Are We Housekeepers or Homekeepers?
"If I
live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, I am a
housekeeper, not a homemaker.
If I
only have time for waxing and polishing, my children will learn of
cleanliness, not godliness.
Love
leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love
smiles at the tiny fingerprints on the newly cleaned window.
Love
wipes up the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love
is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.
Before
I became a mother, I took glory in my house of perfection;
but
now, I glory in God's perfection of my child."
-Family Life
Magazine, May 1982
It doesn't have to be perfect, it
just has to be DONE. :-) Don't let the home cleaning chores be your
focus, instead look at each chore as a way to minister to your family
and to grow relationships with your children (afterall you are teaching
THEM to do the job someday!). Here are some tools and tips to
help you clean your home. Enjoy!
Liquid Laundry Detergent
- 3 Pints Water
- 1/3 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
- 1/2 Cup Washing Soda
- 1/2 Cup Borax
- 2 Gallon Bucket
- 1 Quart Hot Water
- Cold Water
Mix Fels
Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, and heat on low until
dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and
remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 Gallon Bucket. Add soap
mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with cold water, and mix well. Set
aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture
per load.
Soap
Making - Yes you really Can!!
No
Fail Crisco Soap
2-
3lb. cans of solid shortening (Crisco or the best buy of the day)
1
can of Red Devil lye (12 oz.)
2
cups of water
Take the Crisco and place it into an enamel
ware pan and place on stove to melt and heat. Bring everything outside.
Take the two cups of cold water and place into glass bowl and slowly
add lye while stirring with a wooden spoon (use wood only).
Stir until the water turns clear. This needs to be done in a well
ventilated area because of the the fumes from the lye. It usually isn't
that bad but don't take the chance. Take it outside instead! This is
the point where putting on eye protection and gloves is a MUST.
Splashes happen and if it does happen to get on skin, a bit of apple
cider vinegar applied full strength ASAP will take the sting/burn right
out. (Thanks to my friend Sherry for that tip!) . When the lye
and crisco are warm to the touch (not hot) pour the lye mixture
into the crisco stirring constantly. keep stirring until you get
trace. (Trace is the the consistency of cake frosting or until
you drop it back into itself and it leaves little plops or
trails. Now more fun! This is when you can add herbs or coloring
(grated crayons) and stir and pour into any plastic molds you
have. Be sure to grease the molds with crisco for easy
removal. A pringles can makes a great round mold. let the
soap cure for 24 hours then take out of molds and let cure for 2 to 4
weeks before you wrap and store or use. Don't be tempted to use the
soap before it has cured. Doing so will most likely leave you with
tingling, burning skin. OUCH.
This
is a very basic recipe. Before molding you can divide the mixture and
add a cup of cornmeal to make a good hand cleaning soap or a cup of
baby oatmeal to make a good hand/facial soap. You can add essential
oils to give it a fragrance. Adding tea tree oil makes a good
antiseptic soap. For a better, thicker lather (my husband's requirement
for "good soap" substitute up to half the amount of Crisco with Coconut
oil. This goes great if you are studying (in your homeschool) anything
prior to the 1920's. This is when most families started to buy soap
rather than make it. Here are a few more websites you can visit for
more in depth instructions.
If you're
anything like me though, you'll do this once, LOVE it, then wonder how
in the world you are going to find time to do it ever again!!! SOLUTION:
My good
friend Sherry makes the BEST handmade soaps! My
daughter has eczema and her oatmeal soap is absolutely WONDERFUL for
Abby's sensitive skin. She does an awesome job and offers SO many
choices I
couldn't begin to list them all here. You can email me for purchasing
information and
I'll put you in touch with Sherry at Homestead Hill. Their
homeschooling family of 12 will appreciate your business!
Scents For
The Home
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Dilute an essential oil using the
ratio of 10 drops of oil to 7 tablespoons of water and use it in a
metal or ceramic sprayer as the oils will deteriorate if stored in
plastic.
Gel
Scented Jars
2 cups Concentrated Potpourri Liquid
4 envelops Knox gelatin
1 tablespoon salt (to deter molding)
Heat 1 cup potpourri until almost
boiling. Remove from heat. Add 4 envelopes Knox Gelatin and 1
tablespoon salt. Stir until dissolved. Add remaining 1 cup potpourri.
Pour into clean jars and allow to set. If in a hurry, lightly cover and
refrigerate them to speed the process. (From Dollar
Stretcher)
Furniture Polish
This is a simple polish to make, and the addition of wood oils will
give it an attractive resiny fragrance. Makes 1 cup
3-oz. natural beeswax
3/4 cup pure turpentine
20 drops cedar wood oil
10 drops sandalwood oil
Step 1: Grate the beeswax coarsely
and place in a screw-top jar.
Step 2: Pour on the turpentine,
screw on the lid and let sit for one week, stirring occasionally until
the mixture becomes a smooth cream. Add the essential oils and mix
well. The polish is then ready to use.
Pomanders
Popular since Tudor times a pomander
will give off its scent for years. The Victorians hung pomanders in
their closets to ward off moths. Makes 6 pomanders
4 oz. ground cinnamon
2 oz. ground cloves
1/2 oz. ground allspice
1/2 oz. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 oz. ground coriander
1 oz. ground orris root (this, along
with the spices act as a preservative)
6 Seville oranges (select firm,
unblemished ones) or lemons or limes may be used instead
4 oz. whole cloves
Mix all the ground spices and orris root
thoroughly in a lidded earthenware dish large enough to hold all the
oranges. Stud the oranges with cloves, using a toothpick or large
needle to make the holes. Roll the oranges in the spice mixture and
leave them to cure. Cover the dish and stand in a warm place for at
least four weeks. Turn the pomanders daily. If the spice mix feels
damp, leave the lid at an angle to allow the moisture to evaporate.
After four weeks the oranges will have shrunk and hardened. Tie with a
ribbon if desired and hang in wardrobes, cupboards, Christmas tree or
display in a bowl. A pomander's scent usually lasts for several years,
yet may be refreshed by dipping the pomander in warm water, then
rolling it in fresh spices to which a drop or two of cinnamon or clove
oil has been added. Leave the pomander in the mixture for a few days
then use as before.
Herb Spheres
Use your creativity to create
beautifully scented spheres.
1 Styrofoam Ball (size may very)
1 Cup dried herbs or potpourri,
dried rose petals or dried small flowers for a 6" size ball
Pour
herbs mixture into a bowl. You may chose to ground leaves or petals in
a coffee grinder or food processor or glue them on separately. Cover an
area of the ball with glue and roll ball through mixture, covering an
area at a time. Cloves may be glued on separately. Cover ball with
waxed paper and firmly press. Allow to dry completely before adding
ribbon.
Door Sachets
Make small fabric bags and fill them with potpourri or cotton balls
impregnated with essential oil (ensure that the oil is at the center of
the cotton or it may stain the fabric). Fasten the sachets with ribbon
or cord and hang them on door handles. As the door is opened and closed
it will waft the fragrance around the room.
Lavender Sachet Bags
The most traditional of all scented bags, the lavender bag has enjoyed
such enduring popularity because it is deliciously fragrant and keeps
moths at bay. Makes 5 bags.
3
oz. lavender
1 oz. ground orris root
25 drops lavender oil
