My Homemade Cleaners

I have had so many friends ask for my recipes for homemade cleaners. It feels silly to post because they're crazy easy to make and I'm certainly no authority on the matter. But its an easy way to share with my friends, so here it is.

First let me say- people have different reasons for making homemade cleaners. But mostly:

-To be healthier for their family

-To be greener for the planet

-To get things cleaner faster

-To save money

I have to admit, my main goal is the last one. Being healthier for my family and getting things cleaner faster tie for second. So if a cleaner doesn't save me money, I'm not going to do it. If two options are the same cost, I'll go with the healthier one, obviously. So if Chemical free is your first priority, you might not be a fan of my homemade choices. Just a disclaimer.

Laundry Detergent.

I used to make the Duggar liquid soap recipe because I've always preferred liquid detergent. But after about a year of that one, I felt like it wasn't quite cleaning as well as I wanted it too. I had to really pre-treat any soiled spots. And who has time for that? Do the Duggars do that? I even wondered if the recipe had a typo so I stopped diluting it by half the last time. And I still felt like it wasn't getting our very dirty clothes clean.

And if you've ever made liquid laundry detergent, most smell great but look like snot. Or egg drop soup. Gross.

I tried a couple variations I found on Pinterest of dry detergent. But have settled into this one. Its not super super natural/organic but its natural enough that it doesn't bother my 5 kids who have eczema or sensitive skin. And it smells awesome. And it cleans great. And like any homemade detergents its still crazy cheap. So. I'm a fan.

• 1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax
• 1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 1 (3lb) Container of OxyClean (I use the Kroger brand)
• 2 (14.1oz) Bars of Zote Soap (You could also do Fels Naptha or a Castile Bar. But again, I'm not going for super organic, just cheap and good-cleaning.)
• 1 Box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda (The recipes I tried that omitted this, I didn't like as much. This really cuts the stink that my family emits into their clothing. Maybe that's just us.)
• 1 Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (This isn't totally necessary, but it makes it smell like heaven. Just do it.)

Grate up the bar soap with a cheese grater (and then clean the grater in the sink and rinse really well. Don't put it in the dishwasher. Trust me on this one.) Mix it all up in a 5 gallon bucket. Use roughly 2 Tablespoons per load. 

(Recipe Source)

I've never taken the time to figure out the exact cost per load. But for now I can tell you that it's roughly $30 for all the ingredients and it lasts me for several months. And we do 2-3 loads of laundry a day. (I say we because my oldest two do their own.) 

Over time, with any homemade detergent, I notice that my whites aren't quite as bright. So I dunk them in bhyrdogen peroxide or lemon juice. Maybe even bleach... really just whatever whitening agent I have around. And add in a scoop of my laundry detergent too and soak it all overnight.

Some blogs I found link all these ingredients to Amazon. But I'm not doing that because I can always find these things cheaper at Kroger than on Amazon. I'll leave your deal finding to you.

Fabric Softener

I use Distilled white vinegar.

*crickets*

That's seriously it. If you want you could add essential oil. Like Melaleuca or Lavendar. But I just use straight up white vinegar. No it doesn't stink (everyone always asks that), my laundry just smells like the super clean/flowery detergent. And its crazy soft. And I don't need fabric softener sheets. Sooooo yeah. That's it. Moving on.

All purpose cleaner

Now when I say all purpose... I'm not messing around. I use this for literally. everything. But I might add some extra "helpers" depending on what I'm cleaning. In a spray bottle combine:

• 1 part water
• 1 part distilled white vinegar
• 1 part rubbing alcohol
• 1 quick squeeze of dish soap (Dawn works great but I've used Seventh Generation too)
• essential oil of your choice

Add the dish soap last or it will bubble up as you fill the other ingredients in. If you use essential oil, you'll have to give it a shake each time before use.

For the essential oil: I do Onguard during flu season. Right now I'm doing Purify. Grapefruit is also a good one and smells really clean. Technically, if you use a citrus oil, you should use a glass spray bottle and I do not. I'm a rebel like that.

