By Brent N. Davidson, M.D.

Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your baby. It’s an exciting time and you probably have a lot on your mind anticipating the arrival of your new baby. It’s also a time that presents an opportunity to do something extraordinary for your baby and your family – the opportunity to preserve your newborn’s cord blood stem cells.

Currently, the stem cells in your baby’s cord blood can be used in the treatment of over 70 chronic or life-threatening diseases. Diseases like Leukemia and other cancers, genetic and blood diseases, and a range of immune system deficiencies. Plus, researchers are now looking to cord blood for answers to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and muscular dystrophy.

You only get one chance to preserve your baby’s cord blood. That’s why it’s critical to select a high quality cord blood company. Here are key questions to ask before selecting a cord blood company:

1. Is the company accredited by The American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)?

   Make sure the cord blood banking company you are considering is fully accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) specifically for the processing of cord blood stem cells. The AABB is the only accreditation that ensures high standards of quality for the processing and storage of your baby’s cord blood.

   Some banks are fee-paying members of the AABB, but that’s not the same as being fully accredited. To be accredited, the cord blood banking company must have its laboratory and administrative procedures reviewed, inspected and validated regularly and their procedures must be compliant with the guidelines established by AABB for cord blood processing.

   It’s even better if the cord blood banking company you select is recognized by AABB as having procedures that represent exceptional and novel practices in the industry.

2. How experienced is the cord blood banking company and do they guarantee their product?

   You should ask the company you’re considering how many cord blood units they have stored, and whether they have facilitated any successful transplants.

   You should be cautious of a company that has a high number of cord blood units collected and stored, but has never or rarely used a unit for transplant. It could mean transplant physicians have rejected their cord blood – a warning flag that the company’s procedures are not thorough.

   Best of all is if the company offers a quality product guarantee. This ensures the fact that you are dealing with a quality-conscious company dedicated to providing the highest quality processing and cryopreservation of your baby’s cord blood.

3. Is the company financially stable?

   Cord blood banking is a costly industry. Some companies have gone out of business and parents actually have lost their cord blood units. Assessing a company’s long-term financial future is difficult, however there are a few critical questions you should ask. The first is, what the company would do with your cord blood if they were to go out of business. Be sure the company you are considering has a reasonable plan to accommodate customers, such as a formal written agreement with another medical facility where they would take over the management of the cord blood units.

   You should also ask how long the company has been preserving cord blood. In addition, you should find out if the company is a division of larger corporation, and whether there are academic affiliations, research collaborations and equity partnerships with major biotechnology companies. This would provide proof that the company is committed to researching and developing further applications for cord blood stem cell therapy and will most likely be around for the long term.

4. Does their service include bedside pick up by a Private Medical Courier and do they employ state-of-the-art tracking technology to ensure timely delivery?

   Look for a company that handles the logistics and uses a private medical courier to ensure the quickest, highest quality pick-up and delivery of your baby’s cord blood. The company should arrange to pick up your baby’s cord blood from your bedside in the hospital and transport it to the laboratory 24-hours a day, any day of the week, weekend or holiday. The company should manage all courier and transportation logistics, including accurate tracking of sample handling, and should be committed to transporting the cord blood unit to the laboratory within 24 hours of the baby’s birth to ensure maximum viability.

   The three areas proven to increase and maintain cell viability are timing, pressure and temperature regulation, all of which are controlled by the use of a private medical courier. This ensures the cord blood unit is kept at the proper temperature and pressure during transport and ensures the cord blood unit it delivered to the laboratory within 24 hours. With a private medical courier, your child’s cord blood gets to the lab quickly and safely while avoiding the potentially damaging temperature swings and pressure changes that happen with standard package carriers. This maximizes the number of cells that can be used in a transplant should you ever need them.

5. How does the company collect and store your child’s cord blood?

   Look for a company that uses the Gravity Bag Collection method (vs. Syringe method). The Gravity Bag is the collection method most preferred by doctors and it is designed to collect the greatest volume of cord blood. It’s the industry standard method used by the majority of blood banks and similar to the methods used by the American Red Cross and the National Institutes of Health. It is important to collect as much cord blood as possible, as results show that larger samples produce more viable stem cells. The Gravity Bag method allows for the most cord blood to flow into the bag. In addition, the closed tube/bag system eliminates exposure to airborne bacteria and greatly reduces likelihood of contamination during collection. Be sure the company you are looking at provides a sterile collection protocol to allow for collections to be performed during C-sections and emergency births.

