::EDITED::Frugal Dishwasher Detergent Works For Me!::EDITED

I quite happened upon this by accident. Actually, I was procrastinating at making homemade laundry detergent :)

One day as I was loading up my dishwasher, I realized I had run out of detergent! My Cascade had finally been used up. Mildly panicking as payday was about a week away and I didn't want to wash all my dishes by hand until then, I happened upon the ingredients list on the box.

It read:
Main ingredient: Sodium carbonate

My mother took chemistry when my sister and I were little so I put two and two together and came up with ...

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda! Which contains the same ingredient: sodium carbonate. This stuff is like $2.00 (approximately) per box and you just use it like you would Cascade.

(Okay, I can't take all the credit for my discovery...God lead me to it ! :)

So, not paying for overpriced dishwasher detergent with a bunch of other chemicals in it...definitely Works For Me!

EDITED:: A couple of you asked if that was all I used. Yes and no :) Yes I don't use any other detergent. No, I use a pinch of salt and some vinegar with the detergent as well. Sorry about leaving that out.::

WFMW: Not Brushing My Kids Teeth

Okay, before you call child services on me, hear me out!

How many of you ladies like to sit there and watch your children like a hawk while they brush? I thought as much. None of us like to do it and it hardly yields satisfying results..at least in my household it doesn't. Often I end up brushing the child's teeth myself. Which, the whole idea is to encourage good hygiene and taking care of one's body...not having Mom do it all the time.

However, neither do I want my children's teeth rotting out of their heads. What is a mother to do?

Enlist the help of a sibling! I have my sons brush the sides of each other's teeth to get those hard to reach areas. They have fun and keep their teeth sparkling. There is also the competition factor about whose teeth are actually cleaner...more motivating than a trip to the dentist! :)

Not brushing my kids' teeth works for me!

Number Bingo...Works for Me!

Early this week, I happened upon a website that is chock-full of fun, creative ideas to help your children learn their numbers, learn to read, explore their world, etc. Check out www.education.com and you won't be sorry! Did I mention that it is all free, too? Oh, and they have things categorized according to age appropriateness!

We tried out Number Bingo yesterday....the boys were hooked! We "played" for about 30 minutes and then there was a lot of whining and complaining that we had to stop for recess!

You could adapt the Bingo to suit any educational need. We are going to do Letter Sounds Bingo next week.

For more helpful ideas check out Rocks In My Dryer!

WFMW- Keepin' Your Thighs from Catching Fire

Like most women, I am a little blessed in the inner thigh area. And I find that if I wear skirts without pantyhose (which I haven't worn since before Mr. Dramatic was born...over six years ago) my thighs rub together. It is extremely annoying to be walking along all smooth and then you practically trip because your thighs are glued together. Well, maybe none of you have had this problem, but it is one that has plagued me.

My solution?


As you apply deodorant to your underarms, rub some on the inside of your thighs! Works like magic! You can keep the friction level down and avoid inner thigh burns.

How did I stumble upon this fabulous tip you might ask? Quite by accident. I figured that I could at least keep my thighs from sweating so much from the friction and voila! Inner thigh lubricant!

For more ingenious tips, check out WFMW at Rocks in My Dryer

Works for Me Wednesday

Yay, I am so excited to participate in Works for Me Wednesday! So here is what works for us...

With two boys under the age of five, we get a lot of boo-boos over here. Lots of bruises, scrapes and bumped heads.



Enter Arnica Gel...



This green goo provides a soothing anti-inflammatory barrier. Works like magic on gooseggs and other cranial injuries. Plus it can double as a blemish creme. Arnica Gel won't prevent the pimples, but it will make them disappear overnight!

We have thoroughly tested the product over here in the FITPH household. It gets our stamp of approval! For more creative ideas check out Rocks in My Dryer!