DIY Baby Wipes

I've posted about homemade baby wipes before, but I switched up our recipe after I started getting nauseous from the smell of our old ones.  think it was the vinegar/Dr. Bonner's combo.

We bought wipes for quite awhile and then one day while dawdling in Trader Joe's, I picked up tea tree oil and brought it home. It stayed in the toiletry closet for a month before I finally said, "Ok! It's time to make a batch of wipes." (Or maybe because we were out of wipes and I didn't want to buy more).

The Recipe: DIY Baby Wipes

What you need:
1 roll of absorbent paper towels
2-4 cups of water
2 tbsp shampoo/soap
1 tbsp coconut oil
5 drops of tea tree oil

Cut the roll of paper towels in half so that you have 2 rolls that are about the size of a roll of toilet paper. A sharp knife helps, but it takes some elbow grease! Place one of the halves in a tall container (ours is from Target) and the other in a baggy for your next batch.

 Boil 2 cups of water for 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of shampoo, 1 tbsp coconut oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil. Whisk until combined (may get a bit soapy). Pour mixture on top of paper towels and close lid. Allow the paper towels to soak up the mixture for 30 mins, then turn the container over. Store in a cool, dry place.

TIPS:
*You may have to add more water depending on the absorbency of your paper towels. Remember to boil it first.

**The tea tree oil should work as a disinfectant and keep the wipes from molding (yep. they might.) We haven't had a problem with ours, yet (and it's been WAY humid).

***If you have trouble with the wipes molding you can store them in the fridge. Sweet P didn't mind the coolness of the wipes, but other kids might!

I also take ours on the go in an old wipes' package or you can place them in a baggy.

Did you try this recipe? How did it go?

Do you make your own wipes? What are your ingredients?

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Taggy Blanket

I've been wanting to make a taggy blanket for a loooong time. A friend made one for Sweet P when she was about 3 months old and I've been looking for a reason (and some motivation...and some fabric) to make one since then. While Gammie was visiting we found some fabric that would work and I set it aside (of course, I didn't make it for another few weeks).

I ended up making 2 and I'm pretty excited about how they turned out. One was for my cousin Valerie's baby boy to be and the other is for baby brother. The ones I made were really small, they are about 8 in x 8 in.

I can't believe how simple it was. The hardest part was pinning down the ribbons! I can't wait to give it to baby brother!

Muffin Tin Monday

It's been awhile since we've participated in a Muffin Tin Monday, but I couldn't resist after I found these cute silicon cupcake flowers in a bag of stuff that needed to be returned. I decided to keep them because it'd been months since bought them and because I decided the price was right. Before I made Sweet P some muffin tin madness, I let her play with them for awhile (and boy, did she have a ball). She calls them "cuppies."

The theme this week is spring! These flower shaped cups fit great into that theme. I also decided to go with a dipping theme because she wanted hummus for dinner and our muffin tin was born. This was also on a Friday, but I'm posting it on a Monday and that counts in my book!

Clockwise from top left: feta cheese, hummus, carrots, broccoli, apples, pita and in the middle, peas.

And yes, my little hummus lover dips apples and feta cheese in it as well.

Tot School: Week 2

Sweet P is 18 months old

Here's what we've been up to this week:

Playing in the garden: A month or so ago, the Farmer and I built raised garden beds for next spring. Sweet P thinks they are her very own dirt boxes. Needless to say, we've spent a lot of time lately outside with some beach toys (and some kid cooking tools) playing in the dirt. Luckily, we have had some pretty good days of weather lately.

Books: We checked out a few fall related books from the library. Here is she is reading "I Can Be Anything" by Jerry Spinelli. It's a great book with a lot of different things to point at. She, of course, looooves the balloons. We also did a lot more reading of our Fisher Price "Let's Get Moving" book.

Other books:

One Tractor: A Counting Book by Alexandra Siy

Snow Pumpkin by Carole Lexa Schaefer

Piggies by Audrey & Don Wood

Fred's Bed by Marilyn Singer

Nature walks: The weather has been nice enough to do a few of these this week, too! The Farmer took her on Sunday and these pics are from last Monday. She loves tractors and liked getting to see one up close.

Baggies: Sweet P's new favorite activity is to pull everything out from under the sink and all the sandwich baggies out of their box. Here she is helping me stuff them back in.

