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)

Getting Ready for Summer (with some great new clothes from Gongshow Gear)

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My boys love all sports, but hockey definitely holds a special place in their hearts. So, it's not surprising that they are big fans of Gongshow Gear clothing, and they are always anxiously awaiting new additions to their website. Recently, Gongshow Gear released their Spring / Summer line, and my boys jumped at the chance to check it out. I'm sharing their favourites below.

My boys love hockey, but in the off season, golf becomes their passion... so when my boys were choosing their favourites, there were a lot of "rinks to links" selections.

My oldest son selected the white tee one up golf hat. It's a great looking hat that comes with a ball marker clip and a spot for a tee.

My oldest also selected the rep the leaf t-shirt. I really love how crisp and clean it looks.

My middle son also chose the tee one up golf hat, but he selected the black one. He also picked out the lights camera puck drop t-shirt. The black hat looks fantastic with the black t-shirt.

My youngest son loves golf too, but as a goalie, he couldn't resist selecting the tenders rock jr t-shirt. He also chose the palm-cool collected hat. I love the way the junior hats fit his head.

My boys are really pleased with their new clothes, and I love them too.

Are you ready for the transition from winter to Spring / Summer? If you are looking for a few new quality pieces for your hockey fan, I highly recommend checking out the new Gongshow line.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure - I was given GONGSHOW products for free in exchange for my honest review and promotion of the products. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely loved everything they received.

You may also be interested in seeing how excited my boys were when they received their new clothes from Gongshow. 

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Tips for Organizing Kids Clothes for Fall... and our NEW Gongshow Gear

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Switching seasons can be a pain when it comes to kids' clothes. When summer comes to an end, my growing boys never seem to have any pants or hoodies that fit. I wonder if their arms and legs will ever stop growing? lol Getting organized for heading back to school can be tough, but I have a few tips for organizing kids' clothes that you are going to make your life a little easier!

1) Get rid of what you don't need - Take everything out of your kids' drawers, try things on, and only put back things that still fit... and that they will wear. Anything left over can be donated or sold on a "buy and sell". 

2) Buy second hand - If you are looking for Fall / Winter clothes for kids, make sure to check out consignment shops and "buy and sell" sites. There are many opportunities to buy quality clothes at reduced prices. You can use the money you save to buy a few NEW high quality pieces.

3) Organize drawers - If drawers are organized, it is easier for kids to see what you have, and they are more likely to wear more than just a few of their favourites. I always fold my clothes this way (see below) so that my kids can see what they have without ripping everything out.

4) Buy what they like - There is no point spending money on clothes that kids are not going to wear. Get them involved in the buying process, and let them pick out the things they like. I prefer shopping online with my kids. It is much easier... and if they take a long time to make a decision, I don't go crazy! lol

Gongshow recently gave my boys the opportunity to check out their new Fall / Winter 2020 line, and my boys LOVE the items they received. The hockey themed clothing is a favourite in our house.

My youngest (who is a goalie) picked the Crease King Junior Hat. I love the smaller fit of these hats. They fit my 11 year old perfectly!

My middle son chose the Snow Shower Jr hoodie. I love the quality of this sweatshirt and the subtle tie dye design.

My oldest son chose the Jr Comfy Hour joggers. The material and style are both top shelf. I love the hockey lace detail too.

And, of course, no 2020 back to school wardrobe would be complete without the season's hottest accessory... the Gongshow adustable face mask. 

Are ready for the transition from summer to fall? We still have a bit of clearing out to do, but my boys are pretty happy with the new additions to the wardrobe. If you are looking for a few new quality pieces for your hockey fan, I highly recommend checking out the new Gongshow line.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure - I was given GONGSHOW products for free in exchange for my honest review and promotion of the products. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely loved everything they received.

You may also be interested in seeing how excited my boys were when they received their new clothes from Gongshow. 

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Books for the LEGO enthusiast in your home

Note: I was given these books (at no cost) by DK books in exchange for my truthful review. I have also included Amazon links in this post. If you purchase one of these books using my link, I will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you!

My 12 year old is currently studying at home due to Covid 19. He has been assigned work from his teachers, but we are also trying to include some fun educational activities in our schedule (like baking, doing crafts, and building with LEGO). His current science curriculum is focused on structures, so I gave him some great LEGO books, and put him to work.

