Wipes For My Baby

One thing I have been wanting to do since Liam was born was to make wipes.  I had actually wanted to get a couple batches made before Liam was born but we all know that didn't happen :-)

I had been reading about how inexpensive they were to make and how soft they were on a baby's backside so when I had a spare minute or two (because that's literally how long it took me to make them) I decided to give it a try.

I gathered my ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups of Hot Water, 2 Tbs Baby Oil and 2 Tbs Baby Wash

Along with my Bounty Paper Towel (it has to be Bounty):

I had Will cut my roll of paper towel in half with one of his saws, otherwise it would have taken forever for me to saw through one of them with my Cutco knife.

I added the Baby Oil and Baby Wash to the water and gently mixed them with a whisk:

Once I mixed the solution I poured it over the paper towel that I placed in my Rubbermaid storage container.  I put the top on the container and let it sit for a couple of minutes.  Then I flipped the container upside down for 5 minutes.  Once it had soaked thoroughly I was able to easily pull the cardboard center out of the paper towels and started using them from the center:

Let me just say that I LOVE these wipes!  They are so soft and durable and Liam's little bum hasn't had a rash since we started using them!  I've already made a second batch and I love the fact that I won't have to buy wipes for a good long time.  Plus, like I said before, they're cheap!  Here's the cost break down (please note that I did use coupons so if you want to make them as cheaply as I did hit the sales with your coupons in hand):

Paper Towel - $9.49 for 6 Huge (15 Regular) Rolls

Each roll has approximately 130 sheets

1 Roll = $1.58

½ Roll = $0.79 per batch

Baby Oil - $2.63 for 14 oz

2 Tbs = 1 oz

$2.63/14oz = $0.19 per batch

Baby Wash - $2.12 for 15 oz

2 Tbs = 1 oz

$2.12/15oz = $0.14 per batch

Total cost per batch (with coupons): $1.12

Total cost per wipe (with coupons): $0.01

No-Bake Cookies? Yes please!

Growing up my favorite type of cookie besides the quintessential Chocolate Chip were No-Bakes.  My mom made THE BEST no-bake cookies!  I considered these a very special treat because they were so fudgey and yummy.  Unfortunately they never lasted very long (like any cookie in our house) and before I knew it they were gone. 

It wasn't until high school when I was excited to see a no-bake in the cafeteria that I realized that my mom's no-bakes weren't quite like the ones everyone else made.   There were two key differences.  Everyone else made their no-bakes with peanut butter but my mom did not.  A travesty, you declare! I think not because my mom's recipe had something the "normal" ones didn't.  What could that be you ask?  Coconut.  Yes, I said coconut!  You seriously need to give these a try, it's worth it, especially if you have a loved one with a peanut allergy!

No worries, I'll share the recipe after you look at my pictures :-)

Combine in 3-4 qt sauce pan the following:

2 c. sugar

5 tblsp. cocoa

1/4 lb butter

1/2 c. milk

Mix and bring to a boil.

Stirring constantly, boil one minute (longer if you double the batch), remove from heat and stir in:

3 1/2 c. quick oatmeal

1 c. coconut

1 tsp. vanilla

Drop by teaspoon on waxed paper and chill.

Makes approximately 4 dozen small or 3 dozen large.

From the moment you gather your ingredients to the moment you put the pans in the fridge they only take about 25 minutes so you get to the good part (eating them) quickly!