Homemade Laundry and Dishwasher Soap

I don't know about you all, but the cost of laundry detergent and dish washing soap has become so expensive I dread buying them...even when they're on sale and I have coupons.  Since little buddy came along I've also been much more conscience about what's IN the dishwasher soap and laundry detergent, which makes it even more expensive.  So I went out to Pinterest in search of all natural, chemical free alternatives...and found some great ones!

It basically only took 5 ingredients and $12 to make LOTS both items.
1)  Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
2) Borax (which by the way you can use for all kinds of stuff around the house)
3) A bar of Fels-Neptha (you can also use Dove soap)
4) Lemi Shine
5) Kosher Salt (which I already have, so I didn't have to buy)

Laundry Detergent:
I started with the laundry detergent and followed another blogger I found at YellowBrickHome.  I have to say the grating of the Fels-Neptha took a little while, but it smelled delish - very fresh and clean, I can't wait to wash laundry with it!

After I finished grating the soap I added 1 cup of Washing Soda and 1 cup of Borax and mixed it all together.

 I then put it in an empty oxiclean box, but I may upgrade to a pretty jar or something.  It takes only 1 tablespoon per load!  If you have a HE washer, like me, then just add it directly into your tub before you start your wash.  You can also make liquid detergent if you'd rather, but I've found lately  that powder gets things cleaner and keeps my washer cleaner.

I can't wait to use it in my laundry!

Dishwasher Detergent:
The dishwasher detergent was pretty easy as well.  I found the recipe at Simply Designing, but I cut the recipe in half cause I just didn't need that much dishwasher soap.  I simply measured out the ingredients and dumped them all in a bowl.  She mentions that the Lemi Shine will get hard, so to leave it out and keep stirring it for a few days...so I'm still in the middle of that process.  I'm excited to use the dish washing soap and see if it really eliminates the spots on my glasses!

Overall both products were super EASY and super CHEAP!  Plus I'm loving that it's all natural and chemical free, especially for baby clothes and bottles.  This might be my new favorite baby shower gift!

Cabinets Are HERE!

The cabinets are in - and they look amazing!  After a lot of store shopping, price shopping, debating between prefabbed cabinets verses custom cabinets we finally decided to go custom and have all of our cabinets made in the style and colors we wanted...and I could not be any happier with the end product! Our cabinet guys did an amazing job! If anyone ever needs cabinets or build-ins...call us, these guys are  ROCKING it!  The kitchen cabinets are antique white with a cocoa glaze and then distressed on the edges.  I heart them...I'm so excited for the new kitchen and all the extra space!  The bathroom cabinets are all french white and modeled off a look from pottery barn.

Our tile guys also did an amazing job installing the tile in the bathrooms and kitchen - thanks everyone for your hard work, we really appreciate it!

Okay so you want to actually see the cabinets....

First you have to see our new front door, I really love the rustic look!  And it lets so much more light in over the old front door that was there...

Drum roll please....and here they are!  Dad and Buddy are really excited for them!  This house is going to be awesome for entertaining, we can't wait to move in and share the space with friends and family!

 Buddy doesn't understand why we have to fill all of his special hiding places with things like double ovens and refridgerators?

Here they are again with the hardware starting to go on.  

 This will be the built-in breakfast nook area...super jazzed for it as well.  What will I do with all the storage, you ask?  Why...fill it with Christmas decorations of course :)

Here is Asher's bathroom cabinets and shower.  He will eventually have a duck theme in his bathroom (duck as is yellow and rubber, not dead and mounted, I have to clarify so dad and puppy don't get over zealous this hunting season).

Here is the master bathroom, we are so pleased with how it's turning out!

This is my vanity space.  The cabinet on top will actually sit on top of the granite once it's in (which is why it's not finished out yet) and then crown molding will go on top of that which will also match the trim around the mirrors. 

 Kris' vanity area...

Here is buddy checking it all out...I'm jazzed for the giant bathtub!  It also will double as an indoor swimming pool for little buddy :).