   Look at how the company stores the cord blood after processing. Look for a company that cryopreserves the processed cord blood in multi-compartment, transplant-ready Cryobags. Cryobags allow for higher cell recovery rates and a higher cell viability rate compared to other storage methods like Cryovials. While storage in Cryovials is less expensive for cord blood companies, it does not maximize the value of the stem cells for families. The superiority of the Cryobags allow for higher cell recovery and higher viability than Cryovials.

   Additionally, the company should store a small amount of processed cord blood in aliquots – a small compartment of cord blood designed for pre-transplantation testing. The benefit is that the testing can be done without disturbing the primary compartments. With the Cryovial method, an entire vial must be thawed and used to perform this necessary pre-transplantation testing procedure.

6. Does the company have a Medical Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB) made up of notable authorities in the field of cord blood stem cell preservation and transplantation?

   The company you are considering should have a Medical Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB) made up of thought leaders in the field of stem cell transplantation and cord blood preservation. Ask how the company uses their MSAB. They should meet regularly to set quality standards within the company and thereby help to maintain the highest and most advanced level of service available.

7. Is the company committed to research for future applications of cord blood?

   Look for a company that actively participates and invests in research and development of cord blood stem cell therapies. If a cord blood company is committed to research, it’s a good indication that the company is also committed to the future, which means they are more likely to have financial stability. Another potential benefit — any medical breakthroughs developed by their R&D division will have been conducted using their own processing and cryopreservation methodology. In other words, you may be in a better position to benefit from their discoveries by using their processing techniques as opposed to methods used by other cord blood companies.

by Andrea SteedYou’ve finished the layout you’ve been working on for a couple of days, but somehow instead of all of the paper being ON your layout, you’re left with a pile of extra paper that you’ve cut photo mats, titles, journaling blocks and embellishments from. It’s a mixture of cardstock, patterned paper and vellum. You could just toss it all and start fresh with every layout, but let me give you some reasons why you shouldn’t toss those “scraps”.

Why should I save my scraps?

• Scraps make great borders, decorative squares, and mosaics.
• You can use them to make punchies with your large collection of punches.
• You only need a little bit of paper to cut out the letters for a title.
• Small pieces of paper can be used to create accents on handmade greeting cards.
• Your children will love to “scrap” with you! Give them a pile of your scraps to get started.
• It saves you money! (so you can buy OTHER scrapbooking things!)

How should I organize my scraps?

There are a few different ways you can organize your scraps, and whatever system works best for you is the one you should follow. My personal system includes separating your scrap paper into three categories: cardstock, patterned paper, and specialty papers. You can also get really ambitious and color code your scraps by storing them in separate file folders. I recommend a drawer or folder that is large enough to hold 12 x 12 paper, so that you don’t need to cut your scraps down even more before filing them. You never know when you’ll need a 12 x 12 border!

It is a good idea to clean out your scrap folders or drawers every once in a while. When my scrap supply gets out of control, I get rid of the smaller pieces of paper and hold on to the larger ones. It’s actually kind of fun to go through my old scraps. Just like a quilter knows her fabrics, I can tell you how each paper scrap was used.

I’ve been saving my scraps since I first started scrapbooking. It’s amazing how often I go to my scrap drawer and find the perfect paper to use on another layout or card. So often I find that I need just a small piece of paper in a certain color, and don’t want to cut into a brand new piece. So don’t toss those scraps; they can be used.
About the Author
Andrea Steed is the author and creator of Scrap Tutor, a web site and CD-ROM that teaches you how to create scrapbooks and how to perform many popular techniques used in scrapbooking. For more information, visit www.scraptutor.com.

Many people are afraid of new technology and the creation of digital cameras. The old film cameras are familiar, easy to use and simple, where as the new digital cameras have endless possibilities and options as things to do. There are a lot of advantages to digital cameras and there are things you can do to make taking digital pictures not only easy but fun!

