15 TOP Christmas Family Movies... and a FREE printable checklist

Aren't Christmas movies a special part of the holidays? I really feel like the season isn't complete until I watch all my favourites with my boys. Today, I'm sharing a fun checklist of family-friendly Christmas movies you can all watch together. You can even print off my list to keep you on track -- that's what my family is doing. 😄

To print a copy of my top 15 family Christmas movies: click on the photo above, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

Did YOUR favourite make my list? What would you add? I found it really hard to narrow it down to just 15. There are so many great ones!

1) Elf

2) Home Alone

3) The Polar Express

4) The Santa Clause

5) It's a Wonderful Life

6) Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus is Coming Town)

7) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

8) A Christmas Story

9) Miracle on 34th Street

10) Arthur Christmas

11) A Christmas Carol

12) A Charlie Brown Christmas

13) The Grinch

14) The Christmas Chronicles

15) One Magic Christmas

I put my list in a cheap dollar store frame, so we have it handy when we are picking movies.

I hope you enjoy this list and it inspires you to have some themed movie nights with your friends and family this year.

Happy holidays!!!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You may also enjoy the fantastic Christmas ideas here.

11 HOCUS POCUS Crafts, DIYs, and Treat Ideas

Movie nights are a staple in my home, and I love watching Hocus Pocus with my boys every Halloween. With Hocus Pocus 2 being released this year, I thought it was the perfect time to share my favourite HOCUS POCUS inspired crafts, DIYs and treat ideas.

1) Binx Candy Dish - Paint a wooden dollar store cat black, glue it to a tray, and fill it with dollar store treats. It's the perfect inexpensive centrepiece for a viewing party food table.

2) Hocus Pocus mugs - Add the words "Hocus Pocus" to black dollar store mugs, and you have the perfect vessels for serving hot chocolate to enjoy during the movie. Easy peasy!

3) Witch hat chocolates - These are the perfect snack to enjoy during a Hocus Pocus screening. Top Reese Peanut Butter Cups with a dollap of icing and a Hershey kiss. That's it!

4) Simple DIY Hocus Pocus Spell book - Cover an old book with faux leather (or paint it brown), add a plastic eyeball cut in half, add details with hot glue, and cover the glue with brown paint. Simple and fun!

5) Hocus Pocus banner - Add glittery gold letters to card stock pennants, and string with a piece of twine. It's a simple way to add a bit of fun to a Hocus Pocus movie night!

6) Broom parking - A dollar store over-the-door coat rack makes a fun Halloween vignette. Use it to hang a witch cape, hat and brooms. It's super fun!!!

7-11) Hocus Pocus tiered tray DIYs - A Hocus Pocus tiered tray is a fun way to create an adorable Halloween vignette, and I have 5 simple tiered tray DIY ideas here. (The tiny little brooms are my favourite!)

You can get a closer look at how I made ALL ELEVEN Hocus Pocus crafts in the video below.

Which is your favourite Hocus Pocus craft/DIY/treat? I think they are all easy, inexpensive, and fun!

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (These pretzel brooms are cute too! Package pretzels with a paper straws and tie them with ribbons. Pretty cute, eh?)

Halloween Family Movie Night... with skeleton party tray and family friendly Halloween movie suggestions

I love a themed movie night, don't you? You can put up elaborate decoration and make a bunch of fancy snacks, or you can keep it simple with a Halloween snack tray, some popcorn and a great Halloween movie. Today, I am sharing everything you need to plan an easy, inexpensive and fun Halloween family movie night.

When it comes to movie night, you need a variety of fun snacks. I love the idea of creating a simple Halloween snack tray, don't you? I picked up this silver tray at the dollar store, I laid out a skeleton (that I also found at the dollar store), and covered it all with Halloween candy. Fun, right?

And you'll need a family friend movie too, right? Of course, different movies are appropriate for different ages, so you'll need to do some research, but here are a few fun, family-friendly Halloween movie options.

Note: I have included some links that will allow you to purchase these movies easily at a great price. These are affiliate links, so if you use them, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!


1) Hocus Pocus

2) Halloweentown (and its sequel)

3) Hotel Transylvania (and its sequels)

4) Casper

5) Beetlejuice

Do you have a favourite Halloween movie? Did it make my list? I hope you take the time to make a simple Halloween snack tray and watch a family friendly Halloween movie with your friends and family this year. Happy Halloween!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more ideas for easy and inexpensive Halloween fun here.

Movie Night Snack Board

Spending time together as a family is not always easy... especially when kids are busy with after school and weekend activities/sports. In our house, we try to have a "family movie night" every Friday, and it is the highlight of the week for all of us. Making it special with simple snacks adds an extra element of fun. Check out our latest movie night treat... a movie night snack board.

I started with a few of my family's favourite snacks, small bowls I had in my cupboard, and a tray from the dollar store.

I covered the tray with popcorn, inserted the bowls, and filled the bowls with candy. Soooo easy... but soooo much fun!

This movie night snack board was a definite hit at our last movie night. I think my boys are going to be looking for it next week too!

