The Polar Express (Christmas Light Adventure)

For many years, our family has been going on a "Polar Express" Christmas Light Adventure, and it's one of my favourite holiday traditions. It's simple, but a lot of fun!!! (Note: Don't forget to download the UPDATED ticket I designed for you. Get if for FREE below.)

In order to embark on your own Polar Express adventure:

1) Print the tickets I designed for you.

2) Grab some hot chocolate, cookies, and popcorn.

3) Hop in your vehicle, turn on Christmas carols, and drive around looking at Christmas lights.

To print one of the Polar Express tickets I designed: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Then, when the trip is over and you've chosen the winner of the "best lights in town", the kids find bells from Santa's sleigh on their pillows. Pretty fun, right?

This really is one of our family's favorite holiday traditions, and I highly recommend giving it a try.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more ideas for easy and inexpensive Christmas family fun here.

NEW Budget-friendly Christmas HACKS... including FREEBIES and dollar store DIYs

I absolutely love saving money during the holidays, don't you? Today, I have some fantastic HACKS for you--including freebies and dollar store DIYs. For more info, check out the video at the bottom of this post!

One of my favourite traditions is "The Polar Express" adventure my family goes on every year. I print tickets to the Polar Express, we grab cookies and hot chocolate, and we head to our van to tour around looking at Christmas lights. Then, when we get home, there are gold bells on my boys' pillows. Fun, right?

To grab your free "bell tags" and "Polar Express tickets": Click on the picture below, right-click, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

Another fun HACK is to use dollar store supplies to create a DIY candy dish. I used a dollar store candle stick holder, the bottom of a clay pot, a round glass vase, and a cabinet knob. I spray painted the candle stick holder and clay tray red, glued it all together, and filled it with candy. I think it adds a nice bit of whimsey to the holidays.

This HACK is SUPER-EASY. Grab a dollar store cloche, add a bit of ribbon to the bottom, add an ornament and fake snow, and place it on a dollar store candle stick holder or riser. EASY PEASY!

How beautiful is this dollar store wreath? I wrapped a dollar store wreath form with a dollar store scarf. Then, I added some greenery and fake flowers. What do you think?

For a closer look at (and instructions for) these hacks, check out the YouTube video below.

Let me know what HACKS you like the best, and make sure to "like" my YouTube video and hit "subscribe". It means a lot to me and REALLY helps my channel.

💗 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the Christmas DIYs here.

The Polar Express (Mini Van Edition)

For several years, we have been taking the boys on surprise Polar Express adventures. We pretend it is a normal night and get them all ready for bed, but when they get to their rooms they find Polar Express tickets on their pillows. I play a loud train whistle (that I found on YouTube), and the kids come running downstairs. We grab some hot chocolate and treats, and we head out to look at Christmas lights.

To print one of the Polar Express tickets I designed, right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Then, when our trip is over and we have chosen the winner of the "best lights in town", the boys find bells from Santa's sleigh on their pillows. Pretty fun, right?

Have you ever taken your little ones on a Polar Express adventure? It's one of our favorite holiday traditions, and I highly recommend giving it a try.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more ideas for easy and inexpensive Christmas family fun here.

Polar Express Treat Bag {with free printable}

The Polar Express is one of our favorite Christmas books (and we love the movie too).  So, when I was trying to come up with little gifts for my 7 year old to share with his class this year, I decided to go with this adorable Polar Express treat bag.

Isn't it cute?  I bought gold bells at the dollar store, added ribbons, and attached "Believe" tags.  You can print the tags I designed by right-clicking on the picture (below), saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 4X6 photo.

I packaged the bells in bags with little boxes of "train" Smarties, but if you are concerned about sugar or allergies, you could just give out the bells.

What child wouldn't love to receive this adorable bell ornament?  I'm going to leave them on my boys' pillows on the night we have our annual Polar Express minivan adventure (which is one of my favorite Christmas traditions).

Do you love The Polar Express as much as we do?  What are some of your other favorite Christmas movies?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

The Polar Express Mini Van Adventure... with free printable golden tickets

Last night, our family continued one of our favorite Christmas traditions -- The Polar Express (mini van edition).

The adventure started when my boys headed to bed and found tickets to "The Polar Express" golden tickets lying on their pillows.  (You can download a copy of the ticket I designed here.)  Excitement ensued, and everyone got on their coats and hats as fast as they could.

When they got to our van, I punched their tickets (wearing my conductors hat), they had a snack of hot chocolate and cookies, we listened to Christmas carols, and we toured our town in search of our favorite Christmas lights.

Then, when we got home, each boy found a bell (from Santa's sleigh) on his pillow.

Fun, right?  Have you ever gone on a Polar Express adventure with your little ones?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - (Click here for a cute printable tag for your bell.)

Find more easy and inexpensive ideas for Christmas family fun here.

My Version of The Polar Express

My son just did a "Polar Express" re-creation at school, and I saw a fun "mini van" version on Pinterest {which you can see here}.  It is such a fun idea, and I knew we had to have our own Polar Express adventure.  So... after baths, PJs and a story, the boys headed to bed... and guess what they found on their pillows?

That's right!  They found golden tickets to The Polar Express. 

They quickly put on their coats and headed out to our van where I was waiting {in a train conductor's hat} to punch their tickets.

When they got in their seats, they found hot chocolate, popcorn, and candy canes.  They were soooo excited!

We had Christmas carols playing and we drove all around town looking at Christmas lights.

When we got home, the boys headed to bed... where they found a bell from Santa's sleigh on their pillows.  {I think this was my favorite part.}  :-)

My boys even went to sleep with their tickets and bells.  Seriously cute, right? 

This is definitely going to be an annual tradition for us.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.