Reusable Weekly Planner - Plan your week, meals, and goals! {Free Printable}

For a while now I've been striving to get better about meal planning, so a few months ago I designed this weekly planner to keep in our kitchen and see if it helped.  After using this method for several months I'm happy to report that it has been a HUGE success and wanted to share it with all of you who may have staying organized, planning meals ahead of time, or reducing your grocery bill as goals for 2016!  

This weekly planner can either be printed and written on directly - or you can print, frame it, and simply write on the glass to keep reusing it (which is what I have done).  I love having it under glass because it means it's always on display and easy to refer to, and it saves a lot of paper and ink.  I didn't include too many photos of it it in our kitchen because it was so hard to photograph.. the glare from the glass makes a decent photograph nearly impossible.  

Pro-tip:  Write on the glass with a Sharpie to avoid smudges, then erase with a little 91% rubbing alcohol.  

To write on the glass, you can use a fine-tip dry erase marker or a Sharpie marker.  I prefer the Sharpie because it writes cleaner and won't smudge.  

"But how to erase it!" you ask?  

No problem at all:  simply put a little 91% rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and it wipes off with no problem and no residue.  

Example

Every Sunday I sit down and first fill in all the daily "to-dos" for the week.  These are things that have to happen that day, like appointments.  This gives me a sense of what the week will look like and how much time I may have to cook dinner that day, etc.  Days we won't be home means I don't have to cook (wahoo!).  Because I lay it all out ahead of time I can plan ahead for groceries... leftover potatoes from Monday can be thrown into Tuesday's chili.  The chicken I buy can be portioned out for dinner on Thursday and Friday.  Planning ahead means less waste and saving money in the long run (and you know how hard I try to save money on groceries).  

"Goals for the week" is where you put in projects and goals you can pick at over the course of the week when you get spare moments.  I feel like this list makes me more motivated (and accountable) to be productive when I have down time.  

Reusable Weekly Planner

{Download free PDF of our Reusable Weekly Planner HERE}

So that's my Reusable Weekly Planner!  It's been a huge help to keep me more organized, more motivated, and save more money on groceries.  I hope that it will be as helpful for you!  

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.  

Around New England: Marginal Way, Ogunquit, Maine

It's always fun running off to the ocean every once and awhile.  Even though it's not too far away we don't get there very often.  Last week we decided to make a quick day trip to Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine.  It's always a fun little trip!  

Perkins Cove at low tide

We parked near Perkins Cove and got onto the Marginal Way there.  The Marginal Way is a beautiful 1.5 mile paved pathway that follows along the edge of the ocean and ends near downtown Ogunquit.  

Beautiful views along the Marginal Way.

Some beach roses still in bloom.

Downtown there are several trolleys that can take you around.  

We got some delicious pastries at Bread & Roses while we were there.  I highly recommend their giant cookies and mini baguette sandwiches.. Mmmmm!  

Along the Marginal Way there are a few access points down to the ocean via stairs. Our little one loved playing in the sand and checking out the rocks up close.  

So many cute shops to explore too! 

Next time you're in Southern Maine make sure to check out the Marginal Way and Ogunquit!  

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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Saving Money on Groceries - Rural Edition

I absolutely love where we live - a small resort town, surrounded by lakes and mountains.  Always lots of great outdoor activities to do or small shops to explore in town.  But living out here does have it's drawbacks too - for one thing, the hospital we delivered our daughter at was an hour and half away (ugh).  But one of the biggest things we struggle with on a day-to-day basis is not going broke on groceries - with discount stores over an hour away and only IGA (Independent Grocer Alliance) grocery stores in town we tend to pay up to 30% more for most items.  
I support shopping local and shopping small whenever possible, but as a single-income household saving money where we can is absolutely necessary.  I've read many articles tailored to saving money at big-box and discount stores, but most of those tips just don't apply here.  Please read on for some of my rural livin' money-saving grocery tips.  | This post contains referral links |

