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Our New House

Our new house has changed quite a bit since this picture was taken.

We now have:

Windows

Doors

Roof

Brick

Floors

Siding

They poured the concrete for the front porch, back porch, driveway and walkway last week and the carpenter is finishing up this week!

Up next:

Interior and exterior paint

Tile floors in laundry room and bathrooms

Carpet in bedrooms

Fixtures

Tile around fireplace and in kitchen

Granite Countertops

Marble Countertops

Our shower (Matt REALLY wanted a walk-in shower but this has caused so much havoc!)

Landscaping, including sod

Decorative Posts on porch

Mailbox

DONE!

Really Makin' Some Laundry Soap

I posted once before about how I was going to try to make my own laundry detergent and over the weekend, I did! This is the liquid form which may be used in front and top load washing machines.

HERE IS THE RECIPE I USED:

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

½ Cup Borax

(I found ALL ingredients at Reasor's)

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

First, grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. I let hubs have this job!

Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. 

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.

I purchased the bucket at Lowe's for $4.06.

Next, add the melted soap, washing soda and Borax. 

Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

Fill bucket to top with more hot water.

Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap

and then fill rest of the way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

YIELD:

Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons. (Only one 5 gallon bucket needed)

Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...THE BRAND NEW WASHER AND DRYER SET WE BOUGHT THIS WEEKEND! I'M SO EXCITED TO USE THEM. HMM...FUNNY HOW THE THINGS YOU COULD HAVE CARED LESS ABOUT AS A KID, BECOME TOYS WHEN YOU ARE AN ADULT.

This was my actual receipt after purchasing the ingredients

-with distilled white vinegar included! I use the vinegar as a fabric softener.

SOURCES:

http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=8

http://duggarfamily.com/content/duggar_recipes/30455/homemade_liquid_laundry_soap_front_or_top_load_machine_best_value

Top 30 Comedy Movies

Top 30-Comedy Genre

#30 Zoolander

#29 I Love You, Man

#28 Liar, Liar

#27 Ace Ventura

#26 Team America

#25 Dazed and Confused

#24 Austin Powers

#23 Pure Luck

#22 Shallow Hal

#21 Mean Girls

#20 Billy Madison

#19 Raising Arizona

#18 Easy A

#17 The Hot Chick

#16 Home Alone

#15 There's Something About Mary

#14 School of Rock

#13 Elf

#12 A Christmas Story

#11 Step Brothers

#10 Wayne's World

#9 Bridesmaids

#8 Ghostbusters

#7 40 Year Old Virgin

#6 Something's Gotta Give

#5 Tommy Boy

#4 The Wedding Crashers

#3 Forgetting Sarah Marshall

#2 Dumb and Dumber

#1 Christmas Vacation

Honorable Mention
Father of the Bride
Meet the Parents
Bad Santa
Some Like it Hot
Anchorman
Back to the Future
Napolean Dynamite*
*(you either get it, or you don't)


Guy's Top Pick
Caddyshack
Snatch
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
European Vacation

 This list includes the films I consider to be funny. There are some comedies not listed here that I still find comical...but I only had room for 30. But I will say that no Monty Python films will ever be on my list. Sorry...

A Weekend In

Looks like me and hubs will be spending the weekend in...he has strep throat :( I believe Friday night will involve a good movie, some tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and some popsicles.

We like to eat our tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches a little "classier." I will buy other variations of tomato soup (tomato bisque, harvest orange tomato) and different types of cheeses (colby, pepperjack, provolone) rather than the traditional tomato and cheddar cheese. When it comes to grilled cheese, IMO, regular ole soft white bread is my favorite.

For an "upscale" popsicle, I buy Edy's Fruit Bars. Just this week I bought the Creamy Coconut bars and I must say, they are delicious (if you like the flavor and consistency of coconut). Hubs has been eating them and told me today that "we" need more. Pfff...I've had one ;)

Happy Friday!

Makin' Some Laundry Soap

This weekend I have decided to make my own laundry detergent. After reading an article about the "Duggars," I ventured to their website, found a recipe Michelle Duggar used and decided to give it a try. Check it out: http://duggarfamily.com/. Pictures shall be posted and a review of how well it works will be included ;)

BTW, I know that recently Michelle Duggar was criticized for her "submissive" behavior towards her husband but I must say I can't help but praise her for it. It's certainly something I would never be able to handle (I put up a fight-grr) but they must be doing something right. I do think 19 children is quite extreme but I completely understand their reasons for doing so. As a Christian myself, I think they are a family to look up to...they are devoted to God, their family and caring for others. How can we criticize that?

Happy Thursday!

Let's Talk Books

I am a huge Harry Potter fan so it is hard for me to break into other series. It doesn't mean I haven't...

I have been hearing quite a bit about The Hunger Games and with a movie on it's way, I thought I should give the books a shot before seeing the film. I am beginning the first book today...I will keep you updated.

http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/

http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/intl/uk/

The Last Muggle to Read Harry Potter

I have discovered a very enjoyable blog-so enjoyable, I feel it necessary to share! 

http://thelastmuggle.com/

All 7 Harry Potter books have been released and the last film is about to debut in theatres...You would think everyone would be caught on/finished with the storyline. In 2009, a girl decided to start reading the HP books-for the first time. This is her tale...(she even tries to guess the ending-WARNING-quite comical ;)

Playing with Pixlr

This is officially my first attempt at "digital art." I don't think it turned out too bad...not as exciting as it could be I supposed. I do like the colors, the frame is awesome and the cute little button is adorable.  It took me about 30 minutes just to figure out how to really use the program on www.pixlr.com but after I got the hang of it, it was just a matter of finding clip art and piecing it together :)

HERE ARE MY LATER ATTEMPTS:

Harry Potter Home

It's hard to believe that this will be my first post in reference to Harry Potter! So I should probably make it good ;)

I am currently in the middle of building my first, brand-new home so I have searched high and low for crafty ways to incorporate Harry Potter into my decor scheme. Listed below are some interesting HP decor DIY's!

(These photos were found among other bloggers, Pinterest, and other various sites...these are not my personal photos. )

This may be purchased on www.ETSY.com but I thought this would be pretty simple to re-produce. I love the picture in the middle.

Need some photos in your kitchen? Why not a recipe for Butter Beer?! Love it-it's going to be framed in my kitchen!

I bought two black side tables from IKEA about 3 years ago and being the cheap furniture that they are...the tops of them are looking pretty hideous today. I found this idea for a table top cover on www.Pinterest.com and decided that this was the way to go! I grabbed a softcover copy of Sorcerer's Stone, tore out my favorite pages and decoupaged them on top of one of the tables (just to try it out). It turned out awesome but if I could make one slight change-I would take a stamp to the outside of the pages in either an orange or gold color...OR take a lighter to burn the edges.