30 Days of Thankfullness Catch Up!!!

As is the normal flow of my life . . . I am behind and playing catch up. I have posted daily to my personal facebook page but have not had the time to sit at the computer and get it up on my blog. I need to find a way to make all of my social life sync :o)
None the less, I am thankful . . ..

Day #1  I am thanking God for his protection over my family. There are 30 some family members here in New Jersey who's lives could have been turned upside down in the storm. Not only is everyone here and healthy, but our homes were all spared from destruction. Our biggest issue was lack of electricity for 48 hours, and even that is something to be thankful for as there are still so many going on almost 5 days of no power.

Day #2: I am thankful that God knew better then I did. I had so many plans for my life. Some he has humored me and allowed me to try, only to bring me back to Him. Other things were completely 100% HIM. I signed up for an online "match" despite my fears, hesitations, and complete disbelief that anyone found anyone online. My husband of 5 years found me !  He is truly my partner in life. My best friend, no one can make me laugh the way he can. Sure we fight and drive each other crazy, but there is absolutely no one that I would rather share my life with.


 Day 3 Today I am thankful for not only my 5 sisters here in NJ that have become my best friends but my two sisters in Texas that I love to pieces . Though the miles separate us I know they love my son to pieces and would be here for us in a heartbeat if needed. Love you ladies!!!

 Day 4 Today I thank God for our family near and far. Thankful that our cousins have turned into some of our best friends. That our aunts and uncles love us and have always been here for us. Thankful that our Grandparents and.Great Grandparents instilled in us a sense of family. they loved us and taught us that no matter what family sticks together!

 Day 5  I know I already mentioned my sisters but I have to say that few things make my heart happier then watching my three younger sisters love and spoil my son. I have spent the last 22 years loving and watching them grow into amazing ladies and now it makes my heart smile watching them be amazing aunties and great sisters!

 Day 6 I thank God that I am raising my son in this country. when many fear for their lives we are free to believe and live as we feel we should. I thank God for all of the lives that have been spent protecting our freedom And those who are still serving to protect us.

 Day 7 . . . I am thankful for all of the ways that God has provided for our family. That my husband has a job when many are searching. We have a roof over our head when many have lost theirs. Our fridge, freezer, and pantry are full when many are hungry. No matter what the political position we all have a reason to give thanks today!

Gratitude Creates it's own attitude.... whatever your situation there is always something to be thankful for

"Today I am FORTUNATE to be alive. I am a precious human life. I will not waste it! "
Adios Mis Amigos,

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 2

We are a day late in getting started with our 30 Days of Thankfulness. I could blame Sandy, but it was really my own lack of organization.  So we are doing 2 for 1 today :o)

Day #1:  I am thanking God for his protection over my family. There are 30 some family members here in New Jersey who's lives could have been turned upside down in the storm. Not only is everyone here and healthy, but our homes were all spared from destruction. Our biggest issue was lack of electricity for 48 hours, and even that is something to be thankful for as there are still so many going on almost 5 days of no power.

Day #2: I am thankful that God knew better then I did. I had so many plans for my life. Some he has humored me and allowed me to try, only to bring me back to Him. Other things were completely 100% HIM. I signed up for an online "match" despite my fears, hesitations, and complete disbelief that anyone found anyone online. My husband of 5 years found me !  He is truly my partner in life. My best friend, no one can make me laugh the way he can. Sure we fight and drive each other crazy, but there is absolutely no one that I would rather share my life with.



Adios Mis Amigos,  

Finding my way Friday ..... Week 1 Down

Week one down in my 30 till 30 and I have to say I was surprised at how much better I felt after making a few simple changes . . . . some went well.... some ..... are still works in progress.... but isn't life a journey :o)

 Got dressed and did my make up every day ... even on the weekend and days when we had no where to go... I have to say I was more productive... and just felt better about myself in general. Showered every single day... (((mom's you know how hard this is some days!!!)))) I set aside some time to myself every day, whether it was pinterest time, window shopping, or actually watching "mommy's shows" .... I felt like I was taking care of myself for a change!