I use this cleaner by it's self for:

~Kitchen Counters

~Kitchen table

~Appliances (its great on stainless appliances)

~Windows and Mirrors (the alcohol makes it evaporate quicker, so there's no streaking)

~Toilets

~Sinks

~Shower walls

~Bathroom floors

~Carpet (yes carpet)

~Fabric couches (unless its permanent marker and I have to bring out the big guns)

~Toys

And for some extra scrubbing power, I use my spray and then sprinkle down baking soda. Vinegar and Baking soda do this cool science experiment thing and foam up when combined. And it cleans really really well. And its not toxic. #winning 

So I do that for:

~Inside the toilet bowls

~My kitchen sink when it gets really gunky (use an old toothbrush to scrub around the faucet)

~Bathtubs

~Shower floors

I used to sprinkle kosher salt on a half of a citrus fruit and use that to clean bathtub rings. It works really good, but I think my spray and baking soda work just as well. And baking soda is cheaper (and faster) than fruit so I just stick with that.

**bonus tip #1: buy one of these and fill it half way with dish soap and half way with vinegar. Leave it in or near the shower and give the shower a good scrub while you're in it. It saves you from that awkward yoga move you have to do to clean the shower while you're dry and end up wet (and sweaty) anyway and have a dislocated shoulder. This is much easier.**

**bonus tip #2: grease stains come very nicely out of clothing when you lay it flat on the table and sprinkle some cornmeal over it and let it set overnight. We don't ask why it works, we're just grateful it does. (Nod your head with me.)**

**bonus tip #3**: I hate baking soda boxes because when I grab them with a wet hand (because I'm cleaning with it) it gets soggy. So I pour my baking soda in a mason jar and use a Parmesan cheese lid (yes they fit mason jars) so I can sprinkle it out easily. Since I use baking soda on so many things, this has been a lifesaver for me.

Mopping

I've got a huge stainless stockpot that I fill 1/2 way up with about 1/2 water, 1/2 vinegar and several drops of essential oil. Usually melaleuca. I warm it up on the oven a little and then use it to hand mop all my floors. I just think regular mops leave way too much behind. And I like to clean the baseboards at the same time. Think about how quickly you can wipe down your counters. I move that quickly through a big section of floor and then plunge my rag in the pot again to refresh it. My downstairs is pretty big so if I'm doing the whole thing, I dump and refill my pot once.

Stuff I still use chemicals for

There are some things that I've tried making homemade versions of but never found a recipe that cleans to my liking. 

Dish soap. I use Dawn. Or if our grocery budget is really tight and I need a deep sense of satisfaction from saving 85 cents, I'll buy the store brand of Dawn. I've also tried Seventh Generation and a couple other natural dish soaps and none of them had the same cleaning power as Dawn. And they're more expensive. So Dawn for the win.

Dish detergent. I really wanted to make this work. But everything I tried (including the Seventh Generation tabs and detergent liquid) left a film inside my dishwasher, made my dishes irreparably foggy and made me want to say bad words when I would open up a just-run dishwasher when I had a sink (and counter) full of more dishes that needed to go in.

Jake texted me on his way home from work one day asking if there was anything he could get from the store. At my wits end I said, "Dishwasher detergent." 

"What kind?" 

"Something toxic. With chemicals."

For the love.

Stain remover. I use Shout. My laundry big guns. This is another that I would just love if the homemade version really worked. But I really really really love shout for spaghetti sauce stains, grass stains, marker on the couch and juice on the carpet. Or any other way my family members can manage to stain something I paid for.

Walls. Every home with children should be well stocked with Mr Clean erasers. They aren't "natural" but the store brand ones are cheap and work just as well as the Mr Clean brand. I use them almost daily to clean crayon, pencils and markers from walls, tables and cabinets. Yes daily. Don't judge.

