Fall Sale

The docks are empty and summer is winding down, but our New England Lakeside Hat is still perfect for Fall! Catch it and many other items from our Etsy Shop on sale now as we make some room for new inventory before the holidays.
Now is a great time to get that unique vintage piece you've had your eye on or stock up on stickers for stocking stuffers ;)

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How to Cook Delicata Squash

After trying Delicata Squash for the first time it quickly became a favorite - super easy to cook, no peeling (that’s a huge plus!), and a delicious maple-y taste without adding any sweetener. This squash is still an unknown to many people so I thought I would share the easy how-to of roasting them. | This post contains affiliate links |

Ingredients:

delicata squash
olive oil
salt and pepper
kale flakes (optional)

How-To:

First make sure to wash and scrub the delicata squash thoroughly since you’ll be roasting and eating the skin as well - you don’t want any gritty dirty from the field left on!

Once it’s clean, chop each end off and cut open the long way. Next scoop out all the seeds and strings with a spoon until it’s nice and clean (like the photo on the right).

Next chop up the squash into whatever size pieces you prefer. We like cutting them into “quarter smiles” about half an inch thick.

Toss with some olive oil to coat and then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. We also love sprinkling on dehydrated kale flakes too - it adds a super subtle flavor and a tiny extra veggie boost too. (We add these kale flakes to most of our meals - love them!)

Now that it’s ready to cook, roast at 425 degrees in a preheated oven for approximately 20-30 mins, flipping halfway through. Cook until it’s soft and starts to caramelize and look burnt. Enjoy!

This squash has become a favorite in our house and I’m looking forward to trying to grow some in our garden next year.

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Fall Morning at the Lake with Harding Lane

Fall this year has been a crazy weather-wise in New England - it’s rained practically every-other-day for the last two months and we even had a Nor’easter, complete with snow, before Halloween. The weather hasn’t lended to us getting out of the house much lately, so when there was a break in the rain this weekend (finally!) we ran down to the lake to enjoy the quiet docks. | This post contains affiliate links and an honest review of product provided by Harding Lane |

Typically the docks are bustling with boats, people fishing, and kids swimming at the beach nearby, but now that November is here most people have closed up their camps and put the boats away for the winter - leaving the docks and the lake all to ourselves. After a busy summer, it’s nice to enjoy the peace and quiet.

With the cool breeze down by the water, this hat from Harding Lane is the perfect finishing touch. I really love the needlepoint design which makes it so unique. Harding Lane is a Massachusetts-based company with many hats and other accessories to choose from, all with beautifully (and ethically!) made and manufactured needlepoint designs most of which are New England and coastal-inspired.

Another thing that I love about Harding Lane is they give back - donating a percentage of annual profits to The Trustees of Reservations which helps preserve land and cultural treasures of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Giving back and supporting businesses that give back is something I feel is very important. So if you’re looking for the perfect finishing touch to your weekend or everyday look, be sure to check out this wonderful and caring New England-based brand!

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- This post contains an honest review of product provided by Harding Lane but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for more information -

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A Family Outing with L.L. Bean (Diaper Tote Insert Review)

Whew, this post was a long time coming! The end of our pregnancy really knocked me for a loop as did the reality check of having a newborn again (how you forget these things!). So the past couple of weeks really has been a whirlwind. Thankfully L.L. Bean had been kind enough to send me their new diaper tote insert to try along with their large boat tote bag and it's been so helpful to carry around our gear as a new family of four.
| This post contains affiliate links as well as an honest review of products provided by L.L. Bean |

A Family Outing with L.L. Bean - L.L. Bean Diaper Tote Insert and Boat Tote Bag

Since we got home from the hospital after the birth of our little one, we've kept our outings pretty minimal - grocery store, doctor appointments, school, that sort of thing. But now that momma is feeling better and baby has been doing well it's high time we get back outside and enjoy this beautiful weather before the snow flies.

Packing a diaper bag is always a little tricky - and even more-so when you have both a newborn and a toddler! After all, you don't want to be caught without a necessity, but you don't want to overpack either. Thankfully using the Diaper Tote Insert has made packing so much easier. In the insert I am able to pack all the necessities like a changing mat (which is included!), diapers, wipes, a change of clothes for the newborn, small first aid kit, nursing cover, bottles, etc - all in handy pockets and zippered compartments.

L.L. Bean Diaper Insert and Boat Tote Bags

After the Insert is packed it's easily interchangeable between a Medium or Large Boat Tote Bag, depending on what fits your needs best. We've found that putting the insert in the Medium Tote works perfectly for grocery trips, school drop-offs, errands etc. The insert fits snuggly inside with all your necessities.

For longer outings we've really loved putting the insert in the Large Tote (with long handles), which allows for extra room along each side of the insert as well as at the bottom of the bag. This additional room gives plenty of space for extra changes of clothes, blankets, toys, etc and the long handles make it a breeze to carry, even if you're juggling two kids.

