What Now?

As you might have inferred from last week's only post, I had a miscarriage. One of the first practical questions that popped through my haze of sadness was, "What does this mean for my new blog?" The short answer: I'm still not sure. The short-term solution: hiatus.

We're going to keep trying, so eventually, hopefully, this nursery project will be on again, and I'll still need to do the research and find the baby bargains and the practical solutions to pregnancy and motherhood. So the blog might as well keep going. Under a different name, of course -- "Little Bit" was this baby's nickname, and it doesn't feel right to keep using it.

I need a little more time off, though, before I can read and write about baby stuff without crying. When I work through that, the blog will continue, so there's no need to unsubscribe. And if you're not subscribed, then doing so is the best way to be alerted when things start up again.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Requiem

Baking Soda: The Super Staple

Husband and I have always been conscious of household chemicals and careful about what we use to clean as well as what we put into our bodies. But becoming pregnant has made me extra-conscious about what I put ON my body as well. It turns out that a lot of my regular beauty products are verboten as long as I'm expecting. Thankfully, I found an alternative for several of them that is as safe and gentle as it is effective - and not only that, but super-cheap to boot. What's this magical alternative, you ask, because perhaps you can't see the picture that begins this post, and you also didn't bother to read the title? That would be baking soda, the handy little ingredient with about a million uses.

Okay, maybe not a million. But a lot, and the list goes way beyond baking and fueling science project volcanoes. I had already been using it as an exfoliating facial scrub, and my skin's been in great shape since I started. While in the shower the other day, I realized I shouldn't use my regular shampoo because it contains salycilic acid, a big no-no if you're pregnant. Out of desperation I grabbed the container of baking soda I keep in there for my face, and used it to scrub my hair. It left it clean and soft, and since it strips the dirt without stripping the natural oils, I didn't need to use any conditioner. I've been using it ever since, and I'm so happy with the results that I probably won't go back to my old shampoo after the baby's born.

That's only a couple of its uses as a beauty product, and it comes in even handier as a household cleaning product. Check out these links for a comprehensive look at how baking soda can help free you from chemicals while freeing up your cash for bigger and better things.

• Life Hackery - 75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda
  
  
• Ultimate Money Blog - Unique Uses for Baking Soda
  
  
• Bellybytes - Sixty-One Uses for Baking Soda

10 Fabulous DIY Mobile Ideas

One of the projects I'm most looking forward to is creating a custom mobile to hang over the crib. It should be a relatively easy craft project, and one that lets my creativity run wild. There is a lot of inspiration to be found in the land of Blogivania, where origami crane mobiles abound and bird motifs reign supreme. But here are 11 DIY mobiles that stand out from the pack and appear relatively simple to make.

1. Bird Mobile from Design Sponge (shown above) - this is probably the cutest of all the bird mobiles I've seen. It requires some sewing know-how, but it would be super-easy to match it to your nursery's decor, and the bright colors are sure to keep Little Bit fascinated while he or she drifts off to slumber land.
   
   
2. Tree Branch Mobile on Project Nursery - not exactly a mobile in the traditional sense, but I am in love with this idea of hanging a tree branch near the crib to hang various lookie-loos on throughout the year. It's so simple, and it brings a bit of nature into the room. LOVE!
   
   
3. DIY High Contrast Baby Mobile - this Instructables tutorial shows how to McGuyver out of household items a mobile that is as sure to provide visual interest for your baby as it is to keep money in your pocket.
   
   
4. 
   
   Pinwheel Mobile from Project Nursery - this mobile looks like a piece of cake to replicate with some scrapbook paper, some string and a few dowel rods, and the results are mesmerizing - especially if you're only a few months old.
   
   
   
   
5. DIY Modern Mobile on Yes, Please - a fabulous modern art take on the mobile, this one is as pleasing for adults to look at is it is for the wee ones. The included instructions make assembly look like a breeze.
   
   
6. DIY Ladybug Mobile on Spearmint Baby - this one looks like it requires a bit more of an investment in both time and supplies, but the end result is as cute as a ... well, a bug.
   
   
7. Papercraft Bird Mobile from Paper and Stitch - yes, another bird mobile, but one that's as adorable as it is easy to craft.
   
   
8. Cookie Cutter Mobile on This Abode - another mobile MacGuyvered out of household items, I love this idea for hanging cookie cutters of various shapes and sizes.
   
   
9. DIY Baby Mobile on Blue Sage - as a chronic knitter, I love the incorporation of yarn in this mix of knitted fish and origami crane mobile. The ribbon-wrapped hoop is also a nice touch.
   
   
10. DIY Origami Mobile on Cafe Mom - what DIY Mobile post would be complete without an origami mobile? This one goes beyond cranes to include butterflies and round floral shapes. Simple and gorgeous.