It is okay to enjoy your life at home. It is okay to collect large, old jars because you think they’re pretty. It’s okay to decide to fill those jars with homemade sundries to add loveliness to your routine. It’s okay to want to beautify the ordinary to make it extraordinary. It’s okay to pour love, creativity and joy into your tasks. It’s okay to pour your heart into all areas of your home.
You have permission to ignore everyone who tells you housework is mundane. It’s okay to make homemaking fun! As Mark Twain put it, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Lavender Laundry Soap (a perfect recipe of loveliness):
-- 1 c. grated bar soap *
-- 1 c. borax (found in laundry isle at Walmart)
-- 1 c. washing soda (found in laundry isle at Walmart)
-- 1/4 c. lavender buds
Optional: 10 drops lemon essential oil or your favorite (I use lemon as it is cleansing and the least expensive of all the oils!)
Pulverize ingredients in a blender or food processor until powdery.
* I used a plain coconut oil soap (which I found on my travels - it has no extra oils or fats in it and is therefore better suited for laundry) but you can also use Dr. Bronner’s bar soap and/or Kirk’s Castile Soap if you desire something natural. Calico and Twine sells a lovely laundry soap in her shop (which is also natural and made with coconut oil). I know many people use Fels Naphtha soap, Zote soap or even plain Ivory bar soap.
There are a myriad of recipes online you can experiment with. I’m sharing a basic recipe but with the addition of dried lavender to make it special. I have extra in my apothecary that I want to use up before it loses its potency. As lavender means “to wash”, what better herb to enjoy for our laundry?
Use 1 tbsp. for regular loads, 2 for larger loads. As it is low in suds, this recipe should be fine for HE machines. Just make sure all the lavender is pulverized!
So happy to google you and find you again! For some reason, I no longer get email notifications for your blog. I want to tell you how encouraging and comforting I find your blog. I have followed it for many years now, and now do so many things in my home that was inspired by you. This summer, after feeling very sick over the spring, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian cancer. I have spent the summer ill from the cancer and the chemo, and have been unable to do any of the gardening and summer time chores I normally take such pleasure in. This is the first time in nearly 20 years that I haven't been able to can my garden produce. For obvious reasons, this season of my life is very discouraging and disheartening. I did, however, find joy in reading over the blog and planning for and hoping for what might be if I can recover from this cancer. Thank you,
ReplyDeleteDebra
Dear Debra,
DeleteI am so sorry to hear of your health diagnosis! Praying that in this season in your life is "a time to heal"... (Ecclesiastes 3:3)... I can't imagine how discouraging and disheartening it all feels!
It might be pleasantly distracting to make up a homemaking journal of the things you are reading and hope to do (with little lists and plans and pictures and ideas like a little scrapbook) so that you have something to enjoy now and something to look forward to in the future... Instead of thinking what you AREN'T doing, you can be putting something together NOW for what you hope to do in the days ahead... Just a little thought to get through this trying time.... I hope it is appropriate.
Sending lots of prayers 💜
Thank you for your encouragement and prayers. The Lord is faithful and good! God bless you and your ministry!
DeleteI haven’t commented before, but I sure do love your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to comment! Your kindness means a lot 💜
DeleteThank you so much. Willeke from Annelein Design. Also a stranger and a pelgrim ;).
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome fellow pilgrim 💜💜💜!!!
DeleteBeautiful blog...I felt like I lost a friend when you were down...all my daughters and daughter in laws love their homes and their husbands...these blogs are encouraging to the young homemaker..thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing that 💜 and it is music to my ears to hear of the next generation loving their husbands and home!!! 💜
DeleteDoes this laundry detergent need to be used with hot water?
ReplyDeleteIt's pulverized so I don't have any problem but I do have soft water. If you have hard water, you may want to add a splash of vinegar to help it dissolve or use warm water at the beginning of the fill-up to get it dissolved then switch to cold water.
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