The BEST Homemade First Time Mom's Kit! (or any new mother for that matter!)

It's springtime in the northern hemisphere and everyone around me is getting pregnant and having babies! It's that time of year for twitterpating and baby showers! The most recent baby shower that I attended, was thrown for a family friend and her impending little princess, Kirbi! I decided it was time that I put together a Hippy Homemaker Homemade First Time Mom's Kit and fill it full of homemade goodies that I figured she would need (and a couple gifts that weren't homemade but I still figured were needed!) The invitation that I received to this baby shower had a really cute owl on it, so I found adorable owl clothes pins at Michael's and used them to add a cohesive theme to my gift's look!

Homemade Baby/Gentle Laundry Soap

This is based on my general laundry soap recipe. This soap is great for the environment and gentle on baby's skin. This recipe works great in HE machines (that's what I use) and it is completely safe to use on cloth diapers. I do not add any essential oils to this recipe to keep it safe for new babies.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup soap flakes
• 2 cups washing soda
• 1 cup oxygen bleach
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup ice cream/rock/kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Mix together ingredients and use 1/4 to 1/2 cup for each load of laundry! I also pour vinegar in my laundry softener container (you can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle or in a "downy ball" if you do not have a softener compartment.) to reduce static cling, disinfect further, soften the clothing, and help to remove stains! Do not use laundry softener (such as downy or Purex) on cloth diapers EVER! It will take the absorbency from the cloth. Vinegar is safe to use on cloth diapers.

Homemade Boobie Balm
(for the breastfeeding mother)

I added chamomile essential oils to this for its natural healing properties and its natural calming effects for both mother and baby. I am very careful to stay away from most essential oils for nursing mothers and infants, but chamomile is even safe enough for newborn babies! It is also one of the BEST natural colic remedies out there!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
• 1/2 cup unrefined Shea butter
• 1/4 cup beeswax pastilles
• 25 drops Roman chamomile essential oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a double boiler (I use a Pyrex measuring cup set inside of a pan with about an inch of water in it) melt the beeswax, Shea butter, and coconut oil.
2. When the oil/butter/wax has melted, remove from heat.
3. Mix in the chamomile essential oils and then pour into a recycled container or mason jar to cool. Store in a cool dark place.

TO USE

Rub on nipples to help keep them from cracking and ease the pain of nipples that are already hurt.

Homemade Baby Butt Balm
(that doubles as a FANTASTIC owie cream too!)

Diaper rash cream is one of those must-haves for babies. Even a baby who runs around in cloth diapers is bound to find themselves with a rash every once in awhile. Syfy used to get diaper rash whenever he was pushing a new tooth through, (the amazing things that happen during teething baffle me more than pregnancy did lol). This baby butt balm actually doubles as a great replacement for that bottle of Neosporin you have lying in your cupboard too!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil or my Magic Skin Healing Oil
• 1/4 cup unrefined shea butter
• 1/4 cup beeswax pastilles
• 40 drops lavender essential oil
• 30 drops Roman chamomile essential oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a double boiler (I use a Pyrex measuring cup set inside of a pan with about an inch of water in it) melt the beeswax, Shea butter, and coconut oil.
2. When the oil/butter/wax has melted, remove from heat.
   
3. Mix in the essential oils and pour into a recycled container or mason jar. Store in a cool dry place.

TO USE

se on baby's butt when you see a rash coming on or dab a little bit onto an owie before bandaging it up!

Homemade Belly Butter
(that doubles as a baby lotion)

I also love to make my Bohemi Mama's Belly Balm! It's fantastic at scar and stretchmark removal!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil
• 1/3 cup unrefined shea butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa butter
• 1 tsp. vitamin E
• 2 Tbsp. apricot kernel oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a double boiler (I use a Pyrex measuring cup set inside of a pan with about an inch of water in it) melt the cocoa butter, Shea butter, and coconut oil.
2. Remove from heat and let cool. (It is much faster to let cool in an ice bath, it can take HOURS if you let it cool by itself)
   
3. Once it is cool get out your electric mixer and add the vitamin E and apricot kernel oil. If you would like your butter to be hard instead of whipped, pour it straight into the jar you want it to cool in.
4. Using your electric mixer mix the oil and hardened butter together until it's light and fluffy, this can take a minute.
5. Spoon into a recycled container or mason jar. Store in a cool dry place, and rub all over your belly to help prevent stretch marks. This butter actually works great on baby's skin too! It will help with very dry skin too!

Homemade Anti-Bacterial Spray

Did you know that all antibacterial products that aren't natural have a chemical in them called triclosan as the main ingredient? This is a major hormone disruptor and has been linked to all kinds of cancer, hormonal imbalances, and infertility problems! Overuse of products containing triclosan can also make antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria...no bueno! I also like to make antibacterial hand sanitizer and foaming hand soap!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup witch hazel
• 3/4 cup filtered water
• 60 drops Medicine Woman Jr. essential oil blend

DIRECTIONS

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle (preferably a dark one because essential oils break down in sunlight, but you can use a clear bottle if that is all you have, just make sure to store it in a cabinet when you're not using it so that it will last longer!) and spray on hands or surface that you want to disinfect!

Homemade Oatmeal Bath
(like the Aveeno packets)

You can find this recipe here. It's one of my favorites to use in my own bath, let alone my kiddo's bath!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup oats
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1/2 cup coconut milk powder
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops Roman chamomile essential oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Pulse oats in a blender or food processor until powdered. Add in arrowroot powder and milk powder, and pulse in your blender until everything is blended together.
2. Add essential oil drops and pulse your blender/food processor a few times, to mix them in.
3. Store in a mason jar, in a cool dry location, when not in use.

TO USE

Run bath water at full force and sprinkle ¼ – 1/2  cup of oatmeal bath underneath running bath water. Stir any oatmeal that might settle at the bottom, into the bath. Soak in the oatmeal bath for at least 20 minutes, or more if desired! If you are experiencing severely dry, itchy, or rash covered skin, use up to 1 cup oat bath, for a more intensely moisturizing bath. To heal dry skin, do not wipe your skin dry when getting out of the tub, PAT it dry instead. Follow with healing body butter.

Homemade No-Sew Blanket

At the last minute (literally the night before) I decided to make a no-sew blanket to put in the box instead of paper to line it. I figured every baby needs a nice blankie, and the one that I made for Silas is STILL to this day one of his two favorite blankies. When he was an infant, he chewed on the fringe and rubbed it between his little fingers because he loved the texture. My nieces both had a blankie like this and love theirs to death too! This is  such an easy project that no matter your craftiness level, you can totally make this blanket!!! I didn't take pictures for you to give instructions to make this blanket (it was last minute after all!) so I found some beautiful directions for you on Adventures of a DIY Mom's site!