Cloth Face Mask Organization and Storage

We’re definitely living in different times right now… and it’s becoming clearer that it looks as though we will have to co-exist with the COVID-19 virus for the foreseeable future. Because of that anything we can do that might mitigate the risk of virus transmission, like always wearing face masks or face coverings when outside our homes, have become a part of our “new normal.” Since mask-wearing should be part of your new routine whenever you leave your house, it’s a good idea to have a system in place to make sure you always have clean masks at the ready and you never leave home without one. | This post contains affiliate links |

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations on mask wearing, storage, and care. Cloth masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… check with individual mask makers/companies on the best way to store/wash/care for your masks.

Mask Storage at Home

It’s a good idea to keep your clean masks in a designated area of your home, preferably in a place where you’ll be sure to grab one on your way out the door to do errands, go to work, etc. At first glance it might look like we have a lot of masks, but we really don't considering we're a household of four and it's essential to have enough masks to get through between laundry loads. We're still staying home and social-distancing very seriously, but whenever we have to do an essential errand/appointment or just go for a drive to get out of the house, we always make sure to have a clean mask for everyone that’s leaving the house.

In our home, we've designated a special basket that sits up high on our mudroom shelf, full of clean masks. We put the adult masks towards the back, and then kids masks in the front. I was unable to find a basket the same size on Amazon to link to, but I did find this sleek bamboo box that looks to be the perfect size. If you don't have shelf space for a basket, you could alternatively use wall-mounted baskets for storage.
Our masks are a mix of ones made with love for us by family members, as well as ones purchased from Old Navy and Miss Harlow VT (one of the local makers I featured in my "Masks by New England Makers" blog post).

If you don't like the idea of using a basket like we do and would rather hang your masks by the door, another option would be using a small set of hooks such as a set of compact coat hooks or key rack - or even just simple Command Hooks.

Mask Storage On-The-Go

We have found a slim wipes container is the perfect size for holding several face masks on-the-go! In fact, we always make sure to leave our case packed with an extra mask for each family member in the car. That way we're always covered if we forget one or need to change masks while we're out of the house.
I think this would be a great way to carry extra face masks in your bag for work, or your child's backpack whenever they return to school. It would probably be a good idea to also keep a ziplock bag or separate sealed container in your bag in case you have a dirty/used mask that needs to be brought home to wash.

And if you wanted to take it a step further and have an organzied mask system on-the-go to put in your work bag or child's backpack, you might want to consider having two cases - one for clean masks and one for dirty masks. I ordered these clear mask cases from Amazon and cut labels for them on my Cricut. We'll be packing one with extra clean masks, and the other will be empty for dirty masks to come home in. Since we recently invested in some better quality masks I wanted to make sure they stay in cases when not in use to keep them in good shape.

Alternatively, if you don't have any slim wipes containers hanging around you could also use Small Craft Storage Cases , which come in clear and a variety of colors. This might be more cost effective too if you needed multiple cases - especially if you needed one or more cases for each family member, or if you were a teacher and wanted to make a case for each student in your class.

You can also easily label any of these cases with a label maker.

We always make sure to keep the car stocked with our plastic case of extra face masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes to help protect ourselves when we’re out doing errands.

Mask Care

Always refer to individual mask makers/companies on the best way to care for each of your masks (hand wash only vs machine wash, line-dry vs dryer, etc.) But in general, all masks should be washed and allowed to thoroughly dry in between each use.

Since all of our masks are machine washable, we've found using a mesh lingerie laundry bag is perfect for keeping the masks from getting lost in the wash or caught on other items.

Quick Adjustment Tips

If you feel like your face mask is a little large or isn’t fitting as closely to your face as you would like, you can typically adjust it very easily by making a small knot in the ear loop elastics (as shown above) to make it smaller.

There are also lots of options for "ear saver" or "mask adjustment" straps available out there, though we have not personally tried any ourselves yet.

One mask accessory that we've found super helpful lately are Mask Lanyards. We personally use them most often when we're out hiking or going for a long walk, that way the time we're out alone we can keep our masks down, however in the event we see someone coming up we can easily put them on if we need to pass others on the trail. We made a point to choose lanyards that have a breakaway safety feature, but use at your own discretion/risk.

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations on mask wearing, storage, and care. Cloth masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… check with individual mask makers/companies on the best way to store/wash/care for your masks.

