Making good neighbors

They say good fences make good neighbors.  Well, we have no neighbors on this side of the house, but now we have a better fence, so maybe we will get better neighbors.  This was one of Scott's many acts of love over the weekend.  I can wait to blog them all (those I haven't eaten already).

Wedding Belles

I am making gift baskets like this one to give to several brides over the next few weeks.  They contain homemade products; L-R: liquid laundry detergent, powdered dishwasher detergent, and liquid fabric softener, along with recipes for how to make each.  It's the gift that keeps on giving!  This is a fun and valuable gift to make.  I got all of the containers at the dollar store, including the cello bag.

Stuff I tried today

Okay, I hope I seem excited about this, because I am.  I have actually been looking around for things to wash and dry, because I wanted to try my homemade laundry soap and homemade fabric softener in combination.  I just made the softener today.  I used a $.90 bottle of V05 conditioner - kiwi scent - plus three cups vinegar and six cups water, a la this recipe, and, voila!  Super cheap fabric softener (11 cups is 2/3 gallon).  I will have to give some to my laundry expert friend to see if she is pleased with it, but it is working for li'l ol' me right now. Plus, she gave me a thumbs up on the homemade detergent, which was made using this recipe.

Alright, now for the créme de la créme - pun perfectly placed - I made coffee creamer today, riffing on this recipe.  I really should take a picture.  Imagine two pint-sized jars of coffee creamer, one slightly tanner than the other.  That one is mocha mint.  The lighter is plain.  I have been without creamer for a few days and was going to make the powdered kind - which is what I usually buy - using this recipe, but wasn't sure I could find or afford coconut oil at this juncture.  Mmm, mmm.  The creamer is my sweetest success yet.

I just remembered that I also tried a really simple dessert recipe today; s'more pops, a riff on this recipe.  I bought a six-pack of Hershey bars for $1 @ Wal-Mart today.  Surprisingly, just one or two is enough for a dessert.  I didn't toast mine first, btw.  However you do it, it is a really cheap and simple, sweet, and fun treat to make for kids.  All you need is a few marshmallows, a chocolate bar, and a graham cracker.  You don't even need the lolly sticks.

Next on my list is popsicles and cutting my daughter's hair.  

For the sake of not leaving my post pic-less, I'm attaching a pic of some food I made yesterday*.  I flexed my menu a bit and used half a box of leftover ziti, some cottage and mozzarella cheeses, half a package of leftover thawed frozen spinach, an egg, and some pasta sauce, and made Ziti Florentine.  It was actually quite good!  I had leftovers of my leftovers for lunch today - a grown-up mac 'n' cheese.

* Food pics are risky.  I can doctor them up and everything looks divine.  This one I didn't, and I just hope it doesn't look gross.

Notes on DIY

So I mention my DIY kick a few posts ago.  I have not made any new products since then, but I have made a few observations worth sharing.

First of all, I am making/doing things myself because it was more economical while I am at home.  Also, it is kind of fun, and gives me a sense of contribution and control.

Secondly, it takes some practice, and I find it's not always worth it.  For instance, I did not like the version of homemade dishwasher soap I made last summer; it left my dishes quite filmy.  Then I did a little more scouting and found that using the same detergent with half a cup or so of vinegar in the bottom of the washer left my dishes as clean as regular detergent, and I think it's cheaper (I admit I have not totally costed this out).  Also, I made some homemade carpet cleaner but the consistency was like toothpaste, and whatever good it may have done, I still had the problem equivalent to having to dissolve toothpaste out of my carpet.  So I'd rather buy Resolve, which I pretty much love.

My toddler son is currently banging on his bedroom door, resisting taking a nap, so I will at least temporarily put this subject on hold...

And we're back!  He went to sleep pretty quickly but I got absorbed in some other things.  I checked out a few friends' blogs, tried to snooze a headache away, and got some yogurt going.

Meanwhile, I've been thinking a lot about things that are important in life.  My friend Kate pointed out in her blog  that she's learned that life can go on without being blogged, and that it's more important to "life life alongside those I love." So wise - I couldn't agree more.  So much of what's important doesn't, and shouldn't, end up on a page or a screen.  Blogging can actually take away from life; from time spent with those significant others God has put in your life.

The most significant other, of course, is God.  I was just re-reading a Bible lesson on the subject of being a teacher, in which the writer urged those who minister to be diligent to maintain one's private relationship to the Lord.  I underlined this zinger: "God will never call you to sacrifice your intimacy with Him on the altar of ministry." I groan because I know I've done that before... and why?  For attention?  For immediate gratification?

It caused me to think about why I try to do the things I try to do around the house, online, in the world, et cetera.  There are so many things to get involved with. I jotted down a few lines that remind me to keep my hobbies and pursuits in priority perspective.


How readily I judge myself
By standards that weren't made by You
How quickly I am weighed and wanting

Of all the things that could take my time
Of all the things that could fill my mind
Of all things that could charm me more
You're the one I'm looking for




How quickly I think I need more
Thank you Lord, for humbling.
You were always everything.
Of all the many accidents
Cares of dollars and of cents
In all the good I could explore
You're the One I'm reaching for

So, in short, more important than being able to make my own pudding or whatever, is my relationship with the Lord.  I am glad to find this Mary part of me waking up along with the new Martha.  It really is quite a refreshing balance.

Okay, the next two pictures fall in between "I am Mary" and "I am Martha" on the blogger identity spectrum, which is just fine.

The first is more Mary; it is what I did with the mess I made yesterday trying to make icing granulated sugar (it doesn't work).  I tried to use the resulting creamed sugar and fat to make no-bakes, because I was too tired to properly bake or clean up again.  They look good, right?

They're okay.  The trouble is the granulated sugar is really grainy on account of I didn't heat anything up on account of I did this totally backwards.  Whatevs; the kids will eat them and so will I.

Okay, and this is a bit Martha: its the batch of yogurt I'm hatching.  I jokingly call it hatching because right now the yogurt is in the "incubation" period and the setup does look like incubating eggs.  There's a Corningware French White specimen in there, full of what I think will be a little more than a quart of yogurt, in the next 3-4 hours.  Yum!

I wonder now if I can take another little nap... everyone else in the house is snoozing...

D'in I M(yself)

I have been on a major DIY kick lately.

Here is what I had for breakfast.  I made the yogurt and granola myself.

It was delicious.

Other things I have made: laundry soap, dishwasher detergent (new and improved), baby wash.

I also planned our meals for the whole month, and made and froze seven or so of them.

More later.