Frugal Tip: Making Your Own Laundry Soap Mix

Say What?

Yes! You can make your own laundry soap mix! It's super easy, takes about 10mins, and I know it will last us for months!

After reading that one of my friends made their own laundry soap to save a few dollars, it motivated me to give it a try too.  Now, I knew laundry soap consisted of Borax and Baking Soda, but I found a recipe on Pinterest that sounded a little more appealing to me, again this is just the one I chose! There are many ways to make your own! I chose this one mainly because the pinners mentioned how CLEAN their clothes were and how FRESH their clothes smelled after.

After giving this my own try, I agree! My clothes are certainly clean and fresh!

For $20 I bought all the ingredients and made this HUGE batch of laundry soap. The best part, for a large load, you only put 2tbs of the mix into your wash! That's it!!! I'm guessing that this large batch will last me atleast eight months, maybe longer. $20 for eight months+? YES PLEASE!!! I usually buy the Arm and Hammer Clean Scent Liquid Detergent. $7 for a bottle that I can usually go through in three weeks; a month if I really stretch it out. So, having a great laundry soap that cuts my spending by a ton? YES PLEASE!!!

So, are you ready? It's easy! You can stop by Walmart and pick up all these items!

(NOTE: You will need a cheese grater also)


You will Need:

Cheese Grater ( I bought one specifically for this. Dollar Tree has them for just a buck!)

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Fels Naptha Soap

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (I picked the purple kind)

Large bucket to mix it (I just used a storage tub)

How To:

First I poured in the Borax, Super Washing Soda, OxyClean, and Baking Soda. I shifted the tub around to mix the ingredients after I gave it a quick "stir" with a large wooden spoon.
Next, pour in the Purex Crystals.
The hardest part really is just grating the soap. It can get to be a pain, but it doesn't take too long if you keep at it. Just grate the soap on top of the laundry mix.
Give it another "shake and stir"

ALL DONE!!!

I put some of the mixture into the empty Purex Crystals bottle to keep by my washing machine, so I can store the large tub somewhere out of site. Mainly, out of the way so I don't trip on it! lol.
Again, it's just 1tbs for small/med loads and 2tbs for large/extra large loads. If you keep the Purex Crystals bottle, the lid can be your guide!

NOTE: For best results, fill washer with water and laundry soap mixture PRIOR to adding clothes. It will not harm your clothes, just for best results mix with the water prior! :)


I hope this inspired a few of you to give it a go! I'm glad I did!

Happy Saving!





I did not come up with this on my own! This came from a Pin on Pinterest.

Pregnancy Update!

Hey Bloggers,

   I'm in my 20th week of pregnancy and we are doing great! Praise the Lord!
My husband and I were blessed to find out that in May we will get to meet a beautiful baby girl, OUR baby girl!!! We are so deeply excited!

I want to start blogging about my pregnancy and feel like now would be a great time to start. Maybe some day my posts will help another mother-to-be.

I am starting a new exercise routine and I just finished it for the first time, and I have to say I'm feeling great. Now, this works for me, PLEASE don't ever over do yourself during pregnancy. If you are unsure ALWAYS ask your doctor if what you want to do is safe. It's not worth it to injury or harm yourself, or worse, your baby. Listen to your body and your baby to decide what works for you.


Mornings: Walk with Pup for 5 laps around the loop in our neighborhood; a little over a mile.
                   Prenatal Pilates: 2(10min) routines
                   Prenatal Yoga: Energizing sequence

Evening: Walk with Pup for 5 laps around the loop in our neighborhood
                Prenatal Yoga: Relaxation rountine
                Prenatal Yoga: Guided Meditation


I won't lie, I've not taken the best effort I could have as far as exercise thus far into my pregnancy, but my doctor says I am healthy, so I am going to start exercising now to be strong for birth.
                   

Nutrition: I have been taking a prenatal vitamin throughout my entire pregnancy and it has worked really well for me. I haven't experienced nausea from it, and when my tests came back, my iron levels were great. It also has the 100% of the folic acid requirement for pregnant women. WIN!!!

I am trying to improve on the amount of water I drink. I have rarely been drinking any soda. Every now and then I will have a small glass (resulting in about 1/2 cup-1cup of soda). This is just my personal choice. It is few and far inbetween, and honestly, lately I haven't the taste for it. I prefer water, apple juice, or my all time favorite right now, MILK!!! I have never had a greater love for milk than now! Haha, our little one is getting her Calcium! (NOTE: Always be mindful of how much milk you are drinking, mainly due to the SUGAR content in milk. Have you ever noticed HOW MUCH SUGAR is in Milk?? Crazy.)

