5 baby products you can make from home

I was well into child #2 when I realized that many of the products I'd been scrambling to find discounts on - not to mention keep up with the ingredients on the labels - could easily be made at home. We easily made the move from cloth diapers to cloth wipes, using a homemade solution when needed. But it wasn't until I got more and more into the use of essential oils that I realized all the opportunities I'd missed to potentially save money and use greener options for our babies.

Here are five baby products you can easily make at home:

Infant Massage Blend 

Mix:
2 drops Lavender essential oil
1 drop Melaleuca essential oil
1 drop Roman Chamomile essential oil
2 Tablespoons doTerra Fractionated Coconut Oil 4 Ounces

Diaper Cream 

¼ cup coconut oil
15 drops dōTERRA Lavender essential oil
Glass measuring cup
Saucepan
Glass storage container

Pour coconut oil into glass jar. Put 1 inch of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, put the glass jar with coconut oil into the saucepan until completely melted. Remove from saucepan and let rest for 5 minutes. Add essential oils and stir until combined.

Pour into glass storage container and allow to cool. Just apply a small amount when needed.

Talc-Free Baby Powder 

½ c corn starch
½ c Arrowroot powder
1 drop Roman chamomile essential oil
1 drop Lavender essential oil
¼ c finely ground oats

Mix well and place in a shaker-style bottle.

Baby Wipes 

1 roll premium paper towels (use cloth for reusable wipes Our family used flannel.)
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons doTerra Fractionated Coconut Oil 4 Ounces
3 drops Lavender essential oil
3 drops Melaleuca essential oil
An airtight storage container/empty wipe container/wet bag

Cut paper towel roll in half. Use half the roll now, and half later.
Combine water, fractionated coconut oil, and essential oils in a small bowl.
Pour the mixture over the paper towels and then cover with the airtight lid letting the mixture absorb for 10 minutes. Turn the container over and let sit for another 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the cardboard middle. Just pull the wipes from the center when you are ready to use. Store in container of your choice.

Air Freshener 

1 small Mason jar with a lid and band
1/4 cup baking soda
5-6 drops of your favorite essential oil
Hammer
Small screwdriver or nail

Put 1/4 cup baking soda into your small Mason jar. Add 5-6 drops of your favorite essential oil or blend.
Recommended Essential Oils: Balance, Cassia, Geranium, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, On Guard, Purify, or Wild Orange.

If you do need a resource for essential oils, please consider using my referral link for doTERRA products. My family uses them and loves them. (You can also save 25% off of retail prices by becoming a wholesale member or independent consultant - even if you just "consult" to yourself. Please email me if you have any questions about that option.) 

Note: This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com.

IN Natural Harmony: A new Indy holistic maternity service

IN Natural Harmony, LLC, a new maternity and family service in Carmel, offers holistic services throughout the pregnancy journey and beyond, including doula services, Hypnobabies® and infant massage classes for new and expectant mothers in the Indianapolis area.

Founder Tahwii Porter wants to take some of the overwhelming feeling out of pregnancy, especially for those who are seeking more natural solutions.

"I think pregnancy is such an amazing time in a families life that it should be held as sacred and celebrated... I don't think it has to be a chaotic overwhelming time," says Tahwii, who opened the Indianapolis company in July. "Therefore all my services are holistic, natural, and have green approaches whenever possible.

IN Natural Harmony offers a network of classes and Indianapolis and online services that offer a greener, more natural approach to pregnancy and early motherhood.

"I have always very much been interested in working with expectant mothers using natural and holistic approaches whenever possible," Tahwii says. "I look at In Natural Harmony, LLC as the foundation of what will come in the future as I pursue schooling to eventually obtain a Ph.D. in Natural Medicine. With these credentials I hope to have natural practice working with primarily expectant mothers and being able to expand my scope of practice within In Natural Harmony, LLC. 

"I have truly never been more excited, exhausted, and happy in my life. I feel as though I'm living my life's true purpose."

Find IN Natural Harmony online at INNaturalHarmony.com, on Facebook and Twitter.

Essential Oils for Infants

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

I truly wish I had known about essential oils and how they could help our family five years ago. Just knowing how they could have helped would have given me additional confidence to deal with my son's colic, my daughter's croup or other minor health issues that came across.

As I've gotten to know some new moms who are interested in more natural ways in helping their children's health, I've been challenged to learn more and more about how best to use essential oils to care for infants.

Below is a summary of some of the research I've found, and I hope you can find it useful.

Cautions: Infants should not ingest essential oils. Do not put them on babies’ hands, as they could get into the mouth. Put socks on feet if applying oils there. Do not apply near mouth, nose or eyes. ALWAYS dilute oils used on babies. The recommended dilution is 1 drop per tablespoon of carrier oil. 

And finally, use your maternal judgment. This is not a substitute for seeking medical care! Always call your physician with concerns.

If you do need a resource for essential oils, please consider using my referral link for doTERRA products. My family uses them and loves them. (You can also save 25% off of retail prices by becoming a wholesale member or independent consultant - even if you just "consult" to yourself. Please email me if you have any questions about that option.) 

