Masks by New England Makers

We’re definitely living in different times right now… and it’s becoming clearer that it looks as though we will have to co-exist with this virus for the foreseeable future. Because of that anything we can do that might mitigate the risk of virus transmission, like always wearing face masks or face coverings when outside our homes, are becoming a part of our “new normal.” Today a lot of small businesses are hurting, including small local makers, many of whom have pivoted to also offer masks for sale. As we move forward into our new normal, consider supporting a local maker and purchase masks from them.
| This post is not sponsored or an endorsement. Makers are listed in no particular order and I plan to continue to add to this list as I come across more makers who request to be added. |

Masks by New England Makers

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations. These masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… please see each individual mask maker regarding details, care instructions, pricing, and current availability.

Scrub Caps for Scholars

| Shop Masks and Scrub Caps by Scrub Caps for Scholars |

Scrub Caps for Scholars is an Etsy shop recently started by Marissa of One CrafDIY Girl (who’s also an ICU nurse in Massachusetts) looking to give back to frontline nurses who are struggling to pay their student loans. Proceeds from sales of masks and scrub caps will go towards that fund. Masks are available in different styles in child through adult sizes with different fabrics to choose from; there are also some matching scrub caps available too.

Masked in Style

| Shop Masks by Masked in Style (Order requests via Facebook Page) |

Nicole has created 615+ masks so far - including donations to local businesses and healthcare workers across the country. She has many fabrics to choose from, with masks in tie and elastic styles. (*If there's an essential worker you want to surprise with a free cloth mask, send her a message and she will send it out with a thank you note!)

Think Greene

| Shop Masks by Think Greene |

Think Greene is a Maine-based company best known for their eco-friendly items and apparel. They are offering boldly designed masks in adult and kid sizes made with organic cotton. Masks are tie-style.

Singer Vintage

| Shop Masks by Singer Vintage |

Singer Vintage is a Maine-based Etsy stop, which normally sells vintage sewing machine parts, but now offers a wide variety of summer-inspired masks (gingham, chambray, lobsters, etc) in different styles and sizes.

Little Green Pear

| Shop Masks by Little Green Pear (Etsy shop temporarily closed, please order through direct message on Facebook or Instagram) |

Little Green Pear is run by a Vermont-based mom and best known for hair bows and baby accessories, but is now offering a variety of masks in different styles, fabric patterns, and sizes from toddler through adult.

Maine Mom Boutique

| Shop Masks by Maine Mom Boutique |

Maine Mom Boutique is a highly-rated shop on Etsy, best known for baby-related items, now offering elastic loop style masks for adults in a variety of fabric patterns.

Sea Crow Company

| Shop Masks by Sea Crow Company |

Maine-based Sea Crow Co. is best known for their popular colorful bags and accessories and is now offering masks too. Masks are pleated-style and available in a variety of fabric patterns and in both ear loop and tie options (child sizes are available upon request).

Miss Harlow VT

| Shop Masks by Miss Harlow VT (Order via Google Form) |

Miss Harlow VT is a Vermont-based crafter best known for her sewn baby items and gifts and is now offering masks as well in many different fabrics, in both child and adult sizes. To date she has made over 500!

Jackie’s Boutique

| Shop Masks from Jackie's Boutique (Website currently under construction but can order on Facebook) |

Jackie’s Boutique are two “brick and mortar” shops located in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire known for resort wear and accessories. Right now they are also offering masks with vintage Lake Winnipesaukee map patterns on them. The fabric is made and printed in New England.

The Artsy Fox

| Shop Masks by The Artsy Fox (Request order via Facebook Group) |

The Artsy Fox is New Hampshire-based and known for crocheted and knit items as well as quilted items, and is now also offering masks in different patterns too.

Two Little Beans & Co.

| Shop Masks by Two Little Beans & Co. |

Two Little Beans & Co. is a Maine-based company best known for their baby booties, bibs, and other baby items but is now also offering ear loop style pleated masks in many fabric options, in both kid and adult sizes. She has also been making mask donations for healthcare and frontline workers. (*There is a tutorial on her website if you’re looking for instructions to make your own mask.)

We Fill Good.

| Shop Masks from We Fill Good |

We Fill Good is an eco-friendly shop in Kittery, Maine known for selling reusable products that can help you achieve a low-waste household. Right now they are also offering masks in a variety of fabric pattern options in both adult and kid sizes.

Red House VT

| Waitlist for Red House VT Masks |

Red House VT is best known for their waxed canvas and leather bags and are now offering simple modern style masks, currently as a wait-list item.

- All photos used with permission -

If you are a New England Maker who is also making masks and would like to be added to this list, please send me a message and I would love to add you. Thank you all for your hard work to help keep our communities a little safer.