Tips for Saving Money on Groceries {Rural Edition}

1. Grow/Raise What You Can.  I know not everyone has a green thumb or is willing to raise livestock but having even a small backyard garden or some patio veggie plants can pay off big.  For example spending a few dollars for a couple patio tomato plants can supply you with more than enough tomatoes to last you the entire summer.  For us, we've had a small garden for the past couple of years and this spring we decided to add raising chickens to the mix.  We go through as many as two dozen cage-free eggs a week and figured that raising our own chickens would be fun, educational for our daughter, and eventually would provide us with a savings on eggs too.  
2. The Freezer is Your Friend.  I hate throwing out food, especially food that I paid good money for.  So lately I've taken to freezing more and more things, especially those that seem to have the shortest shelf life.  For example, my husband loves putting kale in his breakfast smoothies (you can't even taste it!) but it would always go slimy before he finished the bunch.  Now we wash and freeze it right away and he blends it, still frozen, into his smoothies.  Other things that I've been freezing more lately are meats, mushrooms, fresh herbs, bread, and of course leftovers.  
3. Shop Local and Extra-Small.  Try shopping for produce at local farmer's markets, or even better, roadside mom and pop farm stands.  Those little tables and coolers at the end of driveways are often amazing deals on fresh vegetables.  These people usually aren't out to make a profit, they're simply selling their extra produce for fun and a little extra cash so it's usually a really great value - and if you're lucky they may be giving things away if they have an over-abundance.  One year a gentleman down our road gave away bushels and bushels of corn because he just had so much and didn't want it to go to waste.  
4. Amazon and Online Shopping.  I know this is the polar opposite of "shop small" but you just have to be practical too.  Items like paper towels, toilet paper, and cereal can cost nearly twice as much here in town than it does at big-box stores or online.  And so we choose to buy these items on Amazon - and by using some of Amazon's features like free Prime shipping and "subscribe and save", we're able to save even a little more.  If you use Amazon, don't forget to sign up for AmazonSmile so your purchases benefit the charity of your choice! 
5. Bring Your Own Bags.  Every store has different policies, but more and more are rewarding their customers for bringing their own bags.  At our local grocery stores they give you 5 cents off your total for every reusable bag you use.  I think this is a wonderful policy - great for the environment and good for our wallets.  For example, if you brought 8 bags for your weekly groceries you would end up saving over $20 a year, and every little bit helps.  
6. Meal Plan and Grocery List.  The most efficient way to do groceries is to take a few minutes at the beginning of every week, plan out your dinners, and make a list as to what you'll need.  That way you'll be able to better plan what you need and what you can reuse, wasting less.  I confess I often struggle with this.. grocery day always seems to sneak up on me and I end up going to the grocery store winging it or with a sad excuse for a list more often than I'd like to admit.  I know planning ahead and making good lists are super important for wasting less and saving more, and I'm always trying to get better about it.  {EDIT:  I've finally gotten good (okay, a whole lot better) at meal planning!  Check out my Reusable Weekly Planner + Free Printable to see how.}
7. Periodic Trips to Big-Box Stores to Stock Up.  Every few weeks, I make a point to drive almost 40 minutes, longer in summer due to tourist traffic, to the nearest "big chain" grocery store to stock up on certain items.  And no, it's not even Wal-Mart or another discount chain (as far as grocery chains go it's one of the more expensive ones out there but it's the closest).  I use these trips to buy the items they don't carry at our IGA stores (like the coconut milk creamer my husband and I love in our coffee), and the perishable items that are just too expensive at the IGA (like organic milk and almond milk - both are almost double the price here in town!).  
8. Buy Store Brand.  Whether I'm picking up things at a big chain grocery store or the local IGA, I try to buy store brand whenever I can.  Most of the time store brand tastes just as good and works just as well (IGA even has it's own store brand called "Shurfine").  We always buy store brand organic milk, canned goods, ziplocks, and more.  Store brand can cost anywhere from 5 cents to a dollar less than name brand, and all those little savings add up.  
9. Coupons.  There's no doubling, matching, or store loyalty cards at our local grocery stores, but coupons are still a great way to save a little every trip.  I keep our coupons organized in a little file so they're easy to find as I'm writing our grocery list.  (PS - my plaid coupon organizer is only $2.99 on Amazon - can't beat it!)  
10. Ibotta.  The Ibotta app allows you to earn rebates back on many items you already buy.  (While this app doesn't work at most small independent grocers, you can use it when you visit large chain stores to stock up.)  In order to unlock the rebates, you simply have to view an ad, watch a short commercial, or take a one question poll about the product.  In exchange for helping them with their market research, you get rewarded with a small rebate when you purchase the product (items must be verified via receipt or through a linked store loyalty card).  You can read my full review of this app here:  Get Paid to Shop and Save Money with Ibotta.  [This tip was added 5/4/16]

