Squeaky Clean

Over time I've been trying to switch to all-natural cleaners in our home. I liked the idea of using something with less chemicals, especially now that we have little ones. I certainly didn't want to shell out the big bucks for 'natural' and 'organic' cleaners, though I know they are better for the environment and safer to use in the home. We don't have that kind of money. So I started making most of my cleaners from scratch using recipes I found online. For awhile now I've been using my own homemade surface cleaner, glass cleaner, and a cleaner for use on moldy or mildewy surfaces. They all work great and I know exactly what goes into each one and feel good about using them. Plus it saves a lot of money! Using ingredients like baking soda and white vinegar is very friendly to the pocketbook.

I've long thought about switching to a homemade laundry detergent. I have really sensitive skin and have only ever found one or two liquid detergents that don't cause my skin to break out in eczema-like rashes. And purchasing detergent and fabric softener really adds up over time. So I finally did it. I did some research and found a recipe that was easy to put together and very low-cost. All the comments I'd read, on multiple sites, said it was a very effective recipe and great for people with sensitive skin. Here is the recipe I used:

6 cups Borax
4 cups Baking Soda
4 cups Washing Soda
4 cups grated Bar Soap

I actually halved this recipe and it made approximately half a gallon of powder detergent. Some people with larger families have doubled the recipe and stored it in a huge canister. The washing soda is made by Arm & Hammer. I couldn't find it at Wal-Mart or Target but my local grocery store carried it. And you can buy really big boxes of the baking soda in the same aisle as all the laundry stuff. For the bar soap you can use any soap you like. Some people use a special bar soap made for laundry, some people use soaps for sensitive skin, others pick one based on scent. I bought some Lever 2000 in a citrus scent. For my half recipe I needed two cups of the grated soap. I found one bar was enough though some people use one and a half. When grating be sure to use the big holes on the grater, not the smaller ones for zesting. It would take way too long. I put all the ingredients in a plastic canister and shook them together. You only need to use 1/8 of a cup of this detergent for every medium-sized load of laundry. That's two tablespoons. I bought one of those little 'shot glasses' in the kitchen gadget section that are for measuring small amounts of liquid. One shot glass is equal to 1/8 of a cup so one scoop does it! A formula scooper is also the same size.

I used this detergent for the first time yesterday and I am very pleased with the results. My clothes are very clean and have a very very light suggestion of a citrus scent on them. If I'd used more soap in the recipe it would probably be more obvious. You can also use essential oils in the recipe to obtain the scent of your choice.

I also followed the advice of many people online and am using something new for fabric softener. I took a Downy ball and filled it to the 'extra large load' line, which is approximately half a cup, with white vinegar. Just toss that in the wash. It softens the clothes without leaving any of that regular fabric softener residue on them and the clothes absolutely do not pick up a vinegar scent. Oh, and I need to mention, my washing machine frequently has a damp or mildewy odor. Even after I clean the machine out it doesn't smell the greatest. After doing just one load of wash with this detergent and the vinegar in the Downy ball? My machine was CLEAN and there was no odor anywhere.

Okay, I know this post is long, but if you're interested in switching I highly suggest it. The savings will be huge. None of the ingredients are expensive to begin with and each one of them will contribute to many batches of the detergent. And only using one little scoop each time? It will last me forever.

Spring is in the Air

The last couple days have been fantastic. Even though autumn is my favorite season I think one of my favorite times of year is when you can tell spring is really around the corner. That winter is going away and the sun is shining and the birds are chirping.

Yesterday I put a hoodie on Asa and he ran around the backyard of our condo complex. He threw a ball over and over and had such a blast. I can't wait to spend a lot of time outside with him this year.

Today is my favorite day so far though. Today was the first day I felt it was warm enough to open the patio door and let that fresh air blow through the living room and into the kitchen. It made doing dishes a lot more enjoyable.

So now I'm going to go sit on the couch, enjoy some rice pudding, and let the breeze blow over me while Asa takes a nap.

Baby Pancake 2.0

Today was my ultrasound. I scheduled it for a day that Shawn was home from work so we could all go as a family. It was so fun to see our second Baby Pancake! The little one was moving and squirming the whole time. All the measurements came out great, including the heart rate, and the baby was pronounced very healthy looking.

So what are we having???????

A baby. Duh. We didn't find out the gender.

Here is a pic of the baby looking at us:





Here is another 'facing-the-camera' pic. I think the baby looks like a little samurai in this picture. That is the hand in kind of a ninja pose.





