Baby/Toddler Sale at Walmart.com!

Hey!  I just wanted to pop on here and let y'all know about a good sale going on at Walmart.com right now.  No, I am not being reimbursed for this, haha.  I have been looking for another crib ever since I got pregnant with Baby #2.  I want one that will convert into a toddler bed since I don't want to buy a new piece of furniture when August is ready to move out of the crib.  I found a special on Walmart where they are selling a lot of their cribs at a discounted price and have included a mattress with the crib.  We got the Graco "Lauren" crib in white.  It converts to a toddler bed, day bed, and the headboard for a full-sized bed. 

 

 

This crib was $149, and that includes the mattress.  All of the Craigslist convertible cribs I have looked at are over $200 and include a used mattress.  I'm so excited we got this one at such a steal!  Also, shipping was only $0.97!    I am so excited to finally have another crib!  We'll put August in this one, and Baby #2 in the one we have since it does not convert to a toddler bed.  Yay!  I feel like that is a huge item off of our list! 

 

The sale also includes other cribs, strollers, car seats, clothes, and lots of other baby items.  Just wanted to pass along the info! :)

You're Gonna....Cloth Diaper???

Never say never.  It couldn't be more true.  "I will NEVER cloth diaper."  I have said it a million times.  I have never had an interest in cloth diapering at all.  Never even wanted to try.  I already struggle with trying to keep up with the laundry demand, so I have always known that I am not the best candidate for cloth diapering.

However.

It kills me every time I have to buy a package of diapers or wipes.  They are so expensive, just to be used for a couple hours and then thrown away.  Then when I go to throw away a diaper genie liner full of diapers, I am thinking about how much I paid for those diapers, how much I paid for those diaper genie liners, and how much space all these diapers are going to take up in our city trash can (which reminds me that these diapers have to go somewhere, so I can only picture a landfill filled with diapers from all the babies in the county...let alone the world).  So I have been contemplating cloth diapering for a few months now.  I'll read a blog or two about it or look up how other mothers cloth diaper on youtube. 

I only know of two other people in "real life" who cloth diaper, but there are tons of mommies on the internet that have done it with success.  People choose cloth diapering for many reasons, but for me, it all came down to the money.

I decided to break it down.  Here is what it is costing us (approximately) to diaper August in disposables.

Disposable Diapering

 

*Prices will vary.  I did this based on the lowest regular brand price I can find (which is typically Luv's) in whatever grocery store I'm in, which is how I usually buy diapers.  No sales or coupons. I'm a last minute diaper purchaser kind of person. 

 

1. ) Luv's size 3 diapers at Walmart: 124 count. $20.00.  Since we do about 6 diaper changes a day, this pack would last us about 20 days.  So if there are 365 days in a year, if you divide that by the number of days it takes me to use a pack (20), that would mean I would need 18.25 packs a year.  However, since I can't buy 1/4 of a pack, I would need to buy 19 packs of diapers a year.  So at 20 dollars a pack, I would end up spending $380/year on diapers.

 2.) Parent's Choice wipes at Walmart: 700 count for $12.00.  This is TMI, but most days, August poops 1-2 times a day.  We'll call it 2.  Obviously the rest of the time, it is just pee.  So, if I use about 4 wipes on poopy diapers (14 wipes if you are my husband....just sayin!), and 1 wipe for pee pee diapers, that would total about 12 wipes a day if I change 6 diapers a day.  So that means that we would go through this pack of wipes in about 58 days, or 2 months.  So this would calculate (6 purchases a year times $12 per purchase) to about  $72/year on disposable wipes.

 

3.) Diaper Genie Pail Liners: We got a diaper genie as baby shower gift.  It's great, and we enjoy it, however, the disposable pail liners for those things are quite expensive.  If we were to buy a roll in the store (they are blue and sold in rolls), it would last us about a month and costs $10. So, if you buy in stores, it $120/year just for the liners.  However, I have been buying them off of Amazon since there is a better deal for them on there.  They come in a 3 pack off of Amazon, which lasts us about 3 months.  They cost about $20 for a 3 pack.  So I need to purchase these about 4 times a year, so (20 x 4) would come out to be about $80/year on disposable diaper genie liners off of Amazon.

