Laundry Detergent

I love love looooovvveeeee my new laundry detergent. It took me awhile, but I finally got all of the ingredients picked up and ready for assembling. Originally, I was planning to buy them off line from Amazon. However, after doing a little more investigation, I realized I could get them all at Walmart and Target. I don't typically support Walmart, but it was such a deal I couldn't resist! I think I spent a total of $5.00 for everything (Borax, Washing Soda, and Bar Soap). In case your interested, this recipe (or a liquid version) can be found here. And let me say- this detergent is pretty bare bones. It gets the job done, but it doesn't have any frangrance. It smells good prior to going into the washer, but there's really no fragrance after the clothes are dried and folded.

I grated the bar soap very finely to mix in with the other ingredients. You can use any bar soap. I like Dr. Bronners Castille Soap (I found it at Target). It's a little more expensive ($5 a bar, I think), so its not a must- but I like the ingredients in the Dr. Bronner products. I also use a liquid Dr. Bronners soap for hand washing and for a counter top cleaner. The all purpose/counter top cleaner recipe is here. I should mention.. if this woman (Wellness Mama) told me to scrub with glass shards because of its exfoliating capabilities, I would probably do it. I am obsessed with her and her knowledge on all things healthy! Ok- I wouldn't REALLY scrub with glass shards, but she does have a lot of good ideas. 

I was able to make 2 large batches, with more Borax to spare for later. 

I use 1/8 cup per wash. And in case your wondering, there are 7 1/2 cups in each batch that I made (3 cups borax, 3 cups washing soda, and 1-1/2 cups soap-which equals an entire bar grated). That totals 15 cups. And at 1/8 cup per load, there are approximately 120 loads available to use. 

Zane Benjamin!

We went home two weekends ago for Thomas' 10 year reunion, and also to meet our nephew Zane! We had such a nice weekend. We arrived Thursday night and stayed at Thomas' parents house. On Friday morning, we woke up early and left to spend the day with Meredith and Ben and the baby. It was a low key day. We relaxed and caught up, sent the boys out for chick-fil-a, and then took Zane to the outlets for a little afternoon shopping. We cant wait until we get to see him again! This picture alone sums up our day with him.

Please, no more pictures! I beg of you!

I couldn't show up empty handed, so I of course whipped up a flannel baby 

blanket for little Zane. He told me he liked it :)

After separating from Meredith and Ben, we headed into downtown Hillsborough where we checked into our B&B. It is an old house that was built in the mid 1700's (if I'm remembering correctly) that was renovated into a B&B. The breakfast was delicious and the hospitality was wonderful. It is called the Teardrop Inn. We rested up for a few minutes, changed for the evening, and met up with our friends Angela and Paul for dinner. It was so nice getting to spend time with them and catch up! I met Angela and Paul when we moved to Texas (Thomas and Paul went to High School together), and they have since moved to Florida, so they drove up for a long weekend for the reunion. After dinner, we drove together to the High School football game and met up with a few other friends. And from there, we went to a local bar where we met up with Thomas' parents and many other friends. 

On Saturday, Thomas and I woke up and went to the local farmers market. We bought a few goodies for our friends Jen and Blake who were keeping the dogs. We did a little more shopping, went out to lunch with the in-laws, and then headed back to our Inn to get ready for the reunion. 

Before the reunion, we met up with a small group of friends for a drink, and then we all carpooled out to the reunion. It took place at a friends barn that is pretty far out in the country. We ended up having a really nice time. There was barbecue, dancing, a bonfire, christmas lights, and lots of chatting. A LOT of chatting. That's to be expected, right? It is a reunion after all. I'm a little more shy than my outgoing husband; therefore, a few hours in, I reached my limit on small talk. Thomas, on the other hand, could of stayed all night. 

On Sunday, we woke early for breakfast at the B&B and then headed straight to the airport for our 11:00 o'clock flight. We picked up the dogs on the way home from the airport, had lunch with Jen & Blake, and then came home to unpack and relax. Overall, it was a really nice weekend!