Ribbon Toy Savers

These were designed (by me ;)) for use with slings but thinking about it they would work just as well with pushchair straps. They are really easy to make, good for using up odd ends of ribbon, or you can colour match your sling. They are supposed to be for toys, but can be used for other things like keys, or, if you chose a very strong ribbon or a strip of fabric instead, it could hold things like juice cups to stop the endless retrieval from the floor :)

To make your toy saver

Cut your ribbon to the length you want. The shorter it is, the easier it will be for your child to haul things back up themselves, but longer ones help you manouver toys up and into back carries.

Tie a loop at one end of your ribbon. It doesnt need to be very big; big enough to fit the other end of the ribbon through it. Cut the excess off as short as you can.

Fold the end of the ribbon over and attach half of a press studd, making sure you tuck the edge of the ribbon in to avoid fraying. Attach the other half of the popper some way down the ribbon. This will depend on the size of the things you want to 'save'.

The closed end

To use your saver
Slide the ribbon under one of your straps.

Feed the ribbon through the loop and pull to tension

Attach toy by looping the poppered end through some where on the toy. A ribbon tied in a bow around the neck of a soft toy works very well. Other toys may need some improvising.

I apologise that is picture is upside down

Wet Wipes Solution

Home made baby wipes are practical, cheap, and chemical free. This solution can be used with either cloth wipes (old fleece cut into squares or cheap flannels) or large (preferably organic) cotton wool pads as a disposable option. Cloth wipes can be dunked, squeezed and stored in a tupperware box, or you can pop the solution in a spray bottle to spray onto either wipe or babybum at the appropriate moment, and are chucked in with the clothnappy load. The cottonwool goes into nappysack with your 'sposie.

If you use tea-tree oil, the wipes are antiseptic and can be used to wipe down highchairs, tables etc.

Traditional Version
1 chamomile tea bag
2 mugs of boiling water
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 drops of lavender oil and 2 teatree oil
Stir

Busy Mama version
Pour a small amount of boiling water into container
Add chamomile tea-bag and stir vigourously with a spoon until small amount of strong chamomile tea is made
Remove teabag and top up with cold water (this means you can make up your wipes immediately and not waste time waiting for it to cool)
Sprinkle with essential oil of choice (I prefer teatree)

Other variations
Chamomile and Honey teabags
Glycerin instead of olive oil
Adding 1 blob of natural baby wash to traditional version
Plain water with small amount of babywash
Newborn version - plain, warm water
Nappy rash version - strong chamomile tea and liberal sprinkling of lavender oil (antiseptic, but gentler than teatree and doesnt sting)