homemade vs. store bought

i'm not really going to get into the pros & cons of homemade vs. store bought. i know there is value in store bought & there of course is value in homemade.
at the moment, in my life i am enjoying a few products of my own labor.....the canning of vegetables in our chilis & stews & my new clothesline with towels that actually absorb water efficiently & they smell heavenly. well i have branched out in a few areas thanks to the website "pinterest". if you arent a member of that website i would strongly suggest anyone who wants to do things better, be more organized, look for good recipes, fashion ideas, gift ideas, see pretty pictures...go on pinterest.

anyway i have started making our landry soap, fabric softner & our dishwasher detergent. this next month i am going to branch out into glass cleaner & toothpaste....yep, tooth paste. i'm also going to start putting together our onion soup mix that goes in almost every soup, chili, or roast i make, our taco seasoning & our ranch dressing mix.

i'm tired of the flowery chemical smells that make my asthma flair up as well as my children's. i know it sounds nutty right? do i need to make our laundry soup, can vegetables, use cloth diapers, have our egg eating hens processed for stews, shop at the thrift store (boy i scored today - more about that later) - NO!! well why then do i do it?

i like the idea of saving money. of helping cut cost in one area so we can put money in another. but the biggest reason i do those things is because i enjoy them. yes, that's the truth. i get a real satisfaction out of using the cloth diapers. i never have to run out to the store because i've run out of diapers. i just have to wash them (which i'm doing now!). i like the idea of hanging my clothes on the clothesline & my kids like the way the clothes smell & feel. that's no joke. that is the truth. i love being outside hanging the clothes up....i get time to myself & with my dogs....yep..with my dogs. even my cats come along & sit with me while i hang clothes. also i fold them as i'm taking them down & it gives me more outside time - alone time - with my thoughts - or again - with the dogs. and the clothes are folded faster & put away faster than when i use to do them in the dryer. and did you know that the dryer is one of the biggest drains on your electric bill? & mine just jumped from $123 a month to a whopping $267...yep....per month. that is insane!!
as for the laundry soap, fabric softner & dishwashing detergent....i am beyond thrilled with myself. i cant tell you how satisfied i feel at doing that. i never would have thought i would give up my addiction to tide, downy & cascade....but i have. this is no lie....what i made works better or as efficiently!! and quite frankly the smell is just as good - if not better. the dishwashing detergent for the dishwasher actually works better, especially with white vinegar in the rinse aid slot. no more cloudy rubbermaid storage containers.

also for homemade it's christmas time again. with that being said we have been making our yearly ornaments. this year we have branched out from just the paint inside the clear glass ornaments to putting glitter inside them. basically we swish mop n' glo inside the glass ornaments, pour the excess out after the inside is coated well & then we pour in the glitter, shake, make sure the inside is covered, let it dry for 2 hours, shake out the excess glitter, pop the top on & there you go....a very pretty ornament. also this year we have been making glitter animals. i told the kids we were the "glitterati" but they didnt understand. but we bought some little rubbery/hard plastic animals & we painted glue onto them & then we shook glitter on them (this was a martha stewart idea) & man they are soooooo gorgeous. my favorite is the little deer, the sheep & the little goat....but i like the teal cow also.....just wait until you see the pictures.....to die for! you will run out & become "glitterati" yourself!!
we are giving some away - of the ornaments & animals, & keeping some. rachel's co-op teachers, friends we are eating thanksgiving with, loved ones....clay's employees love them...etc.....
we even have a glow-in-the-dark ornament this year. basically we put glow-in-the-dark paint inside the ornament & will write in thick glue the kids names on them & then pour glitter on the glue - so they will have an ornament with their name in glitter on it that glows-in-the-dark. asher is beyond thrilled with that idea.
i also wanted to say this....asher picks out the wildest colors of paint to put in his ornaments & when they mix together they tend to be some of the prettiest. it's the wildest thing i have seen.
and for those of you who know how ocd i am about my glitter & paint...i have been doing excellent! i even combined the glitter tonight after we made our first batch of animals. i guess i will just start a jar of mixed glitter. i gave up trying to keep it all separated. it was too hard. and the kids are really doing excellent. and i love having esther paint glue on her animal & to see them shaking the paint inside the ornaments. they have done so well. i am very happy over all & we are making very good memories. they all enjoy doing this & expect it every year. it's a good thing.

ok as for the thrift store....elizabeth has been needing boots. she has grown so fast lately i am having a hard time keeping up. she is in a woman's size 5 1/2 - 6 depending on how shoes are made. anyway, i stopped at the thriftstore today. i scored - not 1, but 2 - fully leather (except for the soles), never been worn (as the sticker tags were still on the soles & no scuffs at all on the soles) up to under her knee boots....nice, warm brown boots. both different. rachel can wear a pair if she wants to as i think they are in the same size. oh, you want to know how much i paid???? $12 for both pair....yes for both pair together! i couldnt have bought her 1 pair of boots that were not leather at Target for that price. not only that but i was able to get esther 4 pairs of jeans & 1 really cute jean jacket/blazer, 3 books (1 a hardback Nancy Drew that elizabeth is reading now - so when i find them i buy them. it was #51 in the series), levi -1 pair of jeans & a ralph lauren button down, long sleeved shirt, and asher 2 pair of casual sports paints - one that snaps down both sides of the legs & one with spiderman on him (major score on that one). all of that for a grand total of $47. did i mention that all of the denim was old navy, gap or osh gosh? yep! in perfect condition. i LOVE the thrift store!
ok now for pictures!

the little silver deer to the right is my favorite! there are 2 horses (red & gold), a purple rabbit behind the deer, a bob cat (asher's), a wolf, a duck & a pig on this plate!

a green rooster, a royal blue ram, a gold hen, a sweet white gold goat in the middle, a white sheep & a teal calf.

see i did put all the glitter together - for all you doubters that i could actually do it. i might not sleep tonight thinking about it...but i will get over it eventually!

some of our glitter ornaments. some have 1 solid color of glitter & others have 3 different colors swirled to make them look marbled. soooo much fun. and yes, the kids have been doing these - even esther & it is just mop n' glo & ultra fine glitter.

some of our paint ornaments turned upside down letting them drip overnight. not one is the same! so cool

these are done & i have to put the hangers back on them & then pick out coordinating ribbons.

more glittery ones! all solids i think except that yellow & red one that looks like the new crackle fingernail polish.

and more paint ones. it's just the acrylic enamel paint. one thing i did different this year & i am noticing a big difference in having to go back & fix a spot - i actually rinsed them with alcohol before we used them & let them dry. that has really helped, even tho it was a tedious step.

my bucket of paints. (yes i have issues ok!)

our table of glitter, mop n' glo & glues.

some of the animals we need to do tomorrow. i am actually going to the dollar tree to see if i cant find some more deer. i love the little deer & sheep. soooo cute. i cant wait to put them on the mantle or on the table during supper.

this is the glow-in-the-dark ornament dripping into it's cup. i am so excited. asher will be thrilled!

this is what i keep my laundry soap in now. go REDSKINS!!!

this is the finished project. i love it!!! this will do about 600 loads of laundry. clay got me the bucket & i dont have the heart to tell him it's too big so i will just use it.

and as i'm sure you can read, is my fabric softner. very happy! it's basically borax (i think if i remember correctly) hair conditioner with the smell of your choice & white vinegar.) it smells so good!