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice or endorsing any particular seller - purchase at your own risk. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations. These masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… please see each individual mask maker regarding details, care instructions, pricing, and current availability.

Interviews from New England Makers:

Blog

New England Maker: Early American Painter, Suzanne Carroll Korn

New England Maker: Mermaids + Madeleines

New England Maker: Rock Art by Grace Howe

New England Maker: ReclaiMEd Maine Co.

New England Maker: Away Up North

New England Maker: Two Little Beans & Co.

New England Maker: Sara Fitz Studio

New England Maker: Simply Equine Design

New England Maker: Sewcialite

New England Maker: Wolfeboro Candle Company

New England Maker: Woodboogah {+ Giveaway!}

New England Maker: Watts in Maine

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Preparing for the Novel Coronavirus

Whether you believe the extent of the hype about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) or not, you should still take it very seriously. This is unprecedented for our generation and a lot of people are in denial that something may be so out of our control.

I wanted to share this link to a post by Scientific American that I found - I felt like this was a really calm and helpful perspective on why we should prepare now - and no, you don’t have to go overboard. We personally bought extra groceries this week, along with diapers, dog food, and the OTC medicine our toddler takes daily. I'm also planning on taking this opportunity to potty train her so we hopefully don't run out of diapers.
I pray this virus doesn't become a widespread issue but it's best to prepare now.

The whole point of being cautious and complying with “social distancing measures” is to keep our hospitals and medical personnel with their heads above water - because if this outbreak becomes large it will overwhelm our capabilities, which would be bad for everyone but especially our vulnerable populations (elderly, those with chronic illness, etc). So please, I ask you to take it seriously and prepare - then hope and pray for the best. Stay healthy out there! <3

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Emergency Preparedness: Preparing, Sheltering in Place, Having a "Go Bag," and Evacuating

God forbid you or your family ever encounter an emergency situation, evacuation, natural disaster, etc. But if you do, it’s best to be prepared. Now, you probably can’t prepare for everything but even some level of preparedness is much better than none. In this post I’m sharing some general ideas on ways you can prepare your home and your family if you’re stuck or need to evacuate, but please do your own homework and contact local authorities for the best advice on what situations are most likely to arise for you. | This post contains affiliate links |

Emergency Preparedness ideas for your Family and Home.

Disclaimer: I am not a survival or emergency expert, but just sharing my opinion on ideas and discussion points on how you might prepare. Do your own research and contact local authorities on the best way to prepare your home and your family for any emergency situation which could arise.

Prepare Your Home

First let’s talk about the home front - it’s a good idea to make sure you have a generator (correctly installed and well ventilated) and extra fuel (safely stored) in the event you’re without power for awhile. Make sure you have shovels, flashlights, extra food that doesn’t need to be cooked (like crackers, canned goods, etc), pet food, water, blankets, matches, and candles too. Some people recommend filling bathtubs and sinks with water prior to bad weather coming so that you have a supply of water for cooking/drinking/washing/flushing toilets. Make sure phones and electronics are charged and you have extra charging packs.

Whether you have a generator or not to run your refridgerator or freezer during a power outage, it's a good idea to keep thermometers inside both fridge and freezer to monitor the temperature for food safety. Do not open the doors unless you really need to (opening them lets the precious cold air out), but by having thermometers in place you can make sure your food is still safe to eat after a prolonged outage.

Have a battery-operated or crank radio on hand - if the power or cellphone/internet services are disrupted you’ll want to be able to listen to the radio to get updates.

It’s also important to have a First Aid Kit and enough medications on hand if someone has a pre-existing medical condition, as well as general medications that you and your family may need like fever/pain reducers. If someone in your family has an allergy or restricted diet, make sure you have a backup of enough “safe” foods in the house for them to have. It’s also a good idea to have medical information for your family posted in the house for first responders if needed.

Make sure to also have working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers in your home. Keep important documents in a Fireproof Safe.

In the event of a local outbreak of illness (flu, stomach bug, - edited to add COVID-19 too), it’s a good idea to have basic over-the-counter medications on hand as well as disinfectant supplies and face masks.

Decide Where and How You May Need to Shelter In Place

Think about different scenarios that could ever happen, which is probably most dependent on where you live. If you live in tornado or hurricane-prone area, maybe you need to have a plan in place to quickly bring in lawn furniture and other items that could go air-born, shut your storm shutters, and shelter in the basement or bathroom. If you live in a city, maybe a scenario that’s more likely is you may have to shelter in place due to violence or riots - where would be the safest place in your home or apartment to do that? If you live in winter-storm prone area, maybe that’s making sure your heating vents stay clear from snow and you have a roof rake and shovels ready to make sure your roof doesn’t get overloaded and you can shovel your way out of your front door. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, maybe that’s being aware where the safest place in your house to shelter would be (maybe a strong doorway), or know if it would be safest to evacuate the building entirely and wait it out outside.

