Homemade Laundry Detergent, 25 hours to Mobile and Valentine's Day

Homemade Laundry Detergent...

Ok, so I'm really excited about this detergent for several reasons:

1. SO easy to make: Grate one bar of soap (I used ivory because that's what I had on hand, but I want to find a more natural soap next time) and mix with one cup of Borax and one cup of washing soda. Use just one tablespoon of mixture per load.

2. It's a dry detergent mix so there's no giant bucket of slime to keep around. I put my mixture in a medium sized Glad food storage container.

3. It works great! I've used it on about 8 loads of laundry so far, both whites and darks and both come out very clean!

4. It's super cheap. The cost calculated out to about .05 per load.

5. It's been great for my allergies. I'm extremely allergic to most standard laundry detergents, but I haven't been bothered with this which is awesome.

25 Hours to Mobile...

10:30 pm: Leave for Mobile Alabama from J. Alexander's Restaurant.

2:30 am: *BANG ,CLASH, THUMP*. Lee runs over unidentified object in road on I-65.

2:55 am: Finally get to an exit just outside Cullman, Alabama. Engine stops as we pull off the exit and cruise into a closed gas station next to a Super 8 motel-the only things at this exit.

3:15 am: Check into Super 8.Try to sleep.

7:45 am: Lee checks car. Oil and gas everywhere. Drag all luggage, carseat and various other items into hotel. Call tow truck and have it taken to repair shop.

9:30 am: Damage assessed: punctured oil pan and gas tank, engine must be replaced-totaled. About this time we also realize there are no cars for rent in Cullman, Alabama. Next closest rentals available, Birmingham, Alabama an hour away.

12:30 pm: Lee's friend's pastor drives from Birmingham and takes us to a mall in the city.

2 pm: Arrive at the mall where we wait with 3 suitcases, a carseat, diaper bag, purses and other items like hobos inside the mall entrance.

2:30 pm: Titus is hungry....and we realize we left his bottle at the hotel. 45 minutes later we find the only bottle in the mall at $20.

4:30 pm: Lee's brother and sister-in-law arrive from Mobile to pick us up.

11:30 pm: Arrive in Mobile.

We are so thankful for so many things that happened during that 25 hours:

1. That the punctured gas tank didn't explode.

2. That we got to meet and be encouraged by Lee's friend's pastor from Birmingham and talk with him about church planting and his church.

3. We were able to laugh together and grow as a couple.

4. That we were able to enjoy time with Alan and Rachael on the ride back to Mobile.

Valentine's Day...

Needless to say, Valentine's day was almost passed over this year considering it came right after we returned from a very eventful weekend in Mobile. Nevertheless, I was able to spend most of the day with Titus and got to buy his first Valentin's day gift of a Mickey plush and I spent the rest of the day working on Lee's gift of a deck of cards of 52 reasons why I love him. It was a good exercise. Lee surprised me Friday by staying home from work and presenting me with a purple Orchid plant and a little notebook project he is calling his "Melissa Study Book". Apparently I am to write things about me in categories he provides so that he can "study" me. I thought that was very creative and thoughtful of him! I enjoyed this valentine's day.

'Bama Bound and 10 Months

'Bama Bound...

We leave tomorrow night for Alabama to visit Lee's parents and Alan, Rachael and Jonah visiting from Hollywood! It will be the first time we get to see Jonah and I am so excited for Titus to meet his cousin! Expect lots of pics :) My sister-in-law has been a wonderful friend to me during the sometimes lonely days that frequent a stay-at-home-mom with a baby. We text often throughout the day and I have been encouraged by her. It will be good to spend face-t0-face time with her for a change. The trip will be a much needed rest as the week leading up to traveling is always more stressful than normal. I always have high expectations and goals of leaving a perfectly clean home and executing every errand and checking off every item on my to-do list so that I can travel and enjoy family in peace. I have yet to successfully pull this off, but here I am trying again. Maybe this time....

We will be driving down through the night to maximize our time with family, minimize time away from work and so that the little stinker sleeps through the night since the poor little guy doesn't much like being trapped in his car seat for 10 hours! I don't blame him. Pray for alertness and safe travels. It has worked well for us in the past, but we always want to be cautious and seek the Lord's protection especially while driving at night. Besides, we aren't really sure which is more dangerous, driving through the night or driving while listening to a screaming baby! At least this way one of us gets to sleep through the trip.

10 Months Old...

Titus turned ten months old today! So many comment that it must feel like time has flown by. Honestly, it feels like a very perfect amount of time has gone by. While it still feels strange at times to be parents at what feels like such a young age, I think we have truly enjoyed the surprise blessing the Lord has given us and to such a degree that we feel like we haven't been too busy or too caught up in life to have missed out on enjoying his first year. I am thankful for that.

Ten months has brought what I feel to be just the beginning of parenting challenges. To this point Titus has been a very easy baby. I don't have much to complain about even now, but I feel the tide is starting to change. He now understands the meaning of "no" and doesn't like it one little bit! He gets very angry when he's told no and I often have to turn my head to keep from showing my amusement at his humorous flailings and facial contortions in his fits of frustration. Why is it that sin looks so cute in a little person? I see my biggest challenges are going to be in consistency and patience. Disciplining and correcting Titus is such an awesome lesson, however small in comparison, in learning how great the Lord's patience is towards us. Not only that but His loving and gentle patience and in His willingness to remain faithful to Himself in His consistency in correcting our sin and drawing us to Himself. We think the child is the one learning all the lessons and new things. I feel like parents have an equally great syllabus.

