The people at Laundry Tree gave me a $2.00 off coupon with my soap nut prize, and since they have really nice packaging (for which I am a sucker), I purchased some more soap nuts. I bought a medium sized bag and a little sample bag. Since I’d like to share the bubbly joy, I’ll send the sample to you. Maybe. The baggie has about 8 inside. No, wait. Exactly 8, if my tired eyes don’t deceive me. Math is hard. Here’s the deal: Tell me the vastness of your need to try out these sud-nuggets, and the third-best answer wins. If you don’t want them, tell me who I should send them to, and why. (Gee, you must really hate that person, huh?) 
soap
Speaking of soap….
I won a giveaway! Tiny Choices was having a soap nut giveaway, so I signed up and was one of ten winners!
That’s right – soap nuts. Consider me eco-overboard. Apparently soap nuts are berries from some tree (Brad will understand) that have a natural soap coating. (Don’t knock the idea – God made these.) You can toss a few of them in a little baggie and wash with your clothes (warm water), or boil them in some water and let them sit overnight to make a liquid soap.
I went with making the soak, and it was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. It was soapy! The smell of the actual stuff is a bit strange, and I’ll probably stick with my never-ending-box of cheap detergent, but it’s been a cool experiment. I’ve washed three loads with the recommended 1/4 cup amount of the liquid per load, and they smell just fine.
Someday I’ll have to make my own soap from purified lard I’ve taken from my own pig mixed with lye made by pouring water through hardwood ashes. I was born in the wrong time, I tell you. No, scratch that – pioneers didn’t have air conditioning, right?
Let’s give Peggy a hand!
We were coming home from church today and there was a little box sitting by the front door. I was excited because I thought it was something I ordered (more on that another day), but it was something even better – a package from Peggy!!
I was flummoxed about what she might have sent, so I made it be a reward and only opened it after cleaning up the kitchen and making lunch. I just about split my sides when I opened the box. Hilarious ‘hand’ soaps!! The funniest part is that she wrote a really sweet note thanking me for the ‘Miracle Bar’, and said she was sending some natural handsoaps along – and said NOTHING about their shape! Lloyd (and Beth) thought it was classic, too.
Thank you, Peggy!! They have a place of honor in the bathroom, and I’m torn between washing my hands with one right now or saving them forever. What a quandry…..
Copying Brad again.
We bought a new soap foamer at Wal-Mart today. As you may recall from Brad’s soap post, I said that I broke ours a while ago. We’ve had this one (the one on the left) for several years. I just refill it with a squirt of soap and warm water and shake it up. Anyway, it’s broken, so this is the new guy. We got it because…. big surprise here… it was the cheapest container. It’s kind of thick foam, and it doesn’t smell too bad, but the claims this soap makes are preposterous. “Refresh your thirsty skin with Dial Yogurt Nourishing Hand wash!… clinically proven to moisturize your skin… Yogurt protein is a natural skin conditioner that can help protect the skin from dehydration.” Oh, please. I know how this game is played. There’s not enough yogurt on my hands when I wash to ‘nourish’ them – and that’s just gross to have yogurt on your hands. No worries – in a few weeks, the contents will be gone and it’s back to good old Dawn.
A Spa Moment
I hate how my hands get in the winter. Dry and scaly. I’ve made lotion bars, which are helpful, but they don’t solve the fact that I scratch at my fingertips and have yucky spots. Beth gave me a hand scrub from Mary Kay which I highly recommend for everyday exfoliation, but you have to try this!
- Take about a tablespoon of sugar.
- Mix in about a half tablespoon of cooking oil. (I like light olive oil, but whatever you have is fine.)
- Stir it up, rub into your hands (without water) for a minute or so. Rinse with very warm water – awesome!
(By the way, I’d show my own hands, but I have self-image problems. They’re all veiny and weird. No sugar’s going to help that.)