Fabric Softener - the UNnecessary expense

That's right! In my mission to save money and eliminate household chemicals I began to research fabric softeners, and this is what I found: the more you use fabric softener, the more you need it. Now doesnt that just sound sneaky? It actually builds up in your clothing as a residue. The solution is to use white vinegar instead! 1/4 cup or less of plain white vinegar added to the rinse cycle of your washer will soften your clothes, eliminate static electricity, and begin to remove the chemical build up already present in your clothes. And its good for your washer as well.

I have been trying this super cheap, safe alternative for a few months now and it works great! A few tips from my experiences:
-A smaller load takes less vinegar or your clothes might smell like vinegar.
-The more I have used the vinegar, the less vinegar I have needed. I presume it is because the chemical build up in my clothes is disappearing. Now I use around 1/8 cup per load.
-If you use a clothes line to dry your clothes they will still get softened.

Of course there are some possible down sides to using vinegar. If you have super sensitive skin and use too much vinegar I would imagine it might be a bit irritating (I was concerned about using it on my panties at first). Another down side might be that you wont get all of those great fresh scents that come with chemical fabric softeners, but there are alternatives for that as well if it bothers you that much.

In the meantime, this is a great way to begin saving money!

Here we go!

Such a phrase seems to be my motto during this phase of my life. Here we add another baby, here we move to a new town, here we plug in the humidifier again, here we shrug as we realize the crib was recalled, and the list goes on. The reality of life speeding up as I get older has become all too evident. Instead of 'here we go', I have had to fight the 'who has time?' Perhaps that is why wisdom comes with age. The older we get, the less time we have for those things that don't really matter. Wife, mom, educator, friend. Aren't these roles enough to keep anyone busy?

My current busy list begins with wifely duties, a house to run, a four year old to educate, a 9 month old to try and feed, and all before even leaving the house. This does not even account for job duties or time to 'be still and know'. I know you can relate. I am sure you have your own list. As one of my best girlfriends says, I would so love the 'Readers Digest version' of things sometimes!

Be still and know that I am God....to give you a future and a hope...in all your ways acknowledge Him...and say to that mountain move...and nothing will be impossible for you. Welcome to my 'Readers Digest version'. HERE....WE....GO!