Homemade Laundry Detergent

Okay you thrifty people. I have finally taken on the task of making my own laundry detergent.  I was actually in the grocery store picking up a box of Arm & Hammer lavender powder detergent, i was looking up price comparison to see if Amazon subscription could actually save the family some cash, when in my results came up Mother Earth News for make your own lavender laundry detergent.  The ingredients were so simple.  They had a quantity set to last for one year and I made enough for 3 months (didn't have a big enough container).

Recipe:

1 year for family of 4

16c.     Baking Soda
12c.     Borax
4c.      Castile Soap bar grated
3 TBS. essential oil

I chose to forgo the essential oil and used a bar of Dr. Bronner's soap in Lavender.

I also added BioKleen Oxygen bleach ( socks people..for the sake of having white socks!) Didn't measure cause i had a small amount left and the tube says to add only a few Tablespoons to a load, so I'm not worried that there is too much.

Once everything was in the canister I closed the lid tight and shook it to mix all ingredients.

The dosage per load is 1/8th cup.  Awesome!  And the original recipe is supposed to last for one year.  I broke the formula down ( actually did math sans calculator..amazing!) for 3 months and wrote it on one side of the canister so I'd always have it.  I also stuck a 1/8c. measure in there, a cheap little plastic one so if it breaks down it's not a big deal to replace.

Directions on top of lid for those who don't normally do the laundry so half of it is not used in one load. 

 This detergent took me about 10 minutes to make because of the grating but it was so worth it.  The smell from the Dr. Bronner's Soap is wonderful. 

Can't wait to see the results of my first load of laundry. 

Money break down:

Baking Soda store generic brand 4lbs or 64oz: $2.09 or 3¢ an ounce

Borax 76oz $3.38 or 4¢ an ounce.

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap Bar 5 oz: $3.54  or 7¢ an ounce

BioKleen Oxygen Bleach Plus 32 oz (amazon) $9.80 (w/ prime) 3¢ an ounce.


3 month recipe Cost

4C. Baking Soda = 12¢
3C. Borax =   12¢
2C. Castile Soap =  $1.12
1/2C. BioKleen (guessing i had a small amount in there) = 12¢

Total=  $1.48  for 3 months of detergent

How cool is that! It is way less then a single box of Arm and Hammer Lavender powder detergent.

This is too exciting.  Gonna need to get a larger canister to make more!  wow!

REVLON Colorburst Lip Butter review

I love the new balms by Revlon and L'oreal that are out!  They are creamy and soft and butter and provide just the color level i need.  Today's review is about the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter.  I got the shades: Strawberry Shortcake and Cotton Candy.

Got them at Ulta on a BOGO special.  Very happy about that.  I needed some nice pinks that were not feeling heavy on my lips..it's too hot here in Tejas to have heavy lipstick on, but gloss is too light. Thank goodness for the Colorburst Balm.  They are creamy, pigmented, light and moisturizing.  It has shea, coconut and mango butters that make it ultra moisturizing.

Here is the swatch:

On the left is Cotton Candy, on the right, Strawberry Shortcake.

I really love the creamy pink of Strawberry shortcake.  It's dreamy and so girly.  Cotton Candy shows up on me as a pink that has a hit of gold shimmer. It's got a more sheer application and looks delicate and fun.  Both made me smile. 

The balms run about $7.49 on Ulta and I've seen them for lower at Target and a few other places. Also don't forget you can get $1 off coupons on like ebay ( got like 6 $1 off coupons from ebay for like $2 bucks).   So that will make even more savings! 

What I like about these over the L'Oreal balms is that these have a longer staying power. I love the L'Oreal, they have a nice silky feel too, but the pigmentation of the Revlon is much better. So want to get more of these balms.

Great buy for hits of color and moisture!

My Fave Android Apps

I have been reading so many lists of apps that are fantabulous for one thing or another and I wanted to add my two cents in.I am so thrilled with my android phone. It is just too much fun being able to do a bunch of things in addition to calling, texting and emailing. I have a small list of apps that I heart, but they are goodies.

1. I Heart Radio: I love this one simply because I can listen to radio stations in NYC (aka home) while i put on my makeup.  103.5 KTU is my fave station.

