Feeling under the weather...

This is the busiest week of the year for me at work and preparing my son for back to school. So, what other week would I get sick? While I never wish ill upon anyone, I hope I am not the only person this happens to.

What is your go to "treatment" or remedy for feeling under the weather?

I am a sleeper (usually). But that is not an option for me this time. I am not a fan of over the counter medications. If I know it will help then fine, but for the most part they just make me sleepier and don't seem to help the overall ickiness. (Yes, I know that isn't a real word, but it fits). So I would love to hear what natural remedies, vitamins, or foods you use to boost your immune system.

Fire away...

Homemade Dishwasher Tabs... (and my last post for today)

Wow, I really feel like I wasted my weekend doing nothing. But as I update the blog I am realizing I did accomplish a few things. I just didn't accomplish everything I set out to do.

Guess where I found this recipe....

You got it! Pinterest as well.

I followed the links to the original post Here.

I used the original recipe:

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1/4 Epsom Salt
• Lemon Juice

Mix the first 3 ingredients together in a bowl.

Scoop out 1 cup of mixture into a separate bowl.

Add enough lemon juice to make mixture sticky enough to form. I used 4 Tbsp.

Scoop into anything that you have to form small tablets or cubes.

(I used a mini muffin pan)

You will need to set them out to "dry." I put them next to an open window and a fan. It only took a few hours.

Once they are dry POP them out and place them in a airtight container. I say POP because for me this was more like: Bang the pan on the counter until they come flying out then use a butter knife to pry the last two out.

The finished product. They are pretty cute if I do say so myself. ;)

My son is doing the dishes as I type this and I can't wait to pop one of these babies in and see how the dishes come out. 

Have I told you how much of a nerd I am? LOL

I can cook too! (At least I think so)

While I am preparing to make homemade dishwasher "tabs" and sew my heart out today, I am already dreading having to stop to make dinner. Soooo, I start running through what I have in my kitchen in my head.

I know I want to throw it in the Crockpot and forget about it until it is time to eat. So I have chicken...what can I make with chicken? (more like what can you NOT make with chicken, hehe)

I go in to the kitchen get out the chicken I have previously frozen from Zaycon Foods (if you have never checked into this you REALLY should!). Then I just started pulling things out that looked good to me. So what did I end up with? This:

• 1 LARGE chicken breast
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp diced green chiles (I didn't have RoTel in the pantry)
• 1 can corn
• 1/2 packet of (low sodium) taco seasoning
• 1/2 packet dry ranch dressing mix

Black beans, tomatoes, corn, and green chiles go in crockpot.

Throw (okay don't throw-set) your chicken breast on top, sprinkle taco seasoning and ranch powder over top. Put the lid on and you have started dinner (at 10 am). ;)

I turned mine on high for 2 hours because my chicken breast is HUGE and frozen, then I will turn it down to low for an additional 6-8 hours (just depends on when I feel like stopping to eat).

We will put it in some flour tortillas with shredded lettuce, tomato, and avocado thanks to my Bountiful Basket yesterday!

I am hungry NOW, so I guess it is lunch time.


Edited to add:

I pulled the chicken out of the crockpot and shredded it, drained all the juices and mixed it all together (mainly because my son will eat things if they are mixed but if they are separate he will say "I don't want any of THAT")

Bless his heart, he took one look at it and said "This is going to be very dry."

We assembled our tacos and ate dinner. When he was all done he said "That was good." It may not seem like a huge deal to most, but he NEVER says that. So for me it was a HUGE success!

Sorry, I was so anxious to eat this that I forgot to take a pic before I loaded it up with goodies!

YUM!

Liquid Fabric Softener

Right after I finished my powdered laundry detergent I made this recipe:

Again, WAY easier than I thought it was going to be! I found this recipe on Pinterest and followed the link to This Blog where the recipe calls for (are you ready for it?) 3 ingredients!

