Made by Mama J

Here is my new "crafty" blog.  Check it out!  I will be adding new things to it as I make them!  http://www.madebymamaj.blogspot.com/

And now.......Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

So, I know that I have not posted in awhile. I have been busy with getting the boys back to school.  It has been a CRAZY house for awhile now.   As you can see from my post below, I enjoy making homemade cleaning products.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my homemade laundry detergent.  It is so nice to know that I will not be buying the Expensive "name brand" detergent anymore.   I am still using the 1st batch of soap =)   I ran out of dishwasher detergent yesterday & thought I would pick some up at the store.  I had to catch myself.  I can make my own with things I have in my house now.  So I an going to use this recipe:



-1 Tablespoon Super Washing Soda to the dishwasher dispenser
-1 Tablespoon Borax to the dishwasher dispenser



That's it, Your DONE!




Now the recipe for removing the hard water spots that frequently occur with automatic dishwashers.



-Poor distilled white vinegar into the clear rinse gel department





Cost Comparison: 

The cost for this recipe is less than 4cents per load.

Calculation as follows:

  Cost of Borax $2.50 for 76 oz. = .03/oz or .015 oz for 1/2 oz                

  Cost of washing soda $2.50 for 55oz. = 4/oz or .02 for 1/2 oz

Recipe calls for 1/2 oz of each so the cost per wash is 3.5 cents.

How much does your detergent cost this week? Next week the price will go up.
Give it a try & let me know what you think.  I am very excited to try this recipe.  I LOVE SAVING MONEY!

The Idea Room

The Idea Room is one of my fav blogs. She has tons of idea's, thus the name THE IDEA ROOM! She is having a give away for a silhouette machine. I have never seen this machine before & was quite excited about this amazing machine. Pop on over for your chance to win & to check out all of her wonderful ideas!

Homemade Dryer sheets

Hi All! I hope you enjoyed the homemade Laundry Soap. I know that I have enjoyed the laundry soap more than you can know.  It leaves your clothes with very little smell at all, which is good.  I love fabric softener & usually put some in each load of laundry. That can get really expense in my household.  So, I have searched online to find a better way of saving money in this area.  I have came across alot of different things. These are my favorite two:


The 1st one is an oldie, but goodie!  cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. It helps keep washing machines & hoses fresh & clean.  It also help with the "smell" that sometimes occurs with the front loading washing machines.



The second recipe:

-1    5 gallon bucket*              

-1 container of Fabric softener

                                                           -1 package of sponges

Pour fabric softener in bucket

Then fill bottle with water and add to bucket, Twice..

2 parts water to 1 part fabric softener

Cut sponge in half & place in bucket. I only cut up one, but will add another.

When ready to use, squeeze out extra mixture for one sponge and add to dryer as you would a dryer sheet.  I use two when I dry, just cause I like the smell of the fabric softener I use.  Works just as well as any dryer sheets I have used in the past & also helps with static.

*It says to use a 5 gallon bucket, but I will us a 3gallon bucket next time, just so I don't have the bulk from the 5 gallon bucket.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine

• 4 Cups - hot tap water

• 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (found mine @ Ace Hardware)

• 1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda* (found @ Ressors, it like Homeland)

• ½ Cup Borax  (walmart, very easy to find)

(Pictured above)

 

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.

 

Add melted soap into bucket already containing washing soda and Borax.

 

 

Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

 

 

Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

 

 

This is what it looks like atfer it has sit over-night.

It will be thick & jelly like, just stir until it is mixed well.

- fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap ( I am using a 2 gallon water jug from Wal-mart $4.00. It is important that you use something that you can shake before each use. It doesn't have to be 2 gallons, it is 1 to 1 ratio on this soap with water. So, if you have 1 gallon jug, use 1/2 soap half water. You get the picture , Right?!!?)

Half full of soap

 and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

 

 

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

 

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

 

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

 

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

 

 

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online. Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Tabor & the Splash Pad

Tabor's 1st time at the Splash Pad!  He LOVES the water.  See for yourself!

Wordless Wednsday

The Tazer Experiment

This is hilarious! It was in an email my husband sent me today!  Enjoy!



The Tazer Experiment

Pocket Tazer Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife. A guy who purchased his lovely wife a pocket Tazer for their anniversary submitted this:
Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife, Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse-sized tazer.
The effects of the tazer were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety...?? WAY TOO COOL!
Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button.
Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button and
pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs.
AWESOME!!!
Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on
the face of her microwave.
Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it
couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right? There I
sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must
admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat.
But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself
against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as
advertised. Am I wrong? So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank
top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and tazer in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries. All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than A3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, 'no possible way!' What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best...

I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, 'don't do it dumbass,' reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and .. . HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. . WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION . . . WHAT THE HELL!!!
I'm pretty sureJessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs? The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room.

Note: If you ever feel compelled to 'mug' yourself with a tazer, one
note of caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself! You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor.. A three second burst would be considered conservative?

IT HURT LIKE HELL!!!

A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace.
The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it
originally was. My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still
twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my
bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I had no control over the drooling.
Apparently I pooped on myself, but was too numb to know for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head which I believe came from my hair. I'm still looking for my nuts and I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return!

