Foaming baby bath and hand soap

Another idea I saw on pinterest.com was how to turn baby wash into foaming baby bath! This was by far the easiest thing I have ever made! And chances are you already have the ingredients at home!

I'll admit something. I'm a soap pump hoarder. I normally buy refills and just re-fill my pumps. But sometimes I'll get a new pump and I end up holding onto the old pump. I really need to stop this haha. But there are a few good things that have come out of holding onto these pumps! One there the the foaming baby wash and hand soap made from a bar of soap....

Foaming baby bath
What' you'll need....

• Empty Foaming Soap Dispenser {Bath & Body Works, Dial, Johnson’s, etc.}
• Baby Wash

What you do....

• Clean out the empty foaming soap dispenser
• Then add 1 inch of Baby Wash to the dispenser

Now....

• Fill the bottle the rest of the way up with water {leaving a little room at the top}
• Then, gently turn side to side to mix together {no shaking… that just gets waaaay too bubbly… trust me!}
• There you have it ! You’re all done… and that was seriously easy!

This will make for an easier bath time for Nick. I have trouble fiddling with opening lids, making sure they're CLOSED haha. I have a very active baby who has discovered he can stand and walk around in the tub o.O
And you can use this with almost anything that is soap! I'm going to try dish soap, but I don't have another foam pump, shocking!

And for the hand soap. Another very simple thing to do! I usually buy a big economy sized Dial hand soap. Re-fill and leave it at that. Those bottles can be pretty expensive, so when I saw how to make my own I was all about it!

What you'll need....
Cheese grater
2 Tablespoons of Liquid Glycerin (found in the band aid section at any drugstore. Got mine at CVS) 1 - 8 oz bar of soap - I used Dial because I like the smell
1 gallon of water - which I use to store the soap as well

What to do....
Step 1:

Grate the entire bar of soap

Step 2:
Fill a pot with 1 gallon of water and add the soap shavings.
Step 3:
Add 2 Tablespoons of liquid glycerin and turn the heat to medium/high and stir until the soap dissolves.
Basically just soapy water
 Step 5:
Leave it alone to cool for at least 10-12 hours. It begins to cloud up after 3-4 hours.
Step 6:
After it has cooled completely around 12 hours later it will harden and look like liquid soap.
Step 7:
If the soap is harder than it should be you can take some beaters and blend it while adding just a little bit of water until the consistency is more like liquid soap. I used my wisk because my mixer is broken.
Step 8:
There you have it....Liquid Soap!!!

I'm thinking I may have done something wrong along the way. Because my soap is really gooey. I'm thinking it's the glycerin to soap ratio. I bet the soap already had a good amount and added caused too much. I'm going to try again with a different soap. But I did use some in my pump and it does work! Before I added it I filled the soap in a tall cup and wisked the crap out of it! It worked! But I'm still convinced I need to try another soap. Maybe another time!

I also tried baby wipes! Which I'm also very please with!!!

What you'll need....
Roll of paper towels (I used bounty, I also head they're the best for this because they're tough!)

1 1/2 tablespoons baby bath

1 tablespoon baby oil

2 cups water

Cut your paper towels in half. Unless you have a canister to hold a whole, tall roll.  

In your canister mix the baby bath, baby oil and water. Give it a good stir....

Now put the towels in the canister cut side down, but I can't see how it matters. But I did it in that way anyhow. 

Stick the lid on and turn the canister upside down. 

After the towels has absorbed the solution (was quickly for me) remove the cardboard tubing. Which was a bit of a challenge! It tore on me so I basically fished it out haha. 

There you have it! Baby wipes! Nice clean smelling ones too! 

I was concerned about the fact that it contains soap, so would it cause Nick's booty to be sticky? And it does not! I tested it on on my hands and had pleasant smelling hands as well as very soft hands. I also realized that baby wash isn't actually soap, it's cleanser which is pretty much all water. Thus making it tear-free. My only complaint is that my wipes seem to be extremely wet! I left the lid off for a couple days so they'll dry out a bit. Could probably fiddle around with the ingredients to make the perfect consistency. I'll give it a try and see what happens. 

I love that I can make all these things, that we use on a semi daily basis. I feel like a regular ole Martha Stewart haha! 

Anyhow, if you try these things please let me know how they worked out for you!

Home made laundry soap & fabric softener

For many years I have seen recipes for homemade laundry soaps and fabric softeners. I was always very weary about trying these. I did some research , by reading blogs that others have posted. There were so many posts about it, and so many fantastic reviews! I thought what do I have to lose?

I researched the recipe for the soap and pretty much every recipe was the exact same. Which made me feel really good about trying to make the soaps. It seemed fairly easy after all it's simply adding the proper amounts of soaps, melting and stirring. And the ingredients are fairly cheap as well! I spent nearly $10.00 to make both the laundry soap and fabric softener. Which landed me with over 200 ounces of laundry soap and 111 ounces of fabric softener. If your all about saving money on things you use every day, then this is the stuff for you!