Advocare 24 Day Challenge Day 4

If the video and audio do not sync up for you, here is a link to the youtube version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDruaVdv4PY&feature=youtu.be

Bible Studies, Work Spaces and Advocare

Bible Study? But...everything else....so much to do...

With a baby, a home to clean, dinners to fix, exercising to be done, friends to catch up with, sewing jobs and a host of other projects and to-do lists, I find it very hard to sit and meditate on anything without becoming very distracted. A thousand other things flood my mind every moment of the day it seems like and lately I have been in desperate need of being still and knowing He is God. Part of that comes through studying and meditating on His word. No simple task for me. I have found something that truly does help though and I'm really excited to share with other moms about "The 17:18 Series".

http://www.the1718series.com/

This is a series of "journibibles" that lays out verse-by-verse pages of empty spaces to write down your own copy of the scripture. I find this so helpful in being forced to focus on the Word and cultivating a clear mind ready to meditate on each verse. They even have empty pages by each verse page to write down your thoughts or prayers related to a specific passage. Topical study and devotionals are always helpful, but there is nothing like meditating on the Word itself in quiet. Of course, I do this during Ty's naptimes. I relish the quiet and calm. But I also love going and getting him out of his crib with he wakes up! I mean, who doesn't want to get this face out of bed....

Home Purging...

One of the best feelings in the world! I have so graciously been given two sewing jobs from home and it was so hard to try and sew when I didn't really have a space and Titus can't stand for me to be in the other room. So, not only have I been working on purging out our home and deep cleaning and organizing it, I've also created a little work space in what was once our dining room. With Lee's work schedule the way it is, we never get a real time to sit and eat a meal at the dinner table. So, the dining room is now more or less my work space for sewing and craft organization. I can't work in a cluttered or ugly space. So, I'm working on making it quiet, pleasant and clean :) I look forward to my work.

A Challenge...

I'm starting the Advocare 24Day Challenge tomorrow. My parents have had a lot of success using Advocare and with still more baby weight to lose, I'm excited to see what it will do for me! I'm highly motivated by competition, so just the word "Challenge" in the title gives me a desire to conquer it! I will try to post a initial description of the products on the blog and then, of course, I'll be updating occasionally and giving a final review at the end of the 24 days. Looking forward to it. In the meantime, here's some information on Advocare, go to:

dietsecretstosuccess.blogspot.com

...and click on the advocare link. ID# 110913794

.......I hear Titus talking to himself in his crib :)

Colds, news and I won a giveaway!!

So, the past two weeks have been really busy with lots of news and projects. Most of which I can't share...yet. But, hopefully soon we'll be able to share some exciting stuff with everyone! (And, no, I'm not pregnant).

This week has also been busy with being sick and taking care

of a sick little boy and now Lee has caught his share of the fun. One thing I can share with you is that I recently won a giveaway for a free t-shirt from Baby Chi Chi! You can visit them on Etsy. I picked out a cute birthday shirt for Ty and can't wait to get it!

Titus has started standing on his own and we expect him to take his first steps on his own any day now! Here are a few cute photos I took this week:

Bath Time

9 Month Photo

Toy Story Playtime

More Joy Dare:

2. a gift outside, inside and on a plate (I guess I interpret this literally...)

Outside: This is a tuff one since it's freezing outside and wet and icy...but, I think I will go with being thankfully that Lee's car (which counts...since it's outside, right?) is running. Sort of had a scare with that this week, but it seems every thing is alright!

Inside: I love drinking coffee out of my Cinderella cup from Disney :-)

On a plate: um.....avacados. Love. Them.

XOXO

Melissa

Back on the Blogosphere...

It's been at least a year since I've tried blogging. Having a baby was a bit of a distraction! However, I think that taking 10-15 minutes of my day to sit down a write a bit about what is going on with the Mungers or on some other topic that would be edifying would be healthy and fun! Who am I kidding, probably not every day...

January is going to be an exciting month of changes. I'm working on one thing in the house *organize,organize,organize*. A little throwing stuff out (which means taking it to the attic-a free store for students on campus for those of you who don't know) and an effort to concentrate my time and energy on far fewer things than I've attempted in the past. I have a bad habit of spreading myself too thin. I'm interested in too many things and want to learn/try every new thing I can. Lee will be starting classes again this month after having been off for an entire semester. That will take some adjusting. Titus is on the brink of walking. That will also take some adjusting. Tax season is upon us and we're anxiously awaiting our W-2s. And last and most exciting is the Historical Ball on the 21st! And yes, Lee is going. And yes, he's wearing period costume. And yes, he's the best ever! *oh, and yes, there will be pictures*

My accountability group is going through a book called, Choosing Gratitude-Demoss, and I came across this little challenge on a friend's page and thought it would coincide perfectly with the humbling book we're going through:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

I think I accept the challenge and challenge you to do the same. So, here goes...

1. Three things about yourself you are grateful for

1. My ability to go 5 days into 2012 semi-keeping my resolutions

2. The lack of fear in my heart that continues to diminish as I grow closer to Christ

3. I'm grateful that I find Titus more of a joy than work

I look forward to posting more and maybe even complete a year's worth of blogging!

soli deo gloria