Orange Scented Vinegar Cleaner

A few posts back,I talked about trying to jazz up my vinegar and water cleaner with some orange scent.

I filled some mason jars with orange peel,and then vinegar. I let them sit for a few weeks.

It was time to try it. Would it smell like oranges? Or would the vinegar scent prevail?

I took my jars down from the shelf:

I lined the strainer with cheesecloth. The first time I did it,I only doubled the cheesecloth and  had some sediment on the bottom of the bowl. I re strained it,tripling the cheesecloth,and it came out fine.

I use a 1:1 ratio-one cup of vinegar for one cup of water.

You can still smell the vinegar,but it does have  a mild orange citrus scent to it. So I would say it does work. Next time I will try it with lemons.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!

Organizing and Being Inspired

I will post about our trip to Strawberry Banke-I just have to decide which of the 125 photos I took during the day to use!  :)

Yesterday I decided I really needed to give the bathroom a good old scrubbing. It hasn't had it since I wound up with the sinus infection (which is gone,by the way.My last day of taking antibiotics is today).Of course, I did clean the toilet and sink,but that was it. One thing I learned about being under the weather-if I can't clean the bathroom,it won't get done. I suppose no one likes cleaning it. I was working up my old elbow grease cleaning the tub,and I guess my heavy breathing was rather loud. Rick called out,"Don't kill yourself!" I replied,"Someone has to clean it," with sweat dripping from my brow (OK,maybe not dripping...but  my brow was most definitely moist).'Why didn't you tell someone it needed to be cleaned?" he called back. I almost retorted that if I have to tell grown men when a tub is dirty,then there is something seriously wrong with their eyesight,but I said nothing and kept scrubbing. (It looks lovely now,by the way).

Besides cleaning the tub,sink,toilet,and floor,our  bathroom closet needed a good redo. Our closet is very narrow,and it used to have a door on it,but we had a hard time reaching into the closet when the door was open because the open door created an even more narrow space. A few years ago,we took the door off,and I put a curtain up. My goal is to eventually open up this area somehow. It's a linen closet as well as where we keep our first aid kit,aspirin,etc. We don't have a medicine cabinet (another thing which will be remedied in the future).

This is what it looked like when I took the curtain off. There is one more shelf on the bottom that you can't see in this photo. Our bathroom is small,so there is not a lot of space to back up for photos.Our toilet is across from the closet.

So,I pulled everything out and looked at the space.Right now where things are stored works-but I have mismatched sheets,old sheets,old meds, etc. Time to purge. So I did. Meds that went past the expiration date-tossed. Sheets and pillow cases that were ratty-put in a rag bag. Old nail polish-gone. All those mini soaps,shampoos and conditioners from various hotels that I had for years-see ya!


                                                                 That looks much better!

I rolled up my towels to help make a bit more space. My homemade soaps are in the basket. Ultimately,I want the litter box to be at the bottom of the closet,so it's hidden. Right now it's in between the sink and the toilet.  Of course, the shelves will have to be moved,but you can see that there is wasted space because the space between the shelves is too much. They need to be closer together. The whole closet is going to get an overhaul. But that's a different project for a different day.

Apparently,my organizing inspired Rick,because he cleaned out his bedroom closet (though I didn't get any photos of it).Things like his Army dress greens,which he will never wear again,and other clothing items were put in a bag to go into the attic. Some clothes became gun cleaning rags.He did a good job.

I was looking at my wire shelf in the kitchen,and added some items to the area. In the last few days,I not only put the pretty pouring bowl up,but my Beekman Boys Heirloom Cookbook,and a milk bottle and old mason jar that Brother B found in the woods in an old dump site. It still needed more. Wednesday, I put out some canned goods- pinto and navy beans that I put in canning jars for storage, homemade raspberry and strawberry jam,and canned green beans. I canned them last year. It still needed more,though. I thought my silver plate tray would be a nice contrast behind the pouring bowl,and would look nice with the stainless oven. I hung a small bunch of oregano. The next thing was what to put above the shelf. A handmade plate clock that my brother Dennis had given me for Christmas one year had been somewhat hidden in the dining area. It's pretty,but I didn't really have the right place for it. He bought it when he was stationed in Italy. Now it has it's rightful place of honor.

