Why I've Stopped Making Laundry Soap

I am back, again!  After 3 years of busyness and trying to stay sane with 4 kiddos, homeschooling, 2 moves, and life in general, I had to write a quick post about my new laundry soap findings.  Let's face it, laundry is the revolving door that never stops revolving, and my laundry was getting annoying.

I  love making my own laundry soap.  I have loved it for over 6 years. It was so easy and cost effective, why would I want to stop making it?  I'm pretty sure I've saved hundreds of dollars making my own, (I'd even venture to say close to $1,000!)  I hadn't had any problems getting my clothes clean, except for the past few months.  Clothes were starting to look dingy, more gray, and getting smelly.  I mean really smelly, like moldy smell.  What??  I thought it could be my front loader washing machine.  I started washing it out with bleach more often, cleaning the rubber seal, and making sure I drained the water in the front more than once a year.  (I had no clue you even had to do that, until I started reading the washing machine manual! The things you learn!)  Regardless of all my efforts, my clothes were not getting any more pleasant smelling.  And on top of that, my clothes were getting gray spots on them.  I was tired of rewashing and eventually throwing away towels and shirts.  So I did the one thing I always do, I turned to Google for answers.  I was shocked by what I read about homemade laundry soap.  There were multiple people all saying the same thing. Here is what they were saying:

Laundry Soap is NOT the same as Laundry Detergent.  

Well, obviously they're different names, but don't they do the same thing?  Not even close.  Laundry soap is not good for fabrics.  The soap in the recipe does not rinse out easily and is left behind, which is a breeding ground for mildew.  Hence the gray spots, dinginess and smell.  I was definitely appalled reading this, but hesitant to give up my laundry soap.  I went into the grocery store with the mindset of, "I'll try one bottle of store bought laundry detergent and if it doesn't give results, I'm going back to my homemade soap until I figure something else out."   I chose a brand that was as chemical free as I could find and afford.  Amazingly, my clothes didn't smell anymore!  After one wash, they had a completely different look, feel and smell.  I was shocked at the transformation, but relieved as well.  I didn't even know we were WEARING mildew, breathing it in from our clothing, bed sheets, you name it.  No longer do I have to worry about smelly clothes, nor the health hazards of mold and mildew in our laundry.

Since I no longer DIY my laundry soap, I'm finding plenty of other DIY ventures for me to try.  Next on the list: remodeling our pop up camper!  Yes, that's right a POP UP CAMPER.  :)  Fun adventures await the Davis clan!

Blessings,

Amanda

Healthy Challenge

My hubby and I decided to get back into shape.  We aren't horribly out of shape, but there is always room for improvement.  We've made the decision to start a weight loss challenge and got a couple of other people involved to keep us all accountable.  Let me tell you, it is tough work, but worth it when you start to see results.

Our goal is to lose a certain percentage of body weight by Christmas.  My goal is 4% and Nate's goal is 10%.  We have started working out diligently on a regular basis and eating healthier, smaller portion sizes.  To be honest, we do not eat a lot of junk food.  I just don't buy it.  But knowing that I can't have sweets now, makes it that more appealing.  Funny how it works that way.   

THIS is what I see every morning when I am getting ready.  So everytime I walk by it, I try to do a pull up.  Yuck.  But I am definitely able to do "more" now than when I started 2 weeks ago!

We are using Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and No More Trouble Zones DVDs.  To say the least, she definitely gets you working!

I also really enjoy Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds workouts.  Low impact aerobics are what I need when my knees are giving me a hard time.  Leslie has a great website and blog with workout plans and recipes.  The website is: http://www.walkathome.com/sansone/welcome-to-the-10-day-walk-your-waistline-healthy-challenge/  I like her meal plans to get an idea of how much I should be eating a day.  Snacking is one of my weaknesses.

Patience and perseverance will help us accomplish our goals.  Nate and I want to be healthy and active for many years to come and teach our children that eating healthy and exercising is important.  There is no time like the present!

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.  

Blessings!

Homemade Granola

I am always looking for ways to make food from scratch.  I am one of those moms that reads the labels in the store and then explains to my kids that we aren't going to buy it because it has high fructose corn syrup or the likes.  I wouldn't be surprised to hear my kids imitating me one of these days and I would probably get a good laugh out of it!

With that being said, I made homemade granola.  It is so easy to make and you can really make it to your exact specifications.  Your kids can help you too.  It is a less stressful "Kids in the Kitchen" activity!

