My Laundry Sauce Recipe

My Laundry Sauce Recipe

laundry detergent using essential oils

I am sure you are as pressed for time like I am, so I won't bore you with lots of tidbits about me. Who has time for that kind of stuff in the middle of a school year if you are a parent with school age children? And if you are not in that category, I am sure you are just as busy, so let's get on with it! You may not have ever made laundry detergent, but don't be scared. I've done it twice a year since 2006 and I'm not quite insane. Why would you want to? Because it saves you lots and lots of money compared to store brand and some of those things are made by companies I don't want to support or that I don't trust the ingredients. 

This is what you will need.

• 1 cup of Borax (I use 20 Mule Team I buy from Publix, about $3.50 a box)
• 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (This is not the same thing as baking soda!)
• 1 bar of Fels-Naptha bar soap (Also at Publix, about $1.30. I've been told you can substitute Ivory)
• 1 bar ofOctagon bar soap * Optional ($1 at Publix and Piggly Wiggly)
• 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda *Optional (I buy from CostCo for about $7)
• Young Living essential oil of choice *Optional but you really should! (If you don't know where to get this, contact me at thiswholeoilylife@gmail.com and I will get you hooked up! Below will be listed the combos I've used)
• a blender
• a heavy bottom pot
• clean glass jars with lids
• approximately 10 cups of water

I've made several different kinds of laundry detergent now, and this one has become my favorite, mainly because the consistency of it (think mayo, cool whip, or meringue) melts so well into the water in my washing machine. It also takes up less room and I can begin using it the same day compared to the five gallon bucket method. However, feel free to try the others and see what you think. To see the original, what began it all 5 gallon bucket method, go here. For a dry version go here. For a laundry booster recipe go here. And for homemade dryer sheets that can compliment the scent of your laundry detergent, go here

On the first step you have a couple of options. You need to grind the soap bars into a powder. To do this you can use only your trusty knife and perfect your chopping skills on a handy dandy cutting board to get the soap into fine granules, or you can save yourself a lot of hassle and put the soap in a blender. I've done the first method, but I'm all about saving time, so I use my wonderful, how did I ever live without Ninja blender. The small one works fine for this, but chop the soap up into smaller chunks first, in case your blender can't handle it.

This is what it will look like when you get done pulsing it.

You will then empty this into a heavy bottomed pot with sides at least 6 inches high, to prevent running over later. Add a cup of water put on high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. You may have to turn the heat down to medium high, but keep a watch on it, stirring until the soap granules dissolve. Sorry I don't have a picture of this step.

While the soap granules are melting, place in a bowl 1 cup of the following

 Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

20 Mule Team Borax                                                                                A & M Super Washing Soda

This is what it will look like

                                               

Now the first few times I did this all lumped together in one bowl on this step, but the last time I put the ingredients in 3 separate bowls. Do whichever you prefer.

After the soap granules have melted COMPLETELY then add the rest of the 3 powders SLOWLY. This is why you need the high sided pot, because the interaction between the ingredients can cause the mixture to foam up. You may also need to add more water at this point. I've discovered it depends on the weather as to how much water I need. In the summer I need more water, in the winter not so much.

After the mix is completely incorporated, you will continue to cook it until they is no gritty feeling left when you stir the pot with your wooden spoon. This takes approximately 30 minutes on my electric glass top stove.

I am big on repurposing things and not wasting, so I reuse my glass spaghetti jars that have been cleaned and for the smaller amounts salsa jars I've cleaned. You could use quart canning jars if you wanted or whatever clean glass jars with lids you have.

The next step is to pour the soap mixture into the jars. I use my canning funnel for this, but you can just ladle it over if you don't have one. Just be careful! This stuff is hot!

Put the lids on and turn your hot jars upside down on your counter top with a potholder. Leave the jars for four hours or overnight. You can use this time to clean up, do other chores or drink a cup of coffee and read a good book. I am partial to the last option because life is short!

After four hours, you will open your jars and pry out the mixture into a blender. I have found a butter knife works really well for this. Just stir it around, like you are churning butter if you've ever done that. After you've gotten the cooled soap into your blender, gradually add about four cups of water per 1 cup of soap mixture. This all depends on how hard your soap mix set up and once again the weather. The consistency you are looking for is that of cool whip or a light frosting.

At the very end, add whatever essential oils you like the smell of. Since you will have more than one batch you have to put through the blender to turn into the sauce, you can experiment with what smells you like by doing more than one batch. Keep in mind the laundry soap itself has a smell so you want something that will go with it. What I generally do is open the bottles and hold them over the soap and sniff. That way I get an overall sense of the smell.

Here are the combinations I have used, only using Young Living essential oils:

This is combo is my favorite right now. I used 20 drops of Jade Lemon and 15 of Stress Away

This is the combination to have for stinky gross dirty clothes! I used 20 drops of Lavender and 15 drops of Purification. It is what I use on soured clothes or our work clothes.

This is a good one to have on hand for when someone in the family has been sick, yourself included, and you need to get rid of the germies and cooties. It also great for those things like rugs, dog bedding and such.

This laundry sauce only requires 1 Tablespoon per largest load. I use it on everything: whites, darks, lights, towels, bedding etc. except my delicate wools, which I still use Woolite for. I usually end up with 6 large jars and 3 small jars when I make this and it lasts me about 6 months for a family of 3 adults and two children. And let me tell you, this family has far too many clothes, especially the children and sometimes my 7 yr old son changes 3 times a day and his laundry hamper fills to overflowing fast! We wash approximately 7-10 loads a week depending on if we're washing bedding, etc. So about just say you will get about 200-240 loads out of this. I buy my supplies in bulk, so I can really give you a cost breakdown.

