Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter

Newsletters are where it's at now and I'm jumping on the bandwagon ;)  

Please feel free to sign up for my weekly newsletter in the form below.  I manage the list myself and don't share your information, so you don't have to worry about getting spammed.  

I plan on sending out one email per week, tops (we all get enough emails everyday already, right?).  In the weekly newsletter I'll share a summary to some of my latest posts, any giveaways I'm hosting for the blog, as well as what's new in the Etsy shop and exclusive coupon codes.  

Thanks so much for following along :)  

We Are Knitters {Review + Giveaway!}

It's been a long, loooong time since I knit anything but when We Are Knitters contacted me to see if I wanted to try out one of their kits and give one away to a lucky follower I was excited to say yes.  There's just something about curling up in a cozy chair and knitting that melts the stress away.  
(Don't forget to look for our exclusive coupon code and enter the giveaway to win your own kit!)

We Are Knitters has tons of kits available to choose from - including scarves, hats, sweaters, blankets, and even dresses! But since it had been so long since I knit anything I decided to be safe and go with the Downtown Snood kit from their beginner level selection of kits.

The wool for this kit is premium 100% natural Peruvian wool which is amazingly soft and thick with 35 colors to choose from.  In fact, I loved it so much I got an extra skien so I could make the project twice.  (You are also able to purchase wool skeins separately right from their website.)   

In the kit you find your wool, wooden knitting needles, pattern, needle, and a label for your finished project.  Embarrassingly, I do not know how to read a knitting pattern (ha) but it was written so simply even I could understand it.  And what's even better, We Are Knitters (WAK) has great video tutorials available to you so you can study how to do the stitch and easily pause the video to practice step-by-step.  

I definitely recommend watching the videos with your knitting needles and some scrap yarn in your hands so you're able to practice before you start on your nice yarn from WAK.  But after some practice I was able to get it down and was kitting away a mile a minute in no time.  

The project went quickly and now I have some gorgeous handmade scarves to wear now that the cold weather is setting in.  

We Are Knitters was also kind enough to share an exclusive coupon code with my readers - just use the code BIRCHLANDINGWAK at checkout to receive 15% off your order!  

GIVEAWAY

Would you like the chance to win your own Downtown Snood Kit in your choice of color? Just visit We Are Knitters HERE and sign up for their free newsletter. Givewaway will end October 24th.

EDIT 10/26/16: Winner chosen and notified - Congratulations Kristin B!

- I received these materials for review from We Are Knitters but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. - 

Allison Cole Jewelry + Giveaway!

I've had the pleasure of following Allison Cole Jewelry on Instagram for awhile now and fell in love with Nicole's gorgeous nautical-inspired jewelry.  Nicole was kind enough to send me one of her classic rope bracelets to style and offered to give a bracelet from her gorgeous line to one lucky winner.  Read on for an exclusive coupon code and how to enter to win a bracelet of your own!

Nicole Recomendes is the owner/designer behind Allison Cole Jewelry. Nicole has roots in New England - growing up in Hanover, MA and spending every summer on her family's boat. She has always had an eye and love for nautical style. After working in the corporate world for awhile, she followed a dream to work for herself and launched the line in May of 2015 and it really took off from there!

I've always been a big fan of nautical and New England-inspired fashion myself and so I was excited to pair her Metallic Rope Bracelet with some of our favorite nautical inspired pieces. What I really love about this bracelet is that it's simple enough to dress up or down but still bold enough to make a statement. These rope bracelets look great on their own or stacked with other bracelets and bangles.

Exclusive Coupon Code

Allison Cole Jewelry is also very reasonably priced which makes this trendy style achievable for everyone.  Better yet, we have an exclusive coupon code to share with you -- use the code BIRCHLANDING at checkout to get 20% off everything in her shop!  (That makes the bracelet I'm wearing less than $20 - such a great deal!)  

*GIVEAWAY!*  

Looking for a chance to win your choice of bracelet from Allison Cole's line?  Find the photo above on my Instagram (@birchlandinghome) and enter there!  All details and rules can be found in the giveaway post.  
Good luck!  

Bracelet c/o Allison Cole Jewelry | Leash c/o Mariner Lines

- I received this bracelet for review from Allison Cole Jewelry but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -   

Photos by Adrian Pelletier Photography

---

Fun feature with Allison Cole Jewlery coming soon!

I'll be having a really fun feature with Allison Cole Jewelry - and a *givewaway* coming to the blog soon!  You don't want to miss this one ;)  

Can't wait? You can use the coupon code BIRCHLANDING to get 20% off everything at Allison Cole Jewlery

Totally in love with my new black and gold classic rope bracelet!  

