Homemade Baby Bum Wash

In our household we cloth diaper.  There are many benefits and reasons why we choose to cloth diaper.  One of these reasons is to reduce waste in landfills and be good stewards of the earth.  One of the other ways we cut back on waste is by not buying wipes.

When my first daughter was born I was gifted practically a million wash cloths.  OK, so there weren't a million but there were a lot!  I took all the thin baby cloths and decided to use them to wipe the girls bums.  I then throw them in the diaper pail and they get washed with the diapers.  I make a solution in large batches and keep it under the change table to make diaper changes easy.

This is how I make it:

4 Cups Water (Filtered)

2 Tbsp Vegetable Glycerine 

3 Tbsp Castile Soap

10 Drops Lavender

10 Drops Tea Tree Oil

This is much nicer on her bum than the chemical ladened wipes from the store.  I can use it to 

Did you know you can make your own baking powder?

So how did I find this out you ask?  I was home alone with the girls this evening and wanted to make some "clean eating pumpkin bread" for a coffee date I am having tomorrow, but remembered I was out of baking powder...

So I thought to myself,  Dale can stop at the 24 hour Sobeys on the way home and grab some. I will get everything ready and bake the bread in the morning.  As I was messaging Dale and sending him a link of the aluminum free brand I use, I found this:

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/condimentsandspices/r/Baking_Powder.htm

So, I made some.  And my bread rose better than the last time I made it!  It was only baking soda and cream of tartar.  Both of which many people have on hand.  So next time you are in a pinch or want to reduce your exposure to aluminum make your own.

Brockelbank Sisters Imitation Harvey's Dill Pickles Recipe

Two years ago Crystal and I embarked on a journey to can everything we could, to reduce our exposure to BPA and Pesticide residues.  There was something exciting about canning produce and knowing exactly what is in the jar.  No unpronounceable additives. Also, picking the freshest produce creates a wonderful flavour you cannot get with store bought jars.

This turned into a lot of work! Especially since we canned, Jalapeños, Peach Salsa, Tomato Salsa, Pickled Green Beans, Diced Tomatoes, Dill Pickles and Pumpkin.  Canning our own food quite frankly became an addiction.  It is a good thing that Crystal kept talking me into going to the marked and just doing one more half bushel of pickles.  Because the following year there was a newborn in the house and no canning got done.

We must have lucked out because our dill pickles were a huge hit!  We believed that they rivaled Harvey's Hamburger pickles, which are famous in our family.  We had never done pickles before but looked up a bunch of recipes online and came up with this:


What you Need:

1/2     Bushel Pickling Cucumbers

3.5     Red Peppers (chopped finely)

3        Bunches Dill Weed

2 lg    Heads Garlic

1.5     Bags Chilli Pepper Flakes

5 3/4  Cups White Vinegar

1 1/2  Cups Pickling Salt

22      Cups Water

20      Quart Jars (Widemouth are the easiest to stuff)

Now What???

1. Sterilize all your jars in the dishwasher or boil for 10 minutes.  Dishwasher is way easier and can be done while you sleep the night before pickling.

2. Decide how you would like your pickles cut or if at all.  Do the cutting.  Using a mandolin can make for quick, even slicing especially with larger pickles.  Hint: Larger Cucumbers require some slicing but are usually cheaper.

3.  Line up the Jars and add to each Jar:

2 tsp Chili Flakes

2/3 of an extra large garlic clove or 1 average size cut in half

2 tbsp Chopped Red Pepper
2 Heads of Dill Weed along with some stalk

4.  Stuff cucumbers in Jars so that they are packed tightly.  Do not allow pickles to rise above neck of jar as this would impede the canning process.

5. Add vinegar, salt and water to a large pot and bring to a boil.  

6.  Add Snap Lids to a pot of water and boil for 5 minutes.

7. Pour the hot brine over jars of pickles leaving a 1/2" head space.

8.  Remove a lid carefully and place on top of jar without contaminating the inside.  Screw ring on firmly but not too tightly.  As it will allow air to escape during processing.  But you want the ring tight enough that the lid is held firmly in place.

9.  Add jars to canner and fill water until it reaches the bottom of the jar necks.  

10.  Bring water almost to a boil and remove jars.

11.  You must empty the canner and add cool water before processing your next batch of pickles.  This will prevent breakage of jars as well as keep your pickles crisp.

12.  Adding brine just before processing will also help keep pickles crisp.  As they will not have to be heated twice: once by the brine and second time by processing.

Let your pickles sit for 8 weeks and Enjoy!!!

Homemade Coconut Milk Infant Formula

First off I would like to say that I am sharing with you my experience with two daughters that struggle with dairy allergies.  I have no background in nutrition or medicine.  So, please check with a holistic nutritionist or naturopath before starting a new diet with your infant.

I feel like I want to share this with everyone because it has changed our life so much!  When my second daughter was born I was sure that breastfeeding was going to go well.  I had difficulty with my first daughter and was only able to breastfeed 1/2 time for 7.5 months.  This time I was determined to do everything to make it work!  I fed on demand, even though she was screaming for food a mere 20 minutes after breastfeeding, I pumped in between feeds, I took Blessed Thistle, Fenugreek and Domperidone. I was told over and over again by moms and professionals, the more you take the more you make.

