Beginning a New Year

Welcome 2015. 

I Gladly welcome in a New Year.
I have never wanted a year to be done, and gone, and put to rest, as much as I did the year 2014.
The hardest part for me, personally, in keeping up with the blog was writing during the hardest times. I naturally go silent during troubles or changes. And this year was filled with some whoppers- like hospital visits, near death experiences, 4 separate surgeries, and cancer scares. We lost a lot. We learned a lot.
When I read other people's blogs they present perfect worlds, perfect solutions, and pretty places. I cannot keep up with that. I have to say with sincerity, the world is not a perfect place  and being a blog writer during hardships is difficult at best. I am sorry for long absences and I am grateful for every reader I have. Thank you so much.

That being said, I have to admit- I learned a lot in 2014.

We gardened a serious yard garden for the first time ever. I loved every minute of it.

We canned everything from that garden that we didn't eat right away. I dehydrated herbs like basil and made my own seasoning mixes. I made my own infused oils for both cooking and health (like garlic oil and Calendula oil.)  Fresh salsa was on the menu often. It was wonderful experience for all of us.

As for homesteading, the experience of canning and prepping my own was amazing. I became more of a Prepper than I ever had imagined. And I am so glad I did! I have always thought it wise to stash something for an emergency. My naive mindset was to set to prepare for something big -like a disaster: an earthquake, or a storm.  But I never realized that that list should include personal disasters- like sudden illness, unemployment, and loss.  The list of what could go wrong goes much further than that; but my point is more to make it known that events can occur at a blink of an eye. And preparing ahead of time is smart. I am so glad we did. That stash of items not only got us through- I am making it again as soon and as fast as I can. And I urge others to do the same. Don't wait for the disaster to occur. Give yourself at least a small reprieve from the stress by knowing you are able to provide for your family-for at least a day, or a week. Longer if possible.  The traumatic events causing the need- are enough to go through!  Ease the burden by being able to at least provide for your family for a small window of time. It helps so much, the benefits are immeasurable.
 (I plan to write more on this in the future.*)

During the year, I had some family who visited. We were sitting on my back porch- surrounded by my homemade wind-chimes, my plants and flowers, boxes of herbs growing healthy.  I'd just walked up with my little 6 year old niece from giving her a tour of our garden- her mouth was full of my wild lettuce I'd just let her pick on her own and taste. Her mother reprimanded her- "don't eat that! It's not safe!" to which,  I laughed- "It's as safe as it gets- fresh from the garden, organic, all natural and ready for salad." At this point, my mother in law looked around and bluntly observed, "You are such a hippy."  And that one personal remark struck home. I was flat out called a hippy. At the time I laughed. Never thought of myself as such. But it struck home.

I have thought of it a lot this week. I am. Only they do not call it hippy so much anymore- crunchy, yes. Ha! But I got to thinking of the all natural things I reach for- and the list is amazing. They say if you try something new for 3 months, it becomes habit. I have done that and more- in the two years. A fact that was proven to me this last October when we suddenly found ourselves packed to move to a place that wasn't ready. With everything in boxes, unprepared and unpacked- we spent 1 night at a hotel with nothing. We purchased dinner on the fly and I grabbed 1 box of baking soda. Yes, baking soda. With that box we all had instant toothpaste, deodorant, and bodywash,  and I could wash my hair..... I figured for emergency get through- I'd covered my bases pretty well! LOL  But just looking back on it now- I have to laugh- who does that?!! LOL - me- my hippy self, and I. (grin) guess she called it right. :)
So...
What else do I do?
Ha!

When faced with bug bites, I grab Lavender essential oil. lavender-for-buggy-bites
When I have a stuffy nose I use peppermint essential oil.
- If it persists, I make ginger tea.
For shampoo, body wash, and bath soap I mix coconut milk with castille soap. diy-homemade-body-wash
I make my own toothpaste from coconut oil, Bentonite clay and baking soda.
I make my own deodorant. 3-diy-all-natural-deodorants
I make my own lotions, and face cream. simple-natural body care
I use witchhazel for acne.
I make my own house cleaners. diy-cleaning
I make my own laundry soap.my-mix-laundry-soap
I make my own body sprays.
I make my own lip balms diy-homemade-lipbalm
I cut my own hair.
I use aloe as a detangler, and to stop frizzy curls.100% natural detangler
I eat Real food.
I make my own fruit roll ups.real-food-snacks-fruit-leathers
I make homemade yogurt.
I use raw local honey for allergies.
I mix raw honey with lemon juice and cinnamon for a homemade cough syrup.
If I'm in pain, I take turmeric.
If I need energy I grab a spoonful of coconut oil.
I take ACV for heartburn.
I use vinegar and baking soda to unclog drains.
When I run out of garlic powder or onion flakes, I dehydrate more.seasonings-dehydrated-vegies


