Thank You!

Whew, what a busy weekend!  

Between Plaid Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday we sold out of most of our listings on Etsy, a very nice problem to have indeed!  ;)  My priority is getting all current orders out and then I will work on restocking the shop.  Thank you all SOO much for your orders and your interest! 

In the meantime if you're looking for our ornaments ASAP, you can try one of the lovely shops that are carrying them this season.  They include Daytrip Society, The Straw Cellar, and Wyler's. 

Plaid Friday Coupon Code!

We're celebrating Plaid Friday and Small Business Saturday all weekend long!  Enjoy 20% off everything in our Etsy shop through midnight Sunday with the coupon code "20PLAID".

Quantities are limited at the moment, so shop sooner than later.  Thank you all again for your support and shopping small!

Coupon code expires 11/29/15 at 11:59 PM EST.  

UPDATE:  Sale extended through Cyber Monday!!  Coupon code now expires 11/30/15 at 11:59PM EST.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from Birch Landing Home!  Hope you're spending the day with loved ones and enjoying your blessings.  So much to be thankful for <3

New Etsy Listing: Deer Silhouette Birch Ornament

Just added a few of these cute Deer Silhouette Birch Ornaments to the Etsy shop.  These little guys will add the perfect touch of rustic cabin charm to your home!  

New Etsy Listing: Custom Initial Heart Ornaments, perfect for gifts or wedding favors!

Meet our latest edition to the Etsy Shop, Custom Initial Heart Ornaments in Birch!  These make a great gift for your favorite couple or a keepsake for you and your significant other.  The wood-burned design is reminiscent of initials carved in a tree.  
And if you're thinking of having these as wedding favors, please make sure to send me a custom order request as bulk discounts are available.  

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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Featured on Seacoast Lately + Giveaway

Super-excited to have been featured on Seacoast Lately's beautiful blog today!  Maggie does a wonderful job highlighting the beauty, businesses, and events on the NH Seacoast and beyond and I'm honored to have made her carefully curated selection. 

If you want the inside skinny on the best of the area, be sure to give her a follow - you won't regret it! 

 GIVEAWAY

If you'd like a chance to win a set of my hand-etched ornaments, visit @seacoast.lately's Instagram for details and to enter - good luck! 

Lots of GIVEAWAYS Coming Your Way!

I've teamed up with some great bloggers and shops to bring some amazing GIVEAWAYS over the next couple weeks.  Keep an eye out, they're not to be missed! 

They include:  Thistle and Oak, Seacoast Lately, Nûby USA, Mainely Mama, Life on the Shady Grove, Mariner Lines, and In The Morning Co...Whew, I think that's everyone!