Looking at this gave me more inspiration. I have some blue and white checked valances that I had bought when we first bought the house. I had them up for a while,but then took them down. We have been without curtains in this area since. My thought process was that,since we don't get a whole lot of light here because the windows face NW,NW,and N,I wanted to get as much light as possible into the area. I thought any type of curtain would block that extra precious light. However,the area felt stark and cold.There was no warmth to it,even with that tiny little extra light. Since I didn't have any extra  tension curtain rods,I took down the curtain from the closet in the bathroom and used that to see how the valance would look. Judge for yourself!

I was amazed at how cozy this corner now feels-how the whole kitchen  is feeling! We still have some cosmetics to do and the closet next the to the fridge-but it's coming along. I am so excited about how it's all coming together. The nice thing is,the only thing I bought to decorate this area was the wire bin. I had everything else already. It's great to decorate with what you have!!!

Today the neighbors are all coming over for a fish fry.The weather isn't the best-it's gray with chances of rain-but it will be fun,nonetheless.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!

My Feeble Knitting Attempt

I have finished my dishcloth...if one can call it that.

Not the prettiest looking ,is it? There are several mistakes,but I just kept plodding along.It's suppose to be one row knit,one row purl,but I think I purled wrong. Instead of bringing my right needle from right to left, I basically did a knit stitch,bringing the right needle from left to right,but on the top of the left needle instead of the bottom.My book says the right needle is suppose to be brought right to left. Hmmm. It does have a nice ribbed texture,which you can't really see in this photo. I used cotton yarn with size 8 needles. Oh well, it is a dishcloth.

I have tried to find double ended needles to attempt some circular knitting,but neither Michaels nor Ben Franklin's had them,the two places I thought would carry them. I do have a pair of regular circular knitting needles,but the directions I have for mittens call for double ended needles. I will have to look on line for something else.

Yesterday I was woken by Zach who presented me with a bowl of cereal and a cup of OJ. "I would've brought you coffee,Mumma,but I didn't know how to make it,"he explained. How can you not love that? We have such a nice,loving son. Rick and I always comment on how lucky we are,and hopefully as he grows into a teenager that won't go away.

Yesterday I cleaned the bathroom,washed windows,dusted,and actually moved living room furniture to sweep. I also did three loads of laundry. I have found myself more motivated,and I am not sure if it's the antidepressant, the prescription strength Clariton I am on,or both ( probably both). I was done by 1:00 PM,and I thought it was much later than that. Sigh. It always takes me a bit to get used to the time change.

Falling Leaves

Today I am lying a bit low. I started getting aches and chills yesterday,complete with a nagging runny nose ( lovely image,I know....my apologies!)and slight cough. Today,my nose is taking a break,but my coughing has increased a bit and I still feel blah. I did do the morning dishes and swept the house. I replaced the wick from one of my kerosene lamps that has been missing for over a year and polished it's chimney. ( I have several lamps-three in the dining area,four in the living room). I did eat breakfast ( English muffin and oatmeal) but I wasn't very hungry.

I sat down and in my recliner and watched what was going on with Nature outside. The day began as sunny,but the clouds have rolled in and the sun is more in than out . We are expecting a Northeaster ( some will argue that I should be calling it "Nor'easter" in true Yankee vernacular) here that will carry no snow,only rain. Heavy rain.The wind has picked up a bit,putting the fall into Fall...the leaves and pine needles are falling off the trees,and starting to cover the yard.Our cat,Omar ( aka Little O) sat in front of the french doors,watching them with interest for a little while. The colors are pretty much at peak,lots of yellows,reds,oranges,and golds mixed in with the green pine trees. I am constantly amazed at how beautiful it is here and how lucky we are to live where Nature is so close at hand.

The Man of the Place started up the wood stove,and as soon as I smelled the wonderful fragrance of burning wood,I felt contentment. If you have never smelled or felt the experience of a wood stove,especially when sick,you are missing out. It's like a big old hug. Wood stove heat is perfect. I can see the wood stove from my recliner,which is nice,because we have a glass front on our stove,so I can watch the flames. Sometimes Rick and I will sit at the table (the wood stove is in the dining area),chat and watch the flames.