I tried to make healthy choices, some days better then others, you know every once in a while you just gotta have something yummy!!! Stuck to my two cups of coffee each day and one diet coke. And almost made it a whole week with no food after 7:30.... I worked late, hubs worked late and so dinner was later then usual, but that one was kind of out of my control :o)

I pray that this habits stick and that this is a new daily choice for me . . . this next week I am really focusing in on healthy choices, getting moving and spending quality time with little man, cutting out electronic usage BIG TIME!!!!

Let's see where it takes us......


Adios Mis Amigos,

Finding My Way Friday

(((In an effort to make this blog a true reflection of myself 

I have taken some time away. 

I feel like I got so caught up in writing every day 

that my content and words were forced and empty. 

So, this is the new Accidental Baby Maker . . .

 real, authentic, and ME!!!!)))

Every Friday I will be posting my "30 till 30" list! 

I will be turning 30 years old on November 19th, exactly one month from today . 

There are many things in this life I am living that are not what I want them to be, 

but more importantly not how I feel that GOD wants me living. 

So between now and my birthday I have set some goals.

 Personal, Mommy, Marriage, and Home 

Goals I feel are worthy of my time and attention. 

I have exactly one month to start on some habits and life choices 

that have been nagging me for a while now :o)

Hope you'll join me on this adventure.

 

The first group is personal goals, (top left corner) 

some may sound silly but any mama can tell you 

that some days "getting dressed" is just not happening. 

Especially if your staying home with your little ones, 

who needs make up to color and play with playdough. 

But I have found that when I take the time to get dressed and do my make up 

I just feel better, more productive and like a real person :o)  

As for showering more, yeah working on that! 

Make 1 hour of ME time. I wrote this and then deleted it about 5 times

 afraid it would make me sound like a bad mother or person. 

Are there other things I could be doing with that precious hour of time every day

Absolutely! 

It's so easy to get caught up in cleaning, cooking, caring for toddlers 

that come the end of the day  I'm flustered and exhausted.

Whether it be taking a nice quiet and relaxing bubble bath, 

sitting and reading my favorite magazines, 

painting my fingers and toes, 

or spending an hour window shopping online. . .

If I am going to devote every other minute of my wake time 

being focused on my son, my husband and my home, 

I need this time to my self to recharge. 

I started on my list on Monday and I've got to say, so far so good.

Any milestones coming up in your life?

Adios Mis Amigos,

Making a rental a home

We have had one awesome summer. I am sad to say it's coming to an end around our casa. But the great news about summer closing down is that all of our furniture from Texas is coming up!

After 6 months of living in a condo with borrowed furniture and belongings we will finally have our own stuff! My lovely sofa, the dining room table  I love. All of my family pictures and paintings. I am so excited to stop feeling like we are squatting in our landlord's property and make this place our HOME.

To say I have been obsessed with how I'm going to decorate is a massive understatement! I have been designing and redesigning. I created our floor plan online and have arranged our furniture in every position imaginable. I can not wait!

Part of all of this has led me to working on some prints I have wanted to get done . . . random quotes, songs, ect that I will be putting up in the frames that are coming ;o)







This is the song I sing to Little Man each and every night . . . the first verse is the well known "you are my susnhine" except I changed the last line because "please don't take my sunshine away" sounded to sad as I was singing it to my 3 day old new born baby.... "my love won't ever go away" made my crazy postpartum self feel much better. :o)

 While in my sleep deprived dementia I made up a whole second verse and it stuck ! So that will be in a 2nd frame both centered above the rocking chair in little mans room.

I have had this idea in my head for almost a year, was going to get it printed for my husband for our 4 year anniversary. We are celebrating our 5th anniversary on the 1st of September. So I cam going to copy this over in a large scale print for above our bed 

I am printing both of these on canvases to put at his eye level . . . 

hoping it will help us BOTH to nail down our morning and bedtime routines

 I am so happy to be able to finally feel like our house is our home, at least for the next year and half :o) There is just something about having sentimental things hung on the walls that make any 4 walls feel like love.



Adios Mis Amigos,

Frugal Friday -Homemade Body Scrub Recipes

Summer is here, at least it was for a week before it got cold again. That meant a full 4 days of sun and swimming. Both dried my skin out like crazy. Plus since it was my first time in the sun, I got my annual burn. So now I have that yucky dried out peeled skin. I searched the web for a good body scrub I could make with items I had on hand.

My favorite out of the bunch, Cinnamin Vanilla Coffee Scrub. It worked out perfectly because I had just made a huge pitcher of cold brew coffee and had exactly two cups of ground coffee left over.