Issue	doTERRA essentail oils that may help ease symptoms*
Colic	Lavender, DigestZen blend (diluted), Marjoram, Bergamot, Ginger- use on an abdominal massage
Cold	Thyme, Lemon, Melaleuca, Rosemary - dilute 1-2 drops into 2 tablespoons doTerra Fractionated Coconut Oil 4 Ounces and massage on neck and chest
Constipation	Wild orange, lemon or Roman Chamomile - 1 drop in 1 tablespoon carrier oil. Massage abdomen, lower back and feet twice daily.
Cough	Lavender - 1 drop in 1 tablespoon carrier oil. Rub on chest/back.
Cradle Cap	Lemon, Geranium – mix 2 tablespoons almond oil with one drop lemon and one drop geranium
Croup	Marjoram, Thyme, Sandalwood- dilute 1-2 drops into 2 tablespoons doTerra Fractionated Coconut Oil 4 Ounces l and massage on neck and chest
Diaper rash	Lavender, Roman Chamomile
Earache	Melaleuca, Roman Chamomile - combine 2 tablespoons doTerra Fractionated Coconut Oil 4 Ounces with one drop Roman chamomile and one drop melaleuca.  place a drop on a cotton ball and apply on ear, behind ear and reflex points on the feet
Fever (mild)	Lavender, On Guard, Peppermint - dilute 1-2 drops into 2 tablespoons doTerra Fractionated Coconut Oil 4 Ounces and massage on neck, back and feet * Call your pediatrician for high fever.
Gas	Lavender - 1 drop lavender in 1 tablespoon carrier oil. Massage 2-3 drops on the abdomen, moving clockwise
Sleep	Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Serenity, Citrus Bliss
Teething	Clove, Lavender, Myrrh, Roman Chamomile  - Dilute the oils with one drop oil and 3 - 4 drops FCO and rub directly on the gum or rub the diluted oil on outside at the jaw line.
Thrush	Melaleuca, Lavender, Thyme, Lemon, Geranium - dilute 1-2 drops into 2 tablespoons doTerra Fractionated Coconut Oil 4 Ounces and massage on location

Sources: Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils; Essential Oils for Maternity; everythingessential.me; articles in medical journals International Journal of Nursing Practice and Early Human Development

* Using essential oils should be a complement to, not replace seeing your physician with ANY medical concern. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The recommendations above are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

 

Beating Sunburn Naturally

Photo from Google Image

A sunburn was not what I counted on during a cloudy, cool week at summer camp. But yes, my little guy came home with red, sore shoulders one afternoon.

I was blessed to find a quick home remedy within my "medicine cabinet:" a blend of coconut oil and melaleuca essential oil (otherwise known as tea tree oil). After rubbing it into my son's shoulders a few times a day, his redness was quickly relieved.

The good news is it wasn't a fluke. The bad news is I got to test it out a few weeks later.

After a day at the lake with a friend, my daughter noticed what she called a "rash" on the back of her legs and any other area she neglected to put sunscreen. After nearly eight years, she had her first sunburn. And it was a painful one at that. As we were at home rather than at camp, we had a larger arsenal of essential oils to tap into (good because it gave a break from the complaints about the smell of melaleuca oil!) We primarily used melaleuca and lavender essential oils and coconut oil to help spread it. I went quite liberally with the essential oils, and the redness was gone by morning. The soreness in a day or two.

Needless to say, I have a bottle of "sunburn blend" mixed up and ready for our next outdoor adventure!

What is your favorite natural home remedy for sunburn and other summer maladies?

Organizing kids' clothes: A way to Excel at it

Garage sales, hand-me-downs, resale and other sources for kids' clothes have gotten us through the last few years. The challenge is keeping tabs on my finds.

Whether it's my daughter tearing apart diaper-size boxes of clothing in her closet out of boredom or my accidentally stockpiling 20 (yes, 20) short-sleeve T-shirts in a size for my son, remembering what you've acquired can be a challenge.

My solution? It's a simple one: Creating a spreadsheet to track numbers.

I track each kids' clothing pieces by size and type, and I have it uploaded so that family members who are Christmas shopping or hitting sales to splurge know what we have. My hope is it keeps us from wasting money and space, and freeing us from having more than we really need.

Want to start this simply? Create an Excel or Google Docs spreadsheet with a column for size and a row for each clothing type. For example:

uniform shirts
uniform skorts or pants
sweater
sweatshirt
fall/winter weight PJ's
spring/summer weight PJ's
jeans
yoga/dance pants
t-shirts (long-sleeve and short-sleeve)
sweat pants/athletic pants
winter coat
swimsuit

I could expand this to include shoes I've picked up (such as at clearance or soccer cleats from garage sales), but those for now are much easier remembered.

I update the spreadsheets after purchases, and reprint the well-folded sheets as needed. It's an easy reference at a garage sale and has kept me from at least one unneeded purchase.

Bringing on the baby food

Hey sis,

It's hard to believe your little one will be ready to eat soon! I'm glad you liked the book on making your own baby food that I brought down, but I know you had some questions too. I'll try to answer them the best I can:

What to make: The best advice I can give you is to follow the flavors your family eats. (Realizing that's a bit tricky with what your husband doesn't eat, we'll work around that.) If you like zucchini, blend it up. If you can't live without plums, give it a whirl! It's much easier to introduce flavors that are an extension of your regular palate. Kids in other cultures are introduced to spices and herbs at an extremely early age; it doesn't hurt to add spice to your baby's plates!

