Series Diy Mama

A Luxurious Homemade Body ButterRecipes
This rich body butter is made with a few basic kitchen staples, and so it’s good enough to eat. It’s a luxurious treat for your skin — and an especially wonderful gift for a new mama, as it will soothe and nourish her stretched-to-the-limit belly. But you don’t have to be newly postpartum to appreciate this silky, natural butter scented with your favorite essential oils. What’s in this body/belly butter?
Darienne Sutton
Apr 29, 2016
Make Your Own Deodorant with a Few Basic Kitchen IngredientsSkills
There is something that makes sense about turning to wholesome, natural pantry ingredients for nourishing our bodies from the outside as well the inside. You might not have considered deodorant a recipe for your kitchen, instead of from the drugstore, but let me show you how even this body basic can come from your own home. Our skin is the largest organ in our body and it needs to breathe.
Darienne Sutton
Apr 28, 2016
A Nourishing Homemade Facial OilRecipes
When it comes to little luxurious gifts for a new mama (or any friend who deserves to be pampered), this simple and fragrant facial oil is an easy project and a nourishing homemade addition to her stock of beauty supplies. Late-night feeding sessions (not to mention all the hormonal changes) can take a toll on mama’s complexion. This blend of jojoba, apricot kernel, and evening primrose oils replenishes and nourishes so your complexion will look as smooth as your baby’s bottom.
Darienne Sutton
Apr 27, 2016
Refreshing Eye Masks Made from Cucumber & Coconut OilRecipes
The remedy for tired eyes — whether those sleepy circles belong to you or to a new mama friend — lies in a few kitchen basics. Cucumber, coconut oil, and a blender are the pathway to a refreshing mask that’s made with all-natural ingredients from the refrigerator. Cucumbers have a tightening effect on the delicate skin around your eyes, while arnica reduces inflammation. Coconut and vitamin E oil are known for their antioxidant and nourishing properties.
Darienne Sutton
Apr 26, 2016
A Homemade Bath Soak with Pink Salt & RosesRecipes
This bathtime soak is a must for a new mama — or anyone in need of a restful bath after a stressful Monday. It’s made with the aid of a few kitchen staples that turn out to be useful far beyond their usual cooking applications. The magic of sea salt has since the days of Hippocrates been hailed as a cure-all. Regardless of any healing properties, a salt soak like this one can restore energy and help with a deeper relaxation.
Darienne Sutton
Apr 25, 2016
A Week of Beauty & Body Luxuries with Darienne SuttonPeople
Babies need constant care, but a mama can’t forget to care for herself. Stylist and herbalist Darienne Sutton offers a week of homemade body care — simple little luxuries like belly butter, facial oils, and eye masks for the morning after those 3 a.m. wakeups. These are dreamy homemade gifts for mothers of all ages. I was always drawn to the idea of natural healing, although back in the ’80s it was really very fringe.
Faith Durand
Apr 25, 2016
Recipe: Coconut-Pineapple Agua Fresca to Refresh a Nursing MamaRecipes
Between being up all night and feeding baby, being a new mom is exhausting — and dehydrating. And while water (and more water) is the best thing you can do to stay hydrated, there are times when you just want something else. Like this refreshing yet easy three-ingredient agua fresca made with pineapple, coconut, and a healthy handful of mint. During my second pregnancy, pineapple has been my most frequent craving.
Amy Palanjian
Apr 22, 2016
Recipe: Make-Ahead Blueberry Smoothies for Mama & BabyRecipes
Here’s the biggest obstacle to making smoothies in my house: It can feel slightly overwhelming to assemble the ingredients into a reliably delicious mixture first thing in the morning. But smoothies can be one of the easiest ways to pack nutrition into a meal for a baby or toddler — especially if you do the prep work ahead of time.
Amy Palanjian
Apr 21, 2016
Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potato Bowls Two Ways, for Mama & BabyRecipes
Like many so parents, I was so excited to start solids with my daughter. At the 6-month mark, she could suddenly participate in family meals in a whole new way and I loved watching her explore her food. (I also loved it because, unlike the toddler that she is now, she ate anything that I put in front of her!) We ate a lot of roasted sweet potatoes back then because she loved them any which way we served them — whether roasted in wedges, or served as a mash.
Amy Palanjian
Apr 20, 2016
Recipe: Avocado Toast Two Ways, for Mama & BabyRecipes
Oh, avocado toast — the perfect shortcut meal for any time of day. And one of my absolute favorite ways to serve up a meal that works for the entire family, even the wee ones. Avocado toast is the perfect example, too, of the type of food I am sharing this week for DIY Mama; simple, adaptable meals that with a few adjustments are equally delicious and nutritious for mama and toddler.
Amy Palanjian
Apr 19, 2016
How To Make Lactation CookiesRecipes
My memories of the weeks after my first daughter was born are hazy at best. I remember that she cried a lot, absolutely hated her car seat, and loved it when we bounced with her on an exercise ball — and that I was continually grabbing handfuls of food to satisfy my appetite. Breastfeeding hunger is no joke, especially when you’re nursing every two or three hours around the clock in those early days.
Amy Palanjian
Apr 18, 2016
A Week of Mama & Baby Food with Amy Palanjian of Yummy Toddler FoodPlan & Prep
As baby gets bigger, it’s both fun and practical to make recipes that mama and baby can share at snacktime and lunchtime. Amy Palanjian of Yummy Toddler Food shares a smart, savvy set of meals with flavor twists to nourish both mama and toddler (plus lactation cookies for the nursing mom). If you have been reading food and shelter magazines over the past few years, chances are you’ve enjoyed Amy Palanjian’s work.