Getting ready to use our L.L. Bean Boat Tote and Diaper Insert

By using the Boat Tote Bags as diaper bags, they really pull double duty! Their classic looks never go out of style and by going with a simple last initial monogram for the large bag, it becomes something that will grow with us and can be repurposed by anyone in our family. By picking something classic like this you won't be stuck with a diaper-specific bag that you'll never use again, and that's so important.

L.L. Bean Boat Tote and Diaper Organizer

This past weekend we finally got out of the house as a family of four and headed to do something fun - and what better way to take advantage of this beautiful day than spending time down by the lake and hitting up the playground before visiting family.

Since we were going to be out for the full day, I made sure to pack the insert in the Large Boat Tote so I could pack extra supplies for everyone - and it's a good thing I did! Right before we left our toddler got her pants all dirty playing in the wet sand at the edge of the water so it was great to have clean clothes packed for her for the rest of the day.

*We had a lot of fun exploring around this brick boathouse from the 1900's!*

Diaper Bag Must-Haves

Wearing baby makes it easier when you're out and about!

changing pad
diapers
wipes
baggies for dirty diapers and soiled clothes
nursing cover
change of clothes for baby
small first aid kit
hand sanitizer
wrap carrier
pacifier (and a backup one!)
snacks and water for mom and older siblings
bottles
formula
a small receiving blanket or swaddle blanket
small toy or book

Overall, having the versatility of this diaper tote organizer has been so helpful! And I especially love that I can easily switch it between bags on the way out the door to best fit our needs for the day.

Click here to Shop: L.L. Bean Diaper Tote Insert | L.L. Bean Boat Tote Bag

L.L. Bean Style

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- I received the Large Boat Tote and Diaper Tote Insert from L.L. Bean but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for more information. Thank you to L.L. Bean for providing these items to me for review. -

All outdoor photos by Adrian Pelletier Photography.

L.L. Bean Boot Buying + Styling Tips

Monogrammed L.L. Bean Boat and Totes for the Whole Family

L.L. Bean Spring/Summer Round Up

L.L. Bean Fall/Winter Round Up

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Instagram Best Nine

These are always fun! Sharing my top nine Instagram posts from this past year - and it's a little bit of everything, which is quite fitting!

You can follow me on Instagram at @birchlandinghome

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We Are Knitters {Review + Giveaway!}

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. -

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Why We Love Fryeburg Fair

The Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine has been around since 1851 and while our family hasn't been going quite that long, it is long-standing tradition to go every year and we love it. Why is it so great? Well let me share why we love it so much.

Fryeburg Fair - Fryeburg, Maine. One of the best agricultural fairs in the country!

History

In our technology-driven world today, it's easy to take for granted things like power tools, heavy machinery, grocery stores, and easily accessible information. But back in the day, everything you owned and everything you ate came from your own two hands. If you couldn't build it, grow it, or fix it you weren't going to make it. Ingenuity and hard work is what you survived on.

At Fryeburg, they do a wonderful job showcasing and honoring the past with great museums full of old tools, working "one-lunger" engines that can run anything from an apple sauce maker to a wood splitter, Loretta's Kitchen (a working old-fashioned kitchen), blacksmiths, and more.

In the event you see kids carrying around a length of heavy chain at the fair, don't worry - they didn't break out of jail. The blacksmiths have a great tradition of making a chain link for kids when they come to the fair and every year they can add… — In the event you see kids carrying around a length of heavy chain at the fair, don't worry - they didn't break out of jail. The blacksmiths have a great tradition of making a chain link for kids when they come to the fair and every year they can add another link to their chain.

Livestock

What's a fair without animals? Well you're in luck, because Fryeburg has lots. Horses, oxen, dairy and meat cows, chickens of all kinds, goats, pigs, rabbits, and more. It's always fun to see all the different types of animals and watch the competitions.

This horse has a better hair than me. So not fair.

Entertainment

Throughout the week, there is always awesome live entertainment scattered throughout the grounds but a great perk of the fair is the headliner shows put on almost every evening. These shows are often big names and admission is included with your entry fee to the fair that day (just get to the show early to claim a good seat).

This year we saw Brothers Osborne play and it was a lot of fun to see a band you hear on the radio in person, just wish my cell phone took better photos from a distance ;)

Family (of course!)

The biggest thing we love about the fair is spending time with loved ones and seeing our little one enjoy and appreciate the animals, the fun, and the history (even if she might not understand it all just yet). Both of our families come from a long line of farmers and woodsmen and that's a heritage we don't want to forget about.

Teaching the next generation at Fryeburg Fair

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Pumpkin Porch Decor Roundup

Fall is here and that means decorating up your front porch with, you guessed it - pumpkins! I've rounded up 15 very different pumpkin-themed decor ideas for you. Just click on the author's name to be brought to the original post for the how-to details. Enjoy!