What your "sauce" will look like

A few of my jars. I used to put fancy labels on them, but I have to wash them when they are empty to reuse them, so now I just write what is in them and the date with a sharpie. This way I can make sure it is lasting long enough and gauge when I will need to make the next batch.

My Vision Board

My Vision Board by rachelawhite 

I signed up for a 8 week long "course" to help me grow my "business" (I still can't call something so fun a business!) through Young Living essential oils. I use the oils for my health (breast cancer survivor here, in case you've missed previous posts) and I love sharing them with people which ended up landing me in the biz side where I make money each month through YL from the proceeds each person that signed up "under" me buys from YL in the given month. I then turn around and buy oils and other products from YL with said money, plus pay a few bills. Nice, huh? But I don't want to stay where I am or go backwards, hence the course.

One of our challenges, homework, or assignment, whatever you want to call it, was to create a vision board of, well, our vision. So above is my vision. It is also my why, my where and my how. I'm very good at why's and where's, not so good at how's so this was very helpful for me. It is also a great reminder for me to keep in front of my eyes to keep my goals in place and to keep striving for those goals. What is your why?

Survivor Humor

Warning! Candor and Survivor Humor in the following post. Proceed with caution!

The past couple of years have held a lot of firsts for me. I had my very first mammogram nearly three years ago, and my first mastectomy two years ago. I've also had some lasts. My last time having my own breasts, my last time ever having a mammogram (kinda hard to have those if you don't have any thing to mammogram!), my last chemo, my last radiation, my last mastectomy, my last time ever wearing a nursing bra and nursing (even though I didn't know at the time that it was my last). Lots of milestones. Some bittersweet, some just plain ol' bitter.

This cancer journey has been long and hard, I admit. It has been a lot longer than I thought it would be, too Especially this last part. When I was first diagnosed in December 2011, I was told it would all take about a year to go through, but alas, the three year mark has nearly arrived. Today another “last” has come as well. My last day ever to wear my prosthesises (what IS the plural of prosthesis anyway?). Tomorrow I will be finally undergoing the first step of my breast reconstruction. I never thought I would ever have a transplant, much less one to help create a new breast for me! Who knew!

There is a funny part to all of this for me, and one that I will share in all the macabre sense of humor survivors develop, or at least should to prevent becoming cynical and bitter. I didn't receive my two prosthesis at the same time, because my mastectomies were a year apart. Therefore my two don't match. Now when I say don't match, I mean really don't match! A source of amusement to me.

Meet Hilda and Greta:

They have added five pounds to my total weight and drooped and sagged and wiggled their way to the middle of my chest and flopped and made me sweat these past two years, Hilda longer than Greta. They've made me look somewhat normal in clothes, prevented me from wearing a bathing suit top, tried to fall out of my prosthetic bras and been poked by my silly children.

I can seriously say I will not miss them and I look forward to passing them on to someone else who has need of them. I also hope to never have need of their kind again, meaning that I hope the reconstruction process goes perfectly well and the transplant “takes”. Goodby Greta and Hilda. Fare thee well and good riddance!

Seafood Salad with Avocado Recipe

Seafood Salad Recipe

I don't know about you, but I love seafood salad. I often purchase containers of the stuff at Publix and eat it in the car with a fork! Sometimes I slow down just enough to buy a bag of rolls and eat some in that, like a crab roll. I dream of going to Maine and eating crab rolls from a crab shack. Some day. Oh, some day!

Okay, enough rambling. You are here for a recipe, not my love of seafood.

Now you can eat this Seafood Salad without the, um, "salad" part, but I prepared my plateful with a bed of fresh spinach.

Recipe:

• 1 package of imitation crab meat, diced or shredded
• 1 package of baby shrimp optional
• 1/4 c. of diced celery
• 1/4 c. of diced onion
• 1/4 tsp of Old Bay seasoning
• sprinkle of garlic salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp. of Grey Poupon or preferred mustard
• mayonnaise to taste, approx 1/2 a cup

Garnish:

Avocado, pitted, sliced and on bed of salad greens

     or substitute single serving tube of guacamole

French Fried onions

Shredded cheese

In a bowl, combine crab meat, shrimp (optional), celery and onion. For best results, sprinkle seasonings over mixture and stir in, before adding remaining ingredients. Stir in the mayo and mustard and place portion size on bed of baby spinach, atop avocado slices or guacamole. Sprinkle shredded cheese and french fried onions over the top and the most important part of all: ENJOY!!

DIY Laundry Booster

You are not going to believe how easy this DIY project is! Even the kids can get in on this one, especially if they are at that age where they want to know how to do everything, like my two children! It is also free of all the pesticides and unknown chemicals lurking in so many products out there. And no one send me hate mail telling me that baking soda is a chemical; take it in the spirit I intended it...


So what do you need for this magic recipe?

Ta-Da!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baking Soda

Pure, Plain Ol' Baking Soda

As you can see we buy this stuff in bulk!!!!

Then you need your favorite essential oils from Young Living

If you want a slightly spicy scent and massive germ killing, then go with Thieves

If you like fresh scents and need super odor killing power, then go with Purification

 If you like the traditional relaxing scents and need stress relief, go with Lavender

At the moment, our homemade laundry detergent has both Purification and Lavender in it (see here for the laundry liquid detergent, here for the update on it, and here for the laundry soap recipe), so my next batch will be made to match. However, this batch I made up was with Thieves, one of the best smelling things on this planet!

To create this very simple recipe, all you need are the above ingredients: Baking Soda and the essential oil of your choice (I use Young Living and am a distributor for them. If you want to know more about that and to get your own, email me at spiceyourspace@yahoo.com)

Recipe:

1 cup of Baking Soda

15-20 drops of your choice essential oil

Mix thoroughly

in a bowl or container of some sort

Find a pretty thing to store your mixture in.

