Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe

After 4 years of using the recipe for making homemade laundry detergent that I got from the Duggar Family and sharing it with many friends, I realized the full recipe was NOT on my blog!!  Shameful!!  So here it is...

Great for cheap laundry soap and for skin allergies.

Ingredients:

5 gallon painters bucket with lid

very long spoon

Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap (change to ivory bar soap for extra sensitive skin)

Borax (or oxy-clean)

Arm&Hammer Washing Soda  (not baking soda)

(optional: If you want a scent, add drops of essential oils)

 

Fill pot with about 6 cups of water and bring to boil.  Then drop to medium heat.  Using a cheese grader or food processor and grade the laundry bar.  

Add laundry bar slivers into hot water on stove.  Stir until soap is completely dissolved.  It takes about 5 mins.  Stir every once in awhile.

While soap is melting, add 1/2 a bucket full with HOT tap water.  Add 1 cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of Borax.  Stir until dissolved.

Add pot of water with dissolved laundry bar soap into bucket.  Stir.  Add more HOT tap water until about an inch or so from the top of the bucket.  Stir.  Add lid.  Let sit for 24hrs.

Soap will be a thick geletin consistancy.  Stir with long spoon until loosened.  Stir occasionally before using.

Memorial Day Zoo Trip

What happens when adults go to the zoo

with cute kids?

WAY to many pictures!

That's what!

It was great to spend the day

with Byron and Teena Burke.

A few times around the merry-go-round to start us off.

I don't know how they ride this.

It makes mom and dad puke!

We love to watch the lion show.

These two brother lions put on a great show.

 Our first time going on the 

brand new train ride.

 

Feeding the giraffes took longer then

usual.

At first they kind of ignore our delicious

green lettuce but eventually came

over for them.

A little ride on the monorail to rest our legs..

Dan's first time on the pony.

He tight-gripped my shirt at first

but after a few steps he was happy.

A Multi-Functioning Sprinkler

Who knew you could water your lawn,

wash your child, provide a fun activity for kids,

and give Barbie a spray down all in one activity?

This was as close as Dan wanted to get

to that crazy water sprayer!

Keira was great at moving the hose

around the yard to make sure all the grass

got some water!

What a perfect afternoon!

Ben's Kindergarten Music Program

Ben was asked to dress up like a dog for

his Barnyard Musical.

Gotta love the tail.

Lucky Ben got to stand next his friend.

"And the sheep says...."

Ben and Gracie Mennear

Ben and Marcus Thompson

Emma's 2nd Year in The Leopard Bowl

At the end of each year the students take a test

that places them in the top 4 of their

class room.

Then they mix up the 12 kids from their grade

and let them play a trivia game

the school calls...

THE LEWIS LEOPARD BOWL.

Mommy was so proud of Emma for answering

a question no one else knew.

"What ingredient makes dough rise when

making bread?"

I guess homemade food teachings the kids

something!!

Texas Storms

If you've never lived in Texas then you don't

understand how POWERFUL

a thunderstorm can be.

They usually happen in the evenings during those precious

hours of sleep.

These storms are full of lightening,

ear deafening thunder and pounding

rain that sounds like a freight train.

This is a sneak peek of what it feels like

to sleep through one of these.

The storms usually come from the northwest and always

attack the side of the house where our bedroom is.

Thus making it impossible to sleep.

Then you end up with a backyard like this!

Swampy mess.

You Gotta Know People

Sometimes the community pool doesn't appeal.

You know, with the 100 children in it...peeing.

We are lucky enough to have some great

friends, with an amazing salt-water pool

that share a back fence with us.

Thankfully they like us too,

or just endure us...tolerate  us.

But we can crash their pool anytime

we want.  And CRASH it we do.

We are still in negotiations with them

to put in a gate between our yards.

Although it may be more of a one-sided

relationship.

See, there is our house in the background.

The little ones love the spa/kiddie pool.

"Catch Me Daddy"