Who We Donated to This Year

A tradition I started seven years ago was to donate a percentage of profits from Birch Landing Home at year-end to Charity.  This year we were able to help support The Lustgarten Foundation - I chose to support this charity because Pancreatic Cancer has one of the lowest long-term survival rates and hopefully progress will be made soon towards better treatments and a cure.

Thank you so much for all your support this past year - I am thankful for my Wholesale Accounts and continued traffic on my blog to make these donations happen.  I hope to continue to grow Birch Landing Home and be able to give back more each year in return.  Thank you all!

Who We Donated to This Year

A tradition I started six years ago was to donate a percentage of profits from Birch Landing Home at year-end to Charity.  This year we were able to help support The New Hampshire Food Bank - I chose to support this charity because food insecurity has become an issue for many more families this year due to inflation and rising costs.

Thank you so much for all your support this past year, it has definitely been a different year with me returning to work while still trying to balance Birch Landing Home. Nevertheless, I am thankful for my Wholesale Accounts and continued traffic on my blog to make these donations happen.  I hope to continue to grow Birch Landing Home and be able to give back more each year in return.  Thank you all!

Giving Back - Who We Donated to This Year

A tradition I started five years ago was to donate a percentage of profits from Birch Landing Home at year-end to Charity.  This year we were able to help support The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America as well as The Nature Conservancy. I chose to support The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation in memory of my Dad, who passed away this past spring due to complications of MG. We miss him greatly, and hope in the future families will not have to deal with this debilitating disorder. I chose The Nature Conservancy because protecting our natural resources and reducing climate change is more important now than ever.

Thank you so much for all your support during another strange year. I hope to continue to grow Birch Landing Home and be able to give back more each year in return. Thank you all!

Giving Tuesday 2021

Happy #givingtuesday! Did you know I donate a percentage of profits from Birch Landing Home to charity at year-end? So every time you visit my blog or purchase one of my crafts that donation gets the chance to grow. Last year I was able to donate to Gather and The Nature Conservancy.

I haven’t decided where this year’s donation is going yet so if you have a favorite charity please share it below!

PS - today is the last day of our sale too!

Giving Back - Who We Donated To This Year

A tradition I started four years ago was to donate a percentage of profits from Birch Landing Home at year-end to Charity.  I’m so happy to say that this year we were able to help support Gather NH as well as The Nature Conservancy. I chose to support Gather NH because food insecurity has become an issue for many more families this year due to the economical impact of the pandemic. I chose The Nature Conservancy because turning to nature and time outside has become such a saving grace for many during this time and it’s more important than ever to protect our natural resources.

Thank you so much for all your support this past year, it has definitely been a strange year for Birch Landing Home too with less Etsy sales (due to me temporarily pausing my Etsy storefront) and less partnerships and projects on the blog. Nevertheless, I am thankful for my Wholesale Accounts and continued traffic on my blog to make these donations happen. I hope to continue to grow Birch Landing Home and be able to give back more each year in return. Thank you all!

Giving Tuesday 2020

Happy Giving Tuesday! Did you know I donate a percentage of profits from Birch Landing Home (blog and craft sales) to charity at year-end? So every time you visit my blog or purchase one of my crafts that donation gets the chance to grow. Last year I was able to donate to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

I haven’t decided where this year’s donation is going yet so if you have a favorite charity please feel free to share it with me!

Masks by New England Makers

We’re definitely living in different times right now… and it’s becoming clearer that it looks as though we will have to co-exist with this virus for the foreseeable future. Because of that anything we can do that might mitigate the risk of virus transmission, like always wearing face masks or face coverings when outside our homes, are becoming a part of our “new normal.” Today a lot of small businesses are hurting, including small local makers, many of whom have pivoted to also offer masks for sale. As we move forward into our new normal, consider supporting a local maker and purchase masks from them.
| This post is not sponsored or an endorsement. Makers are listed in no particular order and I plan to continue to add to this list as I come across more makers who request to be added. |

Masks by New England Makers

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations. These masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… please see each individual mask maker regarding details, care instructions, pricing, and current availability.

Scrub Caps for Scholars

| Shop Masks and Scrub Caps by Scrub Caps for Scholars |

Scrub Caps for Scholars is an Etsy shop recently started by Marissa of One CrafDIY Girl (who’s also an ICU nurse in Massachusetts) looking to give back to frontline nurses who are struggling to pay their student loans. Proceeds from sales of masks and scrub caps will go towards that fund. Masks are available in different styles in child through adult sizes with different fabrics to choose from; there are also some matching scrub caps available too.

Masked in Style

| Shop Masks by Masked in Style (Order requests via Facebook Page) |

Nicole has created 615+ masks so far - including donations to local businesses and healthcare workers across the country. She has many fabrics to choose from, with masks in tie and elastic styles. (*If there's an essential worker you want to surprise with a free cloth mask, send her a message and she will send it out with a thank you note!)

Think Greene

| Shop Masks by Think Greene |

Think Greene is a Maine-based company best known for their eco-friendly items and apparel. They are offering boldly designed masks in adult and kid sizes made with organic cotton. Masks are tie-style.

Singer Vintage

| Shop Masks by Singer Vintage |

Singer Vintage is a Maine-based Etsy stop, which normally sells vintage sewing machine parts, but now offers a wide variety of summer-inspired masks (gingham, chambray, lobsters, etc) in different styles and sizes.

Little Green Pear

| Shop Masks by Little Green Pear (Etsy shop temporarily closed, please order through direct message on Facebook or Instagram) |

Little Green Pear is run by a Vermont-based mom and best known for hair bows and baby accessories, but is now offering a variety of masks in different styles, fabric patterns, and sizes from toddler through adult.

Maine Mom Boutique

| Shop Masks by Maine Mom Boutique |

Maine Mom Boutique is a highly-rated shop on Etsy, best known for baby-related items, now offering elastic loop style masks for adults in a variety of fabric patterns.

Sea Crow Company

| Shop Masks by Sea Crow Company |

Maine-based Sea Crow Co. is best known for their popular colorful bags and accessories and is now offering masks too. Masks are pleated-style and available in a variety of fabric patterns and in both ear loop and tie options (child sizes are available upon request).

Miss Harlow VT

| Shop Masks by Miss Harlow VT (Order via Google Form) |

Miss Harlow VT is a Vermont-based crafter best known for her sewn baby items and gifts and is now offering masks as well in many different fabrics, in both child and adult sizes. To date she has made over 500!

Jackie’s Boutique

| Shop Masks from Jackie's Boutique (Website currently under construction but can order on Facebook) |

Jackie’s Boutique are two “brick and mortar” shops located in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire known for resort wear and accessories. Right now they are also offering masks with vintage Lake Winnipesaukee map patterns on them. The fabric is made and printed in New England.

The Artsy Fox

| Shop Masks by The Artsy Fox (Request order via Facebook Group) |

The Artsy Fox is New Hampshire-based and known for crocheted and knit items as well as quilted items, and is now also offering masks in different patterns too.

Two Little Beans & Co.

| Shop Masks by Two Little Beans & Co. |

Two Little Beans & Co. is a Maine-based company best known for their baby booties, bibs, and other baby items but is now also offering ear loop style pleated masks in many fabric options, in both kid and adult sizes. She has also been making mask donations for healthcare and frontline workers. (*There is a tutorial on her website if you’re looking for instructions to make your own mask.)

We Fill Good.

| Shop Masks from We Fill Good |

We Fill Good is an eco-friendly shop in Kittery, Maine known for selling reusable products that can help you achieve a low-waste household. Right now they are also offering masks in a variety of fabric pattern options in both adult and kid sizes.

Red House VT

| Waitlist for Red House VT Masks |

Red House VT is best known for their waxed canvas and leather bags and are now offering simple modern style masks, currently as a wait-list item.

- All photos used with permission -

If you are a New England Maker who is also making masks and would like to be added to this list, please send me a message and I would love to add you. Thank you all for your hard work to help keep our communities a little safer.

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice or endorsing any particular seller - purchase at your own risk. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations. These masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… please see each individual mask maker regarding details, care instructions, pricing, and current availability.

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Interviews from New England Makers:

My Recipe for "Quarantine Chili"

Yesterday I decided to make what I’m going to call “Quarantine Chili.” Now what is the recipe for Quarantine Chili you might ask? Well pretty much you take whatever fresh veggies or meat you have in your fridge that you worry may go to waste soon and throw them into a big crock pot of chili before they go bad. Waste not, want not!

Now for my chili I started with my typical chili “base”:

• 2 cans of tomato sauce

• 1 can of red beans (rinsed and drained)

• 1 can of garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)

• 1 can of lentils (rinsed and drained)

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1-2 teaspoons of jarred garlic

• 1 teaspoon of turmeric

• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

To that I then added all the things I wanted to use up - this will vary depending on what you have in your fridge:

• 1 lb of cooked ground lamb (lamb is definitely an unusual choice for chili. I had originally planned to make lamb stuffed peppers with it, but by using it in chili I am able to stretch it farther and get more meals out of it… And surprisingly lamb in chili is just fine! I was worried it would taste weird but it’s still great)

• a lot of carrots (we had a bag of carrots that have been in the fridge for awhile and were close to being done. I wanted to use them up and not go to waste so I added them to the chili… it was definitely heavy on the carrots but I’m glad we used them up)

• handfuls of spinach (we have a big container of spinach that will be getting wet and smelly soon… better use some of it up!)

• green pepper (the ones I was originally going to make the stuffed lamb peppers with)

• a large onion (that one has been hanging out on the counter for awhile…)

Then combine all ingredients in a large Crock Pot and put on high for several hours until it’s cooked through and ready. We’ll be eating this for dinner for two nights and then I will portion out and freeze the rest to eat later.

Definitely be aware of what you’re using - you don’t want to use any ingredients are actually spoiling (very bad idea!) - but by using up what good ingredients you have by making a healthy, hearty chili you will not let your precious groceries go to waste and will make something nutritious to feed your family during this time.

Stay healthy friends!

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• A Message of Hope Facing the Unknowns of Coronavirus

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• Preparing for the Novel Coronavirus

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