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! |
It's been a crazy week! Central NH got hit hard with Nor'easter Stella last Tuesday and we'd been without internet for almost a week. Overall we got very lucky at our house though - lost power (and most food in the fridge), got some loose siding on the house from the winds, and lost a few trees but all missed the house thankfully. So many people suffered major storm damage to their homes so overall we're very fortunate.
It's good to finally be back online and able to get back to work. If you're a local reader, I hope you fared well in the storm as well and have your power back!
{Pictured: the top of one of the trees currently laying in our yard}
We're celebrating Plaid Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday all weekend long! Enjoy 20% off everything in our Etsy shop through midnight Monday with the coupon code "20PLAID".
Quantities are limited at the moment, so shop sooner than later. Thank you all again for your support and shopping small!
Look what came in the mail today! New Hampshire Magazine's December issue along with their 34-page Holiday Gift Guide (available to magazine subscribers only), packed with ideas of local places to shop, products to buy, and fun holiday events to do. And we're so excited to be included - you can find Birch Landing Home right on page 12 in their "Master the Yankee Swap" Gift Guide.
Make sure to check out all their great local selections in the Gift Guide, and if you're not a NH Magazine subscriber the guides can also be found online here.
And did you hear the news of our upcoming sale?
We'll be hosting a sale all this weekend for Black Friday/Plaid Saturday/Cyber Monday (whew). The sale code will be posted online Friday, but subscribers to our Newsletter will get the code Thursday night - if you don't want to miss out on the sale be sure to sign up now!
Correction: There is a misprint in NH Magazine's writeup. While I have in fact been featured in Martha Stewart Living Magazine, I haven't been featured in Yankee Magazine (yet anyways - hopefully someday soon though!) :)
The Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine has been around since 1851 and while our family hasn't been going quite that long, it is long-standing tradition to go every year and we love it. Why is it so great? Well let me share why we love it so much.
History
In our technology-driven world today, it's easy to take for granted things like power tools, heavy machinery, grocery stores, and easily accessible information. But back in the day, everything you owned and everything you ate came from your own two hands. If you couldn't build it, grow it, or fix it you weren't going to make it. Ingenuity and hard work is what you survived on.
At Fryeburg, they do a wonderful job showcasing and honoring the past with great museums full of old tools, working "one-lunger" engines that can run anything from an apple sauce maker to a wood splitter, Loretta's Kitchen (a working old-fashioned kitchen), blacksmiths, and more.
In the event you see kids carrying around a length of heavy chain at the fair, don't worry - they didn't break out of jail. The blacksmiths have a great tradition of making a chain link for kids when they come to the fair and every year they can add another link to their chain.
Livestock
What's a fair without animals? Well you're in luck, because Fryeburg has lots. Horses, oxen, dairy and meat cows, chickens of all kinds, goats, pigs, rabbits, and more. It's always fun to see all the different types of animals and watch the competitions.
This horse has a better hair than me. So not fair.
Entertainment
Throughout the week, there is always awesome live entertainment scattered throughout the grounds but a great perk of the fair is the headliner shows put on almost every evening. These shows are often big names and admission is included with your entry fee to the fair that day (just get to the show early to claim a good seat).
This year we saw Brothers Osborne play and it was a lot of fun to see a band you hear on the radio in person, just wish my cell phone took better photos from a distance ;)
Brothers Osborne warming up.
Family (of course!)
The biggest thing we love about the fair is spending time with loved ones and seeing our little one enjoy and appreciate the animals, the fun, and the history (even if she might not understand it all just yet). Both of our families come from a long line of farmers and woodsmen and that's a heritage we don't want to forget about.
Just dropped off another batch of ornaments to the wonderful Straw Cellar in Wolfeboro, NH!
The owner Carrie does an amazing job at creating the most beautiful little gift shop featuring lots of New England-made products. Definitely stop in if you're ever in town!
So excited to be sending an order of these Rustic Birch Vermont Ornaments to The Country Store on Main in gorgeous Stowe, VT! If you're skiing in the area this winter, be sure to check The Country Store out for gorgeous gift ideas.
Another handmade ornament order is heading out to Wyler's in Brunswick, Maine! They carry a wide selection of unique gifts and locally made items. Be sure to check out their colorful shop next time you're in the area!
Another handmade ornament order heading to the wonderful Straw Cellar in downtown Wolfeboro, New Hampshire tomorrow. Be sure to check them out if you're ever in town for some great New England-made gifts and decor!
