Soo... I make my own laundry detergent...

This is not a new concept for many of the crafty ladies whose blogs I read (aka stalk) daily. However, people look at me like I have two heads or might be on rumspringa when I say this in public.

No I'm not Amish. Yes, I can afford laundry detergent. Although, I did start making my own as an attempt to cut my budget to bare bones. And yes, it works just as well as the store bought stuff. In fact, I like it better. That's why I keep making it.

I've seen many recipes all over the interwebs so I know I'm not violating anyones rights to their own ideas by not giving credit for the recipe I use. I don't know where I found this. I know I've seen it many places.

Laundry Detergent:
1 bar soap (most use ivory or phels naptha, I really like Lever with Aloe)
2 cups Borax (the kind with the mules)
2 cups Washing Soda (they sell this at Wegmans and at Ace Hardware*)

Melt grated soap in 1 quart boiling water, pour into large pot, add borax, washing soda, and 2 gallons water. Stir. Pour into old detergent bottles. You may want to add a little more water to adjust consistancy.

* Thanks to the Bower Power folks for the tip about Washing Soda at Ace Hardware. Prior to this, I had been unable to find it and had been substituting baking soda. This works, and works well, but you get a better consistancy and I think a better clean with the Washing Soda.

Here's a pic of the box for anyone who may be interested.

Monster Monday

...on Tuesday...



While I was clipping coupons the other day, Dex thought it would be a good idea to lay across the back of the couch and use my shoulder as a pillow. He was fast asleep for quite a while like this.

Molly... if her momma loved her more, she'd have a decent haircut that I'd be willing to take pictures of. Right now, she just looks rediculous. Sorry baby, one day grad school will be over...

So I took a little trip...

To Costa Rica!

I finally jinxed someone!

For a couple of years now I've been telling my sisters and close girlfriends that someone needs to have a baby so that I can make baby things for them. When I first started saying this, none of these ladies were married although a few were headed to the alter. None of them really appreciated my attempts to hurry along thier procreation. In fact, a few said they'd be furious if I jinxed them. Well, I kept up the comments and... I've finally jinxed someone!

One of my college roomies is due in August with her first child. She and her husband will be celebrating their two year anniversary at about the same time they will be bringing their bundle of joy home from the hospital.

Let the sewing begin!!

I'm totally trying this!

I grew up in church but as a member of a Protestand denomination I have never really participated in Lent. I don't have favorites. I don't have vices. I have moods. There is nothing in my life that has ever come to mind that would trully make an impact or be an effort to give up.

Today I discovered this: 40 bags, 40 Days

Its a Lenten purge. A way of removing the clutter and the unnecesary items in your life and making more room for God. I way of giving Him thanks for what He has accomplished. And proof that He has opened a window in heaven and poured out a blessing that I cannot contain. (Malachi 3:10)

Ps. I love that verse. Its the only place in the Bible where God challenges us to test Him.

Coincidence... I think NOT.

I had a chemistry teacher in high school who would use this phrase every time science would point to God. Such as the law of matter... which can neither be created nor distroyed. Big bang? I think not. Only enough moon dust for the Earth to be as old as the Bible says it is... Coincidence? Again, I think not.

I find myself thinking of this phrase when coincidences - both little and big - show up in my life.

I was rearended last fall. Not a big deal. Just needed a new bumper. Had the estimate. Received a check for the repairs. But for some reason I was really dragging my feet with getting my car in the shop. I just didn't want to deal with it.

Last week I finally broke down and made the apointment and reserved a rental. Enterprise was running at $9.99/day special for weekend compact car rentals. Wow. I like that price. I was kind of excited about this; kind of brightened my outlook on the situation.

Sooo... I drop my car off and walk over to the rental office and the little man behind the counter tells me he doesn't have any compact cars. There goes the wind in my sails. He asks if I can come back later. Ummmm... no. No I can't. They just pulled my car into the garage. He makes a call to an office nearby. They don't have anything to send over. The smallest he has is a truck. I told him I didn't want to pay for a truck rental. He tells me he'll give it to me for the compact price since he doesn't have anything else. I like the sounds of this. So, I'm picturing basic truck. Basic small truck. But a truck. Which is exciting to this country girl. We go outside to do a walk-around and what is waiting for me?

