MacGuyver Monday: Baby Wipes

I recently found myself without baby wipes and in desperate need of them. It wasn't the drama it sounds like because I had a back up plan. Here are a few things you can use in place of them.

1. A warm wet washcloth.
2. A warm wet rag.
3. DIY disposable wet wipes: Using the strongest paper towels you can get, cut one roll in half and remove the cardboard roll. Make a solution of 1 cup boiling water, 1 T baby lotion, 1 T baby soap, and 1 T baby oil. Place ½ roll of paper towels in a reusable container (an empty baby wipes box is ideal.) Pour solution over towels and allow to cool before using.
4. Another idea (and one that may replace commercial wipes in my house) is to cut up old rags and used clothes, put them in a wet wipe container, and cover with the solution from above. Because you paid nothing for them, you can toss them if they get really grody, or wash and reuse if not.

MacGuyver Monday: Muffins for the Munchkins

With gas prices somewhere up in the nonexistent ozone layer, most of us aren't running to the store every time we run out of eggs. Now, more than ever, Mom needs to have a few tricks up her sleeve. The next time you find yourself without milk, cereal, or Pop-Tarts (tell me you don't really eat pop-tarts!), invent your own homemade muffin recipe from this template.

1. 2-2 1/2 cups grain (like flour...)
2. 1 cup milk, soy milk, or fruit juice
3. Up to 1/4 cup fat (oil, butter, peanut butter. This can be partially omitted if you are using a wet addition)
4. 1 egg, or 1 Tbsp soy flour with 1 Tbsp water
5. Up to half a cup of sweetener
6. 2 tsp baking powder
7. 1/2 tsp salt
8. Up to 1 1/2 cups additions

The additions can be anything... purees, applesauce, shredded carrot, spices, fruit, bacon, cheese. I've made cheddar chive muffins with this template that were awesome with soup. The key is maintaining the moist/dry ratio. For example, if you are using honey to sweeten, use the higher amount of flour.

Instructions: Combine dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ingredients until the batter is mixed but still lumpy. Bake in greased muffin tins in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

The only thing that can't be substituted is baking powder, making this a highly versatile recipe. I got this recipe out of The Complete Tightwad Gazette, which is one of my absolute favoritest books because it is almost 1000 pages of these MacGuyver-esque ideas. You'll save the price of the book in the first week of implementing Amy Dacyczyn's advice, if not the first hour.

MacGuyver Monday

From now on, Mondays at this blog are going to be MacGuyver Mondays, dedicated to creative and extreme reuse of materials.

This week's topic is plastic shopping bags. We all use cloth around here, right? But sometimes you stop in at a store and forget them in the car, or have a jerky clerk, or whatever. You get home with a ton of plastic, and throwing it away just seems wrong. Here are a few re-use options.

1. Save it for a garage sale.
2. Slip it into your diaper bag for a used diaper.
3. Cut into smaller pieces and use to wrap sandwiches (you'll need tape).
4. Take the bag back to the store the next time you go, and have them put your groceries in it once more.
5. Make clothing and purses. omg, did you see the octopus bag on that site? I am soooo making one.
6. Use as mini-trash bags for cleaning out litter boxes and other messes you want contained.
7. Crochet into a doormat.
8. Your idea here... just leave it in the comments.

If you have no use whatsoever for a plastic bag, you absolutely can have clerks put your groceries straight back into the cart, a la Costco.