Buy the Right Camera
Just like every other “toy” on the market there are cameras made for all levels of photography including beginners, intermediate and professional photographers. Be sure that you pick the right camera for your skill level. Learn all you can about the camera that you pick out so that you know what it can do and can’t do. Not everyone will need a camera that has a lot of fancy choices on it and honestly all real digital cameras on the market will take a picture that will print out looking nice enough to go in any album or picture frame.

If you are starting off with digital photography, buy a camera that will get you started by just pointing and clicking at your target. Later on you may decide that you need more in a camera and if that does happen you can upgrade.

Don’t Worry About Taking Too Many Pictures
The great thing about a digital camera is that you are not limited by having only 12, 24, 27 or in some cases, 36 pictures you can take. Depending on the size of your cameras memory stick you can often get 100 or more pictures to one card. It is better to take too many pictures than to not take enough pictures so that you are sure to get the best picture that you can. Digital camera picture taking is also much cheaper than the standard film pictures because unless you print out a picture the only cost is the batteries that you use. You can even buy rechargeable batteries now that will cut out that cost.

Many people will use it however to delete embarrassing pictures or ones they don’t like. Before you do ask yourself if it is something that will embarrass you in 10 years, or make you laugh. If it will make you laugh, save it!

Be Sure To Look Immediately!
Since digital cameras have a LCD screen on the back you can immediately look at and share your pictures with others. You can also preview several pictures of the same pose and delete the ones that are blurry or didn’t turn out right because of red-eye, a blink, or a strange smile giving you room on your card to take more pictures.

You Can Still Have Them Developed
Just because you are taking it digitally, doesn’t mean you have to develop it yourself. There are online sites like Clark that allow you to upload and buy prints of your pictures for as little as .09 cents. There are photo quality printers and paper that you can buy to print your own at home if you want to go that route. Either way you save a lot of money on prints from your digital camera as prints from your film camera can cost as much as .40 cents each, even for the pictures that don’t turn out right.

There is no reason to be scared about using a digital camera for your photography needs. You can still switch back and forth or use both types of cameras, but you can have lots of fun learning how to use a digital camera.

My daughter is now eight-years-old. Over the years I have spent thousands of dollars on baby clothes, educational toys, baby furniture, books … all the best that I could afford to buy. I shopped online, I shopped in-store, I shopped I shopped I shopped. But then I discovered Ebay. Now don’t roll your eyes and click off this article like I did for years – read on! There is nothing that you can find in a store that you can’t find on Ebay – sometimes gently used, sometimes very used, often times brand new – but almost always at an unbelievable price. I mean pennies on the dollar – literally. See for yourself if you don’t believe me!

If it’s too good to be true it probably is
Yes and no. As a seasoned Ebay shopper, I have gotten some deals that seemed too good to be true (those are the ones I especially love). But I’ve also learned some lessons, and I’d like to pass them on to you. Here are some tips that I suggest you pay attention to before jumping into the Ebay World.

1. Pay Attention To Feedback
   Every item you see on Ebay is offered by a person, a “seller.” When viewing an item, you will see the seller’s handle, followed by a number in parenthesis. This is the seller’s feedback rating.

   When someone purchases an item from a seller (a buyer) they leave “feedback” about how their transaction went. Each feedback left consists of a rating (positive, negative, or neutral), and a short comment. The number is how many buyers have purchased an item from that seller, so right off the bat, you now how long a seller has been doing business. Someone with 1 feedback rating obviously hasn’t been around as long as someone with a 5,648 rating (and yes, you’ll see that often!)

   But just as important as how many people have left feedback, is the percentage of Positive Feedback … 100% is the best! But of course, you can’t please people all of the time, so even a positive feedback of 95% can be good. You can read the comments left by buyers by clicking on the feedback rating. They will tell you if the product was received, in what condition, how promptly, etc., which will allow you to make a decision on whether or not to trust the Ebay seller.

