Wipes Solution - How-to Monday's

Okay so I missed the boat on the How-to Monday thing... since yesterday was Monday! Oh well, I'm trying to start the habit so hang in there with me. So here is the second edition of How-to Monday ... on Tuesday :)

As you know we do cloth diapers when we are at home and it has saved us so much money, kept the amount of waste we produce down, and I'm sure it's been better for the baby. We also use cloth wipes. It's just easier to put the wipe in the diaper and they both go in the same diaper pail. Instead of having to separate the two if you were doing cloth/disposable wipes. Any way because I do cloth wipes I make my own wipe solution. I know all of this sounds really daunting to someone that has never done this before but it's really quite easy once you get used to it and have done all your research. So with all of that said.. here is what I do to make my own wipe solution...

There are many different recipes with essential oils etc. So you can really customize it for what your baby needs (dry skin, lots of diaper rashes, etc). I keep mine very simple and cost effective. I use a large spray bottle and fill it half to three fourths full with warm filtered water. Then I put in one tablespoon of each:

Witch Hazel
(very soothing to the skin... you know the tucks pads that you used after birth... just witch hazel on a cloth pad, also helps the solution stay fresh and not spoil as easy, and I've found that while a disposable wipe will have him screaming when he has a diaper rash... he doesn't have a problem with these wipes, oh and if you aren't sure where to find this... they have it at wal-mart next to the rubbing alcohol)

baby wash
(I used Burt's Bee's... it's mostly natural and has a great scent)

olive oil
(this is optional but it does help the cloth smooth over the bum easier... especially for those poopy diapers, but I don't use it much anymore because he doesn't have as many poopy diapers now that he is older)

Some recipes use baby oil instead of olive oil but I have a problem with using a petroleum by-product on my baby. The Burt's Bee's and the olive oil are a little more expensive but I think it is better for my baby and you are only using a tablespoon of each for the bottle of wipes solution. This bottle will usually last me about two weeks. I just shake it up and spray on the cloth wipes. I like the spray bottle method because I can choose how much solution I want to use. That about sums it up. Hopefully that was thorough enough...

Also I just found out that a friend of mine is expecting and I want to make a pregnancy survival kit for her.... here are some things I already have and I wanted to get some suggestions too:

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
Tums
Crackers (I carried crackers with me during my first trimester... great for nauseau)
Bra extenders
Belly Butter
What to expect when you are expecting (or some sort of pregnancy book)

hmm... that's as far as I can get... Any suggestions?