I was nearing the end of my laundry soap stock pile. All purchased with the coupons that I had collected. We had 14 bottles and I went though it like water! So when I opened my last bottle two days ago I felt really upset, because I would possibly start paying a ton of money on more soaps. If you really stop and think about it, your basically flushing your hard earned money (and time by couponing) down the drain. I hate wasting money! Thus why I am a coupon addict! A bottle of Tide laundry soap is well over $10. I think that's crazy! We only have Tide when I had a great coupon deal, or the other expensive brands. Same goes with liquid fabric softener.

Yesterday, I went to Target with my list of items I needed to make my soap and softener. I had pretty much memorized the items, since I had read several articles on how to do. I picked up a box of Borax for $2.99. I searched all over for the rest of the items, and they didn't have the washing soda or Fles-Naptha soap bars. So we went to Wal-Mart. I thought I'd have trouble finding the last two things, but it was an easy find! Both right next to each other, it's like Wal-Mart keeps the soap making items together, very cool! I grabbed a box of Arm & Hammer Super washing Soda for $2.50 and a bar of Fles-Naptha soap for .98 cents. I also saw the Borax for $2.98, but I had already gotten it. I also bought a big bottle of vinegar for $1.88 and a bottle of Sauve Refreshing Waterfalls conditioner for .98 cents. All those items including a bag of marsh mellows for my marshmallow monster Nick and a pepsi cost me $11.00. So grand total for all the supplies is less than $10.

I started making the soap and follows these directions...
What you'll need:

• 1/2 Cup: Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda {not Baking Soda}
• 1/2 Cup: Borax
• 1/3 Bar of Fels-Naptha Soap {you could also use Ivory soap, but if using Ivory… use the whole bar}
• Bucket {2 gallon size or larger}
• Empty laundry detergent containers or bucket with lid to store detergent. It makes over 200 ounces so use the biggest you have.

 What you'll do:

• Grate 1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap over large pot or saucepan…

I used my hand grater. Helped me grate it up faster! I feel mighty strong now :)

After you've grated the Fles-Naptha

• Add 6 cups of Water.
• Heat over medium-high until soap dissolves and melts.

I used the grater to stir that way it melted off the soap that got caked on...It melts pretty quickly. I kept string to even the heat and prevent it from scorching.

Now....

• Add Washing Soda & Borax, and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

 Looks like this....Soapy water....

Then....

• Pour 4 cups Hot Water into bucket, then add Soap Mixture.
• Stir, then add 1 Gallon + 6 Cups of additional water.  Stir.

And finally.....

• Transfer to a bucket with a lid, or pour into empty laundry detergent containers.
• Set aside, and let it sit overnight, or up to 24 hours, to thicken and gel up.
• Consistency and color will vary depending on your soap & water ~ it may be lumpy and watery… kind of like a watery gel, but it works! great!
• Stir or shake before each use, as it will continue to gel.
• Good job…you did it!

Like I said I got A LOT! You use a 1/2 cup for each load. Maybe more depending on how dirty your load is. Remember that suds do not equal clean. The clothes are still getting clean even if there aren't a ton of suds. Which has take a lot for me to get used to. I usually see my wash basin with some foam after the wash has finished. I was able to catch a load on a rinse cycle and it does sud a little. So, that made me feel good. I've read some blogs where some have use more amounts of the ingredients, but I went with I saw the most.

Oh! I almost forgot about the fabric softener! Also SO easy! Smells very nice as well and makes towels feel fabulous! Who would have thought that vinegar makes clothing soft! I never knew that! But it's a proven fact!

What you'll need....

• 6 cups HOT water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups Suave Refreshing Waterfall Conditioner {or other favorite scent}. I personally like the smell of the Refreshing Waterfall. 

 What you'll do....

• Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely.
• Add the vinegar, and mix well.
• Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc} I used an empty rinsed milk gallon. Then transferred into a economy sized empty Shout container and and empty Downy container. The gallon makes for easier prep and shaking since you'll need two containers. Unless you have a huge one!
• Pour into a downy ball… or use approx. 2 tbsp. in the fabric softener spot in your laundry machine… then wash!

Just so you know I used the entire bottle of Sauve conditioner. So I suggest spending an extra dollar or less and buy the family size. The size I bought was just under two cups of conditioner. I just added some of the mixture to the bottle and gave it a shake to get what I couldn't squeeze from the bottle. Like I said I have used this before and it does indeed work!

Anyhow that's it! I spent a little over an hour doing these. I put the boys to bed and was completely uninterrupted, which made for a very stress free time. I hope you try this and enjoy!


PS: People have asked how it smells? I think it smells nice. Plus, if your going to make fabric softener that should cover the soap smell if you don't like it.You can also use the fabric softener in the dryer! Gather some clean rags, and a spray bottle, spritz about 3-4 of the softener soultion onto the cloth and toss in the dryer. Re-wash and re-use! Also great for cleaning the TV, after they've been though the dryer of course.

I also made liquid hand soap from bared soap.
Baby wipes
and foaming baby wash!
I'll blog about those another time!

All recipes found on pinterest.com - Follow me!!!