My choice was this canister belonging to my husband's grandmother

Inside is a dose cup like what you get with liquid cold medicine

For each load of really nasty laundry:

Add 1tsp-1T. depending on your preference, size of load, etc

 And that is it!

See! I told you it was simple!

Note of caution, though: Do not store in plastic containers if your essential oil contains any citrus oil. The citrus will eat through the toxins of the plastic leaving you with a frightful mess.

P.S.- stay tuned for my newest recipe on Laundry Sauce, a new take on laundry detergent

Coming Soon!

Overwhelmed

I can't stand it anymore! I can't contain it anymore! God is just blessing me more than I can hold!!!!!!
Had you going there, didn't I? You thought I was going to say my hubs was driving me insane or my kids were acting up or I was all depressed, didn't you? Come on, admit it! I know you did. Why? Because that's where all of our minds go in this fallen world, but, but, but there is this God, see, and He is amazing, and sometimes, usually only when we give up doing it our way and let Him have His, this grace of unreal proportions gently washes over us and what we are left with is astounding, it is amazing, it is overwhelming. Especially because we didn't deserve any of it. But that is what grace is. And then there is mercy (the word, not my daughter. It is confusing, I know) which starts with this amazing grace and takes it even further, expounding it into a blessing we could never attain for ourselves and covers every fault, every wrong decision, ever mis-step.

Have you ever noticed that when you try to make something happen, it just doesn't? And a whole lot of times, it doesn't just doesn't (do I need to repeat that?) it blows up in royal proportions that takes all of our effort and time to fix and undo because we didn't let God have it. Oh, really. You've never done that?! Need I remind you of when...No, I won't give your secrets away here. Grace already covered that for you. But when you did let God have it all and take control those times it was beyond words, wasn't it? If you have never been to a place where God's amazingness has no word to define it, then you and I need to talk. Like intervention kind of talk. Because, oooooooohhhhh, have I got something to share with you! God rocks! He is cool as in "bowties are cool" (that is for all of you fellow Doctor Who fans).

Someone told me tonight that they always see me walk around with a smile on my face even with all I've been through. I smile, I grin, I smirk, I laugh, I do that annoying, loud, obnoxious kind of laugh that everyone can hear, I show all my teeth and scrunch up my eyes and let that smile split my face into! Why? Because the joy on the inside is so, so big it has got to come out, it doesn't have room to stay in and it wants to rub off on you! I couldn't not smile for the life of me for an hour, much less a day. There is too much in this life to be happy and joyful about. Like what God is doing on the inside of me, on the outside of me, and all around me. There was sunshine today, people!!!!! Do you not know how big that is in the midst of this gloomy, unusually cold winter? Sunshine and I got to see it! I was here on this earth still to see the sun shine today, cancer free, in my lovely home with my silly children in their swimsuits doing schoolwork (cause that is how we do things around here!) and with a husband who loves me beyond my understanding. And with dogs. Mustn't forget the dogs, they're too cute and cuddly and likely to lick me for me to forget them. See, I'm blessed.

Then tonight, if that weren't enough during this 21 days of prayer and fasting we're doing, I go to help lead an info party about the essential oils from Young Living (if you have no idea what I'm talking about because you've been living in your igloo, see previous posts in the labels section under Young Living) and I'm telling you God was there before us, because it was far above and beyond what I could ask, think or even imagine (and I've got a pretty good imagination!). There is this verse that says that God will pour out a blessing to where you will not even have enough room to receive it, that you will have to expand to the right and to the left and still not have enough room (and it wasn't talking about your waistline, ok?). This is what happened tonight. The hostess, a family member, didn't have enough chairs or places for people to sit! That many people wanted to know more about essential oils from Young Living and what all they've been doing in the lives of us already using them. Now there isn't time enough to tell all the ways! Even I were to list all of the ways they've helped just me and me alone we would be here forever, cause they are so life changing. Literally. Cause I certainly didn't think I would be doing this, talking like this, living like this ever!

It was empowering to see all those faces looking back at us while we shared our testimonies and know that each of these 30+ women wanted to know how to change the lives of their families for the better. We are doing our best to change this corner of the South for the better, too. You don't have to live everyday in pain. Did you know that?! Really. I mean it. There is an oil for that. Haha, sorry I couldn't resist. Ok, I'm not sorry. These oils have changed my life and for the better, cause you know what? It is not just about the oils, it is about the community and the connections and the people. I am so Overwhelmed that God is using me, little ol' me, this battle scarred, messed up, abused, condescending person and turn me into the woman who can't stop smiling. But you know what? I'd be crazy to not be okay with that, and I'm not quite that crazy...

2 Years Ago Today...

My life changed. One phone call was all it took to shake my world from top to bottom.
Cancer.
What an ugly word. To most it is a death sentence. To me it was surreal.
I mean when you are growing up as a little girl (well, I was growing up as a little girl, you might not have been, especially if you were a boy growing up) you generally have a mental list of all things you want to have or do when you become a grown up, because the lives of grown ups are so mysterious and magical, but I can assure you "cancer" was not ones of the things on said list to be ticked off. It wasn't between have two children and have more children, nor was it anywhere else.
Sometimes life sucks. And two years ago, it really did because what was to come was unknown and even when you have an inkling, unknown is kind of hard to plan for. However, even though I wouldn't wish cancer on the foulest, most disgusting murderer in the world, I am still amazed day to day what blessings God has heaped upon me throughout my journey.
If you ever hear the word cancer in application to your own life, don't try to be strong, don't try to be brave, because you can't be. There are few things in this world that are as horrendous as cancer treatments and cancer itself. Yet, don't dispare because if you are a Christian, having asked Jesus to be Lord of your life and believe that He is the Son of God and was sent to this earth to die on the cross then you are saved! Because God fights your battles for you! You don't have to be brave because He is brave for you; you don't have to be strong because He is strong for you! There is a peace in that can't shake you, even if your life is changed by cancer, because God is bigger than it. I pray that you come to know that peace, although I also pray cancer never visits you or your loved ones.