The best thing is with your growing seasons, you're fortunate that you'll be able to offer up fresh food for a long time.

On recipes: I'll admit with our first kid I followed that cookbook faithfully, mushing up mixtures according to prescribed guidelines. That's all well and good, but I'll be honest that by #2, you tend to roll with things a lot more! It's very easy to modify something you're already cooking into something more baby-friendly. (Oh we're having zucchini or carrots? Let's nuke it a little more to soften and mush it up. Having a complicated dish? Pick out one or two elements and prepare it for the baby.)

Fitting it in: And being a working mom, cooking that extra meal does take some extra effort. What I tended to do was make up a small batch of vegetables or fruit from whatever was in season, proportion it out in small containers (no fancy baby food tubs), freeze and use when needed.

The great thing is, unlike just a few years ago, you have more options for organic and natural baby food. Six years ago (is it that long?) you struggled to find anything. So even if you don't have time to make everything, or you don't want to cook up something, you may be able to find alternatives at the store.

Growing into it: As she gets older, she'll want more complicated flavors and more "people" like food. She may let you know just by grabbing and gumming. Before my kids were a year, they were knawing on roasted asparagus, sucking out the insides!

And about teething: Whatever you do, shy away from those store-bought biter biscuits. I looked at the nutritional information - and with the sugar and fat, they're virtually candy bars! Instead, it's easy to make your own. That simple step probably saved me the cost of that cookbook.

Good luck with making the baby food! And don't get discouraged. No matter what you prepare, something will eventually make her mouth! :-)
Robbie

Bye, bye baby

Thursday I did the unthinkable. I said goodbye to the idea of a newborn. For nearly six years, I've had a crib, baby swings and car seats in my possession. And you don't realize how much space little ones take until you start gathering supplies. But after two years of telling my kids not to play in the infant booster seat or turn on the baby swing, it's time to quit hanging onto the idea of the nebulous infant #3. And the realization that my son is finally over the idea of sleeping in his crib, and he's finally comfortable in his "big boy bed," it was time for me to cut the cord. We loaded up the van and took it to St. Elizabeth's home. It's a surreal feeling knowing all that's left babywise is the changing table (now housing organizing boxes for toys) and some infant/toddler clothes, but even those are getting picked over too. It's like saying you're officially done, even though the winds of fate can change at any minute. But the uncomfortableness of the moment was gone when I arrived and visited with the staff. Saw the reminders of the families they serve on a daily basis. Heard how equipment and baby supplies come out the door as quickly as they arrive. The drop-side crib, which aren't being sold anymore? An improvement over the risk of SIDS from co-sleeping. The infant car seat, which you truly can't resell? Will go to a family so they can take their infant home from the hospital - and legally, they can't discharge until the family has one. It makes you sleep a bit better knowing your things will help another family grow together and create memories...safely.

Greening your little girl: 9 ways for less waste

Bows, jewelry, doll accessories and more. Usually strewn over the house. It's the sign of a little girl in the midst.

Today, I'd thought I'd share nine simple ways to "green" your little girl, saving you money and from cleaning headaches and hopefully helping reinforce a little creativity as well.

Early on:

Watch the excess! It's easy, particularly when they're tiny, to load up on adorable dresses and more. Instead, dress for comfort - and practicality. Trying to button up the back of a dress on a little one who can barely hold her head up is not the easiest way to go.

Save small items. Those tiny newborn or 0-3 clothes are so adorable, but are worn for such a short period of time. Consider holding a few outfits back for doll clothes. They fit perfectly on Cabbage Patch dolls, many other baby dolls and lots of stuffed animals, we've found.

Go neutral. I know, it's easy to fall into pink excess. Instead, invest in neutral colors and styles (I swore by onesies and pants for both kids) and even consider dressing your darling in (gasp!) boy colors and clothing. I swear she won't recall wearing blue doggy pajamas.

Be nostalgic. If you've saved a few favorite toys from childhood, you can't get much greener than that! (Though I will say, today's Barbies have had an "adjustment" or two since our childhoods.)

For preschoolers and older:
Buy big. Conisder buying a size up for summer nightgowns. The long, flowy dresses are great for dress-up and can last you two summers instead of one this way! Likewise, buy larger t-shirts which can be baggy one year, "regular fit" the next.

Encourage creativity. It's tempting to buy a lot of accessories for baby dolls, Barbies and American Girl, but it takes up space, costs unnecessary dollars and robs your child of an opportunity to use her imagination. One of the things I remember from my childhood was sprawling Girl Scout cookie boxes creating a mammoth mansion in my bedroom for my Barbie dolls. Let their imagination take them wherever it needs to go - from laundry basket "boats" to tents or castles.

Don't discount second hand. Cheap princess dresses? Who needs them? While I know many people who swear by stocking up on the Halloween clearance, I'd rather let my daughter wear something that will hold up better. We've gotten so many Sunday or Easter dresses, likely worn two or three times and given to us for free, that my daughter uses them to play dress up or go to church. It's an economical way to indulge yet be practical.