I am now going to go back to my recliner,curl up under a quilt,and watch the flames from the wood stove and the leaves fall outside. I think a good book is in order,maybe a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I hope you have a chance to enjoy what Nature is up to outside your window.

Trying To Get Organzied

One of the things ( the many things,actually) that is the bane of my life is my attempts at organization.

I love the thought of having everything in it's place,nice and neat,shiny and perfect. However,I know I will never accomplish that. It' s just not in me.

I have the best intentions,please know that. I look around and say..."OK,I really need to organize the kitchen cabinets,and the drawers.The closets in the bedroom are screaming for help. I can kick clutter to the curb....I CAN DO THIS!" I then make up a weekly cleaning chart,go to FlyLady,and begin.

Then real life kicks in about two weeks later,and it all goes to hell in a hand basket.

If I lived by myself,I have no doubt that the house would look...well...not perfect but much better. But I have two men,a boy,two dogs and a cat in this 918 sq ft house. A floor washed doesn't look washed long. A clean kitchen table tends to become a catch all. Things are left where they shouldn't be. I get tired of telling people to put stuff away...who wants to listen to a nag?

And I am not perfect,not by a long shot! My stuff winds up where it shouldn't be,such as the kitchen table. The computer desk is cluttered with papers and books. The winter coats I was going to wash and store away for the season? Still hanging on the hooks in the kitchen. Yep.

Growing up,all my Mom did was work 8 hours a day at her job,then come home and clean. I remember naps on an occasional Sunday afternoon, and sitting watching TV at night, but most of my memories involves her constantly cleaning. Our house was spic and span. Except for my room. There were clothes on the floor ( at least they were all piled in one corner).Actually,it wasn't' that bad. Clothes in a corner aren't such a bad thing. It drove my Mom nuts,though. I wasn't messy,just.....untidy.

Remember,I do have good intentions! But somewhere along the line...I don't know what happens. Things come up. I know it's harder in the summer,with the garden,canning and what not. I shouldn't beat myself up like I do. But I do. I feel the need to apologize to people who visit-"Uh...we are going to clean out the garage this Fall when it's cooler.....I am planning on repainting the kitchen....I need to find homes for all my canning jars..."

Then I say to myself," This is a home,not a museum! People live here,and I don't want to spend my life straightening and cleaning every day.If I have a chance to do something with my family and the house is a bit worse for wear,the hell with it. I want to spend fun time with my family."

I bring this up because I am feeling the incentive to actually organize my cabinets and drawers. I have been eyeing them for a few weeks,but haven't done anything about it. Now I am feeling like I HAVE to. It NEEDS to get done.What hasn't really bothered me for a while is driving me nuts.Maybe incentive isn't the word-compulsion is! That's more like it. That's the answer! I am a compulsive organizer,not a consistent one. A compulsive organizer. I will organize the cabinets and drawers and not think about for months. Yep.That's me.

The Never Ending Battle

Besides having an ever ending battle with dirt and sand that gets tracked in all day long,there is another nemesis that I have a constant struggle with. For a few months a year,it's worse than usual,and it causes me great frustration.

This is the main culprit,our chocolate lab,Sasha. Here she is in all her glory on my recliner. What could this pretty little girl do that is sooooo annoying and frustrating,you may ask? She looks harmless enough. It's actually nothing she has control over.


It's THIS......................................

HAIR! Hair everywhere. Of course,she is not the only one,since we have a black lab/bull mastiff cross named Samson and a tabby cat named Omar. However,I could spin the amount of hair our dear Sasha sheds twice a year into a huge old ball of dog yarn (can one do that?). This pile is just from our living room. Another pile is swept from the bathroom and kitchen. Bear in mind I sweep daily. As soon as the sweeping is done,it looks like nothing got accomplished at all.

It's a good thing we love her! Sigh.

Father's Day Weekend

Rick Giving The Thumbs Up!!

This past weekend Zach and I visited Rick Saturday and Sunday,Father's Day. Each day we spent 5 hours. It really boosts Rick's spirits to see us,especially Zach,since Zach has not been able to visit much because of school. Zach's last day was Friday,so now he can go whenever I visit.

