Lotion Bar

These lotion bars are absolutely amazing and one of my favorite things to make. The shea butter and coconut oil moisturizes while the beeswax protects the skin and seals in the moisture. They work so well that you'll be able to moisturize less often even if you typically have dry skin. If you don't have a food scale, just measure out equal amounts of each ingredient, such as a quarter cup.

• 20 grams beeswax pellets
• 25 grams shea butter
• 25 grams coconut oil

Melt together in a small saucepan over low heat then pour into mould of your choice (cupcake pan, dixie cups, silicone muffin liners... etc)

Homemade Sunscreen

With more people becoming health-conscious, natural options of just about everything seem to be increasing in popularity. The downside to this is that these healthier alternatives tend to cost up to ten times as much as their chemical-ridden relatives. For example, the popular Badger brand of sunscreen costs $15 for a small tube containing less than 3 ounces of sunscreen. That's a whopping $5 per ounce! This expensive sunscreen contains all the same ingredients as my homemade version (beeswax, natural oils, and zinc oxide) and for the cost of about 3 tubes, you can purchase all the ingredients and make it yourself for a measily 66 cents per ounce.

A single batch ends up costing $3.62, makes about 5 1/2 ounces, and takes about 5 minutes to make. You should be able to find shea butter and coconut oil at a natural health store. Beeswax pellets can sometimes be hard to find so you're probably better off ordering that along with the zinc oxide powder from an online store such as Amazon.

Here's a breakdown of the costs of ingredients. Please keep in mind that while prices can vary quite dramatically, you shouldn't have any issue finding the ingredients at the following price points.

beeswax: $12 per pound (37 cents per batch)
shea butter: $10 per 16 oz ($1.25 per batch)
coconut oil: $10 per 16 oz ($1.25 per batch)
zinc oxide powder: $12 per pound (75 cents per batch)

This sunscreen is waterproof, protects against the entire spectrum of UVA and UVB rays, and has an SPF of 30 (SPF can be increased by adding more zinc oxide). It is natural, safe, and a great choice for kids and adults alike. Like all sunscreens, it should be reapplied every hour, especially after swimming or sweating.

• 1/2 oz (1/8 cup) beeswax pellets
• 2 oz (1/4 cup) shea butter
• 2 oz (1/4 cup) coconut oil
• 1 oz (2 tablespoons) zinc oxide powder

In a small saucepan, melt beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil over low heat. Pour liquid into a bowl along with the zinc oxide and whisk until combined and lump-free. Pour into a small, wide-mouthed jar and allow to cool until using.

rubs in easily!

Making Baby Food part 2 - Reusable Squeeze Pouches

Squeeze pouches are all the rage among babies and toddlers (and parents) alike. They make eating fruits and veggies fun, they travel nicely, they can be squirted on top of yogurt or oatmeal, and they keep messes down to an absolute minimum. However, at around 35 cents an ounce, they can really put a dent in your wallet. They are also wasteful as you cannot reuse the store bought, pre-filled pouches. That's where reusable pouches come in.

After researching all the different brands and styles available, I decided to order a 4 pack of reusable pouches by Little Green Pouch. I decided on this brand for a few different reasons. First, the zipper style opening that is featured on most reusable pouches is located on the top rather than the bottom. This allows the bottom of the pouch to be able to flare out, giving the pouch a nice surface to stand on. The opening at the top also decreases the risk of accidental opening (which has never happened thus far). Second, I liked that these pouches were the collapsable bag-style pouches I was already used to. Some of the reusable pouches on the market aren't really pouches at all and are more like a silicone or plastic bottle with a spout on it. Reviewers of such pouches all agreed that the design made it hard to squeeze out all of its contents and that smaller children had a hard time using them. Finally, I chose these pouches because they are freezer-safe, dishwasher-safe, and durable. They were a little on the pricy side, averaging $5 per pouch, however, after just four uses per pouch, they will have paid for themselves.

