Create an "Analog" Bag or Basket for You and Your Family

It’s more important than ever to incorporate screen-free time for yourself and your family into your daily lives. Most of us spend too much time on our phones or watching TV that we’ve forgotten how to entertain ourselves without a screen. Probably the biggest red flag is kids out and about (especially in restaurants or in the car) always need a tablet to keep them occupied - they don’t know how to sit and enjoy others’ company anymore or entertain themselves. Teens and adults are often guilty of it as well, we keep our noses in our phones and ignore who we’re with.
One easy solution is to create an “analog bag” - a bag that has screen-free activities in it. It can be travel games, puzzles, books or magazines, knitting, small toys, coloring, word searches, etc. You can make it for on-the-go or something to keep in your living room for designated screen-free time. Read on for more ideas on how to incorporate this easy modification into your lives.…
| This post contains affiliate links |

An Analog Bag is something you can make for yourself, your young or older kids, or the whole family! You can also tailor it to things to use on-the-go or something that you keep at home for quiet evenings. Whatever it is you can make it yours and change it up as much as you want! Here are some ideas:

Analog Bag Basics:

• a sturdy tote bag (this "Analog" embroidered L.L. Bean Bag is PERFECT!)
• something to help organize your things, such as a small canvas pouch or a tote bag organizer
• Now for the fun part - filling it with what interests you or your family! I've broken it down with ideas for different age groups below.

Ideas for Adults & the Whole Family:

• a beautiful coloring book
• colored pencils
• knitting kit
• mini watercolor travel set
• deck of cards
• magazines or your current library books

Ideas for Teens & Tweens:

• you may want to consider a different bag, like a trendy rubber tote
• a fun card game like UNO or Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
• a cute crochet kit (my daugther LOVES this brand - they have great tutorials and are easy to make)
• Rubik's Cube

Ideas for Young Children:

• you may want to consider a different bag, like a cute animal alphabet themed one
• Water Wow books (these were such a hit when my kids were little - a lot of fun and zero mess!)
• Paint by Sticker books
• fun activity book

Analog “Basket” Ideas for Home:

The Analog Basket is something that would stay in your living room or family room and your family can use everyday! The following ideas are for a mix of age groups.

• sturdy basket that will look nice in your room
• puzzle the family can do together
• games such as Jenga, Chutes & Ladders, or Chess (Chess is making a comeback!)
• a tabletop activity like wooden balancing "stones" (irregular-shaped wooden "rocks" that you can stack and balance)
• nice LEGO kit to make with the family

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Shop some of our Analog Bag picks here:

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Educational, Sustainable Toys by Lovevery

We’re making more of an effort to be more conscious about what we buy our kids - less plastic “junk” that they will quickly loose interest in and more toys that are educational and encourage open-ended play. I was so excited when I stumbled across Lovevery - a company that is passionate about making educational and sustainably made heirloom toys for babies and young children. | This post contains an honest review of product provided by Lovevery as well as affiliate links |

We received The Block Set from Lovevery right before Christmas and thought it would make the most perfect gift for our two-and-a-half year old. Lately with Christmas, birthdays, and other holidays we’ve been striving for “quality” over “quantity” for gifts - buying only thoughtful toys and books that will be enjoyed for a long time. This block set fit that requirement perfectly! We opted for a simple red ribbon to wrap it for Christmas morning and let our kids start enjoying it right away.

What was I most impressed about with The Block Set? The quality and the variety of blocks that it came with! Everything is solid, sustainably-harvested wood which has been finished with brightly colored water-based non-toxic paints. There are 70+ pieces, and 18 different shapes and tools including little people with different skin tones. It even comes with an activity guide and planks which I haven’t seen in other block sets, making for lots of fun building and game opportunities (think bridges, houses, dominoes, and more)!

Our two year old (and six year old)’s favorite feature of The Block Set? How the storage box turns into a car! The circle blocks have recessed magnets which connect to dowels that can be threaded through the box, making for a very sturdy and easy-to-build car. Every day since Christmas she has pulled this car all around our house collecting blocks, dolls, dog toys, and whatever else she can find!

Another innovative feature of The Block Set is how the lid is also designed as a shape sorter, allowing for little ones to learn organization, as well as shape and spatial recognition. Lovevery consults with experts so their toys are designed to help promote cognitive and motor skill development as well as encourage pretend play.

