Week 15 & 16

This week has been a little crazy. We have had great weather this week in the 70's and 80's. We have been outside enjoying the weather a lot!

I decided last weekend would be MY LAZY WEEKEND. I didn't do anything but RELAX! I had my movie line up and snacks ready! I'm got my "chores" done early so I had nothing to do!

Since I decided to do all my chores early I wanted to make sure all the laundry was done. As I put the load in the dryer it started blinking "AF" on the screen. After some research online I found out it meant "air flow". So I pulled the dryer out cleaned the wall vent. Restarted the dryer. It still showed AF. So... I researched some more online and found out there could be dust clogging up the inside of the dryer . So I decided to take apart my dryer!!! Took off the top & front. And to my surprise it was filled with dust/lint everywhere. So I swept it out. Then took the back off ( I forgot to take a pic of this), same thing dust/lint everywhere. I put everything back together and IT WORKS!!! No more error code!!!!

Top of the dryer off

front of the dryer off! 

Putting the front back on! 

All the dust that was INSIDE my dryer! 

* UPDATE- The dryer is still running great no error codes!

MOVIES- all 10 of the Ma & Pa Kettle movies! All 5 twilight movies!

MORE READING- Read some GREAT books the last 2 weeks.

The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegal-Maier This is an awesome book, I went out and BOUGHT it! Lots of homemade "recipes" for all the cleaning supplies needed to clean your home.

Soapmaking for the first time by Linda Ortin- This is a simple starter book for those looking to make your own soap. Its for "first time" soap makers and a great book! Its on my "buy list" but I can't find it anywhere.

The Complete book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood- BOUGHT THIS BOOK! This is a "natural" book of 600 + "recipes" for most health issues, common cold, upset stomach etc.

The best of Top Secrets Recipes by Todd Wilbur- Who doesn't like to make their own McDonalds Big Mac, Taco Bell Nachos, KFC Fried Chicken, at least this way you KNOW whats in your food! Love this book and BOUGHT IT!

CRAFTS- Now that I have gotten Soapmaking for the first time by Linda Ortin from the library I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a few things I needed. So hopefully over the next week I will be making soap! I bought 1 soap mold and fragrance oil, goat milk soap, shea butter soap, glycerine. I would like to make Adsyon a fun soap.

GARDENING- I've been very lazy about this. I need to get myself up and going and get my plants and seeds in the ground! I have corn, beans, squash, tomato plants, green pepper plants. Oh and lettuce, spinach!

NO CHEMICALS-  This has been going great! I LOVE the make-up wipes and baby wipes I made a couple weeks ago! (Click Here for the wipes recipes) With all the family members I had "try" my homemade laundry soap it was already time to make more! If you need the recipe Click Here and read week 6. I also made what I thought was a small batch of DISH SOAP (the small 1/2 gallon) but after it sat overnight, it gelled up so I had to add some water and move it to a GALLON milk jug! So I made a gallon of dish soap for a $1.

DISH SOAP- to hand wash dishes.

 1 BAR GRATED Kirks Castile Soap
3 tbl WASHING soda (NOT baking soda)
4 cups water plus extra
3-4 drops Essential oil (for smell, this is optional)

Bring water to ALMOST boiling, add grated soap and mix until its dissolved. The smaller the soap pieces the faster it will melt/dissolve. Once the soap is melted/dissolved you can add washing soda. Stir until dissolved.
DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO BOIL. Once everything has dissolved allow to cool for about 1-2 hours. Fill your gallon jug about 1/2 full with water and add the soap mix. shake well. At this point you can add your essential oils. You can not add them in the beginning because the essential oil will evaporate in/with the steam.
I have noticed with this recipe my dishes are clean. Sometimes I do see a "cloudy" buildup on my glasses. To solve this use 1 sink for soaping up dishes, use your other sink as a rinse sink. Fill your rinse sink with water and add 1/2 cup vinegar. The vinegar acts as its own "rinse agent". Your soap still might gel up from time to time, all you have to do is shake it before you use it! Remember this is a homemade recipe, it will not bubble like the store bought stuff. It will also make your "wash" water a little cloudy, this is the soap WORKING!

Most of this week Adyson has had some coughing spells(nasal drainage due to allergies/season change), I tried the OTC crap and nothing worked. So I scoured the net. Looking for a homemade anything to help her coughing at night. I came across multiple websites that suggested putting Eucalyptus oil on your child's feet. You only use 2-3 drops per foot, massage it in. Put socks over their feet (so you don't get the oil all over the sheets) it WORKED!!!! I was so pleased that she had a peaceful night sleep! PLEASE DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH ABOUT ESSENTIAL OILS, they are toxic if ingested just like the OTC stuff.

Oh did I mention that Adyson's eczema is doing wonderful! Its almost gone! The homemade stuff is working great! Click here for week 10!