Sidewalk Chalk: ALWAYS a hit with this kiddo.

Playing with puzzles and color sheets from Confessions of a Homeschooler: She's not totally into listening to me tell her colors, yet. She just calls everything "boo" for blue. She's also only mildly interested in the puzzles. Once she gets one together she's excited, but loses interest preeetty fast. I'll keep showing them to her so see if she gains any interest.

Leaf Art: We collected leaves from the backyard and pasted them with a glue stick to an orange piece of construction paper. She really liked pushing them down onto the paper.

Stickers from Auntie RoRo (Rosita): We haven't played with stickers in awhile so it was fun to see her actually stick them to the paper! She did a great job! Thanks for the stickers, RoRo!

Melissa & Doug puzzle: Gammie got this for Sweet P over the summer and I'm embarrassed to say that I only just now remembered to buy AAA batteries for it! She is WAY more into it now that it makes noise when you put the animals in their spots.

More playing outside in the dirt and stomping through leaves with mom: She also desperately wanted to follow the Farmer around while he mowed the lawn, which we all know is not the best idea.

That's a little of what we've been doing this week! What have you been up to this week?

Baby Alive

We don't buy Sweet P a lot of toys. Most of what she has, she received as a gift from one set of grandparents or the other. And though she may not have a lot of toys, trust me. The kid is never bored. She doesn't even play with most of her stuff, she looks for things like a measuring spoon or a sippy cup and walks around with those in her hand all day.

So. After saying we don't buy her a lot of toys. I've come to tell you that I bought her her first hard body baby doll this week. It's a "Better Now Baby" Baby Alive doll (I picked it because it had a hard body and was on sale) and she loves! it. I tried to let her pick which doll, but the one she wanted had moving arms and legs and made scary noises...and kept making the noises long after we'd moved down the aisle. No, thank you. Not bringing that into my house. The last thing I need is to hear some creep-o doll talk in the middle of the night. Nope.

She knew exactly what to do with the baby, too. Sponges, I tell you, these kids are sponges! She picked her up and rocked her, hugged her, carried around the room, kisses her if prompted and gives her water from the doll's sippy cup. I'm excited for this doll to play a role when we have another baby (this is NOT an announcement). It has a diaper and wets if you give it water (which we don't). She also came with a thermometer, stethoscope, blanket, band-aids (which we also don't use!) and a medicine spoon.

Try as I might, I was unable to snap a good photo of her with the baby, but here are the ones I got. Oh, and she's definitely a fan of the doll's ponytail on top of it's head. It's in her mouth constantly. Shocker.

At least the doll's in focus

It's my party...

And I'll brag if I want to! Have I ever bragged about Auntie Rosita? Probably, but let's talk about her again. Sweet P's fabulous decorations came courtesy of Rosita Designs. What sweet decor it was too! She also made the super cute invitations...which were a fiasco once they made it to me. We'll just say my memory wasn't so great in the middle of moving.

Auntie Rosita made the banner, the cupcake decorations and the tags for the party favor bags at home and brought them along. She put together the tissue paper balls once she got here. Have I mentioned that she was born with the creative bones in the family? The cupcake pieces can be used in Sweet P's scrapbook and if we wanted, we could reuse the banner and balls for birthdays to come. She also made Sweet P this sweet little hat!

What? What's that you say? How can you get a hold of these cute decorations? Just visit Rosita Designs and tell Rosita what you want! Is it bad that I'm already planning for next year's party?

Our Cloth Diaper Adventure

Yep. We have started our cloth diaper adventure.

I wanted to cloth diaper Sweet P when she was born, but I quickly realized that with the washing machine we had...it wasn't gonna happen. Instead, I dreamed about the days of getting a new washing machine and eventually trying out cloth diapers. You would think that during that time I'd be doing some research and figuring out what diaper I would choose once that miraculous day came (apparently, I didn't really do any). Don't get me wrong, I looked at cloth diapers online and in person and even had a salesperson give me the entire lowdown on which ones to use and what works best (if you think that stayed in my brain you are sadly mistaken).

Well, on May 4th my dream came true when a brand new front load washer was installed in my basement. Right next to it's twin, our new dryer. If they weren't made of metal I might hug them. I was in love, smitten, on cloud 9. But enough of that, back to the diapers.