Rick has lost weight because his appetite is very low,but we were told that would be the case for quite a while after surgery.Rick is glad he has lost some weight,and is also glad that he hasn't chewed tobacco since the day before surgery.That makes two weeks now without a dip,or even an urge to dip.Not only is it a nasty habit,but it costs anywhere from $3-$5 a can,depending on what brand he buys. That adds up. Now he is tobacco free,and plans to stay that way. His beard is getting longer,because he can't shave due to the coumadin (blood thinner) he is on. Three more weeks and he shouldn't have to take it anymore,and he will have that baby face that I know and love back.His beard is mostly white,and he looks older than he is in this photo.Anytime he grows his beard it makes him looker older,and as soon as he shaves it,he looks younger. I have always liked the clean shaven look better,anyway!!!

Rick has a total of 39 stitches. They are suppose to come out today. He is looking forward to it. The nurses say that they can hinder the knees when they bend,because the patient feels them pulling and is afraid that they will rip,so they tend to not bend them as much as they should. Rick is still working on getting them to a 90 degree angle by himself. He can do it with help,but the goal is doing it on his own so he can be more independent.The incisions are healing nicely,and he has had no problems whatsoever. Once the stitches are out,he can shower normally,he won't need anyone to cover up his legs.

Each day after Rick has therapy with PT (during the week) or after he has done exercises on his own and walked around,his legs are put in this passive motion machine.He was in it right after surgery,two at a time,and it was barely moving.Each day they make the angle that the knee is bent greater and greater. The knee bends,then straightens.The above angle is the most so far. Each leg is in the machine for an hour.While one is in the machine,the other has this blue cuff put on it,which has ice water flowing from a Igloo-type water container,down a hose,and into this blue cuff. It keeps the swelling from all the activity down. Rick says it actually hurts more once the ice water is taken off,because the muscles have contracted,then once they start warming up again they go back to normal size. He is still on pain medication,because they want to keep his pain level down as much as possible,at a constant level. After the surgery he was at a 9-10,now he is around a 5-6. Before surgery,he was a constant 5-7,sometimes 8 (on a scale of 1-10,10 being the worst).

Yesterday we brought Rick a gluten free cake,which he appreciated,and some cards. I had asked him if wanted anything special,but he said all he wanted was to see me and Zach. We went for a walk,and he felt up to going downstairs to the courtyard. Zach brought his wheelchair,in case he got too tired,but he didn't need it. He did really well! This was the first time that he has been outside since June 7.He really enjoyed it. It was a warm day,but we sat in the shade at a table and enjoyed looking at the flowers and the day.

He has been remembering to walk straight and tall.He has been walking hunched over for so long,that he has to remind himself to stand up straight. When he starts off,he is a bit slow,but then his muscles start warming up and stretching,and his strides get longer and longer. He has been climbing stairs at PT,and once he is standing,he can do some things standing without the walker. We had gone into the vending room and he got a cup of coffee,which he fixed standing without using the walker.He even bent down to get the cup on his own.

Zach has been getting very proficient at using a wheelchair. I tell him I hope he never has to use one! He sits in it whenever he visits.On the way back from the courtyard,Zach wheeled himself to Rick's room.Rick's room is all the way at the end of the hall,on the left.

Everyone at the VA has been wonderful. I know some people have not had good experiences at some VA hosptials,but the people in Manchester have been nothing but wonderful to Rick. They come in and ask if he needs a cold drink,or anything he might need or want. Everyone has been great,and we are confident that he is in good hands. I just wish he was ready to come home,because we miss him very much!!!

Today is housekeeping catch up day.Zach has organized his closet,and needs to organize his TV area next.I need to wash the floors,do laundry,iron,and clean the bathroom. My poor tub is screaming to be cleaned,it is my least favorite job on the planet!!!!

Have a nice day where ever you may be!!!

Ahhhh......Nice!

Today is chilly and rainy here in the Granite State. Last night when I shut off my TV,I could hear the rain hitting the roof,which I love. There is something very relaxing about it. I fell asleep pretty fast.