And finally..... little itty bitty baby feet!



I can't wait to meet this little cutie.

My (Coffee) Cup Runneth Over

Tonight Shawn gave me the night 'off' to do my own thing. He's good like that. I had every intention of going to Starbucks, journal in hand, to listen to a podcast I'd been anxious to hear and to journal my thoughts about it. I made it Starbucks, bought my drink, set up my little station and got out my iPod. It was dead. I hadn't charged it. I thought "Great, I came all the way here and now it's for no reason."

To make sense of what happened next I have to give you a little background. A few weeks ago, on another one of my nights off, I was at the same Starbucks reading a book and listening to some music. One of the employees rushed towards the exit in tears. Her coworker caught up with her, they whispered a few things, he gave her a very long hug and she left crying. Even though I didn't know why she was crying I was really sad for her. I felt compelled to pray for her then and there. Ever since then I've said a prayer almost every time I've driven past Starbucks because I remember that instance.

Tonight that same lady was working. As I was packing up my stuff and putting my coat back on I felt, very strongly, that I was supposed to share the story with her. I had a little inner argument with God about it. Approaching a stranger about something so personal is definitely not in my comfort zone. I was so nervous. But I also knew that I wouldn't be able to walk out of there without saying anything to her and not feel terrible about it. So I went up to her. I told her what I had seen and that I had been praying for her ever since then. Her eyes teared up and she asked if she could hug me. She gave me a very long and tight hug and thanked me over and over again for praying for her and for sharing it with her. I told her that I didn't need to know why she had been crying or if she even believed in prayer but that I thought it might mean something to know she was being prayed for. She insisted on giving me a free drink coupon. She gave me her name and I told her I would continue praying for her. She hugged me again. As I was leaving one of her coworkers came out of the back room and I heard her saying "The most AWESOME thing just happened to me!"

I'm so glad I listened to that still, small voice. The idea of talking to her was so much scarier than actually going through with it. It left both of us feeling amazing and it was a great encounter. I think, after some time, I might ask her if there is anything specific I can be praying about for her. I'm so glad I stepped outside my comfort zone so I could be a blessing to someone else. And now I know I didn't go there for no reason.

Green

Envy is a strange thing. It's strange because it can take so many forms and intensities.

For instance, I am now jealous of every person who lives near or around the town of Galena. Why? Because they live near a restaurant that serves what is, without a trace of a doubt, the most delicious sandwich I have ever eaten in my life. It was a Croque Monsieur. It's French. I've had versions of it both in France and here in the States. This was the best. Not just the best Croque Monsieur - the best sandwich.

I don't tend to be envious over material possessions. More often I am envious over experiences other people have had or skills/talents they are blessed with. I don't desire YOUR Croque Monsieur. I desire your access to one on a daily basis if needed.

I just heard a song by Ingrid Michaelson (courtesy of my Bon Iver station on pandora) and I envy her ability to write lyrics.

"You've made me into someone
Who should not hold a loaded gun
And now you sit upon my chest
Knock out my wind, knock out my best"

My lyric-writing attempts come nowhere near to this. I enjoy what I've written (though I haven't written anything new in a long time) but I don't feel like my writing will affect anyone in any profound way.

So, today I'd like to live in Galena and be able to write beautiful lyrics. Is that too much to ask?

And we're off.......

We leave for Dubuque/Galena this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to spending an entire weekend away with my boys. This is only the second trip we've taken with Ace, the first being Door County last summer. This is also, most likely, the last trip where it will just be the three of us.

I have some very mixed feelings about this. I find myself really trying to savor all these moments of our family-of-three. We are so excited about the second Baby Pancake arriving this summer. Every day I enjoy the little movements and kicks. I enjoy my expanding belly. I look forward to meeting this little one and holding it and loving it the way I do Ace. It will be the start of a new chapter for this family. But it feels kind of sad leaving this current chapter behind. It's been awesome embarking on this journey of parenthood with Shawn. I've loved learning to be a mom and watching Shawn be an amazing father. I've loved being home with Ace during the day and having so much one-on-one time. I know this change is good but it's bittersweet at the same time. I went through the same emotions during my first pregnancy, when the due date was looming close and I realized it would never be 'just us two' again. That life was going to change forever and there was no going back. Would I change anything about that? Of course not. Would I change anything about this next baby coming? Of course not. But it's a little sad all the same.

But it's also incredibly exciting.