DYI Baby Gift Time!

Nothing is more fun than a friend having their first baby. Watching the couple to through the pregnancy, then that LONG last month that seems to last longer than the previous 8 months... Then comes this beautiful baby, first time, or even veteran parents are so fun to see with the little blessing that they have made. Holding that little baby, smelling their little smell and hearing those sounds brings back a ton of memories. So I love making up a fun baby basket to help bless the new mommy. 

Today I got the chance to add some stuff to my regular basket that I do. I always buy a few things that I know the parents can use, add some stuff I've made and call it good. This time though I decided to branch out a bit. I brought my stuff out and made not only my usual vaseline and baby diaper rash spray but added nipple cream, a "mommy relief spray" and pad spray to help the mom feel a little better during her recovery so she can just enjoy being a new mom. So let's take a look at how easy it is to make this basket. 

First off, obviously adding a few things like burp rags, bibs and a fun little toy or two are fun to shop for and give the parents more things that we all know can be used. Adding the bought stuff also helps to stabilize the stuff you make and keep it from tipping. It's hot here so some of the homemade products tend to get soft if left in heat too long, last thing I need is for them to tip. I got the basket from my local grocery store on clearance (Actually I got a few because I love using baskets for gifts). Here is the rest...

Vaseline - As most people are now aware, store bought Vaseline is made with petroleum products. Most of us that are trying to stay away from products that aren't natural need a one without that. Plus, who really wants to put industrial products on our baby's bottoms or anywhere else for that matter? I had it melting while I mixed up the cream. 

You take 1/4 cup beeswax and 1 cup olive oil and place either in a double boiler, or I just use one of the small crock pots, and warm until beeswax is all melted. Make sure not to heat too much or you will burn the olive oil, while you can let it set a bit in between stirring I do encourage you to watch it. Once all the wax is melted you can add essential oils or take vanilla beans, scrap the seeds and mix it into the oil mix while it's still warm. Being this is for a little one that isn't mine I didn't add any fragrances. I poured one for my friend then added eucalyptus (40 drops in a cup of the oil) and lavender (15 drops) to make some more Vicks in another jar, I used all mine on my baby during his latest cold. It worked out well. 

Nipple cream - While my vaseline wax was melting I quick put together some nipple cream. This has 3 simple ingredients;  1 part coconut oil, 1 part shea butter and 1 part cocoa butter (I used deoderized so there is less chocolate smell). There is no beeswax in this cream, beeswax can still carry honey with botulism so avoiding it all together when a baby may ingest it is best. Shea butter has anti inflammatory properties and can be used in cooking. Coconut oil is obviously edible and a great skin moisturizer but is also anti fungal in nature. Cocoa butter is edible as well (it's used to make chocolate) and helps keep the skin elastic and moisturized. So as you can see nothing in this cream is harmful to the newborn making it perfect to use prior to feeding and then again afterward. It helps to put a protective barrier while feeding. All you do is take equal parts of all three, soften, mix and put in a jar. Yup, that's it. 

Calming pad spray- Anyone that has delivered a baby vaginally knows that the first month can be... Well, uncomfortable to say the least. I dreaded having to head to the restroom (I wish I had this after I had given birth). So I definitely needed to add this to my gift. Again, it takes all of 5 minutes to make. I just used a measuring cup and mixed it all in there. 1/4 cup witch hazel, 1 Tablespoon pure aloe vera, 10-15 drops lavender. Then poured the whole mix into a small spray bottle. Again, could it get easier? The aloe Vera soothes, witch hazel decreases inflammation and the lavender has anti bacterial/antiseptic properties. Together all of them help calm, soothe and reduce some of the pain and swelling in the perineal area along with any lingering hemorrhoids. All the new mom needs to do is spray a nighttime or heavy duty pad with this spray, don't soak the pad, cover with aluminum foil and place a few in the freezer, grab and take for placing after using the restroom. 

Refreshing Mommy Spray - What better to go with a nice soothing pad than a spritz first with some spray that has just witch hazel and lavender? Together both help to give just a nice way to freshen and feel a bit more able to cope with the pain and burning. To make this just fill a small spray bottle with witch hazel and add 10-15 drops of lavender essential oil. 

Baby Diaper Rash Spray - My last baby had diaper rash BAD. We did A&D cream, zinc oxide, cortisone cream, anything just to give his poor little butt a break. Then I decided to try putting a few drops of tea tree into some water and use it as a spray. Too easy right?? NOPE worked awesome every time for us. So now it's a staple gift to new moms. Tea Tree has so many qualities such as anti bacterial, anti fungal, antiseptic and its drying quality was a bonus for skin that tended to be wet a lot. The fact it was an oil really helped keep the urine away from his diaper rash and we saw healing in 12-24 hrs after applied. Can't beat that. I have had friends that have used it and loved it too, so there you go... Just fill the spray bottle with water and 10 drops tea tree and you have instant diaper rash spray!! :) 

So there you go, it takes all of about 20 minutes to make a bunch of fun products for mom and baby that makes a great addition to any gift!! 

