Resorted To Making My Own Laundry Soap....
Although my youngest boy has been potty trained for, oh I don't know, 3 or 4 years now, he still pisses......uhhhh......pees the bed almost every single night. Like 99% of the time. Ocassionally we get a day of laundry bliss where we don't have to do loads of pissy......uhhhh.... pee sheets and blankets too.
Lately we have been going through laundry soap likes it's water. We've always bought the gigantic commercial size bucket from Sam's Club, so we were saving a bit of money anyway, but damn!! When you have to buy it as often as we do, it's still hell on the wallet.
I've contemplated making my own laundry soap before, but never actually did it. I was afraid that it wouldn't work. Well, last Sunday I was watching "17 Kids And Counting" on TLC. This episode was how the Duggar Family saves money while taking care of 17 kids. I checked out their website to get the recipe for the homemade laundry soap. Find that here.
Laundry Soap Costs:
180 load bucket at Sam's: around $13
To buy the stuff in recipe: $6.02 (Which will make 3 recipes or about 1,920 loads!!!)
3 Bar pack of Ivory $1.03
1 Box of Borax $2.87 (will make more than 3 recipes)
4 lb. box of Washing Soda $2.12 (will make more than 3 recipes)
Here is the recipe I used:
But make sure you go to their website to read the tips they give!!
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
I was EC dropping this morning and happened upon this fun little list @ Mommying On The Fly.
It’s a random list of activities. The ones in Bold are the ones I've done. I thought It'd be fun to pass it along, and see how much you've accomplished... lol...
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Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Do you budget for the holidays? Do you always stick to your budget? Share with us any budgeting tips you may have!
Hell no, I haven't started my Christmas shopping. Well, I take that back. I received a $50 gift card from Target for posting over at Gather, and I bought some stocking stuffers. Other than that? Nope.
We sort of budget. First, my husband gets a bonus every year. This is what we spend on the kids. The bonus is different every year though. Sometimes it's $400, sometimes it's $1,000. We never know. We can get it anywhere from 2 weeks before Christmas, to getting it on Christmas Eve. Then we use whatever is left over from the few paychecks before Christmas for stocking stuffers and for presents for each other.
We always stick to the budget because we use cash. You cannot spend more than your means that way!! Sometimes it can be frustrating, because we want just one more thing...but in the end it's better to stick to the budget than put ourselves in debt for the rest of our lives for some cheap piece of crap made in China, that will probably b
reak in a month anyway.
To stay with your budget, I suggest the "envelope system." Every payday figure out what you need for bills, gas, food, extras, etc. Stick the allotted amount for each into an envelope that is labeled. When the money is gone, it's gone. There's no way to overspend with cash. This is how we do it. We never go over, and we usually have a little extra left over. It's a little hard to get used to at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's way easy and worth it. Happy shopping. I hope you have tons of fun. :o)
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Since I obviously cannot think of a single thing to blog about, I decided to join in on the blog party over at Momdot. They will be asking a new question every day. It's going from Nov 12 to Nov 27. Jump in on the fun over at Momdot!! (and yes, of course, I'm starting a day late).
Okay, yeah, so I've been slacking off. I haven't had hardly any posts to my blogs in quite a while. Hopefully that will change soon. I'd like to get back on track. Till then here's picture I took just a couple of weeks ago.
Colorado Sky Right Before Sunset
So here is a list of coupon abbreviations for newbie’s like myself. ;) I was sent this and it is soooooo helpful when looking at other peoples blogs.
MQ = manufacturer coupon
MIR = Mail in Rebate
OOP = Out Of Pocket
P&G = Proctor & Gamble Sunday supplement coupons
Peelie = coupon that you peel off the package
RP = red plum coupon insert from Sunday newspaper
RR = Register Rewards (these are the catalinas that print out at Walgreens)
SS = Smartsource coupon insert from Sunday newspaper
Stacking = the art of "stacking" your coupons in a certain order so that they will ring up how you want them to
Tear Pad = A pad of refund forms or coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display
V = Valassis (same as red plum) coupon insert
WYB = When You Buy
Blinkies - Machines that spit out coupons in store isles
BOGO - Buy one get one free
Burn - Paying for purchases with ECBs or RRs that DO NOT generate more ECBs or RRs
Catalina - machine that spits out coupons, usually at grocery store
CRT - Cash register tape - coupons to use at CVS, target, etc.
ECB - Extra care bucks at CVS
FAR - Free after rebate
Filler - Getting other stuff for free when you go negative
IPQ - Internet Printable Coupon
OOP - Out of Pocket
Overage - When coupons make you go negative, add a filler
Peelies - coupons found on the package
Q - Coupon
Rain Check - When store is out of an item, they will give you a paper with the sale price and when they restock, you can take advantage of it!
