Chilly winter days are perfect for crafting, and you are going to love the ideas I'm sharing today. I have 4 easy and adorable WINTER CRAFTS for kids and teens. Most use dollar store supplies, AND I'm sharing a FREE printable you can download. Check out all the fun below!
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- RECIPES (sweet treats)
- SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS
- HOME DECOR AND ORGANIZATION
- DIY PAINTED KITCHEN CUPBOARDS
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FOUR easy and adorable WINTER CRAFTS for kids and teens / Dollar store crafts and a FREE printable
Top 5 tips for teaching kids about MONEY / Things that helped ME teach my children financial responsibility
As a mom of three financially responsible boys (ages 15, 17, and 19), I'm often asked questions about how I taught them about money. They aren't perfect, but they have have strong work ethics and make smart decisions about money. I'm not an expert, but today I am sharing the FIVE things I'm happy I did.
1) I never gave my children an allowance. I never handed them cash for no reason, and I never paid them for doing chores around the house that I expected them to do anyway. I did, however, help them earn their own money. I helped them sell old toys, and I assisted them with a small “cookie mix” selling business. They also babysat and delivered newspapers, and when they turned 16, they got jobs.
2) I talked openly about money with my children from a young age. They often saw me pay for things with a credit card, so I made certain that they understood how credit cards worked. I showed them the bill when it came in, and explained how I paid for it from the money I earned at my job. I also talked to my children about saving, investing, and paying taxes.
3) I taught my children the difference between a want and a need. This seems like a simple lesson, but it is a difficult one to teach. From an early age, the rule in our house was always “We buy you what you need, and you buy what you want.” For example, we paid for the hockey stick they needed, but if they wanted the “latest and greatest” model, they were required to contribute the additional funds.
4) I introduced my children to the concept of delayed gratification. It’s important for kids to learn they can’t get everything they want, and they can’t always get the things they want as soon as they want them. One way I taught this lesson to my children is that I never gave my kids phones with phone/data plans. My husband and I made a rule that only people that can pay a monthly bill can have a phone. It was tough for our kids to understand why they didn’t have a phone like other children their age. However, now that they have jobs, they all have phone plans that they pay for, and they appreciate the concept (and responsibility) of paying monthly bills. They also watch their data usage carefully.
5) I tried to set a good example. My children have always seen me shop for sales, buy and sell second hand items, pack lunches for road trips, cook at home rather than eat out, and DIY home projects to save money. They see my husband and I living frugally (and within our means), and it is teaching them to do the same.
My boys are still relatively young, so there is still time for them to make money mistakes, but I hope I've given them a good start.
These are the things that worked for me, but I'm curious... what worked for you?
💗
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)
The BEST Dollar Store Organization HACKS
If you love getting organized, but you don't want to spend a lot of money, you are going to love these dollar store organization HACKS! With a few dollars, and a couple of minutes, you can make you life much easier.
Check out this video for all my favourite products, tips, and tricks.
The BEST Ideas for Ringing in 2025 / A SIMPLE New Year's Eve Celebration... including FREE printables
Hosting a family-friendly celebration can be the perfect way to ring in the new year. Today I'm sharing the BEST ideas for celebrating New Year's Eve at home... and FREE printables. (Don't forget to check out the short video at the end of this post!)
Activity Bags - I love making activity bags that can be opened each hour leading up to midnight. The bags can contain noisemakers, the supplies for a midnight toast, games, and more.
To download the "bring some sparkle to 2025" tags: click on the picture below, right-click, save it, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.
For a closer look at my New Year's Eve ideas (and full instructions), check out the YouTube video I made here.
7 Fantastic (budget-friendly) DIY Christmas Gift Ideas... with free printable gift tags
I love a USEFUL gift, don't you? With the cost of things today, it's important to not be wasteful. However, "useful" doesn't have to be boring! Today, I'm sharing 7 fantastic (budget-friendly) DIY Christmas gift ideas. Most items come from the dollar store AND I'm sharing FREE printable tags (below) that make the gifts extra fun!
The tags are below, but if you want to get a closer look at all these fantastic ideas, check out the video I made here:
1) "Get Lucky" lotto ticket gift... in a dollar store frame. Details here, and free printable tags below.
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
5 Simple CHRISTMAS CRAFTS for all ages
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
Top TEN gifts for HOCKEY fans and players (2024 hockey gift guide)
If you regularly read my blog, you know that I am a hockey mom to three hockey-loving boys. Every year, there are several hockey-related items on my Christmas shopping list, so today, I am sharing my top 10 gift ideas for hockey fans and hockey players. There really is something on this list for all ages and budgets.
1) Summer Skates - My boys are huge fans of Summer Skates. They are comfortable, high quality, customizable, easy to clean, and stylish. The front of the sandals are made with REAL HOCKEY SKATE LACES, and you can add your favourite team or player name/number. They are perfect for summer, and we love them for hotel rooms too! (There are also Koozies available that make great stocking stuffers.)
3) NHL25 - If your hockey fan loves video games, you probably already have the latest version of this game on your Christmas shopping list. My boys are already big fans, so if you have it on your list, you can order it here.
4) Hockey books - Books always make fantastic gifts, and hockey books are perfect for hockey fans. Home and Away (below) looks like a good one!
5) Hockey socks - Hockey socks make a fun gift or stocking stuffer, and this set is inexpensive and cute! There are other options available too... but you like these ones, you can find them here.
6) Microfibre Sports Towel - Great for sticking in a hockey bag for an after-game shower. I ordered the large one for my my oldest son for Christmas last year. Click here for the link to the one I purchased.
7) Hockey-themed labels and wall decals from Oliver's Labels - Personalized labels and wall decals make wonderful gifts for kids. I've recovered a lot of my boys clothes and sports equipment because of name labels. And, and how cute is this large jersey wall decal? Use my link, and save 10% with code: EastCoastMommy.
8) Handmade hockey gifts - I have a shop in Antigonish, NS where I sell custom handmade hockey gifts. The large items are pick up only, but the smaller items can be shipped. You can check out my shop here.