This....



Wooohooooo! Now this. This is going to be fun.

You see, I had ordered bare roots roses while I was home for Christmas. They were delivered Friday morning. The box stating, "to be planted immediately." Again my procrastination gets me. I have not done the work to prepare for these roses. I had wonderful plans of a rose bed. Had I so much as looked at a spade? Nope. And now I was in a jam.

Must rent tiller. Must buy top soil. Must by manure... or poo-in-a-bag :) This is going to be fun in a rented compact car. I was invisioning a whole lot of careful tarping of the trunk of a smart-car sized vehicle and prayed that the back seats would fold down.

And well, you've already read how the story turned out. Coincidence? I think not. God had a plan. And my procrastination was part of it. Procrastination on the repairs. Procrastination on the gardening. All of it. God lined it all up so that on the exact weekend the rose bushes showed up I had a truck rental for the price of a compact car and amazing sunny weather.

God is good. He is so good.

He is the Great Logistician. (They left that one out of the Bible, but I'm writing it in the book of Anna)





One tiller, three bags top soil, one bale peat moss, two bags-o-poo, and four and a half yards of mulch. It was a lovely weekend.

God's got me.

The other day I was reminded just how far I've come in the last couple of years.

I recently celebrated my two year anniversary at my current workplace. Prior to this I had several 11-month stints on my resume but seemed to be unable to hit even the one year mark.

February 2, 2009, I accepted a possition as a receptionist. I was so desperate for health insurance I would have taken a job sweeping floors and cleaning potties. Penn State degree or not. I was willing to do just about anything.

Once on the job I realized my salary wasn't going to stretch very far. I had to keep my job bartending. Soon I found out I needed to pick up a third job as well. I was struggling to pay my bills. There wasn't any money left over to buy groceries. I found myself working three jobs all while going to grad school part time. Looking back, I really don't know how I did that. I know that I couldn't have done it if God hadn't been right by my side.

There were a couple of months where I had $40 for groceries. That's only $1.33 a day. But I did not go hungry. I had food. I had real food. Three meals a day. God. And a lot of dollar store pasta.

By September of 2009, a possition was created for me in the finance department and I was promoted to Assistant Financial Anaylist. And given a 30% pay raise. I was making so little to start with that it really didn't add up to much more. But, I was able to quit bartending and only wait tables on weekends. I was down to two jobs and grad school part time. But somehow the bills were now getting paid, credit card balances were decreasing at steady rates, and I had money to eat. I was even saving a little.

February 2010 I bought my house. I bought a house making $13.25/hour. And my mortgage ended up being 2/3 of what I had been paying in rent. God. Totally God. Totally and amazingly God. Because I'm not house poor. I live in a 4 bedroom/1.5 bath cape cod with a large yard and a detached garage. That I can afford. Making what most would consider absolutely no money.

I had many friends tell me that they wouldn't do the work I did for the money I made. I went to Penn State for crying out loud. And then I bought my house. And they said they didn't know how I did it. And told me they still wouldn't work for what I was making. And all I could think to myself was, if I wasn't doing this, I'd be living at home with mom and dad without a job. In northern Pennsylvania where there are no jobs to be had. Like many of my friends had for quite a while after graduation. Because they wouldn't work for what I was making.

January 1, 2011, I was promoted to Financial Analyst. And finally received a decent salary. A 36% raise.

In two years with this company I've received two promotions and two raises at larger percentages than most people ever see. That does not happen. God made that happen. Because I've prayed. And I've tythed. And I've worked my bum off. And I've cried. And I've been frustrated. And I've continued to pray. And continued to give thanks. And continued to work hard.

I'm still underpaid. But I have more than most who make twice what I have. Because God taught me humility. And He taught me frugality. And he taught me the value of hard work. Even if that hard work means three jobs and grad school.

God's got me. He's working on me. And the blessings are amazing. My cup runneth over.