Roll - Using ECBs or RRs to pay for purchases that generate ECBs or RRs
YMMV - Your mileage may vary, different at different stores
OAS: "one any size" Some coupons specifically state on them that they can be used on any size product.
POP: Proof of Purchase. This is the upc symbol on the package.
P/H: postage and handling
SAE: self addressed envelope
SASE: self addressed stamped envelope
SMP: specially marked package, meaning a package you find in the store that has been printed with a refund offer on it.
UPC: "Universal Product Code". It is that box of black lines that the checker passes over the scanner at the checkout.
WSL: while supply lasts.
Blinkies = coupon dispensed near product, in the store (usually from a "blinking" red box)
Catalina = a coupon dispensed at the register at the time of purchase (either at end of receipt or separate)
ECB = Extra Care Buck (CVS)
ESB = Easy Saver book (Walgreens)
ESC = Easy Saver Coupon (coupon found in Walgreens Easy Saver Catalog)
FAR = free after rebate
IP = Internet Printable (a coupon you print off the internet)
IVC = Instant Value Coupon
MFR = manufacturer
B1G1F: "Buy 1, Get 1 Free"
BTFE: Box Tops for Education
BRU: BabiesRUs
C/D: Complete Deal. A refund form with all the proofs of purchase needed to send for the refund.
C/O: cents off coupon, or cash off coupon.
CRTC: cash register tape
DCRT: dated cash register tape. Must show the date of purchase on the tape.
LSASE: long self addressed stamped envelope
NED: No Expiration Date
Being pretty new to Couponing, this was a MAJOR help.
I love me a good cup of joe. Ran across this while I was cruising around on the internet, thought I'd share the love. Enjoy!
It was a beautiful day here, so we decided to take the kids to the City Park. Lots of people were out and about. Lots of Adults, kids, families, just tons of people. Along with that came many, many dogs. Not a problem. Mostly.
The kids were playing on the playground, which is fairly big. Still, it was covered with lots of kids. There were a couple of families that brought their dogs over, but all of them were on leases and kept right next to adults.
One woman had a small child who looked like she had just learned to walk. I don't think the baby could have been older than a year, but probably around 10 months or so. This woman also decided to bring her dog. She soon realized that she couldn't play with her child while she was holding the dogs leash.
So she tied the dog up to one side of the playground. And then left the dog to go play with her baby. Really?
My daughter is 4. We have 3 dogs at home, so she loves dogs. She came over to try to pet the dog. My husband and I were standing right near the dog, on the edge of the playground. As she was going for the dog, I told her she could pet the dog without permission (a rule, that we don't touch other people's dogs without permission).
The lady then says, "yes, don't touch my dog. She won't bite, but she might bite if I'm not holding her leash." What?
My daughter made 3 or 4 attempts, one after the other to get to this dog. On the final one she got a little big closer, but still not within reach of the dog. This woman GRABBED my daugher's arm and told her not to go by her dog.
Okay. Now I'm pissed. I say to this woman, "Do not touch my daughter. You shouldn't leave your dog tied up away from you, especially if you think it might bite someone if you're not next to it."
The woman continues to try to argue with me, but I just keep repeating that she shouldn't tie the dog up and walk away from it, much less bring it to a park full of kids, if she thinks it might bite someone. What the hell was she thinking? Sounds like she was asking for a lawsuit if you ask me.
She stayed next to her dog after that. She was flirting with some man who had a couple little girls of his own. Her daughter wandered away from her, and came right in front of us. When she realized her daughter was next to us, she ran over, scooped her daughter up and said, " oh, don't play here, these people are mean." Ummm. Okay lady.
Please note in the picture how she is sitting right next to her dog after I tell her she shouldn't have left it alone - even though she insisted that "it wouldn't bite. But it might bite if I'm not next to her." After she was done over there, she went to the swings, and thankfully took her dog.
I want to share a couple of websites I've found that seem like legitimate work opportunities. You don't have to pay to become a member or to search for jobs. If anyone is already a member of one of these sites, I'd appreciate some feedback, so I know if it truly is a good opportunity or not.
Genuinejobs.com This one has many, many opportunities for all types of job seekers.
Today.com Payment terms are $1 per post of 100+ words plus $0.002 per impression. For the pay per post part of your compensation there is a max of one paid post per day. Posting more will help your CPM compensation, however, you will only earn $1 for the first 100+ word post of the day.
Bareinternational.com This one is for mystery shopping. Once again, you don't pay anything to join or apply for the jobs.
