The Vicky Challenge. Week 5.

We are out of order this week so that there would be a little more time for Valentines Day ideas. I have just counted my Vicky Challenge as usual with the two extra days.

I think I got February off to a pretty good start. If being busy counts then I have!  Also I started my soap making which was a goal for this year and have made five types of soap! This gives me a lot of soap to store plus a lot of gifts! Next week soap will be the theme of the Christmas Challenge. A lot of ladies have said they would love to make soap and it is fantastic and makes great gifts. It also goes with the beautiful towels, wash cloths, crochet cloths etc that many of us are making, giving gift sets which is lovely. My aim is to show several ways to make it so that absolutely everyone that wants to will feel confident to get going. Start saving moulds! (cartons, biscuit packaging, silicone shapes etc)

Ok this week my savings were....

I packaged up my wool mix so that I have a good supply for my own use and several gifts. it is hard to guess the savings here but giving it as gifts adds a lot, I will say about $50.

The instructions for use are on the tag as well as the recipe. I wanted sweet presentation to make them seem "gift worthy".

Next I made Rachel's laundry detergent. I made it two ways, as a liquid and as a solid like the wool wash is. I am pretty sure I have a years supply of laundry detergent! 

Rachel kindly wrote out the recipe for me and I had a lot of fun making this. I think it will last me a year so I will count a savings of $100. I will put up the recipe next week as part of the soap post.

Stat saving big jars and bottles!

I made the fishing trip picnic for two. $50.

All work lunches $100.

Bubble bath $25.

Got more painting done including a tray, a table, touching up, doors and skirting boards. $200

Made six powder puffs as gifts. (still have fabric to make another dozen or so) In the stores large luxurious ones, if you can find them at all, are $50. I will count them as $20 gifts = $120.

I was given a big bag of large store gift bags. A few minutes on each to cover store logos and decorate them gives me nine gift bags. Large ones are about $4 each here so this is $36!

Three pots of parsley are up and running in recycled pots, soil and the seeds from my gone to seed parsley. So I have three lovely pots to give as gifts in a few weeks $30.

I made three types of personal soap... the first was the glycerine soap and I got both Valentines Day gifts plus flower soaps for later gifts from this.

All up this made 15 soaps. Thank you Helen for this melt and pour soap! I loved it!

Then I made cold pressed soap (that is with caustic soda) and I got 18 soaps. It did turn out speckly though so I learned a lesson there on how not to add colour. I'm just going to pretend it's meant to be that way!

And then I made re batches soap from Lux Flakes. Ohhh I loved this! I got 15 from this batch.

Overall this was 46 soaps and if I say $3 each (and shops like Lush are much more) then that is $130. When packaged as gifts maybe more. I have the idea to package them in flat boxes as if they were chocolates...

Of course I did all the usual stuff, cooked all meals and cleaned and washed etc etc but I do not count any of that.

This still came to $811. So I am happy and I am so glad I am doing this. Firstly, it is like Feather your Nest Friday, looking back I know I was busy and productive but adding it up and looking at it I feel really pleased!  It is easy to be busy then wonder what on earth you actually did!

I really hope you have had a good start to the month and feel inspired to make and do more than ever.  xxx