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Vaccination Card Protector

Vaccinated? You may want to consider getting a Vaccination Card Protector for your vaccine card to help keep them protected and clean at home or while you're traveling. These are nice because you can remove your vaccine card to record updates/boosters if needed.

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Masks by New England Makers

We’re definitely living in different times right now… and it’s becoming clearer that it looks as though we will have to co-exist with this virus for the foreseeable future. Because of that anything we can do that might mitigate the risk of virus transmission, like always wearing face masks or face coverings when outside our homes, are becoming a part of our “new normal.” Today a lot of small businesses are hurting, including small local makers, many of whom have pivoted to also offer masks for sale. As we move forward into our new normal, consider supporting a local maker and purchase masks from them.
| This post is not sponsored or an endorsement. Makers are listed in no particular order and I plan to continue to add to this list as I come across more makers who request to be added. |

Masks by New England Makers

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations. These masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… please see each individual mask maker regarding details, care instructions, pricing, and current availability.

Scrub Caps for Scholars

| Shop Masks and Scrub Caps by Scrub Caps for Scholars |

Scrub Caps for Scholars is an Etsy shop recently started by Marissa of One CrafDIY Girl (who’s also an ICU nurse in Massachusetts) looking to give back to frontline nurses who are struggling to pay their student loans. Proceeds from sales of masks and scrub caps will go towards that fund. Masks are available in different styles in child through adult sizes with different fabrics to choose from; there are also some matching scrub caps available too.

Masked in Style

| Shop Masks by Masked in Style (Order requests via Facebook Page) |

Nicole has created 615+ masks so far - including donations to local businesses and healthcare workers across the country. She has many fabrics to choose from, with masks in tie and elastic styles. (*If there's an essential worker you want to surprise with a free cloth mask, send her a message and she will send it out with a thank you note!)

Think Greene

| Shop Masks by Think Greene |

Think Greene is a Maine-based company best known for their eco-friendly items and apparel. They are offering boldly designed masks in adult and kid sizes made with organic cotton. Masks are tie-style.

Singer Vintage

| Shop Masks by Singer Vintage |

Singer Vintage is a Maine-based Etsy stop, which normally sells vintage sewing machine parts, but now offers a wide variety of summer-inspired masks (gingham, chambray, lobsters, etc) in different styles and sizes.

Little Green Pear

| Shop Masks by Little Green Pear (Etsy shop temporarily closed, please order through direct message on Facebook or Instagram) |

Little Green Pear is run by a Vermont-based mom and best known for hair bows and baby accessories, but is now offering a variety of masks in different styles, fabric patterns, and sizes from toddler through adult.

Maine Mom Boutique

| Shop Masks by Maine Mom Boutique |

Maine Mom Boutique is a highly-rated shop on Etsy, best known for baby-related items, now offering elastic loop style masks for adults in a variety of fabric patterns.

Sea Crow Company

| Shop Masks by Sea Crow Company |

Maine-based Sea Crow Co. is best known for their popular colorful bags and accessories and is now offering masks too. Masks are pleated-style and available in a variety of fabric patterns and in both ear loop and tie options (child sizes are available upon request).

Miss Harlow VT

| Shop Masks by Miss Harlow VT (Order via Google Form) |

Miss Harlow VT is a Vermont-based crafter best known for her sewn baby items and gifts and is now offering masks as well in many different fabrics, in both child and adult sizes. To date she has made over 500!

Jackie’s Boutique

| Shop Masks from Jackie's Boutique (Website currently under construction but can order on Facebook) |

Jackie’s Boutique are two “brick and mortar” shops located in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire known for resort wear and accessories. Right now they are also offering masks with vintage Lake Winnipesaukee map patterns on them. The fabric is made and printed in New England.

The Artsy Fox

| Shop Masks by The Artsy Fox (Request order via Facebook Group) |

The Artsy Fox is New Hampshire-based and known for crocheted and knit items as well as quilted items, and is now also offering masks in different patterns too.

Two Little Beans & Co.

| Shop Masks by Two Little Beans & Co. |

Two Little Beans & Co. is a Maine-based company best known for their baby booties, bibs, and other baby items but is now also offering ear loop style pleated masks in many fabric options, in both kid and adult sizes. She has also been making mask donations for healthcare and frontline workers. (*There is a tutorial on her website if you’re looking for instructions to make your own mask.)