So, in total, for disposable diapering, I spend about $45 a month or $532/year.  This total is not including the additional diapers (more than 6 a day) that are used for newborns.  It also does not include the cost of a diaper genie (add $30). From birth to potty training, (about 3 years) this would be end up costing about $1,600 to diaper with disposables.

 

Cloth Diapering

 

*Prices will vary.  There are many different brands in cloth diapering, as well as many different methods of cloth diapering.  These prices are based on the brands I have chosen and the lifestyle I prefer.

 

1.) Sunbaby cloth diapers: $144 for a set of 24.  I have chosen the brand Sunbaby for our cloth diapers.  They are comparable to popular cloth diaper brands such as Fuzzibunz and BumGenius.  However, a brand new Fuzzibunz or BumGenius diaper will cost anywhere from $25-$35 per diaper, where as Sunbaby diapers end up being $6.50 per diaper.  Sunbaby diapers are adjustable and are made to fit from birth to potty training.  They do this by having stretchy elastic and adjustable snaps.  There are snaps around the waist to loosen or tighten, snaps to adjust the rise (how long the diaper is), and snaps to adjust the leg hole size (for skinny newborns or chunky toddlers).  Since the diapers are made to last for as long as your baby is in diapers, $144 is all that is needed to diaper the baby from birth to potty training (about 3 years).  You can choose whether or not you want 1 or 2 inserts with the diaper (you stuff the inserts into a pocket in the diaper), and you can also choose the material you want the insert to be made of.  Different materials have different benefits.  I chose 2 microfiber inserts per diaper.  August is always double stuffed since he's a heavy wetter. 

A few of the prints

 2.) Cloth wipes: The cost for me on cloth wipes is $0.  I simply cut up August's receiving blankets (we got a TON from baby showers....don't worry I saved the special ones that I remember using in the hospital) into squares and then with the help of cousin Sarah, sewed the squares to make a 2-ply wipe.  I ended up making about 50 wipes.  The wipes will be thrown into the wash with the cloth diapers. 

 

3.) Wipe "wetter": The cost for me is $0.  I will be using my peri-bottle that I got from the hospital when I had August.  You just need something to wet the wipe.  Some people use a spray bottle or even a wipe warmer with water in it.  You can ever wet a wipe under the sink on your way to the changing table.  Whatever works!  Some people add in baby wash or baby wash and tea tree oil into their water, but I have heard water works just fine.

 

 

4.) Reusable Pail liners: In cloth diapering, it is easiest to use reusable pail liners.  They work just like a garbage bag except that they are reusable.  You just throw it in the wash along with the cloth diapers and wipes.  I purchased 2 reusable pail liners on Amazon for (Kissa's pail liners) for $14.95 each, or about $30. ***UPDATE: Unfortunately, I do not recommend this product.  One of my Kissa's pail liners ripped at the seams in the wash after about 2 washes.  The other one is not leaving my pail dry.  It is "sweating" and not holding in moisture.  I have since purchased a liner from Planet Wise, and it is working out great!  The Planet Wise liners are a lot more substantial.  They seem to be made with a thicker fabric, and there aren't any exposed seams that could rip in the wash.  The Planet Wise liners run just a couple dollars more than the Kissa's liners.

 

 

5.) Diaper Pail: Most people may already have a trash can on hand, but I didn't since I use a diaper genie for disposables.  So I had to go to Walmart and purchase one.  I paid $0 for mine since I used a giftcard.  I'm not going to include this in my costs, since that's basically a gift, just like the diaper genie.  If you get a step one, it will cost you about $13.

