Now if I could figure out how to keep the little globs of toothpaste out of the sink.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Homemade Foaming Hand Soap
I love foaming hand soap. It lasts longer and doesn't leave little globs of soap in the sink. Did you know that the foaming soap is actually all about the bottle and that it is really cheap to make? Just take an empty bottle and add about a Tablespoon of dish soap or liquid hand soap. Fill the rest of the bottle with water and gently shake. Now you have foaming soap. Remember though that you have to use a bottle that was originally made for foaming soap.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Free Eye Glasses Cleaner
This is going to be short.
Did you know that you can get free eye glasses cleaner at the Wal-Mart? I'd heard rumors about this so I went and asked my local Wal-Mart optical center for the details. If you buy their smaller bottle that is 2 ounces of spray for $1.97 then they will refill your empty bottle for free.
I have also heard rumors that Costco does the same thing but I haven't verified that because I go to Costco about twice a year.
What free tips do you know about?
Did you know that you can get free eye glasses cleaner at the Wal-Mart? I'd heard rumors about this so I went and asked my local Wal-Mart optical center for the details. If you buy their smaller bottle that is 2 ounces of spray for $1.97 then they will refill your empty bottle for free.
I have also heard rumors that Costco does the same thing but I haven't verified that because I go to Costco about twice a year.
What free tips do you know about?
Friday, March 15, 2013
This Old House
Have you ever watched This Old House on PBS? There are times when their projects seem really cool and you learn things. There are also times when I wonder why they bother. Wouldn't it be much cheaper to start from scratch and build a home with all the amenities of a new home and the charm of an old home?
I think of this because this month in our water bill we got a page about the Sedalia Public Library. The beautiful Carnegie building was built in 1901. It was the first Carnegie library in the state of Missouri. The building was closed recently because engineers said it was in immanent danger of collapse because of the drought we suffered this past summer. Several buildings in downtown did collapse. A proposed property tax increase is going to be on the ballot in April to save the building. The 1.5 million needed will cost the tax payer $0.07 per $100 assessed valuation. The flyer discusses how it will be much cheaper to repair the Carnegie building than it would be to build a new building that would replicate the size of our current library. I think it sounds like a good idea that will only raise my tax bill by about $10 a year.
Saving buildings has me thinking about the old one-room schoolhouse that sits on our farm. My sisters and I would like to save the building but we have no idea how. We are not carpenters and we cannot rely on dad to help us with this one. It has me thinking of those This Old House programs and wondering if the work would be worth it. I remember standing on the platform in the old building when I was a child and playing school. I would stand there teaching my imaginary students. My favorite thing to do was write them grade cards. The building holds memories for many people but I don't know what to do about it.
What are your thoughts about saving old buildings? What buildings have you seen in disrepair that you wished you could save?
Not so bad looking from this side.
This side could use a lot more work. The front that is about to fall off isn't original to the building anyway.
I think of this because this month in our water bill we got a page about the Sedalia Public Library. The beautiful Carnegie building was built in 1901. It was the first Carnegie library in the state of Missouri. The building was closed recently because engineers said it was in immanent danger of collapse because of the drought we suffered this past summer. Several buildings in downtown did collapse. A proposed property tax increase is going to be on the ballot in April to save the building. The 1.5 million needed will cost the tax payer $0.07 per $100 assessed valuation. The flyer discusses how it will be much cheaper to repair the Carnegie building than it would be to build a new building that would replicate the size of our current library. I think it sounds like a good idea that will only raise my tax bill by about $10 a year.
Saving buildings has me thinking about the old one-room schoolhouse that sits on our farm. My sisters and I would like to save the building but we have no idea how. We are not carpenters and we cannot rely on dad to help us with this one. It has me thinking of those This Old House programs and wondering if the work would be worth it. I remember standing on the platform in the old building when I was a child and playing school. I would stand there teaching my imaginary students. My favorite thing to do was write them grade cards. The building holds memories for many people but I don't know what to do about it.
What are your thoughts about saving old buildings? What buildings have you seen in disrepair that you wished you could save?
Monday, March 11, 2013
A Year's Worth of Laundry Soap for Under $20
A while back a Facebook friend posted a picture of her homemade powdered laundry soap. I was a user of liquid Tide Cold Water and had never considered making my own soap because I didn't like the idea of cooking up (literally) a batch and having to shake the liquid every time I wanted to use it. I thought her powdered version looked great so I gave it a try. I have revised the recipes that I found online to come up with my own special blend that I would like to share with you. First of all I use Zote Soap instead of Fels-Naptha. Fels-Naptha is easier to find because Wal-Mart sells it but I don't like its smell. I love the fragrance of Zote.
This stuff is going to last a very long time. I put what I'm currently using in a wide mouthed, quart sized, mason jar. The rest is put in a 5 gallon bucket with a snap top lid. This recipe fills the bucket half full. You only use 2 Tablespoons (or 1/8th a cup) per load. That's right- you use so little! I use a regular washer but I've read of many people who use a recipe similar in their front loading or high efficiency washers. I wash everything in cold water and have not had a problem. I start the water, throw in my soap and then throw in my clothing.