I am incorporating more and more veggies and fruits each week. This week has been difficult because I am craving sweets. I am trying not to give in too much, but somedays, like today, I just give in. Eh, some how chocolate cake just tastes better when pregnant. LOL
The only thing my doctor says I have to keep trying to get more of is protein. I do eat protein, steak here, chicken there, but I am not getting all that they wish me to get EVERYDAY. So, I'm adding eggs to my breakfast and chicken/turkey to my salads and making sure meat is the main ingredient in our dinners.

FYI: Cravings? Haha, yes. I've had some.
The first trimester I could ONLY stomach HOT/Spicy food. Thai and Mexican were constant. I remember going to a local Mexican restaurant 10mins before they closed and begged them for a burrito (this place is great you get to build your own with meat and veggies and HOT SAUCE lol) and for a quesadilla..that I ate for breakfast the next morning, with an EXTRA helping of hot salsa to dip it in...best part, NO heartburn! WOO!
Second Trimester:
Now things get weird. I don't have regular cravings. It's things here and there. There were two weeks that I wanted NOTHING but Raisin Bran Crunch for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dessert. I can't tell you how many boxes I went through.
I also like mushrooms and sausage, not together, just in general. TWO Things I couldn't stand pre-pregnancy.

I can't fit in my jeans anymore, but after discovering maternity jeans, I may never go back to regular jeans... just saying... lol

I've gained 15 lbs and slowly increasing every week now. I am so happy and thankful that God is giving us a healthy baby girl!


I'm going to start posting more. I really miss blogging!

Baby girl is kicking my tummy right now! Time to go snack!!!

Ciao! Hope all of you are well!!!

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pepper Steak (Pix Included)

Hey all. As promised yesterday, here is the first of two Beef recipes I am making this week.

   

Slow-Cooker Pepper Steak

This recipe is a favorite in our home. It is my husband's favorite and it's really easy to make! Toss all of this in and cook for a few hours, serve over noodles or rice. It's perfect for a Sunday afternoon or a mid-week meal.

  I only made a half-recipe last night, so the photos will only show the half-recipe!

Here's How:





You Will Need:

- Large Crockpot
- 2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips ( I used Cubed Steak meat this time)

- Minced Garlic to taste (or Garlic Powder)

- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 1 cube beef bouillon

- 1/4 cup hot water

- 1 tablespoon cornstarch

- 2 medium onions (chopped)

- 2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped

- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, with liquid

- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or roughly 3 to 4 packets from your fave Chinese diner! LOL)

- 1 teaspoon white sugar

- 1 teaspoon salt

To Make:

 1)Start by adding the veggie oil to a large frying pan on High Heat and add meat.

 2)Brown on all sides

3) Pour contents of the skillet into your Crockpot, juice and all. It gives it a great flavor!

4) In a bowl, or I just use a coffee mug, mix hot water and beef bouillon cube.  Add corn starch. Pour in Crockpot and give it a quick swirl in with the meat. This will help thicken the sauce a bit.

5) Chop your veggies



6) Add vegetables, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt to Crockpot and give it a quick mix.  

7) Cover Crockpot and put on low heat for 5-6 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.

Your kitchen will start to smell so yummy as it's cooking!

8) Once cooked, I always transfer mine to a different dish just so that it doesn't cook too much.



To assemble:

Place noodles/rice at bottom of the bowl

Then add your freshly made Pepper Steak!

Now it's time to enjoy this warming, delicious, and delightful meal!

Buon Appetito!





Life-Update & Puppy Pomodoro: A Skunk Adventure

Hey guys! It's been a crazy week! Last night ending with a closing-shift and Pup covered in tomatoes.

I've got two recipes for you this week. I'm starting one right now and marinating the next for tomorrow. (posts to follow)

I normally work around 55 hours a week, so a girl gets pretty tired... That being said, I called in sick today. I do not feel well! I know it's just pure exhaustion. So I took a "me" day to relax, as much as I could, lol. I'm still doing laundry and vacuuming, but I baked a delicious pumpkin dessert, and cooking today is pretty relaxing to me.

                           Puppy Pomodoro
 Last night as we were closing up shop at my Part-time job, I get a phone call. My husband, in a haste to get the words out fast enough and express the urgency of the situation, told me that Pup got a skunk shower.
Now, I have never had this happen, the first thing I asked was, "Is he okay?!"
My husband confirmed that Pup was fine, just a little upset by the fumes. (Thank goodness he is okay)
 "Where is he?"
My husband then tells me that he is inside in our bathroom... As you can imagine, I was a little upset. Fresh skunk spray in our house!
Taking control of the situation, I asked him to move Pup to the guest bathroom and that I would run to the store and grab some tomato juice/sauce/SOMETHING tomato-ey to rid Pup of the noxious fumes. Praying it would work.
( I grabbed 4 cans of tomato puree {they were on sale!})

 Now, as soon as I pulled up to the house, I smelled the yucky skunk funk... I came inside and then we slathered Pup down in all four cans of tomato puree, let it soak in for about 10 mins, then we washed him with a little bit of Dawn dish soap.

