New Gmail and Youtube Channel

Gmail- lmaeshomespunlife@gmail.com

Youtube Channel – FromSuburbToCountry1

I finally made some laundry soap!

Yes! I finally made some! Even though grating the bar of soap made my arms ache a little, it is well worth it!

1. 1 bar of Fels-Naptha grated
2. Add to two quarts of water on the stove top, stir until melted. Be attentive to it!
3. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with very warm water.
4. To the bucket add 1 cup of washing soda (Arm & Hammer) and 1/2 cup of borax (20 mule). Stir until dissolved.
5. Add the melted soap mixture. Stir together. 
6. Fill the rest of the bucket with warm water.
7. Cover and leave it to sit over night.
8. In the morning it should be a lemon pudding type texture.  

That is what I did on Friday. On Saturday I didn’t have time to fill up my empty Tide and Wisk detergent bottles. On Sunday my eagerness got the best of me and I began to fill them up. Since my soap had the consistency of Jell-O instead of lemon pudding I decided to fill my bottle half full of soap then fill the rest with very warm water.

Yesterday was spent experimenting on with my concoction and I was rather pleased with it. With every use I shook up the bottle. The consistency of the soap was marvelous and when my clothes came out of the dryer they didn’t smell like anything but clothes. The only load that really had a scent still on them was the towels but it wasn’t too bad. The only thing I didn’t experiment on were Aaron’s dirty clothes, which require at least three cycles, along with pre-soaking and hot water. If I can’t use my detergent on his clothes I can still use them on mine and it will still save money.

Under my laundry sink sits 10 gallons of laundry soap in used Tide and Wisk bottles. Each time I pass them I am happy to know that I have made a fulfilling dent in our grocery bill.

Writer’s Block, New Year’s Goals and a New Page

I have writer’s block…or blogger’s block if you want to call it that. There have been so many times when I go to make a post and end up not posting anything.

I have made up a new page though. My “Green”-Frugality Page. Yeah, laugh and call me a kook if you want. It’s something I enjoy doing and that is good enough for me. I’m going to go crazy like ‘oh-my-goodness- take- 30 second-showers-because-the-fishies-are-dying-type “green”.

This year I want to do more sewing. I need dresses. Aaron had Libby make me one for Christmas this year. It is the best outfit I own. My ultimate goal is all dresses and jumpers in my wardrobe. We will see if I get  there. I went through a small bit of my clothing and I have two bags ready for a friends. And I have started an inventory, we will see if that sticks.

Sewing

• Cape dress
• Jumper
• Bloomers (yes, bloomers)
• Curtains
• Slips
• Winter and summer night gowns

Crochet

• Slippers
• Shawl

Pick up knitting

Start a braided rug for underneath the dining room table

Our winter has been so mild this year. I’m looking forward to next season and seeing if my garlic did anything. My greenhouse dream should soon be a reality as well. I have grand ideas like growing passion flower and artichokes, but this year my goal is to start my seeds out there and grow lettuce.

These are just some off of my list, I’m sure that I can put a good dent into it.

I liiiiiiiiive!

Sorry about the lack of bloginess. I use the computer less frequently now.

Here are some appetizers until I can make an ACTUAL post

• Good anniversary
• I got him some books
• he got me a memory foam matteress, Subway gift card
• We took a trip up North, later that week we took a trip to KY to visit family for Thanksgiving, then traveled around for a few days afterward.
• Tuxedo died.
• We had the Webbs over for dinner
• A lot of my friends are pregnant!
• Betsy went to China and now she is back.
• I need to go get beans
• I need to can chicken
• This is the best Christmas I have had in a long time
• Aaron is very much, even more in love with me
• He bought be a clothesline

New Layout- Expanded

I have been wanting a new layout for nearly over a year…after having a two make-shift ones that I didn’t mind, I finally decided to do something about it. I googled a few websites that had layouts and stuff that I liked, but some would grant me access to them and some I had to pay for. Yeah, I’m not paying money for my blog. I am not that desperate, but I would like a blog that I am content with!

