We Like Making Our Own Stuff

Yes, yes, I know.  It's about time I got around to posting my recipe for homemade powdered laundry detergent.  Thank you to those of you who have been patiently waiting, despite the fact that you requested the recipe weeks ago. I haven't been lounging around eating bonbons, I promise.  Things have just been a bit hectic; on top of all the food preservation that goes on this time of year, we've also recently experienced a loss in the family (my husband's sweet grandma). And, as I think I may have mentioned in a previous post, my hubby and I are currently expecting--twins!  I haven't felt this pregnant since...well, I can't honestly remember ever feeling so pregnant!  So, anyway, I don't quite move around as fast as I used to, but I am steadily getting some posts put together, and hopefully getting to some recipes that readers want. With that all explained, I will move onto today's post:  Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent. I have made both ...

Another summer has come and almost gone here in central Wisconsin.  The night temperatures are now regularly dipping into the 40's, signaling the impending arrival of fall.  This summer has proved to be challenging, mainly because we've hardly gotten any rainfall!  Thankfully, our area is only considered to be "Abnormally Dry," so it could have been much worse. However, we were still forced to water quite a bit this year, and many of our garden plants did not do as well as we had hoped--most notably the squashy plants, like the pumpkins, butternut, zucchini, and crookneck.  These plants are finally setting fruit, but I have my doubts as to whether or not they will reach maturity before it gets frosty. But what may have saved the rest of the garden was our wash water and other gray water saved from the house.  My husband has rigged the washer machine discharge hose up to some large barrels outside; the water is then pumped through a hose and into the garden....

Did you know the average household can save $25 a month by line drying their clothing? Furthermore, laundry that is washed with cold water and then line dried lasts longer--after all, what do you think all that lint in your dryer's lint trap is from?  Lint is made up of little particles of your clothing that have come off due to the high heat and tumbling action of the dryer.  This means that clothing dried in a dryer will show signs of wear and tear sooner, and colors will fade more quickly. These are great reasons to line dry your laundry whenever possible, but I wont stop there.  Line dried clothes smell like fresh air and sunshine (much more pleasing than synthetic fragrances), are not full of static electricity, and--if dried in the sun--are disinfected by the sun's ultraviolet rays.  Line drying gets you outside in the fresh air, and it burns around 45 calories every 15 minutes you are hanging clothes. As you can see, there are many benefits to line dryin...