Friday, December 7, 2012

Homemade Laundry Detergent

As a single parent I am always looking for ways to make my money go farther. A few months ago I started making my own laundry detergent and I definitely won't be turning back to store bought again. The best part is that you only need 2 TBSP for a regular load, and the cost breakdown is just pennies per load! I'm not a math person, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you want the actual cost breakdown :) The link below is the recipe that I've been using. The only issue I have is that the Fels Naptha bars smell very strong. They made my whole house smell of pine-sol type cleaner until I got them mixed up into the detergent. Grating these bars is not too bad if you have a fresh bar because the soap is soft. I ran small amounts at a time of the mixed up detergent through a food processor to get the soap chopped up finer. Works great and even though I hate the smell of the bar initially, it's much better after it's mixed up with the other ingredients and my cloths come out smelling very nice, fresh, and clean! I do think however that my whites are looking a little dingy. In my research that seems to be a common complaint with the Fels Naptha Laundry Soap. Happy with it overall though.

Click on the image below to check out the tutorial by Sew Much Ado.

Due to the smell of the Fels Naptha and kinda dingy whites, I did some research and decided that I wanted to make this with Zote Laundry Soap. So I found some pink Zote bars and made up a new batch. Zote bars are 14.1 oz, so I doubled everything in the recipe, and added a half cup of an 'oxygen' laundry booster, hoping the combo of the zote and the addition of the oxygen booster will give my whites a boost, and help with any stains I may have not pre-treated. My observations are that the bars of Zote do not smell just sitting in the wrapper in my laundry room, but is still irritating to me when I'm handling the soap. The bars are harder, so harder to grate though I was able to grate them up fine instead of coarse because of this and the soap is so crumbly there was no need to run in through the food processor after I had it mixed up with the other ingredients, it broke down enough that it wasn't a problem (and maybe my bar had been sitting on the shelf for a while and dried out, that may not be the case with every bar). Oddly enough the Zote smells stronger to me than the Fels Naptha mixed up in the detergent, go figure...

Grating up the Zote, my bar is really hard= hard work ;)

So I've been using the Zote mixture for a couple weeks or so now. My overall opinion of it is that my stuff is cleaner. For example, I had an oil stain on a pair of jeans that I kept forgetting to treat and they were laundered at least twice in the Fels Naptha detergent and didn't come out. One wash with the Zote detergent and the stain was gone. I think my whites are looking less dingy as well. I do think however that my clothes smelled better with the Fels Naptha after coming out of the wash. My Zote loads don't really smell like anything to me when they come out, which is fine.

Overall, I'm very happy with my homemade detergent and I plan to keep making my own. I may experiment more down the road and try the white Zote and adding those scent crystals, there are tons of recipes on Pinterest if you decide you want to give this a try.

Also, I've been using plain white vinegar to rinse and no fabric softener  Just fill up your dispenser with it. It doesn't leave stuff smelling like vinegar, and will help rinse out the soap residue. Avoid over drying your clothes, this causes lots of static! Hang up sweaters and the silky synthetic stuff to dry if you can. I found a recipe that uses vinegar and hair conditioner that I may give a try for these dry winter months when static is especially hard to fight.

By the way, I found all the ingredients at my local Walmart, except Zote which I found at BigLots. If you can't find it locally you can order it from Amazon.

*Thanks for viewing this blog post, don't forget to follow me :D

**UPDATE 5/3/2013- I have gone back to Fels Naptha, I just like the clean scent of the mixed up detergent so much better and it's easier for me to purchase locally. I tweaked SoMuchAdo's recipe by adding a full cup of name brand Oxy Clean to a double batch and I am very happy with it! I've also added a foil ball to my dryer and it does seem to reduce static. I plan to buy up some wool yarn to make dryer balls at some point, those are supposed to be great at cutting down static. Perhaps a new tutorial when I need to make a new batch!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Pins of the Week! Dec 4th

