DIY Laundry Detergent!

Since I was home with a sick baby today, I decided it was high time to try my hand at making my own laundry detergent for nap time.  It was easy, fun, and I now have 2 GALLONS of detergent for $1.50. The bar soap I used was Coast (because it was 8 bars for $3).  Hopefully the scent & dye won't cause buildup on my diapers.  If so, it would probably be minimal, and that's what original Dawn is for.  (If anyone has experience with this, please post!)

Here's the tutorial I followed so you can do it, too:

http://whynotsew.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent.htmlmake-homemade-laundry-detergent.html

Well, I'm off to go sew before that baby wakes up...

Making Liquid Soap

My DIY soap journey has begun.  I felt inspired to Google one day when, using some body wash, I thought to myself, "I wonder how many chemicals I'm rubbing all over my skin... I bet I could make this for cheaper!" What do you know, I was right! Since I have a lot of body wash at the moment, I decided to try out liquid hand soap first.  Here are the two tutorials that moved me to action:

http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/03/homemade-liquid-handsoap.html

http://www.thefarmersnest.com/2011/11/liquid-hand-soap-diy.html

I found a bar of soap that had never been used (I hate bar soap!) and shredded it:

  I then boiled it with the water and glycerine, let it cool, and filled my gallon + foam soap pump.  It was runny, but I think it's perfect for the foam dispenser, so I didn't try to thicken it.  I must confess... it was fun!  And now I have a gallon of liquid hand soap for dirt cheap! :-D  

In the future, I want to try: body wash, shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, dishwasher soap... OK I'd better stop before I scare anyone.  Then again, I did warn you this was extreme homemaking.

Extreme Hommaker?

God has been putting a phrase on my heart lately... "extreme homemaker."  It doesn't mean that I consider myself an extremist, and as for homemaker- well I'm not even a stay at home mom right now.  I work full time.  I suppose for a definition of an extreme homemaker, one would look to Proverbs 31.  She is resourceful, thrifty, providing for the needs of her home, honoring her husband and family, and so much more. With this in mind, something has been growing in my heart to start doing more things from scratch, to be more organic and healthy, and to flex my homemaker muscle.  This blog is for sharing my experiences along the way.  Some things to come include making soaps and things from scratch, gardening, and sewing cloth diapers.  In the grand scheme of things, they are not so amazing.  But, to me, they are big steps to being the "extreme homemaker" God would like me to be.  Thanks for stopping by to see my journey.