My Very Special Thanksgiving

I said I would get around to posting to update about my surgery sometime before Christmas, but I thought I'd add a little cheer to the subject. Most of you are spending this day stuffing yourselves with turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and of course stuffing. Although I will be doing the same (except I prefer dressing to stuffing and if you're southern you know there's a difference!) I will also have a little something extra to celebrate besides the glorious time of year we remember the Pilgrims and the Indians by eating and planning a shopping extravaganza for the following day.

This Thanksgiving Day, I celebrate ONE YEAR CANCER FREE!!!!!! That's 365 days, people! A full 365 days without cancer cells in my body on a silent advance to take over. I'm a bit excited to tell the truth. Well, more than a bit, really. I'm stoked, I'm flabbergasted, I'm overjoyed, I'm ecstatic, and that's all without pulling out the thesaurus! So, I'm warning you now: If you see me on Thanksgiving Day, be prepared to see a goofy grin and sparkling eyes, and lots of peeps, heehees, and hahas out of me. This moment is the most monumental of 2013 for me. Try saying that 5 times fast!

If I'm posting about this moment, I guess you kinda figured out on your own that I'm doing well after my last surgery. You're smart that way, right? :) I knew you were. I went in for surgery on September 18th and after quite a few hours waiting because they called us in too early, I was taken back and had my right breast ripped out of my body had a skin saving mastectomy on my right side and my port removed, since I haven't had chemo in over a year and the port wasn't working correctly anyway. My memory of my first mastectomy in September of 2012 is kinda hazy, so I was pleasantly surprised to have this thing called "bear paws" to wear while I waited for surgery. It is a gown like thing with a hose attached. At the wall end of the hose, you can turn on air to hot or cold or anywhere inbetween. Of course I had it maxed out at hot for a while (why are hospitals so cold?!) but I kept having to turn it off so I could hear the people talking to me in the room, since I didn't even take my hearing aids for fear of losing them. I did get to enjoy my sister and niece's company along with my hubby's and I don't think I was grumpy from lack of food until right about the time they came to get me for surgery. Don't tell, but one of the nurses let me have ice once after I told her I was getting parched since I normally consumed about 64-70 oz. of water in a day. I liked her, a lot!

A couple of fun things happened that day, and by fun I mean not so fun. First, was the I.V. thing. Normally, I have no problem getting the I.V., just a problem with the I.V. getting in. I blame my mother. She had tiny, rolling veins; I have tiny, rolling veins. Anyway, I was supposed to get the I.V. in my right arm per my doctor's instructions, even though I was having surgery on the right, because I've had lymph nodes removed from my left. My right is a little easier to get needles in, but barely. The nurses were so nice and apologizing for what all they were having to do to me after my vein rolled on them the third time. I don't usually look at what they're doing if it hurts and this time I'm glad I didn't, because when I glanced over, blood was pouring down my hand and puddling onto the floor. I don't mean just a few drops, I mean like someone stuck a pig (oink!oink!) or squirted ketchup on the floor. It took both nurses to clean me, them, and the floor up. I have never bled like that before, but at least on the fourth or fifth stick they got the I.V. in.

When I woke up from the anesthesia, though, I was dismayed to find that the I.V. had been put in my left foot. Um, can you say OUCH! That was the most painful place I've ever had one. The reason for it being there was something to do with the risks of it being in either of my arms because of the whole lymph node thing, but I remember most the pain and discomfort of the thing being in the top of my foot. The nurses wanted me going to the bathroom on my own, which was fine and I was able to do, but walking on the foot with the I.V. was horrible. Especially when I was groggy, about to pop, and snagged the I.V. line on the corner of the bathroom door because the pole wouldn't roll into the bathroom. Yep. Lovely it was. And one of the pain meds they gave me had to go in the needle in my foot and it burned and was cold all at the same time, so bad I teared up.

The other not fun part was when I woke up from the surgery. When they wheeled me back, I was joking and laughing with the nurses and fine. However, when I woke up it was to "I'm going to throw up" being said by none other than me. I won't describe the part that followed, only to say that has never ever happened to me in all of the surgeries I've had. It was not pleasant. Apparently my usage of essential oils has become ingrained because the next thing to come out of my mouth is "I need ginger. My husband has it." The amused male nurse fetched it and let me put it on, while I answered his questions about Young Living essential oils. The Ginger certainly made me feel better and eased the hurling.

I didn't get sick after that, didn't have to have morphine, and relied on percocet and my essential oils to help with the pain and discomfort. And like last time, I couldn't get enough to eat. The kitchen didn't like me much...

I had hardly any drainage from the surgery this time, even though they put in two drains. I ended up having the drains taken out early because there was no drainage to drain, and the lines were pushing on a nerve in my upper chest causing a low grade fever and lots of pain in that area. Oddly enough, I had hardly any pain at the incision site, especially when compared to the pain the drain lines were causing. I was able to go home the day after surgery, once again like last time. However my foot hurt like, well, you get the idea.

This time I knew what might help, so I was using Frankincense and Sacred Frankincense for my cells and tissue, plus ice packs, pillows, etc. Getting the plumbing working again wasn't fun, but a little bit better than last go around. The not so fun part was getting a stomach bug when I went for my post-op appointments with my doctors. I didn't wash my hands as much as I should've while I was there, and a day later "boom" and I lost eight pounds over the next two weeks.

It took me more time to heal up from the stomach bug than from the surgery. Keeping my energy up and the mental fog at bay was and is hard. But, each day I do get a little bit stronger. Just not as fast as I wish, because I had to work hard to get to where I was. I also will only have six months before the next round of surgeries, so part of me struggled with even trying to get back to where I was only to go through it again. There were some dark days mentally, I'll be honest with you. Thankfully, I had some great prayer warriors interceding for me and the dark days passed and praise music was the light shining the darkness dim.

Now, you see why I'm back to the whole giddy, celebratory attitude that a major milestone is under my belt and that I get to celebrate it with family and eating till I burst! Happy Thanksgiving everyone and remember we all have something in our lives to be thankful for, even if it is just the lives we are living. God bless you and yours.

Judge Not, but I did

First and foremost let me say in advance that I apologize to all of my husband's family members. I'm saying up front I was wrong. Everyone take the opportunity to write this moment down for the history books. You may never see those words again (Lord, please do not use that statement to make me eat my words!)!

When Tim and I first met, everyone, including myself, called him "Timmy". We were young, we were in love, I didn't care. They could've called him "Bob" for all I cared. I was just coming to terms with God's humor in putting someone in my life with the same name as my dad. We already had two of every other name in our family it seemed, so this was just God adding an extra haha to my life.

Then at some point, Tim began going by Tim. He was in his 20's, so it was just a natural progression, I guess. Anyway, once I started calling him Tim, I cringed every time anyone in his family called him "Timmy". I don't know why it irked me so. I guess I was trying to be offended on his behalf or something. Maybe I wanted them to recognize he was a responsible, grown adult by calling him "Tim". Who knows. I even at one point got so bent out of shape about it, I had the thought a family member was doing it on purpose to be annoying. Really? Yes, really. I could blame pregnancy hormones for that particular moment since I was pregnant with our first child, but that would only be an excuse. I may use that one later, though.

Over the years, as more important things have come along, the irksome use of "Timmy" has faded into something no longer irksome, just there. It's become a fact of life. Tim's hair is brown. Tim's eyes are brown. Tim's family calls him "Timmy". No big deal.

Then just yesterday, I was at a function where a cousin of Tim's and some mutual friends were at. Suddenly, I realized I was the only one calling her "Susie" instead of "Susan" like our mutual friends. Um. oops!

At that moment I was starkly aware that I had thought all that time ago people were being intentional and snide in their use, when really I had judged and judged harshly. Too harshly. Because, like what had happened in my use of "Susie" instead of "Susan", it was accidental and unintentional. Only habit.

Though the use of "Timmy" has ceased to be an issue for me, (Honestly, I have better things to do) I had never been aware how wrong and judgmental it was of me to be irked, even by something so silly. So once again, I apologize to anyone I ever got miffed at about calling my other half "Timmy". Just whatever you do, please do not ever, ever call me "Rachie"!!!!!!!!!!!!

Surgery-Goodbye Tata

Parting is such sweet sorrow! I recently let go of my nursing bras I had been holding onto for that proverbial "when and if" we have another, because it became startlingly clear that I will not ever get that chance. Cancer sucks! I enjoyed getting to nurse my two children, especially the whole year with my son; it was a truly beautiful bonding experience. People keep telling me to focus on the positive, and I think that for the majority I do. However, there is a major grieving process in cancer as any self-respecting cancer survivor will admit to. And I had to take that moment to grieve.

Now I'm taking a moment again. This time it is to say "Goodbye". Tomorrow is my 2nd mastectomy. A year ago I had my first mastectomy, a complete one including two lymph nodes. The one tomorrow will be a skin saving one, with no lymph nodes. It is not prophylactic, though, because I not only had the 6 cm mass in the left breast, I also had a 2 cm mass in the right breast. So, to prevent the cancer from returning I have to say goodbye to my last tata!

It is so strange to have a part of yourself removed. I had never thought of mastectomies as amputations before, but really they are. There is a lot of stuff removed when "breast tissue" is taken out! Hence my inability to nurse a child again, because I won't have any milk ducts to produce milk. If this is too much info for some of you, I apologize. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I just spent the day parading around in front of doctors and a mastectomy garment fitter, so I've had to let go of some of the modesty and the "we don't talk about that kind of stuff" attitude. I had no idea what I was getting into when the words "cancer" was uttered into my life, and I know there are lots of women out there just like I was, so I'm not holding back. Plus I'm venting, so allow this girl some room and no hate mail!

Anyhoo, I've got about a six week recovery on light stuff, and I know about a year before I can be touched in the chest area without wincing. However, I'm having reconstruction in six months, so I've had just come to terms with the fact that I'm not only going to never see my "rack" bwahaha! in the mirror again, I'm also not going to sleep on my stomach or be without some added pain for the next year or so.

This is just telling it how it is. I'm sure in a couple of days I'll be my sunshiney self again. I'm sure the pain meds will help that part. I will try to post an update on how things went before the six months are up where I have reconstruction. I know it is cliche', but everyone, yourself and myself included, need to thank the Lord for every part of our body we have, even the ones we view as insignificant, because all those parts are special and there is no part that was not formed by God's hand.

Chore Chart- the OCD way

In case you haven't met me yet. I'm Rachel. Nice to meet you! I'm a little spastic, a bit crazy, and a whole lot OCD, which will be seen by the following post. Grab you a cup of coffee and be prepared to laugh at me and feel a bit more sane than you did before you came here.

Okay 1st point of my weirdness: I'm a homeschool mom. I know. Some of you just ran screaming. Some of you did a little "yay!" inside cause you're one too. Anyway, I'm not the most scheduled of people and tend to forget things (I blame the chemotherapy. What the cause was before that, I don't remember!) and I tend to not finish things (case in point, this post has taken nearly 2 months to finish). So, I wanted a way to tackle those problems plus teach my children about responsibilities, doing good work, accomplishments, while delegating some of the tasks I haven't made myself let go of yet.