It is now 12:22 PM,and it's still raining,the wind is blowing,and there is a rawness to the air. I went grocery shopping with my fleece over- shirt on,then went to fill the car up for our trip to Dartmouth Hitchcock tomorrow,so we wouldn't have to stop on the way. When I went in to pay,there was an older gentleman leaning against the counter,drinking a coffee. As I walked in, I shook a bit and said," Brr!" The gentleman said to me,"Chilly out there, huh?" " Yes, it's quite raw out there today," I replied. "Raw..that's the word for it. We ain't into summer yet!" he agreed,nodding.

After I got home, I grabbed a couple of bags from the trunk,and, as I was walking up the walkway (that is lined with wood chips now!) I glanced up at the roof,and noticed that our woodstove chimney was smoking. Rick had started a fire in the wood stove. Yes!

As soon as I walked into the house,the warmth from the fire hugged me like an old friend. Ahhhh....nice! It felt great! Rick helped me bring in the rest of the groceries,then I went over to the stove and spread my hands out over it,warming them up. Lovely,lovely warmth.

There is something comforting about wood heat. It feels and smells wonderful. There is nothing like it. Those of you who have woodstoves know what I mean. Yes, it can get messy bring wood to and fro,and you have to cut it to size and make sure you have kindling. However,if the power goes out,we have a warm house. We can use the generator for other things,such as our toliet,fridge,stove,or TV. We do have a furnace, but because our tank is outside,we have to use the K-1 mix,which tends to cost more than straight oil. So we use the woodstove for the most part,except in the winter when the nights are really cold, or if there is just a wee bit of chill in the house early in the morning,when a quick turn of the thermostat will take care of it fast. Days like this,however, the nice even heat of the stove is great.

I did make a boo boo today. At least, I feel I made a boo boo. Rick says otherwise. I put the laundry in the washing machine,and turned on the ceiling fan in the living room to make the heat circulate a bit. Well, apparently the washing machine was off balance a bit,and it started making a thumping noise. When I went back into the living room,Rick was on the computer,but he had a funny look on his face. Uh oh. I know the look. I saw him listening hard,and I said," It's the washing machine." Then I saw him look at the ceiling fan. " I put the fan on to circulate the heat. I should've told you,I'm sorry." Rick had experienced a flashback. He has strong ones if he hears helicopters,or anything resembling a helicopter. The combination of the thump of the dryer,and the shadow of the blades on the wall to the right of him triggered it. He shook his head a bit,then said, "I hate when this happens,"then he wiped tears from his eyes. I gave him a big hug,and said," I'm sorry,it' s my fault. I should've told you. I didn't realize the washer would be off balance." "It's not your fault," he replied." It just happens." I have asked him what he thinks about when this happens, and he just says it's the helicopters coming in to take care of the wounded.Whether it triggers fire fights,seeing friends get flown out to Balaad,his own wounded flight to Balaad,or something else is unclear. I don't press him about it.

On a lighter note,since it's raining today,that means no work outside,so I tidied up our bedroom,dusting and sweeping. I also dusted and swept the hallway,bathroom,and living room. It's low key kind of day. I may very well go and continue my re-read of "Outlander",by Diana Gabaldon,after I take care of the laundry. I think the weather will tie in nicely with the Scottish Highland backdrop of the book! Then again,I was planning on baking some cookies,so I should get that done first!

Rick has just presented me with lunch- a ham,cheese,broccoli,onion,mushroom and tomato omelet with toast. It's delicious! Nice, hearty pieces in it,not tiny little chopped up ones. He is a great cook. What a lucky woman I am!!!!!

Before and After

This is what our garden area looked like up until yesterday....mostly. I posted this photo after we built our boxes,before we put the soil in them and planted onions. You get the jist! All dirt,not very pretty. And not a pleasing area to work,at least for me.

Then.....this is what it looks like as of yesterday afternoon, after approx. 20 wheelbarrows full of shavings....

Ah. Much better. A much more pleasing sight for the eye,and nicer to work in. Smells great too! You can see my onion box on the left,with the grid. I am going to put tomatoes in that one,too. All the way down on the right is where I am planting my lettuce,peas,and cantaloupe. I did not pre start my lettuce seeds this year.