On Tuesday while strolling around Valley Junction with Nana Nancy and Auntie K, we walked passed Little Padded Seats. I'd been thinking about my cloth diaper adventure, but hadn't really thought about when I was going to start. We walked a few more steps when I said, "I want to go in here."

Little Padded Seats is just about the neatest little diaper shop there is. They have everything you could possibly need for cloth diapering. Lauri and her husband Tommy own the store and offer classes to help you get started with cloth. (I will be signing up for those classes because I'm a bit lost). When we walked into the store I decided I was going to buy some supplies and get started. What a great birthday present for Sweet P!

Lauri was so helpful because even though I've looked at tons of sites and stuff about cloth diapers, I am utterly clueless! I bought 2 Thirsties covers and 2 hemp Thirsties inserts since I have prefolds at home from when I thought I was going to cloth diaper. Lauri mentioned that the prefolds I have may not be thick enough (and after a few goes I think she's right).

On Wednesday, I put Sweet P in a cloth diaper for the first time! I have to be honest I was really scared she was gonna poop. She didn't and I successfully changed 2 wet cloth diapers.

Today was a different story. She spent most of the day with the Farmer while Auntie K and I ran errands and when we got home I changed her diaper and put on a cloth diaper. I had a feeling poop was on it's way and when we went to change her into her pajamas...I learned I was right. YIKES! This is definitely going to take some getting used to. Honestly, it's a little inconvenient and it's going to take work. But I want to make it work. And Auntie Rosita doesn't think it's going to...so now I REALLY want it to work.

Our adventure has begun and while I'm not going to post a video of me putting on a cloth diaper (it took me about 10 minutes today, Sweet P was highly annoyed), I will keep you posted on our progress. So far, I really like the Thirsties cover and will try out the inserts tomorrow since they've been washed a few times.

Maybe I can talk a few of you into cloth diapering, too! And hopefully, pretty soon I'll be saying if I can do it, anyone can do it!

Pictures of the cute covers to come later...

Going Green Tip of the Day: Natural Living Expo

Going Green Tip of the Day: Natural Living Expo

If you live in Des Moines, you should definitely check out the Natural Living Expo going on tomorrow and Sunday (March 27 & 28). It's Iowa's showcase of natural and green living. Admission and parking are FREE! There are over 120 vendors ranging from cloth diapering to chiropractic care (including our chiropractor who will be one of the speakers). Come hungry because you don't want to miss the Organic Valley Cafe by Fresh Cafe and Market. Sweet P, some other munchkins and their mamas and I ate at Fresh Cafe and Market today and it was both healthy and yummy! They even provided purees for the munchkins!

We hope to see you there!

Going Green Tip of the Day: Sign this Petition!

Going Green Tip of the Day: Sign this Petition!

Remember back in November when I posted about the Million Baby Crawl and toxic chemical policy reform? This is a way to make sure our voices (or signatures) are heard!

My friend Holly, the Integrative Mom, posted this link about The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act which "would require that all chemicals be proven safe for children before they can be sold." The Environmental Working Group (EWG), an organization that "uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment" needs our help. With our help we can let Congress know that our toxics law needs reform. The EWG website also has a lot of great information on the effects of many chemicals including BPA, cosmetic chemicals and flame retardants.

So what you are you waiting for? Go sign the petition!

Quinoa Pudding

Try a new twist on rice pudding! I made this for Sweet P today for breakfast and she gobbled it right up. It was simple and not too bad (I taste everything I give her).

Quinoa Pudding

1-2 tbsp cooked organic quinoa

1-2 tbsp plain yogurt

1-2 tbsp pureed pear (I had these frozen already)

a dash of cinnamon

Mix all together and serve. The Farmer thought it looked like rice pudding so ta-da! A new alternative to rice pudding. Enjoy!

Note: Feel free to make a large portion for other children or yourself! This is just what I knew Sweet P would eat.

Product Review: Babyganics

A few weeks ago I ventured into BabiesRUs. They were having a pretty big sale (unfortunately, it was pretty picked over) and I found Babyganics for BOGO free. I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for BOGO free deals. Not BOGO 50%, not Buy 2 get one free, but BOGO free (you don't see it much any more). I'd never tried Babyganics products before and was looking for a wipe to clean up Sweet P's spot at the counter. I wasn't disappointed.

