Fall Fashion Finds... for hockey fans

I have three boys who love everything hockey. They love watching hockey, they love playing hockey, and they love hockey clothes. One of our favourite brands is Gongshow*, and recently, they let my boys pick out their favourites from the NEW Fall / Winter line. Keep reading to take a peek at the items my boys chose.

*Disclosure - I was given the GONGSHOW clothing featured in this post free in exchange for my honest review of the products. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely love their new clothes.

My oldest son, who discovered that none of his pants from last year fit, chose a new pair of the Hustle Hard Sweats. They are super-comfy, high quality, and really stylish (with the tapered legs). They are definitely his new favourite pants!

My youngest is always looking for a cozy hoodie, so it wasn't surprising that he chose the New Fit Hoodie Jr. This hoodie is warm, high quality, and stylish. My son and I love the subtle ombre colours and the great fit. This is the perfect Fall / Winter wardrobe staple.

My middle son has an obsession with hats, so he chose two new ones from the Gongshow Fall / Winter line. He selected the Gongshow Canada hat and the Let the Chirps Fly hat (pictured below). He has an older and younger brother, so the "chirpmeister" hat is perfect for him. lol

If you are looking for new Fall / Winter clothes, I highly recommend taking a look at the new Gongshow line. The clothes are comfortable, high quality, and perfect for hockey fans.

And if you have any questions about the products / sizing of the items my boys received, let me know.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Summer Hockey Fun... our review of the GONGSHOW Sauceoff Party Set

Recently, my boys were given the opportunity to try out (and review) some fantastic games from GONGSHOW*. All three of my boys are passionate about hockey, so during our summer break from the rink, they were excited to try out a couple of fun outdoor hockey games. You can read our review of the SAUCEOFF Party Set below.

The Sauceoff Party Set comes with two games (which you can also buy separately). They both fit in a canvas bag that can easily be taken to the beach, backyard, tailgate party, campground, or cottage.

The first game we tried was the inflatable Saucer King Kit. This game includes a blow up net and floating pucks. (Two shooting pads are included with the party set, but if you are only purchasing the inflatable Saucer King Kit, you'll need to purchase a shooting pad if you don't already have one.) My boys had a lot fun with this game in the pool, and they are looking forward to taking it to the beach soon.

My boys also tried the SAUCEOFF game set. At first glance, it looks like a bean bag toss, but it is so much more than that. The game comes with two game boards, two mini shooting pads, 8 GONGSHOW floater pucks (4 per team), 4 bean bag pucks, 1 canvas carrying case, 1 replacement mesh and rope, and a booklet explaining how to play the game.

My boys have been playing this game every day since they got it. You can play it alone, with two players, or with two teams of two. When you play with two teams of two, the players can help their teammates by "tipping" the pucks into the nets. (There is also an option to play with bean bags instead of the plastic pucks.)

My boys (and my husband) have been playing this game in the backyard, but it is highly portable, so I know we will be taking it to the beach, the cottage, and camping. It's perfect for all ages.

If you have a hockey-lover in your house, I highly recommend these fun games. The SAUCEOFF party set comes with everything you need to play both games, and if you have never purchased from GONGSHOW before, you can save 10% with this link: SAVE 10%.

Have you tried either of these games? What did you think? My boys are definitely fans!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


*Disclosure - I was given the GONGSHOW Sauceoff Party Set for free in exchange for my honest review of the product. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely love these games.

Simple Summer Science with Maker Lab Books

Disclosure: I was given Maker Lab books from DK books in exchange for my truthful review. Opinions in this blog are (as always) 100% my own. My boys really did love these books! (Also, I have included Amazon affiliate links in this post. If you purchase a book, I will get a small commission, at NO extra cost to you.

Recently, DK books sent my boys three "Maker Lab" books, and this weekend, I let my boys check them out. They immediately came up with a list of science experiments and projects that they want to do. I think these books are going to keep us pretty busy over their summer break!

Eventually, we came to a consensus, and we decided to start by making a glowing ice orb (inspired by the Star Wars Maker Lab book). We filled a balloon with water, left it in the fridge for 9 hours, removed it from the fridge, broke and removed the balloon, crack open the week side of the ice, poured out the water, and inserted glow sticks. We went into a dark room, and the kids admired the awesome glowing orb we made.

Here it is from a couple of different angles.

Then, we decided to do another experiment with our ice orb. We put it in a bowl, we poured salt over it, and we added food colouring. The rivers of colour created by the melting ice were super-cool.

We even looked at it in a dark room with a flashlight shining up through it.

I know my boys will be making a lot of things from these books this summer. They are especially excited about the Star Wars Maker Lab, but all three books are filled with wonderful projects.

Star Wars Maker Lab

 

Maker Lab: Outdoors

Maker Lab: 28 Super Cool Projects

I seriously encourage you to check out these kid-friendly science/ activity books. They really will get your kids reading and excited about about learning. 

