Healthy Baby Home Party with Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation was kind enough to send us one of their Healthy Baby Home Party kits full of little free samples, coupons, and tips to share with our family and friends.  I've been a huge fan of Seventh Generation for awhile now and was really excited to share them and this information with others.  | This post contains affiliate links |

Our little one made good use out of the packing paper in the box and went to town coloring it up. That's one way to recycle! (Crayons are our own, similar ones linked here.)

A few years ago, before we started trying to get pregnant, I made the decision to switch over as many household cleaners, detergents, and soaps as I could to "cleaner," all-natural versions.  There's so much chemicals and additives in most commercial products these days and I figured that it could only be beneficial to make the switch and limit our family's exposure to these things.  One of the brands I switched to was Seventh Generation and I haven't looked back. 

Product samples and coupons from: Seventh Generation, Zarbee's Naturals, and Bobble.

I've been a big fan of all the Seventh Generation products I've tried so far, but I have especially loved their laundry detergent and stain remover.  In fact their Free & Clear Laundry Detergent was gentle enough that we found we didn't have to switch to expensive "baby detergent" when our little one was first born.  

There were a lot of Healthy Home Tips shared during the party, but I wanted to pass on some of the ones I found most interesting here:  

• "Purchase toys made from natural materials, like solid wood with non-toxic finishes and natural textiles like organic cotton or wool. The familiar 'new smell' that plastic toys often emit can be a sign that toxic softeners or finishers were used to make the product."

• "The term 'fragrance' or 'parfum' on the label of baby care products can represent hundreds of unknown chemicals since manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients. Whenever possible, look for products that use 100% natural fragrance for the scent or offer fragrance-free formulations to protect your baby."

• "Indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air. Ventilate the home by opening windows, and limit your use of air fresheners and chemical cleaning products that release potentially harmful VOCs into your indoor environment."

All of the above tips came from Seventh Generation/Healthy Child Healthy World.  

- I received samples, coupons, and tips for myself and to share with others, but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -

#healthybabyhomeparty  #generationgood  #comeclean

Nûby Review: New Bath Items from Nûby!

Nûby recently asked us if we wanted to review some items from their new bath line, and what else to say but "YES!!"  So Nûby sent us a set of their Stacking Bath Boats and a set of Bath Crayons to try out and let you know what we honestly thought.  | This post contains affiliate links |

What first struck us about these two products was how colorful they were.  The bright primary colors are a nice feature, and very helpful because our little one is still learning her colors and they are great to practice with. 

The Stacking Bath Boats come as a set of five and are BPA-free.  They nestle inside each other, but only in a certain order, kind of like a puzzle.  This puzzle aspect is a great problem-solving feature for older kids but our almost two-year old can get frustrated with it because she can't easily stack them any way she wants to. 

Each smokestack on the boats have different shapes cut into them, so your child can see how the water runs through them when tipped upside down.  Our daughter particularly loves doing this and watching the water cascade out.  

As fun as the boats are, our daughter REALLY loved the Bath Crayons - I mean when else do you get the go-ahead to color all you want on the walls and floor?  These bath crayons are non-toxic and come in a BPA-free sleeve so they don't get squished once they get wet and soft.  The colors weren't super-vibrant but it did color easily and smoothly on the surface of the tub.  

At first I was admittedly a little nervous that the crayon wouldn't come off our tub or that it would leave faint marks behind, but it wiped off super-easy!  It really wasn't any extra work to take a wet washcloth and wipe the surfaces after, it only took about 30 seconds (whew!).    

My one complaint about the bath crayons is that they didn't come with a holder for them to sit in after the bath to dry.  I suggest having a small disposable plastic plate handy to set them on afterwards.  

Overall we really enjoyed these new bath toys from Nûby and I hope you do too!  

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

Nûby's Stacking Bath Boats can be found at various retailers including Amazon and the Bath Crayons can also be found at various retailers including Amazon.  

Tips and Gear for Hiking with a Toddler + Nûby Giveaway!