2. Shipping and Handling
   Almost all items have an associated Shipping and Handling charge. Most sellers assign a reasonable fee to cover their cost of packaging, and of course, the delivery fee. But sometimes they jack that price up in order to make the low cost of their item appear to be a better deal than it is. Most of the time the S&H fee is prominently posted on the item page, so be sure to look for it! If it is not listed, contact the buyer and ask them what shipping fees will be incurred before you make a bid! Be sure to calculate the cost of S&H with the cost of the item to be sure you are indeed getting a great deal.
3. Don’t bid immediately!
   Ok, so you’ve found an item that you want. It’s a great price, and the S&H fee is reasonable. You want to bid on it, now. DON’T! All items listed on Ebay are there for a specified amount of time. You can see how much time you have to purchase the item by looking at how much time is left on the auction (see Time Left: under the current bid cost). If there are four days left until the auction ends, wait. Bidding now is going to cause someone else who is interested in the item to bid too, which in turn raises the price of the item. What you need to do is Watch the item, and come back the day the auction ends (preferably within a few minute of the end time) and bid then. This doesn’t give other buyers as much time to out bid you and make the cost go up!

   How do you “watch the item?” There is a link that says “Watch This Item” for every product offered on Ebay. All you need to do is click it, and that product will be saved in a list for you to come back to later. You must be a registered Ebay Member to take advantage of this, but registering is FREE and easy. So I suggest you register right away, that way when you find a great buy you’re ready for it.

4. View seller’s other items
   Once you find an item that you like at the right price, see what else the seller is offering. Odds are, they have many other items that are closely related to exactly what you’re looking for that didn’t come up in your product search. Check it out! And if you like the buyer and their products, save the buyer as a favorite!
5. Pay attention to the item description
   Some items will be listed with words or phrases that you don’t understand. For instance, “NIB” means new in box. If there is something that is in the description that you don’t understand – ASK THE SELLER! Once you win the auction it is too late to clear up unanswered questions, so rather than be disappointed, be safe.
6. Don’t get stuck in a competitive mindset
   This was the biggest lesson that I needed to learn in the early days of my Ebay-hood. I’d find an item that I’d like, bid on it, then be outbid. So then I’d bid again. It was a viciuos cycle and I ended up paying more for the item than I should have, simply because I wanted to win. You must keep in mind that you are trying to get a deal. If the price is no longer a deal in your mind, wait. The item will be listed again eventually at a price you want to pay.
7. Don’t limit yourself
   You can literally find *anything* on Ebay: Books, furniture, household products, clothes, shoes, collectibles… it is rare that I search for something and don’t find it.
8. Don’t just buy – SELL!
   As your baby grows, you’re going to find yourself with boxes full of clothes, toys, and other items that you no longer need. Use them to finance your new shopping sprees! Become an Ebay Seller and have a garage sale from the comfort of your living room! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is, and how much money you can make doing it! Many of my friends go to weekend garage sales and pick up antiques, collectibles, etc. and then sell them on Ebay for a tremendous profit. If you’re looking for some extra money, this is one easy way to do it!

Ready to check out Ebay now that you know the ins and outs a little bit? Type anything into the search box below and see what kind of deals you can get, or view our Discount Baby Products section for baby product categories to browse through. Happy Saving!

Do you have tips that you’d like to share with our Members? Let Us Know!

]]> http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/money/savewithebay.asp/feed 0 http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/money/babypicturessavemoney.asp http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/money/babypicturessavemoney.asp#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:26:37 +0000 admin http://208.79.203.56/articles/money/babypicturessavemoney.asp

As parents, we all know how easy we spend money with our children. In a blink of an eye, a diaper here, a formula bottle there adds up until at the end of the month we realize how much we have spent.

We all try to get the best to our children but more and more I realize that sometimes spending more does not necessarily means getting the best for our money.

This article aims to share a lesson we learned that cost us some money. We hope it may help you to save some.

As a Mom I just love to take pictures of my children. They are gorgeous to me. I am sure yours are gorgeous too. The memories are priceless. I was buying some disposable cameras and taking several pictures of my children. Then I would develop and keep the ones I really liked. My husband kept insisting in buying a digital camera, which initially I was reluctant to make a big investment. After he took the time to explain that despite the almost $ 500 dollars for a good digital camera (today our camera is less that $ 300) at the long run we would save a lot of money. Usually I would run from 3 to 5 disposable cameras a month. It is actually not a lot, only 120 pictures you can take. With the development all together would cost from $ 15 to $ 25 dollars each. This was around $ 45 to $ 125 a month. Since I have my digital camera, I take as much pictures as I want. No worries about expending money. I just delete the ones I do not like and keep the ones I like. When I have a picture I really love I just print it in our high resolution printer and frame it. I have then saved and organized by year and events. It is easy and cool to show to relatives and friends in our 17” monitor. Every year we save a back up on a CD or external hard drive to be on the safe side.