You need
2. Cups ground coffee (save your leftovers from your morning brew)
1/2 Cup Raw Sugar or Salt (I used salt cause we only have splenda in the house)
3 Tablespoons Massage Oil (any oil would work, the lighter the better)

Mix it all together allowing the mixture to blend well with the oil so it's a nice gouppy paste . I stored mine in a mason jar and it's lasted about 5 showers so far. Each shower I do a different body part.

Another few I found online but haven't gotten the chance to try out yet

Lavendar Peppermint Foot scrub (my feet are in dire need)
1 Cup Salt ( sea salt, epsom salt, regular salt )
1/3 Cup Oil
10 Drops Peppermint oil
10 drops lavender oil

Plain Jane Salt Scrub
1 Cup Salt (again any kind you have on hand)
1/3 cup oil
10 drops essential oil of your choice

Sugar Scrub
1 Cup Brown Sugar
20 Drops Vanilla Essential Oil
1/3 cup almond oil
((I can only imagine how yummy this will smell))


Adios Mis Amigos,

Thankful Thursday - it is well with my soul

 Today, I woke with a song stuck in my head. Normally it's from whatever movie Little Man is obsessing over, but today, it was a hymn. I haven't heard it in a while, but it was exactly what I needed to be reminded of.

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul...

 And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Love it when stuff like this happens. There have been a lot of uncertainties in our lives lately. Mostly relating to finances (isn't it always). I have been so worried that we wouldn't have what we needed over this summer. Long story short, things just aren't panning out the way we had envisioned.

We will be fine. We have a roof over our head, food in our fridge, and truth be told, more then so many. But I'm a worrier by nature. I like to have everything planned and accounted for, and finances are apart of that. But today, I am realizing that no matter what our circumstances have been in the past, God has provided every single one of our needs. I have no reason to worry. And literally as soon as the thought passed through my brain, this wave of peace followed right behind.

Today, I thank God for His provisions in our lives. Little man was not in our plans, neither was me not working. We have never been lacking. We have always been provided for in abundance and that is God's great faithfulness in our lives. Little Man was the best thing to ever happen to me, and while it seemed like such a scary adventure when I first found out I was pregnant. It has been the greatest adventure of my life!

It is well with my soul!

Adios Mis Amigos,

Wordless Wednesday- what a difference a day makes

Today is Wednesday, hump day. And I've been spending it doing a little rearranging, both in our home and on the blog. I don't know what it is about summer, but it always makes me want to simplify my life. I cleaned out cabinets, closets, and drawers, getting rid of anything that hasn't been used since last summer.

I consider this blog a home a place were I can sit and sip coffee and share whats on my heart. . .  I want both my "homes" to reflect summer and nothing says summer like flip flops and hibiscus (at least to me anyway).


 Now onto wordless Wednesday.. not so wordless huh? But it does revolve around a picture :o)

I found this idea on Pinterest and just had to make it :o) 

I had a hard time choosing colors

 but decided to go with the most summery (most like summer)

and my Kitchen dining room is accented in yellow

It was super easy, print up in word and then used one of my Dollar Store Picture frames to hang it. Total cost $1.00 (cause I had ink and paper) and best of all I LOVE IT. A little reminder that each and every day has the possibility of greatness!

Adios Mis Amigos,

Frugal Friday

 

Fridays are one of the two days each week that I watch a friend's little girl.

She is 4 months older then Little Man... but still two year's old... so Fridays means two-two year olds.

Fun right!?!??!

We do have fun, it's fun watching little man interact with someone his own age.

They play well together. Like any friends we have our scuffles. But for the most part we are able to talk it through and work it out.

One thing that both of them LOVE is arts and crafts. We color, glue, stick with stickers. But it can get expensive.

I used to browse Target and Walmart for deals on coloring books, stickers, and crayons and markers. Sometimes I would get lucky and they would have some arts and crafts items in the dollar section but not always. I got some pretty awesome deals after the back to school season passed and everything was put into clearance sections. But it was still more the I wanted to spend.

Then I happened to be in the local Dollar store. One of the one's where  "everything is really a dollar store". Not some of those fake dollar stores that have stuff for $5.00/ $10.00/ and even $15.00. Every. Single. Thing was $1.00!