SHOP EMERGENCY SUPPLIES ON AMAZON

What is a “Go Bag” and Why Your Family Should Have One

A “Go Bag” is something you have packed and ready in the event you needed to evacuate your home immediately and potentially survive outside (in the woods or on the road in your vehicle) on your own for several days… situations that may arise where you may be put in that situation could be quick moving storms, flash floods, wild fires, etc. A Go Bag is something that is ready to go with emergency supplies including food, water or a water flirtation system, survival blankets, first aid kit, personal medications that you/your family may need, medical ID cards, masks (to help filter smoke/dust/germs), etc. It’s also a good idea to have local maps in there as well, as phones and internet may not work.

You can put your own Go Bag together or order a pre-made Go Bag and add what personal things you may need to it.

Have an Evacuation Plan

First, it goes without saying you should have plans for things like Fire Drills. Consult your local fire department for tips, but in general make sure you and your family (including kids) understand what a fire/evacuation drill is, how to safely and quickly exit the building, what to do if you get trapped, and where to meet outside afterwards. Practice this a few times a year so it’s second nature, but hopefully you never ever need to do it for real.

Now to take that one step further - take some time to think through different scenarios that could happen where you might have to evacuate your area/town (God forbid they ever do), and plan how you would react. If a wild fire or flood was happening nearby, how would you and your family evacuate your area? Take some time to familiarize yourself with area roads and which ones would be the best to evacuate by - make sure you also come up several backup plans too as your first choice exit plan may be blocked off. Also be aware of which roads may be most prone to fall victim to a natural disaster - for example, a low-lying road near a stream would be likely to flood, and probably shouldn’t be counted on as an exit road in a weather emergency. Keep maps in your car too as phones/GPS may not work and it would be beneficial to have a paper map to consult. It's also important to have cash on hand as ATMs/credit card machines may be down as well.

Always try to keep your car gas tank fairly full too, that way you’ll be ready to go anytime and won’t have to worry about running out of gas or being able to buy gas (as gas stations may be out of gas or there could be long lines) wasting valuable time for your family to make an efficient exit.

Hopefully you will never fall into a scenario where you’ll ever have to use any of your emergency supplies or shelter/evacuation plans, but it’s best to be prepared. Make sure to re-evaluate your plans and supplies regularly as roads and situations can change and supplies will expire over time (check those expiration dates on medicine, first aid items, and food/water). May you all stay safe and well!

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How we Turned a Coat Closet into a Functional, Organized Pantry

Our kitchen was lacking a pantry, so we often kept canned goods and backstock on a shelving unit at the foot of our stairs in the basement. But because half of our food and snacks were downstairs and half were upstairs it made for frequent mistakes when buying groceries… it was hard to visualize exactly what we had and where so we often ended up overbuying certain things and forgetting to buy others. Tired of wasting money, food, and time running up and down the stairs I decided to make over a coat closet into a functional pantry. | This post contains affiliate links |

How we Turned a Coat Closet into a Functional Pantry

Now while this coat closet (pictured below) was pretty jammed full, it was very underutilized. It’s where we kept our off-season coats, hats, and boots as well as some hiking gear and my daughters’ Art Cart - most things we did not need to use daily, or often at all. My solution to this was to relocate all these items to our basement - I hung a closet rod under the basement stairs and moved all our off-season clothing and gear to this new space where it was still easily accessible but out of the way.

| Adjustable Closet Rod I used for under the basement stairs |

Coat Closet - BEFORE

Relocated off-season gear to basement

The next step was to pull out the old wire shelf and closet rod system, patch the holes, and repaint the inside of the closet. Thankfully I already had spackle and some leftover white paint so I was able to get the closet to a clean slate easily and it didn’t cost a dime.

Now for the fun part! I got to decide how many shelves I wanted and the spacing, so I laid it out with painters tape to play with how I wanted it before I made a final decision. For our setup I decided on four shelves starting at about waist-height. I wanted to leave the bottom open to accommodate the dog food bin, the Art Cart, step stool, etc. Then I screwed in 1x3 inch “runners” that would support the shelves along the back wall. I used a stud finder to make sure I was screwing the runners into studs and a level to make sure everything was square.

Then I added runners to one side of the closet next, following the same routine - but with these pieces I had pre-drilled pocket holes with our Kreg Jig first so it would make for a clean and secure joint in the corners.