Encourage sharing. It's tough to pass up a toy (even if you haven't played with it for months) or a treasured piece of clothing. What's worked for us is giving to another kid in need or sharing an outfit with a younger friend.

Teach priorities. I've been blessed that my kids don't realize they have a choice in suggesting gift ideas, but we also don't let them watch a lot of commercials or go down the toy aisles. Instead, we focus on what we can do for other people. We also reinforce that each family has different rules, and that it's great we can enjoy other toys at our friends' houses. It's a hard lesson (one good for me to recall on many occasions!) but I hope well worth it.

Cloth diapering: One year of dissing disposables

Cloth or plastic? It's a question I considered with the birth of my second child. Was going cloth worth it if you could only do it part-time?

One year into our family's experiment, I can say that yes, it is. I'm saying as a mom who's juggled cloth through wiggly babies, tumbling toddlers and, now, the start of potty training, all-in-ones are a great resource for moms to have on hand!

When I first seriously considering going cloth at home (our day care insists on disposables), I did the math, and found out that if I went conservative on quantity and washed each night (which I was doing anyways on weekends), I'd break even in 26 weeks. And that's with using them twice a week.

I have had to buy new diapers as the little guy's grown, but I've found that by shopping around you can find brands of diapers that stretch longer across the sizes. Luckily, I found great resources like Toasty Baby, which even delivered the diapers to my home, Zwaggle, and Craigslist. Granted, the latter two required a lot of visits to the sites to find cloth diapers, but when I found them, the prices couldn't be beat. I got 5 cloth diapers for $20 from one and a set of 6 new diapers for the cost of shipping with the other! So for the cost of three packages of disposables, I was set for another six months or longer.

Soon, I got braver and added cloth wipes into the mix. And you can even get by without those, in all honesty. How many infant washcloths do you have lying around your bathroom?

Sure, I may have a little bit more laundry to do, but I simply toss dry diapers and cloths into a box in the bedroom. No folding's required.

As potty training has approached, I've actually found cloth diapers are easier to manage than disposable. He responds to wetness faster, and the cloth diapers don't tear or get ruined after multiple times of opening the velcro to use the bathroom. And my laundry load has dropped as well as we're having more success!

Would I go cloth again? Absolutely. Investing in all-in-one diapers are easy, and, after the initial expense, well worth the hassle!

Toddler time - and what to do with the aftermath of babyhood

Fourteen months ago. That's the last time I held a baby the size of the little girl I cradled yesterday afternoon at the hospital.

And that afternoon, I returned home, and stared in the face of...a toddler.

There's no denying it. My baby is no longer one. He crawls. He climbs. He tries to tackle his daddy. He thinks he's a big shot for using a spoon to eat "real" milk and cereal. He wiggles around like nobody's business. And he applauds - yes, applauds - me when I get home at night from work.

There's no denying it. There's no longer a baby in this house.

Sure, the signs were there. My kitchen countertop has been reclaimed from the bottle racks and bowl of bottle pieces, long retired. The baby swing has been taken down after too many attempts of trying to climb into or out of it. Toys are already being retired, not to mention the several rounds of sizes of clothes.

But now that baby is no longer a baby, what do you do with the aftermath?

You realize as a parent that the first year is definitely resource-heavy. There's the furniture, the diapers and safety factor, resulting in child-proofing gadgets galore, not to mention the clothing that's outgrown in weeks (as in my daughter's case) or months.

But the little things add up quickly. The pacifiers - love them, or hate them - just get tossed after a fateful fall or too much chewing upon. The bottle nipples, and sometimes bottles themselves, are similarly tossed as the baby gets more demanding in his or her needs. The teething toys. The starter spoons. The age-appropriate toys you'd gotten as gifts. The list goes on and on.

And what do you do with them as a parent? Some, you can just save for future children or pass along to another parent. But others too often get tossed.

As we've approached our baby's "graduation" to toddlerhood, I've been fortunate that I've been able to help some other people out while avoiding just tossing away things the family no longer needed. Pacifiers rejected by my baby after a use or two were re-sanitized and shared with a mom of multiples. The bottles and bottle rack, rather than being tossed, were donated to my work's newborn pantry, with a few given to an expecting co-worker who was going to have to try bottles when the return to work approached. The myriad of baby blankets, particularly the swaddling ones that only really work for a month, were also donated to the cause. Clothes get the usual passing-along to a new mom or to a shelter. And I have a few rejected sippy cups - refused because they just weren't like his sister's cups - just waiting for a new home.

Sometimes, it takes a little creativity to find a new home for still-working infant supplies. But if you can help a parent save some money as well as reduce our impact on the environment, it's worth it.

Wiping it up: An introduction to cloth baby wipes

Cloth rags, napkins and towels are common alternatives to their paper cousins. But one thing I don't see people clamouring over is the cloth baby wipes.

I stumbled across this at the Indy Winter Market just before the baby's first birthday. Ragamuffin Diapers sold cloth diapers, baby wipes and femimine items made from "recycled flannel." I needed something in the baby's gift bag. I had a moment of weakness (and honestly didn't have enough cash for the homemade diapers, seeing they required covers).

Yes, nothing says "Happy 1st Birthday" like flannel wipes for your tush.

