Soap making -- I am reading up on how to.

I really, really, really want to make my own soap. I was taking down notes earlier in the year on how to make them. Then, I got myself busy in the garden. Then it was the 8 weeks holiday. Came back to continue with the gardening.

Now, ...with cold weather and being kind of cooped up in the house for longer time, I am really in want to do something I think I will enjoy.

For starters, I love bathing soap, why I don't know. Normally, for my birthday, Alex will buy me various soaps that may last me for 6 months or so. We do use the cream soaps but of and on, I would love to use a bar of soap. I just enjoy it.

So, I have been reading up on soap making and I do need to prepare some items, like a thermometer, moulds, pans, google ..... correction, goggle, gloves etc etc ......

I bought some varieties of oils last spring. I bought virgin olive oil and that was a mistake. I am not supposed to use virgin or extra virgin oil. I still have yet to buy coconut oil (which is not easy to get).

Yesterday, I read about Tallow being used for soap making. Tallow is actually suet which is beef or sheep's fat. Remember I told you that Akhbar bought us 5 kilos of meat. Stupid me threw away nearly 1 kg of fat. Well, I didn't know then.See more
20 September at 12:27

I read yesterday that, whether true or not I have no idea, that commercial soaps what we buy from the shops, that they are made with petroleum and detergent. Like I said, I don't know if this is true.

But what I know is that the oils that... we use for frying, that we can give them to the shop that sells french fries. So, we have been collecting our used frying oil and we store in the 5 litre containers or bottles and we bring these to the french fries shop. Alex asked the man once what do they do we it and the reply was that there is a company that comes to collect all these used oils and recycle it and make soap with it. I don't know if they make bathing soap with it, I don't think so, but perhaps dishwashing liquid or something like that.See more
20 September at 12:32


I have also been busy mending clothes, finally. Alex had a couple of jeans that were still good but had an area or two that needed mending. Now, he can always use these for the garden.

I have also mended my clothes, a seam or two that ne...eded new stitches. I darned some socks too. Hehehe, sounds like a frugal mom. I mended some of J boy's toys. Also made a rectangular bag and put in his noisy toy, the peep toy, where you press and release and it gives sound. I put that into the bad and sewed the edges closed. He loves that toy very much now.

I still have to wash his bitch and then, maybe fill her up with some cotton and sew her up again. She's has gone all limpy. He has this long toy, a stuffed toy that he uses of and on to release himself with. That's his bitch and you know what, we're not allowed to touch her. That's his. Every other toy, he let's us touch, except his bitch.

Ok. Am going to go continue with the ironing and then later fry rice for dinner.

Liz, how inspiring to know that one loves homemade soaps. I need to still do more research and watch videos and convert the ounces to metric measurement. I would love to make oatmeal and lavender soap. I have been harvesting the lavender... for a year now and would love to use them. Vanilla pods too have been saved. I don't know if that's a good idea, but I will see how it goes. It's such a trouble to get the thermometer. I may have to go to the bigger cities like Rotterdam to get them. I have been looking for them in my city but have yet to see one.See more
20 September at 12:48