6 oz reusable squeeze pouch by Little Green Pouch

Reusable pouches can be filled with a variety of things such as pureed fruits and veggies, smoothies, yogurt, or pudding. Making your own fruit and vegetable purees is easy, healthy, and cheap. I like to freeze pureed fruits and veggies into freezer trays (you can read about making and preserving baby food with freezer trays HERE). Each resulting cube is exactly one ounce and makes blending flavors easy by simply defrosting a few different cubes together. Once defrosted (either by being transferred to the fridge overnight or by using the microwave), the mixture can easily be spooned into the pouch. Another option is skip the freezer trays all together and to put the prepared puree straight into the pouch then into the freezer. Frozen pouches can be defrosted in a bowl of warm water. They also can be tossed into a lunch bag in the morning and by lunchtime, they will be perfectly defrosted. 

From left to right: blueberries, strawberries, carrots, apples

Frozen fruit and veggie purees kept in the freezer

Clean up is a breeze as long as you remember to do it soon after the pouch has been emptied. Simply rinse it out then use a bottle brush and dish soap to scrub the inside as well as the spout. These pouches say that they are dishwasher safe (and they are) but the dishwasher will not get these clean. Food will be left in the corners and dirty dishwasher water will be pooled on the bottom of the pouch. If you are unable to clean your pouch immediately, then the best thing to do is to rinse out all excess food then fill the pouch with warm soapy water. Seal the pouch and let it soak like this until you can get around to cleaning it. Cleaning a pouch left for days, or even just a few hours, will be quite the challenge so don't say I didn't warn you! 

Turning Bar Soap into Liquid Soap

Use this method to make your own hand soap, body wash, face wash, and even dish soap! For dish soap, I recommend using a bar of antibacterial soap that contains no moisturizers, such as Dial antibacterial (see below for price breakdown). For a good multipurpose soap, use Dr. Bronner's. It's organic, fair trade, made in the USA, and can be used for everything from washing yourself, your floors, your carpet, your pet, your dishes, or even your clothes.  

Personally, I'm a big fan of Dr. Bronner's. Although a little does go a long way, it is still insanely expensive. I used to buy Dr. Bronner's liquid soap in both the 16 oz size and the 32 oz size (for those of you who don't know, Dr. Bronner's famous liquid castile soap comes in a plethora of sizes). If only I knew then what I know now. I could have saved so much money, saved the world from all those plastic bottles, and still enjoy the same exact product. Let me give you a break down of their prices:

Dr. Bronners Magic Pure Castile Liquid Soap

*prices gathered from Dr. Bronner's website as of December 23, 2012

**price per ounce has been rounded to the nearest cent, except in the case of the bar soap

By now you're probably thinking one of two things. 1. "Wow! That is a remarkable savings!" OR (if you are a Dr. Bronner's snob) 2. "I dilute my Dr. Bronner's liquid soap to a 1:10 ratio, so I'll just keep spending a little more to save myself the hassle." Well, I have news for you, soap snob... the liquid soap made from a bar is much thicker than the store bought liquid soap and it too can be diluted. It's the consistency of egg whites (FAR thicker than the premade liquid soap). I use about 1-2 tablespoons of homemade liquid soap to a quart of water to clean my entire kitchen (floors included). Also, the process of making liquid soap from a bar is far from being a hassle. It's so easy a child could do it and it takes just a few minutes of your time.

Want to go even cheaper? Here's a breakdown of various dish soap prices versus the liquid soap made from a bar of Dial Antibacterial. The liquid soap made from the bar is also a great choice to use as hand soap and even body wash.

*prices gathered from Walmart's website on December 23, 2012

**price per ounce has been rounded to the nearest cent, except in the case of the Dial bar soap

Now that I've thoroughly convinced you with these shocking prices, let me show you just how EASY it is to turn ANY bar of soap into liquid soap. 

Preserving Food with Freezer Trays and Making Baby Food

Making your own baby food is another great way to save money. It's also is a great way to avoid preservatives, dyes and chemicals that go into the production of commercial baby food. Unlike some people may lead you to believe, making baby food does NOT have to involve buying a $100 or more baby food appliance and various (and unnecessary) accessories. All you need is some ice cube trays (either the fancy ones with lids or the run-of-the mill trays topped with some plastic wrap) along with either a food processor or a blender (or even hand-held potato masher) and you are set.