Before installing the runners on the opposite side of the closet, it’s wise to keep in mind how you will be able to maneuver the shelf boards in once all the runners are in place (it would be very difficult to get the top shelf in with all the runners installed, for example). So before installing the opposite side’s runners I slipped some of the trickier shelf boards into place first (I used 1x12”s cut to length for the shelves) before I finished screwing in all the side runners.

I secured the shelves into place with some finishing nails, then taped off the shelves and runners to get ready for paint. I used primer and then several coats of white semi-gloss paint since it’s a little easier to wipe down and keep clean.

I just love how farmhouse and “Shaker” the exposed rails on the sides look and I wanted to play it up. Once the paint was dry I added some functional hooks to hang aprons, lunchboxes, etc on the side rails.

| Skip Hop Fox Lunchbox | Similar Style White Metal Farmhouse Basket | OXO POP Containers |

And now the project is complete! I am so happy with how it turned out and it’s wonderful to have everything in one place. I can see this project saving us money on groceries in the long run now as everything will be in one place now and we’ll be less apt to waste food.

Eventually, I would love to replace the closet door with a fun screen door and get some more glass jars and baskets for a cleaner looking pantry - but all in good time.

Shop my Kitchen + Pantry Favorites on Amazon

| Similar Clear Plastic Storage Bins | Dog Food Container (on the floor, just out of the picture) |

| Flour, etc. jars were made using Cracker Jars with custom vinyl labels I made on my Cricut | Vintage Pie Tins |

Over this past winter I added a few simple add-on organizers to our pantry to maximize the space and love how functional they are. Here they are below (and please excuse the glimpses of clutter in the pantry… as it now holds extra groceries and our family board games too - because, real life):

Additional Storage for the Walls

| Similar Wire Wall Basket | Mason Jars to store Trail Mix |

Under-Shelf Storage

| Wire Under-Shelf Basket - Perfect for Storing Potatoes! |

Decal for Pantry Door

How we Turned a Coat Closet into a Functional, Organized Pantry

It turns out our door is an odd size and in order to get a screen door for it we would have to custom order one (at a cost of about $300+! Yikes). So instead I decided to cut a custom vinyl label to stick to the door to make it more finished. I could have designed my own but I found a design I really liked on Etsy and bought the digital design file. After purchasing the design file, I used my Cricut and 651 Permanent Vinyl to make the label and then transferred it to the door. In hindsight I probably should have made it slightly smaller, but overall I love how it came out and how budget-friendly it was since I already owned a Cricut Machine and the vinyl.

| Pantry Digitial Design File | Cricut Machine | 651 Permanent Vinyl in Matte Black |

Back of Door Organizer

How+we+Turned+a+Coat+Closet+into+a+Functional%2C+Organized+Pantry

Finally, we decided to add a ClosetMaid Adjustable Organizer to the back of the pantry door to fully utilize the space. It was very simple to install and I am impressed with how sturdy it is once it's assembled and screwed in. We used the lower baskets for foil, parchement paper, ziplocks, silicone bowl covers, etc. The middle baskets we designated for frequently used canned goods, smoothie mix-ins, as well as salad fixings and rice cakes. Finally on the top two baskets we put convenience foods that we rarely use since I'm so short. Note: If you have a hollow-core door, you might want to use a specialty set of anchors/screws to attach it to the door for stability, rather than just screw into the door with regular screws.

| ClosetMaid Adjustable Organizer (18 inch) | True Nature Silicone Food Covers |

Stackable Canned Goods Organizer

Another later addition to our pantry organization are these amazing stackable can racks for organizing canned goods. Before I had quite a few canned goods just sitting on the floor of the pantry and in a separate kitchen cupboard, but I never could see everything at once and often cans in the back got forgotten -- Now everything is in one spot where I can see them and I can meal plan more efficiently.

| Stackable Can Rack Organizer (I have two racks stacked here) |

OXO POP Containers with Scoops for Snacks

Another thing that's been a huge game changer is moving dry snacks into OXO POP Food Storage Containers. We love these for our snack crackers and pretzels. They keep everything fresh and it's easy to see if you're starting to run low on these staples. To keep the kids from going too wild with serving sizes we added clear OXO 1/2 Cup Scoops in each container too - making it easy to grab a serving.
I used my Brother Label Maker to make labels for the containers. These can easily be peeled off and relabeled as needed.

| OXO POP Food Storage Containers | OXO 1/2 Cup Scoops | Brother Label Maker |

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This website shares personal opinions and experiences regarding a variety of topics. Please do your own research regarding all things and use information/opinions stated here at your own discretion and risk.