Check out this cool projector my 12 year old made using a couple of boxes, a dollar store magnifying glass, and some duct tape.

How are you preventing the "summer slide" while the kids are on vacation this year? These Maker Lab books will educate AND entertain them... and it doesn't get much better than that! 

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

How I Improved My Sleep... and why I should have done it years ago

For the last 20 years, my husband and I have been sleeping on a cheap mattress that we purchased when we first moved in together. To say we were in desperate need of a new mattress is a huge understatement. So, when I got an email a couple of weeks ago telling me that I won a new mattress*, I was super excited.

The mattress was coming from Logan & Cove*... and to be honest... I didn't really know much about the company or their mattresses. With a little research, I discovered that the Canadian company is fairly new, and the mattresses are getting great reviews. 

I ordered the mattress, and it came quickly... rolled up in a long box. I took the mattress out of the box, removed the plastic, and it started expanding immediately. I was impressed with the thickness and plushness right away.

We have been sleeping on the new mattress for couple of weeks now, and we love it. 

One reason we waited so long to get a new mattress was that we never seemed to have the time to go to a store to try out different models. These mattresses come with a 120 night trial, which is helpful and takes the stress out of the decision.

We also couldn't agree on the firmness of the mattress to get. My husband likes soft mattresses and sleeps on his back, and I like firmer mattresses and sleep on my stomach. This mattress works for both of us. It doesn't need a box spring, and it fits well on our inexpensive IKEA bed.

Even my boys are impressed with the new mattress. They are already asking us if they can get new mattresses (like ours) for their beds.

Ordering and setting up our mattress really was an easy process, and my husband and I are sleeping much better. I can't believe we didn't get a new mattress sooner! If you are sleeping on an old, uncomfortable mattress, I highly recommend giving this brand a try.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure: I won a mattress from Logan & Cove, but I was offered an upgrade to a King mattress in exchange for an honest blog review of the product. As always, the reviews and opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

Reasons Why "The Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive" is a Great Hotel for Families

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary room in exchange for my truthful review of this hotel. As always, the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

Recently, my family travelled to Orlando, Florida, and we had the opportunity to stay at"The Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive". Known as "The official hotel of the I-Drive 360", this hotel is conveniently located. Today, I am sharing my review of the hotel, including the reasons I believe it is a great hotel for families.

When we arrived at the hotel, I was greeted with a tray of cookies. How "sweet" is that?

Then, I let the boys tour the room. As a family of 5, it was a special treat to be able to book a family suite. Check out my boys' reactions in this video of our arrival!

The room came equipped with bunk beds, a bean bag chair and an extra TV.

There was also a bed for my youngest and one for my husband and I. My boys were super-excited that there was room for everyone, and no one had to share.

The hotel also has two pools, a lobby bar, a poolside restaurant (Gatorville), and lovely grounds.

It's also worth noting that this hotel is conveniently located in the I-Drive 360 area... which is a very walkable neighbourhood. We took full advantage of our location, and we walked to the CocaCola Orlando Eye, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, and the Orlando Sea Life Aquarium. My boys loved all three of these attractions, and I will be sharing more about them soon!

So, are you planning a trip to Orlando soon? 

If you are interested in staying at "The Wyndam Orlando Resort International Drive", I have a special booking code you can use to save 30% off their Best Available Rate with NO minimum nights required. You just need to use this link.

If you have any questions about my stay, I'd be happy to answer them. Just leave your questions/comments below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Coding for Kids

I am always looking for ways to encourage my boys to learn new things during their summer vacation, and finding something they can do on a rainy day is a bonus. So, when DK books offered to let me check out their "coding" books, I jumped at the chance!

Both books provide easy to follow step-by-step instructions, and were a hit with my older boys... especially my eight year old. He was able to create a simple game in under an hour. I would highly recommend both books (Coding Projects in Scratch and Coding Games in Scratch), but Coding Games in Scratch was our favorite.

If your kids have an interest in computers, you should totally check out these books. The step-by-step instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the pictures are fantastic and really helpful.

Have you ever tried coding with your kids? Do you have any tips you'd like to share?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I was provided with these products (free of charge) for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own.

Encouraging Boys to Read... with a little help from Star Wars

Getting boys to read can be a challenge, but over the years I have found the secret... find books about things they are interested in. All my boys love Star Wars, so when I was sent a bunch of books (from DK Publishing) to review, there was a lot of excitement in our home. Today, I am sharing the details on their favorites!

I love the Star Wars books from DK publishing because there are a variety of books that appeal to kids at various reading levels. All my boys were able to find books that they really enjoyed.

