At our last well-child visit, our pediatrician gave us the heads up to start preparing our daughter for her first period. “Already?! She’s only in elementary school!”, I thought. But he warned that elementary school is the time to get ready so they’re prepared, as girls are starting earlier than ever on average - and some girls start as early as 3rd or 4th grade. In order to help prepare her, we picked up a few items to start getting ready. | This post contains personal opinion as well as affiliate links |
Disclaimer: This post contains personal opinion based on our experiences - please discuss with your child’s pediatrician for the best advice as it pertains to them.
This will not be an in-depth post about how and when to get into details of all of this with your kids - that is up to you. Also, if your daughter is in public school Health Class is a great resource that covers a lot and explains it well in an age-appropriate manner. But if you’re looking for tips on how to introduce the topic at home and start to prepare your daughter, here are two things I would suggest:
The Care and Keeping of YOU, Volume 1 -this book is a great, age-appropriate way to start to introduce some of the topics of puberty and periods. It covers a lot of matters including personal hygiene, body growth, friends, nutrition, periods, etc. It’s a great way for your daughter to get some basic knowledge on the subjects and start a conversation with her. (Once she’s a little older, there is also
The Care and Keeping of YOU, Volume 2
which goes a little more in-depth.)
Period Kit - Pick up a cute pouch with some tween-sized pads and stash in their backpack for school, just in case. We really like this
Pinkie First Period Prep Pouch
in particular because it has all-natural pads (this is important to avoid exposure to synthetic chemicals and reduce skin irritation) in a variety of sizes. Knowing they have this on hand helps them feel a little more in-control and prepared.
(There is also a newer version of the Pinkie My First Period Kit that comes with more supplies available here.)
And finally, make sure they know that there’s nothing to be embarrassed about and have a game plan of who they can ask for help when the time comes. Letting them know that they can come to you for help if they’re home, or to the nurse if they’re at school is a good idea. This is something that every woman goes through, and as scary as it can seem in the beginning we are all capable of handling it.
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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:
- cozy rocking chair with footrest
- side table within easy reach
- nursing pillow
- blanket
- water bottle
- extra pillow
- snacks (mine are tucked away in the drawer)
- clock
- phone charger
- lanolin cream
- books, magazines, kindle
- 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!
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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.
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Some photos and info updated 2021
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.
More Interviews from New England Makers:
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