So here we go- homemade laundry soap
Ingredients:
5 bars of Zote Soap (I get mine at the Wood's in Sedalia, Isle 12, it comes in white and pink. It is $1.35 a bar for a total of $6.75)
1 box of Borax (priced at $3.38 at my local Wal-Mart)
1 box of Washing Soda ($3.24 at Wal-Mart)
1- 4 pound box of Baking Soda (A box this big is found in the soap isle not the cooking isle of Wal-Mart for $2.16)
3 containers of knock-off OxyClean from the Dollar Tree ($3)
Total Price: $18.53!!!
So yes, I have to go to three different stores to get my supplies but it is worth it to not have to buy soap for about a year.
Save the little scoops from the OxyClean because they are 1/8th a cup which is how much soap you put in each load. (Handy huh)
Directions:
1. Grate the Zote in your food processor with the shred blade.
2. Grate the shredded Zote in your food processor with the chop blade. This time I used pink Zote. Here is a picture:
3. Mix all the ingredients together. It is easiest to do this by adding a little of each ingredient into your bucket and then stirring as you go.
4. Stir, stir stir until it is all mixed up.
And there you go. Now you have an amazing amount of laundry soap.
If you think this is too much soap to make before you try it let me know. I'll gladly give you some for the price of the jar and ring.
Here is a picture of my pretty soap in a mason jar and a scoop I bought at Dollar Tree before realizing that the OxyClean scoops are the same size.
This stuff is going to last a very long time. I put what I'm currently using in a wide mouthed, quart sized, mason jar. The rest is put in a 5 gallon bucket with a snap top lid. This recipe fills the bucket half full. You only use 2 Tablespoons (or 1/8th a cup) per load. That's right- you use so little! I use a regular washer but I've read of many people who use a recipe similar in their front loading or high efficiency washers. I wash everything in cold water and have not had a problem. I start the water, throw in my soap and then throw in my clothing.
So here we go- homemade laundry soap
Ingredients:
5 bars of Zote Soap (I get mine at the Wood's in Sedalia, Isle 12, it comes in white and pink. It is $1.35 a bar for a total of $6.75)
1 box of Borax (priced at $3.38 at my local Wal-Mart)
1 box of Washing Soda ($3.24 at Wal-Mart)
1- 4 pound box of Baking Soda (A box this big is found in the soap isle not the cooking isle of Wal-Mart for $2.16)
3 containers of knock-off OxyClean from the Dollar Tree ($3)
Total Price: $18.53!!!
So yes, I have to go to three different stores to get my supplies but it is worth it to not have to buy soap for about a year.
Save the little scoops from the OxyClean because they are 1/8th a cup which is how much soap you put in each load. (Handy huh)
Directions:
1. Grate the Zote in your food processor with the shred blade.
2. Grate the shredded Zote in your food processor with the chop blade. This time I used pink Zote. Here is a picture:
3. Mix all the ingredients together. It is easiest to do this by adding a little of each ingredient into your bucket and then stirring as you go.
4. Stir, stir stir until it is all mixed up.
And there you go. Now you have an amazing amount of laundry soap.
If you think this is too much soap to make before you try it let me know. I'll gladly give you some for the price of the jar and ring.
Here is a picture of my pretty soap in a mason jar and a scoop I bought at Dollar Tree before realizing that the OxyClean scoops are the same size.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Welcome To The New Blog
Welcome to the Snail Creek Farm Blog. This is Laurel. I plan to use this blog to bring you updates about the farm and let you see some of the everyday happenings. I plan to post at least weekly to bring you something including frugal life tips that I have picked up since starting to farm. Maybe some of our family's favorite beef recipes will show up here. Who knows?
Life has a strange way of bringing things around. I never thought I'd be this involved in farming; that it would be my primary source of income. Dad has been farming all his life, so has his father and grandfather before him. However, he didn't raise his children to be farmers. It is something we came back to as adults. My sisters and I decided that we would help take dad's beef and crop commodities market directly to the consumer and started selling beef about a year ago. Eleven months ago I lost my day job and when the new year began I decided that I was going to make my living farming. I currently have 11 calves that dad is teaching me to raise (he has many more of his own). This will be a fun and interesting transition over the next few years as I work to learn the operation and dad slowly transitions toward retirement. I hope you enjoy the blog as we go along.
This week I promise to bring you my favorite frugal tip that I love to share. I'll let you know how to make a year's worth of powdered laundry soap for under $20. Yes, it does work in a front loading or HE washing machine.
Life has a strange way of bringing things around. I never thought I'd be this involved in farming; that it would be my primary source of income. Dad has been farming all his life, so has his father and grandfather before him. However, he didn't raise his children to be farmers. It is something we came back to as adults. My sisters and I decided that we would help take dad's beef and crop commodities market directly to the consumer and started selling beef about a year ago. Eleven months ago I lost my day job and when the new year began I decided that I was going to make my living farming. I currently have 11 calves that dad is teaching me to raise (he has many more of his own). This will be a fun and interesting transition over the next few years as I work to learn the operation and dad slowly transitions toward retirement. I hope you enjoy the blog as we go along.
This week I promise to bring you my favorite frugal tip that I love to share. I'll let you know how to make a year's worth of powdered laundry soap for under $20. Yes, it does work in a front loading or HE washing machine.
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