Thrift Store Shopping

I love getting out and shopping thrift stores with my mom! You never know what great item you will find in a thrift store that is just calling out to you, "Take me home! Make me into something beautiful"!

My mom and I set out one Sunday to browse the thrift stores in town. We also hit some furniture stores, which really didn't interest me. I like to find treasures, not new stuff. lol

Our last stop that day was the Goodwill store. This one is one of my favs because I have found some great items there. I had been eyeballing an antique dresser there since before Christmas to see if they might lower the price. Of course they hadn't, but they moved it from the back of the store to the front. I figured I had better make an offer or someone else might! They were asking $50.00 for it and that really wasn't a bad deal since it was still in very good shape, considering.

My mom encouraged me to go ask if they would take less for it...off I went and to my surprise....they said I could have it for $35.00! Yes! Sold!

Here is what the dresser looked like once I got it home and into my makeshift workshop...the garage (thanks honey!)

It's almost completely finished and I am hoping to have it in our bedroom before the day is out. I'll be posting more photos and how I got the look! Stay tuned...

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Several friends have been asking me about how I make my homemade laundry detergent so I thought I would share my two recipes here.

I have one recipe for liquid detergent that I use when I have more time to make it. I also have one for dry detergent for those days when I realize I am out of laundry detergent and forgot to make any! Yikes! It happens...life is busy~

Here are the main ingredients:

I have also started adding Purex Crystals to each batch because I like to have fragrance!

Once you have your ingredients, which can all be found in the laundry aisle at Walmart, here is how you make the liquid version:

Making your own liquid laundry detergent is easy & dirt cheap. This low sudsing, softening recipe works great, smells great and makes 2 gallons.

1/3 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated - I just use a regular cheese grater
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
1 c. Purex Laundry Softener Crystals (any scent you like)
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart
Hot Water
Cold Water

Dissolve Fels Naptha in about 2 cups of water in a saucepan over low heat, until completely smooth, add washing soda & Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. In a 2 gallon bucket, pour 1 Quart Hot Water, add soap mixture, and mix well. Dissolve 1 c. of purex laundry softener crystals in the soap mix, stirring well. Fill bucket with cold water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens and gels.

For the Dry Mixture:

I use the same products as the liquid - you can also add Oxy Clean to it, but I choose not to. I've read several reviews where is causes colors to fade, which would defeat the purpose as far as I am concerned.

Also, I've started using regular Ivory bar soap and like it better than the Fels Naptha Soap. It just has a fresher smell and if you have sensitive skin, it's a better option.

2- 3.1 oz bars of Ivory Soap or 1 bar of the Fels Naptha Soap - grated
2- Cups of Borax
2-Cups of Washing Soda
1.5 Cups of Purex Crystals - I don't really measure this - I just add enough to get the scent I want

I mix all of the ingredients together in a clean plastic tub with a large spoon. Once it is all well mixed, I store it in an airtight container and it's ready to go!

I use about 2-3 Tablespoons per load and the clothes turn out great!

Now here is the best part...see what it costs to make your own laundry detergent! Imagine what you will be saving each year!

Fels Naptha .99 bar
Borax 76 oz box = 9.5 cups $3.29 box = .34 c per cup
Washing Soda 55 oz box =6.875 cups - $2.97 box = .43 per cup

That's a $1.76 and it will wash 128 loads of laundry!! Are you kidding me?

You can even make these into gifts for friends and family by packaging them in decorated mason jars with the recipe attached! Your friends and family will love you because you have just shared a great recipe and savings on to them!

It's Friday! Yippee!

So here is how I am feeling this morning~

I love having a 3 day weekend! I always have great plans for all of the things I'm going to be able to accomplish with an extra day off...ha! Funny how it never seems to go as planned though, right?

I'm torn by the things that I really NEED to do and the things I really WANT to do. For those that don't know me, I am a "list" person...that's right! I love to make my "to do" list and do it faithfully every day. I go thru so many spiral notebooks that I seriously should own stock in the company that makes them. lol

There is a great feeling being able to mark things OFF my list, one by one.Sometimes I even use a highlighter to mark them off so I can really see what I accomplished for the day! I am a little weird like that.

Here is my list for this wonderful gift of an extra day off - We'll see how far I get today!

1. Pinterest - have to have "me" time!
2. Facebook - have to keep up with friends and family! Hubby calls it his "reading the news" time.
3. Coffee - need that ambition to get moving! :)

4. Shower - can't go out of the house until that's done, for sure!
5. Unclog the kitchen sink - yep, that's right! We live in an older house and it seems we have a drainage issue (more on that later). - I might put this one on the Hubs list for today!
6. Grocery shopping - the dreaded task of doing this one, but it's better than being at Walmart on a Saturday!
7. Driving Test - I can't believe after living in WV for 42 of my 47 years, that since I have moved back from GA, now I have to take a driving test again...ugh! Long story that I will have to share another time. This one is going to be difficult, but not the actual test...it's all of the required proof of who you are that is the hard part! Thank you Homeland Security!

There will actually be more to my list today, but I think you get the picture of what my wonderful "extra" day off is looking like. Where is the fun?

Now that I've gotten that out of the way...I have so much more I want to share...so stay tuned...it's coming!

Happy Friday!

Starting Again...

Just a word of advice...like we haven't heard it before~

Always keep your passwords somewhere safe so you can reference them when you have one of those "blonde" moments and can't remember the log in to your blog when you get a new computer! Yep, guilty...raising my hand because that is exactly what I DIDN'T do with my old blog on Blogger! So guess what? Right again...I am starting over!

Maybe it's a good thing...so much has changed since I last did any blogging and now I'm ready to make this a non-ending part of my life!

Welcome to my little country corner! I'm hoping this is the beginning of a wonderful and long lasting relationship. I am a huge fan of others' blogs and for me...this is going to be a great journey in being able to share with family and friends...old and new! I am sure there will be something that each person that comes here can take away to make their day, week or life better!

Happy Sunday!