We Fill Good.

| Shop Masks from We Fill Good |

We Fill Good is an eco-friendly shop in Kittery, Maine known for selling reusable products that can help you achieve a low-waste household. Right now they are also offering masks in a variety of fabric pattern options in both adult and kid sizes.

Red House VT

| Waitlist for Red House VT Masks |

Red House VT is best known for their waxed canvas and leather bags and are now offering simple modern style masks, currently as a wait-list item.

- All photos used with permission -

If you are a New England Maker who is also making masks and would like to be added to this list, please send me a message and I would love to add you. Thank you all for your hard work to help keep our communities a little safer.

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice or endorsing any particular seller - purchase at your own risk. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations. These masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… please see each individual mask maker regarding details, care instructions, pricing, and current availability.

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Related Posts:

• Cloth Face Mask Organization and Storage

• General Emergency Preparedness Tips and Ideas

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Interviews from New England Makers:

Remote Learning + Homeschooling: Tips and Supplies

With the Covid-19 Pandemic still persisting and school in our state cancelled for the rest of the school year (and maybe longer), average parents have been thrown into the role of becoming teachers too and most of us weren’t prepared at all. While I have a degree in Art Education, I went a different career route after graduation and my teaching/classroom management skills are now quite rusty. So I pulled from my own classroom and remote teaching experiences - as well as polling many teacher friends, homeschooling parents, and regular now-remote-teaching-parents for ideas on what’s working for them and what supplies have been lifesavers as they navigate this new remote learning world. | This post contains affiliate links |

Give Yourself Grace

This is probably the biggest takeaway from everyone I’ve talked to…. remote learning during a Pandemic is definitely uncharted territory and everyone is trying to figure things out - readjusting roles, schedules, expectations, everything. Most of us weren’t cut out to be teachers, and it can be incredibly hard to motivate and focus your own kids as well as their teachers are able to. Ultimately, it’s a matter of doing the best that you can in the circumstance you’re currently in… and don’t beat yourself up if everything isn’t perfect.

Communicate with Teachers and Administrators

If you have a lot going on at home (working from home yourself, several kids schedules to juggle, other personal hurdles to deal with, etc) or if the teacher’s expectations for remote learning are just unrealistic, definitely reach out to them to voice your concerns and come up with a plan. Maybe deadlines can be extended, or the workload can be reduced to the essential assignments. Maybe the big group Zoom meetings are too overwhelming and frustrating for your young child and they need a one-on-one meeting instead. Maybe the schedule the teacher came up with won’t work for your family with your own work and other school schedules.
The point is - if you or your kids are feeling overwhelmed and stressed about about the whole remote learning process, it’s worth discussing with their teachers and administrators so that you can come up with something that works for everyone and still meets all the learning requirements.

Come up With a Schedule that Works for Your Family

This will take some trial-and-error. And if you have older students with a heavier workload, their home school day might just look very similar to a regular school day schedule-wise and time-wise - especially if they can work pretty independently. But for us with younger kids, mom or dad needs to be there to walk them through each assignment, activity, and online meeting.

If you’re also working from home or juggling other kids schedules too this can be particularly challenging and exhausting... if you need something to buy periods of occupation from your kids (maybe so you can do an uninterupted confrence call, or you can concentrate helping one child with an assignment while keeping the other kids busy), consider giving them something they will enjoy doing and keep them safely occupied (but always under some parent supervision of course). Maybe it's educational games on the Kindle, or perhaps low-mess craft projects, or an hour of TV time, or reading a book series on their own that they enjoy, etc. Or maybe you find school work or office work done in fragments at unusual times is what works best for your family.

For us personally with younger kids, we’ve fallen into a good rhythm and schedule over the last two months of remote learning. For our family we’ve found it best to buckle down in the mornings and get the work done first thing when attention spans are at their best and everyone is well rested. So our daughter works through her assignments one-by-one every morning with breaks for snack and classroom meetings. Our goal is to have all her work completed for the day by lunchtime, and while some days that doesn’t happen and things need to be finished after lunch, most of the time she’s done by noon which leaves the afternoons for “free choice fun.” Typically, spending the whole afternoon outside if the weather is nice or inside playing legos or watching a movie if it’s raining (and while the kids are playing I can chip away at whatever work I need to get done too). Our days have consistent expectations and a nice rhythm to them now which helps a lot.

Set Snack and Meal Times

As anyone with kids home 24/7 can tell you, they can and WILL eat you out of house and home if you let them. By having set snack and mealtimes it will help your pantry and wallet by not blowing through all your quarantine snacks in 2 days flat. I’ve seen some parents even pack their kids lunch box every morning, just like they would for school, so the kids have a finite amount of snacks and lunch food for the day.

Designate a School Space and Stay Organized

Having a designated “school space” that has all the supplies your kids will need to complete their assignments at their fingertips can be crucial to success. Ideally having a desk or separate workspace would be ideal, but any designated space can work. For us, we set up one end of our kitchen island - it has a laptop where our daughter completes most of her assignments online and a small basket where we store paper, workbooks, flashcards, and a few ziplock bags containing different supplies that she uses often (markers, counting chips, etc). By having everything ready to go each day, there's no excuse when it's time to get to work.

I polled many friends, both teachers and regular parents who are now remote teaching, and compiled a list of things they have needed or found to be extremely helpful during this time. Younger kids definitely tend to need more learning aides so the list has many items geared to younger students but there are also some items that can be useful for older grade levels listed too. Click the button below to browse our picks, which I will be periodically adding to as I get more suggestions:

Is there anything you’ve found to be helpful during this time? Please comment below or send me a message.

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Related Posts

• Cloth Face Mask Organization and Storage

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Happy Earth Day 2020!

Happy Earth Day! Back in the ‘80’s my Dad bought these Vermont State Parks t-shirts on a camping trip for himself and baby-me... somehow they survived all these years and now me and my kids wear them.
Vintage ;)

Hope you have a great Earth Day and can find a safe way to better your household or neighborhood during this Pandemic.

Relaxing with Hug Patrol + GIVEAWAY!

Today there’s always so much stress in our daily lives. That’s why it’s more important than ever to make time for yourself to relax and reset yourself after a long, tense day. After hearing so many great things about weighted wraps and blankets, I was so excited when Lynne from NH-based Hug Patrol reached out to me to give one a try. | This post contains an honest review of product provided by Hug Patrol |

I don’t know about you, but I hold ALL my tension in my shoulders and neck. Whenever I feel stressed or have a lot going on my shoulders get tense and I can feel them creeping up, getting tighter and tighter. Using Hug Patrol's 3lb Calm Wrap has really helped me release the tension in my shoulders. I’ve found it to be a really comfortable weight that gently rests on my shoulders and reminds me to relax my shoulders down and drop the tension.

I also love that it can be heated (in microwave) or cooled (in freezer) to help with relaxation or muscle aches. A really interesting fact that Lynne shared with me was that her wraps are made with 100% USA-sourced heavy duck cotton and food grade flax seed, while many competitor wraps are made with polyester-fleece (polyester is made from plastic and omits potentially harmful compounds when heated). I had never thought about that before but it definitely brought up a great point! I certainly feel better about heating it in our microwave where we also heat our food too.

I really love the Calm Wrap’s ergonomic U-shape - it’s perfect for wearing around my shoulders while I’m reading, relaxing, or working on my computer. I feel like it would be great on a long trip too!
The quality is also incredible - from the thickness of the fabric to the sewing, you can tell it’s very well made - and the sectioned off design keeps the weight distributed evenly no matter how you wear it.

Hug Patrol offers a wide range of comforting products including different sized/weighted wraps, lap blankets, blankets, eye-pillows, socks, mitts, and more. Some also have the option of being scented with real lavender. They even offer products with antimicrobial covers to be used in multi-user settings like hospitals, rehab centers, spas, yoga studios, etc.

Keep Up with Hug Patrol

| Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Also can be found locally at Whole Foods in Bedford NH, Nashua NH, and Westford MA |

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GIVEAWAY!

Hug Patrol was kind enough to give a Calm Wrap to a follower too! To enter, please head on over to my Instagram (@birchlandinghome) or Facebook and look for the Giveaway post - enter on both Instagram and Facebook to increase your chances!

Giveaway ends 2/4/20 at 5PM EST - Winner chosen at random. Continental USA only.

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

Why I Purged Who I'm Following on Social Media (And Why You Might Want to Too)

If you’re like me you probably get sucked into your phone too often, falling down the rabbit hole of continuously scrolling Instagram and Facebook. But it’s a New Year, new beginnings right? I recently took a good look at who I’m following on my personal and blog Instagram accounts and did some purging… in fact between my accounts I unfollowed thousands (previous to this I had never really unfollowed anyone!) and in doing so it greatly simplified my social media checking routine, spending less time online.

