DIY Dishwashing & Laundry Detergent {If I can do it, you can too!}

I've turned into one of those girls...the kind that will try anything to save a few bucks. These days, a few bucks goes a long ways. I've seen several "recipes" for DIY cleaners on Pinterest. Everything from carpet cleaners, to shower cleaners, to laundry detergent and more. I never really thought much about it until I was reading one of the blogs I frequent, Liz Marie Blog. Her post, here showed how she had made dishwashing detergent. At about $10, I couldn't resist trying it myself. Below are the few ingredients it took.

Ingredients: (My prices are estimates, as I can't find my receipt)

Borax: $4

Super Washing Soda: $3

Lemi-Shine: $4

Salt: $1(only use 1 cup)

All you do is dump all the ingredients in a container, and mix them. Her post said that she uses about 1 tablespoon per load. I'm in the middle of trying my first load now, so I'll let you know how it goes. 

 If it works out, we could be saving money on dishwashing detergent. Below is how much it made. I filled up my glass container, plus I had about a half of a gallon bag left over. I think this is going to go a long way. 

While reading about her dishwashing detergent, I decided to check out her laundry detergent here as well. It also looked simple enough, so I figured I'd try it. 

 Above are the Ingredients: (again, prices are estimates)

Borax: $4

Super Washing Soda: $3

Oxi Clean: $7

Fels-Naptha Soap (3 bars): $3

4lb box Baking Soda: $4

This one took a little more time in that I had to grate each bar of soap, but overall it was super easy. Again, just mix all the ingredients. She says it makes 4 gallons; I didn't measure, but it filled a big bucket. What you see in the jar (which is also bigger than it appears) is not all of it. And I believe she said she uses about 3 tablespoons. I'm really excited to see if I like how it works. All the reviews I read on her blog were great, and it appears that everyone loves it. I'll let you know how both work out after I've used them a few times. 

Crazy Sleeper

My brother came into town last weekend, and he stopped by the house to see Kaden. I had just put him down for a nap. Ryan walked into Little Man's room to see him, and this is how we found him. 

 I'm not sure how that was comfortable, but he was sound asleep. I took some pics, but I couldn't leave him like that cause I was scared he would roll over and hurt his leg. 

 Although, after I started thinking about it, this probably isn't the first time it's happened....just the first time I've seen it. I love how Little Man sleeps. 

Little Man Reads

I can always tell, even from the other room, when little man is "reading" a book. The tone in his voice changes. He loves books, and he'll sit and "read" by himself for a while. I've tried to get him on video, but he usually sees me and stops. I took this on my phone, so excuse the quality. I know I'm biased, but I could sit and listen to him "read" all day!

Feeding the Ducks

This is a little video from when we went to feed the ducks last. I took it on my phone, and I thought it didn't save, but then I found it. I love how into throwing the bread Kaden gets. I love that kid!

(iPhone video...sorry for the low quality)

Growing too fast

Little man is growing too fast. He's decided the past week that he's determined to use a fork. And he's actually pretty good at it. We were at a restaurant, and I was helping him use a fork. I was impressed at how well he did. 

For dinner I gave him a little fork, and he did really well on his own. I can't believe how fast he's growing up. Fellow mommies, how do we make them slow down???

(sorry for the not-so-great pics. they were from my iPhone)

Football Season

Gig Em Ags!

It's no secret that we're pretty big Aggie fans around here. My buddy Deena & I thought we'd get crafty and make new wreaths for our front doors...in honor of the upcoming A&M football season. I've never been good at taking step-by-step pics. I usually remember sometime around the last step. Plus, I don't even want to get into how many times we changed our minds, went to the store to buy or return items, looked at examples, etc. It's almost comical! But, we love the end result. And we'll definitely be having craft time again soon! :)

Pool & Bubble Time

More pics of our backyard fun in the sun today! We had play time in the pool & with bubbles. Kaden loves the bubbles...and the pool! 

Swinging with Crazy Hair

Kaden informed me that I hadn't taken him outside to swing lately. He made a rather good point, so I caved. At first he wasn't very interested in smiling for the camera. 

 But...I broke him! And got some very cute smiles! Enjoy!

 Love this kid!

Skeeter's Game

Saturday night was "Behind the Badge" night at the Skeeter's game. My dad is not a police officer. (But don't tell him that....he thinks he is!) ;) He is, however, the chaplain of our local police department, and they game him a family pack of tickets for the game. 

 When we got there, there was a really pretty rainbow. It hadn't rained, but we enjoyed it while it was out.

 It was so stinkin hot at the game. There wasn't much of a breeze at first. So, we took Kaden to the splash pad to cool off. 

 Almost the entire length of left & center field is full of playground, carousel, splash pad & swimming pool. It's the perfect family place.

 Dad's get to watch baseball, while moms & kids play in the park/water. Everyone is happy!

 Grammy & Kaden were excited to ride the carousel. 

 Look how he just kicked back and relaxed against Grammy while he rode the horsey. 

We had a great time with family at the game, while we showed our appreciation to all the men & women who help keep us safe! 

The Ducks Like Us!

Last time we went to feed the ducks, Kaden just sat and watched the whole time. This time, however, he knew exactly what to do, and he jumped right in. 

 As soon as we pulled in and parked, the ducks came running. They knew what we were there for.

 He started off in Micah's lap feeding the ducks. Every time Micah handed him a piece of bread, he tried to stick it in his mouth. Apparently he was confused about who's snack time it was.

 He thought it was so funny whenever Micah would throw the bread, and then the ducks would attack it.

 After a few minutes, he decided he wanted down to feed the ducks himself. 

 He would throw the bread and laugh as the ducks ran for it. 

 Every now and then, he would accidentally, hit a duck with a piece of bread, and he thought that was really funny!

 He wasn't scared at all of all the ducks surrounding him.

 In fact, he would talk to them and try to pet them.

 After we were done, he was a little disappointed that all the bread was going. As soon as the food is gone, the ducks take off. They don't stick around to hang out. 

Kaden enjoyed the ducks again. I'm sure this will be one of our regular family outings!