tutorial skills need some work and I appreciate you sticking around anyway. ;) I'm working on it. Thank you for coming back!

The number of questions and suggestion offers have been amazing. Now, I don't feel so alone in this endeavour. Thank you!

So, let's get started! This "Follow Up" post is more about answering the questions I've received so even if you've been afraid to ask or gasp a lurker, you won't miss out. Since this is a learning process for me as well, I'll share some of the experiences and questions that I have.

Making your own laundry soap is really quite easy! Anyone can do it. If it is something that you've really wanted to try, then you you just have to do it and not procrastinate like I did.

Can I use Homemade Detergent in my HE (High Efficiency) machine? I have no experience with this, but I have found lots of info on the web that says it's ok to use. Be aware that the manufacturer may void the warranty if you are not using their recommended products. Homemade detergent is low sudsing (if any at all), which is very important for HE machines. Also, at the bottom of this Soaps Gone Buy page, they write briefly about HE machines.

Hmmm....  this one has really got me thinking.  Can I use my homemade soap in the dishwasher?  I'll be checking that one out cause I am tired of paying for that one!  You?

So, do your clothes come out as clean as they did before?
I think so. They look, feel and smell fresh and clean.

I've been wanting to do this but haven't done it yet.
I say, just try it especially since it is something that you've thought about. This way you'll be able to stop thinking about it and if it doesn't work for you and your family, you can utilize the Borax and Washing Soda for other areas in your home. Each provide several suggested uses.

I've heard some people add bluing in it for their whites.
This is another area that I don't have experience in. I've never used bluing and right now, with three little ones, I do my best to avoid any white clothing. Mrs. Stewart's Bluing is the one that comes to mind as I've seen it at the store. I thought about getting it the day I purchased my other homemade detergent ingredients, but then I reminded myself that we don't have many whites and what we do have is socks and undergarments. So I skipped it. Got to Mrs. Stewart's Bluing for some instructions on how to use this product.

I've been wanting my own laundry soap for awhile and am just waiting to use up some of the soap I already have.
Yeah! Me too! This is the same reason I waited so long. Problem is, when you wait to run out. You will run out. And instead of trying to put something together that you are just learning, you'll go to the store and buy more of your usual stand by. :) Get what you need now, then when there is no pressure, he he, you can mix everything up.

How do you grate the soap into flakes?
I just use a hand-held cheese grater.

I've heard of people putting it into a food processor but then I wondered if you can really get all that soap residue out of it when you wash it. Wouldn't want it in my food!
That is a great question, cause I wouldn't want soap in my food either, yuck! Some of you may know Heather over at Want What You Have and she has a post on how she makes her homemade laundry soap and she uses a food processor. I imagine it would take the same amount of effort to clean it after other uses. I toss my hand-held cheese grater in the dishwasher and it comes out just fine.

I hope this helps and here is a Q&A session from tipnut.com.  Maybe it'll cover some questions you hadn't thought about or offer other advice.  Now, if the powdered detergent is not your thing, they also have several different recipes.  I find alot of sites referring back to this one, so it has some merit.

Remember, when I said I have only enough detergent for one load?  Well, since Anne said...  "I don't use the Fels- Naptha and it still works great."  That is my next trial.  I've already got it mixed up.  AND, if it works, it'll only cost me $0.0490 per load.  She did caution to not use more than suggested otherwise it'll wear out my clothes.  Why not try it?  I'll let you know.

Also, I haven't used fabric softener since my first load of home made laundry soap and I see no reason to go back.  Thanks for the tip Anne!

Please realize that each person's experience may be different.  I've read that your water can have an affect on the effectiveness of your detergent.  For example, I've read that well water may cause your clothes to look dingy after so many washes.  I'm sure it's not all well water, but the person that posted about it, had that experience.

Unless you just plain don't like the idea, don't give up.  Your finances will thank you.  You may have to research or tweak your recipe, but in the long run, you'll still be saving and learning along the way.

Have a great day!  Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts or how it's working for you.  Feel free to respond to other comments as well.  We can learn from each other.  :)

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Capture the Magic

Do you have a hard time capturing the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny or Santa in the act?

Well Capture the Magic has solved that problem for us.  Check out their website to learn more.

Remember, since Santa and the Easter Bunny are on vacation right now, you won't get any pics of them; however, the Tooth Fairy is a very busy fairy with little teeth needing compensation on a nightly basis and I'm confident you'll be able to catch 'em in the act.

Sign up for email notifications and they'll let you know when Santa and the Easter Bunny will be in town so you can get their pics too!

Have fun!

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Tell Me Thursday : Beautiful Surprise

I'm grateful to have been invited to join Tell Me Thursday... about Wordless Wednesday.  I really, really try to be true to Wordless Wednesday and not say much, but sometimes, I can't help it and just have to say something!

Join in the fun each week and stay true to your Wordless Wednesday, then come back on Thursdays and tell us about it.

So here it was, yesterday...

A lot of you were interested in what kind of flower/plant it was and honestly...  me too!  I had no idea, except that I was surprised by the beautiful little flowers on what I thought was an ugly plant.

