DIY Cloth & Disposable Baby Wipes Tutorial
Did you know the average parent uses 4,400 baby wipes and spends $150 or more EVERY YEAR on a baby? That alone is crazy, but also a majority of baby wipes aren’t biodegradable, so they are harmful to the environment. Also, they can contain chemicals like chlorine, synthetic preservatives, fragrances, and dioxin. To save money, baby’s skin, and the environment, you can make your own washable wipes with just a few ingredients and cloths.
See below for DISPOSABLE wipes directions.
What You’ll Need:
- 15-20 pieces of approx. 10″x 10″ cloth cut from old receiving blankets or shirts (many use husband’s old white undershirts)
- 3 cups warm water
- 1 cup baby wash
- 2 tsp baby oil
- Plastic container with lid or old plastic wipes container OR Spray bottle
- Optional: Lavender oil for fragrance
Note: Other recipes use ingredients like aloe vera juice, apple cider vinegar, other essential oils, soap, and more. Experiment with what you like best.
Directions:
- In a bowl, add ingredients and mix gently.
- Next you have the choice:
- In the container to store wipes, stack all the cloth into it, pour the mixture over them, then close the lid, OR
- Put the mixture into a spray bottle, then just spray baby’s bottom and use a clean, dry cloth to wipe them clean.
- When wipes are dirty, store in a plastic or wetbag, then wash with cloth diapers or as a load by themselves.
If you do not want to use cloth/reusable wipes, or you want to have disposable ones in case of really big messes, you can put all the ingredients in a large cylindrical container with a lid (i.e., washed out cleaning wipes container, like Clorox wipes, or cleaned 4 qt ice cream container), mix the ingredients, take the cardboard out of the center of a roll of paper towel of your choice and place the paper into the solution. Cover the container, shake to get the ingredients into the whole paper towel.
Recipe: Turtle Cheesecake Dip
I had another idea for today’s blog, then I found THIS recipe. I am going to hurry and share it and hopefully forget about it or else I can see this being my “hiding in a corner so my kids can’t see me eating it” meal tonight. This delicious dip is from Bubbly Nature Creations. She has a ton of yummy recipes over there. Just a fair warning in case you are trying to watch what you eat. :)
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 box of cheesecake pudding mix
- 2 cups whipped cream
- ¼ cup and 1 Tbsp. chopped and toasted pecans
- ¼ cup of Hershey’s™ Spreads in Chocolate
- ¼ cup caramel sauce
Directions:
- Place cream cheese, powdered sugar, pudding, and whipped cream in a mixing bowl and mix on high until light and fluffy.
- Add ¼ cup of the toasted pecans and mix on low speed until evenly incorporated.
- Place the mixture into your serving bowl and drizzle the Hershey’s Spreads and caramel sauce on top.
- Sprinkle on the remainder of the toasted pecans on top and serve immediately or place in refrigerator up to 2 days.
Recipe: Red, White & Blue-Berry Trifle
If you’re looking for a delicious dessert for Memorial Day or Independence Day that has simple ingredients and LOTS of fresh and juicy summer berries, you will love this Red, White & Blue-Berry Trifle. Make it any time of year!
Ingredients:
- 1 box red velvet cake mix (Note: Instead of red velvet cake, use 1 box chocolate cake & a bottle of red food coloring)
- 1 (16oz) tub whipped topping
- 2 pints blueberries, washed
- 1 pint strawberries, tops cut off, washed
Directions:
- Bake red velvet cake mix according to package directions. Allow to cool.
- With a serrated knife, cut the cake into 1-inch square pieces.
- Line the bottom of the trifle bowl with half of the cake squares.
- Using a spatula, spread about a 2-inch layer of whipped topping on top of the cake squares.
- Layer about 1 1/2 pints of the blueberries on top of whipped topping.
- Layer the remaining cake pieces on top of the blueberries to create a second layer of cake.
- Using a spatula, spread remaining whipped topping over the top layer of cake.
- Decorate the perimeter (along the bowl sides) with the strawberries by placing the strawberries cut side down.
- Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top of the trifle inside the strawberry perimeter.
Recipe: Frozen Strawberry Crunch Cake
This simple take on an ice cream cake will be a big hit at your next family get together, or even just for dessert tonight! The Frozen Strawberry Crunch Cake from Spoonful calls for Nature Valley bars, but regular granola would work just fine as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 box Nature Valley Granola Bars
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 lemon
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups freshly chopped strawberries
Directions:
- Unwrap and put the Nature Valley granola bars (or regular granola) in a food processor until you it becomes a course crumb.
- In a large bowl, add crumbs, brown sugar, flour, and melted butter, then mix together. Spread into an 8×8″ pan covered with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Let cool completely, then divide in half and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine eggs whites and sugar, then mix on high. Add the heavy cream and continue to mix for another 5 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and softened cream cheese to mixture, then mix on low speed until completely combined.
- Fold the strawberries into the cream mixture until as evenly mixed as possible.
- In a glass cake pan that has been buttered fully, press half of the crumb crust mixture to the bottom, then top with strawberry mix, then add the rest of the granola crumbs to the top.
- Cover and freeze for at least three hours. ENJOY!
DIY Duct Tape Rose Pen Tutorial
If you aren’t aware, there are dozens of designs in duct tape now. People are using it more than for just fixing pipes – they’re making projects like these really cute flower pens! This is like origami for duct tape. Make these for gifts, fun teacher presents, for decorations, and with tons of different combinations! Thanks to CraftFoxes for the tutorial. There is a visual tutorial if it will help with your craft! What You’ll Need:
- Green duct tape (for stems and leaves)
- Designed or colored duct tape (for petals)
- Plain pen
Directions:
- Take your pen and cover it in green tape lengthwise. This works best if you roll the pen across the tape, sticky-side up.
- To make petals, cut several strips of 2-inch long squares out of the colored or designed tape. Fold one edge over itself sticky side up, leaving some stickiness exposed on the side and bottom. It ends up looking like a sail on a boat because of the sticky edge left out instead of a perfect triangle.
- Take the other edge and fold it over, leaving only stickiness on the bottom of the strip.
- Wrap the petal tightly around the top of the pen stem.
- Repeat steps 2-5 with duct tape, wrapping the petals around the top. Continue until you’ve reached the size of rose you want.
- For the leaves under the base of the rose, repeat steps 2 – 4 with the green duct tape. Wrap these pieces around the stem at the base of the flower to cover up the tape edge.