Homemade green baby lotion is kind to the skin and cheap to make as well because it only requires a few household ingredients. It is free of toxins and chemicals as it is 100% completely natural and extremely kind to baby’s soft skin! There are several recipes floating around out there to choose from, but here are just two of the best and most effective ones to try.

1. The Honey Milk Baby Lotion – Now we all know that honey is good for the skin and can leave it smooth and soothe irritated areas, which is why it is perfect for a baby over 12 months of age. It’s not recommended for  babies younger than 12 months because they can be susceptible to potentially harmful bacteria’s found in honey which can lead to Infant Botulism. For a lotion that you can refrigerate and use for up to a week, you will need ½ cup of honey and ½ cup of cream or milk (with the former being a better option). Poor the honey into the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the two are completely blended. Allow the mixture to stand for five minutes before placing in a glass jar with a lid and refrigerating. When completely cool, it will be ready to use!
2. The Lavender Baby Lotion – Again, this one will soothe irritated skin, but it will also protect the skin against further wetness and hold moisture in the skin. Mix 225g of petroleum jelly with nine teaspoons of olive oil, thirty drops of lavender oil and the same amount of chamomile. You do not have to heat this at all, but simply mix it in a bowl. You may want to use a fork to mix because it does take some blending but always needs mixing by hand to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Again, refrigerate for a few hours and then use on your child. It will keep for up to two weeks so be sure to store it properly in the fridge.

Both of these homemade baby lotion recipes will help to keep diaper rash at bay and bring it under control. Both recipes are cheap convenient and extremely green so you have nothing to lose by trying them!

Entertaining your children’s friends is never an easy task and coming up with an idea for a birthday party is often harder. Recently, Fresh Baby creator Cheryl Tallman’s son Spencer turned five and the event was celebrated with a cooking school extravaganza. For 2 1/2 hours Cheryl and her husband transformed their home into “The Cooking School for Brilliant Kids.” Here she shares just how she did it!

We started out doing a little research on the Internet and found a neat web site called www.kidsaprons.com. We ordered disposable chef hats and aprons, and picked up a few kidsized cooking utensils to use in the take home gift bags. We also planned the menu and developed a schedule for the party.

Before the children arrived, we covered a ping pong table with white paper, did some prep on the foods, and decorated the dining room table for the birthday luncheon with balloons and the Star Wars tablecloth and plates that Spencer picked out.

When each kid arrived, they were fitted with their chef hat and apron, and we took a digital photo. We printed out their names (i.e “Chef Spencer”) on plain paper, cut it out, and used clear packaging tape to stick their name on their apron and hat. While we were waiting for all the guests to arrive, the children were given stickers to decorate their chef hats. This gave them something to do and also gave them some time to get comfortable.

The party menu included French bread pizza, pigs in a blanket, carrots sticks and green beans, and for dessert, ice cream and cupcakes. Our school started with a “group” experience of making ice cream. Each child took a turn pouring, measuring, or whisking, while the others watched attentively. We poured our ice cream in the machine and moved on to making lunch.

We spread the kids out around the table and started with the French bread pizza, each child took a piece of bread and “painted” it with pizza sauce, sprinkled cheese, added pepperoni, and placed their creation on a cookie sheet. The pigs in a blanket were next. Each child took a piece of crescent roll dough that were already separated onto a piece of wax paper. They picked up a hot dog with tongs and then rolled the dough around the hot dog, and they were placed on another sheet pan.

After the main course was prepared, we took a class photo, and it was time for a break while the master chef (me!) put everything in the oven. The kids all went into the living room for a game of “Pin The Mustache On The Chef”, and a magic show put on by my husband Roger, who picked up some magic books at the library the week before. By the time entertainment was done, the kid’s masterpieces were ready to be served. In the dining room each child’s plate had a piece of pizza, a pig in the blanket, some carrot sticks and green beans. The kids were so excited about their accomplishments. They all happily and proudly ate their lunch.

After lunch, it was back to cooking school for cupcake decorating. We had colored icing bags (tied at the top) and an assortment of sprinkles. This was the BEST event of all, the kids had great time. The creativity of a five year old is absolutely precious. After about 20 minutes, it was back to the dining room, were we sang “Happy Birthday”, and gobbled up our cupcakes and homemade ice cream. After that, we opened gifts and gave out the take home gift bags. Two and half hours seemed to fly by.

Spencer’s thank you notes were sent with a certificate (printed on our home computer) from “The Cooking School for Brilliant Kids”, and it included the child’s picture and the class photo.

If you are thinking of having your own cooking extravaganza, here are few tips that you might find useful:

1. Punch – Contributed by: Sarah H.
   1 Large Can of Pineapple Juice
   1 Large Can of Water
   1 Cup of Sugar
   1 Tblsp of Almond ExtractFreeze the above ingredients until slushy and then add 1 2-liter bottle of Ginger Ale (chilled) just before serving. HINT: Adding a drop or two of food coloring will make this recipe either yellow, pink or blue!
2. Fruit Pudding – Contributed by: Mindy C.
   1 tub of cool whip
   1 package of Pistachio Pudding
   1 can of fruit cocktailAdd cool whip to a large bowl. Whip with a spactula. Add the package of pudding (the powder. Do not make the pudding). Blend the two togather. Drain the juice from the fruit. Add the fruit to the bowl and mix. Last let the fruit salad chill.

Do you have a favorite baby shower recipe not listed?  Please comment!