Who I Unfollowed

First, I know I personally feel a little hurt when I realize someone unfollowed me (why don’t they like me??) - but if you’re reading this and I unfollowed you please realize it’s nothing personal at all. Over the many years I’ve had social media I have followed thousands of accounts, but I’ve never actually reevaluated their relevancy to me as time went on and cleaning house was long, long overdue.

Here are some types of accounts that I unfollowed:

Accounts that are “Dead”: As I went through my lists, I found hundreds of accounts that have been “dead” for years… blogs or business accounts that have gone out of business or people that for one reason or another have just stopped updating a particular account. While these accounts aren’t cluttering up my feed, they aren’t doing anything for me either so I unfollowed them.

Accounts that Don’t Reflect Our Current Stage in Life: And then there’s accounts that used to be relevant to me but aren’t anymore… for example years ago when we were first starting our family I followed lots of baby-centric accounts and businesses. However our kids are all past the baby stage now and I just don’t need to know about the newest bottles or baby carriers these days. It’s definitely bittersweet closing the door on that stage in our lives but the practical reasoning is we just don’t need to be up-to-date on baby trends anymore. So any irrelevant accounts to our current place in life were unfollowed too.

Accounts that I was Following “Because Everyone Else Is”: There were plenty of accounts I was following strictly because they were big-name brands/companies or ultra-popular influencers or bloggers. I was mostly following them because I felt like I should be, even though most of their posts were essentially ads and I didn’t find following them enjoyable myself. I’m personally not a huge fan of impersonal/overly-commercialized posts so I unfollowed a lot of these types of accounts too.

Accounts that I Follow in More than One Place: I have both a personal and blog-related Instagram account and realized there were quite a few accounts that I was following in both places… this was kind of redundant as I was often seeing the same posts twice. I really didn’t want or need to see the same things over and over so I would decide where made the most sense for me to follow an account and would then unfollow it from my other account.

Accounts that Bring Me Down: Do what’s best for your mental health and your self esteem! Are there accounts that you follow that are too pessimistic? Or too perfect and it makes you devalue yourself subconsciously? Get rid of them. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life - only follow accounts that raise you up or inspire you in a positive way.

Accounts that I Don’t Enjoy: As I went through my lists of who I’m following I realized something - I honestly don’t enjoy fashion bloggers (no offense to any fashion bloggers out there!). As much as I love a good outfit inspiration I am not into “fast fashion” and I’m not someone who constantly buys clothes or the latest styles. I actually think it’s really bad for the environment to constantly consume clothing and accessories that will only be worn a few times (and a lot of these influencers will only wear items for a post or two then get rid of them). Fast fashion isn’t something I condone or enjoy so I won’t passively support it by following all those influencers.

Important Note: Don’t Try to Purge in One Day!

I made this mistake myself… when I first decided to clean house I stayed up really late one night and was determined to work my way through my list and clean it out in one go - but then Instagram blocked my account for 24 hours. If you do too much of one action in a short amount of time (like unfollowing other accounts), Instagram will flag your account as spam and lock you out temporarily… and apparently if you keep it up they will keep locking you out for longer each time, potentially banning you permanently (so scary!). Getting locked out for 24 hours was very frustrating, but it made me realize I have to tread lightly moving forward. When you’re purging, make sure to never unfollow more than a few accounts at a time and make sure to continue to use Instagram as you normally would (liking, commenting, engaging with others like usual). Purging your feed will be a work-in-progress for a while and will take time.

Who I Muted

Did you know you can “mute” accounts too? That way they don’t show up in your feed but you’re still following them. There were some accounts that I was following that I still wanted to follow to show some support, but were totally cluttering up my feed and driving me nuts… for example maybe you have an old school friend who has taken an endeavor into MLM sales. As much as you might love this friend and want to support her, you don’t want to see ten posts a day on essential oils, or fake nails, or eyelash serum or whatever it is that she’s constantly pushing. You’ll still show as a follower to her and it would be good idea to make a note to occasionally hop on over to her account to engage in a post here and there - but it’s not going to constantly fill your feed with stuff you’re not interested in anymore.

Turn Notifications OFF

If you haven’t already, it’s also a great idea to turn off Notifications Off across all your platforms. Seeing those little “dings” constantly come up when friends post, like, or comment can be overwhelming and drag you into checking your phone every few minutes. If you turn these off you’ll be less tempted to constantly check your phone - and make a point to only check it at certain times during the day. I have already had my notifications turned off for years now (it’s something I made a point to do a long time ago), and I will continue to keep them off.