Firmer fruits like apples and pears should be peeled, cored, and sautéed in a covered pan with some water until soft before blending while vegetables should be steamed or baked until soft. When blending, add either plain water or water the fruits/veggies were cooking in until the desired consistency is reached. You may also add breastmilk or formula to creamier foods such as mashed potatoes. Soft fruits such as banana, avocado, and mango do not need to be cooked prior to being mashed/blended.

Once you have your baby food made, it's time to store it. The cheapest and most convenient way of preserving baby food is to freeze it in baby food freezer trays (or plain ice cube trays). By doing this, the baby food is frozen into perfect, one ounce portions, allowing for either a little bit of food to be reheated or a lot. Once the baby food is frozen, transfer the cubes into a zip lock bag so the trays can be used again. 

A huge advantage to the freezer trays is that they don't need to be put away once your baby grows up and that they can be used for all sorts of things. Lately I've been using them to freezer my toddler's favorite meals. She loves soup and anytime I make one of her favorites, I freeze a bunch in the trays. That way, when we have a meal that isn't so toddler-friendly, I can reheat something for her that I know she'll love.

Don't have a baby? You can save money with freezer trays! Other things I have used the freezer trays for include homemade pesto, herbs, and various sauces. Store bought pesto is very expensive and for the same price of a small container, I can make enough to fill 3 freezer trays (36 ounces). Having one ounce cubes of pesto makes cooking a breeze. All I do is microwave a cube or two then pour over cooked pasta or ravioli. For freezing herbs, like cilantro where it's common to only need a little bit per recipe, finely chop and place the herb into a freezer tray then add just enough water to cover. Once frozen, I transfer to a freezer bag and write "Cilantro: 1 cube = 2 Tbsp". Using frozen herbs is best for soups, sauces and dips and if you wish to use a frozen herb like you would fresh herbs, I recommend you defrost the cube thoroughly, drain out the liquid, then pat dry before use.

split pea soup placed in freezer trays

lids in place, stacked, and ready for the freezer

4 ounces of chicken corn chowder 

chicken corn chowder after being brought back to life

Complete Cloth Diapering Guide

I absolutely love cloth diapers. I love that I'm not contributing to the 7.6 billion pounds of diaper trash that ends up in landfills each year (in the U.S. alone) that will take up to 500 years to completely decompose. I love that I'll never run out of diapers and be forced to make a last minute trip to the store. I love that I'm not puting harsh chemicals against my baby's skin. Harsh chemicals like dioxins which the EPA recognizes as being highly carcinogenic. I love that cloth diapers don't smell (I find that disposable diapers have this nauseating chemical-like smell to them) and even though I hate doing laundry, oddly enough I love doing diaper laundry (I find it satisfying). Best of all, I love that I'm not spending a ton of money on what is essentially garbage. 

I get asked about cloth diapering a lot and what I've found is that some people decide not to do it because they wrongfully believe that cloth diapering requires a huge upfront investment. The truth is, is that it really depends on what kind of cloth diaper system you decide to use. The method I chose, prefolds and covers, is among the cheapest and most versatile methods available. 

Cloth nursing pads

I was perfectly happy using the disposable nursing pads by Lansinoh but after I calculated that I was paying approximately 13 cents per pad (2 changes a day = $15/month!), I went on the hunt for a cloth alternative.

Off to the store I went where I purchased the only cloth nursing pads they had in stock. They were from Medela, they were lumpy, and I leaked through them in minutes. Needless to say, I went back to disposable pads while I broadened my search. I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I decided that if my daughter can wear a waterproof cover over her cloth diaper, that I should be able to find a cloth nursing pad with a similar waterproof cover built in. I came across some waterproof pads by Bamboobies that sounded good, but I wasn't about to spend nearly $10 per pair. Right when I was about to bite the bullet and purchase from Bamboobies, I found the waterproof bamboo nursing pads by BubuBibi. Each order includes two pair of nursing pads in your choice of print and ships for free. They average out to be just over $2 a pair! I have 16 pairs of these and I wash them along with my regular laundry. They are very absorbent and very cute!

BubuBibi waterproof bamboo nursing pads