Liquid Castile Laundry Soap Recipe

I already have tried using Liquid Castile Soap for Laundry and thought that while it worked, it didn't seem cost effective to continue using 1/4 Cup of soap each load.  So, thank you Pinterest, I found this new liquid castile laundry soap recipe that had been uploaded by a user, and whipped some up in about 5 minutes of work!  It was very cost effective and I had every ingredient already on hand for when I want to make powdered laundry soap.  Liquid Castile Laundry Soap Recipe seemed, at first, to have too much water in the water to soap ingredients ratio.  After reading through other soap recipes though, it seemed okay.  Here's my batch:
You do have to give the milk jug a shake before using it as the water separates from the washing ingredients.  I've used it for 3 loads and was not too impressed with it's cleaning power, I could still smell deodorant on the Mister's clothes.  I tried it on more delicates and that went well, and I ran a load of baby clothes and they came out fine.  So I'll keep using it and keep track of how many loads and how effective it is before I make this a long term cleaner in my home.

Picking Clothes for Family Photos

This year Easter is a sneaky bugger and is coming up March 31st, way too early.  So family photos came up earlier - I get two guaranteed family photos with my Mister in them and I try to make them count.  While I love having my children in matching clothes, sometimes it's not possible, or I want to switch it up, and I don't think adults should match ever - it can be difficult to find a nice balance of coordinating colors and prints.  My pin is actually in two pinboards because I don't have a "photo" board, yet.  Color scheme choosing for Photoshoots is a great way to help achieve that perfect look for your tastes. Here are some examples of mine:

The three ways to choose clothes for family photos, as found in the pin link, are:
1. Color theme for the season: fall colors, spring pastels, loud and hot summer, and winter cool.
2. Pick 2 or 3 colors and have all items be in those color choices.
3. Choose a favorite item that has a pattern or a multi-color theme and match to it colorwise.

I switch between these 3 depending on the occasion, I don't like always having predictable family holiday cards, so #1 is less often used (last Christmas card the girlies had leopard print dresses with baby pink and fur boots!).  #3 was used in the top photo.  This was my professional shoot: not too "matchy-matchy" navy, coral, white, green (it's in the dress and shoes), and brown.  #2 was used in my casual family photo: pink/reds (orange) and blues with denim.

OPI nail polish

I am a nail polish brand snob, I only use and like OPI, Revlon, and Essie.  The paint goes on evenly, holds up under daily abuse, and has fun color selection.

Score for me!  6 OPI nail polish for only $18!  From My Style pinboard comes James Bond OPI collection.  Two of the six polishes came from the Bond collection, one from the out of production Amazing SpiderMan collection, and the other three are their normal collection line.  I was so excited for the Goldeneye color, I already put it on my toes!

Colors:

Die another day, Color to diner for, Goldeneye, Number one nemesis, Too hot pink to hold 'em, and Lucerne-tainly look marvelous.

DIY Liquid Dishwashing Detergent - A Bust!

From my Homemade or Natural Remedies pinboard, comes a bust!  One thing's for sure, my family is really tolerant of all my pin activities.  I tried DIY Liquid Dishwashing Detergent, it was a large amount of ingredients, so I cut down the recipe by 4, so I mixed:
1 Cup Liquid Castile soap
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Tbs. lemon juice (3/4 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. tea tree oil

It was placed in a squeeze bottle and used like regular store bought detergent.

Ick!  This was a bust!  I don't like a waxy film, so I ran it again with with my store bought detergent and it was covered covered in a powdery film.

Tuesday, February 26 - Homemade Fabric Softener

From my Homemade or Natural Remedies pinboard comes: DIY Fabric Softener!  Ta da!

I feel in love with fabric softener while on my trip to California, but spending $7 on average for a bottle isn't something I'm cool with, so I spent...97 cents and made over 3 Liters!

1 small bottle of cheap-o hair conditioner - 15/16oz.
6 Cups hot water
3 Cups vinegar

Mix hot water and conditioner until smooth, then add vinegar.  Pour into a bottle and use 2 Tablespoons with each wash!  I can't wait to try it tomorrow!

Monday, February 25 - Parenting when it's Difficult

Tonight my pin comes from my Parenting pinboard.  No one, no one, after having a week's vacation including Disneyland with two kids can be up on their toes after pulling in at 1am.  This is how I felt:

'nuf said.

Sunday, February 24 - Car Trip Bags for Kid's road trips

Car trip bags for Disneyland from my Family and Kid Activities pinboard really helped on my car trip.  I drove from Utah to California with a 3 year old sitting next to my 10 month old baby without 1 video played and no hysterics!  Each kid had her own bag filled with: books that make noise, stuffed animals, small toys, and a few new items purchased from Dollar Tree.  Also, a diaper bag, filled with age appropriate snacks and drinks in between seats.  About every hour a new item was procured and potty breaks were frequent, but all in all, we made good time and it was considered the easiest road trip as a family we've had!