And they have a whole teacher supply section. Full of Stickers, Markers, Crayons, and some great charts and posters too! I will never go back to my old ways of buying arts and crafts supplies!

Little man can't tell the difference between $3.00 crayons and $1.00 crayons. He colors, breaks a few into pieces and moves on to the next activity.Their Stickers are the teach stickers ... so they say "great job" "well done" but he loves them.And double bonus, we are using them on our potty chart every time he is successful :o) And their coloring books are all characters he knows, Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, and we even snagged some Dora and Diego.

So . . . that my friends, is how this girl is saving her pennies! 


Adios Mis Amigos,

Thankful Thursday

Gratitude Creates It's Own Attitude

And today a new Attitude is exactly what I needed. Call it PMS, hormonal, or just plain cranky. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Little man was still sound asleep but I couldn't shut off my brain.

As I sat in a silent house sipping on my piping hot cup of coffee I was cranky. Toys were scattered all over the floor, the kitchen that I cleaned the night before was messy, and the floors I vacuumed had crumbs scattered all around.

It was in that moment that I felt something poke my heart. I needed to be thankful!!!

Thankful that my son is healthy and able to run around the house and make a mess.

Thankful that I am able to be home full time and have the opportunity to clean the kitchen throughout the day!!!!

Thankful that we always have food in our fridge, that our pantry is full of snacks that leave little bits and crumbs on the floor.

Clearly there are bigger problems in the world then a messy house, dirty kitchen, and crumbs on the floor.

God has blessed this family, my family, with so much. More then I could have ever asked for.

"Lord help me to never forget all that you have done. Help me to always stop and see the blessings, ignore the frustrations and most of all be Thankful in all things, for everything!"



Adios Mis Amigos,

Do over . . . .day 8

 Day 8


I have been really bad at updating my do over. . . part of that is because I'm working on spending less time online during little man's awake hours. . . really concentrating on our preschool activities. By the time he is in bed for the night, I'm exhausted and can't even muster up the energy to write.

I will say the weight loss is going great . . . 8 pounds down and we are on day 8 . . . the biggest part of all of this is getting into the habit of making healthy choices in every aspect of my life. Healthy choices with food,  time management, and every day life.

I've realized that you truly have to be conscious of every choice. How easy it is for me to jump to frustration or irritation . . . instead I'm making an conscious choice to choose patience and flexibility. Instead of spending 30 minutes on facebook browsing, I'm choosing to go gather up laundry and get a load started and listening for the end of the cycle to change it over . . . little tiny changes, that make a BIG difference in my life, my son's life, and our family.

I feel less frazzled, more organized and just generally happier. 
All in all..... a good thing

So today, dayis Amigos, All

Do Over Day 2 . . . TAKE TWO

I know what your thinking, day two take two. . . I didn't even make it past day one.
NOPE

Hubs was such a sweetie pie and made me a mother's day feast of a breakfast Saturday morning.
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast, Crispy Bacon and pineapple orange juice.
YIKES . . . .my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

So, I didn't plan my juice cleanse calendar very well.
Starting right before Mother's Day . . .not smart !
Just goes to show you the best plans are not always the best plans :o)

We had family events all weekend long to celebrate all of the mama's in my life. . .
and sticking to the "nothing but juice" was just not going to happen.

But I will say, after a full day of juicing on Friday and now Monday and Tuesday under my belt I notice a huge difference. YES I AM HUNGRY!!!!
but my hungry that I felt before,
the hungry that would make me go to the pantry and grab a salty snack
wasn't really hungry.
 I'm learning what hungry really feels like.

So far I have had 48 hours of nothing but raw homemade juices.
(and my morning coffee cause no one would survive in this house without it)
 I feel good. Yes hungry, but not chew my arm of hungry.

So far I have been sticking to the green juices
because I think they have the most bang for my buck
with what I'm trying to do. (rid my body of nasty waste and toxins)

My Favorite Recipe is The Classic Green
(also found from the documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead)
1 bunch of Kale (4-5 stalks depending on thickness)
4 Stalks Celery
1 Large Cucumber (the bigger the better)
2 Granny Smith Apples ( I used 3 cause they were smaller)
1/2 Lemon (I used 1 whole cause again, smaller)
and 1 Inch Ginger

It's fresh, loaded with good for you stuff, and pretty good.

