Book Review: It's Going to Be OK

I don't do a lot of book reviews on my blog, but when my friend and her two boys wrote a book about their journey with Alzheimer's, I knew I had to share it. If you have ever had a loved one experience dementia, you will want to read this heartfelt book.

This story was personal for me, as I watched dementia take over the minds of my sweet grandparents. Watching a person you love slowly slip away is a difficult thing to endure. It's also challenging to explain this complicated condition to children. I wish I had been able to read this book to my boys when they first started to see this disease affect their great-grandparents.

"It's Going to Be OK" (by Ben, Alex and Marie Kennedy) is heartfelt, educational, well written and beautifully illustrated. The attention to detail is perfection! I especially love that there are forget-me-knots featured on every page.

If you have someone in your life that has been diagnosed with Dementia, you should grab a copy of this book. Dementia is hard to understand and deal with -- especially for kids -- and this book has a gentle way of explaining a heartbreaking disease. It's a great tool for dealing with grief, while inspiring hope that "everything will be OK".

To order a copy, go to www.itsgoingtobeokbook.com.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this list of my top 10 picture books for kids.

5 Simple Ways to Prepare for a Family Road Trip

Road tripping with kids can be a lot of fun, but only if you are well prepared. Recently, my family travelled over 1400km to visit family, and we had a fantastic time. Today, I'm sharing the secrets to our success -- 5 simple ways to prepare for a family road trip.

1) Keep everyone comfortable. - Make sure everyone is dressed in comfy clothes, and bring lots of blankets and pillows.

2) Pack lots of food. - We always pack a cooler with fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, milk and drinks. It makes it easy to make healthy meals "on the go". We also pack a basket filled with bread, peanut butter, healthy snack options, and tasty treats. Individual tackle boxes filled with goodies are fun too!

The most important thing is to make sure everyone is well fed, food is always in arms reach, and there is no reason to make unnecessary stops for fast food.

3) Make sure everyone is entertained. - I love wrapping up dollar store trinkets and treats for the kids to open when boredom sets it. In the past, I have wrapped up: magazines, puzzle books, fidget toys, craft supplies, and treats. It's a fun way to add some fun to the drive.

I also like wrapping DVDs. Instead of endless discussion (and fighting) about what movie to watch, my kids just take one (blindly) from the pile, unwrap it, and stick it in the DVD player. Easy peasy!

4) Plan out your route. - Plan out your route, and plan overnight stays ahead of time if needed. For our 15 hour drive, we planned an overnight stay in a hotel halfway to our destination. Have a bed and pool to break up our drive made all the difference.

5) Make the journey part of the vacation. - The drive to a destination doesn't need to be torture, but rather, it can be part of the fun. 5 minute stops at roadside attractions will add a lot of interest to the drive. For our trip, we stopped for a couple of photos in Montreal.

Note: Having the passengers change spots in the vehicles at rest stops is a great way to get give them a change of scenery.

I also suggest packing Ziploc bags (which are perfect for wet swimsuits, car sickness, and food storage), and baby wipes come in handy too. 

What is your best way to prepare for a family road trip? We'll definitely be doing it again, so I'd love any tips or tricks you have to offer.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the helpful family travel advice here.

Top TWELVE Books for Tween and Teen Boys (and Girls!)

Many children start their love affair with reading by enjoying picture books, graphic novels, and easy chapter books. Then, after children have gained their confidence and honed their reading skills, they are ready for more advanced stories, characters, and plot lines. Today, I am sharing TWELVE books that were / are some of my boys' favourites.

*NOTE: The links to purchase these books are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase one of these books using one of these links, I will receive a small commission... at no additional charge to you.

1) Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan




2) Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling




3) I Funny series by James Patterson





4) David Walliams books: particularly Mr. Stink and The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams

5) Wonder by R.J. Palicio




6) A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket 




7) Swindle series by Gordon Korman




8) Slapshot series by Gordon Korman



9) MasterMind series by Gordon Korman (My 10 year old LOVED the humour and adventure in this series.)

10) Wings of Fire series by Tui T Sutherland

11) Robert Muchamore books - My 12 year old loved the CHERUB series.

12) Treasure Hunter Series by James Patterson

Do you have books you would like to add to this list? I am always anxious to instill a love of reading in my boys, and good books are the key. If you have a suggestion, please leave it below, and I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Tips for A More Organized Home

A new year always makes me want to get organized. Do you feel the same way? The clutter of Christmas gifts and the need to "start fresh" is a great motivator. So, today I am sharing FIVE of my best tips for creating a more organized home.

1) Get rid of stuff you don't need or love - The best way to feel organized is to have fewer things. It's a huge job to de-clutter an entire house, so take it room by room... drawer by drawer. Pick a drawer or space, empty it out, and only put back the things you use. Everything that is left over should be donated, sold, or thrown out.

When it comes to sentimental items, only keep what you truly value. I have designated one bin for each of my boys. Each bin contains special items of clothing, report cards, special stuffies, and favourite art pieces. If it doesn't fit in the bin, it doesn't stay in the house.

2) Make leaving the house easier - Finding things you need on the way out the door can be a challenge, but I have a few tips to make it a bit easier.

• Quick grab basket - A few dollar store baskets by the door will make mornings a little easier for everyone. Everyone gets their own basket, and every pair of mittens has a home. (Click here for more details.)