**EDIT: This weekly feature has been discontinued due to lack of response from most of the people/companies I have promoted here. This is a small blog and I was hoping this would get folks to sharing my page, helping me while I help them sort of thing. Maybe I will bring back something like this in the future. I honestly can't imagine not being grateful for every bit of exposure another wants to bring to my work... :( Anyway, the best to those of you who did express your gratitude and share! Love to you all :D **

Running a little late but here is the next installment of 'Jujubean's Pins of the Week'!
Just click on the image to go to the pin if you'd like to repin, or click on the link below to go straight to the source.These are some awesome finds, I hope you enjoy :)

Felt Cookie Garland by Nana and Company
So pretty I can't stand it :)

Silver Wrapped Green Turquoise Pendant by MadeBySunflower


Anthropology Style Cardi Tutorial by Little Inspirations
I can't wait to try out this tutorial! Thanks for sharing your hard work :)

Sage Green Rustic Wreath by WildRidgeDesign
Lovely wreath :)

Pajama Pattern and Tutorial (4T) by Shwin&Shwin
Love this and can't wait to try it out!


I hope you enjoyed these awesome finds as much as I did!
Please take a moment to become a member or follower of this blog. Just look for the link on the right :)
You can follow me on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/jujubeancreatio
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/jujubeancreations

Happy pinning!

Monday, November 26, 2012

JujuBean's Pins of the Week!! 11/26

It's a new week, featuring five new pins. Enjoy!
Click on the image to go to the pin on Pinterest, or click on the link below it to go straight to the source :)

Snowflake ornaments by Decoromana
Love, love, love these gorgeous snowflakes!

Owls by littledear
http://littledeartracks.blogspot.com/2010/11/little-owls.html
These little owls are so adorable. So much talent and time goes into these!

Medallion Necklace by FiliGraceJewelry
This is on my Christmas list if anyone is wondering ;)

Viking Helmet Pattern by Ravelry
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lael-viking-helmet
My favorite little guy needs this!

Quilted Patchwork Pillow Covers by WheretheOrchidsGrow
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88647864/patchwork-pillow-quilted-pillow-cushion
I am in love with these pillow covers. I think I need to redecorate my whole living room so I can get them :D

I hope you enjoyed these awesome finds as much as I did!
Please take a moment to become a member or follower of this blog. Just look for the link on the right :)
You can follow me on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/jujubeancreatio
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/jujubeancreations

Happy pinning!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Coupon Code, woot!!

I'm getting the JujuBean's Pin's of the week post ready and just wanted to share that you can take advantage of the new coupon code for my Etsy shop by entering JBEAN15 when you check out! I will be leaving this active through the holidays, so make sure you take advantage!

Is this little nerdy kid extremely cute or what? Bwahahaha... ;D

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Corduroy Charm Pack Quilt for Baby and Toddler Boy

I would have to say this is my favorite quilt that I have completed so far. I found a cotton corduroy that is soft and light-weight and knew I had to make it part of the quilt for my baby nephew that is due to be joining us in a couple months :) I had some Riley Blake, So Sophie charm pack squares on hand and pulled out all the 'boy' prints and had plenty for what I wanted to do with this project. I backed it with a dark brown cotton poly blend, and used an off-white bias tape to bind the edges. To quilt this one, I simply stitched around the squares, then across so the block pattern is duplicated in the quilting on the back side. Very happy with this one and I hope this special little man will get lots of use out of it :D

The dark squares are a dark brown,  they look black on my monitor!


You can follow me on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/jujubeancreatio
Also, please take a moment to become a member or follower of this blog, just look for the link to your right :D Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Owl Nap or Play Mat

One of my top secret projects can now be shared! This owl mat was a gift to my little sis at her baby shower. She is a huge lover of owls so this was a no-brainer when I saw the inspiration pic :) I got busy and created a pattern and picked out fabrics from my stash. I used two layers of quilt batting to give it a bit more cushion, and stuffed the wings and feet with polyfill. In hindsight I kind of wish I had just used quilt batting for those too. Either way, I'm pretty happy with how it came out and love this combination of colors.



