What's really important?

        I was on vacation last week, and on the road to the town, there was a sign posted that said...       "Rotary club thought of the month", this month's thought...HUMILITY.

 I passed this sign several times on my trip last week, and had a few occasions in which to put it into practice.

The first came fairly early on during my week long vacation, when my entire wallet including my drivers license, debit card and any and all spending money I had with me was lost ( possibly stolen) my very first night!!!!!

Devastated would be putting it mildly. As you can already tell from reading this blog, I pinch pennies whenever and wherever I can, so to have all of my "fun" money gone, was a tough pill to swallow. After crying to my brother back home and feeling bad for myself for a few hours, I prayed about it and tried to find the lesson in this situation I was meant to learn, and what I realized was this...

Once again...worrying about and putting value on money is futile, it truly means NOTHING.  Don't get me wrong, it's a necessity, but placing undue value on it, is what traps people into feeling they never have enough.

Now, sometimes God sends you a message in a whisper and sometimes....he slams you into a brick wall, my experience with this theory occurred the following day at the police station, when I went to file a police report for my wallet.

Vacationing in  the carribean is amazing, but trust me..their police department and judicial system leaves ALOT to be desired. I was directed to a bench with several other people already waiting, and was given a number to get in touch with a detective to file my report, after several phone calls and approx. 40 minutes, I began to get very impatient...after all I'm from the states!!!( I mean, the nerve..LOL...don't I get preferential treatment??)

I was becoming increasingly agitated and I guess it was becoming noticeable, because shortly thereafter an officer asked each one of us what we  were waiting for...there was me, a gentleman with a warrant, a lady waiting for her boss upstairs and a lady with her daughter, who, when asked what she was there for stated" I'm the grandmother and this is the mother( pointing to her daughter who could not have been a day over 20) of the baby that died last night"

HUMBLED.

In an instant.

I realized no amount of sadness or anger I was experiencing could possibly compare to what that family would endure in the coming days, weeks, years..... I was ashamed, ashamed I had given such importance to such a trivial matter. I was on vacation and my beautiful, healthy 6 year old was asleep on my lap...what could there POSSIBLY be to complain about???

I walked out of the station with my report and a determination to enjoy my trip.

The best things in life truly are  FREE.

Later that day when we returned to our room and pool, I decided I had done my share of crying and boo-hooing and was going to take in all the beauty that surrounded me.

My son and I went down to watch the sunset on the beach that evening and I truly believe it was a spiritual experience. I watched with a full heart as my son splashed in the carribean sea looking for shells and admiring rocks, and as the sun went down we built a sandcastle..and I cried.  

Why? I couldn't really say, but I can tell you that there is truly something angelic, magical and wondrous in the laughter of a child, coupled with a beautiful sunset and crashing ocean waves, palm trees swaying, the smell of summer..well, you can see why it's sensory overload.

The next day we went to an open air market and I was again reminded that the simplest treats are truly life's treasures, my son found the older gentleman who makes sno-cones...chose the cherry flavoring and grinned from ear to ear as he not  only saw his ice being made, but had a cool treat on a hot morning that seemed to be made just for him and him alone. A simple cup of crushed ice was the day's joy. Simple abundance. Blessings all around.Humbled.

Dreaming of sandcastles and sno-cones...until next time, Lauri :)

Givin' a shout out!!!!

     Technically, this has a dual meaning, I would like to acknowledge , once again "One good thing by Jillee" for this recipe, and it is also for a homemade version of "shout" stain remover. There, now that's out of the way....let me tell you....this stuff works WONDERS!!!

     I have used it on just about any stain ..grease, blood, grass....and boy oh boy.....was I pleasantly surprised, so here it is:


                                       2/3 cup of dawn dish washing liquid ( got this one at the dollar store)
                                       2/3 cup of ammonia ( this is slowly becoming an icon, like it's cousins vinegar, and baking soda)
                                       6 Tablespoons of baking soda
                                       2 Cups WARM  water

    Mix water and baking soda first, STIR in an open container, then add dawn and ammonia.....

