Coupon Clipping, Cloth Diapering and Making My Own Laundry Soap, OH MY!

I don't know what has gotten into me lately. Maybe it's the economy, maybe it's the fact that I only work 2 hours a week, maybe it's because I have 2 kids in diapers, maybe it's because I have a lot more free time to sit at the computer, maybe it's because i feel like "saving the planet", maybe it's because I really am going crazy - losing my mind due to no sleep. Who knows, I don't,
but, while I am figuring all of that out I have picked up a couple of "hobbies".

I first started hearing about some amazing deals people were getting with coupons, and Tish helped me get this deal, which makes me want to get more and more deals. It starts to become addictive, at least for me, I want to get a deal! I love yard sales and KSL, when I started going and finding awesome deals and cute clothes for my kids for pennies on the dollar, I swear I almost feel a high when I get a great deal. It pains me to pay full-price for things now. I NEVER thought I would be this girl, but here I am.

I don't know where I first heard/thought about cloth diapering, but 2 kids in diapers is EXPENSIVE! So, I figured I might give it a try. Cloth diapers are pricey to start out, but in the end they will be well worth it. Even if I find that I really hate cloth diapering, I found out that they have a really high resale value, so I can recoup some/most of the cost. I found a bunch of different kinds of cloth diapers that are so cool, the ones I have right now are Drybee's Hybrid. They are awesome! So cute and they really do stay dry, I haven't had any leaking problems. Cloth diapers are not that difficult or gross, but I don't have enough to make it through a whole day yet either, so it might be more yucky then I think it will be. I only have 2 for Jack and 4 for Addy (2 of which are not drybee's, they were homemade by another mom). I want to try out a few different styles and brands before committing to an entire stash of diapers. I have some Coolababy's in the mail on their way to me and I am looking for a deal on BumGenius 3.0's. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the kids in their "fluff".


It was so cute, the other day I was changing Addy into a cloth diaper and Jack went and picked his up and made me put it on him. He loves them! He prances around the house and likes to show off his "fluff". I should take a little video of him in his cloth, it really is so cute.

Okay, so while researching cloth diapering I kept hearing about how I shouldn't use detergent on them and only use free and clear stuff. A lot of ladies out there make their own soap or buy it homemade from other women. So, I sat down and read up on making my own soap and figured I would give it a try. I told a few friends about my wild crazy idea and they were intrigued, so yesterday we had a soap making party and made a bunch of soap. Here is the recipe I used.

Homemade liquid laundry soap.
1 cup grated Fels Naptha (found it at Macey's for $1 a bar)
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup White King Water Softener (because our water is SO hard, this wouldn't be needed if you have soft water)

In 6 cups of boiling water add the Fels Naptha (grated) and mix until the soap is all melted. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Then add 26 more cups of cold water to reach a total of 2 gallons of water. Mix well and let cool and gel for 24 hours before using. The mixture will have the consistency of egg noodle soup, just mix a little before each use.

1/2 cup per load of laundry.

I should mention that we bought 5 gallon buckets to mix and store in.

I am going to give it a try and I will let you all know how well the it works.



Here is a recipe for powdered. My only thought is that the soap might not dissolve well in a cold wash.
1 cup finely grated Fels Naptha
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
and for hard water 1/2 cup white king water softener
Mix in an airtight container, shake well. Use 2 Tablespoons for small loads 3 for large loads or for heavily soiled fabrics.

For cloth diapers I am using this recipe - powdered
1 part borax
1 part washing soda
1 part White King
1/2 strength oxy clean