Here is the bathtub with the decking around the edge.  We decided to do wood tile on the floor (it does need a little cleaning), we were a little skeptical since we've never seen wood tile actually installed in anyones house, but it really looks sharp; I'm so glad we took a chance and went with it!  The edge of the tub will have a trim so that it matches the cabinets and it all looks seamless...

 This is the new master shower! It's huge - we had to take out a wall and add a new shower pan, it was quite a project, but it's really looking nice.  It has a bench too!

See there's the bench!

That's all for now...things are really starting to pick up speed!  Now we're down to small things like granite, sinks, lights, door knobs, air vents, shower glass, floors...you know minor details - lol...

Windows and Paint - Yippee

The house is really starting to come together...the windows have all been installed and paint is on the walls!  Tile is going in as we speak in the kitchen. Cabinets for the bathrooms and kitchen come this week!  So jazzed to see the cabinets.  There, of course, is still a million small things to do and lighting hasn't been put in, but in the next two weeks or so the house should be inhabitable - yeah!
Here are some pics:

Little Buddy standing at the new back door and sunroom build-out...

 Sunroom:

 Kitchen:

 Laundry Room (super jazzed to have a laundry room):

 Dining Room:

 Living Room:

 Little Buddy's new room:

 Nursery:

 Master Bedroom:

 Master Bathroom:

Well that's it...so excited to get tile in the bathrooms and kitchen and to get the cabinets in this week!!

Windows, Sheetrock and a time to Swing

Things are really moving along!  This week we got sheetrock on the walls and windows in the sunroom and bathroom - yeah and yeah! Oh and little buddy found a swing down the street that he thought was super, super fun!

Buddy and Puppy are like...come on in...see our new house!

 Soon to be back door...

Sunroom with windows - yeah...

Kitchen with sheetrock...

New wall between living and dining room...

Back of house with the new sunroom...

Master bathroom with the new windows...love them!

Oh look at this fun swing! What? You're supposed to ride on it? But pushing it is so much more fun!

PS - Asher picked out his own outfit today with pajama pants and a shirt that totally doesn't match - hahaha...

Current Updates

I'm excited cause after several months of planning and tearing down, I feel like we're finally at the stage where the house is being put back together!  YEAH!  The sheetrock came this weekend and the windows should be here this week too...which means painting inside and out can start soon - yeah, yeah, yeah!  The custom cabinets are being made and should be done next week and the flooring is all ready and just waiting on the paint to be finished.  The crew finished the outside hardiplank siding last week! And Kris worked super hard this weekend to get the garage and kitchen prepped...here are some of the latest pics!

Here is the wall going between the dining room and living room, there will be 2 glass doors on barn door hardware that go in the open space...super excited for it!

Here are some pics of the new sunroom we added off the back of the house.  This space should be awesome, I can't wait to use it this summer...

 Here's little buddy checking out the space, he's excited too!

We're going to put the old cabinets from the kitchen in the garage to keep everything organized, it should be greatness!

Here is the kitchen as it currently looks. DH worked super hard this weekend to rip everything out!

We took part of the wall between the kitchen and living room out to help open up the space.  Super jazzed about the fact that I will be able to see the TV and people in the living room while I cook!

Powder Room (notice the awesome wallpaper is gone):

 Little Buddy's bathroom:

Master Bedroom:

Master bathroom, puppy Pate is checking it out...we got the most giant, of giant bathtubs for the master bathroom, I'm so excited to use it!  It will be great for soaking after a long day...plus it can double as a swimming pool for little Buddy...

Backyard, we added some french doors in the garage, it's so nice to have natural lighting in there!

Puppy and Buddy hanging out together in the new sunroom...

This is where our storage shed will go (once we built it)...we're saving up spare lumber now...

These are building plans we downloaded for the new shed...let us know if anyone wants to come help :)

Once we got home Buddy decided he needed some down time with Barley and Thomas the train on the TV...