Invitations and Announcements Galore

I wanted to do a quick post on my Etsy store. During my little vacation from the blog world not only did I travel around a lot but I also have been spending a lot of time making new invitation on my Etsy site NOLA Lou Lou. In the past few months I have had tons of orders and felt like it was time to up my game and just start coming up with new ideas for my shop. 

Here are a couple new items to my shop that I am in love with:

I am not sure if I ever blogged about my store and how it works but here is a quick run down. Essentially I make the invitation/announcement/wall art or whatever digital work your heart desires and you print it from your home or the printing company of your liking. Usually when you log onto sites such at Tiny Prints or Shutterfly you are paying a fee (its included in the price) for the designer and then you are paying for them to be printed. While I would love to print all of these invitation I just don't have the space or equipment to do so. However, chances are if you let me design your invitation, Christmas Card, etc. I will probably save you time and money just because you will be printing them yourself. So if you are having a party, looking for home decor, sending out Christmas cards, getting married, whatever it maybe please don't hesitate to contact me. I love doing custom work and can make just about anything. I can incorporate pictures of your loved ones, play with font, and well if I can't do it I will be upfront with you and let you know. Just because you don't see it on my site doesn't mean I can't make it! 

Check out the store, refer a friend, just don't forget about NOLA Lou Lou for your digital work needs! Happy Thursday Y'all! 

Hippy Momma - Homemade Laundry Detergent

Yep, its official I have either 

a.) lost my mind or 

b.) become a hippy momma and slightly crazy

The Mr. is currently reading this statement and laughing. 

I am now in the homemade laundry detergent making business all thanks to none other than the Internet. Being a part of the educational world prior to staying home I noticed a huge increase in girls and boys starting puberty earlier and earlier. I use to come home and search the Internet to see if research had been conducted to determine if this was a true event occurring or if it was just my imagination.  As a parent to both a sweet little girl and boy this is frightening. I want to preserve their childhood as long as possible. We have all the time in the world to be a grown up, why rush it? 

Literally, I maybe 

I don't know if making my own laundry detergent will make a difference, or if eating only free range chicken is going to stop early onset puberty. I have read countless articles about this topic and in the end I have to trust that God is in control, but I am going to do a few things to maybe help him out a bit. If you think I am crazy you probably just want to stop reading this post (my parents included, I think they were slightly concerned when they visited us and discovered their daughter was becoming a pioneer, not really). No I have not officially jumped aboard the crazy train and stopped wearing deodorant or never letting my children eat a cookie, or McDonald's for that matter (everything in moderation, and plus you can't stop grandparents, just throw in the towel on that one). I am not making every single piece of food we put in our bodies, and while I do read a lot of the labels I am certainly not reading them all. Plus I have read several articles and looked at the Environmental Working Group site to see that laundry detergent contains tons of chemicals that have developmental and reproductive effects along with many other medical conditions. With our skin being the largest organ in our bodies all those chemicals are just getting soaked right up bound to cause problems. 
  Now I am not one to love to do laundry. I do love the fresh smell of clean clothes but I actually despise laundry. Even more so with kids. I feel like I do it 24/7! With that being said laundry detergent is not only full of chemicals but ridiculously expensive. We weren't using anything grand around here prior to me making my own (Purex, told you nothing grand). The switch has been easy for us since it really couldn't get much worse. Now for you Tide Pod lovers out there you may not enjoy this as much, it does require using the cup again (sorry Mom).

If you are an essential oil user, than this right up your alley. I actually got the recipe from Pinterest (imagine that) and the lady who created it used essential oils in her mixture. If you are like me and haven't jumped on that train yet it is fine to make it without the essential oils, I do. 

I just kept one of my old Purex bottles and have been making the laundry detergent and placing it in the bottle. I wish I would have kept 2, because when I make it I end up having to store half of it in Tupperware because it makes more than enough to fill my 200 load Purex bottle. 

Overall the things I like about making my own laundry detergent is I know everything I am putting in it, it smells great, it gets the job done, and it saves me money. It does take a little more time. You aren't just going to be able to pop over to the grocery and pick it up. You are going to have to plan an extra 30 minutes every couple of months to make it, depending on how quickly you go through laundry detergent. 

Some questions you may have:

1.) Is it safe of HE washing machines?
Yes
2.) Does it fight tough stains?
No, but come on neither does the leading laundry detergent. You are still going to have to pre-soak your grass stains, pizza sauce covered clothing.
3.) What does it look like?
Now the lady whose recipe I use has laundry detergent that appears thick, mine is kind of watery. I read on her blog that this completely normal and that it still does the trick. I am here to say that she is completely correct. 
4.) How much does it make?
The last batch I made probably made 400 loads of laundry detergent. I store it in 200 load container and I probably have another 200 loads of laundry detergent stored in Tupperware containers. 
5.) Why didn't you use borax?
Borax is a common ingredient in homemade laundry detergents, but did you know it probably one of the worst chemicals for your skin. Stay away from borax in your laundry detergent! 

*If you have more questions, feel free to comment and I will answer them the best I can. 

