Hullo.
My name is Abigail.
I'm a current successful user of homemade laundry detergent and homemade deodorant.
I occasionally wash my hair with homemade "shampoo." (It's more vinegar than shampoo.)
I'm almost out of toothpaste from the ol' glory days of CVS'ing, so I just made homemade toothpaste. I haven't used homemade toothpaste since high school. *Also, if any kind reader thinks that this flurry of homemade toothpaste use is sad and pitiful and wants to mail us some toothpaste, please don't! I thank you for the thought, but I prefer the homemade for our fambly. (Yes, I just typed fambly, which is much more weird than making toothpaste.)
I'm about to make a batch of homemade yogurt. (I haven't eaten homemade yogurt since high school.)
I'm also going to grind grain to make whole-wheat rolls for supper, but only after the girls and I gather half-wild pears to make spiced caramel pear butter.
As I sit here in the midst of a house that a casual observer would mistake for a war zone, I was thinking that maybe, instead of cleaning the house (which, in case I didn't mention, looks like a war zone), I should learn how to make rubber.
It's wet outside, and I need boots.
Or, barring the making of rubber, maybe I should write a boring blog post.
Any votes?
p.s.
ReplyDeleteStep #1: learn how to make rubber
Step #2: learn how to make boots!
These would be useful ways to spend my time-- much more useful than cleaning the house and tending to the urchins who live within it.
p.p.s.
ReplyDeleteThe boots, of course, would be made of rubber.
I bet I could already make non-waterproof boots with a few hours of time, several reams of paper, and lots of tape.
Forget the house. Let's make boots!
Yahoo for homemade! Please share your recipes for all of the above, Abigail. I have been wanting to make various homemade face products since I have such sensitive skin so I would welcome your wonderful homemade product ideas:-)
ReplyDeleteBTW, how is the pumpkin patch?
Much love!
All I can say is......holy cow. I love the way you live- the idea of it is awesome...but sometimes you shame me and make me feel just a tiny bit LAZY. My fambly uses nothing homemade. Unless it's made by someone else and given to us.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really want to know is...can we still be friends?
Molly,
ReplyDeleteWe haven't had internet for the last week and a half, but I'll email you soon!
Sarah AwesomeBones Tate,
To tell the truth, I don't much care for blog posts that are either to-do lists or impressive lists of the already-to-done, and I usually try to refrain from them because they either make me feel like a failure (because there's so much to do that I haven't tackled!) or like a braggart (because I'm awesome and have done SO stinkin' much!), but sometimes I can't help myself. I needed to do this for tongue-in-cheek therapy, because the house really does look like a war zone (a war in which weapons of choice are clutter and garbage and clothing and six-inch layers of bad crunchiness on kitchen floors and piles of crusty dishes). All those homemade things are so easy! They take minutes to make, but the war zone is another story.
I need an enclave of peace-makers to PUT AN END TO IT ALL! I hear that pacifists are pretty good peace-makers, so, yes, we can definitely be friends. (I'll be awaiting your arrival...)
I'd imagine duct tape would make some pretty smashing waterproof boots...if you had duct tape...if not, you'd have to make that, too!
ReplyDeleteBeen praying for you and the wee one!
Now there's a thought...
ReplyDeleteBut from what on earth is duct tape made? Stardust and magic, I think, and I don't have easy access to either of those.
p.s. to Kiley,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the prayers, too!
I'll post a belly update soon. The baby is now the size of a lemon, and my overachieving belly is now the size of a Hubbard squash. (Them's BIG!)
Ok, so I'm finally just posting a comment to you because I keep thinking "I should give Abigail a call soon and get her email/phone number from Joel" but then the "war zone" at our house distracts me and I never do it!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, everytime I catch up on your posts I decide that we should next door (or next farm over) neighbors instead of being on opposite ends of the country. I would so love to for our families to spend time together and I'd love to someday get to know you better and compare notes!
I ran out of homemade dish-washer detergent last month but I broke down and just bought some when I found a great coupon deal. Lately I've been rendering lard, ressurecting my sourdough baking routine, making yogurt/kefir every week from our raw farm milk (we have to drive 15 min every week to see "our" chickens), trying to get into a simple homeschool/pre-school routine with Elsa, and strategically avoiding piles of need-to-be-folded laundry. And doing my utmost to focus on God's gracious, loving, and shepherding provision in our daily lives. (And I think our new little one is about the size of a lime by now!)
So that's a rather long "comment" on your post, but I've been thinking of you and your family lately and thought I should finally say HI!
