Jumbled

You know when you go to comment on certain blogs, like this one of course, and you have to use that damn annoying word verification? Where in the hell do they come up with these words? Like gogosuite, or goodsax, not to be read as goodsex, because then of course it wont let you post your comment and you have to try again. Something that really annoys me though is the captcha's because my eyes, oh my eyes cant handle the broken words. Where the G looks like a 2 and the X is turned to look like a K, and I get so fucking frustrated, I say the hell with this and don't even comment. I know these things are in place for a reason, hell my own blog uses them (although soon I will be leaving the blogger behind and switching to Wordpress which I'm sure has this same option) But for God's sake cant they be simplified into something a real person can actually read? I should be happy for these "tools" that are to protect us against spam and other unwanted shit showing up in our comments, but also it makes me laugh to read some of these verifications. Today alone I have seen CLAMBAG, PIEHOO, GOODSAX, LONGJUG, among the capcha's that are just ridiculous. I'm starting to wonder if some sick perverted bastard makes these things up.

"Lose Yourself In The Drool"

I'm sitting in my car today, listening to a lil T.I. and my kid is babbling away about some kid eating boogers and how he wants a bike for Christmas and he colored a turkey at school today, and it dawned on me. I have lost it. I have absolutely lost my identity. When in the world did I replace my own identity with the whole mommy identity?

I use to love to write and draw, paint, take pictures. I use to dream uncontrollably, I was free spirited, wild and crazy. This didn't happen overnight. It happened over the course of the last ten years. In any "bio" that I have written it always starts out with "I'm a mom of two" Or "I'm a wife of ten years" When did that become ok to me? I should not be defined as a wife and/or mother. I should be defined first of who I am, what my own interests are, my personality, my identity.

My life went from cruising all night, swimming in the lake at 1am, bungee jumping and partying to cooking, cleaning, running errands, attending my kids sporting events. Do not get me wrong, I love being a wife and a mother, all my life I wanted to be just that. I just did not want to lose myself in the process. Who says that I have to though? Can I still not swim at 1am, or paint, write or take pictures? Who says I cant listen to my music at an alarming high volume? Just because I have children doesn't mean that I cant enjoy the same things I did ten years ago. Granted some of those things I would never want to even attempt, but some of these things defined me as a person. Why cant I balance both worlds?

I am Jenn, not just mom! Why do I feel like people would look at me like a bad parent if I participated in my own activities every now and then? Hell, why do I care? I am the last person that ever cares what anyone thinks of me.

Society paints this picture of a mom. A mom that goes to PTO and bakes cookies in the afternoon, who wears an apron and has dinner on the table every night at the same time. We see moms as carpoolers and women who's lives their children engulf. We see them as not having a life other than their children and husbands. As women who do laundry and dust all day and never have a hair out of place and their kids have the best art projects or science experiments because they stayed awake hours fixing the imperfections.

This got me thinking.. Why do people look at moms this way? What will our children know about us when they grow up? That they had a good childhood, that their mom was always at their side? What about the other things like, what she liked to do OTHER than taking care of her children? Did she volunteer, was she a great photographer, did she run 5K's, was she an awesome writer, did she play sports or like to decorate? To me, this gives a false sense of self! I want my kids to find their own way in life. I want them to be dreamers and athletes, writers or doctors or mechanics for God's sake. I do not want them to think of themselves as only a dad or mom, wife or husband. I am giving them a false sense of self by losing myself.

Being a mom and wife does not define who I am, it is a PART of who I am. I intend to find myself once again and never lose her! Once in awhile, lose yourself in the music instead of the drool!

Decision '08

I haven't written in a really long time. Ive been through a lot lately and will share when I feel I am emotionally ready, but I had to share my excitement over our new President.

We as a country witnessed history last night. Our children witnessed history. One day Barack Obama will be in children's history books at school, our grand children's grandchildren will hear stories of this great night that occurred in November of '08.
No matter how you voted, the important thing is that you did actually vote. You made your voice heard and it mattered.

I have only been alive long enough to have had five different Presidents in office. I have only witnessed four elections. I remember when George W. senior was elected, sitting in my parents living room with all of the lights off, the glare of the TV in complete silence, I remember the feeling of anticipation, but not the excitement I as well as my children felt last night. When Bill Clinton was elected, I was ecstatic, but the anticipation wasn't as strong.. Last night was both. We sat and anticipated, we were nervous and anxious, excited and worried.

Each American I am sure had those same thoughts. Whether you voted for McCain or Obama, we all had the same feelings. I have such a feeling of relief now. I know that Obama will do the right thing, he will bring this country to its feet so that we will once again stand tall, stand United. We will become the country that was built on such great standards long ago, just with a little more pride now.

There are so many reasons this election was so important. Our country needs help, Americans are drowning and see now way out, the wealthiest country on the planet is struggling and felt there was nothing anyone could do..But we as a people did do something, we voted, and we picked the right man for the job. Not only the right man, but the first black president of the United States Of America. WOW. I still cant wrap my brain around just how big this really is...

My kids are just 6 and 10, and at this young age actually know why this election is so important..they don't know all of the details, but they know enough..They know we could have either witnessed the first Black President, or the first Woman Vice President. They know one of the men elected would either keep our troops at war, or pack their bags and bring them home to us. They knew that one of these men would raise our taxes, one would help middle class..one would help businesses including their dads either flourish or fail..they knew that one would make a cleaner world for us to live in, with more efficient energy options.. this alone makes you realize this was not just another election, this was THE election for the American People..For the People, By the People! Change Has Come!

I am so proud for our Nation. I am so relieved for our children. I want them to live in a better world that I lived in, that my grandparents lived in, and their grandparents. I want them to know that each vote matters. I want them to have a secure future in a secure Nation. Obama will start cleaning up a very ugly mess that he has been left to deal with..He will get the job done, like he said, it may take more than one term..I think he will hit the ground running.. I am just so grateful that we live in a country that can look beyond skin color, look beyond male or female and vote for the person that will be better suited for the job at hand!

Der..What Is It I Was Saying?

I absolutely think I am losing my mind at times. The normal things I do on a daily basis, well I seem to forget HOW to do them. This has gone on for, oh I don't know, ten years? Yeah, that's it..it was the babies that did this to me! Back when my kids were actually babies, I forgot how to do everything! I would forget daily tasks. I'm pretty sure it was because nothing else seemed as important as what the baby needed, or what I had to remember for the baby to actually walk out of the door and not have to return twelve times before actually pulling out of the drive way.

Now though, I forget stuff like how to spell drawer, or ridiculous, or pneumonia. I also forget my keys..inside my house, while I am outside! While the door is locked!
I will leave the house to go to the store, pull into the parking lot, and I sit there for at least three minutes before I ever remember what the hell I came to the store for! I forget normal things like doctors appointments or calling to remind someone that such and such show will be on in an hour. But I also forget what ingredients I have used in my roast for over ten years. Just yesterday, I was getting dressed ready to leave to the hospital, I must have totally forgotten which way my bra went, because later that night when I got home, went to take the bra off..it was inside out! yeaaaaaaah! Inside out..and amazingly it wasn't any more uncomfortable that it normally is.

I will absolutely not think this is because I am about to turn thirty. I absolutely will blame it on the kids. I mean, our brains really cant be made to hold THAT much information.. you know, when you have kids you have to remember everything for yourself and THEM. So lets see, I have two kids, I am remembering things for three people..actually most of the time four people because my husband cant remember the last time he took a dump. So my brain is holding information for FOUR people. It is probably in count down to explosion..5..4..3...2.. BOOM.

Man, I wonder what the Duggers do..how the hell does she hold information for 20 people? Isn't that right, they have like 18 kids now? Hell my uterus couldn't hold up to that, let alone my brain!

Sunday Conversation

So my husband and I are sitting outside, enjoying the beautiful sunshine and the crisp fall air, when he lets a loud annoying fart. This is just to set the scene..now let me tell you, my husband I swear farts more than any human being on the face of the earth, but I do have to be thankful because there are only a few rare instances where his obnoxious farts have actually smelled.

So he lets this loud fart..giggles a tad.

Me: I swear you fart more than anyone on this earth
Him: giggle
Me: I mean seriously, no other person lets that much bodily gasses into our atmosphere other than you.
Him: giggle
Me: I swear, you probably fart no less than 15 times an hour
Him: that's like 360 times in 24 hours! I ROCK! ::MORE GIGGLING::

Life around here is never ever dull!

Negativity

So a few things have made me start to re-evaluate friendships that I have. I don't have many too begin with, so why in the world would I want to get rid of any? Well, negativity. I have enough of it in my life. I have come to a point in my life that I realize what is really most important to me. Is spending time online chatting important, or spending time with my grandparents? Is talking on the phone important, or is making sure my house is clean, laundry is done more important? Should I spend hours a day online, or hours a day helping my kids do their homework, do projects, bake cookies?

I like spending time with my kids, with my husband, my family. But also, its important and if that means hurting someones feeling because they feel like they aren't getting enough attention, than so be it.. I don't understand some mothers who think others should drop every single thing they are doing and to also, always "know" what or how they are feeling, come running to them and be there while neglecting our own family.

I think of myself as a good friend. I try to be supportive, caring, I listen. But I can not possibly know what is bothering you. I in no way know when you need to talk. I get tired of seeing crap on twitter or myspace updates about how people think their friends have left them, how they aren't getting enough attention, woe is me.. Well have you ever stopped to think that we have a family? A life? That we also have things in our lives that are not going right? I hate always being there for someone and them not EVER being there for me. If you need to talk, you need a friend, I will be there for you, but do not take me for granted!

I have friends that know what I am going through. That we are in the process of losing our home. They are down to the wire about to foreclose on us. Do I hear from them? Do they call and ask how we are or if there is anything they can do? Do they call or come by to see if they can be there just to listen? Nope, not once. That's OK though, I feel like I know they have lives and families, but don't expect me to be the one that always comes running, when I also have a life and family.

Also since I am on a role about things bugging the shit out of me.. It pisses me off when some of the people I know, or don't know for that fact, complain daily about being broke and they blow money on the stupidest shit. They complain about not having any money yet make more than we do, have less bills but buy crap they don't need. Don't complain about it, be thankful you have the money, the disposable income to do what you want with it!

People, your lives could be so much worse, believe me, so don't take what you have for granted, be thankful for it..also at the same time, those of you that have a lot, stop throwing it in our faces. Stop blasting it everywhere that you have the best job, that you make the most money that you live in the most expensive neighborhood. What does that mean exactly? Does that mean you make a difference in your community? Does that mean that you are well liked? Does it mean you have more friends than me, or your kid is smarter than mine? Doubtful. I don't see what our social, income status has anything to do with what kind of people we are.

Money does not make us who we are. Having tons of friends does make us who we are, or that we have 2.5 kids in every sport imaginable. That doesn't make us the people, the adults we have become. Me having a house I am about to lose does not make me any less of a person than you.. and Me having a nice car does not mean I am any better than someone who doesn't. I am tired of people judging each other. Its not worth it, its pointless. There are more things in this world to worry about, especially this day and age.

I am tired of people being negative. People are trying to change their lives, to be honest and you could give a shit less about it..That's fine, but don't complain to me when everyone has left you because all you care about is yourself!

Wow, I may not be making much sense but it sure helps to get my frustrations out! Isn't that why I started writing in the first place! I just feel that our country is in such a bad place right now, in desperate need of change, and people in general are judging one another, people are trying to "show" one another up. Also, I'm not getting any younger so I guess now more than ever I realize what is more important to me.

And before any of you start asking if this post is about you, more than likely it isn't, but if your that worried about it,maybe its time you evaluate your self!

VENT

Do you ever feel like when your going through a really hard time, people around you seem to brag about any and everything they can? Ugh this drives me NUTS. I try to be a really good friend. I try to be supportive, encouraging to others and it pisses me off to no end when I am having a difficult time, and all I hear is about what one of them bought, or went out and did or how great their freakin life is. Being upbeat all the time gets damn old when its one sided!

Ok, sorry, vent/rant over..onto your regular scheduled program.

Flip Flops

Sometimes I wonder if there is a flip side to my flop at parenting. As a mom we go through so many emotions. Are we doing the best for our kids. Are they learning at or above level. Are they happy children learning, growing to be mature, content talented adults? There are so many things to worry about when your raising a child. Your molding a person. Your molding a boy to be a man, a doctor or lawyer, a CEO, a husband, a parent. Your doing the same thing for a girl, molding her into being a well rounded woman. Teaching her that she can do anything her male counter parts can do.

I often look at my brothers and think, my gosh they will never be married, and if they are, they wont be for long. My dad tries to do his best with them, but its different. At their ages (15, 20) they cant cook, they cant do laundry, they don't clean. They cant even pick the phone up and make an appointment for themselves. That's lack of confidence, lack of "want to" they are lacking the necessary skills to become good men, good husband that are responsible, good fathers..heck if they cant take care of themselves, how will they take care of another human being?

We as parents have a tough job to do. If our kids turn out to be failures as adults, that's on us. We failed at our jobs. I understand there is only so much you can teach them, so far you can guide them, they in the end have to make the right decisions. But do we not give them the skills to make those decisions? Its like we are failing at our job, our free, underpaid overworked job..and in the end it could effect so many people. That terrifies me. This isn't the way I think all of the time, I just often wonder if my kids mess up as adults, will people look at me as a horrible mother that didn't teach them well enough.

Sometimes there are flips to our flops. There is a good flip side to our bad flop at parenting. Our kids turn out perfectly normal. They make good grades, they succeed as people, as leaders, as children, and later as adults.

My kids brought home report cards today. I had a flip to my flop. I realized I along with teachers of course, am doing something right. Both of my kids have good grades, which I take no credit for, that's the teachers credit, for giving them a good education. But my kids had good conduct, they behaved well, they helped others. WOW my children have made every fear I have about failing them disappear, even if it is for a day.

When I see my son come to me down the hallway and have a huge smile on his face, because I am there to see him, his MOTHER, that makes being a mom totally worth it. Report cards, and praise from other parents, make it totally worth the fighting we go through, the punishment when they do something wrong, the hours of reminding them to use their manners..It was all worth it! My kids are nowhere near perfect, I don't claim them to be, nor do I treat them as if they are, but its nice when you have an outsider tell you how well behaved and polite your child is. It not only makes you proud of them, but proud of yourself as well!

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

We as parents are subject to the up and down emotional roll-a-coasters we call our children. I think more so as moms we are on this ride of happy, sad, angry and glad. I have been dealing with this "problem" for a few months now, amazing that it is just now bothering me since I have been a mom for over ten years now. My oldest son is ten, and I swear that he is already acting like a teenager, a preteen I guess you could call him.
As a mom you go from being their best friend, the one they run to, the arms they fall into and shed the tears that you heal, to being the one they don't like, the one that never lets them do anything, the one that is ALWAYS wrong! It isn't easy being a mom at all, and I wish all those people that say it is, would shut up and live in reality.
On any given day I can be sitting and helping my son do homework, and then the situation can turn ugly. I can do nothing right, that's not how the teacher does it, the floodgates of tears open up and suddenly I am his worst enemy. What the crap just happened? All I was doing is TRYING to help my son, and now all of a sudden I am frustrated to no end at him. I hate yelling at my kids, and I have been really good controlling that lately, so when he gets this way, what as a mom do you do?
We provide for our children, we love them unconditionally, we make sure they are well rounded, making good grades, doing their best, growing socially, emotionally and physically. Does this mean we always have to like them? Not really. I will be the first to admit that I love my children with all of my being, I was meant to be a mother, there is nothing in this world I would rather be doing, BUT I don't always LIKE my kids.
Am I a terrible mother because of this? I don't think so. Am I the only mother that thinks these things? Absolutely not. But I may be one of the few that SPEAKS these things.

Self Affirmation

I often wonder why we as women seem to need so much more self affirmation than men. Why do we constantly look to please others, and be rewarded in some way for that? Why cant helping someone be good enough. I find myself lately, seeing a lot of people constantly looking for praise, for congradulations, for some sort of affirmation for doing something that is not all that significant anyway. I understand that we as humans have a need to be "thanked" I also dont see why some people have to be thanked for every single thing that they do.
I myself love doing things like charity, helping the youth, giving back. The reason I do this is because I can see a need that needs to be met. I can see a heartache in people that needs to be mended. Also, it makes me feel good to help other people. So why cant some people help, and that satisfaction of help be enough? Some people have to help, and then be thanked for their hard work, like they want it blasted across the front page of the newspaper. Just because someone doesnt comment, or someone doesnt say thank you, that doesnt mean that you did not impact them, that you did not help them, that also doesnt mean those people are not grateful.
We never look deeper into a situation, never realizing what other people may be going through. You may smile at someone and they not smile back, you in return think they are rude. Sometimes that cant be farther from the truth. People go through things each and every day, and they may SEEM ok, but on the inside they are not. So stop for a second and think they may be going through something instead of brushing you off. Stop and think that hey, I made an effort and thats enough..
Sometimes because of our fear of judgement, we walk this earth as if nothing ever bothers us. We could be going through something terrible. Peoples marriages break, their kids get sick, their bills are overdue, we are human, so stop thinking we should be happy and giddy every second of the day. Smile anyway when someone does not smile at you, wave to someone, offer to carry someones groceries. When you see a struggling mom trying to wrangle a toddler, keep an infant from crying, keep their school age child from running in the parking lot, while trying to get her groceries into the car, offer a lending hand, if she doesnt accept it, its OK! she will remember that you offered, and she will appreciate that.
When you see an elderly man or women taking their sweet time crossing the parking lot..sit, wait on them to cross, know that you did something nice and do not feel that you need to be thanked for that. Take someone who is ill a nice dinner, or offer to get their groceries for them. There are so many small things that you can do to help someone that will make you feel great, but know that you helped instead of insisting that you be thanked.

Free Coffee On Kim Contest!

Kim over at mommyknows is having an awesome contest! who doesn't LOVE coffee? my hand is not raised! Just leave a comment on her most recent post, and she will pick a winner randomly. And psssst another secret.. if you blog about the contest AND comment, your entered TWICE! yes, TWO chances to WIN! Cant get much better than that! so run, go..come on, I know you haven't had your coffee yet, but get to moving, go post!
mommyknows.com

Faithfully Strong

So, I have a friend, a good friend of mine, that I understand much better now. For the past ten days my husband has been away. I have a very small understanding of how she feels now. My friend Tanya, her husband is a marine. They have three young kids. One girl and two boys. They just moved across country from California to North Carolina. Not knowing a soul. New schools, new friends, new atmosphere. Then, her husband gets deployed to Iraq.
I never in my life imagined how hard it would be to raise kids on your own when your use to having your husband with you every step of the way. This is different from being a single parent from the beginning, yes I know its hard, but its different. After eleven years of marriage, you become attached to a daily routine, to him helping you with things from discipline, to taking the trash out, to changing a light bulb. I know a lot of women that are away from their husbands for periods of time due to work etc, and it doesn't seem to phase them much. Just in ten short days, I can barely handle this, and I have no idea how Tanya does it. There is a love between her and her husband, like me and my husband that is so very deep, that your heart aches to be away from one another. Its not like the old saying goes "absence makes the heart grow fonder" It is nothing like that.
People that say that, they have no understanding of what this is like, what she is going through. They have no idea that when they say, "oh he will be home in no time" "oh, time will fly" that, that is farther from the truth than imaginable. I, myself have not been on my own since I was 17 years old. She is basically the same, give or take a few months. When you live with someone for that long, when your love is so deep and everlasting, the distance is unbearable.
Before you think you have it hard, put yourself in the shoes of these people. Remember that they have no "i love you, have a good day" there are no, "lets have lunch" no "can you pick the kids up today" Remember that they are alone in this, and you don't have it so hard after all.
My heart goes out to all you men and women that are going through this. How you can balance your family, kids, work, home life all while being strong for your kids, and your spouse, when your heart is aching so badly, when your yearning so strongly for them to be by your side. You people have got to be the strongest people, yes, you are strong, even if you think otherwise. If you were not strong, you couldn't go through this time after time again.
There is so very much Tanya tries to handle. Two boys in football. A child with ADHD. A daughter that is reaching puberty. She, herself deals with anxiety. She deals with money issues like most of us, but she is dealing with it all alone. She puts on a happy face for her children. She makes sure the tone of her voice doesn't sound upset, hurt, lonely when her husband calls. She makes sure to not say the wrong thing in an email..all because she is being strong for him, while breaking inside. She cant let on that something may be wrong, then how would he feel? helpless. She deals with the feelings of wanting to be able to share her feelings with a man that she has shared everything with for eleven years, but also wants to shield him from that, because she thinks it is insignificant compared to what he is dealing with in Iraq.
She is one of the strongest people I know. I will never take my husband for granted again. I will never say its easy. I will always be thankful. We as moms, as wives take this life of ours for granted. We don't realize that this, all of this could be gone. We don't realize what other women, men, children go through.. there is no possible way to even imagine what and how they feel. We can not say that "it will be OK" we can not say that "i know its hard" we cant, because we don't know. Yes in our minds we know it MUST be hard. But there is no way our hearts can imagine what these people truly go through on a day to day basis.
That they go to bed every night alone. They awake in the morning alone. They fix lunches, and do homework, get dinner ready, give baths..alone. They have nobody to turn to, yeah they have friends they can talk to, but its not the same. Their best friend is gone. I want to commend each and every one of you that are dealing with this. I had a step father that was gone 6 months out of the year, and it wasn't like this.. he and my mom did not have that undeniable faithful deep love like Tanya and Bennie. I know it was hard on my mom, and I am not sure how she got through it either, but to have your true love, out of your reach is amazingly difficult I am sure. Thank you all. Men, Women, Wives, Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Children, Thank you families, the ones here in the U.S. missing their loved ones, the ones in Iraq missing their loved ones, all of those that are lost to us forever, thank you for giving up so very much for this country.

Laundry

So, I have been visiting this board www.workplacelikehome.com, and I have been learning a ton of cool stuff, one is how to make my own laundry detergent, I was skeptical at first, but thought, hey there is nothing to lose. I made my first batch Friday and it was ready yesterday, I washed a load of towels, and it was an amazing difference. The laundry not only came out cleaner, smelled clean, but these were just towels, ya know, you use them when you are clean anyway, well the water in the washer was so dirty.. i thought I would try some clean laundry.. yep, sure enough same thing happened, dirty water! so not only am I using something that works, I am saving money as well!! Ill post to recipe for the soap as well as the fabric softener.

1 cup washing soda (not the same thing as baking soda, this is a large box also made my arm and hammer)
1/2 cup borax (I used 20 Mule Team)
1 bar soap (I used 2 because I like a strong scent and the smell outcome smells like the soap you use) for the first batch I used ivory lavender, but i recommend that you find some zote or fels naptha, laundry soap because it will clean better since its a "laundry" soap
Approximately 3 gallons water
5 gallon bucket with lid
Cheese grater

Now, place a pot on the stove with 4-5 cups of water, turn on med-high heat so that the water Will come to a boil.
while waiting, use the cheese grater to grate the soap. Like I said, I added two bars of Ivory lavender, but I would recommend adding 1/2 bar of either zote or fels, and then one bar of scented soap.
when the water boils, turn it down to a simmer, around medium or so. add the soap SLOWLY if its not added slowly it will clump..add slowly, let dissolve.
when you have all your soap melted, turn it down to low
fill your 5 gallon bucket up with around 3 gallons of hot tap water.
Add your washing soda and borax to the bucket of warm tap water, then slowly pour in your soap mixture from the stove.
Cover the bucket and wait for 24 hours.

Now depending on what soap you used, you can get a number of different consistencies, from gel, to watery, to clumpy.. any of them are fine. Just stir before you wash. Now use one cup of soap per load of laundry and walla.

Now you can also use a dry version of this soap, just do everything the same, except leave the water out of course.. but this is the kicker.. the dry, you only use two tablespoons!!!!! that's hard for me to imagine, but I know a lot of people are using it and its working better than store bought stuff.

Now for the fabric softener. Some of you know vinegar is a natural softener anyway, so this should make sense. there are two different recipes for this.

Ingredients

1 cup baking soda
6 cups distilled white vinegar
8 cups water
10-15 drops orange essential oil (optional) or lemon essential oil (optional) or essential oil, of choice (optional)
Directions

You will need a one gallon container.
First add the baking soda to the plastic container.
Next add 1 cup of water to start with.
SLOWLY, I CAN NOT SAY THAT ENOUGH. add the vinegar to the bottle as the vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz.
Then add the rest of the water swirling around & cover venting the top a few times.
Last add the essential oil.
Add 1 cup in your final rinse cycle for each load but give the bottle a good shake to stir up the essential oil if using.

Now the recipe below is the one I used, mostly because it was easier and cheaper.. I used suave conditioner (lavender scent, but you can use what you want) but the smell is so so good, and things are so clean, even my washer! so the vinegar is working.

And for the fabric softener you can use regular hair conditioner also if you like the smell of them. The recipe for it is:
6 cups of water
3 cups of vinegar
2 cups of any hair conditioner

Mix this in a gallon container and stir. Now I didn't measure the conditioner because I didn't have a funnel, so I just squirted what I felt like was 2 cups in there, but if you have a funnel, it would be easier.. Happy washing!

A little Color

My garden bloomed so pretty this year, I was able to get some amazing shots, or shots that I think are amazing anyway LOL

A Lil Green For Mommy

OK, so we all know how this goes. We are stay at home moms looking to earn a little cash to help out with the monthly bills, or even a bit of spending money for our family or ourselves. We want to feel like we are contributing to the household, other than changing diapers and wiping snotty noses!
Well, I found a little bit of help! PayPerPost! payperpost
basically you get to write about products you like, or for that matter, dislike. You get paid to blog ladies! Now I am just starting out so I don't know if you can make a living at this, but I do know some things we all have in common..we like to blog, and we all could use some extra cash, and payperpost can and will deliver that for us! We can all stay at home like we have always wanted to, taking care of our children and households, yet still being productive, contributing to the moneyflo of the family. So follow the link, check it out..