New Layout.

Yay or Nay?

Broadening Horizons

Composting/Repurposing/Recycling

I started a compost pile. It is mostly pine needles and dead rhubarb. Through the winter and into the spring I wish to deversify the contents. My Mom has a wooden bin that she says I could use. After the coming snow melts and it is nice to work outside, I am taking that bin and using it for the pile. So now I have two garbage piles. One for the chickens which contains pastas, meats, dairy and other products that cannot be composted. The other will contain spent coffee grounds, untreated paper/cardboard, produce/garden scraps, peelings etc. Then whatever paper we cannot compost we will use in our woodstove.  

Other ways I conserve/repurpose are 

• Using glass jars (alfredo/beans) to store pantry staples, herbs and spices
• Using cottage cheese and sour cream containers for tupperware
• Using old juice containers for next years cider pressing
• Using old lundry detergent jugs for my (future) homemade laundry detergent
• And finely recycling anything I have no use for or have too much of
• And what can’t be recycled I throw away in the trash

Green House

My mom plans on buying me a greenhouse as a very early birthday present. I am so stoked about this because now I have a place to start my seeds and keep my starts while it is still cold out. And who knows maybe I can experiment and try avacadoes or artichokes. Hmm.

Cape Dress

On Thursday I cut out my first cape dress with Libby. The fabric is 100% cotton, and the print is a calico- medium mauve with black sprigs everywhere. I am very excited. I bought enough material to make six dresses, which I need desparately. With each dress I make I want to get rid of at least one article of clothing I have.

 

That’s all for now! I will post more when I get back from Kentucky!

Survey says!

1. Name?: Lauren-Mae Spiker Cook
2. Birthdate?: 8-16-1990
3. Current Location?: Midland
4. Eye Color?: Hazel, they turn colors.
5. Hair Color?: Brown
6. Height?: 5 foot something

8. Ethnicity?: German/Polish/ Romnian/Other stuff
9. Single or Taken?: Married!
Have You ever?
10. Drank?: No.
11. Smoked?: No.

13. Licked a 9 volt battery?: No
14. Made a prank phone call?: I think…I don’t really remember. I was with others when they did though.
15. Been in a beauty pageant?: Pffft, no.
16. Thrown up in public?: No.
17. Worn a crown?: Yes.
18. Licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work?: Gross, no!
19. Been on a blind date?: No.
20. Caught a fish?: Yes, many times.
21. Been in love?: Oh yes! I still am!

23. Slept past noon?: Yes.
25. Danced in front of your mirror?: Haha.
26. Been dumped?: Yes
27. Been arrested?: No.

30. Kissed a picture?: Sure.

32. Made a snow angel?: Yes
33. Cheated while playing a game?: Heehee, yes.
34. Felt an earthquake?: Not yet.
35. Touched a snake?: Yes.
36. Sang karaoke?: Yes, unfortunatly.
37. Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t do?: Yes.
38. Caught a snowflake on your tongue?: Yes.
39. Kissed in the rain?: Yep
40. Sung in the shower?: Yes
41. Sat on a roof top?: I can’t recall.
42. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on?: I think so.
43. Broken a bone?: Nope.
44. Laugh so hard you cry?: I uesd to all of the time.

46. Choked on something you’re not supposed to eat?: No.

47. Blind or deaf?: If I had to choose probably deaf.
48. Horror or comedy?: Never horror and it would depend on the comedy.
49. Bungee jumping or sky diving?: Neither!
50. Sunny or rainy?: Sunny.
51. Chocolate or Vanilla?: Vanilla
52. Night or day?: Depends

54. Coffee or tea?: Coffee in the morning, tea any other time.
55. Hot or cold?: Warm.
Do You?
56. Smoke?: I thought I was already asked this…
57. Drink?: This too…
58. Do drugs?: No.