• 6 cups water
• 3 cups WHITE Vinegar
• 2 cups Suave Conditioner (you get to pick your own scent)

By measuring out 3 cups of vinegar, I was left with an empty vinegar bottle PERFECT!

I thought the bottle of conditioner I got was a little small, but didn't worry too much about it. I am glad I measured out everything prior to mixing, because my bottle of conditioner did not contain 2 cups when measured. So I cut my recipe in half. No big deal at all for me.

I just pour it right into my Downy Ball and Voila! (I have no idea how it works yet because my first load is still going). I will update once I have used it a few times!

Maybe I am ready to quit my job, stay home, and live off....NAH! But I will admit, I really enjoy doing this type of stuff.

Funny story with this if you care to know, if not you won't hurt my feelings!

My husband has always been the night owl in our relationship and I am always ready for bed by 9 or 10 he has told me how "old" I am since I was about 25. (I guess I should tell you, we don't live in the same house right now, due to work.) Well, we were texting while I was preparing my concoctions last night and I asked him what he was doing (it was 9:40 on Saturday night) he said he was laying in bed almost asleep. He asked what I was doing I said making laundry detergent and fabric softener, he said "oh, that sounds like fun" funny thing is I do enjoy it.

After a couple of unanswered texts I assume he fell asleep so I went on about my business. When we talked this morning we had to concede we are getting "old" that is was a Saturday night, we are in our 30's, and he fell asleep before 10 pm, while I was perfectly content at home making laundry detergent and fabric softener. Yep, that is precisely how exciting we are! I wouldn't have it ANY other way!!

"Homemade" Powdered Laundry Soap

I went supply shopping yesterday. I had a hard time finding Dr. Bronners Castille Soap, I figure I will either find it at Target or the Natural Grocer's and I remember seeing Essential Oils there as well. I have multiple sewing projects I want to get done today, so I may or may not make it out those items today, we will see.

The first one I made was the powdered laundry soap recipe I found on Pinterest. You can see the original post Here. It was WAY easier than I thought it was going to be!

For this recipe you need:

• 1 bar Fels Naptha Soap
• 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 1 cup Borax
• 1/4 cup Baking Soda

Obviously This is EVERYTHING for my "homemade adventure" I am not using it all in this recipe.

THAT'S IT!

I followed her instructions and it took no time. I do not have a bullet or blender (NO WAY was I using my Vitamix!!) So I used the shredding blade in my food processor and the Fels Naptha literally did look JUST like shredded cheddar cheese. I changed the blade and put it back in again and this is how it came out:

Shred 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap to get as fine of a granule as possible.

It may LOOK like cheese, but it doesn't SMELL like cheese (according to my son).

 After finishing the Fels Naptha, put it in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.

This is my finished product (stored in an airtight container with my 2 Tbsp scoop included).

 All done and ready to get to work washing my 14 year old son's clothes! OH-VEY.

Next up is Liquid Fabric Softener...

Talk about busy!

I have been trying for 2 days to put my grocery list together. Needless to say trying is NOT accomplishing. Between reviewing and researching some information for work, working on documentation, an impromptu meeting during my lunch hour, registering my son for school, and now a training conference call tonight...I have not gotten anything else done! 

This makes me very excited to put the work in this weekend to free up time later.

I am exhausted, is it Friday yet? 

In the beginning...

I have decided to jump on the bandwagon! (or off of it, depending on how you look at it)

I am sick and tired of spending a fortune on simple things that I think I could make at home. So I am going to attempt to remedy this.

My first attempt will be laundry products. I am picky!, I like my laundry to smell clean! Not just clean but so clean you want to keep sniffing it instead of wearing it. So, I am curious how this will go for me.

I have my shopping list together (thanks to Pinterest) and will be making my first attempt this weekend.

On the agenda:

Powdered laundry soap
Liquid laundry soap (because I want to try both)
Home-made laundry whitener
Fabric softener

Stay tuned for my "Fails" and triumphs!