Big Poppa (he’s been upgraded from Boy Toy) and I took the kids to the beach a few weeks ago.
We fly kites every time we go to the beach. Something my sister and I did whenever we went to the beach growing up. look at the one I found!!!!!!!
*sigh* When can we go back?
~Jess
I haven’t bought store laundry detergent in 4 years now. (Boy has that saved a lot of money) When blog surfing a few months ago I ran across a new laundry detergent recipe that I hadn’t see anywhere else. It’s a powder kind. It took the blogger 9 months to go through about 2 gallons of detergent that she spent only $20.
Of course I had to try it, it’s cheap and lasts that long? Sign me up!
Here’s what you need:
1-4lb 12oz box of Borax (I use this in the liquid detergent I’ve been making the past few years)
1-4lb box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (if you don’t find this in the laundry aisle you could check the baking aisle)
1 box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (another ingredient I use in the liquid detergent)
3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap, (shredded the bars like you would the bars of soap for the liquid detergent) If you prefer Zote bars use only 2 of those!
1-3lb of Oxy Clean. You don’t have to add Oxy Clean but it’s really worth it for the stains and has a great clean smell!
It’s not in the picture above but I added a bottle of those new laundry detergent crystals I can’t even remember the name of them either. It adds great fragrance!!!!
After you’ve shredded your soap bars:
I put a trash bag into my 5 gallon liquid laundry detergent bucket and started dumping in all the ingredients above. Then I closed the bag, held it tightly and mixed all the powders and soaps.
Viola!
Can you tell I forgot to put in the fragrance crystals???
I got a big glass jar and added some stickers (and the crystals!).
The best, best, best thing about this detergent is you only need to use 2 Tablespoons PER laundry load, big or small.
At first I didn’t trust it so I started out with 1/4 cup and slowly worked my way down. Trust me, 2 tablespoons is all you need. Everything comes out clean and smell so wonderful. I’m not sure if I’ll ever go back to the liquid goo laundry detergent again.
If you want to check out the blog where I got the recipe for this from here’s the link below. She even has an owl icon on the top of her home page so you know it’s a great blog!!
http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-laundry-soap.html
~Jess
When April rolls around everyone in the household knows it’s time to get ready for the MS walk in Bristol, TN. The kids were really excited this year and Evan Grace even donated $9 of her own, hard earned, money ‘for the cure’ as she liked to call it.
We all met up at the park and got ready to walk.
After getting registered and turning in the money we had raised it was time for the welcome speech. We were excited that we were the first walk of the year in our region, usually we’re one of the last. (I think that’s a rabbit rom one of the local radio stations, but I’m not sure).
Then we had to take the annual group/couple photos while on the actual walk. Vanessa and her hubby.
My oldest, more mature child (cough,cough) and I. Yes, this picture was her idea…..if you were wondering.
And of course the rock picture we take every year with my beautiful mom front and center.
The walk this year was fantastic but I must confess I fell deeply, madly in love with another man while we were there. Needless to say Nathan was sure uncomfortable to be there and witness me falling all over myself to get close to this guy as often as I could. But honestly, could you resist falling for such a magnificent man??????
His name is Smoke and I want him!!!! Ok, I’ll settle for a Great Pyrenees all my own instead of stealing this guy from his owner. It’s probably better that way for everyone.
My mom is only one of so many that are affected by MS so get involved, find where and when your local chapter walks at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/walkMapRegion.aspx and get walking for the cure.
Much love to all my readers,
~Jess
I have been sewing some lately, though not taking any step by step pictures. Here’s one of my latest projects. I didn’t come up with the pattern though, I found it online and decided to give it a whirl.
Here’s the front of it, all tied up and ready to go.
The sides are suppose to be floppy so that when you open it up to get your lunch out you’re not all hemmed in. (Dorky sewing joke I know but ha!)
Bet you want to see the inside of this now. I’m definitely going to change how I do the dividers if I make this again. The pattern only required you stich the dividers together at the top without any attachment to the bottom and I think it’s just a little too flimsy.
One good thing to point out about the dividers sewn this way…if you have something bigger to pack for lunch that doesn’t fit nicely into one of the slots you can fold the slots up and slide the food underneath, maybe that’s why they aren’t suppose to attach to the bottom???? Let’s go with that.
Here’s everything open.
Or you can leave the handles together and just open the cover to get to all your yummies.
