Homemade Burp Cloths

I confess, this isn't a DIY or tutorial, just a report on something I did with a few pictures to make it post-able. There are plenty of tutorials out there, this one being very similar to what I did.

I don't have any burp cloths for our baby girl yet. There's still a month to go and two baby showers, but I also had a stack of receiving blankets I'd gotten as hand-me-downs. Personally, I prefer swaddler blankets or the thicker, softer baby blankets. That got me thinking, I should make burp cloths out of the receiving blankets!

So one evening I cut down several of the little blankets while watching an Income Property marathon. I also made a stack of washable wipes with the same blankets. (I may or may not write about those some day, we'll see.)

I chose to round the corners because that's how the receiving blankets were made. I then matched up two coordinating patterns, then sewed them together on the machine. I thought the double layers would help the burp cloths be more absorbent. And they're cute.

I actually had to take my sewing machine in for a check-up before I could complete this project. It gave me the incentive to get it fixed, finally! I asked around for a local repair shop and was given the name of a man who works out of his garage. He was so nice! He tweaked the tension and showed me a few tips, added a nut here and a screw there, and sent me on my way. I asked how much I owed and he said, "Nothing!" I've felt totally blessed all day because of his generosity. And he has a loyal customer as long as we live here!

It didn't take me long to sew the two pieces of flannel together. And now I have a nice stack of burp cloths! I think 10 is enough, but I have a few more receiving blankets if I want more!

Have you sewed anything lately? I'm thinking of making a crib skirt...

Etsy Favorites: Her Edition

I had so much fun putting together last week's Etsy Favorites: Baby Girl Edition that I decided to do it again. This time I'm focusing on things for HER. 

I just love everything on this list. I've saved everything as a "favorite" liked all of these shops. It's just so hard to choose! I might just forward this to my husband for Christmas ideas!

Everyone loves to be pampered, so why not get this spa set with homemade scrubs, lotions, butters and lip balms? The price is very reasonable too!

I would totally wear this purple shawl. Isn't it lovely? It's staged here for a wedding, but I would wear it to church or when I'm dressing up and want something other than a coat. Isn't it beautiful?

I don't know about you, but it's hard to be warm and have cute hair at the same time when it's really cold out. Enter this crochet hat! You can wear it as a way to keep warm and not have to remove it when you get to your destination. And you don't have to do your hair. Win!

I thought this set of boot cuffs was adorable. I love the look of cozy socks sticking out of boots. You can wear these upside down if your outfit doesn't call for lace.

I've been wanting to add a plaid scarf to my collection, and I love this red one! It's festive for Christmas but not so much that you can't wear it before and after the holidays too. And it's warm!

I'd like to get into the habit of wearing an apron when I cook. This hemp apron looks like an easy addition to your outfit because you don't have to tie it. I personally don't like that part of apron wearing.

I adore this  leather tote! Isn't it beautiful! The price is pretty decent, and it looks as though it would last forever. I only own a handful of purses and like to use them for years, so I know I would get a lot of use out of this one. Now is it big enough to use as a diaper bag?

I don't wear jewelry, but this name bracelet is something I love! There are several variations available, some with dates, some with names, some with a single charm and a collection of names, or each one with a birthstone. I'd get names and birthstones, but I don't really like the colors of my kids' birthstones-ha!

Every woman needs a planner, so why not get a personalized one with trendy chevron? I would totally use this for meal planning, doctor appointments, school things, you know, life!

My first baby has a huge, complicated, detailed scrap book. My second baby has the cover but nothing was done. My third baby... has nothing. I'd like to go with digital scrap paper and create books online that are professionally printed and bound. Need to get to work on that!

What have you found on Etsy lately? Next week I'm doing a Home Edition and, wow, I had a hard time narrowing it down!

Etsy Favorites: Baby Girl Edition

You all know I have everything baby girl on my brain. It's just so fun and exciting! Less than 7 weeks until we get to meet our baby girl! Go here for my latest pregnancy update.

I was given an Etsy gift card for my birthday. While I'm planning to get something for me, I couldn't help but browse through some of the adorable baby girl things they have available. And why not share it with you?

Each picture is sourced to the Etsy shop involved in the print under the picture.

Here are 12 of my favorite things, all in a color scheme too!

Wouldn't this bloomer and headband set be adorable for that newborn photo shoot? Baby laying on her tummy, legs tucked under her, hands under her head, asleep. Totally cute.