I hope my tips gave you some ideas to save on groceries "out here."  Do you have any other helpful tips?   

Protecting Your Children's Identity Online

Two of my favorite blogs, WillowCrowns and Olive & Tate, recently posted their views on how they work to protect their kids online and it opened my eyes to some of the new weird stuff that's going on out there (like baby role-playing, so creepy).  Everybody has their own opinion of what's okay or safe to share or not to share and I have to warn I take a much more overly-cautious approach than most.  I encourage you to read Megan and Stephanie's posts to see their tips, which I think would be of help for most bloggers who still want to share a lot of personal photos with the world.  

For me, I try very hard to keep public photos of our little one to an extreme minimum.  I don't have her in my profile pictures or cover photos and all my personal accounts are locked down to "friends only."  Even still, I try not to post too many photos of her even on my private accounts.  Instead I do share a lot of photos with family and close friends in texts or e-mails (sorry for filling up your inboxes, guys!).  I feel like I have a lot more control over who has access to the pictures I share this way.  

I know as a blogger the best way to make a personal connection with your audience is to share personal photos and stories of your life, and while many of the blogs I enjoy reading most do just that I'm not willing to risk putting all that out there.  

I'm certainly not an internet privacy expert, and my tips aren't 100% fool-proof, but I encourage you to read on for some basic tips I feel are very important for everyone.    

Basic Internet Safety Tips

1. If you have a blog or a business, create separate accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for personal use and for public use.  Make sure all your personal accounts are locked down to "private."  
2. Never use photos of your children or your home in your profile or cover photos.  
3. Go through your friends list and make sure you're okay sharing information with everyone on it.  If not, consider un-friending people or moving them to a "Restricted/Limited Profile" List (this feature is available on Facebook).  
4. Turn off Geotagging on photos which could be used to pinpoint the exact places your photos are taken, even right down to your living room.  A quick explanation and how-to video on how to turn it off can be found here.  
5. Never publicly check-in or add locations to photos - and don't use the "Name this Location" feature on Instagram (at least not publicly), even to put in witty headlines.  I don't know how many times I've seen a fellow blogger use the Name this Location field on Instagram to put in a plug for their website or a sale.  However, if you're not careful, it records exactly where you posted that picture from.  If someone clicks on that field it then brings up a map and you can zoom right down to the street view of wherever the picture is posted from (in other words, you just showed everyone on the internet exactly where you live).  
6. If you have a blog or business, get a PO Box and don't use your home address.  Make sure to use the PO Box for all business correspondence, return addresses on product you're shipping out, and to receive products for collabs or to review.  

Am I a little over-protective?  Probably.  But watermarks can be photoshopped out, photos can be stolen, locations can be pinpointed.. unfortunately it's the age we live in and I think everyone - blogger or not - needs to be aware and a little more wary.  

Do you have any other basic internet privacy tips to add?  Please share them below.  

Mudroom Organization

I always keep an LL Bean boat tote bag by the door, full of our little one's outerwear so we're always ready to go play in the snow!