Turns out, it is a Hoya.  The picture I took yesterday is of the flowers on the bottom left, there are about a half dozen of these all over the plant.  Hoyas are also called wax plants due to the waxy look of the flowers.  It is a vine and has tried to take over the tree where it is hung.  The vines are woody, like a rope.  They are tropical plants, but don't let that discourage you if you'd like to get one.  I've read that they can be grown most anywhere with the ideal conditions.  This one started from a cutting (in Wisconsin) from a friend, whose was from a friend, whose was from a friend's grandmother.  Cool, eh?  It's at least 25-30 years, possibly older.  If you'd like to read more about them, you can search for Hoya on the Internet in your fave search engine, go here or here.  (I have no affiliations with either of these links, I've linked for informational purposes only)

Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to more Wordless Wednesday and Tell Me Thursdays, how about you?

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Wordless Wednesday : Beautiful Surprise

Join in on the fun and exploration at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday.

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Frugal Laundry Soap : Part II

Well, after my first go 'round, I'm pretty pleased. I have even taken into consideration some of my readers' comments and am excited to get even more cheap, I mean frugal, with making laundry soap.

Like most (I think) that take this journey, I started asking myself questions.

The biggest question would be 'What products did they use and why did it change?' I say they as in my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother and beyond. 20 Mule Borax, Fels-Naptha and Washing Soda, although in the supermarkets today, really are not part of my regular laundry vocabulary. These products remind me of 'back in the day' stories. Anyway...

Well, when I happened to come across Knittin' and Noodlin' s blog, I found what I was looking for. Did you hop over earlier this week? The first time I read her post I was laughing out loud and asking myself if I really want to get myself into this.

But more importantly, I found my answer and it was Convenience.

And yes, I do want to get myself into this.

I've washed four loads so far with my new found laundry soap and I'm in love. But before I go any further I want to highlight readers' comments from the original post.

None other than Knittin' and Noodlin' stopped by and offered a tip to better her experience. She says to open the bar of Fels-Naptha up and let it dry out for a week or so. It helps dissolve more quickly.

Organizing Mommy is curious about the cost. Right now, with my first batch, I figured it out to be about $0.11 per load. Now, I've learned a few other variations that may make it cheaper, but I'm gonna run the course on this first batch before making any modifications. Even at face value, it's still a lot cheaper as is than compared to Name Brand (or generic for that matter).

Now, Anne says that her family doesn't use Fels-Naptha or fabric softener and it's been working great for them for 5 years! That sounds wonderful!

No Fels-Naptha or softener?! Wow! Once I had a working recipe for detergent, I was planning to tackle the softener side of things. Well there goes my frugal, vinegar and essential oil softener, out the window!

I must confess though. Our first two loads were with the homemade soap and our usual liquid softener. And after reading Anne's comment, my next two loads I did with just the homemade soap and NO softener. The only difference that I noticed was that our clothes were not as fragrant (no biggie) and they seemed a bit stiff. Almost as if, but softer than, being hung out on the line to dry. Oh, and more importantly, I didn't notice any static cling. I'm super excited!

I've got about 15 more loads to do or so before this first batch runs out and I'll come back here to follow up with y'all.

In the mean time, back to you. What experiences do you have to share or what questions do you have?

Thank you for stopping by, until next time!

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Isn't There a Book on This?

It's after lunch and that means nap time. Here's a quick dialogue between me and our son. He's Four, his sisters are Three.

Me: "Ok everyone, time for your nap."

Son: "But Mom, I don't like you!"

Me: "Well, you now the drill. After lunch it's quiet time."

Son: "But I don't want to!!"

All three of them are super excited to go to school next fall. Yes, I know, it's only May. As far as they are concerned, it could be tomorrow. Anyway, in preparation for that...

Me: "Remember, when you go to school, after lunch, you will have to take a nap. You want to go to school, don't you?"

Son: Whimpering, "Yes."

Me: "Ok then. Let's lay down."

Meanwhile, the girls are laying in their beds, rolling around, kicking their blankets off... Subtle protests.

Son: "You're not my FRIEND!!"

Me: "No, I'm not your friend. I'm your mother. Now lay down."

Check it out!

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Frugal Laundry Soap : Get Started Already!

Ok, ok, so I've posted about making my own laundry soap a few times. I knew I'd eventually get around to it. I found Jennifer's blog Knittin' and Noodlin' last December while researching soap making recipes and had been telling myself that I'd get to it... I'll get to it... I'm getting to it...

I've been procrastinating due to my lack of Laundry Soap Making ability confidence. What if I mess it up? What if I ruin our clothes? What if it doesn't smell good? What if...? What if...? 

I'm afraid to fail sometimes. I hate it. It's just part of what has been ingrained in me from childhood. It's messy, we are not going there today or anytime soon. You are welcome.

This recipe is great because it only takes 3 ingredients and it doesn't take up a lot of room to store. It yields just over 3 cups of powder laundry soap and with only using 2 tablespoons for each regular load or 3 for each heavily soiled loads... I should get about 19 loads for $2.07.

Here's what you'll need:

Grater
1 Bar Fels-Naptha
1 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
Grate the Fels-Naptha, see photo above.

Combine with the remaining ingredients, mix well with spoon and store in an airtight container. Honestly, if you hopped over to Knittin' and Noodlin' and read that it took forever for her to grate her Fels-Naptha, mine didn't take that long. It's possible that my grater may not be as well loved and used as hers and is a bit sharper.

Now, if you have thought about making your own laundry soap and just haven't gotten to it yet or have had the same "I'm not so sure about this" feelings, stick around. I'll post our progress and you can live vicariously through this blog. ha ha I'm not that vain.

On the flip side, do you already use your own homemade laundry soap? We'd love to hear your tips, ideas and experiences.

As always, thank you for stopping by!  Until next time!

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