 

6.) Wet bags: You need a wet bag to put your dirty cloth diapers in while you are out and about.  You probably technically need 2 so that you can have one to take out if one is in the dirty laundry, but I only have 1 for now.  The cost for the one I purchased is about $17.00 (Planetwise brand off of Amazon in size medium), so if I buy 2, the cost will be $34.00.

 

 

 

7.) Cloth diaper safe detergent: There are many cloth diaper detergents out there, however, I have heard great things about Tide detergent (powdered).  I know that there are perfumes and dyes in it, and I personally am allergic to those things in detergent.  We will see how August reacts to it.  However, with cloth diapering, you give your diapers at least one, preferably 2, extra rinses in the wash cycle to make sure there isn't any build up (which will cause repelling).  So there shouldn't be any detergent left on them.  If I have issues, I will try the free and clear version before moving to cloth diaper specific detergents that I would have to order online.  Tide is $7.99 at BI-LO this week.  It's hard for me to say how much we will buy over the course of a year.  I make my own laundry detergent for our clothes, so the Tide will be for diapers only.   I will use about 1/2 of the smallest load size on the scoop since cloth diapers actually need very little detergent.  Maybe I'll repurchase it 3 times a year?  I'll estimate it to be $24.00/year.

 

8.) Dryer balls (optional): You don't really need these, but I found that my microfiber inserts that came with my cloth diapers tended to stick together in the wash since you can't use dryer sheets with the inserts (they cause repelling since the non static stuff will build up in the diapers).  I paid about $5 for a pack of 2 from Walmart.

 

 

9.) Cloth Diaper Safe Rash Cream: Cloth diapers require a diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper safe.  Typical diaper rash creams will build up in the lining of the diapers which will cause the diapers to repel liquid instead of soak it up.  I have chosen CJ's butter diaper rash cream.  There are different options out there, but I chose CJ's because I have friends who use it, and I also read that it is basically a do-everything ointment.  Many people use it in place of Vaseline and Neosporin.  It is also well known for clearing up diaper rash in one application.  The cost for the CJ's Butter is about $14/8oz. off of Amazon.  This tub is pretty large, and since August very rarely gets diaper rash (he has had maybe 3 his whole life), I bet we won't need to repurchase this.

 

10.) Water Bill: Of course you have to pay for the water to wash all these diapers.  I haven't been cloth diapering for a full month yet, but I have heard from many mommy bloggers that their water bill was increased by about $5/month or an increase of $60/year.

 

 

So, in total for cloth diapering, I will spend about $309 in the first year, and $84 (for detergent and water) each year after that.  So from birth to potty training (about 3 years) I will spend a total of about $477 to diaper with cloth.

 

 

So, if you do the math, I will save (1,600-477) $1,123 by cloth diapering.....our first child!

 

Here is where it gets really crazy, we are pregnant!  Ok, that's kind of old news and not that crazy.  BUT.....to diaper our 2nd child, I can buy 12 diapers with 2 inserts per diaper for....$78.  I wouldn't need to buy 24 diapers because I don't actually go through 24 diapers without washing them.  36 diapers (18 diapers per child) would be a perfect number for doing laundry every 2-3 days.  So here are the cloth diapering comparisons for diapering 2 kids from birth potty training.  Note: The water cost will not change because I have plenty of room in the wash for another set of cloth diapers.

 

Birth to Potty Training with 2 Kids Cloth Diapering Cost Comparison

 

Disposables: $3,200

 

Cloth: $555

 

 

Savings of (3,200 - 555) = $2,645!

 

As you can see, the money saved continues to increase with each child.  However, you don't have to buy new diapers with each child.  Usually, you will have one leaving diapers as one enters.  However, our kids will be 15-16 months apart, so they will be in diapers at the same time, hence the need for a second set of diapers.

I hope this cost comparison was helpful for you if you are considering cloth diapering!  So far, I have been cloth diapering for about two months now.  I will give an update on that in another post.  Thanks for reading!

Pictured: White Sunbaby Cloth Diaper

 



Nesting/Planning Has Begun!