The three books he tested out were:

LEGO Harry Potter Build Your Own Adventure: With LEGO Harry Potter Minifigure and Exclusive 2 in 1 Model

365 Things to Do with LEGO Bricks: Lego Fun Every Day of the Year

The LEGO Ideas Book: Unlock Your Imagination

His favourite of the three books was LEGO Harry Potter Build Your Own Adventure. He loved that it came with instructions and the pieces he needed to make a 2 in 1 model. (You can read more about it here.)

The other two books provide excellent inspiration for LEGO fans, but detailed instructions to build models are not included, and you need a large variety of LEGO pieces to build many of the items. If you have an extensive LEGO collection, the last two books would be fantastic for you.

LEGO is such a great toy, don't you think? I love that LEGO helps kids learn about structures, AND it encourages them to use their imaginations.

Happy reading, and happy building!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Tips for Organizing Summer Clothes with Kids... and a Little Online Shopping with my Boys

*Disclosure - I was given GONGSHOW clothing for 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 these items... and you are genuinely going to love these ideas for organizing kids' clothes.

Switching seasons can be a pain when it comes to kids' clothes. There are always tons of things that no longer fit, and there are often many new things to buy. Sorting through clothes and getting organized can take a lot of time and money, but I have 5 tips for organizing clothes that you are going to love!


1) Get rid of what you don't need - It's can be a painful process, but you need to take everything out of your kids' drawers, try things on, and only put back things that still fit... and that they will wear. Anything left over can be donated or sold on a "buy and sell". (I always find it easier to sell things in groups. You may not get as much money, but it all gets taken away at once, and it's a lot less work.)

2) Use what you have - Don't just pack away all the winter clothes. You may be able to make some things work for summer. For example, I always buy inexpensive t-shirts to wear as "cooler" tops with winter PJ bottoms.

3) Buy second hand - If you are looking for summer clothes for kids, make sure to check out consignment shops and "buy and sell" sites. There are many opportunities to buy quality clothes at reduced prices.


4) Organize drawers - If drawers are organized, it is easier for kids to see what you have, and they are more likely to wear more than just a few of their favourites. I always fold my clothes this way (see below) so that my kids can see what they have without ripping everything out.

5) Buy what they like - There is no point spending money on clothes that kids are not going to wear. Get them involved in the buying process, and let them pick out the things they like. I prefer shopping online with my kids. It is much easier... and if they take a long time to make a decision, I don't go crazy! lol

Gongshow recently gave my boys the opportunity to check out their new Spring/Summer 2020 line, and my boys LOVE the items they received.

My oldest son picked out the "stay classy polo" golf shirt, "beach view visey", and the "natty hatty strapback".

My middle son picked the "mesh missile" hat and the "off season go-2" t-shirt.

And my youngest son (who is a goalie) picked a goalie hat and a "roof daddy explosion" t-shirt.

I have a few things left to get my boys for summer, but we are well on our way to getting organized. I hope you find my tips helpful. How do you get your kids organized for summer?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

EGGcellent Ways to Decorate Your Front Door for Easter

Disclosure: I received compensation from Schlage for including their lock in this post; however, be assured that the opinions expressed in this blog are 100% my own... and I know you are going to love my new DIY wreaths.

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I love to decorate my front door for the holidays. So, with Easter just around the corner, I have TWO new DIY wreath projects to share with you. I also have a fantastic giveaway (worth $349), so make sure you read to the very end.

The first project I have for you is an adorable burlap bunny made from embroidery hoops. I absolutely love the simplicity of this one, don't you?

To make a burlap Easter bunny from embroidery hoops:

1) Use strong tape to attach the smaller hoop to the larger hoop. (I used electrical tape because it is a little bit stretchy.)

2) Insert burlap into the hoops.

3) Trim the burlap.

4) Use hot glue to attach a ribbon to the neck (and hide the tape).

5) Cut ears from burlap, and use an elastic to create ears.

6) Use hot glue to attach ears to the bunny.

7) Use hot glue to attach a twine hanger, flower embellishments, and a pom pom tail.

Isn't my burlap bunny adorable hanging on the interior of my home?

And here it is hanging on the outside of my front door.

I also made this colourful Easter egg wreath from plastic eggs I purchased at the dollar store.

To make a plastic Easter egg wreath:

1) Use hot glue to attach eggs to the exterior of a wreath form.

2) Use hot glue to attach additional layers until the entire wreath is covered.

Doesn't my Easter egg wreath look great hanging on my front door? I love the way the bright colours contrast with my black door and satin coloured hardware.

Both of my new wreaths look fantastic with my new Schlage Encode handle (which is not only beautiful, but also functional). The smart, keyless entry is perfect for my busy family and my three boys (who are now sometimes coming home without a parent). 

