DIY Laundry Soap

With the economy the way it is everyone is trying to find all the ways they can save that are possible. At least me and my hubby are. We have done some research to figure out how to maybe shrink the expenses related to our grocery bill as this is naturally the second largest piece of our budget (after rent). There are plenty of programs, theories, and strategies that work for a lot of people but it can get a little overwhelming.

Aside from our little garden plot, we try our best to shop the deals, but always spend more than is comfortable... one of the biggest expenses for us is cleaning supplies. More specifically laundry detergent. I came across this tutorial on how to make your own laundry soap and was inspired to give it a shot. What would it hurt to give it a shot right? Turns out, it works great and it doesn't take much. I found a few tutorials via Pinterest and decided I'd try this one here.

3 Simple ingredients:
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax
1 bar Fels-Naptha soap

Grate soap in a bowl, add soda and Borax and mix well. It only takes about a tablespoon of this stuff for a rather large load. (If the load is really big I lean more toward the "heaping" tablespoon... just to be safe... not that I ever let my laundry pile up...)

Yes, I thought it looked like cheddar cheese too... but it smells great! 

We've been using it for a while now and we feel like it really works. There is a nice lemon-ey sent as it is put into the wash but it disappears before the rinse cycles. Clothes come out clean and NOT smelly. It has lasted us quite a while and we still have quite a bit left. The other bonus? The price for all three things is less than $10 and it makes like a trillion loads with the whole box of soda/borax. AND... we are helping the environment by not consuming as much chemically stuff... wow, I feel pretty green. 

Update Feb. 2013: Pregnancy sends my nose into disarray early in my first trimester. The smells make me nauseous, and they can stay around for days... I found with my first pregnancy that an unscented detergent worked pretty well. I could at least wear my clothes... but as the smells have returned (with a vengeance) , I can smell the detergent on my bedding (even though I have washed it several times since using it...) This soap is a miracle. My laundry smells clean without actually having a smell. This is a pretty big deal for me...  Success for DIY Laundry soap!

Vital Records + Freebie

With the western states up in flames, it calls to question just how prepared and organized I am for a possible evacuation. What would I grab if I had 30 minutes before I need to leave? 10 minutes? mere moments? Would I have all the documents and important items that we'd need in case we couldn't go back?

It has sparked (sorry, pun not intended) the motivation I needed to put one of my planned projects into action. The Vital Record's Binder. A collection of the important documents and information we might possibly need. It takes so much less time to grab one binder than run around the house trying to remember in a hurry.

I have not completely finished collecting everything, but as I finish it I am excited to share it with you. That said, I have done some looking around for ideas and inspiration on this particular preparedness project. One of the best ones I've seen is here at (a favorite preparedness blog of mine) Prepared NOT Scared. There are also some great page ideas over at Your Own Home Store and All Things Simple. You can also check out my Pinterest board here for more links to ideas.

It can be a little daunting to take on a task that seems so important and vast as emergency preparedness, but if I take it one step at a time, it seems plausible... I am also a very visual person, aesthetics is key in getting me excited about something.

Step 1 for me then is to: start with some structure and the organization, and I had to make it cute. So here is my freebie for you! Its one of my first so I am very excited to share it!

Vital Records Cover and Tabs

Pictures and specifics to come. But for now, All you need to get started is:

• a binder. (At least 1.5". I am working on mine and am thinking 2" or even 3" will give me a little more available space to work with... depending on how much stuff you want to collect.)
• page protectors. (Costco has the best deal on these as you can get 250 sheets for about $12.)
• card-stock paper to print the tab dividers on. (or you can have it printed someplace like Kinkos or something... if you do, let me know if it works! I'd like to know)
• Tabs. (you can purchase a package of tabs that stick to your page protectors. They come in packages either clear or colorful. I used Martha Stewart's line from Staples. They are cuter... and easier to use!)

Step 1: Print off the divider pages and add them to your binder in the order that you choose. (I purposely made it so the order could be fairly flexible)

Step 2: Add tabs to divider pages

Step 3: Begin collecting the important documents that you know the location of. The individual pages have more specific guidelines and ideas that could be helpful as you start your collection. 

I compiled a list from a few different places to create my list of useful documents. Personally, I do not have all the sorts of documents that others might, so I tried to include those that anyone could have. Let me know if I'm missing any you might think of... I have thought of creating a blank one (so it can be filled in individually as you go). Let me know if you think that might be a good idea. 

Please, let me know if you use it, love it, or find any typos! (Especially as this is my first-ever freebie!) Leave me a comment! I LOVE comments. Good Luck!

Lessons Learned: Moving

Funny thing about renting... your landlord has considerable amount of control over your life... our landlord decided to sell the duplex we have lived in for almost 3 years now. As it turns out, the new owners would like to move in. And it would be terribly crowded if we were still there... Thus our search for a new place to live began.  It has been an interesting journey for me. We have lived in that little duplex since we got married. The appraisers, inspectors, real estate agents, prospective buyers, appliance guys, and every other stranger you could think of has come through to look at my little piece of life...