I've got a major surgery coming up in the next month or so, and I won't be able to do my normal routine until about Christmas, so I've got to learn how to let go of some things, and delegate (without strings attached!) others. Yeah, that is sure asking a lot of myself, I know!!!!!

So what was my solution? A Chore Chart! Aren't you thrilled???? Haha!

Well I couldn't do just any chore chart, our tight budget wouldn't allow for that. However, I could go in true OCD style and over think every single point of it. Now, that I'm done, I thought I would share with the world in case someone else out there wants to do one cheaply. Plus, I've already laid it out for you, so it won't take you two weeks to do as it did me!! Seriously, two weeks...I kid you not.

In researching chore charts, I discovered my favorite (you can check out all of my favorites on my pinterest board here) was through a method used in Managers of Their Chores available at www.titus2.com which is used by the Duggar family; you know the 19 and counting family? I am totally in love with, in awe of, and inspired by that family! Yep, several more of you just ran away.

However, I couldn't afford to get the book at the moment and our local libraries weren't carrying it, so what did I do? I did what any creative OCD person would do! I decided to make one!

Items needed to make one of your own:

• 2 sheets of posterboard (I bought mine from the Dollar Tree)
• 1-2 rolls of printed, colored duct tape (I found mine at walmart)
• Markers in your favorite colors
• a ruler
• a straight edge
• several lengths of velcro (available by the foot at most craft stores, and get more of the bumpy side)
• cardstock
• a computer 
• a printer
• something to have close by for storage of the cards (more on that later)

 

Mark out how many ever columns across you need. I needed five which made each box be about 3 or so inches across. And each box was about 2 inches down. I used pencil first to mark out the lines with a ruler and straight edge. Then I went back over the lines with the marker colors each person had picked out. If you want time of day, then make sure to leave enough room to write the times on the left hand side. I didn't have enough blocks to put each half hour of the day so I just put the usual times we are doing things. If I had to go back and do it, I think I wouldn't put the time of day on there at all. Some things we get done faster, some take us longer, and then it gets the time slots all out of wack and my OCD just doesn't like that one teensy bit.
Next tape the poster boards together, then tape them to the wall, or in our case the pantry door, with your cute, printed duct tape.

The next part I had my kids help me with and they were great. FYI don't use the sticky backed velcro. Buy the kind sold by the yard without the sticky backing. It is not sticky enough for this project, unless you can find the industrial strength velcro which is just not cost effective to me, by the yard, for this kind of thing.

Have your kids cut the velcro into cute little squares like this:

Then glue the fuzzy velcro squares onto the grid on your soon to be chore chart! I say use the fuzzy side, so that if anyone rubs up against it (it is on one of the most used doors in the house after all), it won't scratch them. Also, I used three different glues, and lived with the various squares falling off time and time again, to be stepped on or otherwise lay unnoticed because the glue wasn't working. Finally, I settled on hot glue, extra strength. Obviously that part your kids can't do, unless they are older than my two.

When all of the fuzzy sides are glued on, this is what your chart will look like. Probably with different names at the top, though....Mercy isn't exactly a common name...

Now the fun part! If you were already having fun, good for you! If I'm totally boring you, I understand; just skim the photos and I'm sure you'll get the general idea.

The chore cards. I made up a lot of them! Remember the part of the title that says OCD? Yeah, I pretty much wanted a card for everything. My kids are young; they need instructions to know what to do and this is after all about training them up in the way this should go. Its also about training myself to have better habits, and just maybe help the husband in that department, too, just sayin'.

The individual cards are what took me the most time to compile, because I needed something my beginning reader could understand, and would be easily recognizable to all five of us in the house. I perused through google for all of these pics and put them in a grid pattern and put the words I wanted to use at the top of each one. Now, I went to all of this effort for myself, but decided I wanted to share for anybody who doesn't want to go to as much effort as I did. Therefore for the 18 pages of various cards, spanning chores, school, and appointments go here to dropbox.com and access the adobe file. 

I printed out the cards 12 to a page on cardstock and cut them out with a paper cutter from my scrapbooking days, but scissors work just as well. You could even color code the cardstock to where each person in your family had their own color cards. I didn't go that route because there are many cards that will alternate between us, like Check The Mail and Computer Work.

After you get all of the cards printed out and cut, glue a scratchy square of velcro to the back of each card. I made an assembly line on the kitchen table of cards turned over. It looked like a giant memory game for a little while! My oldest helped me glue the velcro on, pushing the square down after I used the hot glue.

Now all of the cards we are not using are stored on the other side of the door, in sheet protectors meant for index cards, giving the adults a various pocket, and two chore pockets. The kids sheet protector has one pocket for chores, one for school, and one for various things like Free Time and Go To Church.

I hope you enjoy this episode of "I'm crazier than you" and join us next time! There is no telling what topic I may be covering next! Also, feel free to leave your (nice) comments about this post, what you like, or ideas of how to tweak it. Have a blessed day!

Mixing Traditional & Modern Medicine

Let's talk shots.
Not the alcoholic kind either.
The ever so lovely hypodermic kind.
I've had some recent encounters with some rather large ones.

They seemed like they were larger than this, but maybe it was just me.
The first round, several weeks ago now, was a shot into each bursa of my hip. Did you know you had a bursa?
Here is a refresher for you if it has been a while since you've had to recall any of the more obscure parts of anatomy.

I have chronic bursitis, have had since I was a teenager. I don't know why in the world I ended up with all of these old lady things. And if you're an old lady, then my hat off to you, and a bow to you, because you put up with a lot! I've had more than my share of these shots into my bursas, is that the correct plural form? I don't know. So no grammar police after me ok?!

Then 3 weeks after that, I had to have the same kind of shots in this tendon pictured above. I couldn't remember what in the world the name of this part was called, because my doctor just kept called it a tendon and referring to the problem as tendonitis. He said the tendonitis in what I now know is the quadricep was caused by the prolonged inflammation of the bursis in my hips. Hmm. Surprise, surprise. One problem can lead to another! Meanwhile the location of the shots in said bursis had bruised significantly and remained somewhat painful and had the shots themselves had not relieved the pain at all yet. Here is one girl hoping this stuff started to work! In addition to these problems, the bursitis in my left shoulder needed attention to and was also causing tendonitis under the bursa. So what was the treatment plan for that? Why, you guessed it! Lucky you! Yes, another shot with that big nasty needle at the top of the post. Here is another pic for you to feast your eyes on and wince a little at. If you're not wincing, just remember the size of that needle up there.

Two weeks after the tendon shots, I went back this past Thursday expecting to get shots in both hips again. My rheumatologist has told me he has seen significant improvement in chronic sufferers if there are two rounds administered in each location. What's a few more steroids at this point?! Yes, yes, I know steroids are not extremely beneficial over a length of time, and I had more than my fair share last year during chemo treatments, but allow a girl a little denial. Otherwise the brain starts to curdle with the stress of it all.

So anyway, Thursday. Expected shots in the hips again. Instead, the pain I had been experiencing in my whole right side was significant enough to cause the doctor to change his mind on the route he had originally laid out. My left hip and shoulder had improved somewhat. But the right side had actually gotten worse, therefore the doctor gave me a shot in my right hip, as planned, but threw in one in the quadricep again, and just to even everything out, I got on in the right shoulder. Sheesh! You'd think he got paid by the shot!

I go back in a month to see what else needs to be done, and possibly get one last round of shots somewhere. I'm not sure I want to speculate where at this point. I think I've run out of bursas, but I know there's a few more tendons that could be stabbed.

All of this got me to thinking, I can't be relying totally on what most of us call "modern" medicine, because the pain is still around and there are side effects to almost all man made medicine. Like lack of sleep, oversleeping, pain at the injection site, overall pain, fatigue, headaches from lack of sleep, cravings for Dr. Pepper, those kind of things. I'm sure several of my loyal readers (why in the world do you spend your time with crazy, crazy me?!) are aware of my use of essential oils. If you're new, hadn't come around in a while, or a stalkerwannabe, then pay attention: There are these things God created inside of plants in the beginning of time till now called essential oils. They are basically the life force of a plant (plants are alive, right? right) distilled out by steam and collected in pure form. You want the pure form, generally called therapeutic grade here in the old good USA. These essential oils can penetrate something called the "blood brain barrier", a layer that keeps the bad things from getting into the brain. But the molecules and other chemical makeup of these essential oils are some of the tiniest things in the world and therefore can pass through this barrier in the brain. They cause regeneration of cells, go to the source of the problem and fix it not just relieve it.

I thought essential oils were just to smell good and the reason why lavender worked on headaches and insomnia was because the smell caused a person to relax to the point where the problem could relieve itself so to speak. Turns out lavender (in therapeutic grade) has the actual power to de-stress your body so you can sleep, it has chemicals in it that God put there which can heal the cause of a headache and take away the pain, it is an antiseptic, antifungal tool for burns, scrapes, abrasions, cuts and can relieve itchiness on bug bites, reactions to poison ivy and poison oak, prevent bug bites, promote wellbeing, and yes, make things smell good. Who knew, right? I for sure didn't have a clue. But remember, essential oils have been around for thousands upon thousands of years. They were the aspirins and icyhots and iodines before those things were discovered and/or created.

But now that I know, I'm trying to learn how to use all of these goodies that feel like have been literally dropped into my lap for the betterment of my family and my body. How have I been using these "traditional" means of medicine to mix in with the "modern" methods? I'm so glad you asked! Did the title of this post clue you in that I would eventually get around to mentioning that part? Yes, I know I have a tendency to ramble...you didn't have to point it out. Seriously, you can stop now. 

Just keep reading. Golly...

First off let me say this, I am a distributor for a company who sells pure, therapeutic grade essential oils distilled without additives from plants grown on farms they own or have lease contracts with to harvest seeds and plants grown organically with the utmost care and distilled in company distilleries. The name of this company is Young Living, you can go here to see their website if you like. I found out about them through a friend who hooked me up with a group of crazy awesome people all coming together in a place called The Lemon Drop Lounge. Our website is www.thelemondroplounge.com and is full of tidbits on how to use these oils and testimonials of real people (as opposed to fake people, you know) who have used the oils and seen some remarkable results. You can also begin reading about the first 21 days of our personal journey of using Young Living Essential Oils by going here.

Now, that you know what I use and how I found out about them, I can go on with what I've used for this particular problem of mine. To be honest, I've not been as diligent about it as I should've been (don't we all say that?) about even researching which oils were the best, but used what I knew about. Pain will do that to you. You don't care what you are putting on as long as it works!

After the first round of shots, I used a roll-on bottle to apply an oil blend I had made up. It consisted of a blend called PanAway, Peppermint, another blend called Valor, and Spearmint diluted with extra virgin olive oil. Along with the ice packs prescribed by the doctor, I made it through the first round.

With the shots in the tendons and my left shoulder I used the roll-on mentioned above, but when I didn't have access to it, I would rub straight Valor on to prep the sites, then use PanAway, Clove to numb the area, and Peppermint to drive in the relief deep into the tissues. I also used the ice packs and the heating pad as directed.