60. Like thunderstorms?: Yes.
61. Dance in the rain?: How cliche.
62. Wish on stars?: When I was little yes, then I learned it’s wrong to do that.
63. Believe in fate?: God is soveriegn.
64. Believe in love at first sight?: Yes.
65. Have tattoos?: Nope, I wanted them, but not anymore.
Can you?
66. Cook?: Yes.
67. Whistle?: Yes.
68. Curl your tongue?: Yes.
69. Touch your nose with your tongue?: Nope.
70. Speak another language?: Ja!
And more..
71. Favourite word?: How does one choose?
72. Favourite flower?: I like too many.
73. Favourite colour?: I don’t have one.
 
75. Would you ever get plastic surgery?: If I was in a car accident maybe…
76. What is your favorite Holiday?: I enjoy them all.
77. What is your worst habit?: Biting my nails!

78. What animal are you most like? Hmm…a clam.

Current Project

My most current project is my Homemaking Binder. In a little while here I wish to add a video of a ‘tour’ of my lovely, work in progress binder along with other methods of organizing I use. The more I work on it, the more I love it. Sorry that my post is so sort today. I will make up for it though!

Hey! Look at me! I’m doing it!

This past weekend I suffered from a mild case of food poisoning. Now I am over it and I have been up and at ‘em ever since.

Yesterday morning I woke up at around quarter after six in the morning. Full of energy. I decided not to stay in bed after the alarm went off. I told Aaron I was going to take a shower. After a short shower I got dressed, and with a bowl of Life cereal and coffee, I sat in the armchair and read a chapter in my Bible.

I rinsed my dishes in the sink and looked around for something that I could do that wouldn’t disturb Aaron, who had been suffering from pain and not having a good night’s rest. I couldn’t vacuum, I couldn’t make the bed yet. Then I remembered  had a load of Aaron’s work clothes in the dryer. I began to fold his work shirts. I found I needed hangers for his pants and jackets. So I quietly went into the bedroom to get them. I told Aaron that I didn’t know what to really do since I couldn’t vacuum ”You can.” He replied quietly. “And I really can’t make the bed.”  Aaron’s voice broke through the mound of pillows, “You could make breakfast.” What a novel idea! On regular days we usually have cereal in the morning together. I asked him what he wanted. “Maybe pancakes.”  “Oh, yeah I can make you pancakes.”

So off I went, knowing that I could finished putting away laundry later. I looked through my Healthy Choices Cookbook and found a recipe that I thought wouldn’t yield 20 pancakes. They were just the right amount. And they were thick. Knowing that three pancakes might not be enough I went back in the bedroom to ask him if he would like it if I cooked up some sausages for him. Upon putting my hand on his back I realized I woke him up out of a somewhat deep snooze. I asked him about the sausages. He told me how good it felt to actually get some sleep. He was pleased with his breakfast, and I was pleased with how my day was starting.

Naturally, I do not have good managing skills, and was not raised to be a KAH or a SAHM. So, in planning my days I have come to the conclusion that I must be maticulous and particular almost obbessed, since I know that everything is not going to fall into place on it’s own. Why did my school day run so smoothly? How did I know where I needed to be and at what time? Why did it feel so awkward to have an inturuption in the flow of the day? Because I had a schedule.

Once I read that children thrive on order. One of the gifts I can give my children to be raised in an orderly, clean, steadily paced home!  Now I am not talking about having every minute of everyone’s life under control. The kind of home I am talking about has having a place for everything and having everything in place, having an orderly enough schedule with time for interruptions of someone drops by or there is an unexpected errand to be run.

And another thing, I think I owe it to Aaron (as well do married women owe it to their husbands) to take care of our home to thouroughly. Besides, he works so I can stay home.

I cannot tell you why I woke up so ready to go on Tuesday, must be a God thing. That night I thanked Him as a drifted off.

Is there anyone else out there that struggles with management skills? If so, how do our combat with them?