Frugal Friday ~ Laundry

I posted in January about making my own laundry soap. I gave 7 gallons away and kept 3 gallons for myself. Well I am just coming to the end of the batch. For 2$ I have not had to buy laundry soap for 7 months. The soap works great, it gets out the most difficult stains and leave every load smelling fresh. I will be making another batch this week. I am so glad I stepped out of my consumer mentality and tried this recipe out.

Yet another frugal development in my laundry routine. About 7 weeks ago our dryer broke and the very nice repair man stood us up 3 times. Needless to say we had an little bundle of joy 4 weeks ago adding significantly to our Mount Washmore. Trying to keep up with it, I decided to start hanging the laundry up to dry. At first my husband hung it around the house, um no, so then we graduated to two drying racks. I love them because they they are so easy to set up on our back deck.

Well when little boy was born, we needed to do significantly more than the drying racks could handle. So up went the laundry in the back yard. Thankfully we have to poles in the back yard that have been there for decades.

What turned into necessity has awakened a new way of life! I love hanging out my laundry. They smell fresh and take no longer to dry than in an electric dryer. I do miss the softness of towels in the dryer. As crazy as it sounds it is so peaceful out there. The two boys can come out and enjoy the time with me. No distractions or noise except the birds.

Doing a load of laundry a day keeps me from hating the washing, folding and putting away. I wash it at night, hang it out and put if away before the day is done. No piles upon piles waiting for me. I am also looking forward to seeing what the difference in our power bill is after exclusively handing laundry out for almost 2 months now. It has to be a little better.

Life with a double stroller

Well life has turned a huge corner. I am officially pushing a double stroller with a 4 week old and a 2.5 year old. Errands with two are an interesting feat of gymnastics, negotiation, compromise and Bribery.

The morning was really no different. Got up, dressed, made a list of errands to run. Put both in the car, and still life feels normal. Until we get into the FIRST store. It takes 5-7 minutes just to get them both hook into the stroller, because I KNOW for certain the 2.5 year old is not going to go into the cart. So I know they will both be hooked in if juggle the stroller.

We make a very quick trip to the items we need to purchase and get to the register in record time. Thanking my lucky stars this stroller has 5-point harnesses!

By the time I am headed to the second errand I am deciding what destinations I will be cutting from the list! We make it through the third errand and leave the last two for another day. What an adventure life really is. I love every moment (even the ones I don't like).

Getting off to a great start for Fall

What is your favorite season? My absolute favorite is Fall. September is my favorite month. It is so full of possibilities. In some ways it is better than January for me. The heat of Summer begins to fade, and the harsh cold of the North East is still a long way off.

I find myself pulling close to home, organizing and spending time in the kitchen. This year brings an added dimension as my first child enters pre-school, so I add educational planning to this season as well.

One very awesome thing I note as I begin this new season is I have stuck with my January resolutions. I have turned my thoughts and efforts to a more frugal and simple way of life. This has taken shape in many ways as I cut and trim my commitments and budget. I have continued to focus on what brings my home and family the most joy.

As fall comes I am looking forward to continuing this focus and blogging about it more. Tee hee haven't been very good about that necessarily.