DIY Laundry Detergent

I have to admit that buying laundry detergent is one of my least favorite things to do (aside from actually doing laundry). I just hate spending the money, and it seems like we're always out of it (detergent - well, maybe money, too).

I've seen several blogs about DIY laundry detergent, and here are my observations:
- the majority of blogs use the same basic recipe
- the ingredients are common and the instructions pretty basic
- the DIY powder gets rave reviews! People say it cleans extremely well.
- it's safe for an HE frontload washer
- it makes a TON of detergent and therefore lasts quite a while
- it doesn't require much per load (1 to 2 tbsp)
- it costs less.

So... I dove in. I made my own batch last week. We will run out of our usual laundry detergent this weekend, and then we'll start using the powder I made. Jacin, however, has already jumped the gun and tried it. He was so excited last week that he had to do a load of clothes just to test it out. The verdict? He said it seemed to clean the clothes really well but it didn't have a distinct smell to it - just clean. That's ok with me if it saves me money.

Here's the recipe I used - http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-laundry-soap.html#comments. The hardest part (which really wasn't very difficult) was grating the Fels- Naptha bar soap. I made my huge batch (about 2 gallons) of DIY laundry detergent during nap time. It was super quick and easy. I added one small container of Purex Laundry Crystals to see if I could obtain a yummy smell. Unfortunately, I should have used the large container. The detergent doesn't small bad at all - it just smells like soap. But if you're used to a yummy smelling detergent (like one of Gain's flavors), you'll want to add the crystals.

 If the powder works as well for us as it seems to for others, I'll definitely be making it again. Here are some pics of my batch:

Grated Fels-Naptha. If you use Zote, it may be pink, not yellow.

All the dry ingredients mixed together. I used a 5-gallon bucket to mix it.

Ready to use! Bought the jar at WalMart.

Hilton Head 2012

Last week we went to Hilton Head Island for our annual vacation with the Stovall clan (except Zack & Audrey couldn't make it this year with new Baby Tensley). We had a great time. It was by far the easiest beach trip we've had since Bird made his debut.

The 6-hour car trip, which I was dreading, wasn't bad at all. Bird had one melt-down towards the end of the trip, but holding my Biggie-sized Sprite cup offered an instant attitude adjustment. ???? Who knows. Sometimes it's just the little things in life that make us smile.

Our time at the beach was great. I highly recommend beachin' it in May or September when the crowds are smaller and the temps are lower. It's much more enjoyable! And Bird had a great time. He spent most of his beach time running around in circles, digging holes with his shovel, or playing with his trucks in the tide pools. He was one happy camper!

And to top it all off, Bird behaved exceptionally well and slept like a log the entire week! (The two are probably connected.) He slept from 9pm to 8am nightly and also took a 2-hour-nap every day!! If he could just play outside all day every day like he did at the beach, he would be winning awards for his stellar toddler behavior! He loved having the space & time to just run and burn all that energy. I didn't mind it, either.

We had a great time with Meme, RayRay, Aunt Laney & Uncle Rich. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family and to have the opportunity to get away.

Road Trip!

We have some road trips coming up, and I've been trying to brainstorm ways to keep my very busy Bird occupied in his carseat. Here are a few of the things I've made to go into his "Busy Bag":

Playdough, Color Wheel, and Matching Game

I got the "Busy Bag" idea from this blog: http://therigneys.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/toddler-busy-bag-swap/. There are lots more ideas there that I want to eventually try. So far though, I've made a color-matching wheel, homemade playdough, and animal matching cards.

COLOR WHEEL
I just took cardboard from an old box, cut it in a circle, painted it, and then painted clothes pins to match. Jacin and Bird tried it out tonight. Bird is just learning his colors, and matching is a new concept, so it's not a quick and easy activity. Maybe it'll eat up some time and mileage in the car!!