*disclaimer, I love fruits and veggies. This is pretty "veggie" tasting, so if you want it sweeter you could use Gala or Red Delicious Apples

So far after 2 Full days of Juicing I'm down 4 pounds
(these are not normal results, I am a big girl, and have alot to loose)
But more importantly then the pounds lost.
Its the realization that I have not been listening to my body.
I have not been hearing, or maybe been choosing to ignore it.

So today, I'm listening.
 

Adios Mis Amigos,

Day 1 of 14 . . . Reality Check.

 

I'm fat. There I said it. Not just fat, but my BMI means I'm morbidly obese. 

(gonna go cry in the bathroom be right back) 

It's been a long time coming folks. Seriously. 

I have been chunky my whole life. Always been the girl that loved food. 

But I would have never said Morbidly OBESE! 

I remember the first time someone called me fat. 

I was a Freshman in high school. 

It was new student orientation and 

as if I wasn't scared enough to start a new school, new friends, a whole new life.

I walked into the crowded auditorium and sat down on the bench 

and the stupid jerk-balls at the other end of the bunch jumped up 

and threw themselves off the bench.

As if my 180pounds catapulted them. 

I was mortified. I wanted to die. 

But instead I went home after school that day 

and stuffed my face with McDonald's French Fries.

I went through College and maintained my weight, but still turned to food when things didn't go well. 

If I was sad, I ate a pizza. 

I was happy, I had cheesy fries. 

Post college was a different story. 

I left school early and so I was alone. 

All of my friends were still out a school and most of nights were me, home alone, snacking. 

The pounds went on. 

Then I met hubs. He called me beautiful. He loved me. Adored me. 

Despite my size, shape, or inward feelings. 

We ate pizza together. Ice Cream, amazing Mexican.

The pounds went on.  

We got married, but I still felt loved and adored. 

I couldn't shop at my normal stores but he told me I looked gorgeous.

Despite it all,  at the end of the day, 

no matter how bad I felt about myself. 

He loved me. 

The pounds went on. 

Then I got pregnant. Because I was overweight when I got pregnant 

I had to watch every single bite I took. 

I Managed to only gain 17 pounds my whole pregnancy. 

And when I left the hospital I had acutally lost 20 pounds. 

But anyone with children, knows how difficult those first few years were. 

I was in Texas, missing my family. So I ate. 

I would be up late with feedings, sleepless infant, I ate. 

Husband worked long hours and so . . . I ate dinner alone.... alot.... 

I managed to pack on another 30 pounds and here I am today. 

too emabarrased to share my real weight or measurements. 

I'm on a journey. 

I want to be healthy. 

I want to be the best Mama in town. 

I want to be a good example to son. 

I want another baby. (getting pregnant at this weight, Not an option)

I want to live a long and healthy life. 

I want to feel good about myself. 

I want to be able to shop in every store, not specialty ones! 

So today. Reality sits in. 

I'm sipping on my first of 12 juices. Hoping to cleanse and detox all of the crap I've put in. 

After my 5 day cleanse I start a week of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. 

And in the end . . . .

I don't have a size I want to be

I don't have a number I want to weigh. 

I simply want to feel good. 

Feel healthy. 

And like what I see when I look in the mirror. 

 

 

Adios Mis Amigos,

Thankful Thursday- Change of Plans

 Some things have been going on around the Baby Maker Casa and I have been unsettled. I am a natural worry-wort. I plan and plan and plan some more. I thrive on knowing what is happening and when it's happening. I don't like surprises or change. I can't help it. I got lucky and married a fellow planner, so our lives are pretty well mapped out until retirement. But as any normal person knows. Life doesn't always go according to plan.

First example. Little Man! We had a 5 year plan for kids, meaning we would start trying to have kids after we had been married for 5 years. We will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary this September. I can't help but think of all of the love, joy and pure happiness that would have been missed out on these past 27 months without him. Thank goodness that God knew better then we did and sent this amazing bundle of perfection our way.

The changes that are coming are just one more way that God is showing me . . . "He knows the plans for me, HE will ALWAYS make sure those plans prosper me and not  harm me, plans to give me hope and a future"

and while the planner in me would LOVE to know what is going to happen next.... it's also reassuring that the Master Planner has my life in his hands and is organizing my life far better then I ever could.


