In my opinion, this book not only educates parents on how to nourish your children with organic food for less, but it gives you the tools to teach your children right from the very beginning that it is incredibly important to eat well and lead a healthy lifestyle. It also has chapters where it gives recipes for baby-safe household cleaners and baby products which could save a substantial amount of money! I will choose a segment out of the book to share every week or so, and hope to add in pictures too :)
I hope these tips can help your family live healthy and save money too!
Our first focus this week is homemade baby products!!
So I'll be the first to admit that I am not up for trying cloth diapers... I would rather budget our money to be able to use disposable diapers and try to save money elsewhere. So instead, I am trying my hand at making my own baby wipes AND using alternatives to expensive diaper creams!
Homemade BABY WIPES;
For the liquid mixture;
two cups water
two tablespoons baby oil
two tablespoons of either baby shampoo or baby wash
a tablespoon or two of aloe gel squeezed from a houseplant (optional)
7-8 drops lavender oil (can be found at a natural food store) which also kills bacteria! (optional) Smells nice!
For the disposable baby wipes;
Cut a roll of paper towel in half with a sharp non-serrated knife (serrated knives will create a rough edge with bits of paper toweling all over). Use a strong brand that is more like cloth, for example, Kleenex Viva paper towels are strong and tend to be reusable depending on the mess. Bounty (plain white) quilted would also work. Remove the inside tube core with a pliers. Use one half roll of paper towel per batch. Place a half roll into a cylindrical container. Make two cups of the liquid mixture above, pour into container and cover. Turn upside down to saturate paper towels. Let sit about fifteen minutes.
Pull the first towel out from the inside of the roll. If you are re-using a wipes container that has the hole in the top, pull towel through top for easy access. If you are using a homemade container or Tupperware container, use a sharp knife to cut an X in the lid. Cut a little bit off of the inside corners of the X to make a small hole ensuring that the wipes will not shred. I'm using an empty formula container :)
If you are looking to use individual paper towels that come in stacks, (like the ones that come out of public restroom dispensers - the white ones though, not the brown 'paper-bag-like' ones) you may wish to order them from a restaurant or medical supply store.
The following link has white folded paper towels listed at $1.98 per pack of 150, but of course if you buy in higher quantities the price goes down significantly.
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/505/folded-paper-towels.html
So you could spend $13.69 for generic (Up & Up brand) wipes at Target and get 792 wipes.
OR
You could spend $15.49 for a case of white multi-fold paper towels in stacks and get 4000 wipes out of it!! That's 5x more wipes than what you'd get buying generic Target wipes! Use the recipe above and place them in a re-usable rectangular wipes box with the pop-up lid for easy access and you're all set!
Read on for more exciting tips!!
For Diaper Rash;
This one surprised me! Do you have Crisco in your cupboard? It's not just for baking!! haha It works as a preventative barrier to wetness and acidity. Apply as soon as you notice your baby developing a diaper rash (which seems to happen much more in the summer months now too!). If the area is too tender to baby's touch, try applying it directly into the diaper instead for a painless application.
Any breastfeeding mothers out there!? Did you know that your breast milk can also be applied to baby's diaper rash to soothe and clear up his or her skin?
If you have an aloe house plant, you can squeeze a small amount out to apply to baby's bottom too!
Also, in a bath it works nicely to add a few tablespoons of baking soda to neutralize the acidity of the diaper rash and soothe baby's skin.
Potty training? Your toddler is bound to get diaper rash even without the diaper! Fill your bathroom sink with comfortably warm water and a few tablespoons of baking soda. Submerge a washcloth in the water, ring it out, and wipe your kidlet clean! This also helps get rid of the urine smell after accidents and between bathing!
Thanks for stopping in to read the latest! Like I said, I'm not taking credit for these wonderful tips, but I am sharing them from an amazing book called, 'Super Baby Food' by Ruth Yaron. Stay tuned for more :) and be sure to comment with any questions or requests!
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