"Frugal IS Fabulous" FHE

So I am not sure how many of you are familiar with the "Duggars" family. Ya know, the lady who has 18 children. I will admit when I heard about her I was skeptical and had already judged her in my mind of all the many reasons that was WAY to many children. However, watching their families series occasionally on TLC has totally changed my mind. She is AMAZING! If anyone could have that many children it would be her and is her! Not only did I totally misjudge her, I also never realized how much I would look up to her. Call me crazy but she is FABULOUS!!!!

There home is gorgeous and massive. In perfect order, she home schools, also spends regular one on one time with her children, she teaches them to be self sufficient, how to manage money, they are completely debt free, they teach their children about God, and she is FRUGAL!!

So anyways we watched this series where she told all the ways they cut corners to penny pinch. And she showed how they made their own detergent. Beau happened to be watching it with me and kept saying "let's try that." He was more enthusiastic about it then me, but I decided it couldn't hurt. So we turned it into our "Frugally Fabulous FHE" and had the kids help out! It was a blast and seriously works just as well as my Tide!!

Here is what you need~

FIRST



*In a saucepan bring your water to boil on med/high
*While the water is boiling, grate one bar of your soap.
(She recommends Fels -Naptha, Ivory, Sunlight, or Zote's bars. But after researching online, I found another lady who changes the recipe and buys whatever soap is on sale. I used Ivory and my mom has tried the Fels-Naptha)

*Slowly stir in soap flakes, a handful at a time, into your boiling water.
*Stir until soap is dissolved and melted

NEXT

*Fill your 5 gallon bucket halfway full with hot tap water.
*Add your melted soap mixture, baking soda, and Borax.
*Stir until powder is all dissolved
*Fill the rest of your remaining bucket up with more hot tap water.


THEN
*Stir again
*Cover with lid and let sit for overnight or 24 hours to thicken

(all liquid concoctions will be different depending on the type of soap you use. Mine was a slightly gell-y watery substance.)

*After your liquid detergent sits for allotted time frame, Stir. And fill a liquid soap dispenser (I used an old fabric softener container) and fill halfway full with mixture. Fill the remaining container full with hot water. (So every time you dilute your mixture)

*Shake before every use

Yields: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons
*Top load washer -5/8 cups per load (approx. 180 loads)
*Front Load washer- 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640 loads)

This was so easy to make and I really feel like it cleans well. I used a non-scented bar of Ivory. But I think next time I will try the scented for a smell.

All the supplies (including bucket and lid and tax) cost $8.96. After I did the math on how many loads I can make out of the baking soda & Borax it cost us
$1.86 for the ten gallons. (640 loads)

If any of you try this I want to hear what kind of soap you use and how you like it to!!

Most of March in Pictures........

We have had an eventful busy busy busy month. With tons of guests and lots of fun!
(Sorry kind-of long)

First~
My brother Eli and his friend Josh came to stay. They were hitting every temple they could in a few day period.

Highlights

*Seeing how much they have both grown
*Seeing how excited they both were to serve their missions
*Spending time with them
*Doing their missionary pictures

Next~

Four of my five sisters came with their babies. Rebecca and her daughter Mollie, Hanna and her daughter Finley, Sharla and her son Dylan, and Katie and her son Tebbin. We missed you Alison!

Highlights-

*Spending much needed time with them
*Laughing, talking, and eating
*They cooked for me every night.
*Shopping in St. George and at the DI's.
*They threw a surprise shower for me! I was so surprised and am now READY for this baby!
*Seeing their cute kids.
*Creepy face masks
* More and more Laughing!!



Then-
Beau left for the weekend with our friend Jake to another race. The Cow Dung race in Delta, Utah.

Highlights-

*Fun riding with Hans and Jake to watch (Pit crew)
*Leisurely soak in a meadow Hot spring

* Beau broke some kids wrists. Handle bars interlocking and both crashing. (the other kids fault)

*Battle wounds*

After-

My brother Eli came again to say one last goodbye!

Highlights-

*saying goodbye (it was sad, but good)
*Talking/ sharing about missionary experiences w/ Beau

Then-
I treated myself to a pedicure!

Highlights-
* I needed it!

*Although my toes are chubby! I found a fabulous painter after an hour foot and leg massage. (Her name is Karen and works at the college. She is amazing!)
*Having fabulously painted toenails.


A day later-
Ryan and Anna came for a short visit.

Highlights-
*Seeing them. (It had been awhile)
*Talking until two in the morning
*Shopping at the DI
*Wishing they lived closer!
We miss you guys. Wish I would have gotten more pictures!!

