Let’s face it--Halloween costumes are expensive. Instead of spending a scary amount on something that will only be worn once, you can use clothing and craft supplies you already have to create a memorable costume. Whether you are going for a cutesy or spooky look, baby’s personality will shine in one of these eco-friendlier, DIY costumes!

Gumball Machine

Colorful and sweet, this costume will also keep your baby’s head warm in the autumn breeze.

What you’ll need:

• Multi-color craft pom-poms
• Glue and glue gun
• Baby bonnet
• Red, long sleeve onesie
• Black pants
• Scissors
• Grey felt
• Black felt

How to make it:

1. Glue individual pom-poms onto bonnet using a glue gun.
2. Cut out large square from grey felt. It should be large enough to cover the majority of baby’s chest and tummy.
3. Cut out smaller square from black felt. It should be roughly 1 inch smaller than the grey felt square.
4. Cut out a 2 and a 5 as well as a cents symbol from grey felt. We recommend tracing out these pieces before cutting.
5. Glue felt numbers and cents symbols to the black felt. Then, glue the black felt square to the grey felt square. Finally, glue the grey felt square to the red onesie.
6. Dress baby in onesie and black pants and tie on the bonnet.
7. Watch your little one dispense adorableness all Halloween night!

Mummy

Go spooky with this Egyptian-inspired Halloween costume!

What you’ll need:

• Cloth bandages from a first aid kit
• Long sleeve white onesie
• White pants
• Bonnet
• Sewing machine
• Tan thread
• Scissors

How to make it:

1. Cut cloth bandage in various sized pieces so it can be draped/wrapped across onesie, pants and bonnet.
2. Using a sewing machine and tan thread, sew cut pieces of cloth bandages around pants, onesie and bonnet. Make sure that bandage pieces are sewn across at different angles.
3. Sew extra layers of cloth bandages in some areas to make it look a bit messy.
4. Dress baby in mummified clothing.
5. Take baby out for some Halloween fun!

Sushi Roll

Who doesn’t love sushi? Turn baby into a bite-sized cutie with this unique costume.

What you’ll need:

• Glue and glue gun
• Double-sided black tape
• Large sheet of green construction paper
• Orange paint
• Paint brush
• White onesie

How to make it:

1. Using orange paint, paint on 3 curvy, roughly 2.5-inch rectangular shapes on the chest/tummy area of the onesie. Leave roughly 1-inch white space between shapes.
2. Add a 3-inch tail 1 inch below the third rectangular shape. To create the tail, paint two rounded triangles that point downward.
3. Cut the two short edges of green construction paper so they resemble blades of grass.
4. Cut a piece of double-sided black tape that is long enough to wrap around baby’s tummy.
5. Dress baby in onesie. Secure tape around their tummy. Attach green construction paper to tape on baby’s back. Reinforce with more tape as needed.
6. Baby is ready to roll for Halloween!

After Halloween, you can peel glued craft materials off or unstitch thread from onesies. For stubborn glue residue or stains from the evening, try our Baby ECOS™ Stain & Odor Remover. We wish you and baby the happiest of Halloweens!

Moms are so busy helping everyone out that they often don’t take time for themselves. Finding balance is important so you don’t feel burned out. You may have heard the term ‘self-care’ buzzing around, but what is it really? Self care is doing something for you that helps put your mind at ease and restores your inner harmony.

Self care isn’t selfish; it’s actually really important for maintaining healthy relationships. Your relationship with your little one will be its best if you find time to relax and treat yourself! Feeling rejuvenated will help you be the active and engaged parent you want to be. Don’t worry, it’s actually really easy, and we’ve got you covered with a few tips to add joy to your day!

Schedule a hair appointment

Rock a fresh new hairdo a month or so after the baby is born, whenever you find a few hours to treat yourself. Pick a salon close to home and give yourself the pampering you deserve! You’ll feel confident with your fresh look and get a few hours to relax in the salon chair.

Catch up on your favorite show

Don’t forget about the little things that make you smile! Streaming services are great because they provide you with easy access to catch up on your favorite shows at your own pace. When baby is down for a nap, tune in to a favorite show that gives your brain a little breather from the everyday.

Get your nails done

Getting a manicure with a non-toxic polish or gel is an easy way to brighten up your day. You can paint your nails at home yourself during some down time, or an outing to the nail salon. Pick a fun color that makes you smile. Non-toxic gel is a great alternative because the protective layer is harder to break, and your nails will look fresh for 2+ weeks.

Tackle small projects around the house

There’s something therapeutic about having things in order, especially when you’re figuring out motherhood, which is largely unpredictable. However, cleaning the entire house at once can feel overwhelming. Tackling small tasks one at a time will leave you feeling accomplished without the stress. Help put your mind at ease by organizing your house and cleaning with Baby ECOS™ products. Clean your countertops with Baby ECOS™ Here & There All-Surface Cleaner and your linens with Baby ECOS™ Laundry Detergent. An organized house will give you one less thing to feel worried about and a clean space to enjoy with your family.

Join a group

Sometimes it's easy to feel alone when you’re a new parent, but joining a group will show you that you’re far from alone in your parenting triumphs and struggles! There are so many other new parents that are figuring it out just like you, and hearing their stories will be refreshing and reassuring! Join an online parents group or search online for in person meet-ups in your area.

