6 awesome (edible) MOTHER'S DAY gift ideas... and they are budget-friendly too!

If you have a mom that doesn't like clutter, these edible gifts are for you. I absolutely love them all, but the "breakfast in bed" tray is my favourite. Perfect for Mother's Day!

Keep scrolling or check out the video I made here.

1) Chocolate bar "flower" arrangement - You can get all the supplies you need at your local dollar store. Then, attach the bars to skewers and insert them into floral foam inside a pot. Easy peasy, and lots of fun!

2) A donut bouquet - Grab a box of donut holes, wooden skewers and tissue paper. Insert the skewers into the donuts, secure the skewers with an elastic, wrap the bouquet with tissue paper, and secure with a ribbon.

3) A "LOVE" breakfast tray - Make a bacon "L", a donut "O", a heart-shaped "V" (made from toast, french toast, or a pancake), and a fruit "E". So cute... and super easy!

4) A "secret stash" of treats for mom - Grab a dollar store container, fill each compartment with a different treat, and attach the cute label I designed. You can download the labels for free here.

5) A "date" with mom - The best gift is time spent together, so I LOVE this idea. Buy an ice cream gift card, package it in a fun way, and take mom out on a "date". Fun, right?

6) The BEST "breakfast in bed" tray - Grab a drink tray, add mom's favourite beverage, pop in a candle, and include a sweet treat or breakfast sandwich. Easy peasy... and it pairs well with a good book and a warm bath.

As a mom, I love all these ideas. Which one is your favourite?

Happy Mother's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

10 Punny Father's Day Gifts

Who doesn't love a good "Dad Joke"? So, when it comes to Father's Day, "punny gifts" are perfect. Today, I'm sharing 10 punny Father's Day gift ideas that are sure to make the special dad in your life smile.

1) Soda – Let dad sit and relax with an ice-cold soda. Gift him a six pack of his favourite beverage, and add “tie” tags that say “World’s Greatest POP!”. Download the "tie tags" I designed here.

2) Donuts – A bouquet of flowers might not be a dad’s favourite gift, but who wouldn’t love a bouquet of donuts? Grab a box of Timbits, add them to the end of BBQ skewers, gather the bottoms together with an elastic, wrap the bunch up in tissue paper, and secure it all together with a piece of ribbon. Then, to make the gift extra fun, add a tag that says, “I DONUT know what we would do without you!”. Check out the step-by-step instructions for putting together a donut bouquet here.

3) Socks – For a whimsical gift option, consider picking out a pair of socks with a design that fits his personality. Then, add a punny tag that says, “You knock my SOCKS off!”

4) Cookie Kit – Dads that like to bake (and eat) cookies will love receiving a homemade cookie kit for Father’s Day. In a mason jar, assemble all the dry ingredients required to make their favourite cookies. Then, attach a tag that says, “Dad’s emergency ‘STACHE of cookies!” Get my favourite cookie mix recipe, and Download the tags I designed for you here.

5) Painted Rock – Handmade gifts are always appreciated—especially when they are made by children. A child can paint a rock with a punny twist by using paint markers to add the words, “My Dad ROCKS!”

6) Reese’s Pieces – For a father with a sweet tooth, a box of his favourite candy makes a great gift. Reese’s Pieces are perfect when paired with a “We love you to PIECES!” tag. Download your tags for FREE here.

7) Gift Cards – Gift cards are great, but they can often feel impersonal. This problem can be solved if you package it in a creative way. Insert the gift card into the centre of roll of toilet paper. Then, add a tag that says, “Thanks for putting up with my CRAP.” Funny, right? Download the tags I designed (for free) here.

8) S’more Kit – The weather is getting warmer, and campfires are a summer staple for many families. It is the perfect time to wrap up a s’more kit for dad and add a note that says, “I couldn’t love you S’MORE!” Download the tags I designed here.

9) Movie Night – Time together is the best gift of all, and a movie night is fun and easy to play. Try to include a pun or two to make Dad smile. For example, for a viewing of Star Wars, you can make a sign that says, “YODA best Dad!” Don’t forget to serve “You’re the best POP in the world!” popcorn.

10) BBQ – Planning a special BBQ for Father’s Day is a fantastic idea. Gather up all dad’s favourite grilling staples, put them in a basket, and add a tag that says, “Time for a BBQ. It will be GRATE!”

What are you planning to spoil your special guy with this year? I hope you have a very happy Father's Day!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

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NEW Valentine's Day DIYs... made from recycled cardboard and dollar store supplies

What's more fun than Valentine's DIYs? What about DIYs made with FREE (or super cheap materials? I have some fantastic options for kids and adults... and they are all easy and inexpensive! (I even made a video with all the step by step instructions.)

First up is a Valentine's Day garland made from an old cardboard box. Cut hearts from cardboard, tape a piece of a paper straw to the back, and string the hearts and beads on a piece of twine.

You can also use the cardboard hearts to make framed Valentine's Day artwork with kids. Glue popsicle sticks together to make a frame, glue a string to the top, add buttons to the ends of the piece of string, and glue a piece of cardstock onto the middle of the frame.

Then, decorate hearts to put inside of the frames.

Scrunch up 1 inch squares of tissue paper and glue to a cardboard heart until it is entirely covered.

You can also wrap a heart in yarn (securing periodically with glue).

Or you can just use a paint marker or Sharpies to decorate the cardboard heart. 