Adios Mis Amigos,

Makes my Monday . . . . Peace and Quiet

Any mom will tell you that peace and quiet is a rare thing when children are involved . . . from birth until about the age of 30 :o)

Even if they are temporarily napping, you never really a minute of pure quiet.

I nanny for a Precious Punkin (she is also two) and between her and my little man, there is typically non stop noise from the second we wake up until we go to bed. Precious Punkin naps early 12-3 and he naps 2-4 . . . if I play my cards right I get a solid HOUR of quiet time. Sure it's packed with dishes, laundry, cleaning up the mess they made during the morning, but I have the t.v. off , all the noisy toys are put away, and if I am feeling extra awesome, I'll put on my favorite Pandora station so that music I enjoy is playing softly in the background. Makes doing all of the hustle and bustle of "homemaker" more manageable.

Today, I got lucky. . . Little man woke up super early so he went down at 12:30 . . . Precious Punkin didn't wake up until 3:30 . . . .. giving me 3 HOURS of quiet !!! yes.... 3 hours!!!

I feel like a new woman.... can't remember the last time I had 3 hours completely to myself???? well sure I do . . . it was right before little man was born :o)

Not only did everything get done in the normal hour it takes me but then I still had two more hours . . . I returned emails, caught up with an old friend, even blogged which is normally reserved for late night hours !!!

So today. . . . peace and quiet makes my monday.... well that and a smokin hot cup of home brewed starbucks :o)

HAPPY MONDAY!!!! 


Adios Mis Amigos,

Frugal Friday . . . Duggar Detergeant 1 gallon at a time

 Make your own Laundry Detergeant . . . 

Duggar Recipe 

( 1 gallon at a time instead of 10 Gallons)

This project was started out of sheer necessity. . . I ran out of detergent.. like not even a drop left in the container. . . . now seemed like as good a time as any to start making our own detergent.... after doing some research on recipes I realized that it's kind of CRAZY that it's taken me this long to do. 

Do you need some reasons to start making your own . . . .

Super Economical!!!! The initial cost to get started will be more ($10.00)  but once you get all of your supplies it costs about $2.00 per gallon to make. You use 1/4 cup per load; that gives you 64 loads of laundry per gallon, making each load costing only $.03. . . yes 3 cents! 

You know what's going into it , I like knowing what's in things.  After reading the label to our store bought detergent I was kind of shocked at some of it. 

Now I know what it is . . .  a lot less chemicals . . . both the borax and washing soda are great for sensitive skins . . .and depending on which type of laundry soap you use, you can cut out even more unnecessary chemicals 

You can customize the recipe to fit your family . . . have a rowdy bunch of sports playing boys . . . add 1/2 cup Oxy Clean to the Mixture . . . have someone with super sensitive skin, you can use Nels Naptha soap, or even super sensitive Ivory..... have a favorite scent, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the softener compartment and your clothes come out smelling fantastic!!! 

best yet, if you hate it . . . you've only made 1 gallon instead of 10 :o) But I am sure you'll love it!!!! 

Convinced ???? great lets get started 

You'll need 

 Borax (20 mule team, found it in K-Mart, Acme, ShopRite and Walmart in the Laundry Department) 

         Best price was Walmart $4.97 for 76 ounces 

Washing Soda (this was harder to track down, only Walmart had it in their laundry department) 

         Best and only price, Walmart for $3.47 for 55 ounces

((side note it has to be washing soda not baking soda))(((you can convert baking soda to washing soda, I tried but it didn't work after 3 hours of messing around with it, I gave up and headed to walmart where I was able to find the Washing Soda)))

1 Bar Laundry soap (I used Zote, many use Fels Naptha, Ivory) 

          All prices were about $1.50-$2.00 for 5-15 ounces (zote is 15oz Fels Naptha only 5.5oz)

Stainless steel grater or cut soap into itty bitty tiny pieces 

Funnel 

Gallon Container 

Big Stock Pot 

Recipe: 

4 Tablespoons Washing Soda

2 Tablespoons Borax

1/5 bar of soap

Water :o)

1. Cut soap into 5 equal parts . . . doesn't matter what kind of soap your using, you only need 1/5 the bar ... store the other 4/5ths in a sandwich bag for next time 

2. Grate/shred/dice the soap into tiny pieces. I don't have a grater so I diced it but a grater would make this go much more quickly. 

