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! |
Just wanted to hop on here and share this ADORABLE KidKraft Cabana my sister bought for our kids as a fun, very thoughtful gift. We’ve been trying to turn our home into an oasis of sorts for the kids since we’re home 24/7 now. Mostly just rearranging their current toys and books to create zones and make things more efficient for play, remote learning, and relaxing - but this Cabana takes the cake! It’s absolutely adorable and perfect for relaxing outside for snack, reading a book, or taking a rest after they get out of the kiddie pool. We might not be able to go on vacation this year, but they can certainly pretend they’re at a beach resort now - though I must confess, I’m totally jealous and wish I had one in my size too!
The Cabana also has cupholders and a little storage cubby which the kids absolutely love! It’s definitely been a huge hit and now I know where the kids will be hanging out all summer long.
Thanks again Auntie Suz for such an awesome gift for the kids! :)
Because someday the kids will go back to school… (Right..? Right! fingers crossed) I ordered our youngest her own pink monogrammed L.L. Bean Boat and Tote to match Mama and big sis for when she hopefully starts school in the Fall. I love that each will have her own tote for school to stay organized and carry snow gear and sports things, and that these bags are something that will grow with them and be used for many years to come.
A bag for each of us and each of us has our own color to keep us organized. Our oldest’s bag has been through the wash many times and is a bit softer and more broken in :) These bags get better with use!
L.L. Bean Fashion
| This particular post is not sponsored by L.L. Bean but contains affiliate links and my personal opinions |
Today there’s always so much stress in our daily lives. That’s why it’s more important than ever to make time for yourself to relax and reset yourself after a long, tense day. After hearing so many great things about weighted wraps and blankets, I was so excited when Lynne from NH-based Hug Patrol reached out to me to give one a try. | This post contains an honest review of product provided by Hug Patrol |
I don’t know about you, but I hold ALL my tension in my shoulders and neck. Whenever I feel stressed or have a lot going on my shoulders get tense and I can feel them creeping up, getting tighter and tighter. Using Hug Patrol's 3lb Calm Wrap has really helped me release the tension in my shoulders. I’ve found it to be a really comfortable weight that gently rests on my shoulders and reminds me to relax my shoulders down and drop the tension.
I also love that it can be heated (in microwave) or cooled (in freezer) to help with relaxation or muscle aches. A really interesting fact that Lynne shared with me was that her wraps are made with 100% USA-sourced heavy duck cotton and food grade flax seed, while many competitor wraps are made with polyester-fleece (polyester is made from plastic and omits potentially harmful compounds when heated). I had never thought about that before but it definitely brought up a great point! I certainly feel better about heating it in our microwave where we also heat our food too.
I really love the Calm Wrap’s ergonomic U-shape - it’s perfect for wearing around my shoulders while I’m reading, relaxing, or working on my computer. I feel like it would be great on a long trip too! The quality is also incredible - from the thickness of the fabric to the sewing, you can tell it’s very well made - and the sectioned off design keeps the weight distributed evenly no matter how you wear it.
Hug Patrol offers a wide range of comforting products including different sized/weighted wraps, lap blankets, blankets, eye-pillows, socks, mitts, and more. Some also have the option of being scented with real lavender. They even offer products with antimicrobial covers to be used in multi-user settings like hospitals, rehab centers, spas, yoga studios, etc.
Keep Up with Hug Patrol
| Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Also can be found locally at Whole Foods in Bedford NH, Nashua NH, and Westford MA |
GIVEAWAY!
Hug Patrol was kind enough to give a Calm Wrap to a follower too! To enter, please head on over to my Instagram (@birchlandinghome) or Facebook and look for the Giveaway post - enter on both Instagram and Facebook to increase your chances!
We’re making more of an effort to be more conscious about what we buy our kids - less plastic “junk” that they will quickly loose interest in and more toys that are educational and encourage open-ended play. I was so excited when I stumbled across Lovevery - a company that is passionate about making educational and sustainably made heirloom toys for babies and young children. | This post contains an honest review of product provided by Lovevery |
We received The Block Set from Lovevery right before Christmas and thought it would make the most perfect gift for our two-and-a-half year old. Lately with Christmas, birthdays, and other holidays we’ve been striving for “quality” over “quantity” for gifts - buying only thoughtful toys and books that will be enjoyed for a long time. This block set fit that requirement perfectly! We opted for a simple red ribbon to wrap it for Christmas morning and let our kids start enjoying it right away.