We have a canon s40 which is good camera. There are several others with good features in the market. You are free to choose. Consider this a good advice from a Mom who realized how much I have paid for little service with regular cameras. Digital cameras are the way to go. I already saved on the money I paid for it. 2 years latter I can not live without my digital camera. By the way it also let me record great videos up to 3 minutes. They are just adorable.

About the Author:
Barbara De Oliveira
http://www.lulu-baby.com

The big day has arrived, your contractions are minutes apart, and you’re on your way to the hospital. The idea of finally getting to hold your perfect baby in your arms helps you through the contractions. Already your mind is dancing with visions of your baby’s future — first smile, first tooth, first word, first step, holidays, and sporting events. The furthest thoughts from your mind are the first illness or, should the unspeakable happen, your child ever became seriously ill.

No parent wants to think their child might get sick someday but it is wise to consider the possibility. There is a decision available when your baby is born that could greatly influence his future health. It’s the decision to bank your infant’s cord blood. So much media attention has been brought to cord blood banking and it has become an issue for many parents.

What if your child needs transfusions? Bone marrow donations? Is there anyone in the family who can closely match your child in blood type? These are all questions that come to mind when a child falls ill, seriously ill. Each one can possibly be answered by researching cord blood banking. Research and education is key to understanding how this medical advance works.

Taking the time to educate yourself on this topic, whether you are a parent, expecting to be a parent, or in the stages of trying to conceive has become a new necessity. Unfortunately, many hospitals do not participate in cord blood donation due to funding constraints. Where cord blood donation is available, not all moms or cord blood units meet criteria for collection and storage in a public bank. However, private cord blood banking is available at any hospital to any person. Private banks provide expectant parents with a cord blood collection kit that contains everything their healthcare provider will need for the collection. Expectant parents should inform their healthcare provider that they are enrolled in private banking and should bring the kit with them to the delivery. Ask your Ob/Gyn if they participate in public cord banking through the hospital you will be giving birth at. If you plan on giving birth at home or in a center, there are still options available for you.

Your OB/Gyn may have materials available to you discussing cord blood banking. Often, the main materials offered are brochures which do not cover all of the information that is available to those who are researching this option. Most brochures only give basic information on cord blood banking, a company name, and phone number. While some of the information provided in these brochures is accurate, it is imperative to do your own research and when making a decision to use a certain company, make sure the company provides the most information with the most up to date science.

Surf on into the World Wide Web and visit Greendimes.com. Water is being saved as you read. Also, trees are being planted, wasteful junk mail is being stopped, and kids’ ID kits are being created. Basically, it’s an all around cool site. Greendimes.com has been featured in Business Week, Ok! Magazine and the Oakland Tribune. It has also been mentioned on The Ellen Show and is even endorsed by cutie celebrity Matt Damon which you can check out on. Perhaps it’s worth a few minutes of your time to check it out for yourself.

The first perk is you can stop all that annoying junk mail you receive by the pound each day in your mailbox. Your mail person will thank you as will all the trees! For thirty-six dollars a year, or a dime a day, you can do as Greendimes.com suggests and “restore you sanity while saving the planet”. Another perk of joining Greendimes is that they will plant a tree for you each and every month. Greendimes.com would be a great gift for that boss or in-law who has everything. Gift certificates are also available online. All you need is an email address and the gift will be emailed to the recepitiant, so you will save a tree. You can give a thoughtful creative gift without leaving your home or changing out of your favorite comfortable pajamas. What a bargain since you will also being saving the planet at the same time! Signing up on Greendimes.com is literally as easy as 1, 2, 3. The simple three-step process will help preserve the planet for our children and their children. Plus, you can reduce your postal junk mail by seventy-five to ninety percent and only receive the catalogues that you actually want to get. The less junk mail you receive, the less likely you are to have your identity stolen.