  I place my "batch" in a wide mouth container ( and YES, the soup was delicious, thank you)

I stir it, then funnel some into my squirt bottle to use....shake gently before each use because the baking soda will settle, but in the large container, you can stir it up to avoid lots of bubbles :)
                                ( have I mentioned how much I LOVE my label maker?) 

     I have tried putting this in a spray bottle, but the baking soda dries and clogs the nozzle, so my squirt bottle is perfect !!!!!

    Squirt some of this on your stains and wash, or have then hang out in the hamper...it's ok, it still works great!!!

                 Try it out, and let me know what you think!! Until next time, Lauri :)

D.I.Y continues...

Hopefully, by now you have tried to make your own laundry soap, or at the very least have a couple of bars "drying out" and freshening up a room or closet in the meantime. ( What???, no??? what are you waiting for???) The next logical ( and very economical ) step is to start making your own fabric softener...you heard me....and today, my friends is your LUCKY day, because it's even easier and cheaper than the soap!!!! WOOHOOO!!!! That's what I'm talkin' about!!
            Again, I have to give credit, where it's due..I found this "recipe" on www.frugalgirls.com, there are other recipes and sites to check out  such as:

                                                           "One good thing by jillee"

        Just google that name and her site will come up, I am not ashamed to say, it's my favorite blog for all sorts of great ideas, many I will steal and share with you all :)

"Frugally sustainable" 

Her blog makes me feel like I really CAN go back to living like Laura Ingalls, and actually ENJOY it too!

"The peaceful mom.com" 

Great planning and money saving ideas.

O.K, now onto the "recipe" 

 Sorry about the poor picture quality, but you get the idea.

              INGREDIENTS:

1. 6 Cups of warm water*
2. 3 cups distilled Vinegar
3. 15 oz. hair conditioner* scent of your choice

            Here's the hard part, mix all 3 ingredients together, and you're done!!!!! I put mine in a dollar store container that I've labeled , and refill my old Downy bottle as needed. I also use my Downy ball just as I would with "regular" fabric softener.


Now, here's the fine print, will it smell like vinegar? , yes a bit, but your clothes WILL NOT!! 

*I bought this bottle of conditioner from the dollar store and it's 18 oz., for me, and the consistency I like, after 15 oz. I add approx 1 extra cup of water to the mix..but the vinegar stays the same.
                    

CRAZY MATH CALCULATION!!! 

WATER=free

CONDITIONER=$1

VINEGAR=$2.38/Gallon 

Now THAT sounds like a bargain to me!!! 

                     Here's to D.I.Y-ing your way to downy soft, until next time!!! Lauri :)

Monistat..ON YOUR FACE!!!????

Now, wait a minute..it's not ENTIRELY what you're thinking. Yes, it's a "feminine" product, no, it has nothing to do with...well, you know.

                         I just recently found out this products "off label" use....as a face primer
                                                        yes, no typo.. A FACE PRIMER!!!

While I haven't tried this out myself, there is an entire you tube audience who can vouch for it's silicone primer type properties....all for around $6.00 at your local Wal-Mart....not bad, I'll have to try it out, and hey....if it sucks....at least my thighs won't be able to start a fire under my skirts this summer!!!


                                Here's to a chafe- free, perfectly primed YOU!!!!

                                                   Until next time, Lauri :)

FINALLY a make up post...and shopping CVS style...

 Once again, I offer up a combo post, a little bit of all things I enjoy, make up, spending money, saving money, coupons and bargains....ahhhh.....what a rush....so let me give you the scoop, the other day on my lunch break at work, I REALLY, REALLY tried to stay away from stores, I had brought my lunch and was determined to stay in my car and just enjoy some peace and quiet, when ALL OF A SUDDEN!!!!!......I felt my steering wheel pulling into the nearest CVS!!!!
       Now, at this point...what's a girl to do for the next half hour, but to peruse the makeup section of the store.