You'd need these age blocks for on-going photo shoots too. I imagine an older baby would want to play with the blocks, but that would be cute too!

Your older baby needs this dress too. Maybe a 1st birthday?

These handmade leather mary janes will get lots of use, not just for photo shoots!

My babies have only had fuzz on their heads, so I'm planning to use plenty of headbands. I like how simple this one is.

Of course headbands and hair bows need organizing. This display almost doubles as art!

Speaking of art, how about this monogram? Just paint it one of your nursery colors.

Or do the whole alphabet! Have you seen that baby shower activity on Pinterest? Buy a set of these and scrap book papers, bows, and embellishments in the nursery colors, then have everyone at the party decorate one letter. So cute!

Of course there's crib bedding to consider. This set is beautifully made. I'm not wealthy enough to spend quite so much on something that's going to get washed repeatedly though.

This ribbon mobile would be fun to create! I like how it has so many different textures. Super cute over a changing table!

Baby needs a sweet little ribbon blankie. This one with the ribbons should keep her attention longer.

I love this idea and might have to take up quilt making to see it happen! It's a memory quilt with some of baby's cutest/favorite shirts, dresses or blankets. What a sweet idea!

Homemade Face Cream

 
My youngest is 2 1/2 and likes to reference things as happening "last week". Sometimes he means yesterday, sometimes he means some other time in the past. It's super cute, but I might be biased.

Anyway, I was starting to tell you about my homemade face cream I referenced in my Crunchy post last week. I thought you'd like to see the way I make it.

 

First I gather all the ingredients on a tray and photograph it for posterity.

Just kidding, but these are the three ingredients I use: Olive oil, coconut oil and lavender essential oil. You also need a whisk or spoon or other stirring device and a jar with a lid.

My container is from an adorable little candle I found at the grocery store last fall. It's a mason jar that's probably only 3-4 ounces. I regret only buying two! I knew it was a seasonal item but thought they'd have more for Christmas or Valentine's but I haven't seen them again. Moving on.

I put a big scoop of coconut oil in the jar then microwave it for 30 seconds to soften the oil so it can be mixed with the other oils.

Next I pour in some olive oil.

For the record, I didn't decant the olive oil to be fancy for this post! I buy oil in the giant containers and prefer to keep them out of sight, so I use this green jar all the time. Not sure why I felt it necessary to clear that up, but whew!

I then add a few drops of lavender essential oil. I'm sure there are others you could use, but I like the smell and it's supposed to be quite fantastic for your skin.

Then whip it up! I've heard of some people blending it in the blender which might have really cool results. I imagine it is really smooth and creamy, but I just don't make enough at once to bother.

The last step I take is to stick the jar of newly mixed face cream in the fridge. I find it takes quite some time for the coconut oil to harden again, so I speed it up by chilling it. By the way, the purpose of mixing olive oil into your face cream is for the consistency. I've found that straight coconut oil is hard to work with, and I prefer the smell when olive oil and essential oil are added.

So there you have it! Super easy, super good for you! I use this every morning and sometimes at night. It only takes about the size of a pea to cover your whole face, so even though I slather it on my boys' faces in the winter too, a little container like this lasts a long time!

This recipe works great as a make-up remover as well. Just rub it on and wipe it off with a soft cloth. I sometimes do this but really don't prefer how it lingers around my eyes, although some people swear by it.

Are you going to try it? You probably have all the ingredients on hand already! What crunchy beauty recipes do you use?

Crunchy

It's been gradually creeping up on me, this crunchy thing.

But I have to admit, I'm getting pretty granola.

Do you have a clue what I'm talking about? Here are some hints:

Yesterday I mentioned using some homemade beauty products and a friend asked me to elaborate. Ok! I'd love to share what's working for me. I'm by no means an expert and I continue to adjust and experiment but my skin feels better, acts better and is easier to take care of, plus I'm saving a lot of money on beauty products.

I used to buy name brand products, and though they were "lower end", as in, something you could get at Target or your corner drug store, even my simplistic routine really added up. Olay, Clean & Clear, Secret, Pantene--and Bath & Body Works. Love those smells and still feel pampered when I get some BBW for a gift! I always always used lotion on my skin after a shower, faithfully washed my face every evening and moisturized it again, shampooed and conditioned my hair every day, applied antiperspirant at least once a day, you know, everything you're "supposed" to do.

