Dear Broken Refrigerator,
I was so sad two weeks ago when I realized you didn’t want to be a part of our family anymore. First you let everything in the freezer door thaw. I thought that maybe I’d left you open too long. Then you decided our milk tasted better room temperature. Our three-year-old assures you, it does not. The final straw was the day you let an entire bag of frozen strawberries melt into a gooey mess that dripped from the top shelf onto everything below. I must add that it really wasn’t kind of you to give out on us only a few weeks after our one-year home warranty expired.
Hubby took off work to help me find your replacement. Our toddlers were forced to take their afternoon naps in car seats as we drove across the city searching discount appliance stores. We tried without avail to find one as new as you are for a reasonable price. Did you tell your friends we were coming? Thank goodness we found someone getting rid of their prehistoric garage fridge. I knew you were jealous when we transferred everything out to the garage, but I’m not the one that gave sour milk to the baby.
After giving you two days of rest (to defrost), I decided it wouldn’t hurt anything to plug you back in and use your filtered water until we could cart you off. I guess you weren’t ready to say goodbye either, because after a little electricity pumped through your veins, you worked like a new model. Joy upon joy! We were so excited that we cleaned your shelves and immediately moved all of the food out of the icebox era garage fridge.
The Culprit
What an evil trick to stop working again five days later! I’m sure you laughed as we took all of the food out AGAIN and hugged the yellowed clunker in the garage for saving us. So here we are. I don’t have the heart to unplug you again so I’m waiting for you to shape up or ship out. You make a lovely magnet holder, but I’m getting a little sick of balancing refrigerated items up stairs and through doors each morning to cook breakfast and pack lunches.
I feel a lot better writing this note and wish you the best in the future. I really thought we’d have a long relationship as we just moved into this house and all of your matching buddies work just fine. I’m not going to sugar-coat it for you. The dump can be a harsh place for shiny white appliances, but you leave me no choice. Thanks for the last year of cold dedication.
Love-
The Aarhaus Family
So I decided to run to COSTCO on a Saturday. Let me rephrase that, I decided to run to COSTCO Saturday… along with everyone else in southern Denver. Hubby works most Saturdays so it was just me and the boys. After dodging around sample tables and waiting in line, we made it through the checkout with our half dozen items and decided to grab a dog. Polish Sausage, that is. Again, maybe not the smartest idea alone with Super Big Helper Bubba and Mr. Grabby Hands Zeke, but we were hungry and I’m a huge hot dog fan.
Cart, two polish sausages, drink cups, and toddlers in hand, I tried to scope out a place to eat. The eating area was an explosion of abandoned, but full, shopping carts and packed tables. Then I saw them. Two little old ladies complete with winter bonnets sitting across from each other at a table for four. Why not, I thought. Ignoring the sideways glances I received from other tables, I leaned across a cart to the first grandmother. ”Excuse me…” I said. ”EXCUSE me,” this time a little louder as they both most of have been in their seventies. The sweetest blue eyes looked up and smiled as I asked if we could join them for lunch. “Of course!” they beamed and began clearing the table for us.
Bubba took a seat next to one grandma and I grabbed Zeke to dress the dogs. ”I’ll be right back, bud,” I said and watched from a few yards away as both grandmas cooed over Bubba, entertaining him as if he were there own. I returned just in time to see them completely captivated by Bubba’s explanation of his love for hot dogs. Throughout the next twenty minutes, we enjoyed our lunch with these sweet women. Their hands visibly shook and we had to repeat ourselves a couple times so they could hear, but it was worth the help I received juggling lunch with two little guys. They gave Bubba napkins and showered him with compliments. I forgot about what time it was and delighted as these two sisters (of four children I came to find out) told stories of raising their own children.
Later on the drive home, I couldn’t help but grin. Sometimes with my busy schedule, I forget to take time to enjoy my day. I also think that grandmas and grandpas can easily be swept aside in our rush because they don’t hear as well or march at our pace. I want my boys to see wisdom can be gained from even a minute or two with our elders. Sure, I’ve experienced a cranky old person or two, but for the most part, by taking time to say hello or ask about the weather, it’s amazing how quickly someone that is overlooked will open up. I could have walked right by those little angels at COSTCO, but something told me they were going to make my day. I think from now on instead of looking for open tables, the boys and I are going to see with whom we can share our lunch.