We are going to do our walkway and around the strawberry bed and kitchen garden bed. We were going to start that yesterday as well,but Rick had had it after doing the above.I had offered to shovel the shavings into the wheelbarrow,dump it and let him spread them out,but he said no. So he had to walk back and forth from Walter's house. Fortunately, Walter is right across the dirt road along the side of our house,so it wasn't far. But it wreaked havoc on Rick's knees. I love my hubby,but he can be very stubborn. He would rather be in more pain than have me do some of the work around the house.

Today he is down for the count. He had chills and sweated all night. This morning I awoke to find him wrapped in his quilt in the recliner. Did he take his meds? Yes. So it wasn't the reaction to a missed dose. Did he eat anything with gluten yesterday? No. So it wasn't an allergic reaction. I think it's his body telling him to take a break. He doesn't sleep well because of the knee pain and the nightmares,and he has been working harder than he has in months,trying to get everything complete before his surgery. Once the surgery happens,he won't be able to anything for a couple of months. Bless his heart! As I type this,he is sound asleep. I will let him sleep until it's time for his noon meds. I fed and watered the chicks,the cats,and the dogs. I washed the dishes,scrubbed the stove top,burners and burner pans. Once I finish this post I will wipe down the butcher block,sweep,and wash the kitchen and bathroom floors. I must also make laundry soap today,no ifs ands or buts. We are all out now.

I am off to continue playing catch up with the house.....have a lovely day!

It Works!

My laundry soap has been tested and IT WORKS! Not that I ever had any doubt,of course.It was more or less wondering if I could do something do mess it up! I am always a bit apprehensive about doing something new,and this was no exception.
I let the detergent sit,as was directed.Once it started to cool off, the mixture did thicken. It turned into the consistency of something like the slime we could buy as kids,and a not yet set lemon pie filling. My brother in law Brian washed his blanket and pillow, using 1/2 a cup ( which is equal to a capful of store bought detergent)and some Oxyclean. There was no suds,but that did not mean it didn't work. Suds does not necessarily mean it's working. When Brian took the blanket and the pillow out of the dryer, everything was nice and clean,and had a faint lemony scent,which came from the Fels Naptha soap I used.
I figure the first thing I will have to replace will be the Fels Naptha soap,but the Borax and Washing Soda should last me a few months,as only a 1/2 a cup of each is used each time. This means great savings!!!! I wish I had done this a long time ago.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

Today was my first attempt at making my own liquid clothes detergent. I read several differnt blogs,such as New Life on A Homestead,Little House in the Suburbs and Down to Earth. Each one has a variation on liquid clothing soap,but the ingredients are the same,so I just picked one. I picked the one posted by Kendra at New Life on A Homestead.
The first thing I had to do was find the main ingredients:
- Fels Naptha Soap
-Washing Soda
-Borax
I had heard of Borax,but I had never heard of Fels Naptha soap,or of Washing Soda. So I checked out Walmart first,since I happened to be in there one day. I may have not looked in the right place, but I couldn't find the Fels or the Washing Soda.
Then,when I went grocery shopping at Market Basket, I checked there. I found the 20 Mule Team Borax and the Arm and Hammer Washing Soda in the detergent aisle. So far, so good. Where was the Fels? It was in the Health and Beauty aisle!!!! Before I bought anything, I wanted to make sure that it was going to be cost efficient to make. I wrote down the cost, but I think I may have thrown it out. I do remember the Fels was .99 a bar. I can tell you that the three ingredients cost no more than $7.50,max. One batch makes 2 gallons,which means for $7.50, you can make several gallons of clothing soap,which is much more cost efficient than buying it. Plus, you reuse the container it's kept in,so that keeps plastic use at a minimum!
Even though I have a headache today, I was determined to make my soap. I was finally out of my store bought soap,so it gave me more incentive. This is what I did,taken from My New Life on A Homestead.

Liquid Laundry Detergent
3 Pints ( 6 cups) water
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap,grated
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
2 gallon bucket (8 qts or 32 cups)
1 quart Hot water (4 cups)
Hot water

Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints waer,and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax.Stir until thickened,and remove from heat. Add 1 quart hot water to a 2 gallon bucket. Add soap mixture,and mix well. Fill bucket with hot water,and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours,or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup per load.

