The Quickest Cheapest Way to Save on Liquid Laundry Soap

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So these are the simple items I use to "make" homemade laundry soap now a days. And yes, for the record, I still use the store bought liquid stuff too....but when I'm feeling like being "pioneer woman-ish" and saving a buck or two, I get to work with this simple process.

Technically, grating Linda Laundry Soap bars and cooking down the shavings with water does not really equate with "making" the soap from scratch....but for me, it's do-able, easy and low cost....which is the priority.

Linda Laundry soap bars are, as of October 2017, being sold in Ontario "No Frills" stores for $1.19 Canadian per bar.

You can use just one "Linda Laundry Soap Bar" to fill 2-3 extra large recycled liquid laundry soap jugs, once you dilute the mixture well with water.

Using a simple kitchen grater does the trick.....
If you don't want to make a really large batch of laundry soap, you can save the extra grated Linda Laundry Soap in zip lock bags for the next time you're feeling crafty.

You can add about 1 cup of shavings if you are trying to make at least one large jug of liquid laundry soap. This type of laundry soap has a tendency to get "gell-ish" so don't be afraid to dilute it well, it will prevent it from clumping up and clogging in the jug.

After  cooking down the shavings with water....I use a strainer in order that I don't unknowingly allow any clumps into the jug. I hate finding soap clumps on my freshly laundered clothes......no matter what kind of soap I am using.....so using a cheap strainer can help prevent that. A cheap plastic funnel helps direct the flow so that I won't spill any of the contents as I re-fill the jug.

As you can see, the jugs I recycle are the extra large ones. If I bought a new one in a local store I would spend from at least $8 up to $45 for laundry soap. Any way you slice it.....grating, cooking down and diluting is a great money saver if you like to save some coin.

May God bless and empower your crafty side and money saving skills.
 Peace, Carla.

How Much Of A Seed Saver Do I Want to Be....

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How much of a seed Saver do I want to be? Do I want to build my own seed vault like Bill Gates?
Check out Svalbard Global Seed Vault

But it is also interesting to note that corporate giant Monsanto is one of the partners in the massive seed vault on an island in Norway. Is the seed vault there to help humanity after we have done too much damage to our natural seed legacy? Or are some of the biggest corporations of our day poised to take over complete control of our food supply once all the
 "native seeds" have been patented or adulterated by genetic modification? Perhaps it is already too late. Large corporations are not the enemy. For now we still have the freedom in my province of Ontario to grow what we want wherever we want and give our seeds away to friends and neighbors. I pray that this freedom will remain. 

Who doesn't love collecting acorns?...the squirrels are having a frenzy...hiding acorns in my outdoor flower pots, where perhaps they will forget the precise location and Voila.... perhaps a beautiful tiny oak tree will begin to sprout up next spring from the acorns that the squirrels have greedily hidden in the soil.

Oh,,,,,but do I have the discipline to actually save some tomatoes to harvest and dry the seeds from to plant next year? Or will we gobble up these fresh goodies?

An ole standby .....and even if you have an orange thumb versus a green one...you will undoubtedly be able to manage growing some simple green beans in your back yard or porch.

I always love the way the mature green beans begin to show a fancy purple and yellow pattern on the skin the more it dries and prepares the deep dark purple seeds for plucking.

Growing food from all kinds of funky locations is fun..... have you seen the Woolly Pocket Company?
They have created a whole line of products that will help you grow veggies on any wall and in the most unusual and convenient containers.

If you hate cooking.....my Kale Lentil soup is EASY PEASY!

EASY  Lentil Kale Soup ( I made this in an hour or less)

Throw all this in the pot and simmer for half an hour on medium heat and then down to low/off.....and Voila....a delicious hearty autumn soup:

5 cups water
Two handfuls of  fresh kale chopped to bite size
1-2 Chicken boullion cubes
1/2 small onion - chopped
1 1/2 cups of dried red split lentils
Two peeled and chopped cloves of garlic
One handful of very thin dry rice vermicelli noodles
add sea salt and soy sauce  to taste

By the way, don't get anxious about being precise with the amounts of the natural ingredients....making soup is supposed to be fun and easy......so enjoy it and trust your taste buds as you throw it all in the pot.
Bon appetito!

You Sure You're Not afraid of Controversy?

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There are times when, similar to any kind of physical exercise, that we feel like bending or "cracking" our brains a bit. One of the best ways I do this to my own grey matter, is by reading authors who are opinionated and have the habit of publishing their thoughts into books that I can get my "idea hungry" hands on.

Do I only pick authors I am prone to agree with? Nope.....What would be the fun of that???

Reading all kinds of authors helps us to "educate" our own world view to include those who come from a very different life experience than our own. It helps empower my own ability to
  form and defend or else courageously discard a few of my own strongly held beliefs.

Looking for some controversial authors to "crack open" your own mind to new ideas and perspectives.??

Perhaps this list may inspire or repel you.....but it most certainly will help you dare to think outside your own box of comfort once in a while.....Tis a cool habit.

 Wangari Maathai

Vandana Shiva

Jeremy Rifkin

Heidi Baker

Derek Foster

Alan Corey

Annienygma

In Peaceful Productivity,
Carla

Hats Cheaper to Make than to Buy....

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Have you noticed that the prices for yarns and wool has really gone up to the sky? That's why it's cool to find some cheap new yarn....and guess where? At the dollar store of course.
It's called "Cable Knitting Yarn" and it is 100% polyester. And yes, I will admit, i have found occasional "flaws" in the balls of yarn, which the manufacturer deals with by simply tying the yarn onto a new yarn piece within the ball. Buy hey, there is still good value here. The cost of the hats in both photos is simply
$2 canadian dollars each plus tax.  One ball of yarn makes one hat. I wing an even simpler pattern than I have used recently, because it still seems that the trend is toward minimal fuss, instead of extra frills. So if the kids start asking for pom poms and doo dads, then perhaps that will be done the next time round. For today....they'll have to settle for plain Jane style.
Well, have a great day friends......creating and prospering peacefully.