Help Greendimes.com and the numerous other companies out there, such as 41 Pounds.org and Catalog Choice.org, spread the word about how to make our world a greener place! You can help by printing a flyer and posting it for others to see. You can also click on a link and email your friends about this cool site. Helping to save the environment is only a click away.

Although Greendimes.com isn’t tax deductible, it is still a worthy investment which is available to anyone who is a resident of the United States or Canada. Hopefully, the British branch of Greendimes will be up and running soon. As Greendimes.com so ironically asks on their site, “It’s our planet, do you give a dime” about it? Show you care and sign-up today!

By Criss White

Even with modern technology like email and cell phones, printed invitations have remained the most common way to let people know about your upcoming party and will continue to remain popular due to the timeless rules of party etiquette. Invitations can be a major cost, especially for large parties, like weddings and some baby showers. However, with a little creativity and time, you can make your own printable invitations, even if you have no artistic skills.

1. The first step is designing your card. You can use a simple word processor like Microsoft Word and if you want, you can go to the Adobe’s website at http://createpdf.adobe.com to convert your file into a pdf file. Select the proper dimensions and print out a sample on some plain white paper just to make sure it is the right size.

2. Next, you will want to find the proper card stock to print out your invitations on. Your local office supply store will have these and you can purchase them inexpensively there.

3. Use the word processor to insert text boxes with the words you want on your invitation. Play around with the fonts and text color.

4. There are many sites that offer free clip art and pictures that you can use for your invitations. Just do a search for “free clip art” on the search engines and you will find many sites that provide these services for free. Browse through and download the pictures you want and then insert them into your card at the desired location.

5. If you use a background image, make sure it does not obscure the text on the card. Ideally, background images should be watermarked. Most word processors will allow you to select background images and make them watermarks. Another alternative is to click on all the text boxes and give them solid colored backgrounds.

6. Need a catchy poem or verse? Once again, you can search the internet for related verses. For example, if I am making baby shower invitations, then I can search for “baby shower poem” or “baby verse” and any other related phrases.

7. Save the master copy of the finished card and print out a sample copy on plain paper to see what it will look like. If it looks good, then you can start personalizing each card and printing it out on card stock.

8. If you do not have a color printer, then create a personalized copy for each guest and save it as a separate file on a disk. Take the disk to your local print shop and have them print out a invitation for each guest. Some print shops may even print out the invitations for you if you give them the guest list and template. A print shop will cost more than printing them out yourself, but probably less than buying invitations from somewhere else. Plus the product should look very professional and they may even have the right card stock available. Additionally, print shops can do engraved invitations as well, which are good for upscale occasions like weddings.

Some other guidelines include try to stick to a central theme, don’t try to use too many pictures and colors, and compare your card to others at card stores to get a feel for what a good invitation should look like. Remember that most invitations are simple and have just a few graphics and maybe one verse. As you can see, there are infinite possibilities when creating your own party invitations and not only is it a fun project, but will also save you money.

About the Author:
Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For more personalized gift ideas, go to Personalized Baby Shower Favors and for more candle gift ideas, see Baby Shower Candle Favors.

Having a baby can be very expensive, and so if you can find ways to cut corners, it’s worth doing. That’s where homemade baby wipes can be of great benefit. Not only do you save money, you can also be more confident what it is that you’re using on your baby’s precious skin. You can be reassured there’s nothing that might cause irritation.

Like baby wipes you purchase in a store, homemade baby wipes are portable and convenient. To make them, start with a roll of paper towels, such as Viva or Bounty. You will also need baby bath liquid, water, and a sturdy plastic container with a lid. I’m sure you can already see how you’re saving money – buying baby wipes costs from $3 to $5 a package. You’re paying for chemicals, fragrance, alcohol or other ingredients that dry the skin, and water. The ingredients listed for homemade baby wipes make two batches of wipes, so you’re only paying around 60 cent per package. Even better, you choose the baby bath liquid, and can therefore use organic or all natural if you wish to.

Firstly, choose a cylindrical plastic container, slightly bigger than a quart container. It needs to be tall enough to hold a roll of paper towels cut in half (so a bit bigger than a roll of toilet paper). Make sure the container’s lid fits tightly. Use a sharp blade to cut an “x” slit in middle of the lid.