Brands I used
*** UPDATE HERE ***
I’m a closet hippie or so I’m told. Who knew this Army girl had earth-lovin’ tendencies? My latest project was homemade laundry detergent. It all started when an Army friend visited and told me all about how her homemade laundry detergent cleaned her clothes better than any name brand detergent. Did I mention she constantly washes the clothes of her marathoning hubby (think sweat) and her three boys (think dirt)? Her description also included easy and cheap… I was in.
There are hundreds of homemade laundry detergent recipes on the internet. I know… I think I looked at almost all of them. I opted for a powdered formula instead of a gel because I didn’t have a five-gallon bucket, nor did I really know what I would do with a five-gallon bucket of laundry goo next to my washer. I also looked specifically for low-sudsing recipes as I have a HE front-loading washing machine. Here is the recipe I used:
3 Cups Fels-Naptha Bar granules (1 cup equals about 2/3 of a bar)
3 Cups Borax
3 Cups Washing Soda
Mix together and store. Use 2 Tablespoons per load (1/2 Cup for regular washers).
Chopped up Fels-Naptha Bar
You probably just thought, Fels-huh? Believe it or not, I found all of the necessary items in the laundry aisle of my local King Soopers. The borax and washing soda came in powder form and the Fels-Naptha bars were ridiculously easy to grind up. The bars break apart with very little pressure (I used a butter knife) and grind into tiny granules with a few pulses of a food processor. I dumped the three ingredients together in an old plastic bin (first used as a dishwasher tab container) and shook the closed container to mix everything.
Final Product
Best part of homemade detergent? Two tablespoons seriously makes all of my clothes, even the huge loads, SO CLEAN! Next best part? Fels-Naptha bars smell fabulous. Even the kid at the King Soopers checkout said, “Wow, those smell awesome” when ringing everything up. The bars were $1.30 a piece and the borax and washing soda came out to about 40 cents a cup. If you can’t find the ingredients at your grocery store, I know they are also available on Amazon. The hippie in me loves that the detergent is phosphate free and and the mama in me thinks it’s an added plus that the formula is mild on my boys’ sensitive skin. Did I mention that this stuff really cleans?
Send me your questions as I spent way too much time during toddler naps researching laundry products. Besides a great detergent recipe, I also found out that Mrs. Stewart’s Concentrated Liquid Bluing (small blue bottle also in the laundry aisle) works way better than bleach on light-colored loads and plain old vinegar can replace store-bought fabric softeners. I’m a huge fan of Mrs. Stewart now and haven’t tried the vinegar trick, but I’ll let you know how it goes.
Well, I’m off to my next hippie project, reusable t-shirt grocery bags. We’ll see if hubby’s old shirts stand up to the test!
Lately, I love when people ask me what I do. I know it sounds crazy, but I love talking about being at home with the boys. When I was in the Army full time, it broke my heart to count the number of hours I was away from Bubba. I remember staring at my work computer screen while I reasoned that 24 hours in a day minus night-time sleep, minus the morning nap, and minus the afternoon nap… I was only missing a few hours of mom-time, right? It was hard for me to tell other moms that I was only able to spend a few hours a day with my kiddo.
Now I can’t wait to tell people about it. When someone asks, “What do you do?” I’m so excited to share my story. I really loved the Army and still do once a month in the National Guard, but leaving it was the best decision I’ve made so far. Imagine my surprise when I realized some stay-home-mamas feel self-conscious, guilty, even embarrassed that they are “just moms.” I’ve listened to women give excuses why they aren’t working outside of the home as if working as a mom isn’t a real job.
I was recently offered a job to go back to the full time Army again. I didn’t hesitate in my answer. ”No, thanks. I have a full time job now.” Sure, I don’t get a check every week for the number of dirty diapers I’ve changed or a progress report on my ability to weather toddler tantrums. Instead I’m paid in kisses and really sticky hugs. My progress report is my collection of honest statements from Bubba (“You’re my best friend, Mommy” or “Take a nap? You’re not my best friend, Mommy”).
My job as a mom definitely isn’t as publicly recognized as being an Army soldier, but I think it is just as important. Maybe I should start telling every mom I see, “Thanks for your service” as I would a soldier in uniform. I’ve learned so much this year, including the fact that my boys need me much more than the Army ever did. I’ve been called to stay at home with my sons. I’m just a mom and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
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