I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, crafter, and blogger living in rural New England. As seen in Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, and more! | Tutorials, DIY, crafts, parenting tips, recipes, money saving tips, product reviews, local product features, New England living, intentional living, and more! |
I thought I would do a quick round up of my Favorite Finds of 2020. These are products or items that we loved or used frequently and were new to us this past year or became a staple in our routine - best of all, most are under $30! | This post contains affiliate links |
Favorite Finds of 2020
“Unpaper Towels”
I know I've talked about this several times now, but making the switch to these "Unpaper Towels" has definitely been my top Favorite Find of 2020. They save us money every month on buying paper products and since they're reusable they're good for the environment in the long run. So happy we made the switch!
Stars Above Pajama Set
With the year that it's been having a cozy PJ set has been a must. I got this Stars Above Pajama Set from Target (just added it on to my online order) this winter and they have quickly become my favorite. They are SOO soft and luxurious feeling, perfect for lounging around at home.
OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker
My husband got this OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker as a birthday gift and we've both been enjoying it all year. Now that we can't go out for coffee all the time it's been really nice to be able to make our own cold brew concentrate right at home.
Mask Lanyards
Mask Lanyards have been the unsung accessory hero this year. We've been using them every time we go hiking so we can have our masks at the ready if we unexpectedly come across others. We chose ones with a breakaway feature for some added safety.
This year I've been using my Aura Cacia Lavender Aromatherapy Spray on our linens every night before we go to bed - it's so relaxing and spa-like and we find it helps us fall asleep. (Make sure to spot test on your linens first, but we've had no problems using it on our fabrics.)
Powdered Tide for Cleaning
This year I jumped on the Powdered Tide bandwagon - for cleaning, not for laundry. Just a little Powdered Tide mixed with warm water does wonders for washing smudgy walls and built-up grime on surfaces. I keep it under my kitchen sink (in an airtight plastic bag so moisture doesn't get to it), so it's ready to use anytime. It's such a great cleaning hack!
Hug Patrol Shoulder Wrap
I mean, who couldn't use a hug this year? Hug Patrol makes weighted wraps, blankets, and more. I collaborated with them last January (you can read that previous post HERE), but the wrap became a wonderful addition to my routine. It's so peaceful and comforting to curl up on the couch with a good book and the weighted wrap across my shoulders.
L.L. Bean Sweater Fleece
I've actually had this L.L. Bean Sweater Fleece for a few years now, but it's really gotten a lot of use this year as my go-to for "Driveway Visits" with family and friends. We've been having socially distant driveway visits (outside, everyone standing far apart and masked, no contact) to see our family and friends when we can. This Sweater Fleece has been great as a casual and cozy layer that still looks nice for those chilly visits outside.
We're huge Amazon fans in this house - living out in the boonies like we do means that a lot of home and grocery shopping is done online and you can't beat Amazon for their selection and Prime shipping! | This page contains affiliate links |
I've created a page on Amazon to showcase some of our favorite Amazon finds - everything from home, to beauty, to baby and kid items. Items with a "speech bubble" in the corner means I've added a note about that item, just give it a click to see what I have to say about it.
Feel free to check our Favorite Amazon Finds often since I'll be continuing to add more items as they come up.
Having a newborn means there's a lot of little essentials you're going to need - and even though this is our second baby, things like new combs, thermometer, and teether are always needed. Safety 1st was kind enough to send us their Precious Memories Premium Baby Care Set for our newest addition to the family and I wanted to share with you all the wonderful things that are included. | This post contains an honest review of products provided to us from Safety 1st. This post also contains affiliate links. |
First of all I just wanted to point out what a great value the Premium Baby Care Kit is! It includes all the items seen below - including a fox wash mitt, booger sucker, cradle cap brush, thermometer, toothbrush, comb, brush, teether, nail clippers, and photo cards. Whew. And it's all boxed up neatly in a sturdy wooden box that can easily be reused as handy storage in the nursery. All-in-all it's a $75 value but retails for less than half of that on Amazon! This would make the perfect affordable and easy baby shower gift for a friend or coworker (or for yourself!).
The kit also comes with these really sweetly illustrated "First Cards" by Milestone Baby. These are perfect for documenting those special firsts with your baby. I also love that there's a little spot to record the date as well so the cards can be kept and tucked away in your memory box after.
We've been using these items for a few weeks now and our favorites so far have definitely been the cute fox washing mitt (which our four-year-old has claimed as hers) as well as the cradle cap brush which we use religiously with each bath for our baby. I just love how the brush really scrubs off the the flaky skin without being too tough on your baby's sensitive scalp! It really does a wonderful job.