5 Things I Should Have Done from the Start with my Handmade Business

I've been selling my hand-etched ornaments and other small crafts locally and from my Etsy shop for a little while now, and I've learned quite a bit during this time.  In the beginning I was totally "winging it" and looking back now there are a few things that I really wished I had started right from the get-go.  | This post contains affiliate links |

DISCLAIMER: Always consult a local tax and business professional for the best advice for your situation regarding finances and how to legally set up your business.

5 Things I Should Have Done from the Start with my Handmade Business 

Keep All Receipts

In the beginning this all started out more as a hobby than anything else, and so I never kept my receipts from supplies bought, postage, etc. I really didn't know how much I was spending vs. how much I was making or if it was really profitable. If you're doing your handmade business on a very small scale strictly as a hobby all this might not matter as much, but once you start getting a decent amount of sales you need to keep track of how much you're spending for these things - this is especially important for taxes (whomp, whomp) since you can write off a lot of your expenses, but only if you have the receipts. You can use a receipt organizer to make it a little easier to file and organize everything for your records.

Supply & Materials Records

Knowing how much everything costs for your business (craft supplies, packaging materials, etc) as well as how much you use is important for planning ahead and having enough materials on-hand.  In the beginning you can expect a learning curve where you'll run out of padded envelopes or ribbon from time-to-time.  But figuring out your demand and flow of goods and materials can help make sure you always have enough supplies on-hand without having too much surplus (also not good).  

Separate Bank Account

Keeping a separate bank account really helps keep track of expenses as well as makes sure you're only spending what you're making and not more.  Open a new checking/debit account (and possibly a credit card) and use those methods of payment for all business related expenses - buying supplies at the store, shipping items, etc.  When payments are deposited from Etsy or checks they should go into this checking account.  By only using the money you're making to spend on expenses you won't go into debt.  Also make sure to set some money aside to pay yearly or quarterly taxes if applicable (your accountant can help you figure that out).  

Better Overall Financial Record Keeping

Keeping track of expenses vs. income can be hard and it's easy to forget infrequent or small expenses that can really add up (yearly website hosting, Etsy listing fees, advertising, items sent to bloggers for collabs, etc).  You'll definitely want to create or purchase a spreadsheet template to keep close tabs on all of these expenses.  

Rather than try to make one myself, several months ago I purchased the Etsy Seller Spreadsheet from Paper + Spark and was really impressed! Janet from Paper + Spark is a Certified Public Accountant, so she really knows her stuff. The spreadsheet template can input all the data (sales, Etsy selling fees, listing fees, etc) right from Etsy and populates them into the spreadsheet for you so you don't miss anything. There are also sections you can customize so you can put in expenses from website hosting, office supplies, etc or income from local craft shows or wholesale accounts. It can be hard to realize how much Etsy's cut is (they charge a listing fee, a transaction fee, and a percentage of the sale), so seeing just how much their take actually is has helped me adjust my pricing better. Recording all these details was so important to finally see what my bottom line actually is - I really wish I had kept better track of everything right from the beginning!

I had purchased Paper + Spark's original spreadsheet, but Janet's since come out with more detailed spreadsheets as well as “bundles” that include documents to help you with inventory, pricing, and selling on other platforms (Shopify, Square, etc) so you can decide what spreadsheet and package is best for you and your business. And the best part? Paper + Spark’s customer service is AMAZING! Janet will continue to make available the latest version of your purchases each year. That way if Etsy or another platform tweaks anything, you’ll know that your current spreadsheet will be up to date and working properly.

If you'd like to purchase one of Paper + Spark's spreadsheets or other business tools (check with your accountant regarding your situation, but you should be able to write it off as a business expense!), you can use the Coupon Code "BIRCH10" to receive 10% off her entire store.  

Social Media + Collaborations

Never underestimate the power of social media!  Social Media is the place to see and be seen - make sure you're always posting, commenting, and connecting with other handmade buisnesses, gift shops, bigger brands, and bloggers.  Always use hashtags on Instagram, but hide them in your first comment so they don't clutter up your caption.  In particular, Instagram is a great place to get exposure - in fact my photos have been reposted by brands like Nuby, Kohl's, and Yankee Magazine and one was even featured in print in Martha Stewart Living Magazine!  I was also contacted by Food Network Magazine to be a contributor for one of their articles.

Another great way to gain exposure and a following is to reach out to bloggers for collaborations (collabs).  Usually this entails you sending your product to them, free of charge, and they will style and feature your item on their blog and across their social media accounts.  You could also team up with them to host a giveaway.  Some larger bloggers may also charge you a fee to collab with them, but many bloggers will feature for free if your product fits their aesthetic.  This is a great way to get your name and your products out there and increase your following.  And don't write-off the power of smaller bloggers either - sometimes the smaller bloggers have the most active and devoted followings.  

DISCLAIMER: Always consult a local tax and business professional for the best advice for your situation regarding finances and how to legally set up your business.

---

Looking for FREE Etsy listings to get started?  

If you're thinking of opening a brand new Etsy shop, please feel free to use my referral link HERE - and we'll both earn some free listings on Etsy :)

---

- I purchased Paper + Spark's products myself and was so impressed that I chose to become an affiliate.  All my opinions are my own and I honestly love her product.  As an affiliate, if you purchase anything from her site using my links I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you -

---

---

Mom Style: Statement Teething Necklaces by Nûby + GIVEAWAY!

Statement necklaces are big right now, and why not put that style to good use by working double-duty as a teether for your tot?  Sounds like a great solution to me!  Nûby was kind enough to send me two of their new Teething Trends statement necklaces to style and review - and one lucky winner will get to choose one necklace for themselves from Nûby's line!   

All of the teething necklaces in Nûby's new line are both on-trend and on-hand when you need them most.  By having a teether that you wear, you always have one at the ready when your little one is in need of something to teeth on - especially handy to keep them from gnawing a finger off while you're stuck in a long line at the post office.  

These teething necklaces are BPA-free and made from soft silicone so they're easy on tender gums.  They also feature a break-away clasp in the event of an overly-grabby toddler but please keep in mind these necklaces are meant for moms to wear, not your teething littles.  

There are a variety of colors and styles available, as well as bracelets (not pictured in this review), so you can find one - or seven - that match your style and every item in your wardrobe.  What I love most is these don't even look like teethers - they're stylish enough to wear to work or a girls night out.  

Mom Style

Necklaces featured are Nûby Teething Trends Medium Oval + Pearl Necklace in Teal and Nûby Teething Trends Pearl Necklace in Grey.  

This is probably one of my favorite combos and a perfect outfit for a lunch out with friends.  This necklace really pops against the crisp white linen shirt and the straw fedora and aviator sunglasses add some more fun, trendy elements.  

The teal teething necklace also pairs perfectly with this geometric print maxi dress, over-sized sunhat, and sunglasses.  Perfect outfit for getting ice cream with the family down at the water.  

This monochromatic outfit is ideal for doing errands and running around town with a grey and navy striped tunic top, dark washed jeans, and the grey pearl beaded necklace.  

Just love the grey pearl beaded necklace against the grey and navy stripes!  

This week we made the trek up north to check out the Lupine Festival.  The flowers were in full bloom and still gorgeous despite the constant drizzle (though I wish I could have said the same thing about my hair).  We dressed for breakfast out and walks around the lupine fields, and the Medium Oval + Pearl Necklace in Teal was a great pop of color against my white button-up and black quilted vest.  

**GIVEAWAY!**  
A teething necklace of your choice from Nûby

One winner will be chosen to receive one (1) Nûby statement teething necklace in their choice of style/color.  Open to US entrants only, 18 years or older - winner will be contacted by the email address provided.  
You can select how many entries you would like to complete but keep in mind an invalid entry (i.e. stating you're following on Instagram, but you are not) will result in disqualification.  Thank you and good luck!  :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

---

- I received these items for review from Nûby but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. -   

Nûby's Teething Trends Jewelry is available at Babies 'R Us and Wal-Mart.    

How to Get Paid to Shop and Save Money with Ibotta

Ibotta isn't new, I'd heard a lot about it but was always a bit skeptical... "So I buy groceries and the things I always do and get some money back for it?  Really??"  Sounds too good to be true, right?  
Well that's what I thought at first, until a few friends signed up for the app and converted me.  The only "catch" to this program is that in exchange for earning money back on your purchases, you're providing some market research info to Ibotta.. that's it.  Pretty good deal, right?  | This post contains affiliate links |

How Ibotta Works

Signing up for Ibotta is easy - download the app and create an account (pssst, right now they're offering a $10 bonus for new users!). Then search for the retailer (Walmart, Target, Hannaford, Kohl's, etc) you will be shopping at next and scroll through the available offers. When you see an offer for something you want to buy, click on it and view a short advertisement or answer a basic multiple choice question (i.e. "What's your favorite brand of orange juice? - A, B, C, or D"), once you complete that simple task the offer is now unlocked and is able to be redeemed.

Rebates for validated purchases are automatically deposited into Ibotta, usually within 48 hours.  Once you hit a minimum of $20 (which isn't that hard), you can transfer that money to your PayPal account - it's real money.  

Earn Money Back on Things You Never Get Coupons For

One of my favorite parts of Ibotta is that they always have some rebates for things you buy every week but will very rarely, if ever, get coupons for.  I'm talking about things like dairy products, juice, eggs, fruit, and vegetables - and these rebates are for any brand, even organic!  

These "any brand" rebates can vary from week-to-week on what's offered and the exact rebate amount, but the milk, bread, eggs, and a particular type of fruit or vegetable rebates are pretty standard and seem to be offered almost every week.  For example right now on Ibotta they have $0.50 back on a gallon of milk, $0.50 on eggs, $0.50 on a package of sliced bread, $0.25 on bananas, and $0.25 on tomatoes.  These are items that most people buy every week, and even if you only used Ibotta for these five rebates each week you would save $104 (!) over the course of the year!  (I used the current rebate amounts as an example, however keep in mind that some weeks the rebate amount on items like these may vary - but you get the point.)

Stack Those Savings!

Another great thing is that you can use Ibotta in conjunction with manufacturer and store coupons, store loyalty programs, sales, etc.  For example - the other week I bought Glad trash bags at Walmart; they cost $8.99 - Ibotta had a $2 rebate and then the Walmart Savings Catcher App found the same trash bags cheaper at Shaw's so it credited me the $1.49 difference.  So instead of $8.99, the trash bags only cost $5.50 = savings of $3.49 (40%) just on this one item!  

Use Ibotta at More Than Just Grocery Stores

So far I've only used Ibotta at the grocery store and Walmart, but you can use it at so many other places too - like restaurants and clothing stores!  You can even "star" your favorite stores to save them on the home screen, that way it's fast and easy to look up rebates on the fly when you're in the store.  

Invite Friends to Earn More

Whenever you refer a friend to Ibotta you earn $5 in your account (wahoo!) as well as add them to your Team. Ibotta always has ongoing bonuses each month to reward teams to save more - for example, right now if you redeem 10 rebates this month and your Team collectively redeems $15 of rebates, you earn an extra $1 in your account. There are several "Levels" each month, and the more you and your team use Ibotta, the more levels you achieve and the more money in your pocket. This is all easy to accomplish if you invite a lot of friends ;)

I know, I know - you want to know the bottom line.  So I've been using Ibotta for almost a month and I currently have $23.75 in my account.  $10 of that was my sign-on bonus, so $13.75 was earned in rebates and bonuses.  That doesn't seem like a ton, but the grocery store in our town actually doesn't participate with Ibotta (it's an independent grocer), so I can only use it when I make a trip to the big chain stores.  Also, because we buy a lot of organic and natural foods, $13.75 is also more than I usually can save with coupons since coupons for those items are few and far between.  I've also made a point not to buy anything that I wouldn't normally buy, because I wanted to be realistic and get a sense of what I can earn back for our essential items.  

My earnings may not seem like a ton, but it's money in our pocket and it certainly helps!  You can also be more proactive so save even more - I have a friend who meal plans around what's available on Ibotta and saves an average of $35+ every month.  You also earn a $5 referral for every friend you get to sign up (which I haven't done yet, but certainly will be doing).  Overall, I've really enjoyed using Ibotta so far and will definitely continue to use it.  

If you'd like to sign up for Ibotta, please use my referral link here or enter in my referral code: jkuddhs

Make sure to check out our other money-saving grocery tips:  

• Saving Money on Groceries - Rural Edition
• Birch Landing Home on Pinterest

This post was not sponsored and all opinions and experiences are my own.  This post does contain my referral link to Ibotta, if you sign up using this link I will earn a small referral bonus (the same one you can earn too for referring others).  

Our 4th Pampers Rewards: Melissa and Doug Tool Kit

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!  Our little girl has been really into "helping" Daddy build things lately, so we decided to get a tool kit just for her.  | This post contains affiliate links |

The tool kit is by Melissa and Doug and we were pleased with how sturdy it is. Our daughter really put it to the test, whacking the whole thing all over with the wooden hammer but it still survived.

The kit contains a wooden wrench, screw driver, hammer, bolts/screws, nuts, "nails", and some pieces of wood with holes in it that you can screw or nail together or attach to the side of the tool box.  

Miss M and Daddy have really been enjoying building with this set and we've even caught her "working" on her trains with the wrench - this Reward has definitely been a big hit!  

Want to see what else we got from Pampers Rewards?  Check out our other posts:  

• Our First Pampers Rewards - Free Gifts for Buying Diapers!  
• Our 2nd Pampers Rewards:  Little Tikes Shopping Cart
• Our 3rd Pampers Rewards:  Potty Training Chart

Please note, items available from Pampers Rewards are subject to change.