Verdict: Tomato puree works great for getting rid of skunk smell!!! Puppy smelled great! The house.. well... the house wasn't bad, we opened all the windows and turned up the fans. But the bedroom, whew! Couldn't sleep in there! Hahhaa! Hubbs and I had to sleep on the couch for the night.


This morning the bedroom and house are sans skunk smell.

I hope Pup  has learned to stay away from the skunks, but who knows. He saw squirrels this morning and was in full chase! Oh, the life of an innocent Pup!

Baking Review

Here's just a quick review of all the baking I've done since I've started this blog! I'm getting back into the swing of things and will have more posted soon! Happy Baking!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake!

Want a slice of delicious Peanut Butter Cheesecake?

Peanut Butter Cheesecake!

Crust: Peanut Butter Oreos

Filling: Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Topping: Peanut Buter Ganache and Reese's PB cups!

Want to make this?

Here's how!

For The Crust

• 4 1/2 cups crushed Oreo cookies (I used regular Oreos & Peanut Butter Oreos)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

For The Filling

• 2 lbs cream cheese, softened
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (I used JIFF!)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 Reese's Peanut Butter cups, broken into small pieces (Miniture size PB cups cut into 1/4's **NOT THE TEENY TINY ones)

For The Topping

• 16oz Reese's peanut butter baking chips
• 1 cup heavy (or whipping) cream
• The tiny Reese's cups

Directions:

**  Please Note. Plan ahead--cheesecake needs to chill for at least 4 hours. (I let it sit overnight)

   To Make The Crust

1) Heat oven to 275 degrees F

2) Combine crushed Oreo cookies that have been crushed or ground up with a food processor. Then mix with the melted butter.

3) Pat the crust onto the bottom and the sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

4) Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.

(While this is baking, chop up your PB cups to get them ready! )

5) Once crust is done with it's quick bake, set aside to cool a little and get ready to make the filling!

 To Make The Filling

1) In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, brown sugar, and cream together until smooth.

2) Beat cream cheese into bowl with electric mixer until smooth.

3) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4) Mix in vanilla

5) Fold in Reese's PB cups with rubber spatula.

6) Pour filling into prepared crust.

7) Place springform pan into a larger baking pan.

8) Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes up to about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. 

9) Bake for 1-1/2 hours, sometimes it needs an extra 15mins! Just check starting around 1-1/2 hours.

You want the center to be a little bit jiggly, firmer around the rest, and lightly brown on top.

10) Remove cheesecake from oven and from its' "water bath", and place springform pan ontop of wire cooling rack. Place a dish plate over the top to help it cool at a slower rate. This will help to prevent any unsightly cracks!

(I let mine sit out on my counter for a good two hours before placing it into the fridge.)

11) After it has sat out for a few hours on the counter, remove the springfoam pan. Place cheesecake in fridge for atleast 5 hours. I left mine in there over night.

Once your cheesecake is cool, get ready for the toppings!

 For The Topping:

1) Put peanut butter baking chips into a small bowl.

2) Bring heavy cream to a boil on the stove. As SOON as it comes to a boil, pour over baking chips and stir, stir, STIR!!!

3) You have just made your very own peanut butter ganache! Yummy!

You can let it sit for a few minutes, but don't let it sit too long or it will start to solidify.

4) Spread ganache all over the top and cover with peanut butter cups!

You can eat it now, or let it sit back in the fridge for a little bit. (30mins)

And There you go! A beautiful, delicious cheesecake!!

Tips for cutting, use a hot knife. I ran mine under the hot tap water. Make a cut, the wipe blade clean, and repeat! This makes clean cuts.

Happy eating!

Cheesecakes and New Rifle

Hey guys! I am having a great weekend with a little more time off this time around. Last weekend the hubs and I were in a wedding for a family member and it was beautiful!

We had a great time in the limo!

This weekend I only needed to work this morning, so I got to enjoy the afternoon at the gun range with my hubs. He just built a new 308 rifle and man, it has some kick! It's completely worth it because it's pretty darn accurate! After that I headed home and enjoyed a well deserved nap. LOL

We have been watching The Glades on Netflix. It was really slow at first, but it's getting better now as the show has progressed. We finished Breakout Kings too. The first few episodes were pretty bad, but just skip the first 2 or 3 episodes and you will be fine. It's a great show after that.

What are you watching on Netflix???


I haven't baked in a long while and I'm feeling up for some cheesecake. I have been wanting to try a peanut butter cheesecake, because come on...who doesn't love smooth creamy peanut butter? And what better way then indulging in a decadent cheesecake at the end of the day? Mmmm. I will post pictures after it's all  done up and decorated.

These are a mini-version.. YUMMY! (got this photo from google)


How are you guys doing?