PLAYDOUGH
I found this recipe on pintrest - here's the website:  http://www.kristanlynn.com/2011/09/best-play-dough-recipe.html. Quick and easy!! I made two batches (red & blue) in one quick session. And the playdough is GREAT!! Bird doesn't know what to call it yet, so when he wants to play with it, he grabs my hand, pulls me in the kitchen, points to the playdough, and says, "Momma, I show you. I play THAT!!"Not sure yet how we'll handle it in the car, but we're packing it!

ANIMAL MATCHING
One of Bird's favorite books to read at naptime (and he has quite a few favorites!) is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?" I found this matching activity on a website that has a whole booklet of activities to go with that children's book. Pretty cute! Check it out here: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/BrownBear.html. I just downloaded the matching cards, printed them, and took them to Office Depot to be laminated. Quick and easy!

We also have a portable DVD player and MobiGo (thanks to both sets of grandparents), so I'm hoping that with these "Busy Bag" ideas, a few matchbox cars, a stash of books, and a favorite tractor or two, we might survive our summer road trips. I'll keep ya posted. :)

What Does Winning Look Like?

Well, a few weeks ago I posted about how well Bird has transitioned to his "big boy bed."
Nix that. Sunday night he decided that he was NOT interested in sleeping in his bed. At All. Between tears and sobs, he was saying, "No more Jackson's bed! I sleep Mommy Daddy's bed!" Literally from 10pm to 2am, he would get out of his bed and Jacin or I would put him back in it, tuck him in, and walk out. Before I could even shut the door, he would be back out of the bed. Then we would repeat the process. I even tried spanking him. He cried, but wasn't phased. Finally, at 2am I decided to sleep with Bird in the recliner in his room. It wasn't very comfortable for either of us. He woke up at 4am ready to go. Then at naptime Monday, he again refused to sleep in his bed - like there were pins & needles in it or something. He took a brief nap in the floor of his room. Monday night the saga repeated itself. So Tuesday afternoon, after 2 napless days and 2 nights of 3 hours of sleep or less, I was about to lose it.

Jacin and I talked, and it's a hard call to make. All Bird wants is more cuddle time with his parents. Is this a bad thing? No (it's a GREAT thing!), and it's probably just a phase. Jacin is ALL FOR allowing Bird to sleep with us. I, on the other hand, feel strongly that Bird should sleep in his own bed. While Jacin may be able to sleep soundly with Bird in the bed, I definitely canNOT. And my bed is the ONLY place in the house that's mine. Don't get me wrong... I LOVE my little Jackson Bird. But after being with him all day, there's little time or space that I get to call my own. I can't even go to the bathroom by myself! Being able to sleep soundly in my own bed with my husband (and NO kids!) is a luxury that I'm willing to fight to protect. So although it breaks my heart for Bird to cry that he wants to sleep with us, the answer is NO.

And Bird is shaping up to be a very strong-willed child. This latest issue with the bed is one of many recent "battles of the wills" that we've engaged in, and I am determined that he will lose and I will win! I'm the parent; he's the child. I'm in charge; he is not. And he will learn this! BUT since Tuesday, I've decided that I may need to chill out, relax, and re-evaluate what "winning" looks like. For example, for the bed issue, I originally thought winning looked like Bird learning to sleep in his own big boy bed. Period. No matter how long that took for him to figure out. Now, though, I've adjusted my thinking, and "winning" looks like the removal of the toddler bed rail and the re-installation of the full-sized crib rail. So we're in the process of winning... and it looks like this:

LOTS of cuddle time during the day...

And a crib with rails at night. 

Yesterday and last night at bedtime and today at naptime, he still cried for quite a while, saying "Mommy! I cuddle you, Mommy!" Heartbreaking! But each time he's eventually settled down and went to sleep. And I'm trying to make an effort to make more cuddle time during the day. It's a Win/Win for both sides, wouldn't you say? :)

Scripture Scraps Book

I originally saw the idea for a Scripture Scraps book on a blog - lowercase letters by Carissa Graham. Here's the link to see her Scripture Scraps book: http://www.carissagraham.com/2012/03/i-made-book-scripture-scraps.html.