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No doubt you’ve done the necessary prep work for your baby’s arrival. But all that stuff is fluff when it comes to making it through the early days of parenthood. That’s when you quickly need to acquire new skills, like breast-feeding, soothing a crying infant and surviving on no sleep. To help you ease into your first week, we’ve asked expert parents how to handle the most common challenges.

Nap when your baby naps.

Yes, your newborn will snooze as much as 20 hours a day, but it won’t be in long stretches—think one- to four-hour spurts. It’s important to try to catch some zzz’s when your baby is sleeping. But, if you’re not wired for naps, enlist help, stat. Have your partner, a friend or relative take some night shifts with the baby so you can get some uninterrupted sleep.

Swaddle and sway to soothe crying.

Infants fresh out of the cozy confines of the womb crave constant holding and soothing, says Harvey Karp, M.D., author of the Happiest Baby on the Block. Don’t worry about spoiling your newborn—it’s not possible. Instead, re-create the sensations of the womb, which can trigger a calming reflex in your newborn, Karp says. To do this, he recommends swaddling, swaying, shushing, holding your baby on her side and letting her suck on your finger. “These steps performed individually or together can often be a virtual ‘off’ switch for the crying,” he says. Experiment to see what works for your baby.

Get expert help with breast-feeding.

It happens naturally, right? Not always. Make plans to see a lactation expert ASAP post-delivery, and ask her to come to your house to help you get the hang of nursing there. “Having an expert with you from the beginning to help you learn about latching, positioning and milk supply—and to boost your confidence—can make the difference between a beautiful breast-feeding experience and giving up," says Giuditta Tornetta, a doula, lactation educator and author of Painless Childbirth.

Be prepared for round-the-clock feedings.

“Expect to feed the baby every one to four hours—that’s counting from the start of each feeding,” says Laura Jana, M.D., co-author of Heading Home with Your Newborn. Since you’re going to be bound to a couch, rocker or bed while your baby eats, try to get as comfortable as possible. Use a nursing pillow to help position your baby and ease your neck, arms and back. Keep water and snacks close by and stock up on good books to read or shows to watch.

Take care with the first bath.

“The saying ‘slippery when wet’ applies here—many new parents are very nervous when giving that first bath,” Jana says. Relax and take it slow. Because you’ll want to work around the umbilical cord (the faster it dries, the sooner it will fall off), a sponge bath is the way to go at this stage. Plus, if your baby has been circumcised, you’ll need to wait for the area to heal before completely submerging it in water. Gather the supplies and have them within arm’s reach—this way you can have one hand on the baby at all times. Then place him on a towel and gently wash the areas that need cleaning with a warm washcloth and baby bath wash.

Ask for help when recovering from delivery.

It’s normal to experience pain and exhaustion after giving birth. In time, your body will bounce back and you’ll regain your strength. But while you’re healing, designate a family member to take care of you—or at least to make sure you don’t overexert yourself. Recruit your partner, relatives and friends to pitch in with housework, baby care and meal prep while you recover.

Focus on what matters.

Between lack of sleep, physical discomfort and plummeting hormones, even the most excited new parent can feel overwhelmed. Decide what’s most important to you—say, learning how to breast-feed, sleeping and cuddling your baby—and focus on those things. Then let everything else go for a while.

Try to go outside or get out of the house every day. The fresh air (or seeing other humans) can help you stay sane. Spirits still low? “Remember that it’s normal to feel the baby blues for the first couple of weeks postpartum,” says Liz Maseth, R.N., a nurse lactation consultant at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio. “Just make sure that your family understands about the baby blues—and that if your feelings of sadness or depression last beyond those first two weeks, your loved ones can assist you in getting the help you need.”

It’s Halloween season! Finally you can enjoy delicious snacks with a spooky theme. If you’re looking for healthy alternatives for your kids, you’re in luck! We’ve crafted a list of our favorite healthy Halloween treats from around the web just for you and your kids to enjoy.

To me, Halloween means candy corn! I always make sure to have a big bowl of candy corn in my home every year. It’s become a tradition for many families because of its sweet, chewy texture and bright fall colors. These fun Candy Corn Popsicles from Chew Chew Mama are big, refreshing version of my favorite Halloween treat—and healthier for little ones too.

To make them, you just need some popsicle molds, organic juices and yogurt. It’s an easy recipe that your kids will love!

Have you ever noticed that clementines look like little pumpkins? This sweet cross between a mandarin and an orange makes a great healthy snack for kids, and the best part is you can easily decorate them just like a Halloween pumpkin! Jack-o-clementines are easy to make with a black permanent marker and a bag of clementines, which are in season right now. Let your kids get creative and draw fun Halloween faces on their cute little clementines to display for Halloween or send to school for a yummy festive snack.

Halloween is all about ghosts, monsters and witches. These Pretzel Witch Brooms are easy to make with pretzels and cheese sticks – a kid favorite combo! Little ones can help with this recipe too – as you prepare the cheese, they can add the pretzel. Kids love to eat what they help make!

With all the less-than-healthy sweets that kids eat during the Halloween season, these snacks will help you add a little healthy fun!