And as a mom, I love that it also came with a cute gingham drawstring bag for flexible storage or quick pick-ups!

Lovevery has lots of other amazing, heirloom-quality toys and products as well - including play gyms, pull and push toys, and age-based subscription boxes for little ones from birth-27+ months. I wish Lovevery had been around when our kids were first born - their subscription boxes are definitely something I would have loved to do for them! Everything I have seen from Lovevery is thoughtful and high-quality, and I honestly recommend them highly (and no, exceptionally high praise isn't something I normally throw around!). If you’re looking for something unique and thoughtful for your little one or as a gift, definitely check out Lovevery.

- I received this item for review from Lovevery but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please see our full Disclosure Policy for more information -   

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Shop some of our picks for Baby + Young Children:

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Things I Wish I Knew Before my C-Section

I thought I knew what to expect going into our planned c-section. After all, I read all the books and thought I knew all the steps and heard all the stories - but I soon found out I didn’t feel prepared at all and it was VERY different than I expected. Our first baby we had naturally - in fact I was able to hypnobirth her pain-free (and drug free!) and remain calm, cool, and collected (you can read more about that in my previous post HERE). However our second baby was wedged in breech and would not turn so we opted for a planned c-section. The c-section was SUCH a different experience, with a lot of surprises (for me anyways)… | This post contains affiliate links |

Disclaimer: This post shares my personal experiences and realizations and is not medical advice. Please always check with your doctors for the best advice/recommendations and know that your experiences can be very different from mine.

Things I Wish I Knew Before my C-Section

The IV Fluids will Make You Puffy.
Prior to going into the OR, they will give you IV fluids as part of your prep to make sure you’re well hydrated. For me, they made me quite puffy (thanks water retention), especially around my face and neck. Seeing myself in photos after I was surprised how puffy and swollen I looked. (I also could not take my wedding rings off and thankfully they didn’t make me as my hands somehow didn’t swell.)

The Operating Room (OR) is Intensely White.
To be frank, this totally freaked me out. Walking down a normal hallway with decor and warm lighting into a very bright, very starkly white room was absolutely jarring. It kind of felt like that scene from the original Willy Wonka when they try to send Mike Teavee through Wonka Vision. Everything was just so white and so harsh-looking. I understand the need for it (for cleanliness and sterilization purposes) but if you’re not expecting it, it can kind of set you on edge.

You Can Feel So Helpless and Not in Control.
Inserting the epidural was thankfully very fast and not bad, but once they laid me down and it kicked in I felt so helpless. I HATED not being able to feel or move anything from my chest down. I felt groggy, extremely emotional (thanks hormones), and totally helpless.

You May Feel Non-Pain Sensations After The Epidural.
Right before they got started, they pulled a piece of tape off my stomach (I think they were repositioning the drape), but I could feel the tape pulling off. This scared me and I spoke up, but they assured me it was okay. Apparently epidurals numb your ability to feel pain, but sometimes you can feel other sensations (like tape being pulled off).

You’ll Feel Like You’re Being Dissected by Aliens.
Okay, so this sounds a little dramatic but it was the most accurate description for me. Even though everything was going well, the doctors and assistants were all cheery, and everything was perfect and professional - I still couldn’t help but feel like I was in some sci-fi movie in a stark white spaceship, being dissected while I was still alive.

They Squeeze the Baby Out.
Somehow I was not aware of this… they make the incision for the baby to come out, but then they push (and push hard) down on your uterus/upper abdomen/lower ribs so the baby starts to squeeze out of the incision, then they help guide and pull the baby out. Our baby was really wedged in there, so the assist had to jump and put all her weight on me to get the baby to come out.

The Whole Procedure is FAST.
The doctors and team were very skilled and experienced and very fast. Our doula had warned us it would feel like everything was urgent and rushed but that’s just how they go (and she said during an emergency c-section they can go even quicker which is incredible). From the time we walked into the OR to the time I was being stitched up it was maybe 20 mins tops. They were fast, efficient, and experts at this.

Those Moments After Delivery Can Feel so Lonely.
Immediately after delivery they showed me the baby but then she went over to a warming table to get a quick exam and her vitals checked. She was totally fine but it’s pretty standard for baby to be checked over nearby while they finish working on you and sewing you up. My husband understandably went over to stand with the new baby and watch her, and even though he and the baby were only feet away it felt like miles. I was emotional, numb from the chest down, and felt abandoned (dramatic, huh?)… I was crying and everyone was busy (taking care of me and baby) but I just felt so alone.

You Might Have a Catheter Longer Than You Think.
They leave the catheter in until the epidural wears off and you feel strong enough to get up which was quite a while for me. And even once they do take it out, be aware that sometimes your bladder is the last thing to “wake up” - it took a long time for me to be able to pee on my own.

You’ll Get an IV Port for Most of Your Stay.
Even though I was done with the IV right after the c-section procedure, they tend to leave the IV port (in my case it was in the side of my wrist) in for the remainder of your stay in the unlikely event you need an IV for an infection, dehydration, medication, etc. And every day they need to flush it with saline to make sure it stays clear and clean… the flushing feels very weird and extremely uncomfortable which I was not expecting.

Getting the Staples Out Surprisingly Didn’t Hurt (Whew!)
I was dreading the day when they removed the staples from my incision. I thought for sure it was going to hurt or pull or there would be blood but none of those things were true. For me it didn’t hurt at all thankfully and the doctor removed them quickly and easily.

You Will Regret Standing Too Long.
For me, especially in those early days, standing or walking for just a few minutes was HARD. I would be standing - feeling fine and great - and then all at once I would suddenly feel warm and get a deep burning sensation around my incision and I would have to immediately sit down because I felt like I was going to pass out.

You Will Still Have Postpartum Bleeding.

Even though they “clean you out” during the c-section there will still be residual material that will have to run it’s course and be shed just like from a normal delivery. So get those Depends ready and be prepared to still deal with that. For me, it definitely wasn't as heavy but it still lasted several weeks.

Your Incision Can Have No Feeling For a Long Time.
For weeks my incision felt numb or very “weird” to the touch… like I was touching it through a thick quilt even tough I was touching my own skin. Apparently sometimes it takes awhile for the nerves to reconnect so that numb feeling around the incision can linger for quite a long time. It slowly wore off though and I regained my feeling there over time.

You Will Be Defensive of Your Incision for Months.
My incision healed beautifully and well but even months after the surgery I was very subconsciously protective of it. Even much later when I picked up my kids, if they pressed their foot on my incision I thought for sure they were going to pull it apart. It was all in my head though.

Overall, my c-section and recovery were all textbook and went perfectly without any real setbacks thankfully. Still, in the moment and as I recovered I realized I wasn’t as mentally prepared for the c-section as I had thought. Just because a mama goes through a c-section and not a vaginal delivery doesn’t make it feel any less emotional. It definitely helps being prepared and asking questions ahead of time so you (hopefully) won’t have as many surprises.

Best of luck, Mamas!!

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Related Post:

• “Pain-Free Childbirth: My Hypnobirthing Experience”

• Important Tips on Creating Your Baby Registry

• Our Top Baby Registry Must-Haves

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Disclaimer: This post shares my personal experiences and realizations and is not medical advice. Please always check with your doctors for the best advice/recommendations and know that your experiences can be very different from mine.

Out and About with the Eddie Bauer Places & Spaces Cascade Diaper Backpack

Almost six years ago, we got an Eddie Bauer Diaper Tote Bag before our first was born - and ever since it has been our go-to diaper bag for the car and outings. We’ve loved it’s durability and functionality, so when we had the opportunity to try one of their backpack styles with our littlest one we jumped at the chance! | Sponsored - This post contains an honest review of product provided by Eddie Bauer c/o Baby Brezza |

In the past when doing long outings on foot I’ve always thrown diaper bag items into one of my regular hiking backpacks, and inevitably whatever we needed most would always be lost at the bottom somewhere. Hiking backpacks just aren’t ideal for holding all the little items, wipes, diapers, bottles, etc you need - so you can imagine how excited I was to finally try a backpack that was made to be a diaper bag!

I was particularly drawn to the Eddie Bauer Places & Spaces Cascade Diaper Backpack for it’s looks and functionality. I loved that it looked like a fun, modern bag that didn’t scream “diaper bag.” I also loved all of it’s features! It has twelve (yes, 12!) pockets, removable changing pad, stroller loops, wipes case, and insulated bottle pocket. No more digging around to find small items with all of it’s handy pockets! And the wipes case on the side is great for getting a wipe on the go to clean messy hands or faces.

