Fruit and Veggie Wash

I love this wash! It is a great way to give your fresh food a little cleaning without chemicals.

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Spray on, let sit for a minute or two, rinse.

Tip: Dirty veggies like potatos can be gently scrubbed with a veggie brush.

Happiness is a Shiny Sink

1. Fill sink to rim with hot water; add one cup of bleach. Soak for one hour
2. Drain and rinse thoroughly
3. Scrub with ajax or baking soda
4. Rinse thoroughly
5. Shine with windex; air dry

:) This cleans our kitchen sink up really well and leaves it sparkling clean.

Why homeschool?

...because God demands it!

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

As a homeschool graduate who also attended both public and private schools, I know all sides of the school argument. This verse clearly teaches parents to raise their children as servants of God. Children need the right environment to do this and public and private schools, even Christian schools, where there is foul language, promiscuity, and other un-Godly things is not the right place! Believe me, these horrid things exist in all schools, no matter how "Christian" they are.
How can a child be trained in the way of the Lord when their instructors are willingly putting them in these situations? One argument is, "They can't be a Godly example if they aren't at school with kids who need Christ." That's only partially true. Is a new waitress sent off completely by herself without first being trained? No! She is taught and trained. In this same way, isn't it better for children to be a light for Christ under the direction and guidance of their parents first? For example: at the grocery store, bank, doctors office. From experience I can say that other children do not say, "That is a well-behaved God fearing child! I should be like him!" It does not happen that way. Therefore Proverbs 22:6 instructs parent to homeschool their kids! Public and private schools did not start until recently and just because society accepts it does not mean God does!

Famous homeschoolers:
Benjamin Franklin
James Madison
FDR
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Stonewall Jackson
Robert E. Lee
Sandra Day O'Connor
Michael Faraday
Calude Monet
Grandma Moses
Leonardo da Vinci
Dwight L. Moody
Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
Eli Whitney
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Agatha Christie
Charles Dickens
Robert Frost
C.S. Lewis
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Louis Armstrong
Barlow Girl
Jonas Brothers
Clara Barton
Florence Nightingale

Pretty cool, huh?!

Homemade Fabric Softener

I only recently started making this after my success with laundry soap. I have no clue how many loads this does!

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 cups hair conditioner (I use something cheap that smells good, ie. Suave)
• 6 cups water

1. Combine all ingredients in a gallon jug or an old detergent container
2. Shake to combine

Tips:

• Shake before each use
• Use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per load
• This can be used as a dryer sheet by soaking a sponge in the softener, wringing it out and tossing it in the dryer. Either way works great!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I've been making laundry soap for my family for about six months now and it saves us tons of money, about $17 a month. That's $200 a year! For us, it costs about $0.01 a load! I know there are alot of recipes and variations of laundry soap, but this is what I make and it works really well. I'll update this with pictures of each step as soon as I get a working camera...mine decided to bite the dust. :(

I've never kept track of how many loads this does, but according to my calculations, it should do about 68 loads.

Ingredients needed:

• 1 bar of ivory or dial soap OR 1/2 bar of Fels Napth soap (Fels Naptha may be difficult to find depending on where you live. It can be found in many country and Mennonite stores, but Dial works fine. I do prefer Fels Naptha.)
• 1/2 cup borax
• 1/2 washing soda (This is NOT baking soda. Once again, it may be difficult to find depending on where you live. Country and Mennonite stores generally carry it in their detergent aisle.)

1. Grate the soap into a sauce pan
2. Place pan on medium heat stove, add 6 cups of water and stir until it melts
3. Add the washing soda and borax and stir until it is dissolved
4. Remove from heat
5. Pour 4 cups of hot water into a your storage container (Can be a five gallon bucket, but I use an old kitty litter bucket.)
6. Add your soap mixture and stir
7. Add 21 cups of water and stir
8. Let sit for about 24 hours before using to allow it to gel.

Tips:

• Use 1/2 cups per load
• This will not be liquid or solid, it will be a runny gel texture
• If you are using a clear storage container, it is helpful to mark 4 cups, then soap mixture, then 22 cups of water on the outside of the container so you don't need to measure the 4 cups and 22 cups each time

Rain, rain go away.

It rained all day today for the second day in a row. I generally like rain, but today it just made me feel tired and grumpy. I'm ready for it to be Autumn with it's crunchy leaves and crisp smells.

A day like today is a good day to spend sometime indoors catching up on housework. I just recently made our laundry soap, fabric softener, and carpet cleaner (recipes to follow) and my mom did a complete cleaning of the house yesterday, so there was nothing that needed to be done! I spent the day organizing my room and reading "Marley & Me". What a great book. :)


Blessings,
MochaVee

Who Am I?

I am....a college student, girlfriend, follower of Christ, homeschool graduate, wannabe chef, cleaner, planner, pageant queen, dog lover, seamstress, crocheter, baker, daughter, sister, and friend.

I may not be an expert at any of these things, but they are what make me ME.

I have been so inspired by the blogs I've read by homemakers and homeschool mothers that I've decided to start writing my own blog about my story and journey to fulfill God's will for my life...whatever that may be. For quite some time now I have felt Him telling me that I am supposed to be a homemaker and homeschooler. In this day and age it is difficult to be either of these things because the cost of living is so high, but plenty of women do it by being thrifty and frugal!

As a backup and to please my parents, I am in school for culinary arts. Along with receiving my associates degree I am learning to cook for my family. What could be better?!

I am young and soon to be engaged to my wonderful boyfriend, who is completely supportive and in favor of my ambition, and I am always open to advice and ideas on making a marriage work, wedding planning, homemaking, homeschooling, walking with Jesus, and any other advice you're willing to share. Please feel free to leave your thoughts!

Mocha Vee