I loved the concept of the idea, the simplicity of it, and the minimal cost involved. I bought my Smash Book at Michaels for $6 (with a half-off coupon). I'd never even heard of a Smash Book before this, but they're pretty cool. It's basically a glorified journal with different backgrounds on each page. It also comes with a pen & glue stick! Everything else I used for the project came from my scrapbooking stash. It took me a while to complete it since I could only get out my supplies and work when Bird wasn't at home. I made pages for about 15 different Scripture passages. The book's still only about 1/2 full, but I figure we can add to it as he gets older. Here's a quick peek at Bird's Scripture Scraps book.

It's a belated 2nd birthday gift. If he likes it, I'd like to get into the routine of reading a page or two each day during cuddle time before his nap. We'll see how it goes. :)
Have you ever made anything like this?

Birthday Fun

This Friday was Bird's 2nd birthday, and we had family & friends over on Saturday to celebrate with a back-yard cook out. The party "theme" was dump-trucks/construction, but really the only things that matched the theme were the invitations and Bird's bday shirt he wore. I would so love to just go all out for a bday party and have everything all matchy-matchy (you know, like on Design Dazzle or Pinterest), but that costs money and requires lots of time. And besides that, is it really that important? At midnight Friday night, I was quickly becoming VERY frustrated while attempting to ice the cupcakes I had made in lieu of buying a cake (trying to save money). Jacin reminded me that the party was really about Jackson - not me. And Jackson, after all, likes to EAT the cupcakes. He doesn't give a rip what they look like. So true. So the decorations were minimal at best, and the food wasn't fancy. But Bird had tons of fun running around and we so enjoyed being with family & friends. Here are a few pics:

RayRay, Kirk, & Jackson playing in the new sandbox.

Jacin grilled hotdogs for everyone.

Bird opened LOTS of presents.

Trying out a new weed-eater from Uncle Jared.

Giving rides in his new tractor from Granny & PawPaw.

It was a great day, and we are so blessed to have so many friends & family who love our Jackson Bird. And now, thanks to the new golf clubs, trampoline, tractor, and sandbox, we now have "Play Central" in our backyard! Come on over and play!

Big Boy Bed

So our first attempt at potty training didn't work. Day 1 went fine, but day 2... not so much. Bird is back to diapers for a few weeks.

So next on the list: converting his crib to a toddler bed. In the next few months we'll be moving Jackson to his new room (which is our current spare bedroom) and to a new bed (which is a full-sized bed), so to prepare we removed the front panel of his crib and added a bed rail. I wasn't super excited about doing this because I didn't want to mess up Bird's bedtime or nap routine. He's a GREAT sleeper, and I worried that when he wasn't hemmed in on 4 sides, he would become an escapee. But we took the plunge. Jacin fixed the bed on Saturday night, and Bird's first night sleeping in it was Sunday night.

So how did it go?
Night #1 (Sunday night) was perfect. We put him down and he slept all night. No worries. He even took a 3 hour nap on Sunday without any issues. Night #2 (last night) was pretty good. He woke up twice crying, but I think it was just bad dreams.  Today, I put him down to take a nap, came in the office, and sat down at the computer to write a blog post about how easily Bird had transitioned to the "big boy bed." Right as I opened my laptop, I saw him coming down the hall. He threw down his paci & tat-tat and declared, "No nap. Jackson play!" Oh the irony! I had to put him back to bed 5 times within 30 minutes. The final time I threatened to spank him, and that worked. He just needed a little motivation. I checked on him after a few minutes of silence and found him sitting in his bed with one arm around his stuffed Clifford and the other hand holding his paci while flipping through a book. He was reading to Clifford. Pretty cute! Then, only about 10 minutes later, he fell asleep and slept for 2 hours. Tonight, he went right down and we haven't heard a peep since. All in all, things could definitely be much worse! I'm very proud of my little Bird!

Learning to climb in.

Can you tell he's VERY proud?

Sound asleep.

Yesterday he learned a new phrase: "Good Mownin'!" (That's Calhoun Toddler Speak for "Good Morning!").

Today he held his first caterpillar.

Tomorrow we'll go to the zoo with Mandy & Kirk!