Laundry Soap Part II

Today I tackled making homemade laundry soap before 9 a.m. What in the world is going on with me today? I never tackle anything before 10 a.m. it seems. Anyway, back to the soap. I exercised caution this time and did not follow the full Duggar family recipe (makes 600+ loads). If you want to try to make your own soap (safe for HE* washers), visit my blog from last October, the half of a half recipe is towards the bottom of the post.

A Few Notes from Part II:

• Fels-Naptha is no where to be found in this part of the country I now live in so I used an unscented Ivory bar of soap.
• I grated my bar of soap on the microplane part of my grater and it melted a lot quicker this time.
  
• Don't forget to use WASHING soda, it's different from baking soda.

I've also heard people using a homemade powder mix, but I'm a liquid laundry soap type of gal. Are you a powder or liquid laundry soap lover?

*HE washer? This soap works perfectly in HE machines because it doesn't get near as sudsy as regular detergent. I use it in my HE and haven't had a problem yet.

Gun Case or Furniture?

My husband as an ugly gun case. Okay, to a girl it's ugly but to a rugged man it represents your ability (or attempt) to hunt food for your family. When we moved the beloved gun case had no where to call home because it was a half-inch too tall to tuck into a closet. Then I found this blog. *Ding* The ideas started to flow!

The transformation has begun. I took off the door and hinges and took it to the glass shop to have the frosted glass deer removed and replaced with a mirror. I first thought about cork board but then realized that this was going to have to stay in my bedroom. Then I realized that I could have a mirror put in so it would serve a functional purpose as a full-length mirror. Genius.

The next step is to have the hubby help me drag that sucker into the garage for a little sanding, priming and painting. I'll keep you posted on how it comes together and hopefully remember to take pictures along the way.

I forgot what having ideas was like

I know that I've been out-of-touch with life for the past few months with moving. We are down to unpacking office and computer part boxes which can't be done until tomorrow when our built-in desk is installed. (Pictures of that to come!) Now that things seem to have a little more order and control, it's project time!

The master in our last house was always lacking. I never felt like anything went brilliantly together. I might have shuffled through about 3-5 comforter sets after painting to try and make it all work, but it wasn't fabulous. We sold our bedroom furniture before we moved which exiled us to sleeping on our mattress on the floor. When we moved into the new house we did splurge by buying a $35 bed frame. However, we are still sporting some not-so-fabulous 18-gallon plastic tubs as our bedside tables. Project Time!

Through my endless days of nothing (insert laugh here), I've stumbled across some blogs of some crafty gals. Friends, I'm now happy to announce that my creative mo-jo is working again. I've got plans, paint swatches, and sketches. Time to get the Hubs' approval on a design concept and move forward...right after I stain the deck and seal the fence. Wait, what?!?!?

Current Plans Include: painting, trimming an accent wall, curtains, dimmers on lighting, re-purposing Hubs' gun cabinet, and making a fabric covered headboard (you know...the ones you can buy for $1,000 but make for $200).

I'll let you know how things go and how many splinters I acquire with the deck-sealing project!

Lume' from Aldi

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but I've been a little busy. First with packing boxes and now unpacking boxes. In the middle of the move my shampoo ran out. I limped along using Hubby's Head& Shoulders (knees and toes) shampoo because I refused to buy another bulky bottle of Biolage only to pack it and move it.

Last week when I was trying to restock my kitchen with pantry essentials, I ran across Lume' at ALDI. The bottle said that it was comparable to *gasp* Biolage. I wasn't sure if I should risk it until I realized this is ALDI, land of "if you don't like it, you get your money back AND a replacement product of the same value." For a total investment of $2.99 I should just try it. That's less than 10% of the cost of one large bottle of Biolage shampoo. I also splurged and bought the conditioner for $2.99.

I love it. If it ain't Biolage in a different bottle, I don't know what is. I'm in love. Sorry, Biolage, I will, from this point forward, stick to ALDI's Lume'.

If you are running low on shampoo or just want to treat yourself, give Lume' a try. I think you just might like it. (If not, just take it back for a refund and a replacement product of equal or lesser value.)

Furniture for Sale

Our new house will not hold our King Size Sleigh Bedroom Suite. If you are interested, give me a shout! **Sorry, king mattress not included.**

Moving Forward, Literally

We found out today that we are indeed, moving. If you have packing and moving tips, send them my way. I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

My House is Ready for a Date

I feel like I'm getting my house ready for a date. I've spent a lot of time with a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels polishing and shining up my house so a complete stranger can come over and determine its worth. Reminds me of dating. Lots of time went into hair, make-up, and duh...the perfect outfit. So the bottom line, you get ready and then you wait trying to be casually calm about the whole thing.

So what am I doing in my sparkling house? Being casually calm and pondering another application of deodorant. Did I mention the guy is 20 minutes late? Geez, Louise.