I've gone through some struggles with my health over the last decade, and completely changed my life-style from yuppy single career woman to married stay-at-home-mommy. While my health is fine, more or less, I realized about two years ago that the cycle of being pregnant, post-partum, nursing, getting pregnant again three times over had really taken a toll on me. I had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism back in my single days and had just taken my synthetic meds being told that there was no cure. With each pregnancy I had different health-care providers and in between was yet another doctor, so it seems my dose was constantly changing and never stable.

To make a long story short because this wasn't supposed to be about all of that, I've finally taken my health into my own hands and have begun the long journey to get me back on track. Actually, this started about 18 months ago. I've had ups and downs and many more changes and moves since then, but I am gradually learning what works. I have two triggers, especially, that make me feel lousy: gluten and sugar.

I'm happy to say that I'm at a point where I'm gluten AND sugar free 90% of the time. And when I give in and have bread at the Macaroni Grill or splurge on a latte at Starbucks or have a couple slices of real pizza, I pay for it the next day or two.

That's my point of the background story. Some of the improvement I've seen in my skin might be because of diet more than skin care products.

Still, there's the money-saving part, and knowing my homemade skin care items aren't slowly killing me (um, aluminum? fluoride?), aren't tested on animals, don't have wasteful by-products, and I could eat them if I had to. I'll take it.

Ok. Finally.

I clean my face with oil. After years of trying to get my skin to be less oily. Yeah, ironic. I read something written by The Wellness Mama about a year ago about an effective oil cleansing method.

please pin from the original website

I'm kinda lazy though, and over the last year, this has turned into a moisturizer for me. Here's what I do: Equal parts extra-virgin olive oil and quality coconut oil with a few drops of lavender essential oil. I put it in a little jar which lasts forever, even though I was slathering it on my boys' chapped cheeks all winter! It's weird at first, so I start with less than I think I'll need and it's usually enough. I try to keep my hair out of the way and just let it soak in while doing something else for a minute or two, and then apply make-up as usual.

I don't wash my face at night. If I feel dry or dirty, I'll apply more oil-moisturizer.

Speaking of oily hair and Wellness Mama, I also use her recipe for dry shampoo. Again, it's kinda weird to get used to it and kinda funny when you catch of whiff of chocolate and realized it's your hair, but it helps me go longer between washes. That whole no-shampoo movement? I just can't get past the "transition" phase they say your scalp goes through where you feel so grody and greasy and before the magical my-hair-and-scalp-have-never-felt-better thing. Who knows, I might try it again on a camp trip or when I find a cute enough hat, but for now I still wash 2-3 times a week with real, commercial shampoo!

please pin from the original source

We're still using our version of DIY toothpaste. I like being able to squeeze it, but it's pretty hard in the winter so we've been scooping with our toothbrushes which thrashes them! I'm thinking of adding a tablespoon or so of olive oil to the ratio of ingredients below to see if it's a better consistency. Here's a link to that original post even though the recipe is on the picture sequence below!

The last item I want to mention is still in a trial phase, but I think I like it! I've been looking for a good, natural deodorant for a long time. I've tried the salt crystal thing, Tom's brand natural stuff, straight coconut oil... Yeah, no. But just last week I tried this recipe from Homemade Mommy.

Only now that I study it, I realize how much I adapted it. So my version is inspired by Homemade Mommy. Whatever works, right?

I used a quarter cup each baking powder and arrowroot powder and mixed it up with a half cup of coconut oil and a few drops of lavender essential oil. While it was soft from mixing, I spooned it into an empty deodorant container and let it harden for a day. You know what? It works! I'm not stinky or particularly sweaty, and you can apply it the same way as always! Win!

Homemade Mommy's recipe includes clay and shae and less baking powder. I'm sure it's wonderful but I didn't have those ingredients. I've heard frankincense is a great essential oil for deodorant. I'd like to try it or sandalwood or something, but that really does sound crunchy so I better stick to what I have!

Well, there you go. I've been reading up on how to make your own mineral make-up, but I'm not sure I can handle any more food items smeared on my face!

What about you? Have you tried any natural beauty product recipes lately? Are you crunchy?

Announcing: 31 Days of DIY Art for Your Home!

In keeping with tradition here at Beauty4Ashes, I'm participating in the 31 Days Series for the month of October! This year's theme? DIY Art for Your Home!

Look for new ideas, old favorites, ideas for kids, just-frame-it, and a few more crafty ideas that might take more than an hour. Are you ready?

Contact me if you have specific requests--something you've seen here on the blog, in our home tours, or an idea you've seen on Pinterest that you want simplified.

See you tomorrow!