Ten Years!

Today is our 

10 year wedding anniversary!

I really can't believe Sean and I have been married an entire decade, but when I stop and think about everything we've gone through, everywhere we've lived, all the hardships and trials, all the amazing highs and accomplishments, it's amazing how much we've actually managed to squeeze into just ten years of marriage.

We have both grown exponentially since first saying our "I do's," and I can honestly say with my whole heart that there is no one in this world I would rather be with. Sean is my everything. He means the world to me, and it has been a pleasure calling myself his wife for so many years. He is the most amazing husband in the world and the most incredible father to our children. I just couldn't ask for a better, more loving, more supportive companion.

I could go on and on about this man of mine, but instead I decided to show you. I rooted through all our old and new photos and came up with a pretty good representation of he and I throughout the last decade. It's amazing to see how much we've grown and changed. So without further ado, I give you ten years in photos.

I love you so much, sweetheart!! 

Here's to another ten amazing years together!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I've had a lot of questions from friends and family members about the laundry soap I make from scratch. I got tired of spending so much money on even the cheaper detergents and decided to try making my own. There are a lot of different "recipes" online for laundry soap but this is by far my very favorite. It gets my clothes super clean, it lasts forever, and it's super easy and inexpensive to make!

What you'll need:

- Borax
- Washing Soda or Baking Soda
- Two Fels-Naptha Laundry Bars

All of these ingredients can be found in the laundry aisle of most grocery stores. They're very inexpensive and the Borax and Washing Soda will last you a long time. 

Other materials you'll need:

- Cheese grater
- Measuring Cup
- Medium bowl or tupperware container

Directions:

1. Measure out two cups of Borax and two cups of Washing Soda and pour into container of your choice (I found a cute glass container with a metal lid at Walmart for pretty cheap).

2. Using cheese grater, grate both Fels-Naptha bars into a medium bowl or tupperware container. Make sure you use a pretty fine grater so the pieces are small.

Side note: I think these Fels-Naptha bars are pretty. Random bunny trail, I know.

3. Pour grated laundry bars into the container with the Borax and Washing Soda.

4. Mix well.

That's it! You're done! It doesn't seem like a ton of laundry soap, but considering the fact that you only need one TABLESPOON per load, this batch should last quite a while!

We've got four people in our house so I do at least 5-6 loads of laundry per week, and the last batch I made lasted me almost five months! Can't beat that, especially considering the total cost for one batch is less than $5.

A few more tips to save money on laundry costs:

- Instead of expensive liquid fabric softener, use distilled white vinegar. Your clothes will be just as soft and the vinegar won't leave a heavy residue and scent like many fabric softeners do.

- If you still have a problem with static cling, throw a piece of aluminum foil in the dryer instead of a dryer sheet. It'll remove the static and can be used again and again!

Running a household can get expensive, and it's nice to find little tricks to save money where we can!