DIY Olaf Costume

My youngest son loves the movie Frozen, so I was not surprised when he announced that he wanted to be Olaf for Halloween this year.  I knew it would be difficult to come up with a DIY Olaf Costume for him to wear, but I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out.

Isn't he the cutest?

To make the "body" part of the costume, I started with an oversized turtleneck from Walmart that I got on clearance for $3.  (It's big so my little guy will be able to wear a jacket under it for trick or treating.)  Then, I made some pom poms and used hot glue to attach them to the front of the shirt. Finally, I cut the legs off a pair of old tights and pulled them over the sleeves of the turtleneck (to make arms), and I added a pair of black stretchy gloves from the dollar store.

To make the Olaf hat, I started with a plain white hat that I got at the dollar store for $2.

Then, I cut all the facial features out of felt.  You can use the template below as a guide.  Just right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print the 8X10 photo.

I stitched the eyes together, and I stitched the nose together, but if you are looking for a "no-sew" option, you can use hot glue to assemble the pieces.

Then, once the pieces were assembled, I attached everything to the hat with hot glue.

Finally, I cut a small slit in the top of the hat, pulled through a couple of pipe cleaners, and secured them in place with some hot glue.

I made this DIY Olaf Costume for less than $10, and I think it is totally adorable, don't you? 

And if you are looking for an even easier option, I designed a cute, paper Olaf hat template that you can download here.

Enjoy!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE DIY Halloween Costume Ideas here.)

Packing Tips For Families

When you have kids, packing can be a nightmare.  If you are packing for a weekend trip or preparing for a long vacation, you should really check out these 7 really helpful packing tips for families.

1)  Make a list.  You can find the one I use here.  When I do a "final check" with this list, I always discover something I have missed.

2)  Pack good carry on bags.  You'll want to include healthy snacks, little treats, small toys/games, movies, special blankets/stuffies, water bottles, iPods/iPads, etc...  If you are flying, you will want to pack a pen for customs forms/baggage tags and some gum/suckers for the kids (to help with their ears when the plane is landing).  A change of clothes and bathing suits are helpful too... in case luggage gets lost or delayed.

3)  Pack a lunch.  I detest being forced to buy overpriced and junky food when on a road trip, spending time in an airport, or staying in a hotel room.  I always bring supplies (that don't need to be refrigerated) that I can use to prepare a simple picnic lunch.  I like unsweetened applesauce, bananas, bread, and peanut butter.  It's not fancy... but it's economical, tasty, and keeps my boys happy and full.

4)  Put together a bag of basic medical supplies.  I always pack Gravol, Benadryl, Tylenol, bandaids, a thermometer, ear drops, etc...  There is nothing worse than being in a strange city (with a sick child) searching for an all night pharmacy.  

5)  Use sealable storage bags.  I use bags to: keep organized, identify special outfits, isolate dirty items,  and hold wet stuff.

6)  Pack light (especially if you will have access to a washer and dryer).  Try to choose multi-functioning outfits and items that can be layered.  Be selective, and only take what you really think you are going to need.  Packing light saves baggage charges, makes it easier to transport luggage through the airport, and helps with fitting luggage into the truck of a rental car.

7)  Stay organized - Some people recommend rolling your clothes, but I prefer them folded in neat piles so I can see what I have and keep things organized.  I pack all three boys in one suitcase (divided into three sections).

I hope you find these packing tips helpful.  Vacations are a lot of fun, but it's important to be prepared.   What's your best packing tip for families?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

10+ Disney Magic Kingdom Tips {including the NEW fast pass system}

When planning a family vacation, I love to get advice from other moms that have "been there".  So today, I am sharing tips from our recent trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom.

1)  Buy your tickets ahead of time. Even if you are only buying one day tickets, buying your tickets ahead of time will allow you to register your tickets using the My Disney Experience app.  Then, before you arrive at the park, you can link your account with anyone you are going with and select your fast passes. If you wait to get your fast passes at one of the kiosks in the park, you may find that many of your choices are no longer available. 