I have been going through MAJOR purge and organize mode in this house lately.  Nesting has hit full strength for sure! I am realizing that our little house (not so little compared to some...I think it's just under 1100 square feet.) is about to get even cozier.  With 3 people (soon to be 4!!  Ahhh!), 2 LARGE dogs, a tank of fish, tons of baby gear, and more clothes than any of us need, breathing room is tight.  We also have furniture that is way too big for this house, but most of it was found at yard sales or are hand-me-downs, and for that we are thankful.

A couple nights ago, Adam and I went through all of our clothes.  (I cornered him, bless his heart.)  Everything.  I won't say we have a small closet.  It's not a walk in, but it is fairly spacious.  We also have our own dressers.  He has a tall chest of drawers set (anyone else call this "chester drawers" for years and not know it was wrong?).

I have a regular dresser with the mirror attached. 

Both provide a lot of storage.  In addition to that storage, I also have tubs of clothes I keep in the garage.  I have a storage tub for fall/winter clothing, spring/summer clothing, and maternity clothing.  I have waaaay more clothes than I actually wear.  I realize I wear the same things over and over again, and none of the other clothing even gets used.  So I decided to get rid of everything that is not a favorite.  And let me tell you, it feels GREAT!  We were able to fit all of our "not nice enough to bother hanging it up clothing" into my dresser.  We will be getting rid of his "chester" drawers!  Woo hoo!  I loooooove getting rid of things!  It's kind of weird.  I will still need tubs in the garage for my non-maternity clothing.  But I am so glad to have gotten rid of so much!  We have a large bookcase in our living room, and we will be moving it to the bedroom where his "chester drawers" used to be.  I am happy with that because the bookshelf looks really awkward where it is in our living room.  (We have a weird layout in here.)  I also don't like it being in the living room because it isn't bolted to the wall, and it could topple on a little one.  So yay!  Having the bookcase out of the living room will give us a spot to put the pack n play (or baby swing in a few months) since right it kind of floats awkwardly in the room, and we are always pushing it out of the way.

Speaking of purge mode, we are also purging a ton of furniture we have been holding onto.  It was furniture we had in our guest room/office/elliptical room/craft room/it turned into a junk room.  Since most of our family lives just a few minutes away, we haven't had a guest in the almost 3 years we have been here.  So it really wasn't necessary.  So we are getting rid of everything in there except for the elliptical.  My brother and his fiancé are getting married at the beginning of August, so we are giving them our extra furniture: couch with a pull out bed, coffee table, filing cabinet, desk, a pair of chairs, and our chest of drawers.  We will be turning that room into a play room since Baby #2 is a boy!  I will also keep the elliptical in there so I can exercise while they play.  We aren't going to go crazy and make this a Pinterest-worthy play room by any means.  I plan to keep things very simple, no to very low budget (I already have about everything I need), child friendly, easy to clean up (aka not a ton of toys), and good for August and the new baby.  I am excited to give them a place to play together.

Now, the reason for the playroom and not a nursery is because August and his brother will be sharing a room.  Ahhhhh!  I know, it is kind of scary just saying it.  However, this is the way that things have been done forever, right?  I think this is a recent (past 60 years or so), American, thing where everyone has to have their own room.  I want the boys (I LOVE saying "the boys") to be close, and I think sharing a room will bring them closer together.  I'm sure it will be an adjustment, and things might get thick for a while, but they can do it!  I also like this option because since they are so close in age, they will both still be in diapers, so I don't see the point in having 2 changing tables, 2 nurseries with the same things in them, etc.  I think I have already decided where the crib will go. 

This is what you see when you walk in the nursery.

I believe we will put the new baby's crib here.  It is directly across from August's crib.  We will either have to get shorter curtains or do something because I know the curtains can be a hazard.  The glider rocker will either go in our room for the first few weeks or it will go in the corner next to the boys' closet.



This is August's crib.

