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! |
Last year we started keeping backyard chickens and they've become a really fun and important addition to our family. We love the fresh eggs we get everyday and our toddler thinks the chickens are super fun. Since she's become so fond of our six Rhode Island Red hens, I thought we'd make her Easter basket chicken-themed this year! Now to just wait until Easter.. | This post contains affiliate links |
Two of "the girls."
We have six Rhode Island Red hens (two of them pictured here), so I tried to find chicken-related items that looked like our girls. Most of the items I found can be purchased through Amazon, but you may also have luck finding similar things at your local store. (Amazon also had other chicken breeds too in case you were looking to find something that looked more like ones you have at home.)
I think creating an animal-themed Easter basket can be a really fun and engaging idea, and could easily be done to reflect whatever animal(s) you might have at home - dogs, cats, horses, fish, etc.
Here are the items I chose for our Chicken-Themed Easter Basket:
Chicken Stuffed Animal - Our little one is going to LOVE this stuffed chicken! It's about the same size and color as our Rhode Island Red hens. Amazon also has stuffed animals of several other breeds of chickens as well.
Easter Eggsfilled with mini M&Ms - Plastic Easter eggs is a given, just simply fill with your little one's favorite candy.
Marshmallow Peeps - Baby chicks for the mama hen! (I included these Marshmallow Peeps in this post as an example, but I actually won't be giving them to our daughter - I don't feel as though she's old enough to eat them just yet.)
Today was my first time going to IKEA and let me tell you, it was ah-mazing!
We live about 3 hours away from the nearest IKEA, and that's probably a good thing because I liked way too many of the things they have there. What blew me away most was how beautiful, sturdy, and reasonably-priced the furniture was.
We left with "big girl" furniture for our daughter's new room since she'll be transitioning out of her crib soon (eek) and moving into what was my craft room. We got her the small Hemnes dresser and Hemnes twin bed (full review and room makeover will be on the blog soon). And since my craft room will become her room, we decided to bite the bullet and get the Hemnes sideboard to hold all my displaced craft supplies. I just loved the Hemnes line from IKEA, can't you tell? We also picked up a cute (and cheap!) wooden train set for her.
I was expecting IKEA to be a lot of modern furniture and accessories, but I was pleasantly surprised to see they had a lot of great "farmhouse-inspired" pieces that fit with our New England style.
I should have taken more pictures for the blog while we were there, but I was just too busy browsing and shopping! ;)
Last year I started the tradition of having our little one make Valentines for close family and friends. This year I wanted to continue the tradition but find a way to make them as inexpensive as possible, and so I settled on the idea of DIY Valentine Postcards. | This post contains affiliate links |
One of the reasons I decided to make postcards this year instead of traditional cards was, not only are postcards cuter, they cost almost 30% less to mail than a traditional card - these postage savings add up! As a result, this project cost next to nothing to do. I already had the paint, toilet paper rolls, rulers, etc. - I just had to run down to the local store and pick up a piece of poster board which cost a whopping 99 cents.
The simple supplies
The how-to is pretty straight forward: use a ruler to measure and cut out your postcards (I made mine 4x5.5", but you can check here for more details on postcard requirements). If you have a paper cutter that can come in quite handy to make quick work of cutting them out.
Next use a ruler and a sharpie to create the back of the postcard, one line down the middle and then three lines on the right hand side for the address.
Next let your toddler go to town! I put down one card at a time to keep the backs clean from paint as well as to keep them from getting over-saturated. To make the heart "stamp" I used toilet paper tubes bent into a heart shape and held together with tape.
Once the cards were done I let our little one go crazy on the table covering.
The cards drying - they came out pretty great!!
I kept the backs very basic with a simple handwritten message and a little heart stamp.
I hope you enjoyed this little Valentine DIY! It was very quick and easy and the possibilities are endless when it comes to how you want to paint, color, or draw the front of the postcard.
Lunchtime is often kind of hectic around here. Mornings tend to be when we do errands, groceries, story time, swim lessons, etc. and we always seem to be rolling back into the house right at lunchtime. This means I often only have a few minutes to get lunch on the table before a hunger-induced meltdown occurs. Having a no-prep, no-cook lunch is key to keeping everyone happy. | This post contains affiliate links and an honest review of a Nûby product |
This little lunch isn't anything fancy but that's what's so great about it. It's essentially a collection of healthy snacks that, when put together, make a great toddler-friendly meal. This meal hits all the main food groups (dairy, protein, grains, fruit, and veggies) and best of all our little one loves it.
Our little one's meal includes a Stonyfield Yogurt drink, hummus on whole grain toast, blueberries, broccoli florets, and some cheese all served on this cute Nûby Flower Child Toddler Plate.
We love this fun plate from Nûby. It's BPA-free and has a great no-skid bottom which is really helpful when your little one is eating. Our daughter especially loves the fun shape, easy grip handles, and the pictures (lady bugs and daisies) printed on the bottom of the plate. This adorable plate has quickly become her favorite for mealtimes.
Toddler Meal Ideas
If you're looking for more meal ideas, mix and match these other great no-cook or quick-cook foods to make your own healthy toddler meal:
smoothies
puree pouches
fruit cups (make sure to get ones packed in juice, not syrup. It's also still a good idea to drain and rinse the fruit to reduce the sugar content a bit)
any fresh fruit (cut to appropriate-sized pieces if needed)
any fresh or previously cooked vegetables (cut to appropriate-sized pieces if needed)
yogurt
cottage cheese
cheese
toast with mashed avocado spread on it
hummus with crackers
hummus with unsalted pretzels
crackers with peanut, almond, or sun butter spread thinly on it (only use nut butters if your child does not have nut allergies)
instant oatmeal
cereal with milk
cereal bar
Always use use your best judgement when it comes to safe foods and safe serving sizes to give to your little one, and always supervise them while eating.
- I received this item for review from Nûby but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -
Nûby's Flower Child Toddler Plate can be found at various retailers including Amazon.
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.
I've been a big fan of all the Seventh Generation products I've tried so far, but I have especially loved theirlaundry 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."
- 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. -
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.
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 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).
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.
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:
