Much to my reader's dismay (I'm sure), my latest addiction has been reading homeschool blogs. I read them, I click on all of their links, I scour their sources, and I have gleaned lots of useful information, and of late, a little bit of guilt.
No one is Super Mom who can do it all--we all have priorities--but I have discovered new and useful ways to help our household. Since work has been slow for my husband, I have really been trying to cut costs and to help in any way possible. So, while reading about the numerous homeschool families with 12 children who live in 3 bedroom houses (yes, that equals more than 4 children per room since mom and dad usually have a room just for them and perhaps the newest addition), I wonder how on earth they can pay for everything. I love reading their advice, and now I plan to implement some of it.
Goal #1 (lists just seem to work for me lately---uh oh--I really am turning into my mother!)
Make my own laundry soap. Is it really easy? Is it really cheaper? Does it really work? I shall find out!
Goal #3
Clean out the freezer in the garage. We have some very old deer meat out there, I'm sure, so I need to clean that out. Also, there is still gunk from the great meltdown of '08, so I need to actually clean the freezer as well. Yes, I've found enough guts to admit I haven't cleaned it yet.
Goal #2
Try out being an OAMC (Once A Month Cook) for one month. I have discovered I love fresh food, and I've recently begun experimenting with new foods, so I'm not sure how this will work. However, I've also noticed I go through the entire kitchen at night if I don't have a plan, and my husband does as well. Now, I did mention the OAMC possibility and he immediately said, "That doesn't sound good," meaning, "That sounds gross." So, we'll give it a whirl and see what happens. I found a really awesome OAMC link, Once a Month Mom, that gives monthly menus and grocery lists available for print.
Of course I've read about the families that don't use paper towels or napkins (or other disposable paper products), but I just can't see doing laundry for that many napkins, etc. (Roses is a napkin hound, using at least two at each meal), so perhaps these will be later goals.
Have any of you tried OAMC? Making your own laundry soap? What works/doesn't work for you?
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I have never tried OAMC idea....was always a little weirded out by it! lol Like you said, I enjoy fresh cooking so I think that is why I shy away.
ReplyDeleteI have never thought of making my own laundry soap!!! One question..does the recipe make it completely free of dyes and perfumes and will it be easy on your laundry? I am considering making gourmet soaps!
I will admit I hardly use paper towels! They can be pricey and I get tired of how quickly I go through them when I do have them here. So I avoid them when possible. I do use paper napkins though....I have enough laundry to do without adding napkins to the mix. lol Now if I had a real laundry room then I might consider it.
Update us on how it goes....this should be interesting! lol
The recipe I found for laundry soap can be free of dyes and perfumes if you so choose. It calls for a bar of soap, any kind, so perfume/dye free is dependent on that. Otherwise, it's just water and baking soda. I plan on making it, store most of it in a bucket, but pouring what I can into a used Tide container w/ a measuring cup lid.
ReplyDeleteCool! Can't wait to hear how it works for you.
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