No more worrying about whether the front door is locked. With a Schlage smart lock, you can enjoy peace of mind and freedom from keys. And, with the Schlage Home App, I can even receive a notification once my boys get home from school. It's so easy!

And... I have some great news! Schlage Canada has offered to give one of their Schlage Encode locks to one of my readers (in your choice of style and finish). This prize has a retail value of $349! Pretty awesome, right?
Just fill out the form below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you take the time to enter this fantastic contest... and I encourage you to try making one of these easy and inexpensive Easter wreaths for your home. You'll be glad you did. Happy Easter!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more easy and inexpensive Easter ideas here.

How you can challenge yourself (and your kids) to learn something new

I am a big advocate of life-long learning... but sometimes it's a struggle to find the time to learn something new. So for March break, I decided to challenge my boys to learn something new, and I decided to challenge myself too. With some literary inspiration from DK Books*, my boys are going to learn to cook/bake a few things, and I am going to learn a bit of embroidery and knitting. You can read more about my "learn something new challenge" (and our book choices) below.

*Disclosure: I was given these books (at no cost) by DK books in exchange for my truthful review. I have also included Amazon links in this post. If you purchase one of these books using my link, I will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you!


My plan is to have each of my boys choose a recipe from the cookbooks I ordered for them, shop for the ingredients, and follow the recipe (with only a small amount of supervision from me). The boys can serve their creations to the family, and when they have all completed their recipes, they can choose something for me to make for them. Fun, right?

These are the two books I chose for my boys: 

1) Bake It: More Than 150 Recipes for Kids from Simple Cookies to Creative Cakes! 

2) Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook Canadian Edition

I have been wanting to get my boys cooking more, and I think this "learn something new" challenge is a great way to do it.

I think my boys will enjoy following the recipes in these books (with their simple instructions and pictures).

These are the two books I chose for me.

1) The Knitting Book: Over 250 Step-by-Step Techniques
2) Embroidery: A Step-by-Step Guide to More than 200 Stitches

I have all four of our new books sitting on my coffee table, and as soon as we have the time, my boys and I are going to work on completing our challenges. I believe that you can learn new things at any age, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Showing Your Home some LOVE for Valentine's Day

Disclosure: I received compensation from Schlage for including their lock in this post; however, be assured that the opinions expressed in this blog are 100% my own... and I know you are going to love my new DIY wreaths.

If you follow my blog, you already know that I really enjoy decorating my home for holidays and that I love easy and inexpensive DIY decor. With Valentine's Day fast approaching, today I'm sharing a few of my favourite ideas for showing my home some love for Valentine's Day.

In 2012, I made this felt rosette wreath for Valentine's Day, and since then, it has been hanging on my front door annually. However, a few months ago, my husband installed a gorgeous new Schlage handle on our front door. It is now the perfect showcase for DIY wreaths, so I thought it would be fun to craft something new this year.

I ended up creating two NEW DIY wreaths, and I love them both.

The first wreath I made for the exterior of my door is reminiscent of an argyle sweater. I love the simplicity of this cozy wreath, don't you?

To make this argyle sweater wreath (from yarn and felt):

1) Wrap a foam wreath form in white yarn (securing it periodically with hot glue).

2) Cut hearts from various colours of felt.

3) Use hot glue to attach the felt hearts to the wreath.

4) Creat an argyle looking pattern by wrapping yarn in one direction... and then wrapping yarn in the other direction (securing periodically with hot glue).

I also made a simple wreath for the interior of my door. I wrapped a metal ring in twine, made handmade felt flowers (using online tutorials), and secured the flowers to the wreath with hot glue. This simple wreath looks fantastic hanging on my blue door.

My new wreaths look great with my new Schlage Encode handle (which is not only beautiful, but also functional). The smart, keyless entry is perfect for my busy family and my three boys (who are now sometimes coming home without a parent). 

No more worrying about whether the front door is locked. With a Schlage smart lock, you can enjoy peace of mind and freedom from keys. And, with the Schlage Home App, I can even receive a notification once my boys get home from school. It's so easy!

What do you think of my two NEW wreaths? Which one do you like best?

This Valentine's Day, I highly recommend taking a little time to create a LOVEly entrance to your home. Consider updating your hardware with a beautiful and functional handle from Schlage, and get a little creative with your DIY decor. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm so happy I decided to show my home some LOVE for Valentine's Day, and I hope I inspired you to do it too!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)