Hiking with a toddler is a lot of fun with a little prep.  Read on for our tips to make it an enjoyable time for everyone. 
|  This post contains affiliate links and an honest product review of Nûby items  |

Pick the Right Hike

One of the most important things to do is pick the right hike for your family.  Technical hikes that are miles long aren't the wisest choice, especially in the beginning.  For our hike we chose an easy hike with a wide path allowing plenty of room for our little one to run around as we walked.  

Consider the Time of Year

The time of year will determine how to prepare for your hike too.  It's a given that colder weather means packing layers, hotter weather calls for sunhats, sunscreen, and extra water.  But here in New England it's hunting season right now, which is why we're wearing orange.  Even though we're in a park, it's still very important to be visible (tip: our daughter's orange hat is just an adult sized beanie rolled up, no need to buy a child-sized one).  

Gear

Really the best bit of advice I have is to be prepared.  Pack your bag with everything you think you will need and it will help keep everyone happy.  I've included a list of the gear we used on our little hike, including Nûby's Insulated Stainless Steel Food Jar and Insulated Stainless Steel Flip-It Cup which were provided to us to use and review.  
 

1.  Hiking Backpack Carrier - These carriers are a life-saver when hiking with a little one.  Independent toddlers will often insist on walking themselves, but at some point they're going to get tired or you may encounter rocky or steep terrain you don't want them to climb - and that's when this will be essential.  These packs are comfortable for your little one and for you since they have a rigid frame, and padded waist, shoulder, and chest straps.  There's often a lot of storage under the seat area too, which is perfect for carrying your snacks and supplies for the hike.  Carriers with a fold-out stand are super helpful when loading and unloading your little one.  The "Snugli" Backpack Carrier we have is a discontinued model, but the one I've linked to looks very similar to ours.  

2.  Insulated Thermos - Packing hot food to eat on a cool hike is always nice and refreshing.  We packed some hot chicken noodle soup to enjoy at the end of our little hike and it really hit the spot.  
3.  Water for Everyone - Water on a hike is key.  Even if you won't be hiking long, always pack plenty of water for you and everyone in your party.  I packed a well-loved Kleen Kanteen for myself (can you believe I've had this bottle for over 7 years now?  ..hence, the dents), and a Nûby Flip-It Cup for our little one.  
4.  Orange Hat - Visibility during hunting season is very, very important.  Even if you're hiking inside a park, hunting may still be happening on adjacent properties and a hunter may inadvertently get close to hiking trails.  
5.  Snacks - Snacks are very important, you don't want a hangry toddler on your hands!  I packed an Earth's Best cereal bar for our little one and a Lärabar for me.  
6.  First Aid Kit - You never know when a trip and fall may happen and it's important to have a first aid kit on hand for any potential cuts or scrapes.  
7.  Bug Spray - Even though it's getting colder out, mosquitoes are still present and ticks are a huge threat in our area.  My husband and myself have pre-treated our hiking shoes with permethrin (not pictured) and spray our clothing with bug spray containing DEET to deter ticks.  Our pediatrician had told us we could use DEET bug spray on our toddler (*always consult with your own pediatrician first!*), but we're leery about using chemicals on her so we use a locally-made all-natural bug spray (similar type of bug spray linked here).  As soon as we get home we all make sure to change our clothes and check for ticks too, just in case.  

Nûby Reviews

Nûby was kind enough to send us their Insulated Stainless Steel Food Jar with Folding Spoon and Insulated Stainless Steel No-Spill Flip-It Cup to try on our hike.  Their Insulated Food Jar is BPA-free, holds 15 ounces, and will keep food warm for 6 hours and cool for 7 hours.  Inside the jar is a second compartment (I loved this feature!) that is perfect for keeping crackers for your soup or chili.  There's also a fold-out spoon inside.  We packed chicken noodle soup for our hike and it was still piping hot when we sat down to eat.  
Their Insulated Flip-It Cup is BPA-free, holds 9 ounces, and keeps liquids cool for up to 10 hours.  I loved that it holds more than most of our other sippy cups and kept her drink nice and cold.  Overall, I really loved these two products - they have a cute design, insulate well, and I love that they're stainless steel.  The one thing that I didn't like about them is that they're not dishwasher safe (though that is typical of most double-walled cups and jars).  

