Homemade Laundry Detergent

I am on a mission to make my home more green in attempt to a) provide a healthier lifestyle for my family, and b) to save money! Some of the ways I am doing this is using cloth "unpaper" towels instead of paper towls, cloth diapering, using natural cleaners like vinegar, lemon juice, various essential oils, and other natural cleaning agents instead of harsh chemicals, and I have been making my own laundry detergent.

I was nervous about making my own detergent for a couple of reasons. I was tired of ordering my cloth diaper detergent online because it never failed, I would get myself into a situation where I was down to very little or no detergent with diaper laundry needing to be done and waiting on my shipment. It also seemed pricey to me to be buying laundry detergent for diapers and a seperate one for regular laundry. I know many people used the same name brand diaper detergent on their regular laundry, but I always seemed to hoard it for strictly cloth diaper use. I was scared to branch out and make my own because I was scared of causing buildup and subsequent repelling issued in the diapers, and I was worried that they would not get the diapers completely cleen. After hours upon hours of researching various recipes, I settled on an easy one and I have not turned back since.




Recipe:
2 Cups Washing Soda (not baking soda - WASHING soda)
2 Cups Borax
2 Cups Oxy Cleaner

Mix all ingredients into your container very well. Shake it around to make sure everything is all mixed up. I repurposed a container that held dishwasher tablets to hold the detergent and it works great. The first time I used a generic Oxy cleaner from Kroger in order to save money, but I have since splurged on the brand name Oxy Clean Free and I have been using that instead. I have never had buildup or repelling issues, and my laundry comes out fresh and clean every single time! YAY!

What? Free Time?

Ahhhh......Christina Marie is taking some quiet time/nap time in her room. I just finished picking up downstairs and now I can't believe this, but I actually have some free time! This almost never happens and I intend to take full advantage of it today.

Life is......WONDERFUL! The sun is shining bright these days and I am so happy and content with where things are going. I am keeping busy sewing for Cotton Cheeks, working out at the Y, and of course being mommy to my gorgeous angel, and wife to my amazing husband.

Christina is growing like a weed! I find myself trying to memorize every moment with her. It's incredible how fast time flies when you have a child and I don't want to forget anything. It's crazy how she can be so much like her daddy one minute, and then a little version of me the next. Her favorite past times these days are playing with her dogs, playing on her Leap Frog laptop, running around in her birthday suit, speaking baby babble, parks, playing in the water hose and sprinkler, chasing cats, pointing out air planes, and playing in her new play house her Daddy got her.

Love Lives Here Entry

I know I have not kept up with this blog. I had all good intentions when I started and I figured that since I was going to be SAHM I would have all the time in the world to keep this thing updated. I had all these visions of having a record of Christina Marie's daily activities, firsts, funnies, not so funnies, the works. Needless to say, I have not kept up with this thing. Heck, most days I'm doing good to run a brush through my hair and put some make up on. Man oh man the life of a SAHM is certainly NOT uneventful, that's for sure.

So what brings me back to the blogging world? I am entering in for a chance to win a Zookies cloth diaper cover. Christina is a cloth baby - has been since she was a newborn, and I must say it is one of the best decisions Sam and I have made for her. Not only is cloth a heathier, more affordable option, but it's just so darn cute! There are so many options for cloth diapering - pockets, all in ones (AIO), fitteds, all in twos (AI2), and of course flats or prefolds with covers.

When Christina was a newborn, we stuck with prefolds and covers. It was an economical way for us to start CDing and allowed us to build or stash with more expensive options over time. Prefolds were perfect for containing mommy milk poo, and I could always get the perfect fit on her. As she became more mobile, I branched out into other options. Pockets and fitteds quickly became my favorites, and the prefolds got pushed aside. I actually never sized up in prefolds, but I picked up some preloved ones at a local consignment shop in Old Katy, The Children's Carousel, and I have once again found the prefold love. I am able to use the AI2 shells I have been making as covers for these prefolds and her fitteds (also mommy made), and I have two other PUL covers, but I would love love love to try the Zookies covers! The prints are adorable, plus they snap, which is always a plus for little ones who like to take off hook and loop dypes. The fact that Hillary from Love Lives Here gave such a wonderful review of the product makes me so excited to have the opportunity to try it out on Christina Marie. So, here's to crossing my fingers that we win!