With Just a Few Everyday Ingredients....

As everyone knows the year 2009 is ending very quickly, which means that most everyone in the world is making some sort of resolution…that they may or may not (most likely the latter) keep. I, however, have decided on a New Year’s Resolution that is very easy and feasible for me to keep and, the best part, it will save me MONEY in the long run! :) I have decided to take my house to a more natural and greener state! Ok, most of you already know that I’m extremely frugal as is…but I will tell you that my kids originally thought I was completely crazy until they got to add flakes to the soap soup, stirred the white powdery substance which has become our new dishwasher detergent, and shake the liquid which later became Meems’ Furniture Polish! Let me just tell you that it has definitely been a creative week within the Zoo Household! So for those of you who wanted to know the recipes for Meems’ Homemade Cleaners... Here you go:

Furniture Polish
4 T Lemon Juice
3 T Water
2 t. Olive Oil
Mix ingredients together and shake well. Discard every other day since olive oil does tend to go rancid. Put mixture in a spray bottle and spray on furniture as normal, wipe off with cotton cloth.
*I made this amount and it just a shade more than enough to put in a travel-size hairspray bottle. I just poured out the rest in the bowl. So not only did I save money, I recycled as well! WOOHOO

Score card:
Amy 1
Commercial Cleaning Products 0
Meems’ Dishwasher Detergent
1 c. Baking Soda or Washing Soda (I used Baking Soda)
1 c. Borax
Mix ingredients together well and place in airtight container! Use approximately 1-2 T per load.
Be sure to add vinegar to your rinse compartment to prevent spots!
*I made this amount and just placed in one of our disposable plastic containers that we got from sandwich meat. So again, I saved money, and I recycled as well!

Woohoo, that makes the scorecard lean in my favor AGAIN!
Score card:
Amy 2
Commercial Cleaning Products 0

Meems’ Laundry Soap
1 c. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (this is not the same as baking soda)
½ c. Borax
1 bar Fels-Naptha bar soap (I have read that you can also use a regular bar of Ivory Soap, Lever 2000, or any other type of bar soap - but note that whatever type of soap that you use, your laundry will take on that smell)
Approximately 3 gallons water
Container to store this in (I use a five gallon bucket with a lid)
Something to stir with (I used a wooden spoon)
Another pot to boil soapy water in
Something to cut the soap up (I used my box grater)
Put about 4 cups of water into the pan and put it on the stove on high, bring to a boil. While the water is heating up, grate the bar of soap into little bits. When the water starts to boil, slowly add the little soap bits. (Do not add all the soap at one time, as it will just clump.) Stir the ‘soup’ until all soap bits dissolve. The water will eventually take on the color of the soap that you added, just a bit paler. In the end, you will have very warm soap soup. Next, add three gallons of warm tap water to your large container. Then add to your large container 1 cup of washing soda, soap soup, and ½ cup of Borax. Stir until all powder has dissolved. After stirring, you will have a bucket full of vaguely soapy water. Let soap sit for 24 hours with lid on.
After 24 hours you can take the lid off and you should have a ‘colored gel type slime’ (not sure how else to describe it) it may or may not have a little bit of water sitting on top. Just stir it and it is ready to use.
*I have a HE washing machine so I only use ½ cup of soap and put it in the same place as I would my normal commercial laundry soap. However, for regular washing machines you will need to use approximately 1 cup per load.
Again, the score card is leaning toward me as I’ve now quit buying laundry soap (which I’m not sure if you have ever priced laundry soap but a 96 load container of ALL HE brand laundry soap is right at 15 dollars, all of the supplies including the 5 gallon bucket cost us approximately 13 dollars but instead of 96 loads of laundry, I will be able to do approximately 630 loads…yes you read that correctly 630 loads for right at the same price that I normally pay to do 96 loads.)

Therefore, that makes the Score Card look something like this:
Amy 3
Commercial Cleaning Products 0
But wait, I can do one better than that! Not only have I QUIT buying commercial laundry soap, I NO LONGER am buying commercial fabric softener either…why, you ask? Because if you put just ½ cup of vinegar in the same place you would normally put commercial fabric softener, your clothes will come out just a soft. But ooooh, the smell you say - don’t fret, once your clothes dry they will not have the smell of vinegar on them, but if you really want to have that ‘frou-frou’ smell…then take an old clean t-shirt cut into strips about the size of a normal dryer sheet, put 5-6 drops of essential oil on it and throw it in the dryer with your clothes…your clothes will then take on the smell of the essential oil! :)

Ok so that makes the score card look like this:
Amy 4
Commercial Cleaning Products 0
Saving me…(calculating) Wow, a BUNCH of money!
Ok, I’ve now gotten really long winded and I think well maybe I should cut some of this blog post out, but nope, it’s okay…everyone that really wants to know the outcome of what is really up my sleeve will read this blog and I will in turn help someone else save money, so it stays!

GOOD LUCK and be sure to post your comments and let me know how all this works out for you.
Until next time when I’m back with more FRUGAL tips-
Meems

Bah, Humbug!

I am so over life... at the moment! I'm tired of my heart being played with, my head being fed full of crap, not having any money, and not getting a response when I ask a question, but hey - it appears to be the story of my life. The hustle and bustle of life is just so overwhelming. There's constantly something going on and I'm TIRED! On a better note, even though I haven't got a darn penny to my name, I'm still a little in the spirit! My house is all festive and the projects are falling off my list slowly one by one! Finished another one last night and I'm headed to work on some more in just a few minutes! I've had to dig and search in my creative box in my brain but hey, it's worked!

Life has been full of things recently…such as shopping with the parental, baking with Sunshine & Peanut, crafting at my desk, working on presents for him, her, and them, and even wrapping for the parental as well! I've tried to make the best of it. However, I will say this…my Christmas is totally incomplete without my Bestie! Every year, for the last 5 years, we have ALWAYS spent the holidays together! We normally spend at least one whole day in our "matching jammies", drinking coffee and spending our day in the kitchen! Then we normally spend the next day packaging all of what we have just created in the kitchen into various boxes, bags, and baskets for her family! :) There aren't near enough words in the English language (or any other language for that matter) to express how much I miss her and how lost I feel without her by my side! So Bestie - this is for you…

During this holiday season, with every cup of coffee you drink, with every little piece of candy you create, and with every cookie you bake - think of me and know that I am right there with you in your heart! My spirit surrounds you and every time the wind blows, it's me telling you I love you and miss you and giving you a huge BESTIE hug! Keep the spirit alive, for we cannot think of being away from one another but remember all the times we've shared together! I love you Bestie!

Until next time and trying to keep the spirit alive,

-Meems