• Makeshift mudroom - A few hooks in an unused corner is all you need to create a makeshift mudroom. It's a simple and inexpensive storage solution when space is limited. (Click here for more details.)

• Backpack hooks - Hang some hooks on the back of a door, and you won't trip over the kids' backpacks ever again. It will also make your mornings run a little more smoothly too. (Click here for more details.)

• Clean and dirty mask baskets - Having two dollar store baskets by the door to manage masks is simple... and genius. I even designed "dirty" and "clean" baskets that you attach to the front of the baskets with a bit of twine. To download the tags I designed (for free): click on the picture of the tags below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

3) Organize the bedrooms - Bedrooms can quickly get out of control... especially childrens bedrooms that are filled with clothes (in multiple sizes) and tons of toys. Here are a few ideas for getting the clutter organized.

• Fold clothes correctly - In my house, the socks are flat, and the clothes are folded in thirds and stored vertically. It looks super-tidy, and my boys can easily find the items they are looking for in their drawers. Check out the video below to see exactly how I do it.

• Use baskets and bins - A couple of baskets on top of a dresser are perfect for all the odds and ends in a child's room. Kids can put their miscellaneous items in these baskets... instead of on the floor.

• Store stuffed animals in a bean bag chair cover - Instead of having stuffies all over the floor, they can be stuffed into a bean bag chair cover. It contains the chaos, and it makes a comfy reading seat too.

• Use a clear shoe rack on the back of the door - I use these clear shoe racks all over my house, and they are awesome! The clear pockets make it easy for kids to store and access their stuff. I use them for LEGO, but they work well for clothing, craft supplies, and any small toys.

• Make books organized and accessible - Make sure all the books have a "home". You can use a nightstand, baskets, or shelving. Also, rotate books on a regular basis... out with the old and in with the new.

I made a little video in my son Jack's room you might find helpful.

4) Organize the kitchen - The kitchen is the heart of the home... and cupboards and counters can get out of control and untidy very quickly. Here are a couple simple ways to calm the chaos:

• Cupcake wrappers - Dollar store jars make perfect storage containers for cupcake liners... and they look cute too.

• Containers for snacks/school lunch staples - Taking snacks out of their original packaging and putting them in plastic containers from the dollar store is an easy organization HACK. This little trick helps save money, makes lunch items quicker to access, and frees up cupboard space. (Click here for more lunchbox HACKS.)

5) Create a place for odds and ends - Accessible over the door shoe racks - Clear shoe racks hang on the backs of doors, which is a wonderful way to utilize unused space and see a variety of items at a glance. Over the door shoe racks are great for holding craft supplies, hats and mitts, stuffed animals, and pantry supplies, LEGO kits. (Click here for more details.)

A shoe organizer also makes a wonderfully organized homework station.

Organizing an entire home can be daunting, but it becomes much more manageable if you tackle one small area at a time . 

Try out one or two of my ideas, and let me know what you think. (And if you have any ideas to share with me, I'd love for you to leave them in the comments.)

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Mask HACKS Every Family Needs

In this world of Covid 19, wearing non-surgical face masks has become part our daily lives. With five people living in my house, and the need for every family member to always have a clean mask, I quickly realized that I needed to put a few systems in place to control the mask chaos. Today, I'm sharing 5 mask hacks that every family needs to know about.

1) Have "clean" and "dirty" baskets by the door - I picked up these cheap plastic baskets at the dollar store, and I attached paper tags. Now, it is easy for everyone in my house to locate and grab a clean mask on the way out the door. And, when people come home, they drop them in the "dirty" basket, and when it's time to do a load of laundry, it's easy for me to grab the soiled masks and throw them in with the rest of the dirty clothes.

To print the tags I designed: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

2) Buy a lanyard - If you are going to be in a situation where you are taking a mask on and off, a lanyard is a great solution. Ideally, a clean mask would be used every time, and clean masks should be stored placed in a paper bag between uses, but for many, this isn't realistic. A lanyard keeps a mask close at hand, keeps it off the floor, and prevents it from getting lost. 

NOTE: Due to strangulation concerns, lanyards should only be worn by older kids and adults, and they should NEVER be worn while playing. Lanyards with "breakaway" options are best.

Alternatively, fanny packs are great for holding masks and small bottles of hand sanitizer.

3) Wash masks in a lingerie bag - I picked up this lingerie bag at the dollar store, and it is perfect for washing masks. I throw the dirty masks in the bag and hang them to dry. I love that the lingerie bag keeps them all together so they are easy to grab (and hang to dry) when I am transferring the rest of the laundry into the dryer.

4) Have lots of masks in lots of places and label them - Making sure every person in my family has a mask when they need it is not easy. I put a clean bin of masks by the front door, but I also put clean masks in the car and in my purse. Using name labels (especially with kids) is super helpful too. Name labels prevent sharing and help keep masks from getting lost.

5) Try different styles and different colors of masks - In my house, different people prefer different styles of masks. Having a good fit makes mask wearing easier, and having different designs makes it more fun.

Do you have any tips for making "mask wearing" easier and/or more fun? I love all these mask HACKS... but the basket idea is my favourite. It has really organized my mask chaos. If you try it, let me know what you think!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Bonus tip here...