Why My Social Media Experience is Better and More Efficient Now

After you’ve made sufficient progress purging who you’re following, you’ll notice that your feed is full of things that you actually want to see - no more “junk” that you used to waste time scrolling past everyday. Your feed will be full of accounts that you find positive, intentional, and inspiring - not to mention following less accounts will make it quicker and easier to catch up on recent posts every day.

And another positive side effect of my purge? It seems to have reset the algorithm for what I typically see in my feed. There were a lot of accounts I was following that I honestly had totally forgotten about because I hadn’t seen any posts by them in my feed FOR YEARS. But as I made progress purging who I was following I started to see those long-lost-to-me accounts in my feed again and it was so refreshing! I was able to re-discover a lot of accounts that I used to love following and it’s wonderful to finally see their posts again in my feed and reconnect with them. (And if you rediscover an account you want to see in your feed again, make sure to like and engage in their posts so Instagram will learn to continue to show them.)

Going Forward

Going forward this is something I definitely want to keep up with. I had neglected reevaluating who I was following for years and since I had let it get out of hand it took weeks for me to slowly purge since I had so much catching up to do. From now on this is something I’ll plan on revisiting at least once a year (I even put a reminder in my calendar for next January as part of my New Year’s Resolutions). Your social media feed should be enjoyable and inspiring, and it should be more efficient to check - by actively managing it hopefully you will see an improvement in your social media experience too.

So far I’ve really only tackled Instagram but I am planning on working to purge who I’m following on my other social media accounts too (especially Facebook and Pinterest) for the same reasons.

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Goal: Use Less Plastic in 2020

As I had mentioned previously in my “Goals for the New Year” post, one of my goals is to use less plastic in our daily lives. We already make an effort to recycle as much as possible and not be wasteful but watching the documentary “Broken: Recycling Sham” on Netflix was eye-opening. So much of what people put in the recycling bin ends up in landfills or the ocean in the end, as a lot of plastic is too difficult or expensive to recycle and it’s sorted out and discarded. (PS - if you haven’t watched this documentary yet, I highly recommend it!) If everyone were to decrease their use of plastic in small ways it would eventually decrease the demand and less plastic would be made and end up in the environment. Here I’m sharing some small ways we’re working towards less plastic in our lives. | This post contains affiliate links |

As Emily Ley would say, I’m striving for “progress, not perfection.” I am not planning on eliminating all plastic from our home overnight - after all that wouldn’t be environmentally responsible either. We have plenty of BPA-free Tupperware, kids plates, reusable bottles, containers, etc and they are serving us well - there’s no need to go chuck them in the trash now. It’s also impractical (and arguably impossible) for our family to totally eliminate plastic from our lives. - But moving forward, we will try to consume less plastic, and as things wear out and need replacing we will look to non-plastic or high-recycled-content materials for replacements.

Here are a few eco-friendly “swaps” we have implemented or are planning to in the future:

• Reusable Water Bottles. This is a very easy one... find a Reusable Water Bottles that you like and carry it around with you, refilling it as needed. I personally prefer stainless steel bottles, but others prefer glass or plastic. Not only is a reusable bottle good for the environment, it's good for your wallet too as you'll never have to buy an overpriced bottle of water at a gas station or cafe again. Most office buildings, schools, and malls have bubblers (AKA water fountains for all you non-New Englanders) where you can fill your bottle, and most cafes and fast food restaurants will refill your bottle with water for free too.
• Reusable Grocery Bags. This is another easy change - in fact, I can almost guarantee you have some Reusable Grocery Bags kicking around in your closet or car trunk this very minute since businesses often give out reusable bags for promotions and advertising. Dig those bags out and make a neat stash of them in your trunk or car door pocket and make a mental note to grab them before heading into the grocery store. (Side note: It's a good idea to periodically wash your reusable bags to keep them clean and reduce the spread of potential germs.)
• Reusable Produce Bags. Purchase some small cotton Reusable Produce Bags to use when you go grocery shopping. Produce bags are often overlooked since they're small but they add up fast during a weekly grocery trip. By using reusable bags you're reducing your plastic consumption (and not to mention no more busted plastic produce bags when you're buying a decent amount of potatoes or apples - yay!).
• Reusable Travel Mug for Coffee/Tea. Find a travel mug that you love (personally I love my Yeti Rambler - worth every penny in my opinion!) and take your coffee to go. A lot of coffee shops will give a small discount for bringing a reusable mug in too - it pays to be green ;)
• Silicone "Plastic" Bags. Plastic snack and sandwhich bags are another thing that quickly add up, especially if you pack your own lunch. Switching out plastic for washable and reusable Silicone "Plastic" Bags will cut back on a lot of the single-use plastic in your life.
• Silicone "Plastic" Wrap. Plastic wrap for covering leftovers also quickly adds up but can be replaced with washable and reusable Silicone Covers.
• Glass or Metal "Tupperware". We have plenty of good quality plastic tupperware for packing lunches and leftovers, but as they need replacing we'll look to switching to glass or stainless steel.
• Sustainably Made Wooden Toys. Our kids will still play with plastic toys (legos, action figures, etc)... we're not going to forbid it. But we're definitely being mindful about what and how much plastic toys we do buy - and when we have the opportunity to provide them with sustaibably-made wooden toys like play food for their kitchen set or blocks we definitely will. (Side note: I had recently partnered with the company Lovevery to review their sustainably-made Block Set and was super impressed! Feel free to check out that previous post HERE, I highly reccomend them).

