Our first meeting!!

Thanks to everyone who came to our Provident Living meeting!! I had a great time! We learned how to cut hair from Tamara Rowley. It was so great! I have been cutting my families hair for awhile, but I learned a ton! Here are a few other pictures (including a picture of the chemical toilet).

Hair Cutting

http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cutting-boys-hair.html
My mom showed me how to cut my boyfriend's hair when I was 18. Now that I am married, I cut my husband's hair and my 12 year old son's hair (my 18 month old does not have enough hair to cut yet! Maybe in a few years....)

We have saved a lot of money through the years. Luckily Brian has a little bend in his hair that covers any mistakes. My son Tyler, on the other hand, has stick straight hair that is less forgiving, but we cut it anyway.

If you can't make it the meeting tonight, there are many other ways to learn to cut hair. You could ask a friend how knows how, watch your barber and learn, go on Youtube.com and type in: How to cut men's hair or cutting hair. Watch the videos. You can also check out books at the library (Hair Cutting for Dummies or something like that.) For the first few practice times, you can bribe your sons and pay THEM. You will eventually do great.

I use a combo of clippers and scissors for my 12 year old and just scissors for my husband. This is a great skill to learn.

Here is a good description of how to cut hair.

http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/2009/03/save-some-cash-cut-your-own-kids-hair.html

Homemade Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Detergent
I felt pretty handy. I was trying to think of a way to buy and store a year's worth of laundry soap. Brian is allergic to all the cheaper brands so it would be kind of expensive to buy all of that Tide. Well, I found a recipe to make it and I did it. It was actually super fun. Next time I will have the kids help me. I have been using it for about two weeks and it works great and is SUPER DUPER cheap. I have been using it for about a year and I haven't noticed a change in how clean the clothes are. The great thing is that it is super compact (two smallish boxes and a bar of soap--I use Fels Naptha).

Here's the recipe and the link. http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/

Making the Laundry Detergent
The only ingredients you actually need for homemade laundry detergent are as follows:

The ingredients

1 cup washing soda (I use Arm & Hammer)
1/2 cup borax (I use 20 Mule Team)
1 bar soap (I use Fels Naptha which is a little more expensive)
Approximately 3 gallons water

(For all the instructions, go to the link above. After it is finished, it is lumpy and watery. I used a hand mixer to break up all the chunks and make it more uniform. As it sits there, it separates a little, but you can just shake it up and it will be fine). I put mine in old liquid laundry containers and an old vinegar bottle (gallon and a half size). I use about 1/2 cup per load. I just shake it up before I pour it out.


I will be ordering the ingredients for this, so you can sign up to get some through your ward rep. I will bring the ingredients to the next Stake Meeting.
For my whites, I still use bleach and a white booster (Oxyclean or something like that)

Chemical Toilet

I have a friend (with seven children) who had a problem with her sewer. Her husband was gone and it couldn't be fixed for a few days. It made me think, what would I do? Here is a way to be a little more prepared. I found a great deal on used 5 gallon buckets and a simple toilet seat that fits on it. If you want one, please tell the Provident Leader in your ward and I will bring one to the next preparedness meeting for you. They will be $7.50 each (for the 5 gallon bucket and the lid). You can add what you want in the bucket. Below are some suggestions. I will also post links for getting a "real" emergency toilet.

Emergency Chemical Toilet
(I got this from a great site http://preparednessmatters.blogspot.com/)

The following items should be stored together inside a five gallon plastic bucket. The bucket will serve as the toilet during an emergency.

* 5 gallon plastic bucket
* 1 large box of garbage bags--30 gallon size
* 1 gallon of liquid chlorine bleach
* 2 Rolls toilet paper
* Paper towels
* 1 bar hand soap or hand sanitizer
* (Optional, Tampons, pads, and diapers, shovel)

To use this toilet, simply remove the contents from the bucket, insert a large plastic garbage can liner into the bucket and fold the edges over rim of the bucket. Mix one cup of liquid chlorine bleach to one half gallon of water (1 to 10 ratio--do not use dry or powdered bleach as it is caustic and not safe for this type of use) and pour this solution into the bucket. This will kill germs and ensure adequate coverage. Though the bucket may be uncomfortable, it certainly beats the alternative.

After each usage, replace the lid securely upon the bucket to keep insects out and to keep the smell contained. When the bucket is one third to one half full, tie the garbage bag liner shut and dispose of it appropriately (i.e., burying it, placing it inside a large covered metal garbage can for later disposal, or placing it in an approved disposal location.) Put another liner inside the bucket and continue as above.

This would be a great thing to take along if you ever had to leave home in a short emergency (with your 72 hour kit).