DIY liquid hand soap

this was such an easy and fun diy project--making liquid handsoap from bars of soap!

all you need is:
2 bars of soap and a grater
vegetable glycerin
water

to start, you grate the bars of soap (which is actually very quick and easy).

then you put the grated soap into a pot and add 2 tbsp. of vegetable glycerin. (this amount may change depending on the bar of soap you use.  i started with 1 tbsp, and it just wasn't enough).

next you add 10 cups of water.

and heat on the stove until the soap is completely dissolved.

then you let the soap completely cool, and it will be ready to use!  i poured it through a funnel into my soap dispenser and am storing the rest under the sink for future use.  

what a plant knows

i just finished this book the other day.  it is a fascinating book and a quick read.  each chapter covers a different sense and how plants use that sense (what a plant sees, what a plant smells, etc.).  thinking about plants in terms of human "senses" shows how intelligent plants can seem to be.  the book presents intriguing information with scientific studies and findings--but i never felt overwhelmed or inundated with the research.  this book gives an excellent view into the story of plants--a story that most people never think about.  i would definitely recommend this book if you want to learn about a different side of plants.

i also happened to catch a super cool special on PBS called What Plants Talk About.  it was an excellent special and directly related to the book i just read!  how cool is that?