DIY Laundry Soap

I appreciate DIY and think that it just adds that personal touch that everyone and every space needs.  DIY makes it personal and personalization never goes unappreciated. 

When I moved to Zionsville I have gained a whole other appreciation for DIY because I learned how great it can be for my pocket while also giving me something to do and be proud of.  I have lots of DIY plans but the ones I have been keeping up on are laundry soap and fabric softener.  I love doing laundry but hate spending so much money on all the soap so when I found this recipe on {none other than} Pinterest I knew I had to give it a try.  I love it! It is simple but works great.  It is 3 ingredients {Borax, Super Washing Soda and Fels-Naptha Soap} and hardly any measuring.  The "hardest" part is grating the soap, but just turn on your favorite movie and before you know it you will be done. 

Laundry Soap

{All ingredients can be found in the laundry aisle}
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Super Washing Soda
1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap (grated)
 

 I found a grater at Good Will and really like how fine it grates because it incorporates with the other ingredients very nicely.  A larger grater will work too because the soap will dry out and break into small pieces but the small makes sure that the soap is incorporated with every scoop per load.

When it is all mixed up it will look like this. Pictured is what one recipe makes. 

With each load you will use 1/8 cup of the soap.  1/8 cup is also equal to a coffee scoop and these can be found at Wal-Mart or your store of choice.

The soap is low sudsing so it is a great option for High Efficient washers. 

I do not have pictures of the fabric softener process but will provide the recipe that I use in case your are interested.  I was concerned about this recipe because it had so much vinegar but it smells nothing like that on clothes and again is simply amazing. 

Fabric Softner

6 Cups water
3 Cups white vinegar
2 Cups hair conditioner (use your favorite or the cheapest)

I heat all the ingredients {on low} on the stove because the hair conditioner incorporates easier and keeps the bubbles low.  Just a little side note: personally I use the cheapest hair conditioner from Wal-Mart because it is even cheaper than the dollar store ($.89 @ Wally World) even if it is only 15oz (just shy of 2 cups).

Enjoy!

What are your favorite DIY projects?

xoxo

Sunday Social

1. What is your ideal way to relax?

Laying around in my yoga pants and sweatshirt watching my favorite movie {Pitch Perfect is the choice this weekend} and eating popcorn.

  

2. Where is your favorite place to be?

My favorite place to be is in Andrew's arms or more simply just in the country.  I do not get to see him as much as I would like so the time together is very much treasured.

3. Who do you consider your biggest role model?

Mom for sure! We might have our moments but she is always my biggest cheerleader and supporter.  She is always there for me to give that mom advice that never goes out of style.

4. What does your life look like in 3 years?

I really hope I will be happily married to Andrew and thinking about starting our own family!

5. If you could go back and change one decision, what would it be?

I wouldn't change any decision I've made.  I live my life with no regrets and at one time that decision made me smile.  If it turns out as not the best choice then I learn from the mistake and move forward. 

6. What is your biggest accomplishment in life so far?

Leaving my comfort zone and everything I knew in South Bend to start my own life in Zionsville not knowing what to expect.  Life is full of surprises and I am here to enjoy the journey and make the most of it, even if being an adult isn't always the most fun!

This was my first time linking up with Ashley and Neely and I enjoyed myself!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

xoxo

Getting in the Slow Lane

Getting back into routine is never an easy task but I survived the first week back to work after two weeks off.  It was a great week, {although I was beyond exhausted} I enjoyed seeing all my great co-workers and students.  It was the little things, or as I like to say Sprinkles of Love, that got me through the week.  Sometimes I think we get caught up in the hustle-n-bustle of life and always wanting bigger and better things that we forget to slow down and appreciate what we have in front of us.


Naps were my life saver this week.  I think I had one everyday after work and although I feel guilty because there is always something that I could have been doing the naps were relaxing and obviously what I needed so I just embraced it. This is how I felt all week...haha

I made time everyday to spend time with my new devotional book and it is amazing how taking {quiet} time away from technology and just for yourself can make a difference in your mood and your future days. The tub is a great place to let your worries melt away and when you are in there you can't see everything else that "needs" to be done.

On Friday, I got news that I would be getting a raise and it would be reflected in my next check! This not only made my Friday brighter it gave me hope and once again showed me that prayers are answered.  I am thankful for small miracles. 

60 degrees. January. Indiana.  Who would have thought?! Although...you never know in Indiana, but this was the case on Saturday.  I keep saying my fellow Hoosiers and myself are special people because we can go from one extreme to the next and not think twice about it.  When little such things brighten my days though I take full advantage!