I have found a replacement for my Swiffer pads for mopping the floor! I found some awesome dish clothes with a scrubber patch (for the muddy days) on them & I also bought the new Handi-Wipes (reusable/washable for the lighter days) at Walmart! Now I have the Swiffer Vacuum. So I can attach my own pad and mop and vacuum at the same time! Since mine is the vacuum my "pads" are smaller than the actual Swiffer wet jet and other similar products.So I was able to cut these in 1/2 and get 12 pads from them! I run these over my floors all the time!

Now for the solution to clean the floor. I wanted something that would CLEAN and not leave a film/sticky floor! I bought a rectangular container (cause like a dummy I threw away the Swiffer container) that fit the wipes/pads in it!
FLOOR SOLUTION

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
2-3 squirts dish soap
3-4 drops essential oil (for smell purposes)

Mix it all up and add to container, fold your pads and place in the container. Let it sit for 10 minutes, flip the container over( so the top pads get wet) and they are ready to use! If you don't use essential oils, the vinegar smell goes away once the floor are dry.

Well its off to cleaning I go! Let me know if you have any questions!  Have a great weekend!

Week 13 &14

Farm happenings- the vet came out to see the cows... The girls got their wormer, vaccinations, and exam. We were told that Hamburgerella has week lungs probably from pneumonia when she was born, and She shouldn't be bred, don't want to pass the "week lung" trait on to the next generation. But Steaktessa would be great for breeding. And they both got a clean bill of health!!!! Yippie!

SMOKING- I fell off the wagon about 2-3 weeks ago, but as the old saying goes "try, try, again!" Its harder then I thought it would be! 


ORGANIZING- So proud of myself! Took ALL those "rewards/store/perk" cards, registered them all online. Threw out what I don't use, and registered all the cards with the apps on my phone AND got a spare key ring and put them all together on 1 ring in the pocket of my purse!

Adysons room is still under a little construction but  as soon as its done I promise I will post before and after pictures. I'm LOVING it so far. 

CRAFTS- I found the idea from Pinterest. I was getting tired of always wearing black bobby pins in my hair. So Brittany and I had fun painting some! We lined the bobby pins up on cardboard (we used a cereal box) and used nail polish and created the colors we wanted!

I also found an idea on Pinterest about room decorating. I bought Adsyon 2 bookcases for her room. I didnt like the "all white" look. So I started looking for ideas, I didn't want to paint so the challenge was even bigger to find something different. I ran across an idea. I went to the store and found a KING size sheet set. I took the "fitted" sheet and cut them to fit the back of the bookcase! I stapled the fabric to the backboard, then nailed the back board to the bookcase! 

fabric stapled to the back of bookcase!

My Aunt wanted to make matching curtains for the window & the closet opening! It worked out perfect! We had enough fabric to do BOTH bookcases, window and closet opening and still have some left over! Best part is it all MATCHES!!!! So for  $10 for KING size sheet set, and got basically 2 sets of curtains, and extra fabric for the bookcases..... NOT BAD!

curtains! 

closet opening!

NO CHEMICALS- Update- Adysons eczema is doing great!! The homemade ointment from a few weeks ago! Her patches have gone from red and cracked to pale pink! They are no longer cracked! I have been doing the ointment about every other day. 

I a FEW new things over the last couple weeks, and so far LOVE them! 

Make Up Wipes- You heard me! I am tired of paying $6+ for 32 little make up wipe removers! So I scoured the internet and found a "recipe" that I LOVE. It works for MY combination skin type! 

 1.5 tbl  of Coconut oil   (Walmart for 14 oz $6.50)

1.5 cups of DISTILLED water- (distilled water prevents molding/mildew cost $2.50 gallon)

2-4 pumps of your favorite face wash

3 drops tea tree oil  (Walmart 2 oz $ 6)

1 roll of BOUNTY paper towels (the cheaper ones do NOT work) $2

SHARP not serrated Knife.

container large enough to hold the paper towels, I found a 2 quart pitcher works! cost $3)

Lay the roll of paper towels down and cut them in half. This takes a minute! Pour all your   ingredients into a cup and microwave about 30 seconds to a minute, just enough to melt the coconut oil. Stir well. Put 1 of your cut halves in the container CUT SIDE DOWN. Slowly pour the liquid over the paper towels let it sit 3-5 minutes. Then you can pull out the middle cardboard section and start using.  You should get about 70 wipes, (depending on the size of your paper towel roll) WARNING- keep out of direct light, heat this will cause mold/mildew. 

These cleaned all the make up off my face, and left it feeling clean and moisturized. There was no need for me to "wash" my face or use lotion afterward! I also made a batch for my aunt and daughter, they love them too! 

I'm working on dish soap, a replacement for my Swiffer wipes, Lysol wipes so check back and see what I make! I must admit I am loving making my own stuff. The best part is I know whats in everything!

See everyone in about a week! Hope you have a great week! 

Our newest Kid, Adyson named her "Poopey", who knows why.......