Homemade Laundry Detergent, Cookies, and The School Year

Do you feel like you're ALWAYS doing laundry? I sure do! With two little ones and a hubby and with my various outfit changes...my laundry room is always full! I was browsing the internet the other day and saw a recipe for homemade laundry detergent...this is for liquid. I made it last night and it was SO easy and seems to work out pretty good. It only cost about 10 bucks to make and I estimate it should last at least 5-6 months. It makes 10 GALLONS!!

This is all you need! (well plus tap water)

So here is the recipe:

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
- 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, 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.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with 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 here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!


Oh and I did not forget....here is the review for the Monster Cookies I made Monday. Grayson and Ella L.O.V.E.D them and ate them like there was no tomorrow....needless to say...now that they are gone we have been just eating lots of fruit! Here are my sweet blue eyed babies enjoying their cookies.

Now to this school year! I didn't blog about it but I had applied for a counseling position that was part time in my district. It was at an alternative school and it was one of those things where its not exactly what I wanted but it was part time and I would get to help kids. The money would not work out but I thought if it works out then we'd figure it out and if it doesn't I am happy teaching, too! Well I did not get the job and I am actually glad about it because Joey said he thinks I was just trying to settle and apply for something to get back into counseling and he does not think I would be happy away from little kids and he is right! I didn't think that when I gave up my counseling job a year ago that it would be hard to get back in. I was offered two positions last summer and wanted to stay in Forney so I had turned them down (in some great districts). Sometimes I wonder, what was I thinking? But this past year was AMAZING in the classroom and I know God will put me where he needs me the most. All I know is that I LOVE kids and I am passionate about helping them emotionally and academically. I truly enjoy counseling but I am 28 and know that there will be many more opportunities down the road! So I will be in my classroom, happily working away, next week and eager to meet my new babies! :)