simple living

I'm not one for New Years' resolutions, but have decided to try to be as frugal as I can by buying used (or getting free!), recyclying/repurposing, and to also try to make as many products/items as I can. Now I am far from being a tree hugger, but I do believe God gave us this Earth and wants us to be good stewards of it. I have been inspired by Lindsay's blog Passionate Homemaking and her desire to "live simply in order to give generously". As John's desire to help the people of Costa Rica and Nicaragua grows, so does my desire to be the best steward of what we have so we can be generous to those in need. I have had fun searching for ways to cut costs and learn to make do with less. We do cloth diapers and wipes, cloth napkins and rags in place of paper napkins and towels, I have learned to make my own laundry detergent, mayo, ketchup, creamsoup substitute, and even end up coming up with my own ideas... like what to do with a batch of bread dough that I forgot to add yeast too?... make crackers! We will be eating off of these crackers for a very long time (my bread recipe is for four loaves!).

So here is my latest attempt at cutting costs and making my own laundry detergent:

Powdered laundry detergent:
1 bar grated Fels-Naptha soap (can also use Ivory or Zote)
2 C Washing Soda
2 C Borax

mix ingredients together and store in and airtight container. Use 1 Tbs per load (2 Tbs for heavily soiled loads)

It smells great and works great too!