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! |
For those new mamas that breastfeed, it can be an exhausting and draining ordeal at the beginning. Expectations are high but reality is that's it's often much harder than expected. One way to make it easier on yourself is to set up a "nursing nest" to make those marathon nursing sessions at 2AM (and all other hours of the day and night) easier to handle. | This post contains affiliate links |
First you'll need to set up somewhere convenient and quiet. I set up my "nest" in a corner of our master bedroom since our baby will be sleeping in a co-sleeper next to us and I wouldn't have to go far to nurse in the middle of the night.
Then outfit this area with all that you need for nursing:
phone (watching Netflix on my phone was sometimes the only way I could keep myself awake)
By setting yourself up to make it as easy as possible, you can help make those super-tough early weeks a bit more bearable. Breastfeeding can be one of the most challenging - and rewarding - things you'll ever do. Hang in there Mama - you got this!
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 |
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.
So much room and so easily organized!
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
- 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. -
As you know by now, I love sharing about companies and products we love on my blog and our Instagram - and most especially those made right here in New England. I decided it would be so fun to highlight some of our local New England Makers regularly on my blog and thought I would kick off the series by sharing a little bit more about myself and Birch Landing Home by answering some frequently asked questions.
Birch Landing Home is best known for hand-etched wooden ornaments, garland, and other handmade crafts. I also run this blog where I mainly focus on New England lifestyle, motherhood, and budget-friendly DIY projects.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your business.
My name is Sarah and I’m a wife, stay-at-home mom, and self-confessed Pinterest addict living in rural New England with our dog and chickens. I started Birch Landing Home a few years ago after our daughter was born because I was looking for a flexible, creative outlet to work from home while still being a stay-at-home mom. I’ve always loved making crafts and thought selling them on Etsy was a good start, I also thought it would be fun to document the little DIY projects I was doing around our home and so I started this blog also.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My #1 job is stay-at-home mom… so my priority is taking care of our daughter, our animals, and chores around our home. During nap time and after we put our daughter to bed for the day is when I get a chance to work on crafts for my Etsy shop and write articles for the blog. I’m thankful for the privilege to be a stay-at-home mom and the flexibility to be able to work on Birch Landing Home when I’m able to.
What’s your favorite part about owning your own company? And least favorite part?
My favorite part about running Birch Landing Home is the flexibility and adaptability… when I first started my Etsy shop I was making jewelry but then decided to go in a different direction and focus more on rustic-style crafts. It was great being able to change my focus like that and make Birch Landing Home what I wanted it to be. My least favorite part is probably self-doubt… Every time I send out an order I worry if the customer/store will like it, what they will think of it, etc - I don’t want to disappoint anyone. Also, because I use a lot of natural materials there is quite a bit of variation in my work too and I worry people won’t appreciate that rustic aspect of it.
What has been the most exciting moment for Birch Landing Home since starting?
By far my most exciting moment for Birch Landing Home has been being featured in Martha Stewart Living Magazine as the Instagram Favorite for that month. I was so thrilled to be selected and featured - I have been reading Martha Stewart Living Magazine for years and have several of her craft and cookbooks. Such an honor!
What advice do you have for people just starting out?
My advice for those who want to start a handmade business or blog is… just start! It’s easy to overthink everything, over plan, and obsess over details and never get anything in motion. In my opinion it’s better to get things started and then tweak and finalize things as you go. It’s also important to keep finances separate and keep track of all income/expenses for tax time.
What is your long-term goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
My long-term goal is to continue to grow my Etsy shop and blog. I would love to get more wholesale accounts for my crafts throughout New England, it’s so exciting to see my items in local shops. I also hope to continue to grow my blog following and hopefully get more opportunities to be featured in print. I’ve been lucky enough to be featured in a few print magazines so far (including Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Food Network Magazine, and New Hampshire Magazine), and I hope exciting features like that will continue in the future.
Why do you love sharing about New England Makers?
I love sharing about New England Makers because I think there is so much talent in our area that deserves to be shown off. There are so many wonderful, hardworking, creative people who work in lots of different materials and styles. I always love discovering new-to-me businesses and sharing about them.
DO YOU OWN A NEW ENGLAND-BASED BUSINESS AND WOULD LIKE TO BE FEATURED IN AN UPCOMING INTERVIEW? OR WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN HAVING ME STYLE, REVIEW, AND FEATURE ONE OF YOUR PRODUCTS? Please drop me a note.
Statement necklaces are big right now, and why not put that style to good use by working double-duty as a teether for your tot? Sounds like a great solution to me! Nûby was kind enough to send me two of their new Teething Trends statement necklaces to style and review - and one lucky winner will get to choose one necklace for themselves from Nûby's line!
All of the teething necklaces in Nûby's new line are both on-trend and on-hand when you need them most. By having a teether that you wear, you always have one at the ready when your little one is in need of something to teeth on - especially handy to keep them from gnawing a finger off while you're stuck in a long line at the post office.
These teething necklaces are BPA-free and made from soft silicone so they're easy on tender gums. They also feature a break-away clasp in the event of an overly-grabby toddler but please keep in mind these necklaces are meant for moms to wear, not your teething littles.
There are a variety of colors and styles available, as well as bracelets (not pictured in this review), so you can find one - or seven - that match your style and every item in your wardrobe. What I love most is these don't even look like teethers - they're stylish enough to wear to work or a girls night out.
Mom Style
Necklaces featured are Nûby Teething Trends Medium Oval + Pearl Necklace in Teal and Nûby Teething Trends Pearl Necklace in Grey.
This is probably one of my favorite combos and a perfect outfit for a lunch out with friends. This necklace really pops against the crisp white linen shirt and the straw fedora and aviator sunglasses add some more fun, trendy elements.
The teal teething necklace also pairs perfectly with this geometric print maxi dress, over-sized sunhat, and sunglasses. Perfect outfit for getting ice cream with the family down at the water.
This monochromatic outfit is ideal for doing errands and running around town with a grey and navy striped tunic top, dark washed jeans, and the grey pearl beaded necklace.
Just love the grey pearl beaded necklace against the grey and navy stripes!
This week we made the trek up north to check out the Lupine Festival. The flowers were in full bloom and still gorgeous despite the constant drizzle (though I wish I could have said the same thing about my hair). We dressed for breakfast out and walks around the lupine fields, and the Medium Oval + Pearl Necklace in Teal was a great pop of color against my white button-up and black quilted vest.
**GIVEAWAY!** A teething necklace of your choice from Nûby
One winner will be chosen to receive one (1) Nûby statement teething necklace in their choice of style/color. Open to US entrants only, 18 years or older - winner will be contacted by the email address provided. You can select how many entries you would like to complete but keep in mind an invalid entry (i.e. stating you're following on Instagram, but you are not) will result in disqualification. Thank you and good luck! :)
