The Paper Caper

It started out all rolled up...

But a little curiosity goes a loooong way.

Bam, bam!

Ohhh, caught ya! Such an innocent smile, isn't it?

I won!!

I'm so excited! I've been following a lovely blog named A Godly Homemaker for a bit now. She just offered a drawing for five pounds of Tropical Traditions all natural powdered laundry soap. Now, ya'll know that I usually make my own, but I entered because who can pass up five pounds of free soap? Especially soap that you use a tablespoon at a time? Aaack! Anyhow, I won!! YAY!
In honor of winning, I want to share my 2 favorite laundry soap recipes AND a homemade spray and wash recipe that we use that came from my mother-in-law (she uses it to get farm goo out of clothes, I promise it works!). Here ya go!

Recipe #1
1/3 bar FelsNaptha Soap, grated
1 C borax
1 C washing soda (NOT baking soda!)

You can choose to leave it as a powder, and use a tablespoon per load OR if you like liquid detergents, mix the above with six cups of water & simmer on the stove til dissolved. Add more water, til you have about 2 quarts. This will set to a thick gel. Use 1/4 C per load.

Recipe #2
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap

It's easiest to put liquid soap in bowl first, then washing soda, mix well, then baking soda. Will be a powdered soap. Use 1/2 C per large load.

Spray-n-Wash
1/3 C non-suds ammonia
1/3 C Wisk soap (liquid)
Put in spray bottle, fill the rest of the way with water.

Gingerbread House Creating

Rolling out the dough...and eating it.

Pieces and parts, coming together!

Look! It's standing! We did it! RAH!

Payge was commissioned to color the pine trees green...she did NOT like getting frosting on her hands. The fact that I took the time to take this photo rather than hurry and wipe her off made her cry. :(

Decorating...or eating. Same thing.

Drizzling the "snow" glaze. Sugar sprinkles added later.

Finale!

Snow--Finally!

It felt like we waited forever for our first snow. But it came! Yay! There isn't much left at our house, just a dusting of white, but the children took advantage of what there was.

I took this photo just because he looked so grown up.

Payge kept walking around saying, "Oh NO!" and wiping snow off surfaces, like the stairs, car, and sidewalk.

Chayce was determined to make a snow angel. The driveway was the perfect spot, since the snow kept sinking into the grass.

SMACK! He threw one at me first, then I got him! Thanks for catching it on film, Stephen!

Cute and bundled. Can you believe our baby is almost 2?

Our Lego Contest Entry

http://community.legoeducation.us/blogs/legosmart/archive/2009/12/07/balanced-tower.aspx

Scientists Grow Meat in Lab

Read, join me in cringing, then go buy a REAL steak.
http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/12/veggie-might-newsflash-scientists.html

Putting up the tree.

Yeah, I know they are out of order, but I'm not wrestling with blogger right now.


Look! There's a mouse in the slipper!

Zac, wrapping our banister with tinsel.

Digging through the ornaments.

Smiling at Daddy, who would rather run the camera than help with the tree.

Putting up ornaments.

Hee, hee. Santa is on a string...ha ha ha.

Hi, Daddy. Aren't I sweet?

Making sure one of our fake branches was fluffed enough.

Working together.

Ta Da!!