You can find the full Star Wars Boutique here, but each of my boys chose a favorite, and here is what they selected:

My 6 year old (who is an emerging reader) loved the easy readers... especially Star Wars: Ultimate Duels. He was also a big fan of Star Wars: The Force Awakens Stickerscapes (which allows you to create your own amazing Star Wars scenes with over 1000 stickers).

My 8 year old (who finds it hard to sit still long enough to read a book) was captivated by the Star Wars Character Encyclopedia. It has a bunch of information on over 200 Star Wars heroes, villains and other characters. He also really liked Star Wars Rebels: Visual Guide: Epic Battles.

My 9 year old (who loves to read) was most interested in Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It's a 200 page reference book filled with Star Wars facts and trivia.

It makes me happy to find books that my boys are enthusiastic about reading. I encourage you to check out this Star Wars collection. Christmas is coming... and I am sure your little ones would enjoy finding some of these fantastic books under the tree.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I was provided with these products (free of charge) for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own. 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link, and purchase a product, you will be supporting this blog. Thank you!

Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Review

I have always used a manual toothbrush, so when Phillips offered me the chance to test the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum, I jumped at the opportunity.

The verdict.... I LOVE it.  I tested it for 14 days, and I can seriously see the difference.  My teeth actually feel smoother.  (It removes up to 7x more plaque in hard-to-reach areas and reduces gingivitis up to 2x better than a manual toothbrush.) 

As a busy mom, it is nice to have something I can do for myself that doesn't take any extra time... because time is in short supply around here.  I am all about efficiency, and this toothbrush helps me clean my teeth better in the same amount of time.

It took me a day or two to get used to the vibrating, but the toothbrush has variable speeds, so it made the adjustment easy.  And, this model comes with a UV Sanitizer which is a fantastic way to fight germs in a house with three little boys and a mom who needs to stay healthy.  :-)

The bottom line is... I think this toothbrush is fantastic, and I highly recommend giving it a try.

 ♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I was provided with this product (free of charge) for reviewing purposes only. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own.

{Review and Giveaway} Pirate Books - CLOSED

CONTEST CLOSED - and the winner is:

Anonymous19 May 2012 22:54

I think my son would love any of those books, but "How I Became a Pirate" stands out to me. Our mommy son dance theme was pirates this year. Love it!
Mdipping@att.net

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group.  They offered to send me some fun "pirate" books to review, and if I liked them, they would let me give an identical set of books to one of you {a $91 value}.

Of course {being a pirate loving family}, I said YES!  Here are the books we received:

Charlotte Jane Battles Bedtime

How I Became a Pirate

Pirates Activity Book

Pirate Nap A Book of Colors

Lives of the Pirates

Sheep on a Ship

We loved all the books, but "How I Became a Pirate" was our favorite. 

Ready for a chance to win ALL of these fun books {worth $91}? 

Comment (below) letting me know which of these books you would most like to win.  Just leave your answer (and email address if you aren't logged in) before Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

Good luck!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Rules {I am a mom... I can't help it}:

1. The winner of the contest will be chosen by the Random Number Generator.
2. To enter the contest, you must leave me a comment telling me the name of the book you would most like to win.  Contest is open to Canadian and US residents only.
3. This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by facebook.
4. Contest closes on May 23, 2012 at 11:59pm.
5. Prize will be accepted as awarded.
6. Winners will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond.  After 48 hours the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. 

Please note:  I was provided with this product (free of charge) for reviewing purposes only.  No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own.

{Review and Giveaway} - The Looneyspoons Collection

CONTEST CLOSED - Winner is comment #48  "My favorite cookbook is the Companies coming cookbooks , so many great ideas in the collection, Cher MacInnis"

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Janet and Greta Podleski - the authors of the bestselling cookbook The Looneyspoons Collection.  They offered to send me a copy of their book to review, and if I liked it, they would send me a copy to give you {my awesome readers} (a $34.95 value).

So... today I let the boys pick out something to make.  They chose the "Cookies for Rookies". 

  
I put the boys to work, and the recipe was super-easy. 

And, more importantly, the cookies were delicious.

Ready for a chance to win this fun book (which includes catchy titles, delicious recipes, and interesting nutrition tips)??? 

Comment (below) letting me know the name of your favorite cookbook.  Just leave your answer (and email address if you aren't logged in) before Wednesday, April 4, 2012.

Good luck!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (To learn more about Janet & Greta Podleski and their great cookbooks, you can visit their facebook page here.)

Rules {I am a mom... I can't help it}:

1. The winner of the contest will be chosen by the Random Number Generator.
2. To enter the contest, you must leave me a comment telling me the name of your favorite cookbook.  Contest is open to Canadian and US residents only.
3. This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by facebook.
4. Contest closes on April 4, 2012 at 11:59pm.
5. Prize will be accepted as awarded.
6. Winners will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond.  After 48 hours the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected.

Please note:  I was provided with this product (free of charge) for reviewing purposes only.  No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own.