3. Start 4 cups water on medium low heat and add the diced/grated soap to the pot 

4. Stir continuously until all the soap is melted and dissolved

5. Remove from heat and add  in your Washing Soda and Borax

6. Stir until all the powder is dissolved.

7. Now fill your gallon container about 1/2 full with luke-warm water and using your funnel add your detergent to the gallon container. 

8. Top off the container with water and allow to sit over night. 

9. Your mixture will seperate (the soap will rise and water will sink)

 Just give it a good shake before each use. 

10. Use 1/4 cup per load (for front washer) 1/2 cup ( for top loading)

That's it . . . for about 30 minutes of time you've saved your self some major $$$$$ .... GOOD JOB!!!!

Adios Mis Amigos,

Wordless Wednesday. . . Tubby Time Organization

 

Love that my son's playtime is so neat and organized . . . the inner OCD in me rejoices, but every once in a while you gotta get messy . . . so we toss all the toys in the bubbly water and splash around :o) 

Adios Mis Amigos,

Tasty Tuesday - Carne Guisado Tacos

Carne Guisdado . . . Crock Pot Style 

 Yesterday was my nanny day. I care for another little two year old, so Two-Two year olds for 10+ hours means it's a Crockin Day. I LOVE CROCK POTS. Nothing like spending 10 minutes and having a delicious dinner 7 hours later.

The meal was DELICIOUS ! One of my husbands favorite meals growing up was his Mama's Carne Guisado. I have had it... and it's amazing, while this isn't it . . . this is a pretty amazing version, and the best part... it takes 10 minutes, whereas her's is about an Hours worth of prep.

Supplies :

Large Crock Pot 
2 Lbs Stew Meat ( I used sirloin cubes, would work with any kind of steak though)
1 Can Sweet Corn (drain juice)
1 Can Black Beans (I used Goya. . .Drain juice)
2 Cups Your Favorite Salsa

If you stopped right here, the meal would be delicious.... but my husband has grown up with these and come to enjoy a certain flavor . ... (optional) These tips I took from my Mother-In-Laws Recipe

10 Shakes of Whirshester Sauce (sorry I'll measure next time)
2 Circles around the crock pot of Brown Mustard (again, I'll measure next time)
Season to Taste.... We love these two, but they are basically onion, garlic, 
1 Packet Goya Sazone (it's in the hispanic/international Isle of most grocery stores)
1 Cube Knorr Caldo con Sabor De Res (it's basically beef bouillon with other flavors) 

I cooked on High Heat for 1 hour (just to get the temp up) then Low Heat for 6 hours.

The result, a delicious stew meat, with great "carne guisado" flavor....

I used a  slotted spoon to gather up the meat, corn, and beans but not too much juice and served them on a tortilla topped with avocado, lime juice, and cilantro....

You could also serve over rice and would be more traditional guisado. . . .




Adios Mis Amigos,

Make It Monday . . . Stovetop airfreshener

 Stove Top Air Freshener . . . .deliciousness in a pot

Have you ever walked into one of the home stores (pottery barn, william and sonoma) and just felt so relaxed and calmed by the smell of the store. Hmmm maybe it's just me. But I love the feeling of a fresh, yummy air freshener. Now that we are all settled into our home I've noticed it had a musty smell from sitting vacant for two months. Not bad, just like . . . stuffy. And kind of weird like band-aids (sorry if that grosses you out) but it's the closest smell I could come up with.

Even after putting baking soda bombs (two Tablespoons baking soda and 3 drops of lavender essential oil) in each room, It still was not fresh smelling.

So. . .. I hopped onto my new obsession (pinterest) and searched for DIY air fresheners. All of the ones I found required things I didn't have on hand . ..  so I started thinking what does "fresh" smell like to me. . . .

Citrus is fresh, clean, and invigorating and I happened to have some oranges and limes that were a day or two past their prime.... I cut them into wedges and got the stove bubbling... Added 4 cups of water . . . .deliciously fresh like fresh squeezed orange lime-aid.... but it needed something else . . . .Lavender is a longtime favorite and adds a sense of calm. . . So I dropped in 5 drops... realized it wasn't as strong as I liked ... So I added another 5 an VOILA . . ..