Dry Ingredients.  Mmm!!

My helpers!!

Here's the recipe I used (off of The Chew) with a few changes:

3 c oats
1/2 c almonds
1/2 c sunflower nuts
1/2 c sesame seeds
1/2 c golden raisins
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c coconut
1/2 c honey
1/2 c peanut oil

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.  Pour into a greased cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 1 hour.  Stir after 30 minutes.

The changes I made were:
3/4 c sunflower nuts
NO sesame seeds
1/2 c red raisins
3/4 c coconut
1/2 c canola oil

Baked Granola

You'll enjoy it, especially since you can really make it however you want to.  It is really good in yogurt.  Not to mention, that it is a great healthy snack too!

Blessings,

Starting Off With a Bang

I've been away for awhile.  I was getting everything ready for school and feeling overwhelmed with it all, so I took some time off.  It's nice to rejuvenate myself and get caught up with everything before beginning school. I'm back now.  And we are back in school, back in the groove!

We have one week done and lots to report!

Our first week was Cars theme.  It was a great way to start our year because my kids love all the Cars movies.  This made it lots of fun for them.  The first day was tough with Jman, my 5 year old, who is in Kindergarten.  He is naturally strong willed and you could tell!  I have tried many different ways in the past to work through his ability to be stubborn.  Letting him move on means he won't come back to finish what he doesn't want to.  Letting him sit and pout means he'll finish the task when he finally doesn't want to sit anymore.  It may take awhile, but when he does finish it, he and I are both proud of him and he'll tell me it didn't really take him that long to actually do it.  He doesn't sit very many times before he decides he wants to try each task he's given.  Good for both of us!  BG, my 3 year old, did awesome.  He loves learning and soaked up each minute.  He was the main reason Jman decided to finally do his copy work.  He was comedic relief and got Jman laughing and wanting to go play with him.  Love my BG!  Lulu, my 14 month old, watched us and played by herself.  She was a little antsy, so I finally put her down for a nap.  The rest of the morning was a breeze!

The afternoon was a completely different story.  Lulu woke up from her afternoon nap and shortly afterwards, vomited from the flu.  My night was spent cleaning.

Day 2: No Jman melt downs.  Lulu was over her flu bug.  The morning went flawlessly.  The afternoon was Jman's turn to have the flu.  My night was spent cleaning.

Day 3: Jman was over his flu bug.  The morning went flawlessly.  The afternoon was MY turn to have the flu.  My night was spent napping and feeling icky.

Day 4: I was not quite 100%, but I was feeling better.  We spent the morning lounging and had our school in the afternoon.  Praise God that no one else got sick!

Day 5: The morning went great.  We finished school, went to the library and played in the afternoon.  We all had afternoon naps too.  My night was spent cleaning.  The recurring pattern of this week is not one I hope to repeat anytime soon!!

I am so thankful that Nate and BG didn't get sick.  It is no fun being sick or having sickies in the house.  I take these situations as trials and ways to build my character.  I try not to get down or cranky when things don't go as planned.  It has happened in the past and will happen again, but it only makes matters worse.  Looking for all the blessings I have and being thankful for them make it much easier to persevere and prevail.

How was your last week?

Blessings,

Getting Back to Healthy

I have had sick kids.  Lulu, my 13 month old, has been breaking in 6 teeth.  She's had a fever, been cranky and of course the runny nose.  She finally started to get over it when the first 2 teeth broke through.  That was the cue for BG to get sick.  He got a fever and strep throat.  The antibiotics he was on made his gums swollen and start to bleed.  It was a miserable few days.  Poor little guy cried every time he chewed, swallowed, flossed or brushed teeth.  We ended up taking him to a dentist, who not only didn't help, but also gave him a fright.  Uff.  On day 2 of BG's fever, Jman ended up getting a fever and vomited.  He was out of sorts for about 2 days and then recovered back to his old self.  BG is on the mend.  His gums have finally stopped bleeding.  He got prescribed a "magic mouthwash" to help with the pain and inflammation.  It has helped immensely.
In these type of days, I lean on God for strength, endurance and perseverance.  It is hard to have patience when I'm tired.  All the more reason to turn to Him!
Blessings,

Amanda

5 Quick & Easy Meals

Cooking is something I really enjoy.  It is a way for me to make sure that healthy food is going into our bodies. But I try to minimize the heat being poured into my kitchen from the stove and oven during the summer.  I don't need to be any hotter than I already am down here!

