Want to see where I live?

I have readers all over the world, so today, I thought it would be fun to share a little bit about my home on the East Coast.  Our part of the world is rich in culture and traditions, and there are a lot of fun things to see and do. 

We live in Antigonish, NS, and one of the highlights of our summer is the Antigonish Highland Games.  {I highly recommend a visit if you get the chance.}
 

Two hours from Antigonish is the city where I grew up --

Halifax, NS.  We love to stroll around Historic Properties and visit our friend Theodore Tugboat -- the lead character in one of our favorite books.

And, of course, because we are located on the Atlantic ocean, we love to hang out at the beach.  There is nothing like building sandcastles and playing in the ocean.

From Nova Scotia, you can take a ferry boat to a beautiful Island called PEI.

  
PEI is the home of the beloved character "Anne of Green Gables".  If you have read the books (and even if you haven't), we highly recommend a visit to Avonlea Village.  You can dress up, stroll around the village, and enjoy some great music.



There are lots of great sites to visit on the Island, and lots of local music to enjoy.  We "followed the fiddler" in Victoria by the Sea, and the boys really liked it.

I hope you enjoyed this little "tour" of our part of the world.  Stop by and visit me any time.  :-)  

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

* Originally posted at MamaSmiles.com on June 21, 2012.

{Mod Podge} Pirate Treasure Chest

My boys are always collecting "treasures", so I thought it would be cute to make them their own personalized pirate treasure box.

I started off with this plain wooden box from the Dollar Store.

Then, I painted the box with brown acrylic paint.  {If the boys were doing it themselves, I would definitely opt for "washable" paint instead.}

Finally, I printed out a picture of my favorite pirates, and used Mod Podge to attach it to the top of the box

Cute, right?  And wouldn't this make a great craft activity or loot bag at a pirate-themed birthday party?

♥  Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

{Babyfood Jar} Tealight Holders

We made these tealight holders for Earth Day, but they are a perfect use for old babyfood jar any time of the year.  Cute, right?

All you need is a babyfood jar (cleaned out), some blue and green tissue paper, and some glue.  (You'll need to thin out the glue to the consistency of paint -- approximately 3 tbsp glue for each 1 tbsp water.)

Here's how easy it is to make one of these adorable tealights with your little one:

First, cut the tissue paper into little squares.  They don't have to be uniform or a certain size because they are going to be layered onto the jar.

Then, using a paintbrush, apply glue to a small section of the babyfood jar, and attach a piece of tissue paper.  Continue to apply glue and tissue paper until the entire jar is covered.

Finally, wait for the glue to dry, and then apply a thin coat of glue over the top of the tissue paper. 

My boys love making these, and you can change the colors to suit any occasion.  

Just make sure to never leave a child alone with a burning candle.  Battery operated tealights might be a safer choice.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy on facebook)

*Originally posted at Okanagan4Kids.com on April 17, 2012.

Super Cute Monkey and Frog Clips

How cute are these monkey and frog clips?  {FYI... the one in the middle is my three year old little monkey.  Pretty cute, eh?} 

Want to make some for your little monkey?  First, gather your supplies.  You'll need:

• scraps of felt (green for the frog and brown & tan for the monkey)
• small black buttons
• needle and embroidery thread (black, green, and tan)
• scissors
• glue gun
  
• clips (alligator or snap clips work)
• templates (Click here for the templates.)

For the Frog clip:

Using the template as a guide, cut a front piece and a back piece from the green felt.

Sew on two button eyes, and use black thread to back-stitch a nose and mouth.

Using green thread attach the front piece to the back piece.  Use a glue gun to attach a clip to the back.

For the Monkey clip:

Using the template as a guide, cut a back piece from the brown felt and a front piece from the tan felt.

On the front piece, sew on two button eyes, and use black thread to back-stitch a nose and mouth.

Using tan thread, attach the front piece to the back piece.  Use a glue gun to attach a clip to the back.

That's it!  If you haven't already, I would LOVE if you would follow me on facebook.  I have lots of tips, tricks, and tutorials to share. 

Thanks, 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)