The first thing I did was break down the measurements to cups and/or quarts. I had a large cat litter bucket set aside,and it is larger than two gallons,so I wanted to make sure I didn't put too much water in. Since it' suppose to equal 2 gallons, I subtracted the 4 cups that is initially put into the container from the two total gallons,so it came to 1 gallon and 3 quarts.
Grating the soap was very easy and took no time at all. The Fels Naptha has a very nice,clean,lemony scent. I dissolved that,which took a few minutes,while my 3 pints of water was heating up. Then I dissolved the Washing soda and the borax in the Fels Naptha water,until the mixture thickened. The only thing was that not all of the powder had dissolved all the way when it thickened up,so I let it go another minute. I put the hot water into my litter container,and poured in the soap mixture. I mixed that up while the remainder of the water heated up. Once it was hot,I poured it into the container,stirred it,and now it is sitting. While the directions call for it to sit 24 hours or until it thickens,some people posted on Kendra's blog that it really didn't need to sit for that long,and some of them used it right away. Some other people who tried it said that their whites eventally started graying.Others said they had no problem. I assume this has to do with what kind of water you have,whether it's soft or hard. You can put a bit of Oxyclean in with it,or use it separately. I always use Oxyclean with all my laundry,anyway,putting it in right after I pour in the detergent,so this will not be an issue for me.
As I type this, my detergent is still hot,and therefore not thickened yet. As soon as I use it, I will post my results.

You Have To Start Somewhere

In my previous post, I discussed how my housekeeping/organizational skills fell to the wayside over the last couple of weeks. That happens to all of us,and we shouldn't feel bad for it.I do admit that once most of my house was up to speed,it was quite a good feeling,and I am now on a quest to try and maintain it as best I can. This means that when appointments comes up on specific days, I will have to restructure my weekly plan. I just have to do it, is all. However, two weeks ago we had an appointment every day for a week,and the VA hospital is an hour an a half away,so by the time I got back home,I didn't have the drive to do much of anything.
However, we are not going to schedule so many appointments in one week anymore,so I should not have that problem ever again.
We all want to be more organized in our daily lives, especially when it comes to maintaining our homes. Anything that will make upkeep easier is a good thing,and the less time it takes,the better.
After reading Flylady's website ( www.flylady.net) I sat down and wrote out what I have to do in each room to maintain it. Now bear in mind, if you follow Flylady,she had one room a week that is concentrated on,that you spend so much time out of the day in. I found if I can get this room done in one day, it works out better for me,and if need be, I will break it up into two.
I looked at his schedule for the first time in a while since nice weather began-like I said in my previous post,nice weather means more to do outside,so the inside is basic upkeep,no extras.
I have some things written down that seem silly-such as sweeping each day. I know I have to sweep each day,because I live with one cat, two dogs,two men and a boy. We have dirt driveway and walkway. It's a given I have to sweep. It's the never ending battle of my life.

Monday-Zone room,clean out fridge,make menu and grocery list,Zone mission,Sweep/dust house,spend 10 minutes decluttering one area
Tuesday-Groceries and errands,Zone mission,Sweep
Wednesday-Finish Zone room ( if needed),Zone mission,sweep/dust house,declutter where needed
Thursday-Laundry,go through magazines,sweep,Zone mission
Friday-Balance checkbook,go through any paperwork (such as bills,etc),Zone mission,sweep/dust house
Saturday and Sunday- free days

