Homemade Laundry Detergent

A couple of years ago I noticed that my white were not so white any more. They had a blueish tint to them, and we were a lot of whites. I changed my laundry soap to the anything that was clear in color but it got me thinking, if my laundry was blue before who is to say that this clear stuff is working like it should too? So I did some research and found homemade laundry detergent that is super east and super cheap to make! And now it's that time again for me to make some more laundry soap.  I have not bought any laundry soap for mine or Matt's clothing or softer over a year and 4 months now. WHAT! That's right! Just before I left for my 1/2 marathon last year I made my first batch of laundry soap and we have had that same batch and I am now on just the little last bit of it. Can you believe that!?!

AND it only cost me about $25 bucks to make in the first place. $25 for 1 year and 4 months of laundry detergent?!? IT'S CRAZY! (actually I have just a little bit left in my big bin so I won't actually need some more soap for a few more month!) I will admit that when Collin was born I have been using the 7th generation 4x concentrated baby soap for him but for the rest of us it is the homemade stuff. (oh and I stock piled the baby soap before he arrive around March last year so I have had to but that stuff for a long time!) and yes I do do laundry in my house. I might dislike doing the laundry and we might let our laundry pile up but I eventually get it done. (like yesterday 5 loads including the kids stuff.)

So here is what I use to make the detergent:

1 Box of Super Washing Soda 3 lb. 7 oz.
1 Box of Borax 4 lbs 12 oz. size 1 Box of Pure Baking Soda 4 lb.3 bars of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap 6 bars-3 for now 3 for the next time! 
1 container of Oxy-Clean 1.3 lb

I use my food processor to grate down the magic soap then use the regular blade to make it a super fine powder. SO much easier than using a cheese grater but it can be done! then I just pour all the ingredients into my large storage pocket and stir it around. (Pregnant Mamas should not directly inhale the Borax as it can be harmful.) Then I have a smaller container (pictured above) that I keep up with the washer. And refill it when I need it. 

I use about 3 tablespoons per load.

Softener? I got you covered! Just get some epsom salt. That's it. If you want to make it smell nice you can add a few drops of essential oil (I like lavender or I just got a Jade Lemon) and stir it around so that the oil gets on all the salt. And I use a teaspoon of that with the wash in the softener container. 

Here is the last little bit that I have from my first batch!

*Make sure you follow the direction on your machine on how to use powder with a HE washer. You still can use powder but you need to make sure you look at the recommendations of the brand.*

My journey thus far

I am only in the beginning but I have had a journey over the past month.

About 30 days ago I started this journey with one specific goal, to get out of my funk. I was in such a depression that I didn't want to be around anyone. Friends, family, not even my kids. I hated how I felt. I hated feeling lost and alone. I hated how I was feeling. Slow, and no energy. I wanted to sleep all day long. I didn't really want to do anything. It was so hard to find that motivation to start this. 

But just one day. I decided. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I was done feeling sad. Depressed. Tired. I needed to work on me if I was going to get any better. I called a therapist and made the choice that it was time to take care of me. That one decision was my fuel, my passion. I threw myself into this program. Workout wise. I could have been a ton more better on my eating, more on that later. I dedicated to myself that I was going to workout everyday. Drink my Shakeology everyday and no more fast food. 

AND GUESS WHAT! I did it! I made it 21 day of working on me. And you know what happened? I felt better. I had good days and fewer bad days. I learned to appreciate my body again and not be disappointed in it. I have had so much fun watching my husband exercise with me most nights. We have reconnected again because I was so distant with him. We are happy, laughing and enjoying life again. I can't stand the smell of fast food, I want whole fruits and veggies. We are staying in our eating budget because we aren't going out randomly anymore. 

This past month I feel like I have gotten my life back. And it only took 1 choice and 21 days. In 21 days I have lost (as of this morning) 3 lbs and 4.25 inches. I am retaining water still from the race over the weekend because I was so dehydrated. But I know the work I put into this. I see the difference in my life it has made. Small changes eventually add up to HUGE results!

If you are ready to start your journey, let me know! Click on the Banner at the top for upcoming challenge groups. Sent me a message. Email. Just let me know! 

Squat Variations!

Tired of the same old squat? Here is a great way to change it up! I love variations because they work different parts of the thigh and butt! Get ready to squat!!!! 

4 The Wounded 5k

Now that I have had time to decompress over this weekend and pull myself back together a little bit I feel like I can fully write about what happened.

If you are following me on Facebook you probably already know some of what happened. But here is the whole story.