Ingredients:
2 gallon bucket
2 gallons water
1/2 cup Super Washing Soda(found at the grocery store, next to the borax) 
1/2 cup baking soda
3/4 cup castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's in lavender, there are other scents)
Large wooden/plastic spoon
2 gallon glass container or reuse a laundry detergent bottle 

Directions

1. Measure half a cup of super washing soda and pour into bucket, use enough hot water to cover the super washing soda, stir well until the super washing soda is dissolved. 
2. Measure 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour into water and washing soda mixture, stir well until dissolved.
3. Fill to bucket all the way to the top with hot tap water, leaving about 1/2 an inch room.
4. Measure 3/4 cup castile soap (if you are using essential oils add them at this point) 
5. Stir until everything is well mixed
6. I used a ladle and funnel to place the mixture in my old Purex bottle.
7. Shake well between each load 

The Super Washing Soda and castile soap has lasted me through making 3 batches thus far, and I am only half way through both of them. The baking soda made it through 3 batches so I am going to have to buy some more before my next laundry detergent making day. If you are using essential oils you will have to account for this in the price. Your still going to end up saving yourself money in the long run, plus just think about all those chemicals you won't be putting on your body now! 

It was really hard to take pictures of the process (I tried) that were worth putting up. Now the lady that I borrowed the recipe from, she is good. You can check her blog out for the pictures, if you are interested in seeing them. Hope you give it a try and jump on board the crazy pioneer train with me. 

If you Send It, I will Save It

I love getting mail, other than bills. Its probably one of my favorite things. Christmas is by far the best time of year, for numerous reasons, but definitely in the mail department. I smile every time I open up an adorable Christmas card, especially those with a cute face or pet looking back at me. 

Photo cards are awesome, not to say that a regular card isn't but there is something about a photo card that makes you smile. I try to always send a photo card, mainly because I'm slightly obsessed with my kids, but also because I know people enjoy getting them.

 Watch Tory and Mal's family grow! (2009)

Photo cards are expensive to purchase (so head over to NOLA Lou Lou where I can design one and you can print it) and most of the time they just end up in the garbage. I get it there is only so much room on your fridge, Christmas has past, babies have grown, but I just hate throwing them away.

Or better yet, watch my sweet nephew Jude grow (2010 his first Christmas Card)

2010

Not only did they cost someone money, but they are adorable. Hence my blog post today. I want to share with you what I have done with my picture cards, and some normal cards that were to hard to throw away. My mom and Aunt Mimi gave me the idea (not sure if they still keep up with their's or not) and I have been diligent in keeping all of those precious cards since The Logan family was officially established in 2009.

2011

When the Mr. and I got married at our first Christmas I purchased a photo album, probably from Hobby Lobby. The album has those old school sticky pages that you have to peel the film back to place the photo in it, you know what I am talking about right? 

2012

2012 Little Jude became a Big Brother welcome Layla Bell

I decided I would keep all the Christmas photo cards sent to me. I marked the first page 2009 and began placing the cards in the album. It started out with just Christmas cards, but then a friend got engaged and sent a photo Save the Date, well I'll keep that of course. Each year I marked the next blank page or spot with the year and then placed all the pictures from that year behind it. 

2013 Mal and Tory had a new addition, welcome Van

Along the way more people got married, then began having babies and birth announcements were sent, kids started having birthday parties and their invite includes their precious photo, you just can't trash these things. The album has turned into more than just Christmas cards thats for sure. It has turned into a great memory book where I have been able to watch families grow and change over the years. It has also been a great source for prayer. Each time I open this book or see it on the shelf I am reminded to pray for each one of those people that covers its pages. Pray for their health, well-being, and over all spirit. Pray that God is using them in whatever way he deems necessary. Pray that each one of them knows their heavenly father and one day when we all reach heaven I will see their face for all of eternity. 

Vann-2014

Now so far I have managed to buy one refill of pages for my book and it is still in tack. However, as I was recently adding a save the date for 2016 to the book I noticed that it was rather full and I would need to purchase the next volume.  

2015

Don't worry though Volume 1 will remain on the self and I will continue to pray special prayers for each person whose face is found in this book. Just remember if you send it chances are I am saving it and praying for you!

Baby Book

Elin turned two on December 28th and last week I ordered her baby book, talk about a slight delay. When I was pregnant with Elin I found a great site to make your own book. I have been working on this book since she was 3 months old, but with the move, the pregnancy, and all of life's craziness it just never got complete. 

Last week Blurb was having a good sell. Elin's baby book is over 120 pages, has a hard over, and is my own design. You would think something like this would cost a small fortune. However, it was only $56.00 including shipping. Now that's a deal. Typically if there isn't a promotion going on the books cost anywhere between $75 and $90 for a book the size of Elin's. If you wait a couple of weeks though they always run 15-30% off at some point. At Christmas you may even get lucky and get 40% off, but that's about the only time I have ever seen it that high. 

I have already started on Baylor's and am hoping it doesn't take me two years to complete his and get it printed. I debated with the Mr. on doing a book a year for both of them, but decided I would probably get behind and at 18 do they really want me to hand them 18 books? I am opting to start just a Logan Family book (I already have several books with pictures I have printed over the years) and just print the book for the Logan family every so often. I am probably the only one who will appreciate all the kids first moments in the end anyways. I have also decided instead of keeping boxes upon boxes of the things they do at Story Time,School,etc., I'm going to snap a picture of it and put it in the books. Moving has taught me that less is definitely more, but I still want to cherish the memories. Plus again, the kids won't want me handing them a box of their hand turkey's at age 18. Let's get real only a mom will cherish those forever. 

Printing pictures and putting them in albums has gotten old and expensive. I still print off some of those irresistible smiley pictures that go in frames, but for the million iPhone photos I take on a daily basis I am leaving those to Blurb books. Happy Hump Day y'all!!