Homemade Laundry Soap

My sister in law, Joleen, had introduced me to an amazing home made laundry detergent. Before I tried it, I was a bit skeptical and doubted that it could really clean my clothes as well as the name brands. Something about the old saying, you get what you pay for, kept me from being a true believer. But because I trust her opinion and she said I could save a lot of money I decided to try it.

I went down to my local grocery store and bought the items needed for about 8 dollars. I actually bought 2 bars of the Fels Napta soap so I could have enough for two batches. I did have a hard time finding the ingredients but it was basically cause I was not use to looking for these items. But it was there and I am so glad I decided to try this out. My first time making the soap was easy and it has lasted me almost 3 months. I just made this weekend my second batch of the soap and did not need to spend anymore money cause I still had all the supplies I needed to buy it. In another 3 months all I will need to buy is a .99 cent bar of the Fel's napta soap. I figured out that in 9 months it will have cost me less then a dollar to wash my clothes for each month. I would say that is a remarkable savings. Wow! The only drawbacks that I can see is that it does not have the perfume smells like other detergents have and the clothes dry kinda fast so if you don't get it in the dryer soon it can turn musty sooner. Still overall I really love it and thanks so much Joleen for giving me the recipe.

Now you can make it too! Here is what you need to make your first batch.
1 bar Fels Napta soap. - found in laundry section of grocery store
Borax
Washing Soda - I used Arm and Hammer. Not Baking Soda
5 gallon bucket

Directions:
Grate the Fels Napta soap. I used a cheese grater. Melt it in a pot of boiling water. Then add 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Washing soda in the hot water. Stir it all till dissolved. Pour in the 5 gallon bucket. Add enough hot water to fill the 5 gallon bucket. I have other pots on the stove with hot water boiling to make it go faster. Then put a lid on the bucket and let it sit for 24 hours. The soap will come out really slimey like or like goop. Use one cup in every load of laundry.

Happy washing! (if one can be happy doing laundry)

STUCK!

Sometimes, I feel like this picture. Stuck! I look at my life and my circumstances and feel like life is passing me by. I tend to envy all those who get to go out and do things and in my imagination enjoy all the things that I can't right now. Having a new baby is one of the most challenging things a woman can go through. It gets especially complicated and smothering the more children you have. I'm sure not every mom feels like me and I applaud them. But this type of thinking is very easy for me being at home, changing diapers, rocking babies, making meals, cleaning up a thousand messes only to have more messes made, trying to be so many things at once only to feel like a fail at them all, trying to be that super mom and all the while feeling like the walls are caving in. I wonder what it is like to have the freedom to come and go as you please, to clean a room and have it stay cleaned, to have time to do your nails, shave properly,fix your hair, what is make-up, organize closets,read a book, get caught up on projects, and for me to be able to go and visit with friends and meet new ones. I really want to do more for our church. I want to reach out to so many people and all I have time for is the mundane jobs around the house that never get done anyhow. I could go on and on about how trapped I feel. I know that this is selfish thinking. I wonder how many others fall into this way of thinking. I bet I am not the only one.

Yesterday, Ross and I and Zeke went to a memorial service for a friend of ours, father. We were all given a little pamplet of the service along with some verses and a picture of the loved one. The Scripture that they had on the inside was one of my favorite passages. It was from Ecclesiastes chapter 3. This chapter talks all about how there is a time for everything. A season for everything. I thought about that for a while. I thought about the season of life that I am in. And reminded myself that with every season, it passes and then you are onto a new season in life. It definitely gives me hope. I know I need not to dwell on the negatives with the season of life I am in. I know I need to embrace it and love it and cherish it. Before long I bet I will miss many things about these baby years. Soon I will break free from this feeling of being trapped and be bursting onto another season in my life.

OK, Let's try this again!

Well, let's see it's been a few years since I have last been in the blog world. I can't believe how fast time gets past you. I never meant to be away from it this long. So I have decided to get back into it.

It is amazing to think about all the things that have transpired since I last posted a blog. Zeph's eye is all better now. He finally has a haircut! We have a new addition to our family. Ezekiel Lavern Johnson. He was born July 10, 2008. We have been so blessed to have him in our family. We all are crazy in love with him. I can't believe we have been so blessed. Xavier is now in the 4th grade, 10 years old and getting so big. Zeph is about to graduate from VPK. Gathering Pointe Church had it's official launch in March 2009. That has been and still is an amazing journey.

I look forward to all that God has planned for me and our family in the days ahead. I am excited to share them here in the blog. I hope you enjoy reading my ramblings here in this blog as well. I promise not to go so long between blogs. Well, I will try to promise!! :)