Do-It-Yourself Laundry Detergent

Many times I have read about do-it-yourself  laundry detergent and often considered giving it a try.  One of the moms in our homeschool co-op makes her own and handed out copies of the recipe so I decided to do it!  I mixed up a batch sometime the first week of February and to date, have only used about 1/3 of the mixture.  (I average 5 loads of laundry a week. More if it's a change-the-sheets week.)  I am quite pleased with it and love that I haven't bought detergent in a few months and have several more months to go before needing to make more!
The recipe is as follows;
                                             1 large box Baking Soda
                                              1 large box Borax
                                              2 boxes Washing Soda
                                              3 bars of Fels Naphtha soap
                                              1 small container Oxy-Clean (versatile)

All of the items are found in the laundry detergent aisle at Wal-Mart.  The first three ingredients all come in the same size and style box.  The cost for all of the items was roughly $16. 
Grate all 3 bars of soap.  Mix all of the ingredients in a large tote or bucket.  (I suggest 5 gallons or so.)  After mixing well, store with the lid tightly secured.  To avoid lifting or opening that large bin for each load, I suggest pouring some of the mixed detergent into a smaller container to keep on the dryer or someplace handy. 
I use about 2 Tbsp per load.  A little less or a little more depending on the type of load.  I will be sure to post when I finish this first batch...just to see what sort of savings I'm looking at.  I feel quite certain it will be worth it.

 

Kittens!

This past Monday morning, Tiger, the cat that adopted us after we moved in...delivered six kittens! We knew she was getting close and I was so hoping that we might have the chance to see it all happen. We let her in the laundry room on Sunday night and she didn't have any interest in going back out. We put a beach towel on the floor of a closet in the same room just in case. Tim woke at about 3:30am and decided to check on her. Sure enough, there were already three kittens. He woke me and I woke the girls. We were able to watch her have the next three. SO adorable!

Spring Banquet

Last night, the middle and high school students from our homeschool co-op had their formal spring banquet. The kids ate at a very exclusive restaurant on the 35th floor of a building in Oklahoma City. Afterwards, they took a 30 minute boatride through a part of the city. To top off the evening, they all changed clothes and went bowling from 10:30 til midnight.
They had a great time getting dressed up and spending the evening together. (There are a few more pictures on Lily's blog.)

www.lily-lifesanadventure.blogspot.com