And so they sat, through the holidays. And I finally became brave enough to experiment with them. Logistically, they were a challenge. Bathroom on one side of the house; changing table on another. But I had an eager runner who was all too happy to put water on wipes for me.

And then I found recipes for baby wipe solutions. You can find several variations at Diaper Jungle and Makebabystuff.com. But I settled on a makeshift simple three-part solution of baby oil, baby liquid soap and water, now bottled in a small plastic squirt bottle that once held blue Crayola bath soap for my daughter.

I even opted to make more wipes on my own, after finding a pair of my husband's flannel pants in his drawer - despite having a 4-inch rip in them. Well, I suppose they were clean. After a couple of hours of cutting and hand-sewing while catching up on a show, I had doubled my stash. (It's not difficult to do - double up your fabric, cut a large square, then whipstitch together. It would have likely been faster had I actually learned what to do with my sewing machine instead of letting it collect dust!)

Using cloth wipes has settled into a fairly easy routine. Have I given up "regular" wipes in favor of cloth completely? Not yet. There are times when it's just easier to use traditional wipes, such as when cleaning up after one injests blueberries. ('nuff said.) But at least I'm getting braver about it.

Cloth diapering while working: Still worth it?

Can you do cloth diapering as a working parent? Even if you're having issues with child care providers not working with you on cloth diapers, cloth diapering, even as a part-time choice, is still an option for you.

Just as maybe you're not always able to recycle everywhere you go, you don't have to do disposable diapers at every changing session. For our family, we've settled into a routine of part-time cloth diapering, and I am working on increasing my husband's comfort level with using cloth during naptimes and errands.

A co-worker of mine, who's expecting her first, is considering using a diaper service. Even if she sticks with it during maternity leave and goes to disposable after the fact, she's likely coming out ahead financially and still helping the environment.

But what if your child is older? Does it still make sense? Do the math:

Assume that you, like myself, have a child who's wearing size 3 diapers. We go through about six changes a day.

A package of Pampers costs about $12 for 35 diapers (about six days or three weekends' worth).

Assume we go light and purchase seven all-in-one diapers, which are the most costly variety of diapers but most convenient when you're time-crunched. These run about $15 each. Assume we agree to do laundry Saturday night (and having an extra diaper on-hand when we forget to dry them overnight!)

Those seven all-in-ones would cost about $105. (That's not including shipping, but then, I don't factor in driving to the store for diapers, either.) For that same $105, we could buy 8.75 packages of disposable diapers. For those keeping score, that's 306 diapers or 51 days' worth.

In other words, after weekend 26 you're starting to come out ahead.

(Yes, I concede that there's extra laundry involved, and with disposables there's the pail liners and other accessories. It's challenging to do a complete cost analysis.)

Want to do more? You could always sew your own all-in-ones.

The dirt on diapering in the real world: Review of pocket and all-in-one diapers

Switching to cloth diapers from the predictable plastic can seem a bit overwhelming. Tracking down supplies can seem difficult. There's the diapers, pins, and if desired, diaper covers. (And it's not easy to find if you don't have a baby superstore close by.) There's the additioanl laundry, and managing soiled diapers when you're out and about. Disposable, one may think, could seem easier.

Welcome to the 21st Century. Today's cloth diapers elimiate worries and certainly make things easier for parents and babies on the go. Many brands offer all-in-one diapers, which eliminate those pins, covers and, often, liners. Others do require individual liners that can be inserted.

We recently reviewed several brands of cloth diapers for washability, ease of use and child's comfort.

Our subject? A squiggly 11-month old who is constantly on the move. His assistant? A working mom balancing two kids, a crazy household and a full-time job.

During evening and weekends over a 3- to 4-week period, we tested the following brands : DryBees, Kushies Classic and Ultra, KnickerKnappies and Wahmies.* Here's how they fared:

Overall ease of use: The all-in-one brands (Kushies, Drybees) by their nature were easier to use than the pocket diapers (KnickerKnappies, Wahmies) requiring inserts.

When dealing with a wiggly child at changing time, remembering to insert a cloth insert into the diaper didn't always happen (as my Thanksgiving guests could attest). Inserts also need to be removed from the diapers before washing, as they can bunch up in the diaper during washing and drying and may not completely dry. It may sound basic, but if you're crunched for time, sometimes things slip.

Washability: Despite multiple washings, we did not see problems with shrinking of the fabric or elastic or wear on the fasteners.

Ease of fastening: The majority of brands tested use velcro or snaps to keep the diapers closed. I personally preferred DryBees, which had a wider strip of of velcro, giving me a somewhat greater sense of security. Kushies had significantly thinner velcro strips, which admittedly made me nervous about whether they'd become loosened or undone (they didn't).

The Wahmies clasp closure diaper was the most difficult to manage. (We tested a snaps version as well.) Using three sets of hooks and loops on each side, the diaper was challenging to use when the subject wouldnt' lie still.

Adjustability for child's size: DryBees, Kushies and KnickerKnappies offer multiple sizes. Wahmies was the only brand tested that offered a one-size-fits-all diaper.

KnickerKnappies and Wahmies used snaps to adjust lengthwise. It does create a slight bulkiness up front, but no visible discomfort in the leg bands.