This is the view if you were standing in front of the dresser/changing table.  That door goes to the closet.  Don't mind the diaper genie and tubs in the floor.  Since we switched to cloth diapers (post on that soon, I promise!!), we haven't been using the diaper genie.  The tubs are out because I am bringing out the 18 month/24 month clothing.....say what?!

This is the "junk room."  All of the furniture will be going to my bro, and then the room will be ready for me to get my hands on!

Another view from the doorway.

So that's the happenings around here as far as planning/preparations go.  I am so excited to start planning for this baby.  This is one of my favorite parts about being pregnant!  I loooove to change things around, and I love anticipating the baby's arrival.  I am over the moon excited!!!  :) 

Easy Bathroom Cleaning

I have been making my own cleaner for about 2 and 1/2 years now.  It saves us soooo much money!  We have seriously bought the ingredients to make it one time, and we still have plenty of the ingredients left.  I posted about the homemade cleaner I make HERE.  (Update on the recipe: I don't use the essential oil anymore, but I do use Gain scented dishwashing liquid.  It smells so fresh and clean!  I prefer it.)  I didn't come up with the recipe myself, it's from the Dr. Oz website.  I leave the cleaning concoctions up to the pros!  I also use some of these ingredients when I made glass cleaner, floor cleaner, etc. so I definitely get my money's worth.

I recently had this "duh" moment.  Whenever I'm in the bathroom, which can be quite frequent during these pregnant days, I always notice what needs to be cleaned.  Faucet needs to be wiped off, sink needs to be cleaned out, trash can needs to be wiped down, etc.  It's little daily maintenance things that would take 2 seconds if I had my cleaning stuff in there with me. 

But by the time I'm walking out the bathroom, August needs tending to, the phone is ringing, the clothes need to be switched over to the dryer, etc., and the bathroom gets bumped way down on the priority list.   So I decided I need to have my cleaning products in the bathroom with me so I can get it done while I'm in there.  I'm sure many of you already do this; I'm just a little slow.  :)

So the other night when I was mixing up some cleaner, I made some extra for a couple small cleaning bottles I got from Walgreen's.  They were $1.99 each.  I'm sure you could get them cheaper from the dollar store, but I just picked them up while I was in Walgreen's one day.  I just halved the recipe for each bottle.  Here they are, ready to use!  One of them was just shaken, guess that's why it looks different.  I bought the smaller bottles in blue so that they would match the bigger bottle.  Blue bottles = all purpose cleaner, Green bottle= glass cleaner, not pictured.

Side note, when adding the water, make sure you use warm water, otherwise your Borax will harden in the cold water.  I learned this that night.  You can kind of see the Borax chunks on the bottom in the bottle in the middle.  It will dissolve eventually.

So I just popped them under each bathroom sink with a roll of paper towels so I can clean while I'm in there.  I hope this was helpful for you!  If you would like to see a couple more homemade recipes I have tried, click the links below.


Homemade Laundry Soap (Liquid version.  This post also has a cost comparison, if you are curious as to how much money making your own really saves.) http://newlywedhares.blogspot.com/2012/01/homemade-laundry-soap.html

Homemade Laundry Powder (We currently use this and prefer it.  To me, it's easier to make than the liquid version.  I typically make a big batch by tripling the recipe.  The grating goes really quickly if I use my Kitchen Aid mixer attachment.  You can of course do it by hand though.  If I have enough time, I will run it through the food processor to make it super fine.  I think it's more like store-bought powder that way.  Also, instead of storing it in a class container with a screw top lid, I now store it in a glass container that has the metal latch flip up thing.  LOL.  Maybe you know what I'm talking about.  It's easier that way because I can get the powder out one handed since I sometimes have a baby on the hip.  Haha.  Tripling the recipe has lasted me for months and months!)  http://newlywedhares.blogspot.com/2012/04/homemade-powdered-laundry-detergent.html

You're So Vain...

So this post is a little embarrassing for me to write, but I need some accountability here.  In the past several months, I have been taking on a "less is more" philosophy.  We had a yard sale, and I made some good progress cleaning out things that we don't use.  I begged Adam to get rid of things/clothes he doesn't need anymore, but I still have some things of my own that could free up some major space in our little house.  

Yes, I have been hiding a dark secret under our bathroom counter.  Apparently I have been hoarding........ 

beauty products.

In all honesty, I knew I had a good amount of products down there, but I didn't realize how much was down there.  I mean really, who needs 4 cans of mousse and 3 cans of hairspray?

Hair stuff

Body stuff

Smell goods

Basket is random makeup I don't use very often, and makeup bag holds makeup I wear every day.  Oh look, is that another can of hairspray?  Make that 4 hairsprays total.

And no, the random makeup was not already organized in this little basket.  It was shoved in plastic drawers and other random places.  

So given that I own half of the contents of Walgreen's, I have put myself on a makeup strike.  I have actually been on it the past month or more.  I am not buying any makeup unless I have completely run out of something (for example, mascara.  I use up my mascara, and I don't have any old ones I've held onto because they start growing bacteria after 3 months.  Yuck!  That should be the only thing I would need though).  I am also ashamed to say that it has probably helped us out a ton financially.  I don't know what it is, but I just have trouble going into Walgreen's or somewhere like that without feeling like I need to buy something that smells good or is supposed to make me look pretty.  I think that is the world getting into my head. The world gives us girls the message that we are never pretty enough....or we would be pretty enough if we just had this one product.  It's crazy.  So, enough!  

I am calling this "Project Use It Up!"  Catchy, I know.  :)  I am going to use up all of my products.  Yep, all of them!  

Well, except for these.

Headed to the trash!

These guys are either super old, all used up, or a prime example of why you don't buy a supposed to be expensive foundation off of ebay. (Josie Maran!)  

So anyway, "Project Use it Up!"  I am doing this with not only beauty products, but shampoo, conditioner, chapstick, etc.  All of that stuff that we (or I anyway) never actually use up before buying the next thing.  So far, this has actually been a very freeing experience.  I like not having to feel like I need to buy something.  I think worldly stuff just gets in the way.  I believe the more stuff we have, the more our stuff owns us.  Think about it, we get bigger houses because we run out of room.  But how much stuff are we holding onto that we really don't need or use anyway?  I don't want to be owned by my stuff.  I want to have room to breathe, room to serve others, room to fill my heart with Christ.  This is just one of the little steps I am doing to clear my head and my heart so that God can have all of me.  If you would like to join me on "Project Use It Up," just leave me a comment below and let me know!  It feels much more official and accountable if you tell others you are doing it.  Have a great day!

Mommy's Day Out

Yesterday I had a much needed vacation.  You know you're a mom when you consider a trip to the gynecologist  by yourself a vacation.  It was bliss.  This was the first time I have been away from August by myself for more than a quick trip out.  I have been on about 3 dates with Adam and a trip to the grocery store.  That's about it.  So I took full advantage.

My husband has Fridays off, so he kept August.  I went to my 9:30 appt with the lady doctor, and then I was a free woman!  I called Adam to check in, and he reassured me that everything was fine and that I should get out and enjoy the morning.  I didn't argue. :) There was some milk stashed in the freezer that I had pumped, so they were set.  I had $11 in my wallet that was my spending money I had been saving for a rainy day, so I picked up a caramel frappuccino, and I was ready to go!  That brought me down to $5 and some change.  Sad, but worth it!

I stopped in at my favorite store.  It was so nice to walk around with no agenda, just browsing.  I saw several things that caught my eye.  I reminded myself before I went in that I have $5 ish, and that's it.  No more!  It was kind of freeing actually not feel like I needed to buy everything I saw.  Here are a few things I liked though. :)

I really like this pillow.  I love stripes and the nautical look.  This pillow was HUGE, and it was only $9.99.  I definitely would have gotten it if I could have!

