Wednesday, January 18, 2012

When is enough, enough?

         Have you ever stopped and looked around at our ever changing life? have you ever wondered how much more we can cram into some thing so small? 
         Lately I have been looking at things different and have decided that I am an old sole trapped into a young body. Like really do you need your iPod hooked into your car radio what is wrong with just the plain old radio? Do you really lack the ability to parallel park? Do you need your car to be the computer that you are reading this on? Car's used to be basic and run fine. They used to be made out of strong metal not plastic and tin foil. ever see an accident of an old car and compare it to an accident today? There is a huge difference and back then there were no air bags that put off gasses that you really shouldn't breath. 
          I am not saying that every improvement in our life it not a good thing but some I think are just going a little to far. 
          What happened to the day when people wore cloths that lasted longer then a month and the jeans they bought were strong and didn't have holes already in them? I understand it is all about fashion and what you like but personally I like a pair of jeans that last at least a year and doesn't fall apart on me. Even right down to my shoes. I bought a pair of shoes when i was pregnant with Haily that i still wear. She is now 3. I have bought a new pair as the other ones were starting to fall apart but at least the $70 I spent on them were well worth it and i got 3 years out of them and still using them just not on a daily basis.  
        Cell phones really get me too. What happen to having a phone just to call and talk to someone on? Now your phone is everything from something to talk on to a camera to a e-mail to the web to texting to watching movies or reading books. WOW how much more can you cram into a thing that fits into your pocket before one day it just explodes?
              One thing that I do like it the fact that a TV is now no deeper then a inch and a half or so. LED TV, what more could you ask for it doesn't have that high pitched squeal an old tube TV has and it uses like no energy. That is a great improvement to me. 
      I just wonder what it is going to take for people to settle back down out of the fast paced life and money blowing to realize life can be simple. People used to have gardens and raise there own food and survive on there own they didn't depend on store and didn't have to have more and better things. What if tomorrow ever electronic in the world stopped working? Would you know what to do? Would you go through withdrawals like a drug addict? Who is really an addict? We all are in our own way there is one thing that we all can't live without we are completely addicted to it. It might be your phone your computer or an iPod or iPad. Can you put that down for a whole day and not look at it once or pick it up?
             I am sure there are many other things that have changed dramatically that i use everyday and don't think about but I do believe that somethings are better left alone. Why change a good thing? 
         Like gas? why add ethanol to our gas and make it so we are getting 2% to 40% less MPG? I am not sure if you have realized that you are filing up your gas tank a lot more then you used to but I sure have. I have a mini van that is a 1999 that used to get 400 miles to a tank (about 12 to 15gallons) now that same van is only getting about 250 to 300 miles per tank. this is a big change how is the ethanol helping our environment if we are using more of it and putting out the same amount of pollution? Not to mention all the engine problems it is causing in old cars and new ones. I have read that cars that are less then 10 years old take to the ethanol without a problem but why should I have to buy a new car if I don't want to? Is this just another way of the government controlling us? That is a whole other discussion i wont get into. But really people if you have the option and there were regular gas with no ethanol and gas with ethanol at every pump for the same price or even just 10cents more which would you choose? I would choose the plain old gas the one that got me 400 miles per tank not the ethanol 250 miles per tank. Why should we be forced to change if we don't want to? Funny how air plains don't run ethanol gas, that is because the ethanol causes to many problems in the engines to make it worth the change over. So if they are not forced to update there equipment why are we? I want to have the choice when i pull up to the pump without paying more. It takes more to make ethanol then gas so why should it be more expensive? They say ethanol is so much better and renewable well if that is the case make it cheaper. 
     So things to think about for anyone who reads this. When is enough enough for you? What can you live without? And do you want choices or just be forced to change for the good or not? Let me know what you think!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Winter Life

We have been enjoying relaxing lately. Been playing wii a lot with the kids and we are all having fun doing it. Most of the winter I spend hiding away resting up for the summer to come. The girls and I have been going to the library a lot lately and I have been reading a lot of books I have found that I read a lot faster then I ever did before. Reading about raising chickens and gardening trying to get ready for a large garden this year and chicks. Kids want to be able to go out and pick eggs and we think it will be a good learning experience for them to have chicks that grow and lay eggs. Looking forward to having a large garden to do a lot of canning all year long that way we have food all winter. Any little bit helps. Looking forward to simplifying our life a little and getting a lot done without a lot of money. I have a lot of things I want to do this year and I will be happy if I complete half of them!!!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Pictures of our house

Where the closet used to be!

 No more Stage!

Partial wall gone to make room for Riley's closet!

 Walls studded!

Walls studded from other end of house!


Last pictures are of the walls with some of the Sheetrock up! Need to get pocket door frames in order to finish Sheetrock!




Jeff finishing up Sheetrock between Riley and the girls bedroom!

Let me know what you think! Starting to look less like a barn and more like a house!!!

Laundry Soap

So as many of you know I have been making my own laundry soap for a while now. I think like 2.5 years. I have been asked how I make it and since I made more today I thought I would post what I use. I started making laundry soap after watching 18 kids and counting at the time now it is 19 and we don't have cable or dish so I can no longer watch. I follow Michelle Duggar's recipe with a little touch of me.

1 bar of favorite soap (grated)
1 Cup - 
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

5 gallon bucket
cheese grater
store bought laundry soap


Grate a bar of your favorite soap into a pot that is about half full of hot water. I almost boil this, making sure it is hot enough to completely melt soap.