To optimize your options, I recommend booking your fast passes at 7am 30 days before your visit. You'll also want to book some of your fast passes for 11am-2pm when the park is most crowded.

Note:  If you register your fast passes ahead of time, you will still have the opportunity to make changes later in the day at any of the kiosks in the park.  You can read all about the FastPass+ system here.)

Money saving tip: Kids under three don't require a ticket.

2)  Buy glow sticks, souvenirs, and rain ponchos outside the park.  The kids will love having "something that glows" during the night time parades and shows, and glow sticks are super-cheap at the dollar store.  

And if the forecast is calling for rain, rain ponchos can also be purchased inexpensively at the dollar store. They don't take up much space, and you'll be happy when you don't need to pay the inflated park prices.

Also, Disney souvenirs are cheaper outside the park, and if you don't have them with you, you won't have to carry them around all day.  

Note: There is one souvenir that I recommend buying at Disney parks -- "pressed pennies".  They are a lot of fun, easy to carry, and very inexpensive.  Pack some pennies and quarters, and have some fun pressing pennies!

3)  Bring a backpack, and fill it with everything you'll need for the day.  We always take water bottles (which can be refilled for free throughout the park at fountains or restaurants selling soda), sandwiches, lots of snacks, sunscreen, a camera, and a sweater for when it cools down at night.

4)  Dress for the day.  Wear a sunhat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes.  I also like to wear special "Disney" shirts on my boys.  It's fun, it looks cute in pictures, and it lets people know they are part of the same group.

5)  Arrive early.  It is a time consuming process to get from the Magic Kingdom parking lot to the front gate.  Also, at 8:45am there is a train that arrives at the entrance with many of the Disney characters.  They put on a little show, and countdown to the park opening.  It's really worth seeing!  Also, if you arrive early, you can head straight for a popular ride and avoid a big line up.

6)  Rent or bring a stroller.  Magic Kingdom is huge, and children will get tired.  When we were there, we rented a double stroller, and all three of my boys (4, 6, and 8) used it.  (It is also useful for carrying stuff and sitting in to watch parades.)

7)  Have a plan. You are not going to get everything done in one day, so you should make a plan that incorporates each family member's "must do" ride/activity. You'll also want to use your fast passes for some of these rides/activities.  (Don't forget to use the "My Disney Experience" app to check wait times for lines.)

8)  Take advantage of rider switch passes. If you have a child that doesn't meet the height requirements for a ride, you can ask a cast member for a rider switch pass. One parent can ride while the other waits, and the they can switch.

9) Don't just focus on the rides.  Magic Kingdom has many excellent rides, but a lot of the magic comes from the parades, the light show on the castle, and the fireworks.  Arrive at the parades early if you want a good seat.  Cast members will be able to give you advice about where you should stand and how early you should arrive.

10)  Meet some characters.  Meeting (and getting pictures taken with) characters can be magical for kids, but it can take up a lot of time.  It is important to prioritize as to which characters you really want to meet.  Then, you will want to check the schedule for character meeting spots and times, and you may want to consider using fast passes.  Also, if meeting characters is a priority for you, you may want to think about booking a character breakfast, lunch or dinner.  We make it a point to meet Mickey Mouse at Town Hall, and it is always a special moment for us.  (Note:  Don't forget your autograph books!) 

Money saving tip: If you are interested in a character meal, you may want to consider choosing a breakfast. It's a much cheaper option, and the kids are often so excited that they aren't that interested in the food anyway!

11)  Have Fun!  Don't forget that the whole point of the trip to the park is to have fun.  So... relax, take lots of pictures, and make memories that will last forever. 

What's your best tip for a successful trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom?  I can't wait to start planning our next trip!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more fantastic family travel tips here.

Announcing Disney

At the end of the month, we are taking our boys to Disney.  We have been keeping it a secret (until now), but my husband and I wanted to tell them a month ahead so that we had 30 day to build excitement.  Here is how we told our boys, "We're going to Disney!"

We started by telling our boys that we had a little "family movie night" surprise for them, and we gave them 3 paper bags containing clues.

