The Handmade Mama: Simple Crafts, Healthy Recipes, and Natural Bath + Body Products for Mama and Baby

Description

Many of the everyday products we rely on through pregnancy and baby’s first year are actually quite simple to make at home with safe and natural ingredients.

Making your own food, homemade skin care products, and everyday objects allows you to choose exactly what you put on and into your body. With help from Mary Helen Leonard, natural lifestyle writer of the blog Mary Makes Good, you’ll create handmade items for mama and baby using sustainable materials. You pick the color. You choose the ingredients. You make adjustments to suit your own tastes and needs. There’s nothing better than custom-made, and when you do it yourself it can actually be affordable! The techniques you’ll discover in The Handmade Mama will make cooking, sewing, and planning your own healthy baby projects a breeze. From ginger syrup for upset stomachs to baby powder, changing mats, food purees, teethers, and simple toys, this book is stuffed with useful projects, tips, and sidebars for a natural pregnancy and baby’s first year that you’ll cherish.

From the Publisher

To use: The oil can be applied directly to the skin as a body oil or massage oil. It can also be dabbed onto hair to serve as a leave-in conditioner or used as an ingredient in other recipes.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 vanilla bean 8 ounces (240 ml) apricot kernel oil 2 tablespoons (4 g) dried lavender buds 2 tablespoons (4 g) dried chamomile 1/4 cup (4 g) dried calendula

Herbal Body Oil

Yield: 8 ounces (240 ml)

In our house we call this Magic Oil. We use it for bedtime massage, to soothe dry or irritated skin from head to toe, and even as a hair conditioner when our tresses are feeling too crispy.

This versatile oil also serves as a base ingredient for skin care recipes like balms, body butters, and diaper ointments. Infused with a blend of soothing herbs and sweet smelling vanilla bean, this moisturizing oil really can feel magical as it makes rashes, dry skin, and even frowns disappear.

DIRECTIONS

1. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean open by slicing it down the middle. 2. Combine the vanilla bean, apricot kernel oil, lavender, chamomile, and calendula in a double boiler over medium heat for 60 minutes. 3. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool for 30 minutes. 4. Strain the oil through fine mesh, cheesecloth, or a nut milk bag (used to strain solids out of homemade nut milk). Discard solids. 5. Store the infused oil in a bottle or jar at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Natural and Homemade for Mama & Baby

Customize Solutions to Your Family Needs

On your journey into mamahood, making your own healthy meals, soothing skin care products, and everyday sewn baby items allows you to choose what goes on and into your—and your baby’s—body. Find an in-depth overview of the different materials and ingredients available, how to choose which ones work best for you and your family, and simple techniques and instructions for each project.

A Healthy Start

Making your own food, skin care products, and everyday objects allows you to choose exactly what you put on and into your body. Many of the everyday products we rely on through pregnancy and baby’s first year are actually quite simple to make at home, giving mama and baby a safe and natural alternative to the confusing and sometimes even toxic big-box baby industry.

Recipes and Projects for Mama

The transformation of your body during and after pregnancy is an amazing thing to watch. Treat yourself gently by creating your own personalized and natural bath and body products and making healthy, delicious recipes to keep you hydrated and fueled during and after pregnancy.

Playtime Projects for Baby

Even from babyhood, little ones are building important connections and flexing their intellectual muscles through play. Create opportunities for your child to have fun with these easy recipes and projects for playtime like a homemade bubble solution, yogurt finger paints, a soft sweater ball, and more.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Spring House Press (May 1 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1940611717
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1940611716
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 635 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 20.32 x 1.27 x 25.4 cm