I have not run at all since before the 1o miler in March. I just didn't have it in me at all. I couldn't do it. I didn't want to do it. I was however, super excited for my 5k race at the beginning of June. It was the 2nd anniversary to my very first race ever! And I wanted to beat my time and I wanted to prove that I am still strong. The morning of the race I was feeling fine. I got the the location and I was feeling great. Super relaxed and just had fun people watching. I found my friend Jen and we were going to run down the hills and walk up the hills. Oh and she is 8 months pregnant. This course is all downhill for the first .5 miles, then you turn and have to come back up the hill for a good .75 miles. Then there is a turn off for a trail run or keep going up the hill for another .5 miles. Then down hill for the last little bit of it.

I knew the course and my goal was to make it to the bottom of the hill without stopping. I could do that. Well I did most of it walking just the last little bit. I was breathing too hard and I knew I had a hard hill coming up. So Jen kept going and that was the last of her silver skirt I saw! SHE KICKED MY BUTT at 8 months pregnant. So I started walking up the hill. The sun and humidity was beating down on me. I was feeling a little icky and by the time I got up the the area where the start/finish line was I was debating on not finishing. I was done. I didn't want to do anymore. But I kept going. Walking up that hill. The hill that never ended.

Jen said that the trail run was awesome and shaded and not that bad and you miss a big hill doing it. So I decided to do it. I needed the shade anyways. I was so pretty. And very muddy and slick. I just kept on walking. It was all down hill and took us around a little lake But before I knew it my trail walk was turning into a nature hike. What goes down must come up. Little ups and downs, then big ups and no downs. I haven't hiked in forever and my body hated me! I knew I was coming close to the end of the trail when I just had to keep going up and up and up. By the end of the trail hike I was breathing super hard and taking little stops to catch my breath. What was wrong with me? I have been working out everyday.

I cam up on the end of the trail and back to the asphalt that was hotter than I remember. I stopped to talk to my coach from the 10 miler and told him what happened and then I lost it. I had to go off to the side. I just couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't breath, started getting light headed and all panicky. Here I was on a 5k and I was having a mental breakdown and panic attack.

Mentally I didn't prepare myself for the race or what it would mean to me. It was my first race since the 10 miler, where that night is when I had my miscarriage. This is actually a big thing for me to overcome. I actually admitted out loud to a volunteer that I didn't think I could do it. But after a minute or two I pulled myself together and said I was going to finish. So one step, after another step and I just kept going. Not stopping. And before I knew it I could see the finish line. I ran it in with Jen, who finished like 15 min before I did. And right as I crossed ran into a friend from the 10 miler training program asking how my pregnancy was going. YEAH that SUCKED! Told her what happened and she felt awful. I said my  "see ya later," and kept going. I ran into some other friends from the Woman's 4 miler training program and I cried it out with them a little. But I finished the race.

This was the most difficult race mentally I have ever done. The half marathon, I knew that I just had to keep walking. I had no desire to stop because if I stopped I wouldn't be able to start up again. I never once admitted that I didn't want to finish because I HAD TO FINISH! That race was all physical. This race was all mental. And it wiped me out for the whole weekend. I got into a huge funk and it has been so hard to get out of.

But after yoga and a HARD workout last night I am doing so much better. I just needed to get my focus back. The race was an obvious trigger for me and I still have some PTSD issues to work through. But now I know what to expect and I can prep for it better next time.

I will say I am proud of myself for finishing because I really didn't want to. I wanted to give up, but I know I am stronger than I think. And sometimes I just need to push myself more than I ever want to realize just how strong I really am.

Motivation? Where Did It Go???

Motivation is the number one thing that can stop you cold in your tracks to something new you are trying to do. Whether it is looking for a new job, exercise or just finding a new pair of pants. If you have a hole in the crotch of your pants you are going to be pretty darn motivated to buy a new pair of pants but if you are in comfy in yoga pants and they can pass as all day wear, you are not going to be getting a new pair of pants for awhile! Right?!?

Well we all have those days where you just don't want to do it. Exercise I am talking about. I have days where I don't want to do it. And it is totally normal and it happens. But, if you want to make your goals and achieve great things. You gotta do it.

Here is my tip if you are just tired and can't find that motivation. Just do 10 minutes. Start doing 10 minutes (I aim for 15 min that way I know I am at least doing half my workout!) Most of the time you will feel fine and be able to finish it but if you aren't, then stop. Your body might need to rest and that is ok. Don't push beyond what your body wants to do. It can just make you feel worse!

It's ok to have a bad day. But the trick is to NEVER GIVE UP! Don't just stop because you had one bad day. Do a little and you might get your groove back. Or do a little in the morning and by later in the day you will feel better and can finish it up. Listen to your body. IT knows what you need and don't need! And by the next day you should feel just fine to get back into it. Just don't make everyday a rest day!

~3 days left until I find out exactly how many inches and weight I have lost! Be sure to check back on Monday!~