Bitty Bo-Biddle

Reminiscing today. I found its a good thing to do every now and again, how else would I reconcile the fact that this mug:

  is any way related to this one:

Or how about these:

I miss my red hair and being skinny.

Mostly the skinny.

To the boy, my oldest, my mini-me; Please stop growing- you are making me look old.

Probably I should go red again, maybe that would help.

Make Your Own Laundry Soap, Concentrated.

Pintrest is bad. Pintrest puts ideas into my already overcrowded head. I will say however that this is one idea that has been percolating for quite a while and Pintest only helped seal the deal. Homemade Laundry Soap (Duh- you read the title right?) Here is the back story:

I was trying to get some super awesome mud out of a white shirt, we all know how fun that can be. Anywho I read somewhere that stains come right out if you rub them with a bar of Fels Naptha soap. I figured for 98 cents a bar I could give it a go, and it worked. It was magic what with the stain disappearing before my very eyes. I even called Hubs at work and told him all about it. He obviously shared my enthusiasm. Not.

I found about a million different recipes for homemade laundry soap and all most all of them required 5 gallon buckets. Not for me thanks. My house (log cabin) does not have closets so storage space is at a premium. Then I found a recipe for Laundry Soap Concentrate. Yes please.

Math: Ug.

Cost of supplies about $10.00. Yeild: 4 quarts (1 gallon). Amount used per load: 1 tablespoon. 

Number of loads from 1 batch: 256. So for about 10 dollars you can now wash TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX loads of laundry.

Cast of characters: 

2 bars Fels Naptha

2 cups 20 Mule Team Borax

2 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

6 cups of hot water (+ more water as needed)

Here we go: 

Grate/chop to tiny pieces, throw into food processor- the 2 bars of Fels Naptha. Combine with 6 cups hot water in a large pot on medium heat. Stir until soap dissolves.

Or if you are like me: turn on the heat and then totally forget that it is turned on 

while helping Littlest with her homework. 

NOTE: you do not want this to boil. Boil = Bad.

This was almost Bad. 

Once the Fels Naptha has dissolved add in the Borax and Washing Soda.

Stir, Stir, and Stir some more until dissolved. (Mine took about 2 minutes)

Ladle into quart jars.

The next part is super easy. Screw on the lids and totally forget about it overnight (or about 8 hrs)

The mixture will separate and get firm so take a knife and chop it into bits

Pour it all into your stand mixer

Once you have the hard stuff out there might be some stuff stuck to the bottom of your jar

Add a few tablespoons of warm water, replace lid, shake.

Into the stand mixer it goes: beat on medium high until it looks like this:

Once fluffy and creamy return it to the jar and screw on your lid

Ta-Da! You made your own Laundry Soap Concentrate!! 

1 tablespoon per load. That's it. One.

Can be used in HE washers as this is a NON Sudsy soap.

Also- if 256 loads seems like a bit over the top you could always 

cut this recipe in half.

So what do you think? Are you going to give it a try?

Things You Should Know About Today

1. I am feeling creative.


2. I am on prescription medication.


4. I just discovered where I left my coffee.


5. I like to play with MS Paint. I call this one "Self Portrait of the Crazy Lady"

6. Note to self: when feeling creative, taking prescription meds, and hyped up on coffee= Prolly should take a nap instead of blogging.

Hope you day is as fun as mine is turning out to be :) 

Smart Kids = Awesome Person to Take Care of you in RETIREMENT

I am a 30- something, no more spring chicken, so Hubbs and I have been talking a lot about saving money for retirement. I came up with a super hush hush secret plan we will call "My Kid Is Smart." Now the genius in that everyone will assume you are helping your child be the best they can be but what actually is happening is I am preparing them for future careers that will ensure I have a happy retirement.


For example: Oldest is going to be the doctor and Littlest will be a veterinarian. I started brain washing already, they don't have much choice at this point. Now see, great careers + good money makers = nice big comfy home with a sweet little cottage in the back for dear old Mom and Dad. PERFECTION. Free rent and easy access to grandbabies. Isn't that what retirement is all about?


On with the "My Kid is Smart" plan: Littlest started Kindergarten this year (Wahhhhhhhaaahahahahhahahha). During the second week of school she came home and announced "I decided I can read now" and boy did she. I couldn't believe it, she had been holding out on me! The catch is though that she will only read what she wants to read and in typical K-grade style she is more interested in looking at the pictures and making up her own story.

Fiddling around on Pintrest I cam across this blog and decided "I can do that" and so I did. Only slightly different, mostly because I forgot what kind of paint chips I needed and I had also forgotten my phone so I couldn't look it up and the lady at the paint counter thought I was crazy when I asked her about it and gave me the side eye while I snatched up about 100 paint card thingies. I wanted to make sure I had enough- sue me.

SO, here it is- Operation Word Family. For a complete list of everything/ how to make it the right way go here.

Here are the Word Families (words that all end the same)

Here is Chubaca- intrigued by all the pretty colors (or my burrito).

He just couldn't keep his dang nose out of it.

Admittedly, it is pretty awesome.

The pink stack is word beginnings- 'totally' different

than the original- what can I say, I am a rebel.

My computer hates me. It won't let me rotate this pic.

Whatev- Right? You get the idea.

I did eventually cut all the word endings into 3 parts so it would be easier to work with/less distracting. 

Pretty amazing, Right?

B-Dub OUT.

Thought I Fell Off the Planet? Me Too!!

Ahhh, Blogger- I have missed you! Sorry for the absence but crafting, school starting, and living sort of got in the way.

During my absence I have been busy (Get it, Busy B-Dub....) getting my craft on, don't worry I will share my ideas and how-to's. I even opened an Etsy Shop for all you B-Dub coolness needs.

BTW, have you discovered Pinterest? Totally addicted, chuck full of excellent ideas- and a way to organize them? Awesome. This site is invite only so let me know if you are in need- I can totally hook you up!

And now I'm off again- Oldest needs to be picked up. Until next time, meanwhile enjoy the eye candy: (obviously available in my Etsy Shop- shameless self promotion, I know...)

Fun with Shutterfly!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Oldest Biggest Day

Oldest had a big day today, surgery #2 on his ear. See, he had this lump that showed up a year or so ago and we had it removed in October. Pathology report: cyst. Gross.

Pre-op, too cool for school 

The day we went to pick up Charley from his deployment Oldest's ear started oozing. Even grosser.

ENT doctor decided he needed to go back in and clean out whatever is built up in there- hence surgery #2. So as of right now there are a few options as to what exactly was growing in his ear lobe.

#1: another cyst
#2: the sutures from surgery 1 didn't dissolve properly and became infected
#3: unknown

Post-op, not so cool now huh...

So now we are playing the waiting game until the lab sends its findings. Hopefully next week we will have some answers.

Lucky boy got to keep his ear lobe!! 

Dr. wasn't sure he could save it =) 

Cross your fingers and dot your i's that this is the end of ear lobe drama.

Poor boy has been sleeping ever since. 

Codine is good like that.