Leakage: Some incidents of leaking did occur with the cloth brands. Much of it was due to user error - failing to put in an insert in a pocket diaper when distracted. (This problem was eliminated by inserting clean, dry inserts into the diaper after removing them from the dryer.)Generally, the diapers held up well during naps and overnight.

Our recommendation: From ther perspective of a busy working mom of two, I preferred the DryBees and Knickerknappies. In our family, child's comfort and ease of use are king.

While each of these diapers held up well, were comfortable for the baby and had no major problems with shrinkage or leakage, having an all-in-one diaper did also make things significantly easier.

* Other companies were invited to participate in the review but declined to participate. These were:

• Bum Genius
• Bumkins
• Cottonbabies
• Happy Heinies
• Kissaluvs
• The Natural Baby
• Rumparooz
• Thirsties
• Urban Fluff
Note: This post does contain affiliate links.

Happy Baby = Happy Kid? A review of Happy Baby and Happy Bites Foods

Frozen foods for kids? It's not much different than many moms' standby of chicken nuggets or fries baked in the oven. Convenience is key on many hectic nights. And in organic's benefits and squeezing in extra vegetables? Now you might be on to something.

So was my mindset as I set out to review Happy Baby and Happy Bites line of frozen foods (in Indianapolis, it's available at Whole Foods). Over a six-week span, we mixed a number of dishes into our diet with mixed results. The baby food was well-received, but the kid line, not so much.

Happy Baby

The Happy Baby frozen baby food line was great as a working mom and not much different than cracking open a jar. I tossed a series of cubes into the fridge in the morning, and it was defrosted by dinner time.

The cost may seem high (about $5 a package, but the cost per serving is comparable to other organic baby foods you'd find on the store shelf.

Our taste-tester gobbled up the Super Salmon and Baby Dhal, made hysterical faces at the quinoa (not sure why; he's enjoyed the grown-up version), and would not have a thing to do with the peaches or plums, which he normally likes. (The texture was a bit strange, kind of flaky, which may be a contributing factor).

But better than the baby food for the 9 month old was the "big kid line," Happy Bites. Our littlest tester enjoyed lapping up the dipping sauce (with "hidden veggies" inside) as well as pincher-sized bites of his sisters' fish.

Happy Bites

At about $5 a frozen dinner (at Whole Foods), the children's meals are more than I'd usually pay for a frozen meal for lunch, which makes it a bit pricy for everyday use. However, it might be a great back-up on crazy evenings or when the grown-ups just want to eat, well, grown-up food.

Reality bites, and the 3 year old didn't. My foodie fought eating these every step of the way.

I'll admit I couldn't sell it. We generally offer healthy meals including plenty of produce and occasional fish, but these meals were often tasteless and had an unusual consistency and texture. The Fish Bites and Salmon Stix had no flavor (and my daughter loves salmon). The Veggie Tots were unpalatable.

The dipping sauces? A mix of strange brews that resemble baby food (and enjoyed heartily by the baby, who lapped the green ones up). The "Orange Cheetah" cheese sauce tasted like out of a blue Kraft box (not necessarily a bad thing for this demographic), and the "Red Monkey" marinara sauce could have definitely been kicked up a notch.

I give the creators of this line credit for trying to increase the produce in children's diets and expose them to (slightly) new flavors. But the reality is, as a parent, hidden foods are still tough to pull off.

Blending for baby

Homemade baby food? It must be for stay-at-home moms or granola types. That was what I used to think. After all, what working mom has time to make their children baby food?

After reading a magazine article touting funds like tuna and blueberries for young toddlers when my first was very young, I was intrigues. After all, there are only so many baby food combinations available in stores, and we eat far more variety than oatmeal, green beans, applesauce and peas. As my daughter wanted to explore ‘big” foods and tastes, I started to explore with her.

By a year, our little foodie was enjoying broccoli, salmon, blueberries by the half-pint, even asparagus. I firmly believe that little ones, if exposed young, will be very open to exploring new tastes. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a short order chef, with one meal for adults, another for the toddler and a third for the baby. I’ve found it’s just as easy to blend or mash a “baby” version of what you’re eating – just chop, microwave to soften, and blend. As for our little one, he’s become quite found of squash, zucchini (which I’ll sometimes add some fresh oregano to) and cantaloupe, things I’ve yet to find in even on the organic aisle. And at not quite eight months, he covets our grilled asparagus spears to knaw on while teething!

Ease isn’t the only reason why I encourage you to at least try making baby food on at least one occasion. Variety, cost and waste are other great reasons to try this. Consider: $1.40 for a 4-ounce pack of organic baby food (nearly $6 a pound) – or blending a few ounces of a new vegetable from the farmers market. The waste is a factor; few companies still package baby food in glass jars, which are recyclable. Gerber packages its food in #7 plastic – not recyclable at all in many markets. If your little one if eating multiple containers of food each day, that’s a lot of plastic waste.

If you’re still a little wary of making your own baby food, here are some tried and true recipes my kids have enjoyed. These are from Annabel Karmer’s The Healthy Baby Meal Planner.

Biter biscuits
My oldest couldn’t get enough of teething biscuits. Then I realized why. Looking at the ingredient labels, I was shocked about the added fat and sugar – they are the nutritional equivalent of an infant candy bar! Both of my children have loved this homemade version, which uses breads of your choice. Healthier, less waste and definitely cheaper.

