Economical

Holy Cow! It's been a long time since I've posted. Sorry about that. I have been busy finishing a college degree - which means more student loans - which means me trying to save money and cut corners. There are a few things I have done to save money that I feel I will stick with even should I win the lottery. They just make sense. So I thought I would share some of my favorite do-it-herself recipes with you.


Laundry Detergent

Even before student loans I really hated spending money on laundry detergent. That stuff is expensive! One day a fellow science teacher handed me a recipe for liquid laundry soap. It was okay but a bit of a pain to make. After I discovered pinterest I found the following recipe that I love:

      1 (4lb 12 oz) box of Borax
      1 (3lb 7oz) box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda - I usually find this at Ace Hardware
      1 (3lb) container of Oxyclean - optional but highly recommended
      2 bars of either Zote Soap or Fels Naptha - found easily in grocery stores or hardware stores
      1 (4lb) box Arm & Hammer baking soda - yep, they make them that big!
      1 bottle of Purex Crystals or Scentsy washer whiffs

Use a cheese grater on the bars of soap - the most time consuming part of the project. Mix it up with the rest of the ingredients. I use a giant bowl but a bucket would also be a good choice. After all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed put in any type of receptacle. I bought a giant glass jar and lid from Shopko. It makes me feel very Martha Stewart.

I made my last batch in January - it's now July and I still have a ways to go!

Body Scrub

I love body scrub - but I found myself not using very much to make the pricey stuff I like last longer. Well that's no fun!  So I concocted my own recipe. Billy loved it - I love it and now Ella begs me to make it for her. Make it fresh before your shower:

                            Sugar -  how much? - depends on how much scrubbing you want to do!
                            Olive oil - add to the sugar until slightly moistened. About 2-3 Tablespoons.
                            Moisten the rest with your favorite body wash - I prefer Dr. Bronner's
                                   Make sure it it just moistened - too much liquid and it's not a scrub anymore

Scrub away - yep, that's it. Sometimes I add some fresh squeezed lemon. It's great for your skin.


I'm thinking about experimenting with dishwasher detergent and fabric softener next. I'll let you know how that works out...

Erin's Favorite Things

Well, I know I haven't updated this blog in awhile, and for that I am sorry. It was a bit busy the last two months with the holidays. We had a blast seeing family and friends from near and far. One of my favorite traditions during the holidays is annual showing of "The Sound of Music". One of my favorites. It never get's old.

I like when Maria sings about her favorite things. I have a lot of favorite things. The problem is I have champagne taste on a beer (a cheap beer) budget. But when all the bills are paid, and the kid is clothed and fed, I like to treat us to a little something that makes life fun.

So, now, in a new year I want to tell you about a few of my favorite things I bought, gave or did last year. Hopefully if you're looking for something new in your life I can give you some ideas.

1. The Lodge at Grand Canyon - I would go back here in a heartbeat. It's on the north rim of the the Grand Canyon and if you're looking for a quiet, relaxing vacation I highly recommend it. We stayed in an adorable little log cabin. Ella says "one of the best mother/daughter experiences was when we sat on the edge and looked down at the beauteous Grand Canyon"

2. Crossfit - Anyone that knows me well, knows how much I hate to exercise. Many years ago I was introduced to crossfit by friends Nell and Jeep. I guess I wasn't quite ready for it because I stopped going after a few months. Somehow, this past July, I got sucked back in. I have been going to the gym 3-4 nights a week since then to do these quick - hard - but with results torture sessions. We're trying to get Ella into crossfit kids but the 6 minute workouts seem to be too much for her ;)

3. Toad Hollow -  A lovely little sparkling white wine that I find delicious. Sure, I'd prefer some Veuve Clicquot, but again, cheap beer budget. Last year I took some to New Year's Eve and now several friends enjoy it too. I asked the liquor store to carry it last spring. As I was in there the other day picking it up for this New Year's the lady told me "People say this is pretty good" yeah, you're welcome lady liquor store owner. It retails for around $15.99

4. Lush - Ella wanted to take this one over, but I'll toss my opinion out first. Love. I saw a blurb on this store on Kare 11. I started some research. Since this year I have really started to watch what I put on my skin I was happy to see that Lush is completely organic (I'm already a faithful user of Aveda and Origins). I'm not a fan of weird chemicals all over my body. I told Ella to get me something from there for Christmas. She did. I love. We ended up getting friends gift's there too - there was something for everyone. My favorite item is their ultrabalm. Thank's to crossfit I have callousy man hands. It really helps soften those up. Now here's Ella - Well, my personal favorite is "fun". It's an awesome molding shampoo and soap. As you take your bath you can mold it into any shape you want and all the people that work there are really nice. And I love the bath bombs. They smell very nice and turn my bathwater pink.

5. Knoke's - A cute little candy shop that happens to make some fabulous truffles. It's located in Hudson, WI and I love a little treat from there now and again. The best chocolates I have ever consumed were when I was in Belgium, but these come in a close second.

6. 1448 California Red Table Wine - Again, beer budget, but I also happen to have a friend in the wine business. Occasionally I receive a bottle of this gem from him and man is it delicious. If you like a strong red with your red meat and/or chocolate then this is the one for you. I don't know where you find it or how much it costs - but if you run across it you might want to pick it up.

So my friends, it is my wish that you have a year filled with favorites. Here's to enjoying the little things in life.