Our family has been loving the practicality and style of this diaper backpack and are really looking forward to bringing it to the local country fair in a few weeks! Being hands-free is key to keeping up with the little ones ;)

SHOP THIS POST: | Eddie Bauer Places & Spaces Cascade Diaper Backpack (exclusively at Target) | L.L. Bean Sweater Fleece | White Mountain Shoes Skipper Leather Moccasin | Polo Ralph Lauren Bal Harbour Toddler Sneakers | Toddler Rain Jacket is old L.L. Bean |

- I received this Eddie Bauer diaper backpack from Baby Brezza but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please read our full Disclosure Policy for more information - 

Summer Fun Found on Amazon!

Summer vacation is here, now let’s have some fun!
I’ve scoured Amazon for fun yard games, beach toys, car games, and activities for kids of all ages - even some indoor activities for those rainy days. There’s no excuse for boredom this summer, let’s have some fun! | This post contains affiliate links |

Camping With Kids Quick Tip

We LOVE going camping, but camping with kids definitely adds to the amount of stuff you need to bring… like several complete changes of clothes per day for each kid, just in case. In order to keep our tent more organized and to help make outfit changes quick and easy (even in the middle of the night), we love using packing cubes! | This post contains affiliate links |

Each kid gets their own packing cube which makes finding clothes easy - no more digging to the bottom of a dark duffle bag to find a tiny pair of socks. I highly reccomend giving packing cubes a try on your next overnight trip, whether it's camping or a hotel stay, they're a game-changer!

SHOP THIS POST:

| L. L. Bean Trucker Hat | Packing Cubes, 7-Piece Set | Deuter Pack (Similar) |

"Mom is My Anchor" with Beechnut Foods

So excited to partner with our favorite baby food brand, Beech-Nut to give away three of our Pink Anchor Bracelets to some lucky followers! 40% of sales of our Pink Anchor Bracelet is donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure at year-end for breast cancer research.

Please go check out Beech-Nut’s Instagram (@beechnutfoods) for details and to enter this fun giveaway! | Partner |

Making Mealtime Fun with Nûby + GIVEAWAY!

Our young toddler has been behind on eating for awhile now. We’ve been working with a feeding therapist to get her more interested in self-feeding and used to textures, but we’re always looking for new ways to get her excited for mealtime. When Nûby offered to send some of their dishware we were excited to try them and give a lucky follower a chance to win all of these for their family! | This post contains affiliate links and an honest review on products provided by Nûby |

The Sure Grip Miracle Mat Section Plate has been a great addition to working on our little one’s self-feeding skills - it lays out the food in front of her, keeps it contained, and the best part is that it suctions to her tray - no more thrown or tipped over plates! With Nûby’s Stainless Steel Utensils with Easy Grip Handles, it gives her a great opportunity to feed herself like a big girl.

The Sure Grip Feeding Bowl also helps keep her food on the tray and off the floor! I love how these silicone dishes are BPA & PVC Phthalate Free, microwave/dishwasher safe, and one piece so they’re super easy to clean. The Sure Grip Feeding Bowl is a favorite to bring to restaurants since it fits easily in her diaper bag or lunch box and helps keep mealtime mess-free by staying put on the high chair tray or table.

Nûby’s Flower Child Snack Keeper is a great way to bring snacks on the go. Whether we’re at the park, playdate, or at home it keeps our little one’s snack within reach without spilling everywhere.

Nûby’s Storage Bowls with Feeding Spoon has been a huge help for us on the go! With our little one’s restricted diet, we always have to bring her food with us whenever we leave the house. These handy storage bowls are just the right size to portion out meals and snacks for her. They are also BPA-free, dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe.

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GIVEAWAY!

Giveaway ends 2/14/19 at 5PM EST.

Would you like a chance to win ALL the great Nûby products I shared about in this post? Head on over to my Instagram (@birchlandinghome) and look for this photo for details and to enter! Good luck!

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- I received these item for review from Nûby but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please read our full Disclosure Policy for more information - 

Nûby's products can be found at many retailers including Wal-Mart, Amazon, TJ Maxx, and Nuby.com.

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