Now, cut your roll of paper towel in half using a sharp knife. You will end up with two smaller rolls that look quite similar to rolls of toilet paper. Put one half of the paper towel roll into the container.

Grab a bowl, and mix together 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of the baby bath liquid. Pour this mixture into your homemade baby wipes container. Now you can go and make yourself a coffee, as you’ll need to wait about five minutes while the paper towels soak up the bath liquid mixture. Once the five minutes has passed, gently pull the cardboard core out of the middle of the paper towel roll. As you pull the core out, the innermost piece of paper towel should follow it up. Pull the piece of paper towel through the slit you cut in the container’s lid, and put the lid back on.

Now, when you’re ready to use a wipe, just pull the paper towel up through the lid of the container. The paper towel is perforated, so it will tear off easily at the perforation, leaving the next wipe poking through the lid, ready to use when you need it.

The container works well when you’re at home, but homemade baby wipes can also be used when you’re out and about. Pull out the number of baby wipes you’ll need and put them in a zip lock plastic bag. You can then just unzip the bag and take out a wipe when you need one, or you can cut a small hole in the bag to pull through one end of the first wipe, ready for use. In that case you may want to put the whole zip lock bag inside a plastic portable wipes box, both to stop them leaking and protect them from drying out in the air. Now you have portable homemade baby wipes!

Homemade baby wipes are very simple to make, cheap, convenient and much better for your baby’s skin – so make your own today!

About the Author:
Find heaps more great money saving baby ideas at Info About Baby You can sign up for a FREE Baby Tips newsletter at Baby Tips Newsletter. The author’s book about babies is available at Baby’s First Year.

by: Meredith Edwards-Cornwall

Baby in a highchair, mom in front with a small spoon and a jar of baby food. It looks like something right out of a parenting magazine, and it’s a scene that is played out several times a day in the majority of homes with small babies. Unfortunately, it’s also a powerful marketing image that can cost a family a great deal of money in the long run.

The Convenience Factor
Most parents would say the main reason for using commercial jarred baby food is the convenience aspect. After all, with the busy lifestyle many of us have today, no one has time to specially prepare a meal for each member of the family. It doesn’t have to be a special event to create your own baby food, however. Baby can usually eat what the rest of the family is eating with very little special preparation.

Good Nutrition
Everyone worries about proper nutrition for growing babies. Iron, calcium, and vitamin D – all of these things are legitimate concerns in children’s nutrition. However, fortified and processed foods aren’t necessarily better than whole foods. Homemade baby food, created from fresh ingredients, offers your child superior nutrition as well as encourages a taste for simple, unprocessed foods – a taste that will possibly prevent obesity-related problems later in life. It’s not necessary to offer commercial baby foods in order to have a healthy child.

Economics
Why pay more for an inferior product? Beginning baby food often runs between forty and seventy cents for two ounces. It’s entirely possible to purchase half a pound of produce for the same amount, and baby will reap the benefits of eating fresh, nutritious food. Buying produce in bulk can result in even more savings, and even frozen produce is preferable to what you find in the jars.

Getting Started
It’s important to know when baby is actually ready for solids. Introducing solids too early can lead to an increased likelihood of food intolerances and food allergies. Most medical associations agree that starting solids around six months of age is ideal, and many people find delaying solids for allergy-prone babies is even better. Signs of readiness for solids include:

• Increased nursing for more than a few days, which is unrelated to illness or teething, or, if baby is fed artificial baby milk, consuming more than 32 ounces daily.
• Ability to sit up unsupported.
• Absence of the tongue-thrust reflex. This life-saving reflex causes babies to push foreign objects (in this case, solid foods) out of their mouths to avoid choking.
• Ability to pick foods up and place in mouth independently (or development of the pincer grasp).

What About Allergies?
Experts recommend introducing new foods between three days and a week apart. This helps parents and caregivers identify signs of a food allergy or intolerance. Common signs of food allergy/intolerance are:

• Increased bloating and gassiness, painful discomfort.
• Sandpaper-like raised rash on face, often where the offending food made contact with skin.
• Runny nose and watery eyes.
• Diarrhea or mucous in the stools. Blood in the stool can also be an indicator of a food allergy, usually dairy or soy.
• Red rash around anus, or an unusual diaper rash.
• Vomiting or increased spit up with discomfort.