Faith Durand
Apr 18, 2016
Scent Your Home with Dried Herb IncenseRecipes
If you bought sage for a recipe and don’t know what to do with the leftovers, or have a garden overflowing with herbs, herbal incense sticks are a perfect way to preserve them — and they make an aromatic gift for a friend or a way to bring a calming herbal scent indoors. Dried herbs have been burned across the ages and many cultures for purposes of scenting, cleansing, and religious practice.
Stephanie Gerber
Apr 15, 2016
The Easiest Homemade Linen SprayRecipes
Linen spray may sound like another froufrou extravagance that moms don’t need, but that couldn’t be more wrong. Because moms are tired — like, always. And when our heads finally hit the pillow, we want sleep to come easy and fast. The little luxury of scented linens is one of the best ways to turn off thoughts about the school project that’s due or what’s for dinner tomorrow. The icing on the cake is that linen spray is so simple to make.
Stephanie Gerber
Apr 14, 2016
Homemade Wet Wipes for Sticky FingersRecipes
I have a love-hate relationship with wipes. I love their convenience for dirty hands and sticky faces, but I hate that conventional wipes are expensive and made with a long list of ingredients. Until recently I had no idea how easy it was to make my own disposable wipes. Now I carry my own to the playground and use them to wipe down a shopping cart. Plus they are gentle enough to use on sensitive little faces. Here’s a simple tutorial for making your own.
Stephanie Gerber
Apr 13, 2016
A Homemade Stain RemoverRecipes
Let’s be honest — kids are dirty little creatures. They spill everything. Plus there are paint stains from the budding artist, and grass and dirt stains from the future soccer star. And, my favorite, potty training stains. Between these and the spaghetti sauce stains from the — you know — adults of the household, a good stain remover is a must-have. Here’s my go-to formula for getting tough stains out.
Stephanie Gerber
Apr 12, 2016
An Infused Vinegar Cleaning Spray That Actually Smells GreatKitchen
Infusing vinegar is the perfect way to combine vinegar's natural cleansing and disinfecting benefits with a much more pleasant aromatherapy experience.
Stephanie Gerber
Apr 11, 2016
A Week of Homemade Cleaning Projects with Stephanie Gerber of Hello GlowKitchen
A homemade cleaner makes a lovely and practical gift — for yourself or a new mama you know. In the second week of DIY Mama, Stephanie Gerber of Hello Glow offers a week of homemade cleaners, like wet wipes for baby, and stain remover and linen spray for mama. Stephanie Gerber is the founder and voice behind Hello Glow, a site focused on nutrition, wellness, and skincare.
Faith Durand
Apr 11, 2016
A Homemade Salve for Baby BumsRecipes
When it comes to common problems that can be addressed with homemade and herbal remedies for mama and baby, we couldn’t forget about this one: the fearsome diaper rash. Baby bums call for special care, and this salve uses wholesome ingredients for a gentle result. Imagine the adult version of diaper rash. Imagine how uncomfortable you might be if you had to walk around with a rash in your nether regions, and didn’t have the cognitive ability to understand what was going on.
Abbye Churchill
Apr 8, 2016
A Fragrant, Calming Aromatherapy Mist for a New MamaRecipes
If you’re going to make one gift for that friend who just welcomed her new bundle of joy into the world, make it this one. This aromatherapy spray is incredibly effective, and it is a snap to make — perfect for those who are just beginning their introduction to herbalism, or who have never made a thing! This is a fragrant mist for home spaces and linens, made with traditional scents of peacefulness and calm.
Abbye Churchill
Apr 7, 2016
A Soothing Balm for Nursing MomsRecipes
Breastfeeding can be one of the most challenging (yet rewarding!) aspects of new motherhood. I knew that one of the projects we needed to offer in DIY Mama, The Kitchn’s spring series of little luxuries for mama and baby, was a balm for the nursing mother — one made with olive oil, cocoa butter, and other good ingredients familiar to the home cook. The nipple takes a beating with breastfeeding. Meeting the demands of a little one can leave a new mama a little worse for wear.
Abbye Churchill
Apr 6, 2016
Mothers’ Milk Tea for Nursing MamasRecipes
Feeding is often one of the most stressful parts of new motherhood. Being able to easily nourish your newborn is essential to the physical health of your new babe, and to your own mental sanity as you enter into life together with your baby. We knew that as part of DIY Mama (our month of homemade luxuries for mama and baby) we needed a homemade version of the Mothers’ Milk tea that many new moms love to sip for relaxation and to encourage a sustained milk supply.
Abbye Churchill
Apr 5, 2016
An Easy Recipe for Homemade Herbal Baby PowderRecipes
Caring for a newborn is one of life’s ultimate challenges. There are the hurdles we all know (but parents never complain about, right?) — the sleepless nights, learning your baby’s needs without the helpful use of language. Another is the challenge of finding really high-quality products to treat your baby’s tender skin. If you can’t find products that you love, why not make them?
Abbye Churchill
Apr 4, 2016
A Week of Home Apothecary Projects with Abbye Churchill of Wilder QuarterlyPeople
Sometimes the best homemade luxuries are the ones that soothe and relax, like herbal balm and hot tea for nursing mothers, or a calming room spray for the nursery. Abbye Churchill, editorial director of the beautiful Wilder Quarterly, brings you a week of small apothecary projects for mama and baby — or anyone who would like a little homemade pampering. We talked with Abbye about what the home apothecary means, and her perspective on herbs in the home.
Faith Durand
Apr 4, 2016