7 Things Sunday

Wow.....so this is really late.  Without any more delay here are my 7 things!

1. Nate will find out today (hopefully) whether he got a job at Allegiance Health so we are trying to wait patiently!

2. Nate also graduates on Saturday!  We can't believe it's already here...it feels like we just moved down here!

3. I'm so excited for this one!  I GOT A HAIRCUT!!!  I have been wanting to cut my hair for so long!  This last weekend I went to my sister-in-laws house and she cut it for me!  Thanks so much Anne...here are some before and after pics

Before

After

This is how I styled it....Anne did a much better job than I did but I don't have any pictures from when she did it.

4.  Little miss Nataleigh is getting on all fours and rocking back and forth...sometimes she lunges forward but hasn't quite figured out the whole crawling thing yet.  She is also starting to cruise!  My life is about to change once she masters these two skills!  She also loves to stand against furniture and pound on them...it's cute :D  So I said a couple weeks ago that Nataleigh is starting to teethe....I was RIGHT!!!  I looked in her mouth yesterday morning and she has a couple of tooth buds that look like they are getting ready to poke through!  On the flip side I am lacking some major zzzz's!  I don't think I slept but maybe 3 or 4 hours last night and it was also interrupted.  Please pray for some good sleep tonight and this weekend since it is going to be so busy!

Here are a couple pictures of Nataleigh.

                         Nataleigh in her crib trying to crawl.

                          

Trying to lookout of the window at one of the apartments we may move to if Nate gets the job.

                                    One of my favorite pictures!

       I know this picture isn't very clear but you can clearly see two buds!

5. Our family has been going through a lot of trials...I'm not going to go into details but if you could please keep us in your prayers my family would greatly appreciate it!

6. My future sister in law has decided on the dress for the bridesmaid dresses for her wedding...and the winner is:

The one strap!  Now does anyone have any good arm exercises since mine look like elephant arms???  Please let me know!

7. Last but not least....this one has been difficult to think of but here it is.  Motherhood is a very interesting thing.  We care for our children 24/7/365 and it is so rewarding.  The other day Nataleigh was having  a rough day (she was really tired and teething) and I was holding her and she fell asleep on my shoulder!  I was so amazed!!!  Nataleigh is a very independent little girl and isn't very cuddly but she was for a few days and both Nate and myself got to hold her and cuddle with her till she fell asleep on us.  We were at Walmart today shopping for some baby stuff and we were in the clothing section and came across some preemie outfits....(Nataleigh was 3 1/2 weeks early so she could only fit into preemie clothes) and we were amazed how much she has grown and how tiny she was when she came into this world.  Nate said, "I want a baby!"  I agreed but in the Lord's timing :D

Well that is all for now....I will have a new 7 Things Sunday this coming Sunday....things will hopefully be more calm and I will have more time to get it done.

Till next time!

Homemade Glass Cleaner & All-Purpose Cleaner

These are the last two homemade cleaning recipes.  I will post some other homemade recipes of other things later!  Anybody know what I am going to post next???  Does anyone have any suggestions they would like to see???

Glass Cleaner:
3 Tablespoons of Rubbing Alcohol or Ammonia
1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
Purified Water

Pour 1st two ingredients into a 16oz spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water.  Shake and spray.

All-Purpose Cleaner:
1/4 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Baking Soda or 2 teaspoons Borax
Dish Detergent (few drops)
Purified Water

Pour all ingredients into 16oz spray bottle and fill rest of the way with water.  Shake until dissolved.

Here are some extra facts:

1. Most cleaning supplies contain Toxic and harmful chemicals that if ingested or touch the skin can cause permanent damage.  Some cleaners contain carcinogens.  These recipes DO NOT!!!

2. NEVER MIX BLEACH WITH ANY ACIDS SUCH AS AMMONIA OR VINEGAR!  IT CAUSES TOXIC AND DANGEROUS FUMES!!!

3. High Efficiency or HE washing machines require low sudsing soap because they use a lot less water.  The homemade laundry detergent recipe is perfect for this as it is extremely low sudsing-You don't have to pay extra!!

4. Vinegar added to laundry WILL NOT make your clothes smell bad.  Vinegar is a perfect softener because it dissolves soap residue (which makes clothes stiff).  It can also be put in the Downy Ball.

5. All ingredients are non-toxic and environment friendly!

6. You can add food coloring to all of these recipes to help kids tell what each solution is.

Happy Cleaning!

Till next time!

Homemade Furniture Polish & Disinfectant

Here are a few more recipes!

Furniture Polish:
1 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Lemon Juice

Mix into jar and use flannel rags.

Disinfectant:
2 teaspoons Borax
4 Tablespoons Vinegar
3 Cups hot Water

Put Borax and Vinegar in a spray bottle first and then add the hot water.  Mix well.

Happy Cleaning!

Till next time!

Homemade Dishwasher Soap

This recipe is extremely easy and is very, VERY cost effective!  How much does it cost per load you ask?  It averages out to about 1 cent per load!!!!  Now that is SUPER exciting!  So without any further ado here is the recipe.

Dishwasher Soap:
1 1/2 cup Borax
1 1/2 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Table Salt

Mix together in a plastic container and use 1/4 cup per load.  Use White distilled Vinegar for the rinse aid.

I have used this and its fantastic!  I was so surprised how well the vinegar made things shine and it doesn't even smell like vinegar!

Happy Cleaning!

Till next time!

Floor Cleaner & toilet/tub scrub

Here are the recipes to make floor cleaner & toilet/tub scrub

Floor Cleaner:

1 cup white Distilled Vinegar
1 gallon purified water

Mix in a bucket and clean.  For wood floors just use 1/2 cup of Vinegar.  Do not get wood overly wet or pour directly on.  You can add a couple drops of lemon or orange essential oils for a fresh smell!

Toilet & Tub Scrub:
1/2 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Lemon Juice

Pour in and let soak for a few minutes....it will foam/bubble up.  Scrub away and admire your nice clean toilet & tub! 

Happy Cleaning!

Till next time!

Homemade Dryer Sheets and Liquid Softner

I am just so excited that I can share these cost saving homemade cleaning recipes with everyone!  For those of you that don't have a lot of extra money and want to be thrifty these recipes are for you.  They are really easy to make and don't take a lot of time to do so either.

Dryer Sheets:
Old Flannel shirts (if you don't have one go down to Goodwill or a thrift store and purchase one that is inexpensive)
Liquid Laundry Softener

Cut flannels into squares.  Make a mixture of 1/2 liquid softener and 1/2 clean water in a large glass mason jar.  Soak flannel in the jar overnight then hang them out to dry.  Use 1 square per load, lasts about 5 loads.  Just wash and replace flannel squares back into the jar to remake.

OR

Spray a mixture of vinegar and a few drops of Essential Oils (you can find these at a Farmer's Market that are pretty inexpensive but great quality!) to a clean rag (or flannel) and toss in dryer.  Lasts 4 loads.

Liquid Softener:
1/4 cup distilled White Vinegar

Happy Cleaning!

Till next time!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

If you are not a fan of powdered laundry detergent then this one is probably for you! 

Liquid Laundry Detergent
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Arm and Hammer WASHING Soda
1/2 bar of Fels Naptha

Directions:
Fill a pot with 1 gallon purified water (or rain water) and bring to simmer.  While the water is heating grate the soap on a cheese grater or with your food processor (takes about 15 seconds!)  Just before water boils pour 1/2 gallon in another pot and set aside.  Put the grated soap into one of the pots.  When the soap is fully dissolved add Borax and Washing Soda.  Stir until fully dissolved.  Fill a 2 gallon bucket with remaining 1/2 gallon of warmed water that was set aside.  Pour in soapy solution.  Fill the rest of the bucket with 1 gallon of cold water.  Stir and let sit for 2 days until congeals.  Use 1/2 cup per load or 1 cup for hard water.  Can be used in High Efficiency machines.  If clothes are extra soiled add some Oxyclean to the load.  Makes 2 gallons.  Average cost per load 7 cents!  Gotta love it!

Happy cleaning!

Till next time!