Babyganics were made by 2 dads who were pretty much germophobes. I bought The Grime Fighter wipes (which is where the Babyganics link will take you). Here is the list of ingredients per their website: Plant Based Cleaning Agents (Coconut, Palm Kernel, Corn and Sugar based surfactants), Soy Ester (Soy based), Filtered Water, Water Conditioning Agent, Preservative (less than 0.05%)

Those are ingredients I can pronounce! The wipes work great on counter tops (kitchen or bathroom), table tops, high chairs, cribs and more. They did a good job cleaning up the food that turns to cement when it hardens (like bananas) and made me feel like the table top was really getting cleaned...without harsh chemicals. While these are fragrance free, the only negative I have is the smell. I'm not particularly fond of it, but I'd trade a not so great smell for chemicals any day!

Healthy Babycakes

Sweet P has been refusing pretty much any type of food I give her since she's been sick. She will no longer eat bananas or anything I try to give her on a spoon. I wanted something like a teething biscuit, but also like a pancake for her to try so I came up with this recipe. The majority of my ingredients were organic, everything else was what I had in the pantry.

The Recipe:

Oatmeal Babycakes

Makes 10 small pancakes (I made oblong, but silver dollar sized would work)

What you need:

1/3 c organic oat flour

1/3 c organic oats

2/3 c water

1 tsp flaxseed

1 scoop probiotics (not necessary, but I'm trying to get them in her system)

1 tbsp organic yogurt (plain or flavored is fine)

A pinch of each: nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, ginger

1/2 tsp baking powder

Olive oil for skillet/griddle

Combine all ingredients into a batter (will look chunky, but like pancake consistency). Cook like regular pancakes on a skillet or griddle. Flip after 1-2 minutes.

I didn't know if they would hold together, but they held up great. They also tasted pretty good. I had her in the sling while I made them so she watched the entire process and then when I held it up to her mouth...she opened it to take a bite! (she has not trusted me with food since she's getting sick, she's always afraid I'm going to put meds in there) Then she ate 3 of them!

The best part is that there are no eggs, no wheat and no milk so they are perfect for your little one. Next time I might make enough for me!

Arrr! Wipe me booty!

Yes, that is my title.

Yes, my child has a onesie that says that on it.

Yes, she has worn it.

Auntie K made it for her when she was a newborn. It was an iron on we found at Hobby Lobby. Sadly, she outgrew the outfit so quickly that she only wore it twice. It was pretty hilarious. But the title doesn't refer to this onesie, it refers to wipes. Homemade wipes.

I've been making wipes since Sweet P was born. I used to travel with them and then found that it was a little easier to take store bought wipes on the go. I now only use the homemade wipes at home, but I love them. They are quick. easy. and best of all...CHEAP! Each wipe recipe I've seen varies a bit, but this is what works for us.

We ran into a few bumps as we tried them out. They worked great until she stopped needing her diaper changed every 5 minutes and then we had a mold problem. I don't know if it was the type of paper towel or something else, but ewwwww. I almost stopped making them until I found a solution. One that didn't require me to purchase anything I didn't have at home. So here is our wipe recipe.

What you need:

1/2 of a paper towel roll (select-a-size are the perfect size)

1 tbsp baby oil

1-2 tbsp baby shampoo

1 tbsp vinegar (vinegar is a natural disinfectant and this is what helps keep mold at bay. I also clean the container out with vinegar before making a new set of wipes. This was my solution.)

large container (mine is Rubbermaid from Target)

2 cups water (boiled, then cooled to room temperature)

Cut a roll of paper towels in half. We've used both an electric knife and a serrated knife. Either way, it takes some elbow grease. Place in container.

Boil 2 c water on the stove. Allow to cool. Once cooled, add baby oil, shampoo and vinegar and whisk.

Pour over top of paper towels and put the lid on the container. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then pull out cardboard center (it will be really easy to take out). After 5 minutes, turn the container over and allow the mixture to completely soak into the paper towels. Your wipes are ready to use!

NOTE: I keep my wipes in the refrigerator. Sweet P is not bothered by this. Children with a sensitivity to cold may need to have the wipes warmed in your hands first.

Update: Sweet P is on the mend. She still has a terrible diaper rash, but I hear that's to be expected with these meds.