Monday, November 19, 2012

JujuBean's Pins of the Week!

Every week I am going to be featuring five awesome pins I've discovered on Pinterest in a 'JujuBean's Pins of the Week' special post. Here goes the first! Just click on the picture to go to the pin on Pinterest, or click the link below it to go directly to the source :)


Linen and Squares Drawstring Bag made by Racheal

Sweet Sweater from Boden

Necklace from Etsy Seller madebysheri

Patchwork Cushions from a Swedish crafting site
http://www.365slojd.se/?p=15565 (not in English :))

Owl Ornaments from The Nesting Spot


Don't forget to join me on Pinterest! http://pinterest.com/jujubeancreatio/. Also, please take a moment to become a follower or member of this blog. Just look for the links to the right :D

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Corduroy!

Here are some new happenings in my sewing studio today!

I'm working with corduroy to make some extra soft owls that are great for cuddling! Tried out a totally new pattern with the completed one, probably a couple things I will adjust if I make more like this one, but I'm loving the taller slimmer owl and I'm loving how soft and cozy this fabric feels :)


Sunday, October 14, 2012

A new baby is coming soon to my family. So it has me thinking a lot about homemade baby gifts. I can't wait to share the things I've been working on, but they are top secret until mid-November ;) In the meantime, here is a super easy tutorial I found to make a comfy swaddle blanket. When I had my son two and a half years ago I had the hardest time finding flannel blankets that weren't the small receiving blankets. The obvious solution is to make your own. Check out this fabulous tutorial from Riley Blake.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Sweet Autumn, how I love thee...

Autumn is my favorite season.

I love the cool crisp air. I love the fall colors against the sky. The sky seems bluer and the contrasts sharper. The air smells cleaner. I just feel lighter and more in awe of the world around me this time of year...


Sunday, July 1, 2012

Sweet Summer Dress!

Summertime has me looking for cute dresses. This year I just haven't seen any in stores that I'm crazy about. I came across this tutorial recently and I'm am so excited! There are so many possibilities with colors and patterns. You can use any type of tank or even a short-sleeved tee. You could make your top shorter to camouflage your stomach or to make it a maternity dress. I can't wait to take on this project!
 

Monday, April 9, 2012

Springtime :)

There is something so exciting, so amazing about seeds sprouting. These little guys are in my window drinking in the sunlight. My daughter bought me a tomato plant growing kit (she doesn't even like tomatoes, she is such a sweety) so I guess I will be looking for a giant pot to move a couple of these babies into :)
 Below are a couple beauties I recently completed. The yellow one was for my facebook giveaway, and the pink one is listed in my Etsy shop. Really love working with the So Sophie fabrics from Riley Blake!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Happy Monday everyone! Spring has come with a bang this year! It's probably going to hit 90 here in MO today!

I've got some pretty new owls getting ready to line up for their photo shoot, so excited about these pretties :D Oh and I'm planning to give away an owl on my facebook page later this week, so if you haven't already go make sure you like me on Facebook so you won't miss out!

www.facebook.com/jujubeancreations

Monday, February 6, 2012

I am missing my sewing machine. I've seen very little of it lately. Life has a way of well, getting in the way. I found an adorable dinosaur tutuorial  that I've started on cause I think my little guy needs one! Check out this cutie here http://littleblackteapot.blogspot.com/2011/05/stuffed-dinosaur-with-sewing-pattern.html. I also made my son a sock puppy dog for christmas, also from little black teapot, it turned out so cute but it was waaay too much hand sewing for me!

*Here is where I was going to insert a pic of the sock puppy, but apparently I don't have a pic of him (can you believe it!?). So pic of sock puppy coming soon...