Slice bread into three strips. Place on cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Going Bananas
1 tsp. butter
Small banana, sliced
Pinch cinnamon
2 tbsp. orange juice

Melt butter in small skillet. Stir in sliced banana. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Sautee for 2 minutes. Pour in orange juice and cook 2 minutes. Mash.

In praise of Papa's tub

When my first child was born, my mother trotted out an old tub, hidden in the attic for years. It was used by at least two previous generations of Johnsons and for a quarter of a century had waited for the next.

I remember all too vividly the comments by friend when I mentioned I didn't need that cheap plastic bathtub from the baby store, that instead we'd use the old enamel tub.

But what if she falls? I was asked.

Hmm...I thought that was why we watched our kids.

We sadly noted that some of the coating had been scraped over time and it was beginning to rust. This would be the last generation - and child - to use it. Still, the tub managed to make the move with us to our new home.

Last night, though, I noticed the tub in my daughter's closet and got it out, thinking I at least could get a photo of the baby in it, just like his sister, mother and grandfather before him. I set it down on the floor, and sat the baby, fully clothed inside. He was almost too long.

My daughter asked what he was doing. I said,without thinking, that he was playing boat. Before I knew it, they were "toot-tooting" all around her room, the normally serious baby banging his hands against the sides and laughing.

Yes, I could have bought that plastic tub, which would have been tossed aside or shared in mere months. And I'll admit I actually considered buying one this time around. But then I would have missed a moment.

Cooking with CSA: A few successes to share

Recipe planning is key to making the CSA experience a success, I'm convinced. I am finally getting the hang of planning meals around the veggies, rather than figuring out what vegetable can go as a side dish.

Our family experimented with several new recipes this week. Here are some of our cooking successes I'd like to share:

• Spring vegetable pasta
• Spring asparagus and new potato salad
• Fajitas
• Radish supreme
• Baby zucchini
• Barbeque chicken pizza

Spring vegetable pasta

loosely adapted from a Basil Zucchini recipe from the Memphis Herb Society's 1995 book, Today's Herbal Kitchen.

2 c. sliced zucchini
2 T. minced garlic
2 T. olive oil
1 c. cherry tomatoes
3/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/4 c. chopped fresh oregano
1/2 lb. button mushrooms
1 lb. pasta

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, reserving water.

Sautee garlic and zucchini until tender. Add tomatoes, basil, mushrooms and oregano. Cook 5 min. or until tender. Add a few ladles of pasta water and drained pasta.

Serve with parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.

Rating: Adults: 5 Kid: 4 (enthusiastically eaten, but reminded mom that "Tomatoes make me sad.")

Spring asparagus and new potato salad

from Andrea Chesman's 1998 book, The Vegetarian Grill

6 T. olive oil
Juice of one lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lb. new potatoes, halved
1 lb. asparagus
12-16 c. salad greens
parmesan

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss potatoes and asparagus to coat. Grill potatoes, turning every 10 minutes or so, about 30 min. Grill asparagus until limp, about 8 min. (Be sure to reserve marinade.)

Arrange salad greens on plates. Top with grilled asparagus and potatoes. Drizzle remaining marinade on top. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Rating: Adults: 5 Kid: 5 (assuming kid liked it; no noise was made at all during dinner!) A definite repeater.

Fajitas

Yes, Paula Deen does fajitas, too. We found this recipe on the Food Network Web site. Aside of the prep work to chop, it is easy work and the spices are awesome.

Rating: Adults: 5 (Once I picked out the green peppers) Kid: 3 (loved the chicken, not keen on the veggies).

Radish supreme

Radish supreme is a radish and shallot-based dish from our CSA program. *

Rating: Adults: 4 Kid: 3

Baby zucchini

Wash and chop zucchini. Put in saucepan with water about 1/2 to 1" deep. Cook medium-high until tender. Drain and cool. Place zucchini in blender; blend until smooth. Serve or freeze within 1 day.

Rating: 5 (couldn't get enough of it!)

Barbeque chicken pizza
Pizza is a fabulous activity for little chefs. This homemade invention was the result of a desperate need to clean out the fridge--and thankfully worked.

refrigerated pizza crust
2 c. leftover rotisserie chicken
2 green onions, minced
2 garlic scapes, minced
1/4-1/2 c. barbeque sauce (we use Jack Stack)
8 oz. mozzerrella

Assemble pizza. Bake according to directions on pizza crust package.

Rating: Adults: 5 Kid: 5 (There were no leftovers!)

[ Edited January 28, 2009 to remove the name of the Indianapolis-based CSA which we participated following disparaging remarks by their representatives. Removed link to the radish supreme recipe, which is hosted on their blog, on Jan. 30, 2009 following multiple communications from this business. Apparently radish recipes are threatening to them! :-) If you would like the recipe for Radish Supreme, please e-mail me at goinggreenmama at gmail. ]

CSA: Can’t Swallow Anything

Week 1 of CSA participation has been, well, interesting.

Friday evening, I dutifully picked up my plastic tub of produce from the shaded porch and peeked inside like a kid sneaking a look at a present. Disappointment arose. A container of cherry tomatoes. Three bell peppers. Neither of which I’d choose to eat on any given day. Among it were a bagful of mixed lettuce and another of unidentified greens. A small bunch of red spring onions. And a teeny, tiny zucchini.