Bag #1 contained a bathing suit.
Bag #2 contained a picture of their cousins (who will be accompanying us on the trip).
Bag #3 contained a toy airplane.

Then, after a few guesses, the boys opened a big bag filled with Disney stickers, Disney tattoos, balloons, and a Disney Countdown (which you can read about here).

The boys and I are super-excited about our trip, and every day the anticipation is building. 

Have you ever surprised your little ones with a family vacation?  How did you break the news?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disney Countdown

My husband and I are taking the boys to Florida in April, and we thought it would be fun to build anticipation with a "Countdown to Disney".  This countdown is super-cute, and it is easy and inexpensive to make.

Here's how I made our Disney countdown (per the photo tutorial below):

1)  I started with inexpensive pipe insulation (from the home improvement store), and I taped the ends together with lots of duct tape.  I also stuck a craft stick in the middle before taping to make it a little stronger.  (Note:  The weight of the paper chain caused the insulation to bend slightly, so I think next time I might try reinforcing the foam with an old wire hanger... but if you don't mind not having a perfect circle, this isn't necessary)

2)  I wrapped the insulation with black yarn... securing it with hot glue periodically.

3)  I cut two circles from foam core (from the dollar store) using an x-acto knife.

4)  I wrapped the circles with black yarn... securing it with hot glue periodically.

5)  I attached the two smaller circles to the larger circle using hot glue and yarn.

6)  I cut card stock (in yellow, red, and white) into strips that were two inches wide.

7)  I glued two buttons onto the top strip, and then looped the remaining strips to make a chain.

I love our Disney countdown, and my boys are enjoying ripping the links off each day.  I am too!  :-)

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Doc McStuffins Fun

We are huge fans of Doc McStuffins on Disney Junior Canada, and it inspired my boys and I to come up with a Doc McStuffins craft and adorable little snack.

We thought it would be fun to make a "Big Book of Boo Boos". I took an inexpensive journal, and added a heart (that you can download here). Then, my boys added a couple of bandaids. Cute, right?

After we finished our book, we made a cute "Band Aid" Snack. It looks kind of gross, but my three little boys thought they were hilarious.

I just cut up some graham crackers, added some white frosting for gauze, and finished with a smear of red gel icing blood.  Simple but fun! 

Do your little ones like pretending to be a doctor like Doc McStuffins?  Watching my boys "pretend" always makes me happy.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure:  I’m part of the Disney Junior Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

No-Sew Jake Costume

My boys love pirates, and yesterday my son asked if I could help him put together a "Jake" {from Jake and the Neverland Pirates} costume.  Given that I don't know how to work my sewing machine, here is what we came up with:

Pretty cute, right?

Here's how we did it:

To make the headband - I cut a strip of felt 36 inches long and 2 inches wide.  I fit it to my son's head and secured it with a clear elastic.

To make the sword - I drew a sword (like Jake's) on a piece of cardboard and cut it out.  I used the top of a pizza box, but any thick cardboard would work.  You can download a free printable template of the sword I designed here.

To make the shirt - I took an old white shirt, cut a couple of slits in the sleeves, and had my son draw an "X" on the collar.

To make the vest - I bought a plain blue t-shirt for $4.  I cut off the sleeves, and I cut a straight line all the way up the middle of the shirt.  Then, I sewed on four gold buttons.  (I figured I could manage a couple of buttons, but if you really don't want to do any sewing, you can skip this step.)

I hope you enjoy making this simple Jake costume with your little pirates.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I'm part of the Disney Junior Mom program, and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

A {Simple} NEMO Cake

Finding Nemo is one of our family's favorite movies, so last time we watched it on family movie night, we decided to make a special cake to celebrate.  It's always a party if you have a cake... am I right?

It isn't fancy, but it was super-easy to make, and my boys thought it was awesome.  Here's how I made it:

1)  I used a cake mix to make a round cake and some cupcakes.  I allowed them to cool completely, and then I arranged them on the plate (as per the picture above).

2)  I frosted the cake with orange icing, and then used white icing and a piping bag to make some white "clown fish" stripes.