Which one is your favourite? I suggest trying them all! :-)

Another simple DIY is this adorable floral canvas. I picked my favourite faux flowers at the dollar store, removed the stems, and used hot glue to attach them to the inside of a dollar store wooden canvas.

For a look at all these projects, check out the video here...

Thanks for checking out my latest easy and inexpensive Valentine's Day DIYs! Let me know which one is your favourite. Happy Valentine's Day!!!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

15+ Ideas for Thanksgiving Recipes, Crafts, Decor, and DIYs

Over the years, I have shared a lot of Thanksgiving recipes, crafts, diy, and decor ideas. So... this year I thought I'd put my BEST Thanksgiving ideas all in one collection for you to enjoy. Click on the links below for full recipes, step by step tutorials, and free downloads.

1) Reese's Pieces (soft & chewy) cookie tart - When it comes to Thanksgiving, most people opt for pumpkin pie, but this festive tart is a perfect, easy and delicious alternative. Find the full recipe for this Thanksgiving dessert here. 

2) FREE (funny) Thanksgiving print - Every home needs a bit of whimsical decor during the holidays. So, I designed this funny Thanksgiving print that you can download for free here. I popped mine in a dollar store frame, and I love it! 

3) Thanksgiving party favours - I love giving guests a party favour, and I have TWO fantastic options for Thanksgiving. I have a free downloadable tag you can print and add to a bag of cookies for your adult guests here. I also have a fun idea for turning a cookie into a turkey for the kids here.

4) Turkey wine bottle - How cute is this turkey wine bottle? Use a glue gun to attach a couple of dollar store fall leaves to the back. Then, use more hot glue to attach two googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. It doesn't get much easier, and your guests will love seeing this whimsical bottle of wine on the table!

5) Turkey candy dish - The wine is great for grown ups, but there should be something on the table for younger guests too. How about a fun turkey candy dish? The kids can help by tracing and cutting out their handprints from coloured card stock. Then, arrange the hands together, secure with tape, and use hot glue to attach the "feathers" to the back of a glass dish from the dollar store. Finish by using hot glue to attach googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. You can fill the dish with any type of candy, but I love the colours of these Reese's Pieces.

6) Paper plate "stained glass" turkey - Paper crafts are great for kids too. They add to the festive decor... and they keep the kids busy while you are making dinner. You can find the full step by step instructions for this stained glass paper turkey here. 

7) Thanksgiving tissue paper wreath - Kids can use 1 inch squares of tissue paper (in fall colours) to make this paper plate Thanksgiving wreath. You can find the step by step instructions for this simple wreath here. 

8) Argyle sweater Thanksgiving wreath - Don't you just love this cozy argyle fall wreath? If you can use a scissors and a glue gun, you can make this wonderful piece of Thanksgiving Day decor. Find the full step by step instructions for this Thanksgiving wreath here.

9) Tiered tray - Decorating tiered trays with dollar store finds and crafted items is a fantastic way to create a classy vignette in your home. I stained a mini rolling pin, added the word "harvest", and wrapped a scrap of fabric around it. I also added pumpkins and pine cones, and filled a dollar store bottle with orange and yellow buttons. I also crafted a book stack from scraps of wood, and strung some wooden beads onto a piece of yarn. Cute, right?

10) S'more bucket - Add a bit of whimsy to your Thanksgiving decor by filling a dollar store galvanized with S'more supplies. I added the words "Making S'more Memories" to the front of my bucket with my Cricut. Wouldn't a Thanksgiving campfire be fun?

11) Artwork in a dollar store frame - Framing Fall pictures and free downloads is an easy and inexpensive way to add Fall flair to your home. You can download the Fall Menu I designed (below) for free here.

12) Thanksgiving hot chocolate tray - A dollar store frame and few dollar store jars can be easily turned into an adorable Thanksgiving hot chocolate tray. Start by inserting a piece of fall-themed scrap book paper into a dollar store frame. Then, use strong glue to attach wooden beads to the bottom of the tray. Finish by adding jars filled with hot chocolate, marshmallows and fall coloured candies. It looks great, and kids will love it! 

Check out the little display I made on the table in my hallway.

13) Boho DIY yarn wreath - Even if you aren't very crafty, you can easily make this simple and chic fall wreath. Don't you just love the boho vibe? Find the full step by step tutorial (with photos) here.

13) Dollar store frame monogram - It doesn't get easier than this piece of DIY fall artwork. But a dollar store frame, insert fall-themed scrapbook paper, add a wooden monogram to the front with glue, and glue a ribbon hanger to the back. That's it. Easy peasy!

You can find more detailed instructions here.

14) Grapevine fall wreath - I made this simple fall wreath many years ago, but it's still one of my favourite DIYs. It's an inexpensive grapevine wreath with handmade felt flowers glued to it. You can find out how easy it is to make the flowers, and find all the step by step instructions here.

15) No Sew Fall Pillows - Transform Summer pillows to Fall pillows in a couple of minutes with a dollar store tablecloth. This is genius!

  

16) Pumpkin prize punch - if you have kids coming to your house for Thanksgiving, this is a fantastic game to make for them. It's always a hit, and it's cheap to make with dollar store supplies. Find the step by step instructions here.

Which of these fun Thanksgiving ideas is your favourite? Give a few of them a try, and let me know how it goes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)