The result. . . exactly what I needed and now the house smells devine!!!!  I left it on the stove on a low simmer. .. . (my stove is old and required Medium) . . .DO NOT LEAVE IT ON unless you are near by monitoring . It also required adding more water throughout the day . . . .

I used the mixture for two days before I felt like I got my moneys worth and threw it all down the garbage disposal. . . .(really freshens up the disposal too... double bonus)


Some other recipes that I found online, but didn't have the ingredients.

Grandmom's Apple Pie
(love the smell of my grandmom's pie baking away)

• 2 cups water
• 1 apple, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons cloves
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange peel

Do you have a favorite smell???

Extracts used for cooking and baking that smell as yummy as they taste! Here is a list of some of them: Almond, Banana, Cherry, Coconut, Maple, Rum, Strawberry and Vanilla.

• Fresh sliced Lemon, Lime or Orange or their dried peels
• Spices such as Allspice, Cinnamon Sticks, Cloves, Ginger and Nutmeg
• Combination One: 2 whole lemons, sliced, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Combination Two: 2 whole oranges, sliced, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 cinnamon sticks

Have you ever made your own air fresheners??? tell me !!




Adios Mis Amigos,

Thankful Thursday . . . SUPER POWERS!!!!

Today is Thursday and we spent the A.M. Snuggled up on the couch. . . we have been potty training (well me running him to the potty every 20 minutes). To say it's been tough on our relationship is a massive understatement. I came to the realization that I AM ready to be done with diapers but he is not. I was pushing and pushing telling myself that he is so smart, so perceptive, surely he can do this. . . . he is a boy. He loves to play, he loves to use his imagination and that often means being so caught up in what he is playing with that running to the potty, or even realizing he has to go at all is just not an possible at this point... he'll get there, I know . . . but in his own time... not MINE! 

Soooooo I realized we need to spend some time enjoying this phase we are in . . . playing, using our imaginations and what better way to do that then to be SUPER HERO's. What does every super hero need???? a personalized cape of course!!!!

My first step in any creative idea is to check pinterest, ( I know, I'm obsessed right?!?!) sure enough I found a great tutorial and started there for inspiration (great site for inspiration  )


Here is my take on the project . . .


Supplies :
1.  A t-shirt (one of hubbies driving you crazy with stains ??? that's what I used)
2. Scraps for personalizing (I used cut off portions of the t-shirt and an old tank top )
3. Sewing machine or make this a new sew and use fabric glue where I sew

First: Cut out your cape

I laid the t-shirt on our table and smoothed it out . . . it's stretchy (and this is by no means exact) but just smooth as best you can . . . I used the shirts natural seams as my guided....(make sure you lift up the top layer so your only cutting the front of the shirt and not the back )

 So I cut across the top seam (the one that runs along your shoulders and then down around the neck ). . . I left about 1/4 inch of room from the seam just to make sure I wouldn't snip the seam . . . . Your cutting on the front side of the seam . . . meaning that you want to make sure the seam and back of the shirt are what's left ...  (you want the full neck to stay together)

    not sure if this helps or makes it more confusion (I'll take better pictures all along the way next time!!!) but the pink shows the cut area ....


Next I flipped the shirt over and smoothed it out  ... I tried to picture what I wanted the general shape of the cape to be and drew it out with washable marker. . . .

Second : Personalize

You can go as detailed and crazy as you'd like... but your little super hero will probably be just as happy with a plain cape... This mama loves personalizing :o)

 I used the scraps of the t-shirt to cut out the "E" . . . . I found an old yucky tank top laying around and decided that would be the perfect background for the "E"....you could either sew it on with a machine or use fabric glue

 Finallly I added a quick seam along the edges, not sure how the T-Shirt would frey with washing and the use and abuse that is sure to follow..... it's not perfect by any means.... but it gets the job done :o)

After trying it on him I realized that my husbands shirt neck was way too big and caused the cape to drape too much in the back... I snipped in the center of the front and did a quick cross seam cutting the neck hole about 1/4 of what it was... now it sits better on his shoulders and is big enough to stretch over his head :o) (he has a big mellon) ... you could also use felcro, snaps, buttons... whatever you have on hand

What a great little super hero he makes!!!!

Adios Mis Amigos,