3)  I finished the cake by adding an eye -- a white chocolate wafer, a little icing, and a chocolate chip.

That's it... easy peasy!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure:  I’m part of the Disney Junior Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Disney Cupcakes

My boys and I love having special snacks while we enjoy our favorite shows/movies.  Recently, we came up with two adorable cupcakes designs -- Rapunzel's Chameleon (Pascal) Cupcakes and Mama Hook's Gold Doubloon Cupcakes.

Aren't they cute?  Here are the instructions:

Mama Hook's Gold Doubloon Cupcakes:
1)  Make your favorite white cupcakes.
2)  Cover each cupcake with blue icing (water).
3)  Add some graham cracker crumbs (sand).
4)  Top each cupcake with a Gold Doubloon (chocolate coin).

This is a perfect treat to enjoy while watching the Jack and the Never Land Pirates.  (One of our favorite shows!)

Rapunzel's Chameleon (Pascal) Cupcakes:
1)  Make your favorite white cupcakes.
2)  Cover each cupcake with green icing.
3)  For the eyes - use white chocolate candy melts and chocolate chips (with chocolate icing for the "glue").
4)  Use chocolate icing to draw a simple nose and mouth.
5)  Use green icing to pipe on eyebrows and the protruding part of its head.

Wouldn't this cute cupcake make the perfect movie snack while watching Disney's Tangled?  

My boys were super-excited about the tray of cupcakes they decorated themselves.

Which of the cupcakes is your favorite?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure:  I’m part of the Disney Junior Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group... but (of course!), the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

Remembering {Disney} Party

Our family went to Disney in March.  It was such a magical trip for us, and I thought it would be fun {two months later} to have a little party and remember what a great time we had.

It doesn't take much to make a "party" at our house.  My boys really get excited over the little details.  :-)  We had some Mickey-shaped Oreo pops and peanut butter sandwiches.

And of course we needed balloons and Disney dishes.

And when we were finished snacking and playing with the balloons, we put our pictures in an album, and the boys made a little scrapbook.

It was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon remembering our fun week in the sun.

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)  

 

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5 {Disney} Vacation Tips

Our family went to Disney for March break.  We decided to only spend two days at parks -- one day at Magic Kingdom and one day at Hollywood Studios.  I think {given the age of the boys and our budget} two days was enough... but we made the most of our two days.

In case any of you are planning a trip, here are a few helpful hints:

 1)  Be Prepared
A day at a Disney Park is going to be a long day, so make sure you bring everything you are going to need.  I suggest:  a stroller, a backpack, water, sandwiches, snacks, sunglasses, sunhats, sweaters (for when it cools off in the evenings), sneakers, sunscreen, and {of course} a camera.

2)  Set Priorities
If you are only planning to spend one day at a park, it is going to be a long day, and you are not going to see everything.  It is important to do some research and find out the "must dos" for everyone in the family.  Look at the rides, shows, and parades.  I feel like we saw/did everything we wanted to {both days}.  It was exhausting, but it was a whole lot of fun!

3)  Have a Plan
To make the most of a trip to a Disney Park, you need to be efficient and have a plan.  Before we left, we made a list of all the "fast pass rides" and the "non-fast pass rides" that were popular.  These are the ones we did first.  We also made a schedule of the shows and parades we didn't want to miss and worked around them.  *(Click here for some additional details on rides/attractions we really enjoyed.)   

Make sure you arrive at parades and shows early to get a good seat.

4)  Pay Attention to Details
I am a true believer that the small things make a big difference.  I made the boys special t-shirts, Mickey Mouse ears, and personalized autograph books.  {Fun, right?  Click the links for full tutorials.} 

I also highly recommend getting Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream while you are at the parks.  What is more fun than ice cream?  Ice cream shaped like Mickey {of course}!

5)  Have Fun!
This one is kind of obvious, but definitely the most important.  Don't forget that the whole point of the vacation is to have fun.  Take lots of pictures, and make lots of memories.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Note: You can find tips for our 2014 trip to Disney here.