In a 5 gallon pail put the 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and 1/2 Cup Borax with about 2.5 gallons of hot tap water. I don't measure the water just fill the pail about half full. Stir this until all melted and then add in the hot soapy water. I also add in about 25oz of store bought laundry soap. I do this because when I first started to make laundry soap i was noticing no matter how hot I got the mixture when it cooled i seemed to have clumps. I have found when adding some store bought laundry soap it doesn't clump. After mixing this all up I fill the bucket to about 2 inches from the top and stir again and then set aside for about a day to cool before i use it.

You can also add essential oils to this if you wish I have not tried doing so I use faberic softener sheets that are scented and have no need for more scent.  I am sure you are thinking WOW 5 gallons of laundry soap but in reality when you take your old laundry jugs and fill them with your homemade laundry soap you only fill them half way and the rest with water. So you are really making 10 gallons for little to no money and time. I make this by myself in about 10 minutes. I have found it works just as good as any laundry soap I can buy at the store and it is cheap!!!








Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Shopping!

Something I love to do but hate to spend money!!! So today the girls and i went shopping to pick up household items and food. We did pretty well, we saved over $60 all in coupons. That doesn't include the difference from store brand and mark downs. Anyway the girls were really good even though we were in the store 2 hours! Still managed to forget a few things but that is ok since i do not buy meat there i wait and buy local. Really excited to raise our own food this year and not have to spend so much at the store!

Tomorrow the girls and I will be making Apple Pie and Laundry soap. I will post the recipe for the soap when we are done and maybe even some pictures!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Chicken pox

Chicken pox is circulating around the town i live in and i have choose to expose my girls to it. There are many pro and cons to all of this. My hopes are that they will break out and become immune to it there for not having to get the vaccine. So anywhere from today to 21 days from now if they did get it they will be spotted or not!

 On the other hand not much is new but i thought i would let any one who is interested know that I think the Leap Frog Explorer Tablet is amazing! It was bought for my youngest (Hailey) for Christmas. The older kids Riley and Chloie got ds lites. I have found they all prefer to play on the Leap Frog Tablet. It is age appropriate for each of them and everything gets harder the better you do keeping them always learning. We have not bought games for it yet but it did come with Mr. Pencil and some other apps already loaded on it. I do think that some of there prices for other things are a little expensive. But the good part is what you load on to it from there on-line site is not just another game that is going to get lost! I see it as a great purchase if you have little kids. It ranges from pre k to 6th grade so looks like it will be around my house for a while!!!

On the other hand we took the whole weekend off from working on the house and spent time as a family. So hope to get the last little bit of walls up this week and weekend. Then it is just a little at a time with electrical and sheet rocking the inside of the bedrooms!!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Resisting erges

Well, today we have been playing wii and reading. I started a new book on my kindle. Seems like a good book so far.

So on to the erg, I have wanted a Canon Rebel XSi for like 2 years or more, may not have been that model before then but have wanted one for a long time. Due to it being January and everyone is getting rid of there old things because they got new for Christmas I have found one that is reasonable priced but my goal for the year was to spend less and not fall into these traps. So hard to fight the erg we will see if i can make it past or if I end up with a new used camera!

Something i tried new today that I found on-line was rinsing my hair with 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water. I used apple cider vinegar cause that is what i had. What i have noticed: smooth hair!!! not sure if it is shinier but it is like silk feeling! Guess i will start doing this more often!!!

Up date on the house we put up the wall separating our bedroom with the house. Still need to put up one more piece of Sheetrock but in order to do that we need to do a few little things. Nothing major just decided to spend time with family today instead.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Chocolate Syrup

Yesterday i made some chocolate syrup from scratch. Found the recipe online and i tried it this morning I loved it!!!
This is what i used:
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup coco
1 cup water
pinch of salt
1tsp vanilla
1 old cleaned out ketchup bottle

Brought sugar, coco, and water to boil added salt then boiled for 1 to 2 min and took off heat mixed in vanilla and let cool. Than i put it in the ketchup bottle to refrigerate and tried it this morning. I love it was great seemed like i didn't need to use as much as the store brand.

The 2012 Change

So I don't do resolutions, I choose to call them changes in my life! Most people make resolutions and never keep them. Since i make changes it seems to work! In 2012 I plan on making a bunch of changes. Here are some of them:
Start making things i can from scratch - This doesn't mean i am going to throw away everything i have. I am going to continue using the things i currently have until they are gone and then make the same or similar product here at home with hopefully less chemicals. This includes meals, laundry soap, window cleaner etc.
Eat out Less - Last year we spent about $1000 eating out. I don't want that to happen again this year. I am not saying that i wont go out dinner once and a while but the drive through at McD's is not in my range this year!
Work on our house - This may sound strange to many but we recently bought a Dance Hall and for the past 6 months have been in the process of turning it into a house. We are trying not to run up debt making it what we want. So slow and steady is how it is here!!
More Family Time - Yes we do everything as a family now but i would like to have more quality family time that is not in front of the TV or running errands. I want that around the camp fire telling stories with no phones!!
Raising animals for food - Yup we have raised a pig before and it was great. We plan on doing it again. The kids have also asked for chickens so they can go pick the eggs!!! So in the spring we will be adding to our pet list!!

This is where i am leaving my first post. More to come soon and i will be posting pictures!