DIY laundry soap

I have been told by my husband "that I am not normal." Making my own laundry soap is one of many reasons. I made a batch about a month ago and it seems to be working well. I do a minimum of 1 load of laundry a day so I am curious on how long it will last. You only need a spoonful so I have barely made a dent in this supply. Okay, on to the recipe:
1 box borax
1 box WASHING soda
1 or 2 bars of soap (I used Dr. Bronners lavendar soap)

I grated my soap on the fine setting of my cheese grater. I didn't like using the food processor because I wanted the pieces to be smaller. Mix all the ingredients together and that is it! I got this recipe off of pinterest. I modified it to two bars of soap but it did call for only 1.

Now, if you don't want to make your own....here is a fabulous place to buy homemade

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mrsjonessoapbox?ref=ss_profile

Jamie from the shop is offering a coupon code of: greenalicious10 for 10% off your order. I love hers and maybe will go back to it after I finish my supply off in a year. Hers has fabric softner in it which I loved.

XO,
greenalicious housewife

Merry Chocolates

These cute printables are from an Etsy shop called The Homespun Hostess found here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/partypapers

I decided to have her change the merry christmas to merry chocolates. These wrap nicely around hershey nuggets...my favorite! Sara, the owner, is offering a 15% off discount if you use the coupon code jolly15.

If you this is too last minute for you, be sure to check out her shop for other party planning ideas.

Enjoy....happy holidays!

XO,
the greenalicious housewife

Reindeer Noses

Here are some stickers I used to seal some "reindeer noses." Reindeer noses can be M&M's, gumballs, hershey jingle balls, etc. The printable is found on the right hand side under free printables. These would be good for classmates, neighbors, stocking stuffers etc. I printed on circle label sheets but you could just use cardstock and punch out. Happy Holidays!

XO,
the greenalicious housewife

Our family cards

I know this is last minute but the turnaround time for these cards are quick. I got these cards on an etsy shop called inprint designs. The owner is Melissa and her shop can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/inprintdesigns?ref=seller_info
All you have to do is send a picture and she will use it in a template of your choosing. In addition to emailing me back a 4 x 6 photo card, she sent me back a smaller size jpg file so I could make stickers. I requested this, assuming a cost would be applicable but she didn't charge me. Melissa is a pleasure to work with and very concientious in her work. The stickers in the picture were used to seal my homemade carmels. The other card pictured is a sample of her work from her shop. If you already have your holiday cards, think of this shop for other future celebrations...she wont disappoint you.

XO,
the greenalicious housewife

Have you had your Sole?

This isn't your regular commerialized salt you get at the grocery store. The original Himalayan Crystal Salt has positive benefits and tastes great! Here are some of the benefits from the source www.himalayancrystalsalt.com

Original Himalayan Crystal Salt® (OHCS):
•Stabilizes irregular heartbeats
•Regulates your blood pressure, in conjunction with water
•Extracts excess acidity from your body's cells, particularly the brain cells
•Balances the sugar levels in the blood
•Generates hydroelectric energy in your body's cells
•Increases conductivity in nerve cells for communication and information processing
•Enhances absorption of nutrients through the intestinal tract
•Clears mucous plugs and sticky phlegm in the lungs, particularly in asthma and cystic fibrosis
•Clears up congestion of the sinuses
•Provides your body with a strong natural antihistamine
•Regulates sleep: It is a natural hypnotic
•Eliminates persistent dry coughs. Put a dash on the tongue
•Prevents gout and gouty arthritis
•Helps maintain sexuality and libido
•Prevents varicose veins and spider veins
•Provides your body with all essential mineral and every necessary trace mineral it needs to thrive
•Helps treat emotional disorders
•Preserves serotonin and melatonin, known antidepressant neurotransmitters
•Helps the kidney to pass excess acidity into the urine
•Is a strong anti-stress element for the body
•Helps maintain muscle tone and strength
•Stops excess saliva production
•Strengthens bone structure. Osteoporosis, in many ways, is a result of salt and water shortage in the body
•Prevents muscle cramps

The recipe to make Sole is also on the website. I take a tsp. a day, every morning before I eat. During allergy season, I use this in a netty pot and it works wonders. Recently, my husband had a sinus infection and came home with saline solution for $15.00. I had him return it and use sole in the netty pot. He was surprised at how well it rinsed out his nose. Last, I love to add a tsp. or two to my boiling water for rice and my pan while stirfrying my vegetables. If you do buy a box, it should last you about a year! I believe it has great benefits for a low price. Let me know if you have your sole of the day...

XO,
the greenalicious housewife

thanksgiving thankful cards

Last year for thanksving I used these cards. As guests arrive, you can have each person write what he or she is thankful for and share them at your thanksving meal. They also could be your thanksgiving place cards. It would be fun to keep them over the years to see the change in thankfullness...especially with the little ones. The printable is on the right hand side under free printables. When cut, the cards our business card size (approx. 2 inches by 3.5 inches)

XO,
the greenalicious housewife

turkey toes

Here is a last minute idea for your thanksgivng table or a gift for little ones. I used 30 up circle stickers, mini glassine envelopes and candycorn. The free printable can be found under the tab free printables on the right hand side of this blog.

XO,
the greenalicious housewife