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*GIVEAWAY!*  

We've teamed up with Nûby to giveaway a stainless steel food jar and flip-it cup to a lucky follower to use on their own hikes - or any other adventure.  Please see our giveaway post on Instagram (@birchlandinghome) for details and to enter.  Good luck!!  

Giveaway ends 11/25/15 at 1PM EST.  

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

Nûby's Insulated Stainless Steel Food Jar with Folding Spoon and  Insulated Stainless Steel No-Spill Flip-It Cup can be purchased at various retailers including Amazon and Babies 'R Us.  

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Our 2nd Pampers Rewards: Little Tikes Shopping Cart

If you're not familiar with Pampers Rewards, you can check my previous post here for all the details - but essentially it's a program to earn free gifts for buying Pampers diapers!  I've been saving up our points for awhile now and decided to turn them in for this great Little Tikes Shopping Cart.  | This post contains affiliate links |

This rugged little shopping cart has been a huge hit with our little one.  She's been pushing around her baby dolls and filling the cart up with anything and everything she can find, including blocks, shoes, and stuffed animals.  It's been a great way to keep her busy and she's really enjoying "shopping" around the house.  

And, of course the best part about it was it was free!  I didn't even have to pay shipping, which was amazing (note: some items you do have to pay shipping for).  I'm looking forward to ordering more free gifts.. just have to remember to keep entering my codes!

We purchased this great Baby Stella Doll from Amazon, but Pampers has a similar one as a Reward as well!  

Want to see what else we got from Pampers Rewards?  Check out my other posts:  

• Our First Pampers Rewards - Free Gifts for Buying Diapers!  
• Our 3rd Pampers Rewards:  Potty Training Chart
• Our 4th Pampers Rewards:  Melissa and Doug Tool Kit

Please note items available from Pampers Rewards are subject to change.  

Supporting your Local Schools with Box Tops for Education

I'm a big Box Tops for Education clipper.  

Our little one isn't in school yet, but every time we finish up a product with a Box Tops I make sure to clip it out and slip it in a designated envelope we have taped to the inside of one of our kitchen cupboards.  

Ka-ching!  Free money for our local school.  

When the envelope gets full, I drop them off at the local elementary school for them to add to their collection and send in.  Every box top sent in equals 10 cents for the school.  Once you notice how many products you buy have them, you see how fast the money can add up for the school.  Every little bit helps and it makes me feel good to know I'm contributing to my daughters future school, even in such a small way.  

Nûby Review: Stainless Steel No-Spill Flip-It Cup with Weighted Straw

Today I'm reviewing Nûby's Stainless Steel No-Spill Flip-It Cup with 360 Weighted Straw (whew, that's a mouthful!).  Despite the long name, I was really excited to try out this cup with our little one.    

We've been a huge fan of Nûby's regular straw cups for a while now, and I was looking forward to trying something new from them.  This cup is from their new stainless steel line and it has a weighted straw, something we've never tried before.  

This cup has the bite-valve straw that our daughter loves, is BPA-free, and keeps her drink cool for up to 10 hours.  The weighted straw was pretty neat too - the inner part is flexible with a weighted bottom so it gets every bit of water.  No more frustrated toddler shaking her cup, mad because there's still half an inch of water in it that she can't get - this straw is able to get every drop.  

One thing that could be improved though would be to make it easier to clean.  This, like most double-walled cups, can't be put in the dishwasher but ease of cleaning is always important in my book.  Also, while the weighted-straw is very cool, it does make for a lot more pieces to take apart and clean.  

Despite being tricky to clean, we really love this cup overall and have gotten a lot of compliments on it when we're out and about.

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

Nûby's Insulated Stainless Steel No-Spill Flip-It Cup with 360 Weighted Straw can be purchased at various retailers including Babies 'R Us.  