                  AND THAT'S WHEN I SAW THEM.......THE SALE STICKERS!!!!!

                                                               Be still my heart.

There were several items that were on "extra" sale...but I was having an incredibly magical day, and I scanned my CVS extra care card at the coupon kiosk ( sign up for one at any CVS, and join the beauty club too, it's all free)...so because I had reached a desired dollar amount from previous purchases..and earned a $5.00 beauty "coupon" that I was free to use as cash.....I KNEW that steering wheel had a sixth sense!!!



So, here's what I bought.......

....50 and 75% off!!!!! ... you can NEVER have enough eyeshadow....so I went to the register armed with my CVS bucks that have been tucked in my wallet and my new $5.00 friend, ready to still spend a bit, but not as much as a full priced shopping spree, but sadly I could only use my $5.00 coupon...why...because here's my receipt:

                                  ...with tax, I only paid .61 cents for my two items!!!! ( This was redemption for a previous weeks purchase where I FORGOT to use a coupon and had to pay $3.07, when I could have used a $3.00 coupon and only spend .07 cents...but I digress...)


So, what have we learned ??? CVS is an AWESOME place for extra savings, and coupons...but you need to utilize their extra bucks rewards, and shop the circular and look for unsolicited sales too!!!

 I honestly don't like to shop there when items are full price, but it's a great place for "stacking" coupons with sales ( make up is almost ALWAYS on sale, and that combined with CVS and manufacturer coupons, makes it a winner in my book!!)

...........OH, almost forgot...when you scan your card at the coupon kiosk??? Scan it TWICE....different coupons, more savings!!!

                                               Until next time, Lauri:)

SOAPer grate Saturday!!!

O.K, so by the time I finish writing this, it will no longer be Saturday, but hey...this is the life I lead.  This post kicks off a week of my favorite and top DIY items, beginning with the Pinterest post that started it all for me....LAUNDRY DETERGENT!!!! YAY!!! ( I know, it's the little things, some people go out..I grate soap on a Saturday night...yup, I'm livin' La Vida Loca here, people.)

      I honestly cannot tell you exactly which person's "recipe" I followed, because frankly, they're all pretty much the same, with a small tweak here or there, but the recipe I'll share with you is the easiest, most convenient for me. 

                                                      Here's what you'll need:

                                        1 bar of Fels Naptha, Zote, Ivory or soap of your choice
                                        1 Cup of Borax
                                        1 Cup of Arm and Hammer WASHING soda NOT Baking Soda

                                         ( Optional) some type of Oxi-clean product in powder form, either the real deal or the dollar store brand, 1 Cup.

     Now the fun part, grate the bar of soap( you can do this by hand like I do, or run it through a food processor) I bought a good old fashioned four sided grater at the dollar store and use the second smallest size to grate.

USEFUL TIP: open your soap package and let it "dry out " for a week or so, this will enable the soap to be firmer when grating and not clog your grater...making the whole process easier.
                                                                                                                                                           Once you've zoned out, and hopefully still have all 10 fingertips, your soap will look like this:


                                                   

The hardest part is over!!! Now just measure out the Borax and Washing soda, mix it all together, put in a container and you've made your own Laundry soap for a few dollars, here's the kicker..you only need 1-2 TABLESPOONS per load of laundry!!!

Initial start up cost for ingredients is around $7.50, then you'll have enough Borax and soda for numerous loads, so just another dollar for soap will make subsequent batches!!!

 Here's my container( multiple loads in it) that I've labeled, LOVE MY DYMO label maker :)

One last thing, if you experience some clumping( which sometimes the Borax will do) just use some silica packets and have them float around in the container...I got mine form a pair of new shoes I bought...you know, the little packets like this( see below)

...and please....DO NOT eat it, OR wash it....keep it in the container....

Happy Homemade laundry soap day!!! Happy soap grating Saturday!!!!

Until next time, Lauri :)