The last thing have not tried but plan to next: homemade pledge. I'm still comparing recipes but I have the ingredients to make the one I want. I'll come back and update this post if I like it. I'm currently using Kroger pledge and it leaves my wooden furniture foggy after a few minutes so... I'm hoping I like the homemade stuff.

~~~

I think that about wraps it up! If you have any questions about any of this or you have a cleaner recipe you absolutely love, please feel free to comment! Here's to a cheaper grocery trip, a healthier family and a cleaner home!!

God wiff us

“His name shall be called ‘Immanuel’, which means?”

I paused waiting for someone to answer.

“God wiff us,” came from a small raspy voice in our little circle. And then several more voices said it quickly in that "I knew that too" way.

“Right. Immanuel, which means God with us,” as I turned the page.

The livingroom was dark except for the light of the tree. I kept the kids up past bedtime to wait for Daddy and Uncle John to get home from the Christmas Eve service. We all gathered together on the floor to read our beloved and well-worn Advent book. I wish I could tell you that they all sat perfectly, soaking in every word.

My kids are really good at that special art of yelling whispers, that tone that’s almost like a growl: “She’s pushing me” “I can’t see” “Its my turn!” “I wanna read it myself!” “Ew Mom, Micah’s drooling!” “I CAN’T SEE!”

I read, “For God so loved the World that He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but live forever.” I closed the book, with a small bit of relief that it was the last page. “Ok lets pray.”

The little ones thanked the Lord for Christmas, for “this food” (we weren’t eating), the Christmas tree and a few other things. And then the older ones prayed for their sick brother, a teacher with cancer, and that in the morning they would remember that Christmas isn’t just about presents but about Jesus. Ok, they’re getting it.

Christmas morning we had a big breakfast before diving into presents. We’d all “had Christmas” twice already with Grandparents. So the kids were surprisingly patient to have breakfast and watch a little of White Christmas and  play while we cleaned up.

~~~

This morning I woke up to a news feed full of beautiful Christmas pictures. Clean, smiling children in matching Christmas pajamas in front of a perfect tree. I searched the pictures on my phone to contribute a Merry Christmas from the Spencers.

Um, nevermind.

My kids weren’t really in Christmas PJs at all, much less matching. I should have given baths the night before but ran out of time. A few of the stockings had fallen from the mantle because they were too heavy. The tree had been “redecorated” several times in spite of my empty threats. Our presents are wrapped in Disney Princess paper and not the Pintrest-trendy craft paper and twine. And it’s nearly impossible to get Abby and Kate to sit still for pictures and look at the camera. (It’s just too much to ask, apparently.) Micah's on day 3 of a fever and my kids all had some awesome bedhead going on. Do people fix all their kids' hair before taking Christmas pictures???

We're kind of a mess.

But. 

We had a wonderful Christmas. We played board games and made cookies and watched movies. The kids ran through the house playing (loudly) with their new toys. We had a big, delicious (if I do say so) dinner and went to bed full and happy. I love my big crazy family and I can’t imagine it any other way.

Today is the day after Christmas. And I’m thankful that today, Immanuel still means God with us and that God is still with us.

The creator of the world, came as a child. I know all about what it looks like to birth a child and watch them grow. God came as that? He came in the most humble way possible. He became one of us. To save us. He knew we needed saving. 

And the only way to do that was to be with us. 

Immanuel. 

Savior... which is Christ the Lord. “God wiff us.”

Rather you're having a picture perfect year, you're a hot mess (like us), you're going through something difficult or celebrating your best year ever: He's with us. And that's all that's needed, all that matters.

Merry Christmas 2014, from our family to yours.

When they don't come home (Encouragement for failed adoptions)

I wrote this post some time ago. I never published it and I'm not sure why. Maybe it was too painful then.

But in light of a friend walking this same rough road right now... and a recent precious gift... I think its time to share.

I've never experienced a miscarriage. So I don't know that pain and I can't speak to it. I've never had a child go to heaven. So I don't know that pain either. But I did have a failed adoption. Its a very unique, horribly painful experience. And I know that in those first days after it happened I cried harder than I probably ever have in my life. I knew that God promised him to me. And while, to the world, and to my friends and family, it made sense that I brought Mabry home instead (because I heard the Lord tell me "2"), she was never the "instead of". She, like all of my children, was her own sweet, precious, amazing gift and still is.

The Lord said two. And two came home. So was Oleg never "meant" to be ours? Did God change His mind? I never made sense of why it happened. Because really, it doesn't matter now. I don't have to know.

To this day I deal with the pain that my baby boy is out there somewhere. Yet, I have to trust that God is good, that He's sovereign and He has a plan to prosper me and to prosper Oleg. 

Oleg age 3 1/2, just months before we were to come for him

In my heart, he will always be my baby. He was taken by a Ukrainian Orthodox Priest to be raised by monks. Never to know the love of a mommy. When people ask me how many children we have, of course the answer is six. But in my heart, there are 7.

Oleg turns 10 in February. And every year I pray for him. Because I also believe that as a mom, the most powerful thing I can do for my children is to pray for them. And even if I can't hold Oleg, or cook for him, or take him to school, or wipe his tears, or laugh with him... I can pray. The best that I could do is all that I can do. And nothing can take that from me.

Failed adoptions are messy, ugly, painful, and publicly miserable.