I’ve taken this box to lunch to work with me a few times and every time I do someone comments on how neat/cute/ great it is. When they ask where I got it and I reply that I made it they can’t hide their surprise. I’m proud of this little lunch box and it wasn’t near as complicated as the pattern directions made it out to be. If you’d like me to put up a tutorial on how to make one of these bento boxes for yourself leave me a comment below. That would be a good excuse to make another one wouldn’t it.
1 yard of Hello Kitty Fabric
+ a cute 6 year old
+ a curiosity in sewing with Contessa
= a brand new pillowcase sewn by the cute 6 year old allllllll by herself!!!!!
I had to try very very hard to hold back my excitement over her wanting to learn how to sew. I was even more excited when she actually started sewing and did really well for her age. I’m thinking she’s ready for an apron next, maybe even a blanket for one of her babies.
~Jess
I’ve been MIA for awhile now, please forgive me. I’ve not been sewing or crafting or much of anything really but keeping up with day to day life.
I started a new job, part time only but it’s fun, and interesting and kicking my butt all at the same time.
I’m still homeschooling the two little kids but with the new job we’ve had to increase the amount of work we normally do and even started homeschooling on Saturdays. Bummer for me, not so much for the kids.
Football season for Isaac is officially over. The Packers won every single game, as well as the Super bowl. That was a crazy intense game. It was tied up 6-6 until the last 5 seconds of the 4th quarter (I kid you not) when one of our guys broke free of the line and ran and ran and ran for the winning touchdown.
Here’s a great picture of Isaac getting ready to run across the field as his name is being called!!!!!!
Both teams lining up for the coin toss. I love how the Packers are holding hands….just like a true team.
But enough about football right? Mackenzie completed her fall season of cheer for the JV football team and is now practicing for Winter season. Basketball…ugh, there’s not a sport I could hate more than basketball but I’ll be there cheering her as she cheers on the team.
She’s one of the main reasons I haven’t been crafting or sewing lately. She had a science fair project she needed some help on.
That one was due on a Monday, then she had another science project due the next day. Two cakes, decorated to look like the inside of a plant cell and animal cell. Props to Aunt Vanessa for helping on that one so I could recover from the Science Fair.
Then there was the Veterans Day concert. Ohhhh my goodness, it was soooo good. The program was fantastic and I was soooo very proud of Mackenzie and the rest of the choir. As soon as I relearn how to post a video on my blog I’m going to post her solo in We Are the World!!!!
Mackenzie is in the very back row, third from the left. See the girl in the front pointing at her smile? That’s Mackenzie’s BFF Hannah. She’s a goof!
As for Evan Grace, she’s actually learning to really, truly read but she’s more interested in math (go figure). And as always she’s busy all the time. For example, she’s busy reading to the pets (Daisy looks really entertained doesn’t she?)
and busy building steps for her bears…
and busy just being all around cute!
Consider yourself updated and I’ll consider myself a bad blogger whose going to try and do better about keeping up this time.
~Jess
Yes you really are going to bake a turkey in a paper bag without setting your house, (or the turkey) on fire.
You’ll need a 15-18lb turkey, completely thawed and de-gibleted….no it’s not a word but it would be so cool if it were!
1 celery stalk
1 large carrot (cleaned and rough cut)
1 large onion, quartered
4-5 clovers of garlic, smashed under a knife.
Stuff all of the veggies and garlic into the turkey.
Now rub your turkey down with olive oil. I didn’t snap a picture of this step because honestly, my hands were covered in oil!!!
Take a large paper bag, open it up wide. Yell at Boy Toy to come help you if you need an extra pair of hands. Place the stuffed, oiled turkey into the brown paper bag and set it down into your basting pan.
Fold the ends over and staple together. If your bag isn’t big enough use two bags and staple them together.
Sprinkle water over the bag until it’s wet but not soaking.
Slip this bird into a 375 degree preheated oven and set it to cook 15 min for each pound.
You can check to see if the turkey is done by inserting a meat thermometer and making sure it reads between 163-170 before you call it done. Or if yours was like mine you wait for the little red button thing to pop out.
Now you tell me, isn’t that a beautiful turkey? All roasted up instead of steamed and ohhhh so juicy!
If you’re wondering why the bag doesn’t catch fire, paper burns at 415 degrees and since we’re baking well enough below that the oven should never get hot enough to catch the paper bag on fire.
Throw away all the veggies you stuffed in the bird and get carving!
Happy Holiday!
~Jess
