New Adventures in my Frugal attempt at Motherhood!

Yes, Its been ages since I have last written... But, since I doubt anyone reads this, I'm not too concerned in updating all of "you" in the changed since October.

But on a different on a different note, I decided to make homemade laundry detergent and fabric softener today. I have yet to try it, but it smells good and looks good!

Laundry Soap recipie

1 bar of soap-grated (I used Dove although most use Ivory)
1 Box of baking soda
2 gallons of hot water

Melt the soap on the stove with enough water to cover. Once melted add to 2 gallons of hot water and mix well. Add the box of baking soda and mix well again. Pour into containers and let set over night. This should gel up. Use 1/2 cup for regular loads and 1 cup for very dirty loads.

Fabric softener recipie

2 cups hair conditioner
3 cups of white vinigar
6 cups of water

Pour all into a jar or bottle, cover with lid tightly and shake well. Shake again before using.
Not really sure how much to use here but I am figuring it will be the same as regular fabric softener so I will use about a 1/4 cup or less.

More tomorrow when we see how it turns out!

Woah!

So it has been quite a while since I have last written. So many things have happened over that time. I guess I have just been so busy I almost forgot about my blog! So I may not have anyone read it, but that’s okay as well. Eric and I are finally getting married November 6th of this year! I am overly excited and frugally budgeting everything! I received my wedding gown for free, my maid of honor dress for free, and many of my decorations (including Kenna’s flower girl dress) for very little money! I love having great family and friends. I am also making my own corsages and bouquets. I feel very crafty and am actually enjoying it! My favorite part is coming up though! I am making my wedding cake AND re-doing my dress back. It zips up and, well to put it nicely for myself, I am too big boned for it! =] So my mom and I are going to pull out my zipper and hem it. Then we are going to make it a corset back so I can breathe and sit down! All in all I am very pleased with the look of our wedding. Of course I will have photographs up after.


Another amazing moment in my life was Monday when Eric and I signed the lease to our new house. It may be a mobile home (trailer around here!) but it is out home and I am very excited to have it. Moving into this house though will push my coupon clipping, discount buying, staying home WAY more than normal, living. Not going into detail about our earnings, but living here leaves us with less than $50 in saving money. (Or money for diapers when I can’t get my amazon diapers for $23!)

So all in all many things have gone on over the past month. Kenna doesn’t worm crawl anymore... She has 4 teeth now! & Eric and I are finally becoming the family we want to be. So until next time, here are a few photos until I get the wedding photos and house photos!

Half Baked

Okay so I just finished reading Half Baked by Alexa Stevenson, and I am not going to lie, it was AMAZING. I cried, laughed, and had horrid dreams that made me wake out of a deep sleep and have Eric reassure me I was not pregnant with quadruplets. But I loved this book. The way Alexa pulls you in to believe you are walking beside her throughout the entire ordeal, it perfect. I saw the dark hallways and the big machines, even though I have no idea what THE OSCILLATOR looks like. I smelt the sanitary smell a hospital gives everytime she entered it. I was there when she bathed Simone, held her, and laughed when Simone licked the cat. (Kenna did that the other day and all I could do was giggle at her obsession with this creature! =]) And I guess I may be slow, or just didn't realize exactally how I was, but even though Eric and I had no problem concieving Kenna, I felt like her for most of my pregnancy. After miscarring our little man (? not sure because "he" was only 4.5 weeks when I lost "him"), then concieving Kenna 6 weeks later, I was terrified about every stomach twinge, every time I laughed too hard and my stomach hurt, everytime someone touched me and I jumped. She brought out every fear I had, and to be honest, I never really had anything to fear. So, even though no one reads this, go buy her book. I am not kidding you. If you have children, if you don't, its amazing and I throughly enjoyed each and every word in it.

(Yes, this is me with the book! See, you should go get it now! =])

Sewing/Crochet

Sooo since I have been unable to figure out my sewing machine, I have taken up crocheting! (At least until I figure out how to put the needle in the hole and find where the thread goes... yes I am pathetic..) I haven't crocheted since I was about 7 years old, so it was quite ackward holding a hook again.. Not to mention  could NOT remember how to start a second row of stiches.. So off to the "Yarn Diva" I go. My first problem, my hook was waaaay too small. 4.5mm will NOT work with this yarn. I needed a 6.5mm hook, so I bought a very pretty wooden one! The lady there told me they are having a crocheting for beginners class September 9th, so I am going to that, and then I found an amazing little library they have for all different techniques. Sewing, quilting, knitting, weaving, and crocheting. "Crocheting Basics" is NOT the book I recommend for new crocheters, but it does help if you can already make a slipknot and a starter chain. So now with this newfound skill, I am making a scarf! One for me, and then a mini one for Kenna.

 

Oh and for the reccord, I kicked Eric and Brianna's (little sister) asses at bowling! =] 144! (& no I am not a "rub it in their faces" kind of winner =], okay maybe I am! I never win at anything else!)

Thursday: The day of rest!

So after throughly attacking her glow worm, Kenna is now asleep. I am very excited to be a stay at home mom with her, but to be honest, she is a little terror. My crawling, touching EVERYTHING, and selective listening child is, well, a mini version of me. I just can't believe I have missed this much to now notice how big and active she is. Well, I don't have much to say, assuming Kenna is going to wake up any minute... =]

So for now, here is a picture of her at 4 days old..

=]

Almost there!!

So in 3 days, I am officially a stay at home mom and Kenna will be 8 months old.. She is now 18.3 pounds and 27.3 inches tall! Over two feet!! I love how big she is getting, but it also makes me sad because she won't be little much longer. Each day its something new. Right now she is trying to put her ever present binky in her glow worm baby dolls mouth. She sits up alone and army crawls and if you hold her fingers she will walk! I love that she is becomming a independant little girl.

Eric and I are on our way to buying our own house! We are now saving every penny we get to buy a house. And a really nice part is that his parents are buying 16 acres of land and are letting us fence off an acre and letting us put a house on it! I am thrilled because we will be paying for it in CASH! I can't wait. =]

Two weeks left!!!!

Two more weeks! I am soooo looking forward to being a stay at home mome. The only downfall is I will miss my coworkers/family. I love them, even when they piss me off. Someone always manages to make me smile! Over this past year and a half, I have grown to love each and everyone of them, respect them, and appreciate them. Its a bummer, but then I see what I am gaining. A brighter and more conditioning life with my amazing daughter! I am looking forward to teaching her all about our world and I want her to learn sign language (along with teaching myself too!) I mean I missed her 1st (assisted) steps, the first time she crawled, and the first time she sat along. I am done missing things. She is growing too fast and soon, it will be all gone... Plus I want to have another baby. I want two so they can play together and love eachother. (and give me some time to learn to sew!!!) I guess I am being selfish, but since I am able to have and care for children, I want to. Eric doesn't, at least not yet, but I don't want to be 30 years old with a two year old. But I guess if it ends up like that, so be it...

Well, I guess thats all for today. Time for a picture of Kenna and her new fancy teeth!