And while the recycling business is far from perfect, you should still always recycle whenever you can. That way your waste has a chance of being reused. If items are reusable things in good shape (toys, containers, etc), donate them to local charities or a "drop 'n swap" where people leave items to be taken for free by someone that can use them (check your local dump/transfer station to see if they have one).

If they are single-use items (like plastic bags, milk jugs, food packaging, etc) then sort and recycle as best you can. Setting up an in-home recycling system can make sorting and recycyling second-nature so everything (plastic, glass, paper, cans, etc) makes it to recycling center with the best chance of getting recycled.

Are there more ways to go plastic-free? Oh heck yes. But I’m personally looking for doable, attainable changes that fit with our lifestyle. I feel like these are changes most people could accomplish as well too. If everyone just reduced their plastic consumption with simple changes it would add up and make a huge difference.

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Educational, Sustainable Toys by Lovevery

We’re making more of an effort to be more conscious about what we buy our kids - less plastic “junk” that they will quickly loose interest in and more toys that are educational and encourage open-ended play. I was so excited when I stumbled across Lovevery - a company that is passionate about making educational and sustainably made heirloom toys for babies and young children. | This post contains an honest review of product provided by Lovevery |

We received The Block Set from Lovevery right before Christmas and thought it would make the most perfect gift for our two-and-a-half year old. Lately with Christmas, birthdays, and other holidays we’ve been striving for “quality” over “quantity” for gifts - buying only thoughtful toys and books that will be enjoyed for a long time. This block set fit that requirement perfectly! We opted for a simple red ribbon to wrap it for Christmas morning and let our kids start enjoying it right away.

What was I most impressed about with The Block Set? The quality and the variety of blocks that it came with! Everything is solid, sustainably-harvested wood which has been finished with brightly colored water-based non-toxic paints. There are 70+ pieces, and 18 different shapes and tools including little people with different skin tones. It even comes with an activity guide and planks which I haven’t seen in other block sets, making for lots of fun building and game opportunities (think bridges, houses, dominoes, and more)!

Our two year old (and six year old)’s favorite feature of The Block Set? How the storage box turns into a car! The circle blocks have recessed magnets which connect to dowels that can be threaded through the box, making for a very sturdy and easy-to-build car. Every day since Christmas she has pulled this car all around our house collecting blocks, dolls, dog toys, and whatever else she can find!

Another innovative feature of The Block Set is how the lid is also designed as a shape sorter, allowing for little ones to learn organization, as well as shape and spatial recognition. Lovevery consults with experts so their toys are designed to help promote cognitive and motor skill development as well as encourage pretend play.

And as a mom, I love that it also came with a cute gingham drawstring bag for flexible storage or quick pick-ups!

Lovevery has lots of other amazing, heirloom-quality toys and products as well - including play gyms, pull and push toys, and age-based subscription boxes for little ones from birth-24 months. I wish Lovevery had been around when our kids were first born - their subscription boxes are definitely something I would have loved to do for them! Everything I have seen from Lovevery is thoughtful and high-quality, and I honestly recommend them highly (and no, exceptionally high praise isn't something I normally throw around!). If you’re looking for something unique and thoughtful for your little one or as a gift, definitely check out Lovevery.

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

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