Cloth Baby Wipes

So I've been looking around the house and decided to start documenting the many tricks and home made items we use at home.

Today I'm going to explain the SUPER Easy process of cloth baby wipes.

So what you need is the following:

• Baby Washcloths (about twenty)
• Microwavable mug or cup
• Preferred brand of liquid baby soap
• Coconut Oil
• Essential Oil *optional* (Tea Tree or Lavender)

First, you need to prep the cloths, you lay them out like so:

Fold the bottom one over

Then lay the next on top and continue the process. 

Now is the fun part, place the stack in the baby wipe container

Fill coffee cup with water and heat it for thirty seconds and add teaspoon of coconut oil, stir until melted. (Coconut oil has been proven to be gentle to skin and anti-fungal, so it is the perfect additive to the wipes.)

Add teaspoon of liquid baby soap

Stir until all is blended.

(Depending on your baby's skin, adding one or two drops of essential oil like Tea Tree or Lavender can help to reduce bacteria and be antiseptic. But ask your pediatrician before adding even diluted essential oil to ensure no burns or allergic reactions.) 

Pour soap solution over the wipes, close and voila!!!

I hope you enjoy this super simple tutorial! Now, when you use the wipes, you can toss them in the washing bin (if you use cloth diapers, just toss these in with them!) And you aren't tossing away money and filling a landfill with dozens of wipes a day. 

Muppet Birthday Dress Up

So for the Bean's first birthday I wanted to have a kid-friendly Muppet activities section.

I grew up on the Muppets and our family loves them, so when I decided to have a party for her, a dress up table was a MUST!

I found several cheap items at JoAnn's including felt for Kermie's collar, dress up pearls and a blonde wig and gloves for Miss Piggy, a cape for Super Grover, white ribbon with pink polka dots for Fozzie Bear's bowtie,  and a chef's set.  

Everything save for the Kermit collar was already sewn, so I decided to get creative.

I cut an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of lime green felt in half lengthwise, then folded it over on itself  like an accordion in about inch and a half folds..

I started about an inch down the folds and cut on an angle and flipped the felt over and did it again until I had a point. 

Then you open, cut little holes on the top ends and secure ribbons so the kids (of grown up kids) can tie on their own Kermit he Frog collar.

The finished birthday dress up table!

The kids and kids at heart had a blast dressing up with the costume pieces!

And since daddy magpie and I prepared only paleo foods and recipes, we were able to enjoy an entire party, knowing we could eat anything served!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Prep for deviled eggs

Fruit Skewers

Beef and Veggie Skewers

It was all in all a great time!

She had a blast with her paleo birthday cake hand crafted from Daddy!

What a Year!

So much has happened to us in the last year. We had our lovely Bean four months prematurely. For the first 92 days, she was in the NICU and on various levels of oxygen therapy. When she came home, we had appointments several times a week and were just pooped.

Finally, things started to find a rhythm and we fell gloriously into a routine with our amazing and healthy bean!

Most of our lives were put on hold until we really got the hang of this parenting thing. We've googled almost every possible home remedy for croup, diaper rash, baby formula. We have been making a great effort to keep her as close to cloth diapered, on Weston A. Price's formula, and have gotten really into babywearing.

We're finally getting back into our lives plus our new parental roles. and I'm eager to share some of the more natural recipes and fixes as possible.

First up, home made dry shampoo.

I know sometimes, the second day mom hair can look downright frightening! So I bought a bottle of dry shampoo. It was somewhere around $10 US and I wasn't sure I'd like it. While it did the job, it also had the effect of spraying my dark hair with a mist of white powder. So I began researching methods of making my own that would work better for dark hair.

I found a recipe for dark hair on the Mommypotamous Blog and tried it out.

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or non-GMO cornstarch

2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder

3-5 drops of essential oils (optional – lemon, peppermint, rosemary, bergamot, lemongrass and lime are good options)

I grabbed an old poofy blush brush and set to dusting my hair at the roots. It worked AMAZINGLY! Not only do I like the simple, toxin-free, non-spray method, the cocoa powder helped keep the powdered wig look to a minimum!

Here is the recipe for light colored hair

¼ cup of arrowroot powder or non-GMO cornstarch

1 teaspoon of cocoa powder (You may or may not need this depending on the color of your hair. If it is very light or white you might want to skip it)

3-5 drops of essential oils (optional – lemon, peppermint, rosemary, bergamot, lemongrass and lime are good options)

Tip: Start sparingly. If you over do it, it will dry the hair out and will have a dusty look to the hair.

Pictures will be incoming, please let me know if you'd like to see more recipes.

Crochet OSU Baby Set

So I'm a native Ohioan. As such, a great majority of the people around here are rabid Buckeye fans!

I had been asked to make a crocheted baby hat with a block O on it for a family friend who was having a baby and loved the Buckeyes.

Well I loved making the hat, so I decided a bib was necessary.

I played around with dc decreases and increases and ended up with this set! 

The back closes with a crocheted "button".

I really loved being creative and coming up with something new

on my own!

Don't be afraid to experiment, make mistakes and you will be surprised what you might be able to create!!

Magpie has hatched a chick!

So it's been a while since I've made a post. I'd like to think I have had a good excuse. 

We've had a baby!!

While there's a LOT of story to tell about our little miracle girl, I'll keep it brief.  

And just say that she was born almost four months early and has defied a great number of obstacles to be home with us before her due date and without the assistance of oxygen!

I have been keeping up somewhat about her journey here at my family blog at Druid Domesticity.

I'll be posting more often now that everyone's out of the hospital and safely home. 

 Be well and love fiercely!