Ideally, it is best to introduce foods that are less likely to produce an allergic reaction in baby. Avoiding foods such as egg whites, certain nuts such as peanuts, cow’s milk, corn, wheat, and some berries such as strawberries is recommended, as they are more likely to cause reactions. Instead, start with foods that are easier on baby’s system. Some good ideas include:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Carrots
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Asparagus
• Oats
• Barley
• Brown rice

Tools of the Trade
Fancy equipment isn’t necessary to make healthy food for your baby. Things that might be helpful include a blender, a food mill, a steamer basket and ice cube trays if you want to freeze small portions. Most people have blenders already in their kitchens, and a food mill (or baby grinder) isn’t necessary if you have a good blender or food processor. Steamer baskets can be found in most grocery stores for only a few dollars, and fit easily into saucepans. Many beginner foods require nothing more than a small pan and a fork.

Sequencing
Many doctors recommend starting your baby on rice cereal first. Many parents find, however, that fruits go over better for beginning eaters. It is a myth that babies will prefer sweet things if they are given fruits first – nature’s first food, breast milk, is naturally sweet, and that is what baby is accustomed to. Banana is a wonderful first food, as its creamy consistency is similar to mother’s milk. After introducing banana, try another fruit or vegetable. Continue adding fruits and vegetables until baby has a wide variety of tastes. Then consider adding whole grains in the form of cereal. Many whole grains have naturally occurring iron, so there is no need to supplement baby’s iron unless there is a medical indication for doing so. Brown rice, oats, and barley are all good choices. Next, introduce a meat or poultry such as beef or chicken. If you are a vegetarian, introduce another protein source such as tofu or lentils. As time goes on, introduce a combination of tastes, such as cereal mixed with applesauce or peas and carrots. This is also a great time to introduce finger foods, especially if baby has teeth. As baby learns to self-feed, you can move away from making purees and offer small baby-sized portions of the family meal.

Getting Started
Bananas make an ideal food for a baby starting solids. To serve, let bananas ripen well (the more ripe, the better – brown spots are desirable), cut into small chunks and mash with a fork. Pears are an excellent source of fiber and can be cooked like apples: peel and cut into chunks. Place in small saucepan and just cover with water. Cook until tender. These can then be mashed with a fork, run through a food mill, processed in a blender or food processor. They can also be offered as finger food if they are cut into small enough chunks. Carrots, another popular first food, should be scraped with a vegetable peeler, sliced and steamed or boiled until soft. Process in blender or food mill. Carrots can be a choking hazard for children, so do use caution if offering as a finger food.

Sweet potatoes are extremely easy to make, and one potato can last a long time if frozen after cooking. Place sweet potato in a microwave for about eight minutes, remove and let cool. Open up and serve right out of the peel – the potato is very soft and needs no further processing. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of B6.

Winter squash such as acorn or butternut makes an excellent first food. Cut squash in half and clean. Place in one half inch of water in a baking pan and bake at three hundred and fifty degrees for half an hour. Use a spoon to scoop out squash and feed directly to baby.

Avocadoes are an extremely nutrient dense food and offers important vitamins and minerals such as iron and potassium. Cut avocado in half around the pit, grab each half and give it a twist. Scoop out meat and mash or dice.

Making cereal for baby is very easy. Take a cup of the whole grain if your choice such as brown rice, oats, or barley and process in the blender until the desired consistency is reached, usually about two minutes for very young babies. Store in an airtight container. To cook, mix with liquid of your choice and heat over medium heat on stove until thick.

Enjoyment
Enjoy this fun stage in baby’s development, and rest assured that baby is getting superior nutrition and developing good eating habits which will last a lifetime!

About The Author
Meredith Edwards-Cornwall owns and operates Attached Mamas at www.attachedmamas.com, which caters to families looking to achieve health naturally. Remedies for colic, morning sickness, infertility and more. She is also a designer for the web and print and owns Beach Designs Studio at www.beachdesigns.net.
meredith@attachedmamas.com