- I received this item for review from Safety 1st/Milestone Baby but all opinions expressed are my own. Please read our full Disclosure Policy for more information -
Safety 1st's Premium Baby Care Kit can be found at various retailers including Amazon and Babies 'R Us. Don't forget to follow @Safety_1st and @Milestonebaby on Instagram to see their latest products!
Give Back Box, has started a new initiative that couldn't make it any easier to give back! Just put your unwanted items in a participating retailer's box (Amazon is a participating one), print out a free pre-paid label, and then it gets sent to your local Goodwill as a donation. You never even have to leave your house!
Start tackling those New Year's Resolutions - clean out your closet and give back to your community at the same time. It's win-win for everyone.
You can get more info and print your your label at
GiveBackBox.com
You guys. Our toddler stayed in her room until it was time to get up, despite the time change - something that hasn't happened in years. It's a miracle! | This post was not sponsored but does contain my Amazon referral link |
A mom friend had recommended the Ready to Wake Clock to us when we moved our daughter to her big girl room and it's been amazing! She stays in her room now until it turns green in the morning and after "quiet rest time" (she's dropped nap, but still has a time in the afternoon to play quietly and look at books in her room).
And probably the biggest BONUS of all - we actually got to sleep in this morning and take advantage of the time change! First time in like 3 years. She just played quietly in her bed until the clock turned green and was none-the-wiser that she was there for an extra hour.
It's been a long, loooong time since I knit anything but when We Are Knitters contacted me to see if I wanted to try out one of their kits and give one away to a lucky follower I was excited to say yes. There's just something about curling up in a cozy chair and knitting that melts the stress away. (Don't forget to look for our exclusive coupon code and enter the giveaway to win your own kit!)
We Are Knitters has tons of kits available to choose from - including scarves, hats, sweaters, blankets, and even dresses! But since it had been so long since I knit anything I decided to be safe and go with the
Downtown Snood kit from their beginner level selection of kits.
The wool for this kit is premium 100% natural Peruvian wool which is amazingly soft and thick with 35 colors to choose from. In fact, I loved it so much I got an extra skien so I could make the project twice. (You are also able to purchase wool skeins separately right from their website.)
In the kit you find your wool, wooden knitting needles, pattern, needle, and a label for your finished project. Embarrassingly, I do not know how to read a knitting pattern (ha) but it was written so simply even I could understand it. And what's even better, We Are Knitters (WAK) has great video tutorials available to you so you can study how to do the stitch and easily pause the video to practice step-by-step.
I definitely recommend watching the videos with your knitting needles and some scrap yarn in your hands so you're able to practice before you start on your nice yarn from WAK. But after some practice I was able to get it down and was kitting away a mile a minute in no time.
The project went quickly and now I have some gorgeous handmade scarves to wear now that the cold weather is setting in.
We Are Knitters was also kind enough to share an exclusive coupon code with my readers - just use the code BIRCHLANDINGWAK at checkout to receive 15% off your order!
GIVEAWAY
Would you like the chance to win your own Downtown Snood Kit in your choice of color? Just visit We Are Knitters
HERE and sign up for their free newsletter. Givewaway will end October 24th.
EDIT 10/26/16: Winner chosen and notified - Congratulations Kristin B!
- I received these materials for review from We Are Knitters but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -
I've had the pleasure of following Allison Cole Jewelry on Instagram for awhile now and fell in love with Nicole's gorgeous nautical-inspired jewelry. Nicole was kind enough to send me one of her classic rope bracelets to style and offered to give a bracelet from her gorgeous line to one lucky winner. Read on for an exclusive coupon code and how to enter to win a bracelet of your own!
Nicole Recomendes is the owner/designer behind Allison Cole Jewelry. Nicole has roots in New England - growing up in Hanover, MA and spending every summer on her family's boat. She has always had an eye and love for nautical style. After working in the corporate world for awhile, she followed a dream to work for herself and launched the line in May of 2015 and it really took off from there!
I've always been a big fan of nautical and New England-inspired fashion myself and so I was excited to pair her Metallic Rope Bracelet with some of our favorite nautical inspired pieces. What I really love about this bracelet is that it's simple enough to dress up or down but still bold enough to make a statement. These rope bracelets look great on their own or stacked with other bracelets and bangles.
Exclusive Coupon Code
Allison Cole Jewelry is also very reasonably priced which makes this trendy style achievable for everyone. Better yet, we have an exclusive coupon code to share with you -- use the code BIRCHLANDING at checkout to get 20% off everything in her shop! (That makes the bracelet I'm wearing less than $20 - such a great deal!)
*GIVEAWAY!*
Looking for a chance to win your choice of bracelet from Allison Cole's line? Find the photo above on my Instagram (@birchlandinghome) and enter there! All details and rules can be found in the giveaway post. Good luck!
- I received this bracelet for review from Allison Cole Jewelry but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -
