Mariner Lines Nautical Dog Leash Giveaway!

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.

Good luck! 

Giveaway ends 12/18/15 at 8PM EST. 

Giveaway with Life on the Shady Grove!

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.

Oh, What Fun! A Christmas Giveaway ($350 value!)

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

Good luck!  

Giveaway ends 12/14/15.

Giveaway with Mainely Mama!

Rebecca from Mainely Mama is featuring our ornaments today and hosting a giveaway for a set just the ones pictured here.  Please check out her post for details and to enter.  Good luck!  

Mainely Mama's giveaway ends 12/12/15.

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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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!  

Featured on Life on the Shady Grove

Wendy from Life on the Shady Grove will be sharing her Christmas home tour and hosting a HUGE series of giveaways in December featuring 32 crafters, including Birch Landing Home!  She's just posted a little introduction to some of the participants on her blog so you can get a preview of some of the makers and items involved.  

I can't wait to see how she styles our hand-etched ornaments in her home and I'm looking forward to sending the lucky winner their own set of ornaments to use this Christmas!  

Don't worry, I'll let you know when Wendy's gorgeous home tour is up on her blog and when her 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways begin!  But in the meantime, don't forget to follow her on Instagram (@lifeontheshadygrove) so you don't miss another inspiring home decor post.  

Instagram Giveaway with Seagate Studio!

So excited to have partnered with the lovely Seagate Studio for a great giveaway!  Winner will receive one of their beautiful vintage lantern pillows and a set of our hand-etched birch ornaments.  See @seagate.studio's original post on Instagram for details and to enter!  Good luck :)

Giveaway ends 10/18/15 at 9PM EST.