However, in my case, that was not true.  I have  condition called Mammary Hypoplasia.  In a nutshell, I do not have sufficient glandular tissue to hold enough milk to give my baby a full feed.  Therefore, my body is producing as much milk as it can hold.  But that storage is not big enough to satisfy my 9.5lb babies.  If you have struggled with breastfeeding and would like information on this condition please refer to the below link for information:

http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lviss2-3-2009p4.html

So, I had to supplement my daughter within her first days after birth and was not able to breastfeed full time.  I had come to terms with that when around 4.5 months old I noticed an intestinal bleed.  She had also struggled with eczema from birth and was a terribly fussy baby, often waking 3-4 times a night.  The family doctor told us that it was a dairy allergy.  The proteins in the milk were causing damage to the intestines.  I did not want to put my daughter on soy formula due to the phytoestrogens and she would not take the hypoallergenic formula (due to the sour taste).  So the family doctor told me I would have to keep her on the dairy formula.

It was then that I was determined to find a better answer.  My daughters intestines were bleeding and I should just keep on doing what I am doing???  I made an appointment with a local naturopath and described my plight to him.  I also explained to him that I did not want to go on soy formula.  It was then that his receptionist found a rice milk based infant formula recipe from this blog:

http://jennpike.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/home-made-rice-milk-based-infant-formula/

There is a ton of information posted in the comments section of the blog.  So the naturopath sent us on our way to make our own formula.  I chose to use coconut milk.  I feel it has a pleasanter taste than rice milk.  It also has some healthy fats.  Here is what we do as adapted from Jenn Pike's Blog:

4 cups Coconut Milk (So Delishious)

2 tbsp Brown Rice Protien (Heartland Organics)
1 tbsp Molasses (Wholesome Foods)

2 tsp Pediatrivite (Genestra)
4 Scoops Infant Probiotic (Genestra)
2 tbsp Flax seed oil
400 Iu Vitamin D

Within 2 days my 5 month old was able to sit happily playing on the floor for 45 minutes instead of her usual 5 minutes.  She also began waking once a night and eventually slept through the night.  My daughter did a complete 180.  She went from pooping once every 3 days to pooping 3 times a day.  She is now 1 year old and growing like a bad weed.  I am so thankful for this recipe.  It made the latter half of our first year one to enjoy.  Instead of sleep deprived and completely frazzled I have fond memories of our first year together.  I cannot express what a difference this made in our life.

I love that this formula has whole foods in it.  There are no ingredients in it that I cannot pronounce. If I knew about this the first time around my older daughter would have been on it as well.  If we have any future children they will also be on this formula, allergies or not.

If you are in the Waterloo Region of Ontario you can consult with Dr. Dronyk ND of the Dronyk Clinic: http://www.dronykclinic.com/en/

Homemade All Purpose Spray

I took a challenge to go Chemical free in my home about 2 1/2 years ago when my daughter was born. For the most part I do all my cleaning with microfiber cloths.  I love being able to clean my house with water and a little vinegar.  But sometimes I want to have a deeper clean.  Or something that will dissolve really sticky messes.  So instead of buying really expensive all purpose cleaner, I make my own chemical cleaner that is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral.  This spray consists of 4 ingredients.  And it makes my Stove top and chrome sparkle like no chemical I have used before.

1 tsp Lavender Essential Oil

1 tsp Tea Tree Essential Oil

1 tbsp Castile Soap

3 cups Distilled water

I add the ingredients to a spray bottle and store under every sink in my home.  I do not feel badly about using it around my children.  Instead I can have them help me with my cleaning.  My daughter has sprayed this in her eye before and did not have any adverse reaction.  We rinsed it and she carried on without any tears.

In case you are wondering what castile soap is, it is a vegetable oil based soap.  Here is a picture of the brand I use:

You can use very small amounts of this around your home for many different purposes, from body wash to dish soap.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Some of the ways I choose to contribute to my family is through cutting costs and going back to the basics.  As a stay at home mom, it makes me feel like I am doing something to contribute to the family finances.  One of the major ways I have learned to do this is by eliminating all chemical cleaners from my home.  I do this for cost effectiveness as well as reducing my families exposure to harmful polutants.  Instead I clean with good old vinegar and baking soda.  I also use Norwex microfiber cloths.

Laundry Soap is one of the major costs in household cleaning products.  Especially with a young family; I think I probably do 6 loads of laundry a week.  And they are jam packed full!  The great news is you can make your laundry soap for 2 cents a load.  I have used a couple of different recipes over the past couple of years.  The homemade liquid soaps are more economical.  But I like to use a powder now.  I like the way it washes and the fact that there is less mess in making it.

Since I switched to this new recipe, my grandmother has commented several times on the brightness of my whites.  I take this as a compliment as she is a real laundry perfectionist.

I have lately been using this recipe from Stone Gable Blog:

http://www.stonegableblog.com/2012/04/stonegable-laundry-soap.html

I exclude the Downey Unstopables as I do not like to use synthetic fragrances in my home.  My girls struggle with eczema and therefore I stay away from any fragrances on their skin.

1~ 4lb 12 oz box of Borax

1~ 4 lb box of Arm And Hammer Baking Soda

1~ 3 lb 7 oz box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

1~ 3lb  container Oxy Clean

4 bars Sunlight Laundry Soap, grated (Or 3 Bars of Lindas)

Grate bars of soap and then put them into the food processor.  Pulse the soap until they are small and easily dissolved in the laundry.  Dump soap and all remaining ingredients into a double bagged garbage bag.  Mix thoroughly and store in a 2 gallon container.  This is what the soap looks like.  Use 1 tbsp per load.  And 2 tbsp when washing cloth diapers.  

This recipe is so easy and does such a great job of cleaning the laundry.  When I first found it, I could not stop telling people about it.  I have even converted my Mom and she is the queen of convenience.  I hope I have inspired you to simplify your life and save some money by making your  own laundry soap.