What was I most impressed about with The Block Set? The quality and the variety of blocks that it came with! Everything is solid, sustainably-harvested wood which has been finished with brightly colored water-based non-toxic paints. There are 70+ pieces, and 18 different shapes and tools including little people with different skin tones. It even comes with an activity guide and planks which I haven’t seen in other block sets, making for lots of fun building and game opportunities (think bridges, houses, dominoes, and more)!
Our two year old (and six year old)’s favorite feature of The Block Set? How the storage box turns into a car! The circle blocks have recessed magnets which connect to dowels that can be threaded through the box, making for a very sturdy and easy-to-build car. Every day since Christmas she has pulled this car all around our house collecting blocks, dolls, dog toys, and whatever else she can find!
Another innovative feature of The Block Set is how the lid is also designed as a shape sorter, allowing for little ones to learn organization, as well as shape and spatial recognition. Lovevery consults with experts so their toys are designed to help promote cognitive and motor skill development as well as encourage pretend play.
And as a mom, I love that it also came with a cute gingham drawstring bag for flexible storage or quick pick-ups!
Lovevery has lots of other amazing, heirloom-quality toys and products as well - including play gyms, pull and push toys, and age-based subscription boxes for little ones from birth-24 months. I wish Lovevery had been around when our kids were first born - their subscription boxes are definitely something I would have loved to do for them! Everything I have seen from Lovevery is thoughtful and high-quality, and I honestly recommend them highly (and no, exceptionally high praise isn't something I normally throw around!). If you’re looking for something unique and thoughtful for your little one or as a gift, definitely check out Lovevery.
- I received this item for review from Lovevery but all opinions expressed are my own. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for more information -
Picking a car seat for the baby you’ll soon be bringing home is such a stressful choice - so many options and opinions out there! Ultimately do your homework and pick the car seat that you feel is safe, fits your lifestyle, and fits correctly in your car. For us, we decided to skip the Infant Car Seat completely (don’t worry, we still used an appropriate car seat, I’ll explain) and I’ll tell you why we did… | This post contains affiliate links |
When my sister had her first baby I remember helping her carry the baby in her Infant Car Seat when she was about one or two months old and thinking (excuse my language) “this sucks!” It was exhausting, and extremely awkward to carry the weight of the baby and carseat (probably around 25 lbs total) by a handle away from your body, trying not to let it bump into your legs or anything else around you. Depending on the model of infant car seat you buy the seat itself can weigh 11-20 pounds, then you add the weight of the baby which will be an average of 6-9 pounds at birth and quickly get heavier as time goes on. That’s a lot of weight to awkwardly haul around.
However, my sister-in-law had decided to skip the infant car seat all together for her kids, and opted for a Convertible Car Seat from day one. I thought this was genius and we decided to do the same. A true Convertible Car Seat is one that’s good from birth through a particular weight limit, typically fairly high. For us the seat we chose was good for 4-65lbs, which meant that it would be rear-facing and perfect for bringing home the baby from the hospital and could grow with us and eventually convert to a forward-facing carseat up to the 65lb weight limit (which will take them into elementary school-age most likely) - and some Convertible Car Seats even go up to a 120lb limit!
By going with a Convertible Car Seat from day one, we only had to purchase one car seat instead of two, as most babies will outgrow their Infant Car Seat well before the age of one. Rather than buying a car seat that would only get used for several months, we invested in one that would grow with our baby and our needs. This saved us money in the long-run, and was less wasteful on the environment.
Since the Convertible Car Seats stay in the car (they don’t disconnect from a base and get carried around like an infant seat), I chose to wear our baby whenever we got to our destination with a Soft Structured Baby Carrier. I found this to be far more convenient and easier than lugging around an Infant Car Seat. Wearing your baby is also great for bonding, can help keep them healthier (they’re closer to you and less likely to be touched by strangers), and so much better ergonomically for your back and body than carrying an infant seat.
But what about waking up the baby, people ask? Yes, you tend to rouse the baby a little when you take them out of their car seat. But they reality is, it’s not recommended for them to sleep in their car seats for any signifiant amount of time as it can supposedly increase their risk of SIDS. Anyways in our experience with our two kids, they often woke up when we turned off the car, before I even tried to take them out of their carseat. And if they are tired enough, you should (hopefully) have no trouble getting them to go to sleep in their crib once you get home.
*Disclaimer: I am not a car seat expert, and my opinion should not be taken as fact. I am simply sharing our opinions on why we preferred a Convertible Car Seat over an Infant Car Seat. Before making your carseat decision, do your homework and discuss your options and concerns with your pediatrician and car seat experts like Car Seats for Littles.*
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 ;)
- 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 -
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!
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 |
