Out and About with the Eddie Bauer Places & Spaces Cascade Diaper Backpack

Almost six years ago, we got an Eddie Bauer Diaper Tote Bag before our first was born - and ever since it has been our go-to diaper bag for the car and outings. We’ve loved it’s durability and functionality, so when we had the opportunity to try one of their backpack styles with our littlest one we jumped at the chance! | Sponsored - This post contains an honest review of product provided by Eddie Bauer c/o Baby Brezza |

In the past when doing long outings on foot I’ve always thrown diaper bag items into one of my regular hiking backpacks, and inevitably whatever we needed most would always be lost at the bottom somewhere. Hiking backpacks just aren’t ideal for holding all the little items, wipes, diapers, bottles, etc you need - so you can imagine how excited I was to finally try a backpack that was made to be a diaper bag!

I was particularly drawn to the Eddie Bauer Places & Spaces Cascade Diaper Backpack for it’s looks and functionality. I loved that it looked like a fun, modern bag that didn’t scream “diaper bag.” I also loved all of it’s features! It has twelve (yes, 12!) pockets, removable changing pad, stroller loops, wipes case, and insulated bottle pocket. No more digging around to find small items with all of it’s handy pockets! And the wipes case on the side is great for getting a wipe on the go to clean messy hands or faces.

Our family has been loving the practicality and style of this diaper backpack and are really looking forward to bringing it to the local country fair in a few weeks! Being hands-free is key to keeping up with the little ones ;)

SHOP THIS POST: | Eddie Bauer Places & Spaces Cascade Diaper Backpack (exclusively at Target) | L.L. Bean Sweater Fleece | White Mountain Shoes Skipper Leather Moccasin | Polo Ralph Lauren Bal Harbour Toddler Sneakers | Toddler Rain Jacket is old L.L. Bean |

- I received this Eddie Bauer diaper backpack from Baby Brezza but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please read our full Disclosure Policy for more information - 

Favorite Find: Reflective Stickers for Gear and Fabric

Just wanted to hop on here and share my latest favorite Amazon Find - just in time for back to school too. | This post is NOT sponsored, but does contain affiliate links |
We’ve been using these reflective safety stickers for awhile on our helmets, bikes, etc but we recently realized they can stick amazingly well to fabric too! This makes them perfect for adding visibility to your children’s backpacks and coats, especially important for those early morning bus stops.

These particular stickers are Gear Aid "Tenacious Tape Reflective Patches", and we're SOO impressed with their sticking power - especially to fabric! They really stick well and look like they were manufactured as part of the fabric. They're completely flexible and durable.

We have yet to run them through the washing machine, but according to reviews online these ARE machine washable on most fabrics. And after seeing how well they adhere to fabric I am expecting them to perform well (I will definitely update this post in the future with more feedback though). Definitely check them out and add some safety and visibility to backpacks, coats, strollers, hiking gear, and more!

SHOP: Gear Aid "Tenacious Tape Reflective Patches"

Back-to-School Fashion with L.L. Bean

It’s the most wonderful time of the year (…for parents, that is)! September is right around the corner and the kids will be going back to school. Now’s the time to get your back-to-school shopping started and I’ve rounded up some of my favorite kid picks from our favorite New England-based retailer, L.L. Bean. I love how their stuff is built to last so you know that backpack (and everything else) will last for years to come. | This post contains affiliate links |

Back-to-School Fashion with L.L. Bean

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Easy Chopped Greek Salad

Whew, where is the summer going? It seems like just last week school got out - but here we are with just a few precious weeks of summer vacation left. We’re trying to squeeze in what fun we can with family hikes, day trips, visiting friends, - and of course enjoying some of our favorite summertime foods. One of my favorites is this Easy Chopped Greek Salad which can make a perfect dinner on a hot night or a side dish to bring to the neighborhood BBQ. | This post contains affiliate links |

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers
• 2 large tomatoes (or a bunch of cherry tomatoes)
• half a red onion (I love red onions and tend to put in a lot... feel free to adjust the amount of red onion to your taste)
• 4 oz canned black olives, rinsed and drained
• 1 lemon
• olive oil (California Olive Ranch Brand is my favorite)
• oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package of feta cheese
• fresh chives for garnish

This recipe is a great way to use up tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs from your garden too!

How-to:

1. Chop cucumbers and tomatoes into bite sized chunks (remove seeds from tomatoes if they’re too “sloppy”).

2. Dice up to half a red onion (adjust amount of onion to taste).

3. In a separate bowl, make the dressing: juice one lemon, and add a splash of olive oil. Add about a tsp of dried oregano, and salt and pepper. Whisk together and add more olive oil or herbs/spices to taste.

4. Combine veggies, black olives, and dressing in bowl and mix well.

5. Add feta cheese and chives to garnish before serving.

6. Enjoy!

I make this salad just by “winging it” each time and don’t have exact amounts for olive oil or spices - really it’s up to you and your personal taste. Just experiment and see what tastes good to you.

| Plates are "Mikasa - Italian Countryside" |

Hey, hey it's Prime Day! 2019

It's Amazon Prime Day! A great time to finally get that item on your Wishlist, start your Christmas shopping, or simply stock up on household items. There are lots of great sales today and tomorrow - and I'm sharing some of my favorites on Birch Landing Home's Facebook page! | This post contains affiliate links |

Shop some of my favorite deals HERE, on Birch Landing Home's Facebook page or browse all the deals HERE, directly on Amazon. The sales on Amazon-branded items (Kindles, Firesticks, etc) are especially amazing!

Summer Fun Found on Amazon!

Summer vacation is here, now let’s have some fun!
I’ve scoured Amazon for fun yard games, beach toys, car games, and activities for kids of all ages - even some indoor activities for those rainy days. There’s no excuse for boredom this summer, let’s have some fun! | This post contains affiliate links |

A Special Corner

I’ve had this plant cloche for awhile and just picked up a little Boston fern for it today. This is a special little corner of our dining room - my grandparents’ candle sticks, a photo from my great-grandparents’ farm, and an old photo of my husband’s grandmother.

A lot of family history in this little corner.

"Thanks for Helping me GROW" DIY Teacher Gift + Free Printable Tag

Teacher gift ideas are always tough… I always want to do something thoughtful, useful, but still affordable. This year we decided to make ruler painted flower pots to go with the “Thanks for helping me GROW” theme. In them we planted small aloe vera plants which will come in handy for soothing sunburns over summer vacation. | This post contains affiliate links |

Materials:

• terracotta pot

• yellow acrylic paint

• paint brush

• sharpie marker or black paint

• dirt

• plant (I used aloe vera plants)

How-To:

First paint the lip of the pot with the yellow acrylic paint, you might need to do several coats to get good coverage.

Then mark inch lines evenly around the rim (I made a template with a piece of scrap paper). It may not come out evenly when they meet up so feel free to take artistic license with the spacing.

Then using a sharpie or black paint and a fine paintbrush, paint the lines of the ruler (whole, half, and quarter lines) as well as the numbers.

Once everything is dry, fill with soil and a plant of your choice. We decided on aloe vera since it’s a useful plant as well - the teachers will be able to use it to soothe any sunburns that may happen over summer vacation.

All that’s left is to add a card or a gift tag and a message of thanks!

FREE PRINTABLE TAG