Featured on Life on the Shady Grove

Wendy from Life on the Shady Grove will be sharing her Christmas home tour and hosting a HUGE series of giveaways in December featuring 32 crafters, including Birch Landing Home!  She's just posted a little introduction to some of the participants on her blog so you can get a preview of some of the makers and items involved.  

Featured on Life on the Shady Grove

I can't wait to see how she styles our hand-etched ornaments in her home and I'm looking forward to sending the lucky winner their own set of ornaments to use this Christmas!  

Don't worry, I'll let you know when Wendy's gorgeous home tour is up on her blog and when her 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways begin!  But in the meantime, don't forget to follow her on Instagram (@lifeontheshadygrove) so you don't miss another inspiring home decor post.  

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Harvest Side Dish Recipe

This is one of my favorite hearty side dishes for anytime of year, though it probably is best suited for Fall.  Very quick and easy to put together too!  | This post contains affiliate links |

Hearty Harvest Side Dish Recipe - so good!

I call it my Harvest Side Dish because it's basis is Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend.  I'm a huge fan of this mix, even on it's own.  It makes a great side to dinner any night of the week and adding some of my favorite fall foods in there just makes it even more harvest-y (that's a word, right?).  

Harvest Side Dish

Prep time 10 mins  |  Cook time 25 mins  | Serves up to 8

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a package of Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend (if not available you can substitute a mix of Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa, totaling 1 1/4 cups)

  • 1 small onion

  • 1 apple

  • 1 package of apple chicken sausage

  • 1/2 tsp sage

  • salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

  1. Cook Harvest Grains Blend (or your substitution) according to package directions.

  2. While that's cooking, cut up sausage and onion and saute in pan until cooked through, seasoning with sage, salt, and pepper. Add in chopped apples towards the end (I like them soft but not mushy).

  3. Once all your cooked ingredients are finished, mix together in a large bowl and serve hot.

  4. Enjoy - told you that was easy!

Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Mix, chicken sausage, apples, onions, and spices - yum!

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Handpainted Gold Acorns

I've just listed these adorable gold-painted acorns in my Etsy Shop!  These fallen New England acorns have been washed and oven dried before being painted a luxe gold.  They come as a set of a dozen and the possibilities are endless with what you can do with them - vase fillers, adding finishing touches to centerpieces, place settings, crafts, and more!  

Hand Painted Gold New England Acorns
Golden Acorns
Perfect Fall place setting
Fall place setting detail - perfect for Thanksgiving
New England Fall details - gold acorns

I think they will look perfect on our Thanksgiving table!  What would you use them for?  

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New Etsy Listings: Hand-Etched Arrow Ornaments

It's been awhile since I've had arrow ornaments available but I thought I'd bring them back because they're so fun and, well, arrows are big right now!  I have them listed in the Etsy shop in both birch and maple with your choice of ribbon.  

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New Etsy Listing: Set of Rustic Square Pumpkins

Just added on Etsy - Rustic Square Pumpkins!  Perfect for Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.  These come as a set of two and are made to order.  

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Christmas in July Giveaway on Instagram!

I'm giving away a unique set of my Hand-Etched Birch Snowflake Ornaments! A photo of some of my hand-etched ornaments was featured this year in Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

Find this post on my Instagram (@birchlandinghome) for details and to enter.  Good luck!  

Giveaway ends 7/31/15 at 2PM EST. 

Giveaway ends 7/31/15 at 2PM EST. 

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Young Toddler Easter Basket Ideas

Today I thought I'd share what we'll be putting in our little one's Easter Basket.  My goal was to spend less than $20 and fill it with practical and fun items.  | This post contains affiliate links |

Inexpensive Easter Basket Ideas for a Young Toddler

Our little girl is only 15 months old, has more than enough toys, and doesn't eat candy yet so I was a little stumped as to what to put in her Easter basket at first.  After some thought I decided to fill it with some items she needed anyway and a few things to use outside once the warmer weather comes (someday soon, I hope).  

DIY Button Easter Basket

I started with the Easter basket I made for her last year (you can read my post on making her Button Easter Basket here).  First I filled the bottom with paper Easter grass - having a toddler and a dog, it's so important to use the paper Easter grass over plastic just in case any gets eaten.  The paper grass is also a lot more eco-friendly.  

Toddler Easter Basket Ideas:  Lunch box, snacks, chalk, book, watering can

I love what I found to put in her basket!  

In her basket:  

  • Owl Lunchbox by SkipHop.  She desperately needed a new lunchbox (hers broke) and this owl one from Amazon was just the cutest.  There are many other animal styles to choose from too if owls aren't your thing.  
  • Purée pouches by Plum Organics.  What toddler doesn't love snacks?  We picked these up last time we were at Target but they can be found at just about any grocery store or purchased by the case from Amazon.  
  • Baby Farm Animals board book by Golden Books.  We actually got this book for free from the local library (they were clearing out duplicates) but you can usually find inexpensive board books on Amazon or on sale at your local book store.  
  • Child's Watering Can.  We got this from the Dollar Store, but these can also be found at your local pharmacy.  (Similar one here.) 
  • Egg-Shaped Chalk.  These came from the dollar bins at Target, and I love them because they're easy for little hands to hold.  (Similar ones here.)

Since I got the board book for free I spent right around $15 for everything - wahoo!  

Other basket ideas for a one-year old or young toddler:  

All of these items can be done for a girl or a boy, and are easy to tweak if you wanted to tailor it more to your own child.  I hope I've given you some ideas of what to put in your little one's Easter basket - Happy Easter!  

Cheap ideas for a cute toddler Easter Basket
Fun, practical, and cheap Easter Basket for a Toddler

Looking for more Easter ideas?  Check out our other Easter posts:  

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