And the list goes on...
In trying times, the list expanded and was confirmed and reaffirmed and necessary. My point is, I proved to myself to be true to what I have written. I proved to myself to be true, and do practice what I preach (so to speak). That acceptance for myself, of myself ,was more valuable than any resolution I could make this New Years.
 I am what I am. Crunchy, and Hippy and still learning -all rolled into one. With this admission, I am happy to roll onto a New Year with freedom to move forward, Happy to be who I am. :)
Thank you so much.
Happy New Years! - Janey

My DIY Favorite! My Mix Laundry Soap

DIY Favorite! My Mix Laundry Soap!

We all have our favorites- the ONE recipe or household tip that started the ball rolling for DIY enthusiasts!

This laundry mix was mine- the starter of it all!

 I always had trouble with Laundry soaps. Tide is a hives producer, for me, personally. I always fought the laundry soap blues between budget and quality constraints. When my youngest started getting the itchies from other brand soaps I used, my options kept getting narrowed down. When the options I did have just didn't clean, or seemed watered down, or left bad smells (like some hypo allergenic unscented soaps can)...

...well,  I got fed up! Grrrrrr!

And the search was on.  Thus began my love for DIY!

And oh how my budget can love some of my discoveries.
Hence,  My project for the day!  My Mix!!!!!!! Yay!!!!! 
I'm always Always happy with the results of this one- it has never let me down! I absolutely love it!

I wrote about it before- at this link: My Mix Laundry Soap
So I won't be explaining everything over again, however- I'll give you the recipe once more- :DYay!

My Mix Laundry Soap

1 box 20 Mule Team Borax (4lb+)
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3lb+)
4 boxes Baking soda (1lb ea)
3 bars Zote soap (grated ahead of time)(14 0z ea)
3 Purex Crystals Laundry Enhancer (28 oz ea., or 2 -55 oz)
1 OxyClean  (3lb.)

step 1: grate the soap - like this:

(Note: A fine grate is best if you only use cold water. The Zote soap dissolves easily enough.)

Step 2: Mix it all into a large bucket! I use a recycled 5 gal. bucket from my hubby's pile in the garage. LOL  - I pour ingredient's into the bucket in layers or parts outside- because - well the powder can Poof! LOL and frankly I do not want Poof! in the house! ;) , Mix it all - well-  with large ladle or slotted spoon and then--- done! Yay!!!!!!!  It's as easy as that!

Step 3: Use it!   I recycle the OxyClean container and the scoop that comes with it. Fill it with my mixture and this sits on my washer for daily use. A large load to the 2 line on the OxyClean blue scoop is perfect!

Note: The remainder of the mix, I store in the garage (keep in a cool dry place, away from the children and label) , refilling as needed.

Also to note: because this is a low suds recipe- it is safe for HE washers, and does not leave a residue like some castile soap mixes can.
It lasts! About 6 months- or longer depending how often you do laundry. The cost is a whopping $35.  ---- (compared to the amount I paid before- averaging $20 a month, or more, on soaps- that's a previous cost of  $120 for 6 months of soaps- and I just paid less than $35 actually because I caught everything on sale. Savings $85. For me, this is a no brainer!)

Easy! Done! Enjoy!

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My Mix Laundry Soap

My Mix Laundry Soap. Yay!!
  Okay, it’s not homemade in the sense I got lye soap, a cauldron and bubbled and burbled my own concoction- haha!  but it’s my MIX, and it’s really good, lasts longer, and is a fraction of the cost of name brand laundry soaps! It’s more natural in ingredients than most name brands, and less offensive on the perfumey chemical trail. Plus, I do not have any allergic reaction to it! YAY!

  I have found I can make: 1 trip to the grocery store, spend about $39, use up about an hour of prep and mixing, and in the end, have an effective, and extremely good smelling laundry soap that is amazingly only a fraction of the cost of my old store bought brand.

You will need:

Ingredients:
1 (4 lb) 20 Mule Team Borax
3 (1lb) boxes of Baking soda  (for homemade Washing soda***) or 1(3 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (***make your own, as I  did; directions at the end- by using 3 boxes of Baking Soda)
1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean
2 (14 oz) Bars of Zote Soap
4 (1 lb) Boxes of Baking Soda
3 (28 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (100% optional!) There are 3 scents offered by Purex Crystals, use whichever one you prefer- or leave this out to eliminate the fragrance altogether.

Supplies: 1 large bucket, clean, dry inside, with lid; 1 cheese grater and old mixing bowl, wood spoon, and 1baking sheet if making washing soda.

Step 1: 

 Grate the soap! Grate into a large mixing bowl. The grated Zote soap dissolves just fine, even in cold water;  but,  the finer the pieces- the faster it dissolves, so using a small grater is best. When you finish grating, the hardest part is over – now it’s just time to mix.

 

Step 2: Mix in the bucket!

I used a large bucket and poured the ingredients in segments. I took a small amount of each and layered it on top of each other, then I grabbed a large wood mixing spoon, and mixed it together each time.  My husband helped with this, I poured -while he mixed. We do this outside on the back porch, as it does pouf clouds of powder easily as you pour and mix. Go slow and less pouf will occur.  Pouring it in in segments just made it easier to completely mix.

To USE: 

 You only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load depending on the size! I just recycled/reused the Oxy Clean container. I had it available after all was poured in,  and it's so easy to refill as needed!   I just scoop my mixture right back into the now empty tub, and wahh-lahh, my detergent has a perfect container! YAY!!!! The Oxy clean scoop says 1,2,3,4, right on the side! Perfect to sit on your laundry room shelf! I have found the scoop filled to the line 2 is enough for my large capacity load! The Purex crystal bottles work great, too, especially if you are sharing! 

Note: because this laundry mix is low suds, it IS safe for HE washers.

Try to keep the remaining bucket mixture in a dry/cool location. To store the remaining mix,   I recycled one of my husband's 5 gal buckets from the garage, cleaned it out, and now store the remaining laundry soap in it! Sits perfect in the dry storage area in the garage, ready for refills.

 

  As with  most of these DIY posts, I am not the originator. Although all words & pictures are mine, the original recipe and concept was not.  I originally found this DIY Laundry Soap mix recipe by author Jen, from DIY Diaries. On this site: http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/

.

**Washing Soda
The original recipe I found for this detergent, called for Super Washing Soda- and I couldn’t find it in the area I live in. :( Ugh. However, I did some more research and found you can actually make Washing Soda- DIY -at home, on your own.

It turns out Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is Sodium Carbonate.which you can easily change from Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) using one key item- HEAT. The heat evaporates off the "Bi" of bicarbonate creating Sodium Carbonate.
 
So, Heat your oven up to 400-475° F. Pour the 4 boxes of Baking soda onto cooking sheets and bake for at least 1 hour. Each time you check it, stir it a bit to ensure all is changing. When I did, I noticed a "poof" of what appeared to be steam rising off the baking soda. After one hour, the “steam” was gone. (The ‘poof like steam’ is the water and carbon dioxide evaporating off)

Take it out of the oven, and let it completely cool. Once cooled, it’s ready to use in the laundry mix. (Note: Although Baking Soda is naturally safe to eat- sodium carbonate (Washing Soda) is NOT safe to consume- so take care in the kitchen to not spill, or wipe away from any surfaces that might touch your food later. And clearly label any jars or canisters you use when storing it. It's a fantastic cleaner! Just don't store it beside your regular baking soda.)

When making my laundry soap, I set the baking soda in the oven first, then went outside and started grating the Zote Soap. By the time I finished grating, dealing with the kids, taking a bathroom break, etc… about an hour was over, and all I had to do was let it cool while I gathered the supplies, bucket, and prepared to mix.

Done! Homemade laundry soap that cleans bright, doesn’t fade my colors, and smells fantastic! All for $39. For me this recipe lasts about 7-8 months- sometimes longer. Saving me mega amounts on my budget.  (Well over $100!) Super frugal, super smart and great results! It is worth the time taken once every 7-8 months.








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