To make this process easier, using one of my favorite ways to shop, I have added things I have used here to my Amazon.com shop to help you on your way. Do know that in addition to finding everything you need in one space, you are also helping me (as an Amazon Associate) continue to buy supplies to do all the ideas shown on this blog. Just go to my store and look under the tab that is marked 'DIY Baby Gift'. A lot of these products can also be found in your local pharmacy and natural food stores. 

Now off to go bless my friend with a fun basket for her and baby!! Oh and the bonus is I get to hold the baby so she can look through all the goodies! 

Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use.

Smelly Feet

I have an absolutely adorable son that has INCREDIBLY stinky feet. It is always a wonder to me that a ten year old boy can create a stink like that which emanates from his feet. It's not that he doesn't wash them or TRY to keep them clean but being a boy and prepubescent hasn't helped the situation at all. 

We have found some things that have helped, and knowing I can't be the only mother with a child that has this issue I thought I'd share some ideas on how to help this problem. We do most of these daily, but we have found changing things up helps to keep the odor controlled. 

- Washing feet daily, this is a MUST for us. He either takes a shower and washes them in there or, if he doesn't need a whole shower then he goes and just washes his feet with regular soap and water before bed at night. In some cases he has to do this a couple times in a day, especially if he has been really active and wearing tennis shoes.

- Flip flops or sandals help keep feet aired out and drier than tennis or closed toed shoes. While mine still can get stinky feet, they aren't nearly as bad. 

- Soaking feet in an Epsom salt foot soak. They have some great products that have essential oils already in them or add your own. Lavender (antiseptic and bactericidal), Tea Tree (antibacterial, anti fungal, antibiotic properties), Peppermint (helps cool and kills the odor nicely along with its antibacterial properties), Oregano (it's anti fungal so it helps with athletes foot if that is an issue), Lemon Balm (anti microbial and antibacterial properties), Eucalyptus Globulous (antibacterial and anti fungal), Cinnamon (antibacterial), Cassia (antibacterial and anti fungal), and this list goes on. Make sure to look at if a carrier is needed prior to placing directly on the skin, however, being that all these can cause irritation if not used properly. Soaking in the salts help dry the feet out, so if you do this too often you may find that your feet can get very dry. 

- DIY foot spray, place some of the Essential oils listed above in a spray bottle and use on feet prior to putting shoes on. We like using about 10-15 drops of Cinnamon or Peppermint/Lavender (mix) with about 5 drops of Tea Tree placed in a 4-6 oz spray bottle filled with distilled water. 

- DIY Shoe powder, we do a 50/50 mix of baking soda and cornstarch in a shaker container I have from the baking section with a finer mesh shaker top. Then I add 15-20 drops lavender and 5-10 drops peppermint and shake to mix it into the powder. My son just shakes some into his shoes at night and then they have time to sit and are ready for the next day. The baking soda helps with the odor and the cornstarch is there for the moisture control. 

- Clean socks are KEY, I actually wash my sons socks with some baking soda, tea tree and lavender added to the wash a few times a month just to help kill any lurking bacteria in those loads of wash. 

- Creosote bush, the leaves of the creosote (chaparral) bush is what gives a fresh smell after a rain in the desert in the Southwest. This herb is also great for freshening shoes and killing odor. Just crush the leaves down after drying and sprinkle into shoes. It is supposed to have anti fungal properties and kills mold. We have not tried this yet so I can only go by the fact one guy at our local nursery LOVES and swears by it being used to kill foot odor. I also know it is used in different ways to help kill athletes foot. 

- Keep those toe nails cut and neat. This can cause a great place for bacteria to grow so if they are kept cut and clean it will help with the common cause of the odor. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of things that can be done to help control foot odor but hopefully it helps as a start!! I love making my own stuff so I am always working on new creative ways to use my essential oils. I will add more as I come across and try new things. 

Disclaimer: Please understand that this information is for educational purposes only. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. Don’t take my word for it…you should always engage conventional wisdom and consult with your medical professional to determine potential drug interactions and safety of use.

A Simple Start

As I mentioned before, my start came from liking my sister-in-law's aromatherapy nebulizer. I figured I would give that a try. I researched different Essential Oils and found a good starter pack that would suit what I wanted. I loved Eucalyptus and the Lavender had smelled great at her house. I wasnt a big Tea Tree fan, but the properties were great and she had it mixed with the others so you didn't really smell it. From there my decision of starter scents was much easier. 

From that little purchase, the love of the various scents,  and how it made my house smell I threw all my candles and started my collection of EO's. I generally bought ones that fit my needs as I went. I read and researched and my collection grew.

As you can see, 5 years made my collection grow to taking up a whole drawer. I use them all for various colds, headaches, muscle aches, sunburn, antibacterial hand soaps, lotions and sometimes hand sanitizer, this list goes on and on as to the uses I have found. I am so thankful we were introduced to these. They have definitely been put to use in our house. 

You can find a lot of these essential oils and the nebulizer in my Amazon Store, I do receive a small compensation for buying from this store. This cost doesn't effect your price and only goes to help me as I continue to share tips, resources and ideas in the future. THANK YOU!!