enjoying a quiet February and a quick tip and video for t-shirt folding

I haven’t been adding much here lately. I have to admit that I am liking the quietness of February and don’t feel too pushed to try anything new this month. We’ve been cooking and baking tried and true recipes, we’ve been back and forth to hockey, there was a sleepover with some friends of the girls last night and tonight we have some more friends coming for dinner. Just the usual, but without the feeling of rushing around.

I found this neat little video and after trying it out a couple of times to master the steps, I proceeded to refold all of the t-shirts in my closet (I know that there is probably therapy available for obsessiveness like this, but it seems harmless enough). In two seconds t-shirts are neatly folded, just like Sheldon Cooper and his cool little folding contraption thingie, but without the need for the folding contraption thingie. I bet you try it out after watching the video.

Linked to Wildcrafting Wednesday

homemade peppermint HE laundry soap {powdered}

I’m continuing to try to reduce the chemicals in our home. My husband rolls his eyes a lot, but I figure if I do one small thing at a time he’ll adjust and soon each step will become a new normal.

When he saw the new crystal mineral salt deodorant that I bought his eyes rolled so far back in his head that he saw crazy.

On Sunday I made laundry soap. I’ve seen different recipes for the liquid and the powdered stuff floating around the internet, so decided to give it a try. Less chemicals for our bodies, less for the septic system and therefore slightly greener household. That’s more of an accidental side benefit, but I’ll claim it was the original reason if questioned.

I found this recipe on Soule Mama and modified it somewhat to match up with some other recipes that are out there (read: I didn’t read all the way through the instructions first and only purchased one bar of Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap). I made the powder in the morning, washed 4 loads with it and everything came out smelling and looking clean.

Homemade Peppermint HE Laundry Soap Powder

• 1 bar (finely) grated peppermint Dr. Bronner’s castile soap (I ordered it on-line)
• 1 cup borax (found in the laundry aisle)
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 cup washing soda (found in the laundry aisle)

Mix everything together. My grater didn’t grate the soap very small, so I put everything in the food processer and whirred until it was reduced to a fine powder. Then I put it in a jar. You use 1 – 2 tbsp per load, depending on the size and dirtiness of the load. One scoop seems to work just fine.

**I added in a few drops of peppermint essential oil afterwards to give it a bit more peppermint scent.

Soule Mama says that depending on your water, you might need to adjust the sodas a bit, and the amount used per load. I use 1/8 cup per load. You may need to give the jar a shake once in a while to prevent the soap flakes from settling to the bottom.

So far its working for me. I have an HE washer, so I  just put the powder in the drum with the clothes. It’s a low-sudsing detergent because if its ingredients, which makes it safe for HE machines.

And because Sunday was such a beautiful day, I spent some time outside hanging it all out.

Linking to A Pinch of Joy, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Mod Vintage Life, Cozy Home Scenes, Frugally Sustainable, Bringing Beauty, Our Delightful Home, Like a Mustard Seed, Our Simple Farm, Cheerios and Lattes