Mile Stone

Today marks one month since I drove away from the green comfort of home. Nothing really spectacular has happened in the last month- just a lot of adjusting to life in a less-green, more-brown city. To commemorate my move, I thought I would share some of the pictures of my departure.

Cheap Laundry

Today, I finally did it! I made laundry detergent! Okay, okay. Hagmoth really made my laundry detergent, but I was making cookies at the same time. So, I feel that I had a part in it. It was relatively easy and inexpensive, thus I'll probably make my own laundry detergent for the rest of my life. I've also heard that it works better than a lot of the brands sold in the stores.

Here's what I did. I bought these three items for $8.27:


Then, we followed this recipe:

Liquid Laundry Detergent

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

* Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
* Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
* Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
* Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

And this is what I ended up with:

This was only half the recipe!

Once I use all of the six jars, I will probably switch to another recipe I found using the same ingredients to make powder laundry detergent instead of liquid. It seems like less work, even though the liquid detergent wasn't labor intensive to begin with. Soon, I'll also look into making reusable fabric softener dryer sheets. Until then, I'm using the $1.50 box from Macey's. (I just love, love, love Macey's!)

Powder Laundry Detergent
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

* Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
* Use 2 tablespoons per full load.

My Next Adventure? Finding the counter under all the dishes!

The Super Supermarket

I want grocery shopping with my friend, Hagmoth this afternoon. Now, while I spent almost every dollar in my checking account, I was really excited for today's purchases. So excited, in fact, that I decided to share them with you!

This may look like an ordinary gallon of milk, but it isn't. It's my first gallon of milk. Let me tell you, I am so ecstatic about eating cold cereal for breakfast tomorrow! No more burnt toast. Milk has been the one drink I have been wanting since last Saturday. Why did I not go get milk before today? Because Wednesday is my grocery day.

This is a picture of my cupboard. Each roommate will have their own cupboard to store food in. It looks a little bare, but that's because this food isn't all from today's grocery trip. I've eaten some since I first moved in. Also, I'm just starting out with stocking my cupboard. I can't buy everything at once, unfortunately. The last time I went grocery shopping, I bought a flat of Top Ramen. It's not the healthiest, but it works. However, it has helped me discover one of my favorite low-budget meals. I'm still working on improving this meal by a long shot, but I'll share its humble beginnings. You make the ramen, drain and put in a bowl. Then you take a spoonful of peanut butter and stir in the hot noodles to create a wonderfully tasting meal. Ah, it's so good that I have to remind myself to have some variety in my foods!


This is my food in the fridge. Isn't it just awesome?! I have things for sandwiches in there. But my most exciting purchase today were my fresh fruits and vegetables! I bought broccoli, a cucumber, a zucchini, some grapefruit, and some bananas. I think I'm set for the next two weeks! I also bought a few freezer items, but the freezer is too cold to have its picture taken. Can you tell that I am enjoying having my own kitchen?

Bon appetit!

My next adventure? Laundry

Welcome to Provo

I've been living in my apartment for the last five days, and I'm not quite used to all its quirks. For one, I'm not used to hearing the noise from the people living upstairs- walking around and just living noise. Secondly, I cannot work the toaster here. Let me clarify. I am physically able to put bread in the toaster and push the button down. However, both times I have tried, the heat was too high and the toast ended up looking like this.

Sunday was my first week in the ward. Everyone was really nice and I'm looking forward to attending a comparatively small ward. It might not be small once school starts, but I'll enjoy the small numbers for now. My knowledge of emergency exits was tested when the fire alarm went off during Relief Society. I followed the gal who sat next to me to the nearest exit and over to the ward's emergency meeting spot. Quite an adventure.

