How about some homemade fabric softener to go with all that....

• 1 cup baking soda
• 6 cups distilled white vinegar
• 8 cups water
• 10 -15 drops essential oils (Lavender, Vanilla, Citrus, whatever you please)
•  one gallon container

1. Add the baking soda to the plastic container.
2. Add 1 cup of water to start with.
3. Add the vinegar slowly to the bottle due to the fizz factor.
4. Add the rest of the water and swirl
5. Add the essential oil.
6. 
   
   Add 1 cup in your final rinse cycle for each load after giving a good shake.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Since I was on the topic of loving to hang my clothes outdoors, I thought I would search for homemade laundry soap recipes on the internet.   There were many, but most of them consisted of the ingredients below.  It is so much cheaper to make your own.  Plus it is fun.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1 bar Ivory bar soap or 1/3 bar Fels Naptha (harder to find but stronger)

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder 
1 oz Essential Oil

1 bucket

2 gallon containers (white vinegar containers are kind of cute if you take the label off)

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.   Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.  Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will turn to a watery gel(like egg whites).  Add 1 oz. of essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice, such as a mixture of Lavender and Vanilla, which I love.  Pour into cute containers.  Use ½ cup per load.

aaah, summer

All of my senses get a workout in the summer.  Every morning, I wake with glee ready to see the what new flower is in my garden from the 100s of seeds I planted in the spring.  Finally I am reaping the visual rewards of all the weeding and watering.  Daily, I walk out barefoot on the soft, cool green grass to peek at my gardens.  For a while, it was just lush green, but now at least one new flower opens every day.  The colors of nature are so vivid, and the butterfly visitors make it feel so ethereal.  Yesterday, I harvested my Chamomile flowers to make tea.  They smell so enchanting, and the tea will taste so good come fall.  

Another thing about summer that I love is hanging clothes on the line to dry.  Who knew it could be so fun.  First of all, it makes me feel like a vintage housewife.  I smell the lavender fabric softner on every towel or garment as I hang it (Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lavender has edged out my old favorite Downy Lavender Vanilla).  The sound of birds singing, bees buzzing, and the distant lawnmower float in and out of my ears as I hang.  All the senses are so delighted in summer, I am so sad to see it come to an end.

Girl's Weekend Part Deux

The first evening ended in cocktails and debauchery at our temporary pad.  The next morning, we were feeling a little worse for wear, but we cooked a delicious breakfast, and headed out for an unscripted adventure in Estes Park.  This adventure included taking old tyme photos, shopping, seeing the famous Stanley Hotel via The Ghost Tour, and going on a wine tasting at a little independent winery.  I was grumpy and ready for a nap by the time we went to the winery, but I guess it acted as hair of the dog, because after the tasting, I was fresh and new.     Two of our friends took a little nap, and Erica and I soaked our feet in the jacuzzi tub, drank champagne, and chatted.  She told me the funniest stories and had me laughing so hard.  The crazy thing is, this was close to my favorite part of the trip, and yet we could have done this at one of our homes for free.  After our homemade pedicures and the other gals naps, we dolled ourselves up for a night on the town.  During our shopping excursion, one of the salesclerks told us about the beach party at an Irish Pub called Lonnigans.  Erica had already been itching to go there, so after much debate we decided we would end our day with that.  However, we had to eat first.  There is a cute little resturaunt hotel called Nicky's.  It had the cutest seventies lounge vibe and the yummiest salad bar.  Samantha and I bought a bottle of wine we could all decorate.  Then they hang the bottles of wine from the ceiling.  There are very old decorated bottles up there.  Perhaps we can go back one day and see ours.  Next stop, Lonnigans.  We had a cute little table at the beach party, talked, laughed, ect.  Then I won $25 in a dance contest.  I enjoyed limbo, and we saw a guy's knee get dislocated.  We left before the night was over, and we got a good nights sleep before heading home.  It was a gloriously fun weekend, and it rejuvenated my girl time battery(although I already want to see them again).

Girl's Weekend

Everyone needs to get away once in a while.  Plus, I think girlfriends are a must have to keep sane (even if you have the perfect life).  So on the most hectic week of my awesome new job as librarian, I was lucky to have a girl's weekend to Estes Park scheduled.  I left from my busy workday, picked up a lovely girlfriend an hour after I left, and we resumed driving and chatting for two hours until we reached our destination.  The drive up there was the beginning of the fun.  It is so fun to chat with your longtime girlfriends (this particular one and I had been friends since fourth grade, not to mention she was my boudoir photographer).  I told her how I had been such a grouch to my family, and hopefully distance would make their hearts grow fonder.  She told me similar stories.  Then, when we arrived at our destination, boom it was so fun.  Two more of our lady friends were waiting for us in a divine place called Mary's Lake Getaway(photo above, website as follows   Maryslakegetaway.com).  I do suggest you stay there.  It was like having a beautiful mountain lodge all to yourself.  Waiting for us with open arms were the two previously mentioned lady friends, Erica and Samantha (known since kindergarten and sixth grade, respectively).  That night, at the suggestion of my friend Samantha's mom, we went to dinner at Dunraven's.  It was the most magical, delicious Italian resturaunt, with an eccentric decor.  There were Mona Lisa interpretations everywhere.  On the walls and ceiling of the entrance, there were $1 bills taped everywhere.  I asked an employee, and he said it was more than $10,000.00.  He said it is good luck if you tape a dollar bill to the wall.  I asked if a penny would bring luck, and he said no.  Being the cheapskate that I am, I had to decline.  Who knows where I could spend that dollar on girls weekend.  It is late, and I must be off, but stay tuned for the conclusion to girls weekend.....

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Are you so excited for April Showers?  I am.  I love the rain, because I picture the green grass and the flowers blooming.  Also, the smell is out of this world.  So check out these cute vintage umbrellas I found for less than most on http://www.lace-parasols.com/.  The above is the "Virginia".  Can't imagine why I would be so enthralled with that.  It is $37.99, which is cheaper than most lace parasols on the net.  And if it last you a lifetime of Aprils, what is $40.00?  What a cute site, and what cute items.

Tribute to Chance

I was hanging out with my daughter today, when I heard the Louis Armstrong song, "What A Wonderful World", and I fell apart.  I was so embarrassed crying in front of my daughter, but she gave me a hug and was so sweet.  I used to love that song, until I was on bedrest with my first son, and he used to kick every time he heard it.  I thought he loved it, and would love it when he was born.  Unfortunately, that day never came, as he died an hour and a half after his birth on September 29th, 2000.  That song used to bring me to tears, until a few years ago, when I could finally get through it after hearing it through countless weddings, ect.  But today, for some reason, it snuck up on me again.  Every bone in my body longs for him.  I often think how he would be in fourth grade this year, and I think how he would be such a good brother to Miles and Virginia.  Maybe it is selfish to long for a third child when so many people can't even have one, but I do.  I long for the baby I lost.  I long for him every mother's day, every birthday, and every once in a while, on days like today, when I think of how wonderful it would be to have him.  This is to every one who lost a baby, every one who wishes they could have one, and even to those who cancelled a birth on their own, and think of it every day....I love you Chance...thank you for being my son...if even for only an hour and a half.