Pamidronate

Since Nick is now considered in the "danger zone" of OI it has started to make life more scary. Especially since he is walking now. If I could earn a nickle for every fall he takes daily I'd be rich, and fast! So with that being said it prompted me to start to really push for him to start on a medication called Pamidronate, also know as PAM in case some one my facebook friends have wondered. PAM is an infusion that he would get probably every 4-6 weeks. It takes around 4 hours to administrator. It won't completely stop him from breaking his bones, but will help him build more bone and mass so that he won't break as easily. Around the middle of October we took him to a doctor that specializes in giving kids this medication. This appointment was long awaited. Considering I scheduled it in June. I was very nervous about this appointment. Because we had been turned away from this medicine about three times in the past. Since Nick had a fracture in August, I believe it pretty much opened the gate for him to get a yes answer to start. Some blood was taken to make sure his vitamin levels are perfect because this medication takes a huge drop in calcium among other vitamins. Also, while we're talking about calcium. You should know that Nick doesn't lack calcium. He lacks collagen. Which is what give bones it's flexibility. I'm sure that his levels are normal, since he's fed fairly healthy. His hair and nails are growing at a normal level. Unfortunately I have been waiting for the blood work results for nearly four weeks. What was said to be only a two week waiting period. I have made several calls and no body has called me back. It's starting to get very frustrating. But I also wonder if since I haven't gotten a call that means his levels are normal. And won't need to start on a supplement.

I think Nick needs to start this medication soon. Because like many OI children he is starting on a 6 week break cycle. I'm certain that he has a fractured finger. I made the call to the Orthopedic doctor yesterday and he said that since it's not bothering him we could just continue with Motrin. He said we didn't need to make the long trip to Pittsburgh for an x-ray. As many of you know I refuse to take Nick to the emergency room for breaks that are not an emergency. It's just too much of a possible abuse accusation that we just don't need to deal with again! Going back to break cycles. Looking at the calendar it's been over 6 weeks since his last fracture. Something that is common to see in the OI world. I plan to call the doctor at Children's again tomorrow and explain to them (again) that we need to schedule this soon, before we're in for a serious break! We have been lucky that he has not suffered any serious breaks. Obviously any fracture is serious, but we haven't had to have anything set. When he fractured his clavicle that was probably the most serious of all his breaks. We were told that it would possibly need set, but he did not need to be.

I meant to post a blog about Nick's last fracture. The last week of August we took Nick to meet the Orthopedic doctor at Children's hospital in Pittsburgh. Let me say that the doctor and Nursing staff was top notch! They were just fantastic and very accommodating to us. Which really takes some of the pressure off us. When we went in they wanted some x-rays because it had been several months since his last set. The x-ray techs were super nice and allowed me to do all the positioning to take the pictures. Nick was awesome! I assumed he would be his normal "leave me alone" self, but I was shocked that he laid so still and let us hold an arm of leg still! If you know Nick, you'll know that is very rare! We took the pictures and went into another room where another Nurse pulled up his x-rays and asked if I wanted to view them? Of course I won't turn down a learning experience, so I started to view. He wanted to explain to me how to work the computer program to read the films. But I had already known how to do so because I had a copy of older x-rays at home on a disk. I took some pictures using my digital camera so I could upload and show my OI group. While doing so I noticed a fracture in his tibia (lower leg). I kind of did a double take! Because I was totally shocked to see this! Here I thought we were on a long break free cycle, he had been fracturing this whole time! I was totally flabbergasted because here he has a fracture, but never complained! He never stopped doing things like jumping up and down in his bed, or crawling, or practicing walking, or even during changes of clothes and diapers, did he ever wince to show that his leg was in any sort of pain. Even the Ortho doctor was shocked and said I can see that this is not a bother to him at all! It was a total bummer to me. Because I thought we were on this long stretch of being break free.....Did I jinx it by talking about it? It really depressed me. Because how could his mother not know something was wrong? After talking about it with my cousin and mom's in group I realized that this is just how kids are. And he didn't show any signs of distress so I shouldn't beat myself up over it so much.

That being said since he had the fracture in his tib and now the finger, he's again not showing signs of distress. He has a very high pain tolerance. He's gotten shots before without a wince. He's just a really tough kid. Which makes me some what proud and some what nervous. I have to wonder how many more fractures he has that we cannot distinguish because he is not giving signs. I wish I could buy an x-ray machine so I could see more clearly what is going on with my little boy. But for now I just pray that we keep on with out OI journey and he keeps being the tough kid he is, like the many, many other kids.

Thank you for reading my blog. I'll keep you updated on when PAM will be flowing! Happy thoughts for one stick! :) Farewell

October Days

"October's the month when the smallest breeze
Gives us a shower of autumn leaves.
Bonfires and pumpkins, Leaves sailing down -
October is red and golden and brown." unknown

October! 

What have we been up to? A whole bunch!!! Watch:)

 We carved pumpkins!

 Hehe

 Great job Christian!

 We finger painted!

 Oh my!

 O.o

 We're messy and we LIKE it!

 We made crayon art!

 We painted pumpkins

 We visited the pumpkin patch...

How precious

 is this!

 We went trick or treating!

 Isn't he spooky!

 Awe!!

 October was a great month! I'm sure November and December will be just as fun! Happy Fall!