Lord willing, we will someday get to leisurely travel east and visit, but until then I'll enjoy your posts and Elsa will keep asking "mommy, when do I get to go play with THOSE girls?" when she see their photos.
with love,
Sonya (and Joel and Elsa and Nora and the new little one who we hope to meet next spring)
We're moving in. You can teach me. That's okay, right?
ReplyDeleteAll of which I do, except the deoderant (but I have had two recipes for it awaiting my time for two months now).
ReplyDeleteAND...homemade toothpaste is great except when it runs out every two weeks because children love the peppermint salt taste and eat in in gobs. Then it is not so great. Matt, with his Anti-flouride movement has had to wait two months (and will wait a few weeks more) for a new batch to be made. Poor soul.
And Abby~ you haven't SEEN a war zone....
Sonya,
ReplyDeleteHurrah! I'm glad you read this drivel, and I wish you lived a heck of a lot closer. I think you'd be a good influence on me. I have an inkling you're much more dutiful and consistent in terms of deliberate moves toward good things. I'm eating handfuls of candy corn right now and LOVING it. Yeah!
We don't have a working dishwasher, but I never even thought of making my own dish detergent. (Dummy!) (That insult was directed at myself, though it could easily be interpreted as having been flung at you. Sorry.)
My yogurt, sadly, is made with junky milk from the store. I've been coveting a milk cow since I got married. My family always got milk from my grandpa's farm growing up, so I never even had to taste store bought until I was almost out of high school, and now it's all I drink! I wish hard work and gumption would build us a barn, but only careful saving over the next few years will (maybe) provide lumber for a cow space. It seems like something on the van breaks or an unexpected expense pops up too often for more than 15 cents or so to pile up, but even "second" lumber is so expensive! It's depressing. Small hopes.
We make kefir, too, but rendering lard? Man, you are a superhero. When I was pregnant with Susannah (our third daughter), I think I moved my big toe occasionally. Tending to two young children is all-encompassing, and I look back on it as the most difficult period of motherhood thus far for me. I admire your dedication to cultivate these life-skills during such a busy time. Seriously, well done. You are striving to care for your family on such a high level, and I know how much hard work and love that must take!
I didn't know you had a lime-sized baby, too, and am so happy for you all! Congratulations! I bet John doesn't know, either, and I can't wait to tell him when he gets home. Another girl? I hear they're pretty nice-- sugar and spice and all that. Someday, Lord willing, we'd LOVE to see you all. It's strange, but sometimes I still laugh when I see crows... :) Will be praying of you as you mother two little ones (and render lard!) with a wee one inside.
Sarah Sleepybones Tate,
I just blew up the air mattresses and set them up in the library. Any moment now...any moment now...I can't wait to see you!
Rebecca,
#1. You know how to make rubber?! Awesome! And why are you keeping such wonderful secrets from me?
#2. I'm going to have to give our homemade fluoride liqueur to someone else for Christmas, dang it. I made it especially for you and Matt.
#3. You're right. I haven't seen a war zone. When the house is this dire, I walk around with a blindfold on. It's much easier on me and the children.
#4. Tomorrow? John's sick, but I and the older ones can come and sweat for you. Don't worry about a thing; I'll be wearing my homemade deodorant.
P.S. To the Concerned Citizen who left a message on my phone last night. Don't fret about me losing all my friends on account of the homemade hygienic products. I have no friends to lose, and if I stink, enemies will love nothing more than to tell me. I guffawed out loud. (Does one ever silently guffaw?) I'm calling you at lunchtime. Watch out, Missy.
...the older ones and I...
ReplyDeleteSigh.
English majors are stupid.
I've often thought cobbling(spellcheck says this is how its spelled. I don't think it looks right) would be a very handy art to know, particularly as I cough and gasp in the children's shoe aisle at the store for how much money they want for so little shoe. Haven't learned it yet.
ReplyDeleteI do however (among other things) make laundry soap, cleaning spray, butter, yogurt, messes and have recently undertaken sausage making. Thats kinda at a standstill though since I'm not having such an easy time finding pork fat. Venturing into toothpaste and deodorant next, just need to pick up another thing of coconut oil. I've used up most of the one I have making popcorn to feed the hungry hoards that live here.
The best thing about any of my posts that have lots of comments is that half of them are comments from Abigail-- a mysterious, ethereal, brilliant, witty, and most likely stunningly beautiful person.
ReplyDeleteOh, look! Here's another one!!!
