6 awesome (edible) MOTHER'S DAY gift ideas... and they are budget-friendly too!

If you have a mom that doesn't like clutter, these edible gifts are for you. I absolutely love them all, but the "breakfast in bed" tray is my favourite. Perfect for Mother's Day!

Keep scrolling or check out the video I made here.

1) Chocolate bar "flower" arrangement - You can get all the supplies you need at your local dollar store. Then, attach the bars to skewers and insert them into floral foam inside a pot. Easy peasy, and lots of fun!

2) A donut bouquet - Grab a box of donut holes, wooden skewers and tissue paper. Insert the skewers into the donuts, secure the skewers with an elastic, wrap the bouquet with tissue paper, and secure with a ribbon.

3) A "LOVE" breakfast tray - Make a bacon "L", a donut "O", a heart-shaped "V" (made from toast, french toast, or a pancake), and a fruit "E". So cute... and super easy!

4) A "secret stash" of treats for mom - Grab a dollar store container, fill each compartment with a different treat, and attach the cute label I designed. You can download the labels for free here.

5) A "date" with mom - The best gift is time spent together, so I LOVE this idea. Buy an ice cream gift card, package it in a fun way, and take mom out on a "date". Fun, right?

6) The BEST "breakfast in bed" tray - Grab a drink tray, add mom's favourite beverage, pop in a candle, and include a sweet treat or breakfast sandwich. Easy peasy... and it pairs well with a good book and a warm bath.

As a mom, I love all these ideas. Which one is your favourite?

Happy Mother's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

3 NEW Mother's Day Gift Ideas that are inexpensive and thoughtful

Is there anything better than a budget-friendly and thoughtful Mother's Day gift? If you have a special lady you want to celebrate, check out the 3 fantastic ideas below!

1) The "Breakfast in Bed" moms really want - This version doesn't requires making a mess of the kitchen and creating a pile of dishes. Check it out all the details here.

2) A Dollarama / Dollar Tree vase turned into a thoughtful gift - Is there anything cuter than tiny vases filled with wildflowers picked by little hands. Find all the details for the heart tag here, or grab the free printable dandelion tag here. 

3) A personalized candle - You can easily add a picture or drawing to a candle, and the result is adorable! You can find the simple "how to" here.

Let me know which one you like the best. I think the breakfast in bed in my favourite.

Happy Mother's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in the Mother's Day gift ideas here.

7 Days of EASY & INEXPENSIVE Easter Ideas... Easter recipes, Easter crafts, and Easter Activities

When it comes to holidays, simple ideas are the best. This year, I decided to do 7 short videos for a week's worth of easy & inexpensive EASTER ideas. You are going to love these!

***Click on the links for MORE INFO.***

DAY 1 - Personalized golden eggs

DAY 2 - Custom candles

DAY 3 - Tiered Tray / Easter Tree Ornament

DAY 4 - Individual Easter cheesecakes

DAY 5 - Easter Tree... with a homemade ornament tutorial

DAY 6 - My favourite Easter Cookie recipe

DAY 7 - 5 easy Dollar Store EASTER crafts

Take a peek at all 7 short videos, and let me know which one is YOUR favourite. Happy Easter!!!

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

4 super-cute EASTER CRAFTS / Adorable sheep, bunny, and carrot crafts

Easter is a wonderful time to get crafty, and today I’m sharing 4 super-cute EASTER CRAFTS that are perfect for the holiday season. Check out the details and step-by-step instructions below.

POM POM SHEEP -- To make a pom pom sheep: make a white pom pom from yarn, cut out a sheep head with your Cricut (or by hand), attach the head with hot glue, and attach googly eyes with white glue.

***Note: You can find a step-by-step pom pom tutorial here: https://eastcoastmommyblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/things-to-make-with-pom-poms-including.html or check out the video below.

Also... you can find all the Cricut designs I used here.

YARN WRAPPED BUNNY -- To make a yarn wrapped bunny: use your Cricut to cut a bunny silhouette and arms from cardstock (or draw by hand). Then, wrap the bunny with yarn (securing with hot glue), add arms with hot glue, and apply a Cricut decal face and ears (or paint on). To finish, attach a pom pom to the back with hot glue.

Also... you can find all the Cricut designs I used here.