Girl Time
With all the company and my lack of motivation I was feeling like I needed to do something special for my girls. So while daddy was with Caleb, spending one on one time, at Wrestling we did charcoal masks, pedicures, and manicures.

Highlights-
*Spending time with my girls alone.
*Seeing how much they loved it
*Feeling excited to be pampered
* Hearing them say how much fun they were having!


Next-
Wes and Nikki and their children came to visit!

Highlights-
*Letting the cousins spend time together
*Visiting
*Two fabulous dinners out
* Beau got to go riding w/ Wes
*Craft talk! :)

We have had a fun month. We have a few more fun things to share, but so this post won't be the longest post ever. I will try to get to them soon! We have had so much fun with all of our guests and just wish we could convince them all to move closer to us!!
Ya know ya all want to!!!:)

Pregnancy

~Pregnancy this far~




So I have been wanting to do a post for some time , for myself mostly so I remember on all the things I love and not so much have loved about this pregnancy.

Fun Random Facts

*I was really sick for the first 6 months.
*I have craved Sushi this entire pregnancy
*I can't seem to get enough water
*I LOVE feeling the baby growing and moving inside of me!
*I haven't been too emotional until this last month! Watch out!!
*I am a clean freak, but you would never know it! Seriously this pregnancy has exhausted me and I have a hard time keeping up with anything!
* I seem to have lost my sense of spelling, math, and balance.
* I am scared to have four kids. It seems like a lot, but I am excited to see how we all adjust!
*I have feared the whole time something would go wrong and we won't get this baby.
*I have loved being able to eat whatever I want and not feel guilty!
*I haven't slept very well since about 6 1/2-7 months along. So I am extremely EXHAUSTED most of the time!
* I LOVE NESTING!!!!(My house appreciates it too)
* I have the most realistic vivid dreams while I am pregnant!
*This is the first pregnancy I feel so ready to be done with!


MY HOPES

*I hope all the kids will adjust easily to a new little man in our house. I am not worried about the two older children, but I do worry how Kennedy will do.
*I hope I recover quickly and get on a schedule fast!
* I hope for a great delivery (NO C-SECTION/fingers crossed) It has been 6 years since I had a good experience and I CRAVE it but find I am NERVOUS!
* I hope that I can be a good mother and not feel too overwhelmed.
*I hope that this little guy will feel so extremely loved by his family! We are all so anxious and ready and love him so much already!


Can't wait

* To hold him
* To touch his fingers and toes and look at his face
*To be skinny again (yeah right, it always takes me forever)
*To sleep at night
*To rock him to sleep
*To feel like my heart has expanded beyond any reasonable measure!!
*To feel that feeling the second you hear the baby cry...that feeling that is indescribable!!! The feeling that this child just came from his Heavenly Father!
*To look at Beau the second he see's him. (Yes... he cries every time! So do I!)

I love being pregnant. But like I said this time I am ready to be done. My body feels like it has been through a battle and back. But I still wouldn't trade any of this knowing what is the end result! I am so excited about this little boy that will enter into our family soon!! Hopefully much much sooner than later!~


I have SO much to blog about. I am having a hard time checking on blogs but I will get to them all soon. We will have had 8 sets of company, in the last 2 1/2 months, after this next week. So hopefully between people I can find the time to catch up!!

First place, Wrestling, and Pictures

Beau had his second race two Saturday's ago. He had so much fun and took FIRST PLACE!!!!

It was so dusty and hard to see. Beau was so dirty when he got done. He said it was such a fun race !
When he came in....I was expecting to not see him for at least another 20 minutes. He was mingled in with the other Amateur and Expert riders. I was pretty sure he won but didn't want to say it. So I told him he was the first "Green tagged" rider that I had seen come in. He kept smiling.

We went to the awards ceremony and he got a plaque/trophy. Caleb kept holding the plaque and saying "Dad, always take first, never loose." HA! We were all so proud and excited that he took FIRST!

We also got to have dinner with Uncle Don. (Beau's dad's twin brother) We always love seeing him when he is in St. George. The kids call him "Grandpa Don" and love him to pieces!!

And of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't get pictures of some sort of scenery. I loved these cactus bushes everywhere at the race! They were beautiful!

Also, Caleb has started Wrestling. This will be his third week of practice. He loves it and we are so glad he has found something that he loves and is naturally good at. He towers over the kids in his age group, so they started pairing him up with the first and second graders.

I am sure I will get (Beau took these pictures) more pictures soon of him in action! Plus I have a lot of catch up posts to do! We have been busy busy busy this month. My brother Eli and friend came and stayed with us and then all my sisters w/ their babies (except Ali) came and stayed. So I have lots to blog about!

Also check out my new photography sessions by clicking here! ( I have about 3 more sessions to get on there so keep checking back)