Pinterest Detergent and French Vanilla Creamer!

When I came across Pins for homemade detergent and french vanilla creamer I was excited to try it out!  As a family of 4 with 2 very messy kids I spend a lot on good detergent and stain remover, so the idea of a 9 month supply only costing me $20 thrilled me!  I normally don't use powder, but I read so many great things I figured I'd give it a try. I'm also a complete coffee addict...seriously, it's problem.  The only thing I put in my coffee is french vanilla creamer, no sugar or milk, just my creamer.  I go through a large bottle (I even buy generic) every 2-3 days so being able to make my own almost for free is amazing!!  I have tried out both of these recipes now and am VERY pleased, will continue to make my own from now on :)  Here's the recipes...

Detergent
This is what you'll need:
(1) 4 lb box of Borax - $3.36
(1) 4 lb box of Arm & Hammer baking soda - $2.16
1 box (55 oz) of Arm & Hammer Super washing soda - $3.58
2 sm. containers of Oxy Clean ( enough to equal 3.5 lbs) - $1.96 each
3 bars of Fels Naptha - .97 cents each
5 gal. bucket w/ lid - Bill brought me one home from work for free
= About $16.00 total!!
I also bought some large Tupperware to keep it in which was about $2.50, but if you have something then just use that!

First you need to grate the bar soap just like you would cheese (the pieces will dissolve even if you wash everything on cold)

Then combine everything in the 5 gal bucket lined with a trash bag.  Make sure you mix it all up really well!

Then just transfer a decent amount into a tupperware (or whatever you're using) and start using!  I saved one of the scoops from the Oxy Clean tubs to use as my detergent scoop.  I will be using 2 scoops (around 2 tbs) per wash!

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
 What you'll need:
14 oz of milk - I already had it on hand so FREE
2 tbs vanilla extract - already had it...FREE
Mason Jar - In the pantry FREE
14 oz can Sweetened condensed milk - $1.50
= $1.50 for a large mason jar full!

Pour it all in and shake it really well...Viola!  I cleaned out my existing creamer container and just transferred it over. 

Perfectly Imperfect!

I'm 27 yrs old, married for 9 yrs (almost) and have 2 kids, 8 yr old girl and 5 yr old boy.  I like things to be clean and organized, but my life as a full-time nursing student, full-time mother, wife, and everything that comes along with these titles pervents me from being able to do it all all the time.  I do what I can when I can and at this point in my life I have accepted that I am Perfectly Imperfect :)

I don't cook healthy meals every night, my house is not always clean, laundry is never completely finished, I don't coupon, my car always seems to have some sort of cracker crushed in it, and my sink almost always has a something in it (ok, so maybe it's a pile of "somethings").  I'm not crafty and if anything needs to be stitched then my husband is who you need to talk to.  But my kids are alive and fairly happy, my husband seems to be functioning ok, and I'm managing to not have a nervous breakdown while trying to complete Nursing school.  All in all I'd say we're doing pretty well!

This blog will basically be a way for me to share what I have learned works best for me and maybe you'll find something that makes life a bit eaiser.  Everything from my favorite quick dinners and how to get your life organized to all things kids and how to get the most bang for your buck (One income for over 8 yrs gives me LOTS of knowledge on this!).  My mind is always running a million miles a minute so it seems to me that writing down all the things banging around upstairs would help to provide more focus and better sleep.  So this is me...Blogging! :)