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Tips on Dealing with Teething Troubles + Nûby Review

Oy.  Teething.  
It can be the worst... days or weeks of a grumpy, fussy baby.  Sometimes you just have to muddle through, but know that there are tricks and tools you can use to your advantage - you're not alone.  | This post contains affiliate links and an honest review of products provided to us by Nûby |

How do I know our little one is teething?  

Every baby is different, but some tell-tale signs include fussiness, drooling, putting anything and everything in their mouth, chewing, slightly elevated temperature, and waking more often. 

How can I help our little one deal with these new teeth?  

Food

Food as a teether/soother can help - either some cold chopped fruit in a mesh feeder or a frozen banana to gnaw on (very closely supervised of course).  Drinking cold water can also help take the edge off.  

Washcloth

A frozen washcloth is a great teether you can make, especially in a pinch.  I usually take a baby washcloth, tie a knot in one corner, wet it, wring it out, and stick it in the freezer for a bit.  What I like about these is that even though they're frozen they don't seem too cold to hold, they come out more frosty than frozen.  

Variety of Teethers {Nûby Review}

Having a variety of teethers handy is key - most babies like having different textures and shapes to gum and chew on.  Nûby was kind enough to send me two teethers to try and share with you.  

Turtle FLOPPERS Teether

This little guy is pretty cuddly as far as teethers go.  He's a sweet little stuffed turtle (other animals are available too) with textured rubber BPA-free feet for gnawing on.  His soft body makes him a perfect teether for the car - I make a point to try to have only lightweight, soft toys in the car for safety reasons.  Our little one really likes this cute little guy, and the handle on his back is great for carrying around or attaching to a stroller with linking rings.

 
Safari Loop Teether

​This BPA-free teether definitely has a lot of variety going for it!  There are many shapes, colors, and textures strung along the loop - from animals, to rubber beads, to crinkly "leaves," to massaging nubs, this has it all.  Miss M particularly likes looking at the animal characters and chewing on the crinkly leaves.  However, I feel as though the animals on the loop are pretty hard though, maybe too hard for chewing comfortably.. Miss M hasn't been chewing on the animals in particular, and I'm not sure if she's avoiding them because she likes the other items on the loop more, or if the animals bother her gums/teeth.  

Please Note:  Always supervise your little ones with all teethers (and all toys for that matter), but make sure to pay special close attention once your child's teeth break through the gums.  Once they have exposed teeth they are more likely to chew through a toy or sippy cup straw.  Inspecting these items several times a day is very important.  

Medication (as a last resort, in our book)

Some people use baby Tylenol or pain relieving teething gel to alleviate the discomfort of teething, however I always try to avoid giving medication unless absolutely necessary (our pediatrician agrees with this stance).  So I very rarely give our little one baby Tylenol, and if I do it's usually only as a last-ditch effort to get her to sleep better and wake less from teething.

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

Nûby's FLOPPERS Teethers and Nûby's Safari Loop Teether can be purchased at various retailers including Amazon and Target.  

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What's in My Bag? Toddler Mama Edition

So not glamorous, but here's what's in my bag.  

With a young toddler, there's less "stuff" you always need to carry so I try to keep it to the very basics for walking around (don't worry, there's a bigger back-up diaper bag in the car).  Snacks are a must - you don't want a hangry toddler or mama!  And I can't say enough good things about these "Highlights Hello" magazines - they're lightweight and indestructible.  We keep several in the car, diaper bag, and stroller - much easier to pack than boardbooks.  

Not pictured?  A little bottle of hand sanitizer (I forgot it in the car), a must for a curious toddler who tries to pick someone else's gum off the sidewalk.  Ew.  

Affiliate Product Links
|  L.L.Bean Boat Tote  |  Highlights Hello Toddler Magazine  |  Earth's Best Apple Bar  |  Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar  |  Badger Balm Vanilla Madagascar Lip Balm  |  Pampers Natural Clean Wipes  |  Pampers Swaddlers Diapers  |  Travel Size Hand Sanitizer  |

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