Hausertrack.com On this one, after you sign up and are accepted, they send mail to your home. After you receive it you have to input it into their system. You get 25 cents per piece of mail delivered to your home. In some instances they may ask you to send it back to them. In that case you get an additional 50 cents plus your postage reimbursed.
Thanks,
Mee
P.S. Only one of these has a referral link for me. I'm not sure how the referral thing works. The rest are just sites that you can go to. I do not receive any kind of compensation for you to sign up.
MSN put out a new article today about America’s Healthiest Restaurants. Do any of these top your favorite places to eat? You can click on the link to see the article and the reasons for their decisions.
I like Chipotle, Panera, and Macaroni Grill, none of which we actually have in the town I live in. The closest ones are in Colorado Springs, about 45 miles away. They are building a Chipotle here (FINALLY!!).
I was surprised that Denny’s made the list. Do any of them make you say hmmm?
Best Casual Dining Spots:
1. Uno Chicago Grill
2. Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
3. Mimi’s Café
4. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
5. Bob Evans Restaurants
6. Ruby Tuesday
7. Macaroni Grill
8. Chevy’s Fresh Mix
9. Olive Garden
10. Denny’s
Fast Food:
1. Noodles & Company
2. Chipotle Mexican Grill
3. Cosi
4. Panera
5. Au Bon Pain
Independents:
1. Los Angeles: M Café
2. Berkeley, CA: Chez Panisse
3. New York City: Blue Hill
4. Chicago: Green Zebra
5. Detroit: Inn Season Café
6. Atlanta: Bacchanalia
I’m going to McDonalds now. See ya later. :o)
I got this recipe from All*You, one of my favorite magazines. My whole family absolutely loved this pork tenderloin, even the kids, so I wanted to share it with ya'll.
Chili-Lime Pork Tenderloin
Prep: 8 min.
Cook: 27 min.
Serves: 6
Cost per serving: $1.56
* 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin
* Salt and pepper
* 1 tsp. chili powder
* 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
* 1 tsp. soy sauce
* 1/2 tsp. sugar
* 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Pat pork tenderloin dry and season on all sides with salt and pepper.
2. Blend chili powder with lime juice, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Use your hands to rub mixture thoroughly into tenderloin. Warm a large ovenproof skillet over high heat, then add oil. Add pork and sear on all sides, turning meat with tongs, about 2 minutes total. Place skillet in preheated oven and bake until a thermometer inserted in center of tenderloin reads 145 degrees F, about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of tenderloin. Baste with any juices that have accumulated and add 2 Tbsp. water at a time, if necessary, to prevent scorching.
3. Remove tenderloin to a cutting board, cover losely with foil and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces and serve.
PER SERVING: Cal, 9g Fat (2g Sat.), 74mg Chol, 0g Fiber, 24g Pro, 1g Carb, 205mg Sod.
Even my husband, who isn't too fond of pumpkin anything, thought these were good. Give it a try. I hope you like them as much as I did!
Prep Time: 25 min.
Cook Time: 25 min.
Ingredients:
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
* 2 cups flour
* 2 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 2 tsp. cinnamon*
* 1/2 tsp ginger*
* 1/2 tsp. ground cloves*
* 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg*
* 4 oz cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Using a wire whisk, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract, gradually add powdered sugar. Frost cooled cake. Cut into bars.
*May substitute all these ingredients with 1 Tbsp. and 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.
I went out onto the patio this afternoon to check on the kids outside. There was a ton of blood all over the entire patio. Immediately I start freaking out, asking the kids who was bleeding. They told me it was one of the dogs, but they didn't know which one.
I called all the dogs up to me. I couldn't go to them because I didn't have any shoes on or near me. Turns out my princess dog, Goldie, cut the back of her leg yet again. The cut is about 2 inches long and it's all the way through the skin, down to the fascia that covers the muscles and tendons.
She does this more often than I'd like. The first time was in December 2006. Both her and one of our other dogs, Gruff, cut themselves on the same day. He cut his foot and would have bled to death had he not been taken to the vet. Of course it was a Sunday too, so that bill was well over $1,000. The second time she did it was January of this year. That bill was only about $300 (only?). Now she's done it again, not even 10 months later, the poor thing.
Luckily we have money in savings. Unfortunately I have to pay it back, because we don't have very much in savings, and it seems like it always dwindles this time of year. Birthdays, holidays, what not.
I'll be taking Goldie into the vet first thing in the morning, so I'd like prayers or whatever you do, that her leg will heal quickly and without complications.
(And I'm sorry, this wasn't supposed to be a "poor me" post. It really was just intended to be about my poor puppy).
