Home....it's so "Good"

We recently had a new store open in town.

Oh, HomeGoods, where have you been all my life? I am in love...even as my husband curses you.

Now, I admit, when I first went in, this gave me pause...

I'm not sure how many decorating opportunities there are for brass hands throwing the deuces, but anyway...

I am also pretty sure these could have been displayed more appropriately...

But it did start getting better, as I came across a sign perfect for the Little Kid...

Then I came across this lovely number and knew I was in the right place. I have a new obsession with white dinnerware, and this baby would fit right in at my house...

What I really noticed is that there seemed to be a real abundance of all things rooster-themed. Let me help you mothers of boys (and immature husbands) out for a moment here. A rooster theme is not going to work in your house. It just lends itself to a plethora of "cock" jokes. For instance...

Cute stool, right? WRONG. Unless you want to hear this all the time...

"Hey, want to sit on my c***?"

"What do you think of my big, giant c***?

"Check out my c***. It's made of steel."

(Of course, you could always point out here just how "little and cute" his c*** is. That always goes over well with the fellas.)


Better to just go with a cat or donkey decorating motif.

Then again...maybe not.

Random thoughts and random pictures of random stuff that is....random

Deep thoughts...

• The Kohler toilet commercials....really? Are people really singing "nah nah, hey hey goodbye" as they flush? I thought only my 5 year old talked to his turds.
  
  


• The other day while dropping Chase off at preschool, XM's Kid's Place Live played the theme to "Indiana Jones" just as the van door was sliding open. I am thinking of playing it everywhere I go when exiting the van. It just makes where I am going seem so...exciting. I might buy a Fedora to wear as well. Carrying a whip on my hip *might* be a little over the top, no? I think Dave should have this set as my ringtone for when I call him. For some reason, he thinks that Darth Vaders "Death March" is more appropriate. He is hilarious, right?
  



• I am considering starting to wear my hair like the Safe Side Super Chick. My kids hang on her every word while I have to repeat requests over and over again. It must be the hair, right?

• Anyone who grew up in the 70's will recognize these lovely ancient artifacts. Why did anyone ever think they were a decorating "do"?

• Why do teenagers go to the mall to talk on their cell phones to other teenagers who are not at the mall? Am I just too old to get it? I am probably just a year or two away from shaking my fist and yelling at the damn kids to stay off my lawn.

• Speaking of malls, is there any more heinous a store than this?
  
  

I make one trip in that store per year. I go in at Christmastime for gift cards for my three nieces. My trip into Hollister is always the same (old fart alert) .... I walk in and am immediately assaulted by 1. LOUD thumping music that is, did I mention LOUD? 2. The overpowering smell of whatever their cologne is that they are selling. It makes me woozy/nauseous/immediately irritable 3. A saleschick/fella folding the same sweater over and over, size 0 on a fat day, and with a look like, "Erm. Are you lost, ma'am?" They direct me to the cash register with a wave of the hand and what I assume are words, which are lost in the thumping LOUD music, and I peer into the darkness of the store and hope at some point I will find the register. Isn't this a "beach" store, by the way? Why does it have a "midnight at the beach" lighting scheme? I scream at the girl over the din for "THREE GIFT CARDS, PLEASE" after which I attempt to find the exit. It is a maze of shadows and dim lighting, and after wandering and wandering, I am out. I have to save my Hollister purchase until the last task of the day because it gives me such a headache. Don't even get me started on Hot Topic.

• I was tempted to grab these at the thrift store the other day, just to see what my husband would do with them. Then I was afraid he may actually do what I feared. Yeah, I passed.

Warsh 'em on the cheap!

After quite the hiatus, I am back! Sadly, to my nieces, Katey and Hailee's dismay, this is to be an informative post, not the usual smart-assedness that they love from their favorite, favorite, favoritist auntie.

Today's lesson...making your own laundry detergent. Wheeeee!

I have to say, I love this stuff. It cleans your clothes oh so fabby. The only thing I have to get used to is the very light fragrance of the soap. My absolute fave up until now has been Tide with Febreze. Delightful. This make it yourself stuff has very little fragrance to it. You can add a few drops of essential oils to the mix if you want a little more good smelly stuff. I just haven't gotten any yet.

So here's the magic recipe...and my little notes to go along with it!

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda **Important- NOT Baking Soda...WASHING soda. There is a difference!**
½ Cup Borax
Grater
Clean 5 gallon bucket with lid (You can get these at Lowe's)
Clean detergent dispenser (I used a tupperware pitcher with lid)


- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap is melted.

-Fill the 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap/water mixture, Washing Soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir mixture the next day, and then fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap mixture and fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. This will be very goopy and separate some from the water, so shaking before each use is important.

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil...whatever your personal preference.

Makes 10 gallons.

Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

I had slave labor helping me with my recipe. They thought it was big fun.

Here is our journey in photos:

Getting the supplies together, mixing hot water with the two powders:



Grating the soap. Looks like cheese, doesn't taste like cheese. This is what Fels-Naptha soap looks like, in case you were unfamiliar, as I was. Oh, and my local grocery store carries this soap, so I bet yours does, too. Huh...who knew? :

Slave Laborer #1, mixing it all together:

Slave Laborer #2, taking a snack break. Please tell me why I bother to wash clothes for this kid?

Here is the final product, a day later, after cooling. It looks a lot like funky Jell-o or congealed chicken grease.




You will fill half of your container with the goop (marked D) and fill the rest with water (marked W)....and shakey, shakey, shakey each time you use it. I dispense it into the glass container for each load. I have a front-loader, so this is a 1/4 cup measurement.

My next green project will be with my BFF, Becky...Adventures in Composting. Garbage and worms. What a delight.