These are a few of my family's favorite meals that don't take too long and create little or no heat!

1) Bean Salad Wraps (from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)

    4 8-in tortillas

    1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (look for lower sodium to reduce sodium intake)

    1/2 c chopped green sweet pepper or 1 fresh jalapeno (I have added green bell pepper, cucumber, any veggies I wanted)

    2 T snipped fresh cilantro (or cumin or coriander instead.  I play around a lot)

    1/3 c light mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing

    1 T lime juice

    Leaf lettuce

- Stack tortillas and wrap them in foil.  Heat in oven for 10 min at 350 degrees.

-In a medium bowl, mash black beans slightly; add pepper and cilantro.  Stir in mayo and lime juice.

-To serve, spread bean mixture over tortillas, top with lettuce and roll up.

2) Broccoli Cheese Soup (courtesy of my best friend in Minneapolis!)

    1/3 c chopped onion (I use onion powder if I'm in a REAL hurry)

    1 stick butter (don't judge...)

    3 c. broccoli cuts

    1/2 c flour

    1/4 t salt

    1/2 t dry mustard

    1/8 t pepper

    2 c milk

    10 3/4 oz can chicken broth (I use reduced sodium bouillon)

    1 c cubed American cheese

-Cook onion and broccoli. (I microwave frozen broccoli)

-In pan, melt butter.  Stir in flour, salt, mustard & pepper.  Gradually add milk.  Cook until thick.  Stir constantly.  

-Add broccoli & remaining ingredients.

-Cook until cheese melts

I recommend having EVERYTHING ready before you start this one, because once the milk thickens, it goes really fast.

3) Black Bean Soup (from Minnesota Department of Health cookbook)

    2 cans black beans with liquid (again, look for reduced sodium)

    1/2 c salsa

    1 T chili powder (I sometimes add cumin, cayenne, Arizona Dreaming from Penzey Spices)

    2 c chicken broth or vegetable broth or bouillon

-Mash beans slightly in pan.

-Stir in salsa, chili powder and broth.

-Heat to boiling over med-high heat.

-Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, avocado

My kids LOVE this with chips.

4) CROCK POT RECIPE: Creamy Chicken and Noodles (from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)

    2 c sliced carrots (4 med)

    1 1/2 c chopped onion (3 med)

    1 c sliced celery (2 stalks)

    2 T snipped fresh parsley (I used dried)

    1 bay leaf 

    3 med chicken legs (about 2 lbs)  I have always used chicken breasts. I just prefer them to legs.

    2 10 3/4 oz cans reduced fat & reduced sodium condensed Cream of Chicken soup (I've substituted Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Celery as well)

    1/2 c water

    1 t dried thyme

    1/4 t black pepper

    10 oz dried wide noodles (I've served over brown rice also)

    1 c frozen peas

-In a crock pot, place carrots, onion, celery, parsley and bay leaf.  Place chicken on top.  In a bowl, stir together soup, water, thyme and pepper.  Pour over chicken and vegetables.

-Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8 -9 hrs or on high setting for 4 - 4 1/2 hrs.  If using chicken legs, remove chicken from cooker and let cool.  Remove bay leaf.

-Meanwhile, cook noodles or rice.  Stir peas into soup mixture in cooker.  Remove chicken from bones (if using legs).  Cut meat into bite size pieces and return to cooker.  I use a fork on the breasts while they are in the crock pot, so I don't have to dirty more dishes.

-Serve over noodles or rice.

I recently heard a tip (I can't remember whom) but place your crock pot outside to cook if you want to avoid all heat in your house.  I'd just make sure the lid was on good and tight!  :)

5) Smoothies with Popcorn or Chips and Salsa

    1-2 c Yogurt (I use nonfat plain yogurt, but you can choose any flavor)

    4-5 c Juice (100% Apple juice is what I usually use)

    Frozen fruit - I have used bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, pineapple, mango, you get the idea.  :)

    Flax Seed Meal (I love adding a couple of tablespoons o this if I have it.)

-Combine everything in a blender and blend.  

-Serve with popcorn or chips and salsa, or whatever you want!

I hope these recipes help you keep your home a little cooler, healthier, (minus the stick of butter in the broccoli cheese soup, but it's SO good!) and spending more time together as a family!

Blessings,