2. Overdrive: This is awesome! I can dl audiobooks and eBooks from my public library and listen to them on the phone.  I hook it up to my car and have an audiobook streaming through my car speakers. Right now I'm finishing up Clive Cussler's Devil's Gate a Kurt Austin novel. Scott Brick is a great narrator.  DLing MP3s (not WMAs at this time) takes a bit of time but I usually DL audiobooks overnight so it doesn't interfere with regular day operations.

3. Kobo: This app is wonderful since I own a Kobo and this syncs with my Kobo for PC as well as any books I purchase at the KoboBooks site.  I love the new bookmark feature, which as a holdings editor (those who edit records and delete worn/damaged books from the library collection) and bibliophile I hate in physical books...I'm talking about dog earring corners of pages...it is great within the app features. You just touch the right corner of the screen and a small green dog ear appears. Tap again and it releases. No more waiting for a large green bookmark to drop down. The social aspect of the app i have not gotten into. when it coems to eBooks i'm very simple..Dl and read.  Love tech stuff at the library but off duty, I keep it simple...gets me thru my books quickly.  reviews can be accomplished on GoodReads.

4. Pandora: For when i get bored of I heart Radio. Try applying gel liner while dancing to salsa music..not pretty.

5. Zinio: Love this one. I got a wonderful offer for a year of Oxygen magazine for $5 thru Zinio. I love the PC reader. The app is even better because i have Oxygen on the go when i want to read it. Dling is a bit slow like audiobooks so best to plug it in and let it dl that way but I love the interface and how easy it is to read Oxygen or any of the free magazines Zinio offers. It sorts by date or title (so appeals to my library side) and it's just easy to read and work with.

6. Groupon: Love it! I get notifications on my phone and i can also still get updated via email but, the app is easier and i can purchase right then and there. Great for Red Robin dinners last minute when nobody feels like cooking.

7. mark. Mobile: I'm a mark. rep and it's cute app to shop and let others shop right on my phone and get orders in. It still needs a bit of tweeking but it's manageable enough. I love the pink all over the mobile site.

8. FreeGal Music: Another library app that is fab. Choose 3 free Mp3 downloads a week from the vast Sony music database. Dling is fast and searching for songs can be be accomplished through a search box or looking at the top 10 lists. Fun!

9. Workout Trainer by Skimble: This is a great free app that has a pro option, but i like the free account just fine for now. when I'm too tired or sore to slap on a video i can do a HIIT workout through Workout Trainer and get in a quick and hard workout. They have workouts sorted by likes, body part and length of time. There is a voice that will let you know when to prep for the next move and you can preview the workout movements before committing to a workout. 

10. You are Your Own Gym: This app costs $1.99 but is a good one. Based on the best selling book by hottie, Mark Lauren, this app takes his book a step further and allows for no excuses. No book fine..the app has all the moves and then some. Has the movements that start at semi-easy, go to semi-hard to hard ones for the really fit and strong. Cuing is a bit better here. Variations are also given and pictures are clear.  Select the Training tool and find circuits from beginner to elite and then configure the amount of time you want to dedicate to the HIIT workout and off you go. Bodyweight workouts are great.

No, I cold not do just a list of 10...

11. Word Drop: this is fun spelling game. Balls fall down you create a word and 5 more letters fall down in the screen. The object is to create longer words so you don't have a pile that breeches the blue line at the top of the screen. Letters do not have to be adjacent like in Bookworm and there are puzzle and panic games if you like to beat a clock. Great way to pass time at the DMV and such.

12. EBSCOhost: Ah... the best for last.  If you need to do research, EBSCO is one of my fave brands for databases. Easy interface and great features. But oh, what if i don't have my laptop and wish to recall a few articles in my "folder?" Enter the EBSCO app. You can search, sign in and access your folder and articles all on you smartphone. You get a free 9 month key from the bottom of the EBSCOhost database interface (try your local library site or if you are with an academic institution that carries EBSCohost login in on PC or laptop thru there. Have the key emailed to you and then download the app and sign-in in with the key.  It's pretty cool having a resource that powerful on your phone. LOVE it!


I hope you like my list. There are a few more but I'll save that for another entry.  Let me know what are your faves and if you have any recommendations for apps that are fun or interesting.