Busy Bee this Labor Day

Being a busy bee this Labor Day, making a bunch of Hand-Etched Snowflake Ornaments in Soft Maple and White Birch. Hand-made by me here in New Hampshire! 

Looks like we need to throw a party now!

I just received some of the most beautiful party and gift supplies from Creative Wife & Joyful Worker and Essential Packaging, Inc.  Now I really want to throw a party, STAT!  They included ribbons, tissue paper, favor bags, gift boxes and bags, straws, seals, gift tags and more, all in a white and gold theme.  Essential Packaging definitely has an eye for coordinating everything beautifully! 

Thank you so much again, ladies! All the items are gorgeous and so luxe.  

Featured on the DIY Network Blog!

Honored to say our brick-lined walkway update was recently featured on the DIY Network Blog, Made + Remade!  Please check us out at #7 on "9 Driveway and Pathway Updates on a Budget."  

As seen on the DIY Network Blog!

You can read our full how-to on this project here:  Easy Brick Upgrade for Concrete Walkway.

Gearing Up for the Christmas Season!

August is winding down but the good news is I'm hard at work restocking my Etsy shop and working on filling pre-orders for the Christmas season, including the amazing Daytrip Society in Kennebunkport, Maine (so excited!). 

Can't wait to turn these birch beauties into some adorable snowflake ornaments once they dry completely. 

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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Local Product Love: Mack & Ro

A big thank you to Mack & Ro for sending this adorable little watercolor painting! Jenny is a fellow New England blogger and her beautiful watercolors are inspired by her New England roots. 

Our spare room has a beachy theme and this little starfish painting is a perfect fit! 

Mack & Ro Blog  |  Mack & Ro Etsy Shop

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. 

Around New England: Portsmouth Tall Ships

We've been wanting to check out the Tall Ships in Portsmouth for years, and this year we finally did it!  

Overall, it was very cool and definitely worth seeing at least once.  The ship was well-done with a lot of detail and interesting features - and of course it was a lot of fun pretending to be a pirate for about 45 minutes.  But for as much as we've been hyping it up to ourselves, we were honestly a little bit disappointed.  There was only one tall ship there that day (we were expecting many) and it was a reproduction (I guess we were expecting an original or at least a very old ship).  It was also very crowded and hot - fair warning.    

Despite all that, it was definitely worth doing and any excuse to get into Portsmouth is always a good one.  We rounded out the day with a walk through Prescott Park, subs from Moe's deli, and popovers from Popovers on the Square - doesn't get much better than that!