P.S. My wife, who can't stop laughing about my experience, loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it!
If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!

Off Like a herd of turtles!

A few of you have asked to see baby T in action.  Here you go!  I just love this little man to bits!  Enjoy!

Day 3 & 4

I'm here!  I know, I know! I have been MIA!  BUT, I have been sticking to the plan.  I am still working hard a on ME.  I am taking the weekends off.  We have been making a point to eat at home every night.  Last night we went out to get a sno-cone.  Much to our surprise, they weren't what we had hoped for=(, but now we know and we will be making ours at home from now one.  Our littlest guys is WALKING!!! YAAAAY & bittersweet for me!   How in the world did he get so big so fast?!?!  

Today, I have drank my shake for lunch.  SO that was my nice for the day! I will be back tomorrow~!

Day # 2 of my self imposed Challenge

As I set here fighting a 1 yr old for the keyboard typing, I have to be honest.  I am not feeling up to a challenge today.  BUT, I must push on.  I have yet to shower today.  I know that sounds alot worse than it is.  I just I put baby T down for a nap & did not want to chance waking him up with a shower.  I am about to drop my pre-k'er off for school, than I will have 2 whole hours to myself (if you can call it that with a 1 yr old!) Today what in the world can I do for myself!  Hummmmmmmmmmmm.........  I think I my dig out some of my sewing stuff and mess with it.  I has been almost a year (YIKES)!  I love to sew, but I make excuses as to why I don't have time.  So, I think I may make time today!  That is if baby T will let me!  Oh, and IF I get to shower I will put on make-up, MAYBE!  =)

And so it begins!

So, I thought about this alot in the last 24 hours.  I have thought about ways to improve my self image and here is what I have came up with..... I am going to challenge myself to do something nice for myself each day.  Something that I would not normally do.  Something that makes me feel better.   Today I took my shower and ....... Wait for it, wait for it........ Put make-up on for NO REASON AT ALL!  I was going to walk Gus to school today, but the schwans man showed up.  I have only had 1 Dr. Pepper today.  I usually have too many to count  two!  I ate a salad for lunch, followed by a banana.  And then cause I am doing something nice for myself.  I had a small bowl bit of ice cream with Heath bar in it. And let me tell you, that was WONDERFUL.  I have also decided to drink a large glass of water & if you know me at all, you know that I don't drink that much water.    Now, on to my clothes.... I will very soon, be going through my clothes.  Anyone need some clothes!  My shoe supply will be gone through as well.  My theory is this:  If I have a closet full of clothes and shoes that I don't wear, what is the point of keeping them.  My dream is to be able to look into my closet and know that I can wear anything in there.  I will be getting new clothes soon, they maybe from Wal-mart, but they will be new.   I don't have the heart to part with my PJ pants.  I really don't see that happening anytime soon.  I love to wear them in the evening..So today the 1st day of my challenge, I have made a baby step in the right direction.   I will be back tomorrow with another self challenge....  Thanks for listening!

Enough is Enough

Well, I have drawn a line in the sand!  A line that can't be crossed!  A line that needed to be drawn a long time ago.  I realized today what a mess I have become.  I think my best friend(you know who you are) said it best when she said, "When my family goes out into public, My husband & children looks nice, and I look like some hobo they found on the way to the store!"  That is EXACTLY how I feel! I do not fix my hair anymore. I do not put make-up on, unless I'm going to church.  Lets be honest, I may not even get a shower each day. I don't get "dressed" in the mornings.  My clothes usually include a T-shirt and Pajama pants. I think to myself, what is the point of getting "real" clothes?  As a result I have very few things I can actually wear, but a clothes full of clothes that don't fit.  What is the point of having a closet of clothes that don't fit?  I have always been a person that doesn't really care what people thought of me.  As long as my husband & my kids love me, who care what others think.  Well, I am starting to realize that my appearance is reflecting on my family.  I DO NOT want people to make judgements on my children, just cause of my appearance.  I used to think that wasn't true, but lets be honest. I know that if I see a person that takes pride in their appearance, they always seem more confidence.  So, thus my theory if you could call it that, is if you take more pride in your appearance, maybe you will take better care of yourself.  And in turn take better care of the people you love.  I don't know about your house, but here the saying " if momma isn't happy, no one is!"  I have to find some way to get in a better place with myself.  I will be back tomorrow with some kind of challenge for myself, so stay tuned.......This will, if nothing else, prove to be entertaining!

Winston 3 months old

You know, That friend that knows WAY to much about you!?!?

Do you have a friend that knows EVERYTHING about you? Do you have a Friend that can understand you when you only say a few words? What about someone that COMPLETELY understand the world of a stay at home mom! Well, I do and today is her BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday AMANDA! I love you! You are always there to point and laugh at me, to pick me up off the floor when I need it, and to talk me off the ledge when I need you. I know that we are living in different parts of the state now, but you are always a phone call away! I am so proud of you. You are one of the best mother’s I know. You are one of the few people that understand the a life with many sons! You are an incredible friend! It is hard to believe that we have only known each other for a couple of years. We have shared so much in that short time. Our husband's fear us when we are together! LOL Thank you for being such a wonderful friend! I could not of make it the last year without you. I hope you know how much you mean to me!

Wordless Wednsday