WOODEN CARROT TAG -- To make a wooden carrot tag: paint the tag pink, print and apply a carrot Cricut decal (or paint a carrot onto the tag), and add a hanger.
Also... you can find all the Cricut designs I used here.

WOODEN BUNNY ORNAMENT -- To make a wooden bunny ornament: paint a wood round, apply a Cricut bunny face decal (or apply with paint), and use hot glue to attach a pom pom nose and felt ears.

Also... you can find all the Cricut designs I used here.

Looking for more crafts? Check out NINE more below.

And you'll love these ideas too!

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

All the resources (and FREEBIES) I used in my St.Patrick's Day CTV segment

Did you see my St. Patrick's Day CTV segment this morning? If you did (or if you missed it but are interested in all the fun freebies I shared), keeping reading! ☘

I love decorating a St. Patrick’s Day tree with DIY ornaments. This year, I made the following:

• Jenga block leprechaun hat ornaments (instructions here)
• Yarn leprechaun ornaments (instructions here)
• Pom pom leprechaun ornaments (instructions here)
• Yarn wrapped shamrocks
• Lucky charms (instructions here)
• Cardstock shamrocks

I also like to have some fun with St. Patrick's Day food. Check out the instructions and FREE downloadable tags below:

• "Have a Lucky Day" chocolate coin cards (FREE card below)
• Rainbow seed breakfast (FREE tags below)
• Leprechaun bait (FREE tags below)
• Green drink with a Frootloop straw
• Frootloop necklace (instructions here)
• Skittles rainbow (FREE tags below and instructions here)

***To print the FREE downloadable I designed: find the tag you want (below), click on the picture, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

If you missed the segment, you can watch it here.

If you have any questions, let me know. I hope you have fun with these ideas.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Handmade FELT BIRTHDAY CROWNS

I share a lot of crafts, diys, parties, travel tips, and MORE on this blog... but did you know I also have an online shop called Cute as a Button Designs. Today I'm sharing the latest addition to my store -- handmade felt BIRTHDAY CROWNS. Check out a few pictures of my creations below.

Seriously... aren't they adorable? I have so many ideas for customizing them, but if you are looking for something in particular, please let me know.

Order directly from me via my Facebook page here.

Order via my Etsy page here.

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

"No knead" Dutch Oven Bread... easy to make and really delicious!

Making bread can be intimidating, but this "no knead" bread is simple to make... and it is really delicious. The Dutch Oven is the key to the chewy crust and soft interior. No one will believe that this isn't an artisan loaf of bread from a fancy bakery. 

Cooking this bread in a Dutch Oven is really important. It allows the bread to cook in steam, which gives it the perfect texture. I got mine with points at my local grocery store. But Amazon has some great options with fantastic reviews.

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm (not hot) water
• 1 (8g) envelope of active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 4 cups flour (you can use bread flour... but I use all purpose and it works perfectly)
• 1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

1. In a medium size bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to soften and get foamy.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, and pour the yeast mixture into the well. Use a wooden spoon to stir until the dough starts to come together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (If it's too sticky, you can add a bit of flour... and if it is too dry, you can add a bit of water.)
4. Grease a large bowl with olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover it, and leave it in a warm spot until it doubles in size... approx. 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5. Lay out a piece of parchment paper, and dust it with flour. Dump the dough onto the floured parchment paper and form into a loose ball... by gently folding in the edges. Floured hands are helpful in creating the "rough" rustic loaf shape.
6. Transfer the dough back to the greased bowl, cover, and let rise for another 30-60 minutes.
7. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 470 degrees F. When it's preheated, place the Dutch oven (with lid) in the oven for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the Dutch Oven from the oven, and transfer the risen dough into it. (Be careful because the Dutch Oven is going to be extremely hot!) 
9. Score the top of the loaf by cutting an "X" with a sharp knife... about 1/4 inch deep.
10. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Reduce the heat to 450 degrees F, remove the lid, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes to create a nicely browned crust.
12. Carefully transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least an hour before slicing. (Don't rush this step or you will end up with a gummy interior.)

*** I also like to rub a bit of butter on the top to make it look rich and glossy... but this is optional.

Give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think. I'm pretty sure you'll love it!

💗

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)