This time, I was in a lot more pain, and even after the shots couldn't put my full weight on my right leg, and I kept experiencing shooting, pinching pains in my hip which would travel all the way down to my heel. I even had more trouble moving my hip around, certain angles were just nigh impossible. Thank goodness I'm able to not have to hold a 9 to 5 job, or I'd be in tears more. I'm blessed to be a homeschool mom of two, who somehow always seem to have me on the go. So, this mom needs to be able to go!

I still take prescription meds, kinda have to with the cancer thing and all, but my Rx meds were not relieving my pain, only making me loop-ier. So when I got home, I grabbed my oils in desperation and concocted the mother of all essential oil rubs! What did I use? Well, I'll tell you after the following disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a nurse or any other kind of medical person. I am just a person. Therefore I can not under any circumstances tell you what to do with your own body. I can only tell you what I've done and the effects it has had on me. What you do with that is your own business. There. That wasn't so painful, was it?

I put together in a ceramic bowl (one can't use plastic with some of these essential oils, so ceramic or glass is best):

1 drop Lemongrass

2 drops Peppermint

2 drops PanAway

2 drops Valor

1 drop Chamomile

1 drop Lime

1 drop Spearmint

1 drop Rosemary

1 drop Tea Tree oil

3 drops Vitamin E oil

2 tsp Avacodo oil

2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

and my amazing, awesome, you can't have him, hubby applied this concoction on my legs, my back, my neck and my shoulder for me, since I couldn't reach most of the areas that were hurting.

I swear, people, or at least strongly, strongly promise that within 5 minutes I had relief, 10 minutes later I could put weight on my right foot without wincing, and within an hour the inflammation had gone down enough that I wasn't on the verge of crying or trying to snap someone's head off for just looking at me. I'm constantly amazed by what these oils can do, even though I use them everyday and see results everyday.

I am learning something new each and every single day about these oils. I don't know it all, I'm certainly not an expert! No where close, darlin'. And now, I'm venturing off into the world of herbal medicines again. Gasp! Did you just call me a hippie?! More like a homeschooling, happily married to the same man 11 years, pro-life Christian who believes in big families, small government, the right to bear arms, make homemade granola, have a big vegetable garden, and use every available resource God put on this planet for me to use.

I stuck my toe in the whole herbal world when my husband was injured on the job eight years ago, to help him deal with the pain and inflammation of his injury. We also trudged in the shallow depths a couple of years ago with an herbalist in our area, Rhonda Dial rhondadial.com. But we couldn't quite afford the regiment and stopped using the herbs when I got sick in 2011. Now that the cancer treatment part is over with, and I have learned more about what I've been putting in my body all of these years and what all around me is not really good for me, I'm trying to wade into this world unknown to me. I began taking vitamins today. That is a big deal. Especially because I don't like having to keep up with pills. Swallowing them is no big deal, I can swallow lots of pills at one time. But I have to have my daily/nightly meds in one of those pill holder things that reminds me which ones to take, because I have trouble keeping up with that kind of stuff. So adding three or four vitamins a day?! Yikes! I have jumped off the deep end into this whole "natural" thing!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I've blogged about making laundry detergent before

Originally Here

and updated here

But I wasn't completely satisfied with the recipes I'd been using, that and I kinda got bored with it.

I'm sure that just shocked your socks off, right? Me, get bored? Nah!

So, handy dandy pinterest came to my rescue again when I couldn't remember which computer, and where on which computer, I had saved the link to. I'm not one to follow recipes exactly. I don't know why. It's like a challenge issued me by the recipe writer daring me to vary from the written edict by even one iota. Have I mentioned I'm a bit OCD about some things? And yes, I'm sure there is an oil for that!

So what does this amazing, spectacular new recipe include?

I'm so glad you asked!

                    Borax                                                                                       Washing Soda

Go here to read what wiki has to say                                   Go here to read a good description

Octagon soap

& Fels-Naptha soap

For a brief history on Octagon soap, go here. To give you an idea of how long this wonder soap has been around, my great-grandmother used this soap to wash all of her laundry. I still flash back to her kitchen and back porch each time I open a bar! I love that I'm passing that on to my kids...

If you want to know what wiki has to say about Fels-Naptha, the soap with the weird name, go here.

And last, but oh, certainly not least in my life: Thieves!

Go here to read what in the world Thieves is and then

go here with the magic #1434897 to get you some (only if you want to!)

Now step one is to cut up those soap bars into chunks that will fit into your food processor. If you don't have a food processor, that is fine, just grate the soap with a cheese grater or something like that. The smaller the pieces the better.

 My soap waiting to be grated.

I suggest using the pulse button and opening the lid away from your face after grating, or the "smoke" will go up in your face and make you choke while your little girl looks on laughing, threatening to blow on it to make it make more "smoke". Or something similar might happen, not that it is what happened to me or anything.

          The soap pulverized

This is what the soap looked like once I put it into a mixing bowl

The next step is to add the Borax and Washing Soda.

I used

1 c. of Borax

1 c. of Washing Soda

To this mix I added about ten drops of Thieves essential oil and mixed

and mixed until there were no clumps left.

For each load of laundry use 1 tablespoon

Yep! Only 1 tablespoon!

The only step left is to find a pretty jar to put your new Laundry Soap in!

Easy! Peasy!

Normally I would have used a clear glass jar, so I could see how much I have left and know when to make more. However, I moved these canisters out of the kitchen and like the look of them with the antique curtain over the window that was a pink tablecloth edged in green in its former life. Eventually (glad there is no time limit in the definition of that word!) I will finish pulling together all of the elements of the laundry room to give it a shabby chic look, using these canisters, the curtain and an antique, quirky drying rack hanging on the wall for our delicates to dry on. Yep, eventually....