This is my favorite aisle.  No doubt.  Adam can attest to that.  I love pillows for changing out decor.  It's a lot easier than changing a paint color or something like that.  I like to choose neutral furniture, neutral paint, and neutral bedding, and then I can switch out the pillows to change the look or colors of the room.  Saves lots of money too!  

I looove faux plants.  They actually make ones that look real now.  I have  them in almost every room of the house.  I can't keep live plants.  They don't survive.  So fake plants= money saved! :)

I love this!  I saw it sitting on a shelf with a twin.

Our kitchen opens up into the living room, so it would be really cool to have these up in the corners of the  opening.  It would give some character I think.  They were $25 a piece. 

This pot was pretty cute.  It was only 7.99 I think.  It would be neat for putting  a (real) house plant in, or  putting your kitchen utensils in.  

I didn't check to see the price on this, but this would make a really cute toy chest for August's nursery.  It doesn't have  hinges, so no smashed fingers, and the top is really light so he could open and close it easily.  Plus the style matches his vintage beach themed room.

While I was there, I decided to try on some clothes.  Do you know that I have never tried on clothes just for fun?  Why not!

I really like this skirt.  So feminine.  It was $15.

I also found a bag of like 20 spools of ribbon for only $5!  It was about 3/8" wide, which was the perfect size for a craft project  I have been wanting to do, but I wanted to check out some other stores before I committed my $5. :)  So I headed over to Michael's.  I LOVE crafts.

After making my rounds through the store, I found the dollar bin.  They had a ton of cute things in the dollar bin.  I ended up getting a pack of 8 Paula Deen greeting cards and really cute bag of confetti.  I like to keep blank greeting cards on hand (especially when they are so cheap) because you can use them for thank you cards or birthday cards.  It's a definite money saver since you can spend $3 plus stopping at Walgreen's for one birthday card.  I got the confetti for a sensory bag I plan on making for August.  I think it will be something quiet to hopefully keep his attention during church.  I'll do a post on that after I make it.

With $2 and some tax down, I had $3.75 left.  I headed over to Joann's fabrics.  I have never been there before, but I had been wanting to check it out.  I really wanted to get some fabric scraps for a project, but I wanted some ribbon too.  I was excited when I found this bin!

  I found some scraps that fit into the budget, but then I remembered a few scraps I had at home and decided I needed some ribbon more.  I wasn't heartbroken over the pack at TJ Maxx since it had several spools that I didn't care for.  I ended up finding 3 little spools of ribbon I loved but didn't have a price.  I planned for my $3.75 not to cover it, but I went to check out anyway.  Turns out, each spool was $1, so final cost was $3.28!  Covered it with change to spare. :)

Here's my final "haul!"  

It's amazing how much you value a dollar when you're limited to working with the few bucks you have in your wallet.  I enjoyed the challenge of stretching my money, but more than that, I enjoyed the break.  It was so nice to just get out and go.  I missed August dearly, but I felt like a new woman by the time I got home!  I think every mom needs a break every once in a while.  I'm so grateful to Adam for encouraging me to spend some time out.  He is one awesome hubby.  Oh, and I have to also brag that he got August down for his morning nap this morning and then made us pancakes and eggs for breakfast while I snoozed on the couch.  My allergies were all out of whack for some reason.  So, I am officially spoiled!  What do you do for some mommy time?  Anything you like to do at home for some mommy time when you can't get out?  I hope your Saturday is wonderful!  I will definitely be enjoying mine!

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

You might remember a while back when I posted how to make your own Homemade Laundry Soap.  You can find that link HERE.  I have used that recipe for about a year and a half, and I love it!  However, I was interested to try a homemade powdered detergent, and that is what I'm going to share with you today.  The powdered detergent is less time consuming but is still a big money saver!  It uses the same ingredients as the liquid version.  Here is what you will need.

1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, and 1 bar of Fels-Naptha.  You can also use Zote, Dr. Bonner's, or Ivory Soap.  I prefer the Fels-Naptha because I like the scent.