Now, bear in mind this is a basic list,and depending on what comes up when, I will have to switch things around. However, you get the idea. Zone missions are on the Flylady website.These are small extra things to do in your zone room each day. Now, not everybody can follow Flylady to the letter,and I am one of those people,so I adjusted her idea to fit my lifestyle. It is a continual work in progress.
One other thing I did was make a binder with all certain information in it so I know where to access it. It's a simple three ring binder. I have 5 sections in it:
PHONE NUMBERS- I made a list of all the phone numbers we need-emergency,neighbors,friends,Rick's army buddies,VA contacts and all extensions,military contacts, etc. I also keep a list of all of Rick's doctors,what they are for,and which VA hospital they are in ( Rick has gone to three VA facilities)
RESTAURANT MENUS- We don't go out or order out very often,but they are good to have to help make decisions.
HOUSEHOLD-This is where I keep my list of daily chores,as well as things I printed off the Internet from various websites regarding household organization.
SCHOOL-This is for info from Zach's school. Right now I still have receipts,balance sheets,and info about the Nature's Classroom trip he went on this past May. I will throw those out and start anew with the letter his new teacher sent to him this week. It has his teacher's email,and what Zach needs for school in it.
TOWN INFO- All town phone numbers,times when town hall is open,monthly town meeting times,etc.
I keep this binder next to my microwave,so I always know where it is. You will be surprised how much time is saved trying to find a phone number. We just go to the binder and VOILA! There it is. It sounds so simple,but sometimes,simple is all it takes.
You have to start somewhere!!!!

My Neglected Home

One of the things that is not good about having so many appointments is that my housework falls to the wayside.
That is also true about the weather turning nice-there is so much to do outside,and after winter,we want to enjoy the warm sun as much as can,so it seems like a crime to stay inside and clean.
Not that my house was filthy by any means,but it just was....well...perhaps a bit on the neglected
side.
Yesterday was the first day in a couple of weeks that I didn't have to go anywhere for longer than 10 minutes. What was even better was that I had the house TO MYSELF!!!!!
Zach spent the night at a friends house,and Rick and Brian left early to help Rick's friend slaughter his sheep ( his friend raised them for food).
So, I had most of this day stretched out before me. I didn't have to pick Zach up until around 1:30,and I only had to drive a few minutes.
I woke up early,and saw the menfolk off,and did my morning ritual-coffee,newspaper,and computer time.
I cleaned my kitchen,bathroom,and living room,washed my floors, decluttered my computer desk,swept my front screen porch,the steps,and my flagstone landing. I also washed,folded,and put away four loads of laundry.
The weather was nice,sunny and cool. It had a feel of fall to it,and there is nothing like the air in New Hampshire on a fall like day. I seem to be more invigorated,and get more accomplished. It certainly is easier than having the heat and humidity that has been surrounding us for a couple of weeks.
Now that I am almost caught up with housework ( our bedroom and Zach's need a going over) I can get back to my cleaning schedule.
Yes,I had a cleaning schedule!!
It all started back in the beginning of the year. My dear friend Michelle and I started emailing each other about wanting to get in better shape. We called ourselves the "DB's"- Diet Buddies. We would tell each other what we ate,get excited about good choices,and moan about bad ones. The rule was we never passed judgement-after all, we were having the same struggles! We then invited our friend Shelley to join,and the DB's became three.
Michelle then started sharing her favorite home organization blogs,and I became very interested in ways of keeping the house up and running in an efficient way.
One of the the blogs was by Flylady. She suggested writing down a schedule for the week,so you have specific days to do specific tasks. On her blog ( well, it's actually a website,I believe),she has a room ( she calls them "zones") each week that is thoroughly cleaned over that week. This does not take the place of maintaining the rest of the house,mind you. This is to eliminate the need for spring or fall cleaning. You can check out her website at www.flylady.net.
Well, Michelle felt it would work better for her if she could do a zone in one day,rather than break it up.At that point, I was spending 20 minutes a day in the zone of the week. That was part of my schedule. However, I now agree with Michelle. It is easier just to either get the zone done in one day,or break it up into two,depending on what needs to be done.
The only thing with a schedule,especially when we have so many Dr appts,is that we have to be flexible. For example, my grocery shopping day is Tuesday. I like Tuesday mornings because the store is not crowded,and ever since I was pregnant with Zach, I tend to get claustrophobic. ( You can imagine what it's like for me at Christmas shopping time-I never go on the weekends).
Well, for the last two weeks,we have had appts on Tuesdays,so I had to shop on Wednesday. This of course,throws a big wrench in my planned week,so I have to adjust. I might have to drop something I had originally planned,if it's not important.
Next post I will share my schedule.