Maybe you know this pain. Maybe you've known it more than once. I want to encourage you, don't let it make you turn your face from the Lord. May it make you bury your face in His chest. As His child, nothing comes to you that He hasn't allowed. There is purpose in it. You might not know the purpose this side of heaven or if you think you do, you may not like it.

The child that you aren't holding needs you to run to the Lord. Don't let the enemy steal the power of your prayers as well. 

Run to Him. Run to the One who sees your heart and knows your pain and hears your cries. The only peace, comfort, and power you'll find is there. 

~~~

For my birthday last month, my mother-in-law wanted to buy me a piece of jewelry of my choosing. (I'm a little bit Etsy obsessed, and she knows it. :))

And I'd had my eye on a mothers necklace. Simple, no initials or birthstones. Just arrows.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord... Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. Psalm 127:3-5

Six arrows. And one wing, tucked in the middle. For Oleg.

And as a finishing touch, my husband's birthstone hangs from the clasp sealing the necklace. Which is just perfect and made me cry a little bit. ;)

His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts higher than my thoughts. And had I been able to "chose" my family... genders and birthorders and levels of development and adoptive countries... it might have looked a lot different. But I'm so thankful that I couldn't. And that I didn't. And that I still don't. 

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord." In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. Job 1:21-22

I'm not promised tomorrow. I'm not promised that I'll have my home or my husband or my children tomorrow. But in this moment, I'm thankful for what I have. It hurts that Oleg never came home. 6 years later, it still hurts. But through my pain, I want to be like Job. Not sinning or charging God with wrong. But to say with all my heart, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Transforming

This one.

My firstborn. She gives me a run for my money.

She's smart but she thinks she knows more than I do.
She's kind but easily annoyed.
She's joyful but tears can come in the blink of an eye.
She loves the Lord but she has some deep questions that she wrestles through.
She's the oldest but she's not the mom.
She's not a little girl but she's also not a teenager. 

She's my tween. I didn't realize how literal that term would be.

I'm usually too hard on her. I'll readily admit it. It comes from a good place in my heart-- I want my children to have a standard of obedience and respect. But the Father is so good to gently remind me that she's His before she's mine. She needs me to be a Godly mother that extends grace as lavishly as its extended to me. There are consequences. And there is grace. I'm still learning. We both are.

She needs me to listen to the many many many many many many things that she has to say. She needs me to laugh at her jokes and tell her that she's beautiful. She needs me to be on her team and in her corner at all times. 

I'm still figuring out how to navigate the drama, the strong will, the forgetfulness, the insecurities and the eagerness to please. When I know that she gets all of that from me.

"Mom the girls double dog dared me to straighten my hair for the last day of school."
Oh, well then, that's serious. It must be done.
"I mean, we haven't straightened my hair since third grade!"
FOREVER ago.
And... 'we'??

Ashley has gorgeous curly hair. Its as wild and bouncy as she is. But like almost all young girls with curly hair, she hates it. She'd rather it be sleek and straight. But Ashley's hair doesn't like to be straight. It curls from the very root. When I flat iron it, long strands will twist and wave in defiance right after I straighten them. Much like the little girl who carries them.

So this morning, while the house was still dark and quiet, we stood together and I slowly and methodically straightened every strand. She sat on a stool and waited patiently. She winced when the heat came to close to her ears or face. She couldn't wait to look in the mirror when it was done and see the transformation. 



And the Lord reminded me once again, that He is the one shaping us both. Mother and daughter alike. He'll use us if we put ourselves in His hands. It takes surrender. It takes patience. There will be heat, but there will be transformation. 

Today, her new do won't last long. But I'm prayerful that the work that the Lord is doing in her life runs deep.

I'm really not the one straightening her out at all. He is. He's straightening where its needed and making a beautiful thing of the curls. He's masterfully creating and molding that sweet girl into exactly who He wants her to be. 

He's transforming me too.

And today I'm thankful for the promise that He will continue His work until the day of Christ Jesus.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

Fiery Pineapple

I love color. 

I love the way color can draw your attention and evoke emotions. Color is all around us, but the beauty is "in the eye of the beholder" as they say. 

In high school one of my favorite songs was "Deep enough to dream" by Chris Rice. The thought of seeing new colors in heaven was absolutely captivating to me. Even now it makes my breath catch in my chest.

