I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, crafter, and blogger living in rural New England. As seen in Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, and more! | Tutorials, DIY, crafts, parenting tips, recipes, money saving tips, product reviews, local product features, New England living, intentional living, and more! |
Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas with family and friends!
It felt more like spring than December here in New England today, but it was still a wonderful Christmas.
I'll be taking a little break from the Etsy shop until the end of January and am hoping to get some projects finished around the house in the meantime (like my annual New Years Resolution closet purge). I'm also hoping to expand the Etsy shop in the New Year with more New England-inspired home decor items like painted signs and handmade boxes.
Does anyone else need makeup help out there or am I the only clueless one? These days with a toddler I'm lucky if I get any make-up on my face at all but in the past I've always just stuck to the tried-and-true concealer, powder, a little shadow, mascara = done. I've always wanted to up my makeup game though; learn about contouring, layering, and creating fun looks for date nights and parties, which is why I was so excited to learn that a college friend had started a YouTube channel dedicated to all of these things!
Corey Anne was my dorm-mate in college and back then I would have never imagined that the soccer-playing tomboy next door would have her own makeup tutorial series someday! Corey has been interested in makeup for a long time but decided to take the leap into tutorials and vlogging fairly recently. She's really enjoyed learning and sharing from others on YouTube and thought it was time to put herself out there too.
Corey's videos cover everything from basic how-tos to costume makeup to product and Birch Box reviews. They're entertaining to watch and the step-by-step makes the looks achievable for everyone. I've shared her Holiday Makeup Look below; I love how it's glamorous with just a hint of flashy - but not over the top. It'd totally be suitable to wear to a work party, an outing with friends, or even to a family event if everyone's just a little dressed up.
Holiday makeup looks are the most fun! Playful, colorful, glitter!! Check out my daily vlogs: http://bit.ly/1YdEbKC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- eye shadow base | http://bit.ly/1sq7Srl eye shadow palette | http://seph.me/1AqBY1x eye shadow duo | http://birch.ly/1lZV0Lj gold liner | sorry I can't find this one!
Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go practice my eyeliner technique.
Seventh Generation was kind enough to send us one of their Healthy Baby Home Party kits full of little free samples, coupons, and tips to share with our family and friends. I've been a huge fan of Seventh Generation for awhile now and was really excited to share them and this information with others. | This post contains affiliate links |
Our little one made good use out of the packing paper in the box and went to town coloring it up. That's one way to recycle! (Crayons are our own, similar ones linked here.)
A few years ago, before we started trying to get pregnant, I made the decision to switch over as many household cleaners, detergents, and soaps as I could to "cleaner," all-natural versions. There's so much chemicals and additives in most commercial products these days and I figured that it could only be beneficial to make the switch and limit our family's exposure to these things. One of the brands I switched to was Seventh Generation and I haven't looked back.
I've been a big fan of all the Seventh Generation products I've tried so far, but I have especially loved theirlaundry detergent and stain remover. In fact their Free & Clear Laundry Detergent was gentle enough that we found we didn't have to switch to expensive "baby detergent" when our little one was first born.
There were a lot of Healthy Home Tips shared during the party, but I wanted to pass on some of the ones I found most interesting here:
"Purchase toys made from natural materials, like solid wood with non-toxic finishes and natural textiles like organic cotton or wool. The familiar 'new smell' that plastic toys often emit can be a sign that toxic softeners or finishers were used to make the product."
"The term 'fragrance' or 'parfum' on the label of baby care products can represent hundreds of unknown chemicals since manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients. Whenever possible, look for products that use 100% natural fragrance for the scent or offer fragrance-free formulations to protect your baby."
"Indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air. Ventilate the home by opening windows, and limit your use of air fresheners and chemical cleaning products that release potentially harmful VOCs into your indoor environment."
- I received samples, coupons, and tips for myself and to share with others, but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -
THANK YOU for all your interest and purchases this Christmas season! I have constantly been selling out of items and that is a wonderful "problem" to have :)
As of December 15th I cannot guarantee delivery by Christmas but I will do my best to get orders out ASAP. It will then be up to the US Postal Service to make good time delivering them.
We're hosting a great giveaway with Mariner Lines over on Instagram! Now is your chance to win one of their beautiful Maine-made recycled rigging line leashes for your pup. Please see the original giveaway post on my account (@birchlandinghome) for details and to enter.
Being in the Christmas spirit, we've got giveaways on giveaways going on over the next few days including this one with Life on the Shady Grove that ends tonight! Winner will receive a personalized cutting board, a handmade sign, and a set of our hand-etched maple snowflake ornaments. Please check out this post on @lifeontheshadygrove for details and to enter.
Good luck!
Photo by @lifeontheshadygrove. Giveaway ends 12/11/15 at 10PM EST.
We're part of a great Christmas giveaway going on over on Instagram that's not to be missed! The prize pack is worth $350 from lots of great shops. Find the image below on my Instagram (@birchlandinghome) for details and to enter. #ohwhatfungiveaway
I had to take a little break from etching and came up with these gold beauties! New to the Etsy shop, Gold-Painted Mini Birch Ornaments! These come as a set of 3, each one with a different design - polka-dot, stripes, and "gold-dipped." Add a luxe touch to your rustic decor!
