Blah, blah, blog!

Going Green and Saving Some Too

I am strangely fascinated by this idea.  Apparently the Duggar Family of 18 (19, 20?) Kids and Counting Fame have shared their homemade laundry soap recipe and it is all the rage in this recession.  Never mind that I'll justify a Hobo Wallet...which, I'll have you know, I did save 50% off retail.  

TRUE penny pinching power may be found if this hokey sounding recipe really turns out.  I'm kinda over spending $15 a jug on Tide if I can go green and save some too.  Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2.

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)

Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes

Recipe #1
1 Cup White Vinegar
Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2 (I love this idea)
1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener
4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

Anyone need some Bitch?

If any of you blog readers are in need of a fun gift, or even a whimiscal pick-me-up for yourself for one of those days go here to www.thewinecountry.com.  Our wonderful family friend Rodney keeps us in Bitch and it never gets old.  We love it!

Go!  Go get some right now!  

Coupon Clipping

Can you imagine strutting into the grocery store with this briefcase (with the Mission Impossible music playing as a soundtrack), grabbing your cart, swinging this baby up on the seat, popping it open and getting to work? That is how I used to feel when I'd arm myself with my Grocery Game printouts and plastic index card box full of coupons neatly arranged by category.

Playing the Grocery Game was a worthy pastime.  I'd regularly save 40% to 70% off my grocery bill when I'd take the time to clip, sort, file, match, pull, and hunt.  I remember waiting until the full price ring up displayed on the register before I'd hand over my Club Card and PILE of coupons.  Man how I loved to see that bottom line number fall! 

Of course I was bagging up Big Food Manufactured Processed Boxes of Crap.  The day I came home with a box of Pop Tarts (hey, they were only .33!) is the day I got cut off.

I don't know about you, but my grocery bill has gotten downright painful.  The worst example of rising prices is when I tried to purchase four pieces of fruit to make an edible fruit arrangement for P's Tiny Treats birthday party.  The local Ralph's grocery store wanted $22 for one bag of red grapes, one cantaloupe, one pineapple, and one honeydew.  I put it all back and walked out shaking my head.

Because the internet is here to make our lives easier, more efficient, and just better, I'm going to try these sites to get on my path to being a frugal hacker:

• Hot Coupon World
• Organic Grocery Deals
• Penny Pincher Gazette online

I don't think I'll ever be one of those "Coupon Queens" who end up with two full carts of groceries for $18 and a garage full of toothpaste and condensed soup, but I've got to do something to offset these crazy prices.

It's a war out there...strategy is everything.

Teacher gift ideas

With all of the discussion lately on what to give our deserving teachers, I thought I'd share a couple of the things I've done this year.  For our Miss Martha, I created a Gift Card Tree:

I used two large Endless Summer hydrangeas and the tall tag picks.  I created library pockets with a template, hung them with ribbon, and filled them with various gift cards donatated by each family.  We also had the kids "choose" a smaller denomination gift card for things like Cold Stone or Starbucks ad I decorated the backs of their library pockets with wallet sized photos from the vintage school portraits.  She loved it!

Yesterday, I picked up three copies of "5" by Compendium Publishing at the Franklin-Covey store.  I was thrilled to find them, as I have wanted this book since listening to Stacy Julian's  keynote address at Scrapbowl last February.  This is a fantastic feel-good-live-big-book that gets that creative energy surging!

Check out the book selection at your local Franklin-Covey.  There are at least five more I want to add to my library!

I also picked up fantastic thank you cards at Franklin by Compendium.  Let's hear it for not waiting until the last minute!!