this weekend i hosted a baby shower for a sweet, natural mama & dear friend. she was registered at a few places, but those were all out of my budget considering i had around $5 to spend {no joke!}. after a bit of exploring on pinterest, i decided to sew up a little owl for baby & homemade, all-natural laundry detergent for mama.
when my embarrassingly cheap gift was opened, everyone asked for the recipe. it was a huge hit! apparently homemade laundry detergent is a struggle for some… they want to make their own detergent but haven’t found that really great recipe.
of course, i am no expert in the field of homemade cleaning products {still searching for a good liquid dish soap recipe…}, but i have used this laundry detergent recipe for over a year & really love it. i thought i’d share my go-to recipe with you today. happy cleaning!
natalie’s all-natural laundry detergent
2 cups borax
essential oils
chop bar of soap into small chunks. add chunks to food processor and blend until little beads of soap are made. add borax and blend well. add washing soda and blend for two minutes more. remove lid from food processor & add around 30 drops of essential oils {i like lemon & lavender}. mix with metal spoon until essential oils are evenly mixed. store in jar & use 1 tablespoon per load. wash food processor really well after use.
make a cute label, use scraps of fabric & tie with ribbon. gift to a friend!
do you have any homemade cleaning recipes you love? please share!
love,
natalie
p.s. happy SPRING!
my style is always evolving & i like that. there’s always something to find inspiration in & a good project speaks to my crafty soul. for now, i am inspired by bright spaces (i don’t think that will ever change!) with punches of color. i decided in late february to change up our entryway just a bit & made it one of my march goals. check! complete! & i love it.
i had big plans for this small space but a relatively small budget. we budget $50 a month for home & crafty projects. considering all of my sewing/knitting/painting/random home projects, i have to get really creative in making our dollar stretch. for this project, i spent $45. woo hoo!
i used leftover paint to paint the crate white & purchased inexpensive frames from target. i used small frames (4×6 & 5×7) to keep the cost down. there was a special 50% off all prints discount at mpix so i printed our photos there. i purchased the new mirror from a thrift shop months ago & used random home decor to fill in the blank spots.
i wanted our entryway to be filled with memories that left that warm fuzzy feeling. i made a little label for our brazil vacation jar of shells & added some of our favorite family photographs.
it was incredibly hard choosing just 5 photos to add to our wall. the wall space is small so these photos needed to be really special. in the end, i went with photos from different seasons of our married life- a family photo, a snapshot from a favorite vacation to chicago, a photo of our first home, a fun moment from our honeymoon & a quiet moment at home. i wanted to balance the still life photos with photos of us while keeping the same warm mood.
i kept the party lanterns up for a fun, whimsical feel. i’m sure i’ll take them down eventually, but for now twinkle lights & lanterns make me smile.
of course, this project isn’t complete. i have a big white 8×10 frame just waiting for this favorite print, but it simply did not fit into our budget. for now, a sweet little reminder on a clipboard is in its place.
happy monday!
“if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely” – roald dahl
love,
natalie
this morning i want to share with you some film photos from our january family retreat. there’s nothing quite like film. it’s my favorite medium for so many reasons. there’s magic in creating that one perfect shot. there’s excitement in waiting for the film to develop.
this friday morning i want to rest in these photos & savor their quiet.
this week has been a bit hectic. we haven’t managed to prepare much more than smoothies & popcorn for dinner. the dirty laundry has yet to be put in the wash & i’m sure there’s an inch or more of dirt on our floors. still, i am thankful for this week.
& ready for the weekend.
wishing you a weekend of rest & ease with the ones you hold dearest!
love,
natalie
p.s. if you are interested, i am thinking of adding a few of these photos to my etsy shop in 5×7 or 8×10 prints. let me know your thoughts!