I love a charcuterie board, and I think this is a really fun "sweet and salty" version the whole family will love, don't you? I highly recommend making this movie night snack board for your next movie night. It's simple, fun, and really tasty!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

How to Host a BOOK-THEMED Movie Night

I always enjoy hosting movie nights... and I really love booked-themed movie nights. I adore the idea of encouraging my boys to read by rewarding them with a book-themed movie night after they have finished a novel. My boys have read all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, so the film versions are perfect for movie nights with their friends. Today, I'm sharing the fun DIY details of our "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" movie night.

Every party needs an invitation, so make up something simple using your computer. I made this one using PicMonkey.com.

Then, you'll have to pick a movie (based on a book). Some great family movies based on books are:

1) Diary of a Wimpy Kid

2) Harry Potter

3) The Lorax

4) Dolphin Tale

5) Alice in Wonderland

6) Percy Jackson

7) Chronicles of Narnia

8) How to Train Your Dragon

9) The Wizard of Oz

10) Anne of Green Gables

We love an outdoor movie. We have a basic home projector. We hook it up to a laptop and speakers, and we project it onto a white sheet. It's a bit of an investment, but we use it all the time, and it's one of our favourite activities.

You'll also need to serve some food. It's fun to pick a few foods that go with the theme of the book... but as long as you have popcorn and candy, you'll be fine.

For our Diary of a Wimpy Kid screening, we had "cheesies" because a "cheese touch" is referred to in the movie.

And we served a lot of colourful candy in little condiment containers. The kids loved the individual portions of candy.

We also used books as decor, and let the kids play a "guess how many pieces of gum are in the jar" game. It's always fun to have a fun activity (or two) to occupy the kids before the movie starts.

A photo booth is another easy and inexpensive way to entertain kids while they are waiting for the movie the start. I made some simple photo props using a sharpie, cardstock, and popsicle sticks. 

And, finally, every party needs a party favor, and popcorn is perfect for a movie night. Add a little "Thanks for POPPING by!" note to a package for microwave popcorn for an easy and inexpensive party favor.

If you pick a colour scheme that fits the movie, display the books from the movie, and invest a little time in a few DIY details... your guests are sure to be impressed.

Isn't a booked-themed movie night a wonderful way to host friends and encourage kids to read? I hope my Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie night inspires you to throw a book-themed movie night of your own.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

How to Plan a Valentine's Day FAMILY Date Night

Disclosure: I received compensation from Greco for this post, but (as always), the opinions expressed in this blog are 100% my own.

Valentine's Day is all about showing love, and I love my ALL boys (my husband and my three sons)! So in my house, we like to celebrate Valentine's Day as a family. Friday night family movie night is a weekly highlight in our house, so a simple Valentine's Day movie night is the perfect way for us to celebrate Valentine's Day. Today, I am sharing my favourite tips, tricks, and shortcuts for planning the perfect EASY Valentine's Day family date night.

Step one is to set the stage with a few decoration... and it doesn't take much effort. A dollar store tablecloth and garland, and a few heart shaped balloons are all you need.

Then, you'll need a "zero effort" supper. How cute are these heart-shaped pizzas from Greco? We got a pizza and garlic fingers, and they were both delicious. Supper doesn't get much easier than ordering pizza!

Finally, you'll need some popcorn, and a sweet treat for dessert. These individual cheesecakes are perfect for movie night, because you can grab them, and eat them on the couch. (They are also super-easy to make... from a mix!)

To make cheesecakes in jars:

1) Start with an instant cheesecake mix and fruit. (I used raspberries.)

2) Prepare the graham cracker crust (according to package directions) and divide it evenly between 6 small jars. (You can use a spoon to press the crust into the bottom of the jars, but I used a little tool made from a skewer, a piece of cardboard, and a piece of tin foil.)

3) Prepare the cheesecake layer (according to package directions) and divide it evenly between the 6 small jars. (I used a spoon, but if you want it extra neat, you can use a piping bag.)

4) Top with fruit, and refrigerate.

I also designed cute tags for my jars which you can download for free. 

To download these "You are sweeter than cheesecake" tags: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

As you can see from my boys' smiling faces, the heart-shaped pizza and garlic fingers were a hit... and I LOVE when I don't have to cook supper.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Do you enjoy a romantic dinner for two, or do you prefer a family celebration? However you choose to celebrate... I hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day with the people you love!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Movie Treat Boxes... made from recycled cereal boxes

In our house, we try to have family movie night every Friday night. It's a highlight of our week where all electronics are banned and we cuddle up on the couch together. It's also a night where we indulge in some movie night treats... because what's a movie night without popcorn, right? But popcorn (and kids) can be messy, so the movie treat boxes I am sharing today are perfect for movie night!

The best part about these movie treat boxes is that they are made from old cereal boxes, and they are reusable. To make your own movie night treat boxes:

1) Cut the top off of a cereal box.

2) Use shelf liner to cover the bottom of the box. (I purchased a big roll at the dollar store. Cut the liner to the right size first, and then slowly insert it and smooth it out.)

3) Apply duct tape to the inside and outside sides of the box.

Isn't this a great idea?

I love that these movie night treat boxes are easy to make and use simple dollar store supplies. They'd be perfect for a movie-themed party too! It's always fun when you can add simple and inexpensive DIY details to parties. If you decide to make a tray or two, let me know how it goes. I plan on make a bunch for our next movie party.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)