If you aren't sure what the Borax and Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda looks like, here are pictures.  You can find these products at Ace Hardware (that's where I get mine) or any other hardware store.  I also get the Fels-Naptha from Ace.

The first thing you want to do is to grate your bar of soap.  I prefer to use the grater attachment on my KitchenAid, but you can also grate the soap by hand.  I grated mine by hand this time.  Bonus: calories burned! ;) 

This is how much one bar of soap is grated.

Next, pour in 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Super Washing Soda.

Lastly, you need to stir it up really well so that the soap and the powders are mixed together.  Then just put it in a container.  You could put it in a tupperware container, a ziplock bag, or a glass jar.  I put mine in a glass jar I had on hand.

You only need 1 Tablespoon per load, so this will actually last you for quite a while.  I use 2 Tablespoons for tougher loads, like Adam's hockey clothes.  Yuck! :)  The amount in this recipe will probably last me about a month and a half to 2 months or so.  Next time I make this, I will double the recipe so that it will last me longer. Better to get all that soap grating done at once! You can work out both arms! :)  Haha.  I hope you found this recipe helpful, and I hope it saves you money! 

Our Dresser Was Featured!

Our dresser redo for our son's nursery, found HERE, was featured on the Power of Paint blog!  Check out the feature HERE. 

You might remember when our countertops were also featured on the Power of Paint.  Click HERE for the countertop feature, or go HERE to see how we dabbed in a little countertop paint and transformed our kitchen! 

If you haven't already checked out the Power of Paint blog, you should!  There are lots of great "how to" projects on there all using the power of paint.  Thanks for reading!

Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

Yesterday I was doing some cleaning up around the kitchen and realized that I was about out of my homemade cleaner.  I have been using this cleaner for over a year and have only bought 1 other cleaner since I started using it.  (That one other cleaner was a Clorox foaming cleaner for our nasty tub.  I don't recommend the foaming kind by the way; it wasn't very helpful.)  I found this recipe on Dr. Oz's website, so yes, it's doctor approved!  It's great because there are no toxic chemicals, which means it's ok to breathe into your throat and lungs.  Also, since you aren't buying a million bottles of different types of cleaners, it reduces waste.  Sounds pretty good, huh?  Here's what you will need.

1 empty spray bottle (I found mine in the dollar section at Ace Hardware last year.  I'm sure you can find them at the Dollar Tree, Walmart, etc), 2 Tbsp of Borax, 6 Tbsp of white vinegar, 4 cups of water, 2 Tbsp of dish soap (I use Ajax cause it's the cheapest at my grocery store), and 2 drops of essential oil (optional, for fragrance if you don't want it to smell like vinegar.  Peppermint essential oil would be a good, clean scent.) Not pictured: funnel.

I acually cheated a little bit on the essential oil part.  This is what I use for $1.00 from Dollar General.  It's not technically essential oil, but it's an oil that's scented. :)  You can make several batches of cleaner from this tiny bottle.



They have different scents.  The one I am using is called Ocean Breeze.  If you are trying to find Borax, it looks like this and can be found at Ace Hardware and other home improvement stores.  I would say you could also find it at Walmart.

Using a funnel, measure and pour the ingredients into the empty spray bottle.  Make sure you use a funnel, otherwise this is going to make a big mess and most of the products won't go into the spray bottle.

Make sure you put the products into the bottle in the order that they are listed in the ingredients above.  If you put the dish soap in before the water, then you will have a big bubbly mess when you put the water in. :)  After all of the ingredients are in, screw the lid on and give it a good shake.  Now you're ready to clean!

Don't forget to label your bottle.  I just put some clear tape on the bottle and wrote "All-Purpose Cleaner."  That way everyone in the house knows what it is and what it is for (basically anything).  I use this cleaner for daily kitchen cleaning, daily bathroom cleaning, etc.  If you need something more heavy duty if the tubs get bad or if someone has been really sick, then I would go for something with bleach in it to get all the nastiness out. 

Happy cleaning!