Monday, April 12, 2010

Wow!

I'm finding it hard to believe I have spent every day for the past year married to my best friend! I couldn't ask for anything more amazing! It had definately been an interesting year. In April we were married, of course! I made my first trip by plane. Then we spent an awesome week in Las Vegas and a day at the Grand Canyon. When we got back from our honeymoon I lost my job. Since Mauri works with the school system he had the summer off so we visted family in Florida and spent some time at the beach during June and July. In August I was attacked by some crackhead for my goodwill purse lol!! (Idiot!!) Then we went on a casino cruise boat kinda thing, which confirmed my easily being motion sick! So here we are 1 year later waiting to see the amazing things yet to come from our love and comittment to each other!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

cloth wipes


Monday, April 5, 2010

Fabric Softener

So...I've been hearing that vinegar could be used for fabric softener. I looked into it and found that the smell doesn't "stick" to the clothes. Last week I finally finished a bottle of store "bought" softener (I actually didn't pay anything for it. It was on sale and I had a coupon so it was FREE!!) and figured I would give the vinegar route a try. I just folded my first load of laundry using the homemade version and there was no trace of the vinegar smell at all. In fact, it doesn't smell like it in the bottle I used either. So for now it's a keeper in my book!!

This is the recipe I used:
2 Cups White Vinegar
2 Cups Baking Soda
4 Cups Water
Combine slowly and carefully over sink. The baking soda and vinegar will fizz.Pour into plastic bottle, cover, and shake.


*Hint - Reuse your "Downy" bottle.
Use 1/4 cup in the final rinse or in a "Downy Ball".
I halfed this as well because my bottle wasn't big enough! And though it says to mix it in the sink, next time I will use the tub. I still created a volcano and instead of spewing up, it shot out the side, straight over the counter and onto the floor LoL!!
UPDATE: I dont know exactly how to fix my problem, but the baking soda seems to clump up in the bottom of the laundry softener holder thing in the middle of the washing machine. I guess I'll start adding it straight to the wash now and see how that goes.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

mouth ulcers...be gone!!

A little over a year ago I was getting mouth ulcers REALLY bad. By the time one would clear up another would surface and they would last about a week and half. Sometimes I would have clusters at time. It hurt to talk, smile, eat, anything that involved moving my mouth. I would be miserable. Nothing over-the-counter worked and believe me I tried everything. I even would take Lysine supplements, which a dental hygentist had told me could help. Both doctors and dentist told me nothing treated them only helped with dealing with them. I already knew nothing could even scrap the surface of the agony these little beasts caused. No one ever told me to think about what could be causing them. So I went to my friend Google and asked him. I was shocked when I found out that certain birth controls can cause them and an ingredient in toothpastes can trigger them. So because of other stupid side effects I decided to switch my bc. Of course the doctor said she had heard of no such side effect yet there are all kinds of sites with women experiencing the same thing. ANYWAYS...I checked every kind of toothpaste on every toothpaste aisle but they all had Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in them. Except for a few tubes of outrageously expensive toothpaste, granted they may have worked, I couldn't convince myself and my limited budget to buy them. I did get a prescription for something called Magic Mouthwash that a lot of ppl swore by. But that involved both going to a doctor and getting a prescription and with not having insurance it was becoming an expense. And I felt it didn't help much anyways. So, my mom was talking to a lady who mentioned something about making her own toothpaste and got the recipe from her for me to try. I must say it's not the most pleasant thing I've ever tasted, but I do feel like it's help cut back the amount and frequency of outbreaks. As far as costs goes, you can't really beat a tube of toothpaste for $1 so it's not so much as saving money as it is saving my sanity. With making our own laundry detergent i've learned that suds and bubbles aren't what cleans, its the ingredients within. Well, the same applies with toothpaste. SLS is a chemical that makes toothpaste sudsy. I feel like the world has brainwashed me into thinking it needs suds to work. I think thats one of reasons it's taking so long to get use to the homemade toothpaste. That, and the baking soda taste!! I'm such a clean mouth freak. I want my mouth to feel clean and breath to be fresh. Tasting baking soda doesn't lead me to believe my breath is fresh lol! (Mauri said it's fresh, but he could just be being a good husband lol!!) I do like the way my teeth feel really clean! I also like knowing exactly what I'm "cleaning" my mouth with! I can't completely say that using SLS-Free toothpaste is the sole reason of my lack of mouth ulcers since I have quit taking the bc too, either way it worked!! The only made a half batch the first time because I wasn't sure how it was going to work. I did buy a empty travel lotion bottle to use for when I make my next batch. I still use regular toothpaste but only in the morning and then the homemade at night. I'm telling you, It's taking time to adjust!!


Here is the recipe I used:


*6 teaspoons baking soda


*4 teaspoons vegetable glycerin (found it at Apple Crate for around $4)


*1/4 teaspoon salt


*15 drops peppermint extract