DIY Green Laundry Detergent

Happy Monday Folks!

I just wanted to start off the week by thanking all of you who commented on my politics post last week. Politics is something I really care about, so I'm excited that y'all are eager to read my opinions. Your sweet comments really meant a lot to me, so thank you.

On a completely different note, it recently occurred to me the other day that I haven't shared one of my favorite DIY's that I use religiously. I make my own laundry detergent, and it's awesome.

I saw this on a blog somewhere and the girl just raved about how much money she saved and how awesome it was, etc. So I thought, "hey, why not give it a shot? I like saving money." So I went for it. This is hands down the best laundry detergent I've ever used (I started doing my own laundry at age 12 so I've had quite a bit of experience for my young age).

There are so many "feel good" benefits of making your own laundry detergent. It's "green" because this detergent is low suds so it doesn't pollute the water, and is safe for new front load washers. You aren't wasting water because it's powdered. You aren't wasting money on packaging, nor are you generating anywhere near the trash because you have to buy the ingredients so infrequently. Plus this doesn't have any heavy fragrances or dyes, so it's safe for sensitive skin.

You only need three things to make it. Borax, Washing Soda and Soap (try fels-naptha)

Borax ($3.38) (.42 per batch)

Washing Soda ($3.29) (.48 per batch)

Fel-Naptha Soap ($.99 per batch) (grate this with a cheese grater, or in a food processor)

Find a container that holds at least 4 cups (I used a 32oz yogurt container) Add a cup of Borax, a cup of washing soda and your fels-naptha. Shake it up until the three ingredients are relatively distributed. You'll only use 1 tbsp per load (medium size loads, use 1-2 tbsp for larger loads). That means that 1 batch will make 64 loads, ONLY 2.9 cents per load!!!! I mean what? Woah.

Powder Tide is $.44 a load;  Liquid Tide is $.24 a load. Not that I do a ton of laundry, but everyone loves a savings right?

Seriously I can't rave about this enough. While the soap grating is a slightly labor intensive process, I think it's totally worth it!

Do y'all have any good DIY's? Have you tried this? I'd love to know!

Weekend Motivation

Political Season is upon us...

When I started BDB I really intended it to be an outlet for all the things I cared about: makeup, fashion, beauty, all things feminine and sparkly, oh and politics. I know some of my more loyal readers remember when I did a weekly series I titled Politics 101, but I haven't done one in quite a while for a few reasons (I had plenty of other stuff to write about and sometimes I just need a break from all the political drama). Well ladies, this weekend kicks off the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Immediately afterwards, the Democrats will respond with their convention in Charlotte. The conventions have traditionally been the start of the election season, but now a days the 24 hour news media caused election season to be continuous. I mean really... post 2010 elections they started covering congressional and the presidential races the NEXT DAY. come on folks. Anyways. All of this is to say, presidential politics are about to become so pervasive in our lives, we wont be able to escape. (not going to lie, I'm slightly excited). Over the coming months, I'm going to be talking a little more politics around the blog. I hope y'all will still love me, even if you don't necessarily support the same candidate...

or my views on healthcare reform

or gay marriage

or taxes

or energy policy.

I promise, I'm not going to force my views on y'all. I have very strong convictions about my beliefs, and I'm sure you do as well. I would never want to disrespect that (and I would hope others would extend the same courtesy to me).

Well. GUESS WHAT. This girl is road tripping to North Carolina in a few days, and I.AM.SO.EXCITED. My schedule is triple booked quickly filling up for the week I'll be there. I'm not going to lie. This might be better than Christmas. I fully recognize I sound like a trecky at Com-icon, and I'm okay with it.  I'm going to be working for a certain candidate (I'll let you figure it out) during the convention, and staffing events for my real job too. needless to say it's going to be a whirlwind. 

I'll try not to let politics take over the blog too. Hope y'all will still like me when all of this is over. 

Guest Post: Pineapples and Pearls

Hey everyone! I'm Heather from Pineapples and Pearls! I'm a fellow DC blogger who adores Emily's blog and of course I was so flattered when she asked me to guest post!

I decided since Emily works on the Hill and I would assume that many of her readers do too that a very relevant post would be one on the LBD. When you work in a big city and your after work obligations leave you with zero time to change and often involve some of the same colleagues you see during the day, it's so essential to have an army of little black dresses at the ready so that you can throw on a blazer during the day and then head straight to cocktails from work. 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Let's forget for a second that I can't afford most of these dresses. What matters is the shapes. The perfect day to night LBD has a slightly low neckline so that it can pass for slightly revealing but certainly not one that shows any cleavage. Look for slightly fitted silhouettes, just above the knee, with interesting details - ruching, twists, wraps, a cowl neck. Also, invest in this piece. Don't break the bank but splurge just a little. Believe me, you'll end up wearing this dress several times a month for years to come.

Thanks so much Emily for letting me guest post! I hope yall will visit me over at Pineapples and Pearls!