Wellness Wednesday #17 - Spring Cleaning - Dishwasher Detergent

Dishwasher Detergent/Scouring Powder: found this on here. Check out the link for more and info and the cost savings! It's definitely made a difference on saving money in our home!

* 1 cup Washing soda or Baking soda (I’ve seen many recipes that use both so use whatever you have on hand) - I used WASHING 
* 1 cup Borax (Borax and baking soda/wash are both natural disinfectants and mild abrasives.)
* 1/4 cup Kosher salt (reduces the effects of hard water)
* 1/4 cup citric acid (available at Amazon.com. Or two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon & ONLY unsweetened!) - I used the Lemonade Kool-Aid.
*several drops of your favorite essential oil–lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, whatever strikes your fancy. - I used about 20 drops of lemon 

Combine and store in airtight container. I just poured everything directly into the container I was going to use and gave it a good shake!

******Add 1-2 tablespoons per load along with a splash of white vinegar as a rinse agent to prevent spots. Without a good amount of vinegar, you'll get spots.
I actually use closer to a 1/4 C. I fill my dispensers 1/4 to 1/2 of the way with the powder then fill the rest with vinegar so I get more of a liquid then a paste so it doesn't stick to just one area.

To clean your dishwasher, check out this link. Haven't tried it yet.

113th Fashionable Fridays - $2 top

Here's a top I got at Down East  back in January for only $2, technically my MIL bought it for me =)

I paired it with some colored skinny jeans from The Jean Girl and another top that was swapped.

83rd Mommy Mondays

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Weekend. Remember Christ is Risen - what joy the gospel brings =) To learn more about what I believe, see here: https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/he-is-risen?lang=eng
"The promise of Eternal life we have from the very lips of the Savior." ----- John 11:25 "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."


Here are some Easter Photos with my family.

We did Backpacks for the kids instead of baskets since my son desperately needed one for preschool to hold his papers in.

Some favorite photos of my family

My 4 year old son took this picture - love it!

What a great weekend to remember my Savior's life and resurrection. To know he suffered for my trials, sins, troubles. I need to turn to Him more especially as a mother to these two crazy, but oh so wonderful kids. I haven't been blogging much because I've just been struggling with life, not feeling like I'm adequate enough and not having much support around me. I truly was a blessed weekend with support from my best friend one night and my husband on another. I sure do love my family.

What struggles have you been having as a mom lately?
I've been so tired of the kids' whining/fighting/wanting - not having an outlet, family support, or getting time to spend with my husband.

Chicken Soup for the Soul - The Power of Positive

Review on Chicken Soup for the Soul The Power of Positive

When I started reading this book I had no idea what I was in store for. This book has definitely taught me a lot about being positive and all the different aspects of being positive.
This book is compromised of 101 short stories that are divided up into 11 different sections. These sections included The Power of Giving, The Power of Challenging yourself, ect. Each section had about 8 stories within it that focused on that area of being positive.
There are so many inspirational stories that I loved in this book that it is so hard for me to find just a few to mention.
One of my favorites is called "Thanks to CF." This story talked about a young family whose first child was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was born. At first the family really struggled accepting that their young son was sick and would need medical treatments his whole life. In the end they feel blessed that their son has CF because he has become like a household celebrity to his 6 younger siblings who all think he is the coolest! They talk about all the many blessings they have seen that have come about because of his diagnosis. This story really hit me because I don't think that I would be able to easily find the positives in such a hard disease. It really made me realize that there is always something positive in every situation even if we can't see it at the time.
I honestly could not tell you one negative thing about this book. I think it is definitely one that everybody should take the time to read. It really has some great stories that can totally change your perspective about life. I know that I will now be trying a lot harder to find the positives in every situation in my life!

Review by Brooke, a fellow mommy and avid reader.

112th Fashionable Fridays - L'Bri Make up

Earlier this week, I had a L'Bri Pure 'n Natural Make-up Party. Here's what I looked like with their make-up. Love it! Everything was so soft and light. I especially love their concealer! You can't see any dark circles under my eyes from many nights of little sleep.

Here's some information about their make-up. I love that Aloe is the first ingredient in so many of their items.

They are most known for their skincare which I have grown to love because of all the natural ingredients, the number one ingredient being aloe not water (so you're getting your money's worth), and it feels wonderful. Check out a review I gave last year when I first tried them for the first time. I can't wait for my make-up to arrive!
Here's a link to their ingredients for those who are looking for a more natural skin care and make-up company: http://www.jodylyons.lbri.com/consultants/pdfdocs/Ingredients.pdf