• Coming Back To The Blog •

 Greetings, after such a long time!!  If you’re still around and reading this, let me start off with saying “thank you!”  It’s been a long time, between the whirlwind of marriage, having kids, and running a home.  The shifts in the online community have greatly affected my dedication to this space as well, where it feels like blogging is a thing of the past, falling in the shadow of the constant blur that is social media.  But my husband and I are implementing some changes in our home around less screen time (to prevent the constant display of less-than-wholesome content in our kids’ faces), and with that I will be stepping away from Instagram very soon, and stepping back into more blogging again!

In September of 2022, I reopened my vintage Etsy shop, Northern Shore Vintage, with the original intention of selling handmade antique quilt coats, antique quilts, and vintage clothing.  That soon morphed into selling a broader range of antique home decor and the like, and I was excited and motivated to build my Instagram following and have a successful Instagram business and Etsy shop.  All of that was, and still is, a great thing to aspire to, however the realities of raising children (of any age, but especially these first years) make it impossible to devote the level of time necessary to grow my Instagram business in a successful manner.  I love the idea of having my little business, but I also love my children, my husband, and my home, and I cannot and will not sacrifice being present with and invested in them to grow a business, which falls outside of my true calling - that of a wife and mama.  

All that being said, I have no plans to stop selling antiques, making quilt coats, vests, etc, but by stepping away from Instagram, it will remove that constant pressure of "I really should be making a reel right now," or knowing in the back of my mind that it’s been sooo many days since I last posted.  I don’t need or want that type of pressure in my life!  I’ll continue to source lovely antique finds that make me happy, list them on Etsy where I find the time or inclination, and thereby serve both my little hobby that I love, as well as my family that I’m so beyond blessed to have!!  

Another huge reason I found to step away from Instagram entirely, is the way that it breeds constant comparison, dissatisfaction, and “lust” (as in the desire of products/items/neat things that you do not need, but now want because you’ve seen them!).  And can we talk about the waste of time and productivity?  I know it will be a huge adjustment, but I’m so ready to make this move and be more present with my babies, have more time for the needed housework, as well as sewing and crafting - the hobbies that I’ve always loved.  

So!  If you’ve made it through all of that, once again I am thankful!!  :)  I hope each one of you is well, and that the new year has you excited for the ways in which you can better yourself, your home, and your environment!  New Years’ resolutions are not my jam, but I am excited to embrace life changes that will positively impact our family for years to come.

Another change we’ve recently implemented was to move to low-tox products in our home.  We struggled with sickness for months this fall and early winter, and between that and hormonal issues ever since having our second, I was at my wits' end to find a solution.  I always resisted the idea of “going low-tox” in the past; I enjoy a natural remedy, I enjoy gardening a bit, but in my heart I really just want to microwave some mac ‘n’ cheese, light a candle, and eat Oreos.  I have no desire to be a homesteader, a low-tox mama, or any of those stereotypes!!  That being said, once I started to really look into some specific products (I had recently started using a wax burner with scented wax melts every single day, something I’d never done before, and was having new and relentless symptoms), I couldn’t ignore the facts about how truly, literally toxic these products are!  So we’ve switched the majority of our products in our home to better choices, and without much more cost than the previous toxic products that we were accustomed to using. 

I’m still using bleach when washing my towels, and as needed for other things around the house (quite infrequent for the latter application), toilet cleaner, and ammonia for the occasional super-deep cleaning of the bathroom and washing floors.  But we’ve switched out shampoos, soaps, lotions, hair products, cleaners, and laundry products and with good results! 

If anyone is interested, here are the low-tox items we’ve started using.  Click the photo to view each item on Amazon.  (These are affiliate links, and I receive a very small compensation if a purchase is made using them)

Laundry soap:                            

Dish soap:

Shampoo/body wash (for the whole family!): 

Deodorant:

Toothpaste (adults):

Toothpaste (training):

Hair pomade (guys):

Lip balm:

Baby lotion:

Clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils to make this DIY Thieves Cleaner

This Castile soap concentrate to make foaming hand soap (simply dilute approximately 6 parts water to 1 part Castile soap in a foaming soap dispenser such as these)

I’m still on the hunt for low-tox makeup (something that provides decent coverage without clogging pores or breaking the bank!), and a few other products like face cream and hairspray.  But we have already seen huge improvements in our health and the look/feel of our skin, just since making the switch a short time ago.  So if you’re on the fence about whether to switch or not, I would highly encourage you to give it a try!  Start small, and start with products that have the biggest impact (such as lotion, dish soap, laundry products that are on your skin or breathed in frequently).  

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions, and let me know also what you’ve been up to!  I’ve missed you all, and look forward to coming back to this platform and the simple, slow, much more enjoyable environment that it provides!  

Have a blessed week!  ❤️ 

Esther