5 Tips for Using Cloth Baby Wipes

I gave up baby wipes back when my little one was about 5 weeks old.  Here are 5 tips to a smooth transition away from baby wipes to cloth wipes if you are looking to save money or reduce the chemicals your baby is exposed to.

Back when Peanut was a newborn her doctor suggested organic and natural brand wipes that used less chemicals, since most of the chemicals in baby wipes have not been tested for long term effects.

I thought I had just the answer when my sister-in-law gave me a recipe for homemade wipes using paper towels, baby shampoo and water, but before I could use the whole batch they got moldy.

Gross and no thank you!

And then when my little Peanut was 5 weeks old she developed a diaper rash. I was instructed by the doctor to not use baby wipes while we treated the rash. She told me just to use a wash cloth and water.

So I gave up the wipes and never looked back.

Here are 5 tips for going baby wipe free and transitioning to cloth baby wipes, based on my experiences:

Trust In The Lord - Free Printable



I love how spring brings out the most vibrant colors in the flowers in my yard.  I've added a Bible verse to this pretty picture of purple heather.  This is a free printable that I'm sharing with you!

Just right click on the image to save it to your computer and print it on your home printer, or send it to your favorite one hour photo.  It is sized as an 8 x 10 image.

I love this verse.  It is such a good reminder to trust the Lord in all circumstances.  It can be so hard not to lean on our own understanding, but when it contradicts God's word, we need to trust in Him alone.

If you'd like a free printable for your kids' room, here is a classic child's prayer.

What is your favorite Bible verse?  I'd love to add it to a pretty picture to share with others.  :)



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Quick and Easy Olive Oil Bread

This post for Classic Crusty Herbed Dinner Loaf had me sold right away.  (I've actually been calling this Olive Oil Bread, but when I went to link to the recipe I realized I was way off! Oh well. :) )  The biggest selling point was the claim that it only takes an hour from start to finish. 

Homemade bread in an hour?!  For some reason my brain thinks any recipe involving yeast takes many hours and lots of labor.

It looked delicious, sounded simple and quick, and used ingredients I had on hand.  The recipe lets you choose your choice of herb to add.  I chose oregano because I like oregano and it is a pretty versatile herb.

Vintage Pyrex

I have a new love. Vintage Pyrex. Before I saw the picture below on Pinterest, I didn't even know vintage Pyrex existed.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/574771971165998957/

Well, I knew Pyrex existed and that all grandmothers had Pyrex, thus making it vintage, but I never knew how beautiful it was!

Floor Cleaning Solution Recipe

Recently I was on the lookout for a floor cleaning solution that I could make from ingredients in my kitchen. 

With a toddler in the house, who has on more than one occasion eaten food right off the floor, I wanted to know that the ingredients in my floor cleaner were not toxic. I modified my version from this recipe. It fits the bill and leaves my floors so nice and clean.

The first time I used this recipe, I didn't add any essential oils and the smell of vinegar was very strong!

So then I added some sweet orange essential oil.  It helped with the vinegar smell so I would definitely recommend adding some essential oils to scent the solution.

This is a really simple recipe, which is another reason I like it!

Super Simple Sugar Cookie Bars

I made these Sugar Cookie Bars in a pinch. They were so easy, I just had to share them with you!

On Resurrection Sunday we were invited to a friend's house for a get together. I hate showing up to a host's house empty handed, but it was the night before the event and I still hadn't found the time to make something to bring.

I woke up to nurse my little Peanut at about 3 am and couldn't get back to sleep. I was lying in bed thinking of what to make in the short amount of time I would have the next morning.

I turned to Pinterest and one idea lead to another and after viewing what seemed like a hundred recipe ideas, I turned off my phone and went back to sleep.

The next morning I was ready as Peanut and I entered the kitchen for breakfast. I knew I wanted to make a bar cookie.


Second Hand Clothing ROCKS! Here's Why...

When my little girl was 4-months-old, a friend told me about the Just Between Friends consignment sale in our town.  She raved about how there were the best deals there and how cute the clothes were and on and on.  I decided to check it out and now know that second hand clothing is the best!

The Just Between Friends sale is held in the spring and fall here in our town.  This last sale was my third shopping trip. Find out my shopping tips for the sale here.

Including tax on my most recent trip I bought 27 items for just under $60.00.  That is just over $2.00 an item.  Some consignors sell their clothing in sets and this can work out to a better deal than if they were sold individually. 

Here are a few of my purchases that were sold in sets.

Mother's Day Free Printable

This is my second Mother's Day. I found this Mother's Day craft and I just love how it uses traced cutouts of both the hands and feet.

I can't get enough of documenting my little Peanut's growth. This is a perfect project for a sentimental sap like me!

Below is a free printable of the verse and flower frame for this craft so you can make this to remember your little one's cute fingers and toes. Just right click and save it, then open it up and print!

10 Breastfeeding Tips, Tricks and Experiences

As a first-time mom, to my now 18-month-old, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. I didn't know much else about breastfeeding, just that as long as my body and the baby cooperated, that was the way I wanted to feed her.

Looking back at the last year and a half I realize how many tips and tricks I have learned.

I hope my experiences can help and be an encouragement for someone who may be where I was just a short time ago.

Co-Sleeping - Shhhh. The Baby's Sleeping (...in our bed, *gasp*!)

I don't remember specifically discussing co-sleeping with my husband before our daughter was born, but since our first days of parenting we have become extremely familiar with the co-sleeping discussion.

When we began our parenting journey, we had a lot of preconceived ideas about how things were going to be, as I'm sure most new parents do.  Things typically don't turn out the way we think they will.

Yes, it's true. Our 18-month-old baby sleeps in our bed.

We didn't start out on our parenting journey thinking, "Let's be one of THOSE couples. Let's share our bed with our baby! Yay!"

She didn't always sleep in our bed either. But let me tell you how this bed sharing arrangement came to be.

A Child's Prayer - Free Printable

"Father in heaven, hear my prayer..." This prayer is one I would say before falling asleep as a child.  Here it is as a handy printable!  I am going to print it out as an 8 x 10 photo and frame it for my little Peanut's room.

 

This is a prayer my parents taught me when I was little.  I would say it before falling asleep every night. I look forward to teaching it to Peanut as she gets older.

This would be a great gift in a frame for a new baby or as a gift for a toddler.  I love receiving things like this as gifts.  They last so much longer than clothes and toys.

Have you seen this chart for Reducing Ingredients?  It would make a nice gift for a house warming party or as part of a wedding gift.

What are your favorite gifts to give for milestone events?  I'm always looking for ideas that are fun and memorable.

Let me know how you use this printable, I'd love to see it and post it here to share with others too!


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