Bonnie,
Cobbling is crazy. I like the idea of it, but when I think about the time it would take me, I also think about how in only one season would it be horrible to be without shoes. We could do it, right?! Thank goodness for rummage sales and a mother-in-law who actually shops at places other than Aldi. Shoes for a penny or as gifts save me from googling "how to cobble my own children's shoes."
I'm the Queen of Mess-making. You're welcome to indulge in the practice from time to time, but don't even try to challenge my title! :)
What do you use for cleaning spray? I was just about to mix up a simple solution of water, bleach, and vinegar, but if you've got a tested one, lemme have it, pretty please.
All of this respectfully sent from
Abigail (You know the one...)
um. . .I make hopes, dreams and plans. Sometimes schemes. And tears more often than I'd care to admit.
ReplyDeleteI think that is about the scope of my making right now.
(I'd just thought I'd speak up for those of us in the audience who are stalled out and not making.)
p.s. you have it on my good authority that that Abigail gal is pretty dang awesome, especially in real life.
ReplyDeleteAbby, finally got a blog going! But, cannot figure out how to cancel backgrounds and get rid of the little tool pics,etc.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this is my thing!
Hello Abigail!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing this year's Halloween costumes. It's always a delight to see the girls in your clever creations.
I pray that you and your family are healthy and doing well.
Much love!
Mysterious, ethereal, etc. etc. Abigail:
ReplyDeleteWe (except for my crazy husband, who wears shoes with his p.j.s) are rarely shod (or socked for that matter), unless going somewhere that won't serve us if we have no shoes. Or church (that will serve us, but may get us funny looks). Anyway, we also live in a thrifting black-hole. All over I read "oh, look what I picked up at the thrift store!" Brand new gorgeous __________ .
Thrift stores out here in Booneyville mostly sell clothes and shoes I wouldn't wash our van with, or tie to the back of someone's wedding vehicle. And my children have quickly shot past all the older children we used to get hand-me downs from. Be thankful you don't live in a black-hole m'dear. (the fact that we live 30-60 minutes from thrift stores doesn't help matters either) So cobbling is often in my thoughts. I also have this crazy notion that I can bang out days long projects in about 20 minutes.
But I didn't come here to tell you my thrifty woes.
I came to pass along my all-purpose cleaner recipe.
I usually use vinegar and water (I read that bleach only has a 3-6 week shelf life, so I skip it), but when I feel like mixing things up, I use this:
1 tsp. vegetable oil-based laundry detergent (I bought myself the loveliest bottle of Mrs. Myers cleanday dish soap in orange clove. I have no idea if its vegetable or oil based, but it is natural, so there you are)
1 tsp. Borax
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
combine all that with 1 quart of hot water, and funnel into an empty spray bottle. It does a marvelous job, and smells divine. The dish soap isn't cheap, but I bought the bottle I have over a month ago, and while also using it on dishes, I'm only about a quarter of the way through it. (which perhaps reveals I maybe don't clean or wash dishes enough?)
Now, its nearly 7am, which means small fry will be waking soon, and I must shower with my homemade shampoo, even if its only baking soda.
Long live the kinda crunchy
Yumm...for the homemade caramel pear butter, that is, not so much for the homemade deodorant (although that could get a hooray!);)
ReplyDeleteAfter you clean the war zone, maybe perhaps you could post the pear butter recipe on build a belly. Or, you could post it now if you need another reason to procrastinate :)
I suppose a post has reached perfection once 22 comments are added, but only if NINE of them are from the post's author.
ReplyDeleteAh, perfection.
Titi,
I need to make contact!
Mary,
Wahoo! I'll be right over, and if you ask this lover of blog-reading, of COURSE it's your thing. :)
Molly,
First snapshot is up! From left to right: cowgirl, little gnome, Annie Oakley, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and littler gnome.
Bonnie,
Thank you! It sounds great, and I'll have to give it a try. I never go to thrift stores myself, but this area is a veritable heaven of church rummage sales, which seem to be local phenomenons in some places but not in others. I grew up wearing only rummage sale clothes, so it's in my blood, I guess. I always wait to go until the "bag sale" at the end, when one can stuff as many things in a bag for $1.50- $2.50, depending on the church and the size of the bag.
I'm an excellent stuffer.
I am also thankful I don't live in a black hole (it sounds dismal).
Kind of crispy, too,
Crunchigal.
p.s. I need to comment on your blog. I visited, and you've got the cutest dumplings!
Michelle,
I will post it...someday. I ended up not having enough half-wild pears to make it with pears, so apples were a good substitute. Essentially, it's just spiced fruit butter, but you caramelize the sugar before adding it, which makes for extra yum.