A trip to the post office.

1. Get out double stroller.
2. Set up double stroller.
3. Put #1 in stroller.
4. Put #2 in stroller.
5. Don't forget diaper bag.
6. Open 2 doors to get into the post office and try not to squish babies in the doors.
7. Woman slams third door into you. Nice.
8. Keep babies happy in line. Contemplate standing on your head.
9. It's my turn. What do I want? Where am I? Be grateful I wrote a LIST. For the post office.
10. Get what I need and head out.
11. Open three doors.. again.
12. Put #1 in the car.
13. Put #2 in the car.
14. She screams.
15. Give her snack.
16. She throws it.
17. Give it back to her.
18. She throws it.
19. Get snack off the ground and eat it.
20. Get stroller back in the car.
21. Get pregnant self back in the car.
22. Sit in car. Turn on music. Turn on AC.
23. Smile.

A conversation with the Sarah Bo.

Simply Nesting: The final week.

This week the challenge wasn't to clean up my home.. but my heart. There has been a move in the Hayes household for some time now to simplify.. get rid of the unnecessary.. things that could distract us from what is truly important. In order to help Jeremiah and I cast a vision for what that would look like for our family we came up with what we are calling the "Hayes Home Halakah". Halakah simply means "the way that one walks". How do we want to walk? How do we want our children to walk? How do we want to encourage others to walk? One of the pillars of our halakah is 1 Thessalonians 4:11:

Make it our ambition to lead a quiet, simple life; working with our hands.

Though there are many ways we have done this, one of the ones that stands out in my mind is getting rid of the television. What I have found is that even if I choose the best programming possible, I cannot control everything that comes through that box into my home. At first, I admit, this was not something I was excited about. I went along with it because Jeremiah thought it was a good idea and he is much wiser than I am.. and I trust his judgement. Several weeks later I was watching TV at a relatives house and I was floored. Naked women bathing is the shower? Check. Victoria's Secret commercials? Check. Sexual innuendo's? Check. What was I watching? HGTV. I was learning about home renovations and also exposing my children to things I simply do not think they need to be seeing. And, let's be honest, if they don't need to see it.. do I?

Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Phillipians 4:8

I still have to far to go.. This is just one way that we are simplifying our life and trying to set the right course for our family.. and in it all.. may God get the glory!

Simply Nesting: Making your own laundry soap!

I seem to do a TON of laundry. Anyone else? And with #3 on the way it will only increase. I'm not complaining.. I don't really mind.. although at times I have to step back in wonder at just how much laundry I can do each week. Awhile ago, when we started cloth diapering, I bought Country Save detergent in bulk on Amazon. It was inexpensive, easy on the environment, and I could use it both for the diapers and for our clothes. The thing is.. I didn't really like it for our clothes. It didn't seem to really get things clean enough for my liking. I was having a hard time stomaching the price of laundry soap, though. Cue the Duggar's. I love the Duggar's. A family that lives by their convictions, is debt free, and finds a way to be frugal at every turn - I honestly wish I could spend a few days with Michelle Duggar.. or that she was a neighbor.. so I could just watch their family in action. As I was reading through their book (which I totally recommend) I came across their recipe for clothes soap and decided to give it a whirl. (You can find their recipe HERE.) Within 20 minutes I was done and I had 10 gallons (yep, 10) of laundry soap. And, yes, this is for HE front loaders! Here is how I did it!

Ingredients for the actual soap:

1 bar Fels Naptha, grated (plain ol' Ivory works, too.. just nothing with perfumes or dyes)

4 cups hot water

1 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda (not baking soda, not A&H detergent!!)

1/2 cup Borax

Other necessities:

2 - 5 gallon buckets, plus lids (less than $3 a piece at Walmart)

1/4 cup measure

Soap dispenser (I used a water dispenser I picked up at Walmart, it was about $6)

How to:

Grate soap and add it into the 4 cups of hot water - stir over medium/low heat until dissolved. Fill your two 5 gallon buckets half full with hot water and put half of the soap water mixture in each bucket. Put 1/2 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda in each bucket, as well as 1/4 cup Borax in each bucket. Stir until it is all dissolved.

Because I'm kinda lazy I used a drywall-mixer-attachment-thing to stir it up.. and it worked great!

Fill with more water to the top of the bucket. That's it! At this point, I would recommend filling your soap dispenser up about half way.

FYI, homies: the soap kinda gels up so you have to shake your soap dispenser before each use and you have to stir up the 5 gallon buckets before you refill your soap dispenser. This is why I think it is best to just dilute the mixture when you make it (the Duggar's don't). Also, I still use Country Save for our diapers. I don't know if you can use this on your cloth diapers or not!

1 recipe of this stuff - 640 loads of laundry

1/4 cup of the soap per load.

And because Ruth asked, here is how I store it all:

Happy washing!

When you're Moses...

You wake up grouchy.. so mama snuggles you up on the couch.. and it's so nice you just keep on snoozing..

And once you're awake.. you have such a wonderful fashion sense that you insist on your footie pj's.. with sandals..

Sippy cup and Thomas the Train to accessorize...

Homeboy's got style.

It's a hit!

This weekend we went to "Touch a Truck" at Mcgee park. It totally surpassed our expectations. Cranes, firetrucks, tractors, semi's.. you name it, it was there. The kids could climb in, honk horns, even talk over the loud speakers. It was fun (and LOUD!!). I was so glad we went.

Hey look! A picture of me with both kids! Amazing.

Sarah Bo was such a trooper.

"Fire truck!!"

A fav, for sure.

More fire trucks!

The bus.. it was the #1 fav of the day. Go figure!

What a fun day!

Tomato-Tortellini Soup

This recipe will not earn me any awards for culinary innovation or high marks in the nutrition department, but it was ready in 15 minutes and we all (even the little people!) loved it! AND it's meat free and Jeremiah did not turn up his nose and ask for a burger. Delish.. I can't wait to make it again! (And I will.. Jeremiah asked if I would put in on the "rotation". See! It was a hit!)

Tomato-Tortellini Soup

2 14oz cans reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 9oz package refrigerated or frozen tortellini (more if your babies are pasta hogs!)

4oz chive and onion cream cheese

1 10.75 or 11oz can condensed tomato or tomato bisque soup

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to boiling. Add tortellini; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. In a bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of the hot broth into the cream cheese until smooth. Return all to saucepan along with tomato soup; heat through. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens "Quick-Fix Family Favorites" - thanks Keek!

Your Daily Sarah