We didn't move far, but we did change cities. And we still had to pack all of our stuff... Our new place is another duplex, but it is not on a busy road and has a fenced back yard for my little guy to play in safely. The added bonus is the raspberry bush and the pear tree! :)

We are sad to leave our old place. We lived there ever since we got married. A lot of our "firsts" were there. Our first job change, our first baby, his first steps, first Christmas... This new chapter of ours is scary, exciting, and new. I cannot believe we have already been here at our new place for a week! There are still boxes everywhere, but we are almost ready to have people come over... almost...

I have learned a lot through the process of moving and thought I would share some of the more... helpful lessons I have learned.

1. Attitude is everything. Moving can be a chore or an exciting new adventure. Once I decided to make it the latter of the two, things got so much easier.

2. There are a lot of places where you should change your address...After living in the same place for almost 3 years we have accumulated a few things that have our address on it...More than I thought. I took some time to compile a list of all the places that are suggested that you make sure your address has changed. I used it as a checklist for us (even though there are more on the list than we needed for now. It will be helpful next time we move too.) If you are interested in my list you can see it here.

3. Boxes can be found for free, just about anywhere. Call the grocery stores in your area to find out what time they get their produce. Then meet them there to haul away their boxes. (It was early in the morning for us.) The liquor store has sturdy boxes with separators that are perfect for things like glasses, glass jars, soaps/shampoos, etc. And I was even told that you can check behind stores like ROSS and TJMaxx because their boxes aren't dirty, but still sturdy.

4. Purchasing real packing tape goes a long way... when your boxes hold together it makes the process a whole lot easier...

5. The dollar store is a great place to find cleaning supplies that you can throw away when you are finished cleaning.

6. Unpack the kid's room first... arrange it as close to normal as possible. The more comfortable he is, the more sleep we all get.

7. Make sure the utilities are switched before you move... especially the gas... no gas= no hot water... and a cold shower after a long day of moving is not ideal, though it is refreshing.

8. When unpacking it is important to keep an open mind regarding where your stuff should go. If it isn't terribly useful, get rid of it. Otherwise, creativity can be your best friend as you fit your stuff into a new place.

9. Bins are your best friend. (As are diaper boxes.)

10. Plan on spending more money than usual on food... cooking becomes a thing of the past as you pack and clean (especially after you pack your kitchen...) so eating out is a easy solution. But what I didn't count on was the few days after the move when my kitchen was still in boxes... Thanks to our wonderful family members for taking care us!

11. Now that I live in a place with no AC my creativity in cooking has had to rise to the challenge. What things can I make for my family, that do not heat up the house? I have crock pot, rice cooker, electric griddle, microwave are all options for heating food... salads and smoothies help keep things cool. More on those adventures in detail over at What's Cookin'?

12. Take it and run with it. A move is like a new beginning, with new opportunities to become more like the person you want to be. Change will happen. Why not make it for the better?

I am sure this adventure will be a great for us. We are closing a chapter in our lives and are opening a new one as we situate ourselves in this new place, new neighborhood, and new start! Wish us luck!

Organize: Coupon

I have been couponing on and off for about a year now. I have gone to strategy classes, read books, and researched how others organize their coupons to best utilize their savings. I don't like to spend a lot of time clipping, storing, and rummaging through a bunch of clippings in order to save $0.40 on eight items (and only then, if its not expired). At the same time, a tight budget means more motivation for me to figure out a way to make it work for me. In that effort, I have taken little bits of different strategies to make my own, and I am constantly revamping it.

For me, a physical organizational system is key to getting me to actually give it a shot. It also must be attractive, so I am happy (or even excited) to use it. Again, I couldn't find something that fit my personal organizational needs, so I buckled down and made my own. Yes, I am posting it as a freebie too.

Now the physical organization takes an initial time investment. But it is well worth it when you don't have to spend the time looking for lost and crumpled coupons floating around in your purse and pocket (yes, personal experience does help the cause on this one...)

First: collect your coupons. (Expired coupons can be donated to the military! Did you know that? Just found out myself!)

Second: Separate your coupons into categories. (ie. Food, beauty, pets, etc.) I used tabs in my binder for each of my categories. I also made the divider pages to go with it. You can find them here:
Coupon Binder Dividers

Next, organize coupons as desired within the selected category. I use a new page for each type of coupon. For example, in the food section I have a page for dairy coupons, a separate page for frozen, etc. I've made it easier to tell what page I'm looking at by attaching a tag to the pocket with a paper clip (that way, they are still movable should the need arise). These can be found here
Coupon Binder Organizer Tabs. You will find my flag tags for types of coupons, along with months, "use by" tags (that can be laminated for reuse) and store name tags. I also included some blank ones so it is more custom to your personal style. 

I used double sided tape for categories I know I'll keep around as their own page...

For most categories I used paper clips to keep things flexible within the inner workings of the binder. That way, as coupons change in and out I can keep things clearly labeled. I hope these will help you as you organize your coupon loveliness too! Please leave a comment if you do use them and tell me what you think! (or you could leave a comment anyway.)

 There are a variety of different sections but I made sure to include a "Favorite Stores" section to keep my store coupons separate from my manufacturer's coupons. It helps me know where I need to pick certain items up.

As for the "Use by ___" labels, I am not yet organized enough to use them fully. I saw them while internet surfing and thought they were a good idea. Laminate them and use a dry erase marker to keep track of expiration dates, etc. 

Hope you like it! Please,let me know if you do use it! And good luck organizing!