DIY: Homemade Detergent

If you're my Facebook friend, then you know a month or so ago I purchased a liquid detergent from Family Dollar with a scent that can only be described as "men's deodorant." I bought it in an effort to save money, but it truly was not worth it to smell like Speed Stick for Men every darn day. Ew.

On that post, a couple of friends commented that they made their own detergent at home. They said that one batch lasts a really long time, and it ends up being around something like .05 a load. Well Suzy Homemaker I am not, but I figured I could probably get a few supplies, dump them in a bucket and stir them around. So I bought what they suggested and also consulted this link.

I finally made time to make it today. The hardest part was grating the Fels-Naptha soap because, even though my mom had let me borrow her food processor and given me the grater addition, I didn't have the thing that hooks the grater to the machine ... anyways, suffice it to say I didn't have what I needed to use the food processor, so I decided to do it by hand. I didn't want to wait another day. I was a gal on a mission. So I grated that dang soap by hand, and it seriously took me about 45 minutes per bar, so ... maybe use your food processor. Haha.

This looks like delicious cheese. While grating, I made up a long story in my head about someone thinking it was cheese and using it and then finding out it was soap.  But since I live here alone, that is unlikely to happen. Good story Anna. Tell it again.

Then I threw the Fels-Naptha into my container, and added the Borax, the Super Washing Soda, the Baking Soda, and the Oxi Clean. Then I stirred it around with a spoon.

I had some laundry I need to do (some = a ton), so I decided to give it a go. I washed socks, undies, and pajamas and they look pretty clean! Haha. At any rate, they do not smell like Speed Stick, so that in itself is a huge improvement.

Joseph

Several months ago I introduced you to a very special girl, AnnaMarie, who was 17 and desperately needed to be adopted before December. I prayed and prayed for her, and I know a lot of you prayed with me, and she FOUND A FAMILY! Or, more accurately, her family found her. :)

Sadly, AnnaMarie is not the only orphan in the world who desperately needs to be adopted ASAP. So now I'd like to introduce you to Joseph.

Joseph is 13 years old, and he has to be adopted prior to his birthday in October 2015, or else he ages out and has no hope of ever finding a family. :( Here's info from someone who met him in 2013:

Joseph is an older boy I met this past July who lives in a foster care apartment within his orphanage with two older sisters and three younger siblings. He attends a middle school in the area. Joseph excels in his Art classes and his art is displayed around his foster home and the walls of his bedroom. His foster mom was very proud of his accomplishments and made sure we didn’t leave without seeing his artwork first! Joseph seemed a little shy but we were told he does hope to be adopted. I imagine he would smile a lot more after some braces. He may be a little self conscious of his teeth but his face lights up when he talks about his artwork and I was able to catch a small shy smile.

His face lights up when he talks about his artwork?! How cute is that?! And of course he hopes to be adopted. Look at his sweet face -- and how good his artwork is!

Guys, please pray and share. Joseph's mom and dad are out there, I think they just haven't seen him yet. We have only a few months to find him a family.

Some stats I've shared before, but they amaze me every time I read them:

- Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home.  These studies also show that 60% of the girls become prostitutes and 70% of the boys become hardened criminals.

- In Russia and the Ukraine, studies have shown that 10% – 15% of these children commit suicide before they reach age eighteen.

- Another Russian study reported that of the 15,000 orphans aging out of state-run institutions every year, 10% committed suicide, 5,000 were unemployed, 6,000 were homeless and 3,000 were in prison within three years

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
- Matthew 18:2-5

Boring People

A couple months or so ago, someone I know posted this on Facebook. There is a lot of good stuff contained within (although I am not in my mid-20s), but the absolute best thing is the very last line. And it is this:

Boring people get shit done.

That really stuck out to me. Because you know what? Boring people DO get shit done.

I'm not ever doing anything exciting. Truly the most thrilling thing that's happened around here in ages is that Snicks is in the Little Victories calendar. Go Snicks. Or perhaps that, miraculously, everything in my apartment seems to be working at the same time.

Other than that, I teach school, I grade papers, I plan lessons, I go to graduate school, I go to church, I volunteer a few places, I sit on a few boards, and I sometimes see friends. I pay my bills on time, I shop at the grocery store, I vacuum and dust once a week.

I guess people consider it somewhat of an insult to be boring, but I don't really mind it. I don't cause a scene, I don't start drama with anyone, I'm not always in some sort of turmoil. If I owe you something on a deadline, I'll get it to you. If there's a meeting I'm supposed to attend, I'll be there, or I'll let you know in advance why I cannot. I use my day planner. I like peanut butter and jelly and whatever comes on NBC.

And you know what all that means?

That's right.

I get shit done.

How to Get Away With WHAT?!

So I've been sort of watching, sort of not that new show "How to Get Away With Murder." I wanted to look something up about it the other day, so naturally I Googled "how to get away with murder."

People.

People of the world.

Apparently these are the types of things we are Googling as a people :

Lordy day.

(Also, I'm forced to wonder, if one was really planning to kill someone, wouldn't one NOT want to have that search on one's computer? Although I guess I did Google "how to get away with murder" ... oh dear.)

Dancer Dom.

I don't have kids of my own, so for years I've spent all my proud moments on my ballet students. And they have provided me more than a gazillion opportunities to be proud of them. This week will be no exception as "The Nutcracker" is this weekend, but there's one particular student about which I muuuuuuusssssttt brag tonight.

Me and Dom together a few years back.

Dominique wasn't at the dance studio when I was growing up, so when I returned as an adult after moving back to Huntington in 2009, I met her for the first time. My first class back en pointe after many years, Dom stood at the barre with me. She was 14 or 15 when I met her but was mature beyond her years. Dom, without really knowing me, cheered me on that first class. She just kept telling me I could do it ... and I was 25 years old!

From that class we formed a close friendship, and I often felt like she was my little sister. She went on to become an asset at the dance studio, teaching classes and always being the first person to volunteer to help clean or do whatever chore was needed. More than that, she was a personal cheerleader to me. Whether I was dancing or teaching or directing the studio, Dom made me feel like I was doing a good job and she was not afraid to let me know it. She graduated two springs ago and went away to the University of Cincinnati to study dance. I miss her every day. And here's where the good part comes in ...

Dom in one of her turns as Sugar Plum Fairy at our studio.

Dom is performing "The Nutcracker" with the Dayton Ballet.

THE DAYTON. BALLET.

How did I find out about this? you may ask. Did I read it on her Facebook status? Get 10 excited texts in a row? See it on her blog?

Nope. Her dad nonchalantly mentioned it to me this weekend.

I should probably state the obvious here that she is humble humble humble.

I had to pry more info out of her, but when I did I found out the Dayton Ballet went to CCM to audition the dance department kids and they took only Dom and two others.

Another one.

EEEEEEEPPPPP!!!

She is performing Flowers and Snow with them. FLOWERS AND SNOW.

THE DAYTON BALLET.

Be still my heart.

(I should also take a moment to mention that I had and have nothing whatsoever to do with Dom's talent. I made sure she had a place to dance and that the light bill was paid and the barres were cleaned, but other than that she did this on her own with teachers far better than I!)

The thing is -- I'm so proud of Dom. SOOOOOO proud. Her talent is amazing, and I can't wait to see her dance on the professional stage! But more than that, I'm proud because she is a kind person with a heart of gold, going out of her way to make other people feel good and help wherever needed.

Proud mama here.

Gorge.

Because you can't have too many photos.

Her performing "Russian" as a guest artist in our Nutcracker last year.