Its random but love the names of colors too and how they usually relate back to nature. After all, they were His to start with. Every color has a name that helps capture it and I love figuring them out. A few years ago at a women's retreat, each woman got a journal that was a sweet shade of orange but I couldn't quite name it. It was sort of a dreamsicle color but much softer. My best friend said "It's cantaloupe." I joked, "This is why I love you!!!!!!" It's a silly thing, but a perfectly named color just makes my heart happy. My living room is glacier blue and my bedroom curtains are the perfect shade of cayenne pepper. And all is right with the world. ;) 

The Lord uses color to speak to me. It's probably why I love it so much. I have lots of stories of this but the one this week made my heart soar and I have to share.

It was a typical weekday afternoon and I was driving the mom taxi. A suburban half full of squirmy kids; on my way to fill up the rest of the seats.

I had Micah, Abby and Kate and they all insisted on sitting together on the back row. They were having conversation that you would expect from 3 kids of their age and development. Intense debates about things like who loves Daddy more.

The conversation ended as they watched the Tennessee hills whiz past the Suburban windows.

And with full confidence, Kate slowly proclaims, "Je-jus loves... all of us."

That alone would have been enough to warm my heart but I'm telling you... with timing that only the Lord could orchestrate (and one of those moments that seems to pass in slow motion) we passed under a huge tree, hanging over the road: a breathtaking shade of fiery, pineapple-y yellow. And it almost glowed as the sunlight shone through it. Not a single leaf on this tree was brown, nor still green. It. was. Gorgeous. It was God speaking. He was shouting a confirmation of what came from my 3 year old's lips.

The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1

"He sure does Kate. Jesus loves us."

I can't tell you how many times I've seen this color since that day. In friends' clothing, in mums at the grocery store, even in my own fall decorating. People would say it's one of those things... like once you buy a car you see it everywhere... but I know in my heart that every time I see this crazy gorgeous fall yellow: its the Lord telling me that I'm loved. He's winking. "Don't forget. I love you."

I wanted to take a picture to remember it forever but I was... ya know, driving. Kids. And honestly, it was too sacred to capture anyway. It was my love note. My wink. This picture was the closest thing I could find to share a little piece of the glory with you, but even it doesn't fully capture...

Photo Credit

How does the Lord wink at you? I've heard some people say He winks through things like butterflies or pennies.... but my God winks are colors. Sometimes it means different things- confirmation of decisions, peace when I need it, or just sweet nothings. Its our language, me and the Lord.

Can I just encourage you for a minute? 

God loves His kids. It's confirmed in scripture again and again. If it were only you left in the world, He still would have sent His Son to die so that you could be with Him in Heaven. And can you imagine if you were trying to tell the person that you loved, how much you love them but they weren't paying attention? 

Seek out the Lord this week. Ask Him to open your eyes to they ways He might want to speak to you. I would venture to say that daily, you'll find that He's softly... and sweetly... whispering His love for you.

Will You not bring us back to life once more
so that we, Your people, will find joy and pleasure in You?
O Eternal One, show us Your unfailing love;
give us what we truly need: Your salvation.
I will hear what the True God--the Eternal--will say,
for He will speak peace over His people,
peace over those who faithfully follow Him...
Psalm 58:6-8a (The Voice translation)

Rainy Day

It's fall break. And it's raining. All. Weekend. 

Jake is out of town and today my friend (who's husband is also out of town) brought the kids over and we spent the afternoon trying to occupy the kids with crafts. 

Which only worked for so long before they were all in the backyard playing in the drizzling rain.

9 kids, 2 moms, no dads. Unconsciously holding a rotation of children in our laps while sorting out the mysteries of parenting and marriage. 

You know you're talking with another mom when you can wipe faces, help someone off the potty, clean the kitchen, use a serious of snapping and hand motions to slow down and/or silence a loud/running mob, and never miss a beat in conversation. It's a maternal super power.

Today really felt like fall and I was reminded that Thanksgiving is soon. And in my heart I gave thanks. For big things and little ones.

Friendship. Family. Rainy days. Take-out pizza. Profound truths uncovered and sifted through together. Stampedes of rain boots. The sound of laughter and tag. Injuries, tears and prayers for boo-boos. Toilet paper tube owls. Shreds of construction paper that will be found around the house for days. 

Isn't it amazing how, through the lense of gratitude, a day that was supposed to be "wasting time" ends up feeling more like a precious gift. And I'm grateful for that too.