Have you looked around and appreciated the Sprinkles of Love in your life lately?

xoxo

Time Well Spent

The end of winter break is quickly approaching and although part of me is ready to go back to work and get back on my regular routine I was most excited to spend 2 days with the best friend any girl could ask for.  Lesley and I do not get to see each other near enough so when we finally get our girl time it is very cherished time.  If you know anything about either one of us we do not like to make decisions so there is never a game plan and we spend a ridiculous amount of time saying things like: "What do you want to do? Where do you want to eat? What should we do?"  But you know what, it is the time spent together that means so much to me.  We could sit in the same room just talking and I would be completely content.  We actually had a {very short} beautiful time together and it was very productive.

{side note--Lesley is my forever friend because...} Lesley is the friend I can tell everything to and she doesn't judge me but loves me unconditionally and gives me her full support.  I turn to her often with, relationship questions, my struggles with my faith or anything that is causing me trouble, my victories, my goals and everything in between.  Lesley is always there to support me and give me her honest opinion.  I know I can trust her to always be honest with me and make me see all sides to a situation.  Our friendship has grown exponentially over the 10 years that I have known her and everyday I am thankful for her and her beautiful friendship she offers. I hope everyone has a friend like this, everyone deserves the same peace I find in our friendship. WAIT... It gets better...15 months ago I fell in love with her cousin so someday we won't just be friends but family!

Ok...back to this wonderful, beautiful and exciting 2 days with my bestie.  We started by exchanging gifts with one another.  I love sending and receiving packages in the mail but being in person is always more special (unfortunately I did not get pictures of this, someday I will be get better at this).  The sight of belongings all over and things not put away, surprisingly made my heart very happy {this says a lot to anyone that know me}

We headed over to the apartment clubhouse to start our blog that we have been planning and talking about for awhile now.  We were super excited {dancing around acting crazy kind of excited} but it ended up taking us longer than expected to make it just right but after three locations, coffee and much thought we made it and love seeing all the love and support we already have.  You can read it {here}. 

It all started here...

...needed coffee to help the thoughts flow...

...finished it here, perfect place, right?

Such a beauty

Back home I finally got to watch the Kimmel wedding video.  As expected it brought tears, smiles and laughter to me.  Eyenamics does beautiful work and truly know how to capture the love of every bride and groom they work with.{here you can find their blog}  I CANNOT wait for them to capture my big day.  Having Eyenamics there will allow me and everyone to see the whole day no matter where you are, the video adds something more special that still frames alone cannot capture.  Eyenamics are you ready for me? HAHA. So glad I got to share in Lesley and Lane's special day even if I do look crazy in the video!

The next morning we weren't sure what the day would bring {no surprise here} but we started with breakfast (grilled PB&J and tea) and girl talk. Perfect.  We decided a visit to the container store was needed even if we were just window shopping.  That store is just full of inspiration, but hey girls can dream!

After sitting in the parking lot for a few minutes deciding what to...craft time was the winning decision! Another thing we have been wanting to do together for some time. Here is what we started with...

The goal was to use just two colors, a canvas and our fingers to make a bunch of circles.  We were not sure how this would work and when it came down to it we got really nervous.  We didn't want to mess it up and had such high hopes for our {cheap but cute} art work!  Once we got going it was so much fun and much easier than we had anticipated.   

They look good for being made with my finger, right? So I kept adding more dots...

Lesley adding dots

As more dots were added and we started overlapping we saw the need to have different shades of the two colors, so we added white to make lighter shades.

Close-up of the dots

Here are both canvases almost finished.  Looking at them we decided we wanted the top section more overlapped and in a larger section making us bring the more spacious dot section (the middle) farther down. They looked great thus far though, and we were happy with the progress.  It was slowly coming together.  What do you think?

Here are some close ups and the final  products! You can see the color variations that we used. Now where to hang them in our living rooms?

This was a perfect way to end our visit! I am so glad that Lesley stuck around to finish the project with me.  This was a great idea and I hope that we are able to meet up every other month like we talked about.  That would be so much fun. Even FourSquare knows how special our friendship is :)

Saying goodbye was so hard.  After any visitors leave I realize how lonely I can be and it sucks! I decided to spend much needed time with the Lord and the new devotional book Lesley got me. {She always knows what I need} It was perfect and said exactly what I needed to hear then.  Although tears may have been falling I found peace in my quiet and lonely apartment.

Lesley, thank you for everything! Thank you for being you, thank you for your love and support, thank you for visiting and bringing winter break to the best ending ever! These memories will live on forever!

Today is a gift that we will never get back.  Enjoy today, it will be over before you know it! Life is to short to have worries, live for the moment and enjoy all the small things. Appreciate everyone you come into contact with and pay it forward.  Joy is easy to spread. A simple smile may be the cure a stranger needs to make their day.  Enjoy the journey...I am!

xoxo