Yesterday, I decided to go for a walk to enjoy the outside. Although, I didn't pay attention to where I was going as I was lost in thought. So, I walked and walked and walked. I walked almost till my legs gave out. I turned around to go back home and realized I had no clue where I was or how to get back. I contemplated trying to find my way back, but I wasn't too confident in doing so, plus I was really tired. So, I called my good friend, Hagmoth to come to my rescue. She and her husband located me on the map and promptly picked me up. They treated me to a kid-size Frosty from Wendy's (small and cheap, perfect for the college student budget) before taking me back to their apartment to watch some movies and laugh. I would come to find out later that I was only a mile from my house.

It's times like those that I am glad to have at least one friend where I am. I probably could have figured out how to get home eventually but not before exhausting myself completely.

My next adventure? Grocery Shopping.

Steppin' Out With My Honey

Memorial Day Weekend: A time for sun, food, family, friends, and usually some traveling.

This weekend was a lot of fun! I almost wish it hadn't ended. I visited Mister E's family with him. We drove over Saturday afternoon, stopping for milkshakes at a great diner that I know of on the way! As we were nearing town, we caught a glorious sunset.


On Sunday, I experienced my first bonfire. Alright, alright... It wasn't really my first bonfire, but it was the first one I can remember in a backyard! All of us enjoyed roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the coals of the first fire and the flames of the second fire!


Boy, were those coals hot. The longer the stick, the less heat you had to endure! But the food was really good. I have to admit that I ate more than my fair share of s'mores! In my defense, Mister E was trying to roast the marshmallow the way I prefer, which took several attempts and sampling.


While the entire weekend was wonderful, I especially enjoyed hanging out with his family without having to "share" them with others. We went to the river on Monday to go swimming... rather wading in the freezing cold water! Swimming was just not an option in that temperature. We did manage to get a little wet, though.


Mister E's house is very lovely. The yard is full of fruit trees and nut trees. There are trees everywhere! I absolutely fell in love with all the apple, pear, cherry, plum, peach, and walnut trees strewn about the property. By suggestion from his mom, we posed for pictures at one of the walnut trees. The pictures where he is smiling just happen to be the ones that aren't clear. Ah, the irony.


It was such a beautiful weekend, and the beauty of the land grows on you. Many beautiful sunsets are seen as well.

Hymn Humming

There are about four weeks left until my big move! It's so crazy to think I am actually moving to Utah and attending UVU. Someone pinch me. I'm afraid to wake up and find it never really happens.

Along with the excitement of getting ready to move, I've had a lot of scary realizations. This is a big, scary step in my life. I've double and triple checked with Heavenly Father that I am doing the right thing. So far, the answer hasn't changed, and it won't. I am more scared to move to Utah than I was to travel to Russia.

As I sat in the adult session of Stake Conference, a speaker read a verse of the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" (Hymn No. 85). It really stood out to me and has become my current motto. I found myself strengthened by the words as I listened to them read over the pulpit. I found comfort in them as I sang all seven verses while putting the dishes away. I know the Lord brought this hymn to my remembrance to aid me as I prepare to survive on my own in a far away place, with strange people.

The great adventure is about to begin!

Commence Countdown

I tallied the days left on the calendar until my move to Provo today. There are less days than I thought! The total is less than fifty!! That is not a lot of time to accomplish everything I need to. However, it is not time to panic... yet. That will come when I have two weeks left.

The rental agreement for my apartment arrived today. Signing the agreement will make this real. So far my move has been in the planning and talking stages. I started announcing it soon after I returned from my trip to Utah three weeks ago, but it felt so far into the future. It felt almost as if I was imagining that I would move to Provo. Yet, now it is almost here! There is so much to do before I move: replacing my windshield, packing my life (most of it rather), arranging my finances, finishing my current classes, planning YSA activities.

This is where I must say my two cents about lists. I have a love-hate relationship with lists. I abhor them because I have spent at least the last decade of my life being told to make a list. That is my rebellious nature coming out. However, I have come to recognize the helpfulness of lists over that same decade of my life. I have a list of tasks I need to accomplish in the next 40 days; I have a list for items I need and want to take with me. I think I may even have a list of lists! Boy, do I have a lot to do over the next six weeks!