My mind went wandering about what I could cook with these treats, and to be honest, I was stumped. I am not used to be given X amount of something, rather, I shop farmer’s markets with a list in my head, only to pad it with various impulse purchases.

I knew I wanted to try the spring soup recipe provided by the CSA, but otherwise, no clue. And we still had salad mix and a container filled with spinach from last week’s market.

My husband, a Food Network junkie, excitedly unloaded the container and sprung upstairs to the computer. “I have an idea for that and the chorizo,” he chattered, referring to that same package of chorizo that’s been in the freezer since last summer’s markets.

Between the two of us, we planned our weekly menu, went to the store to fill out the shopping list and began our culinary adventure.

And adventure it was.

Unfortunately, a step or ingredient or two was missing from one of the recipes provided by the CSA. My “spring soup” morphed from 4 cups of mixed greens, some butter and oil, and garlic into a few tablespoons of unrecognizable ick that was closer to something I would have stepped in at the park than soup. I poked at it tentatively with the spatula – which quickly became the blender’s latest victim. So much for soup. I don’t do a “splash of silicone.”

Our dinner attempt was much more palatable. My husband’s experimentation on the Food Network Web site paid off. We dined on flank steak with a green sauce blended of several herbs and a bell pepper, which admittedly I could not taste. On the side was a fabulous blend of spinach, chickpeas, artichoke hearts and chorizo sausage. My toddler kept picking the chickpeas off of her plate – as well as everyone else’s. Perfect for pint-size fingers, though I’m impressed the flavors went well.

Last night was “Prep Night” in my household as we got ready for future culinary mis-/adventures. We made our first attempt at homemade baby food, referencing a cookbook I’d gotten when my toddler was little and creating “baby zucchini.” My blender looked like it was covered in the slime from Ghostbusters, but its flavor likely soars in comparison to the blended, bland mess they sell in stores (and I dutifully feed to my second each day.) The reaction should be priceless.

We’re on tap for other new dishes this week: More meal salads, something to be done with the remaining greens (I’ll leave that to my spouse), sautéed zucchini with olive oil and spices, and chicken fajitas. All told, it was far easier to eat locally and creatively than I thought – as long as I stray from the blender.

Raising Baby Green: 10 tips for new parents

Recently I read Dr. Alan Greene's book, Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care . It is very much written for the parent-to-be, though I found several great tips for those of us with little ones already in the house.

10 things I learned from Dr. Greene's book:

1. If you're nervous about the gels or liquids inside traditional teething toys (as I am, since one leaked with my first), you can buy organic, machine-washable teething toys from several sources online. Or, moisten a wash cloth and cool it in the freezer.
2. Talc-based powders, often used for diaper rash, may have small particles that can irritate your baby's lungs. To prevent diaper rash, instead, use a little fresh air.
3. The best foods to buy organic are peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery and nectarines. The least worrisome are mango, pineapples, sweet corn, avocado and onions.
4. Instead of commercial air fresheners, you can squeeze a lemon into the diaper pail. (Or, you can do as I do, and open those perfume samples from the magazines and place them at the bottom.)
5. Look for plastic toys for your child that are PVC-free.
6. If you are bottle feeding, consider replacing rubber or latex nipples with silicone ones.
7. If you're formula-feeding, choose powdered over liquid. BPA is present in many cans of conncentrated formula and can leach into it.
8. If you choose any time to go organic, the most beneficial is before three years of age, when development is fastest.
9. If you use cloth diapers, don't bleach. Bleach is absorbed by the cloth.
10. Before loading up on adorable baby clothes, think green. While you can buy organic, the best things you can do are hit up a resale shop, get hand-me-downs or simply limit your purchases. Remember, your child will outgrow these clothes fast.

Read great tips that anyone can use from this book.

Environmentalism is easy when you're unemployed

Environmentalism is easy when you're unemployed. I'm convinced of that.

We are on day 3 of being a one-income household with two-income expenses. We've done the math, and it's not pretty.

Focusing on the positive, there are some good things about being broke. It can have a positive impact on my contribution toward the environment. Such as:

• Less gasoline being used, as we have one less commute (though it was short) and unemployment and job applications are virtually all done online anymore.
• By limiting (and eventually eliminating - a cranky, cold-turkey, caffeine-addicted person is not what this family needs right now!) my Diet Coke consumption, I'm reducing the energy needed to recycle aluminum.
• No eating out or plastic soda cups from Speeedway means less unrecyclable waste.
• By vastly curtailing my grocery spending and making everything from scratch (as opposed to a box), we will likely be eating better in the long run. Beans, rice and pasta do less harm to the environment than the animals who have to eat the grains first. (Plus, I might lose those last few baby pounds.)
• Fans are staying on; the A/C is staying off, lowering my electric bill.
• I'll dust off my baby food recipe book and my vegetarian grilling cookbook that has for years collected dust and use the produce from the CSA that I thankfully bought from earlier this spring to expose my family to new tastes and a healthier lifestyle.

Don't get me wrong. I'd like to be able to afford all of my bills next month, but at least there's a small (OK very small) silver lining to all of this.