15 Halloween Class Party Treats

Halloween class party treats are one of the reasons kids love October 31st, and my boys really enjoy sharing unique Halloween goodies with their friends.  Sometimes the treats are edible, and sometimes they aren't, but they are always easy, inexpensive and fun.  Here are 15 of our favorite Halloween Class Party Treats.

1) Mummy wrapped treats - Use cheese cloth and googly eyes to transform boring treats into something spooky and special. This is one of my favorite ideas because it is versatile, simple and cute.

2) Vampire treats - Use inexpensive dollar store treats to create unforgettable vampire goodies. You can check out some sweet packaging ideas and download adorable tags (for free) here. 

3) Halloween play dough kit - This adorable treat includes a package of orange Kool Aid, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a recipe for homemade Halloween play dough. Click here to download the free printable playdough recipe gift tag.

4) Graham cracker bandaids - Cut up some graham crackers, add some white frosting for gauze, and finished with a smear of red gel icing blood. Simple, fun... and a little gross!

5)  Tic Tac Toe game - Click here to download this adorable Halloween "tic tac toe" board for free. You can use candy, buttons or googly eyes for the markers.

6) Treat bags with special tags - Make traditional treat bags extra special by adding a customized tag.  Click here to find out how I transformed pictures of my boys to make these tags.

7)  Googly eye glasses - These googly eye glasses are fantastic alternatives to candy.  You can find the full "how to" and a free downloadable bag topper here. (These toppers would work with "eyeball" candies or bouncy balls too.)

8)  Cookies with candy corn or candy eyeballs - For a simple treat, make your favorite cookie recipe and add a piece of candy corn or a candy eyeball to the top.  It doesn't get any easier than this! You can find the recipe for our favorite Halloween cookie here.

9)  Photos with treats - For a candy free treat, try pairing pictures with little toys or pencils.  You can find the full tutorial here.

10)  Mazes - This little "maze" game is inexpensive and guaranteed to be a hit with little ones. You can download the "I think you are an a'MAZE'ing friend" free printable gift tag here.

11) Ghost Pops - Ghosts are always fun for Halloween, and we have two favorite ghoulish treats.  To learn how to make our Oreo Ghost Pops, click here.  To make the sucker ghosts: cover a sucker with a piece of tissue paper, secure with an elastic, and add a face with googly eyes and a marker.

12)  Cupcakes with rings - To make these simple cupcakes, just bake mini cupcakes and insert a plastic ring (after washing, of course).

13)  Wormy cupcakes - These are an annual favorite around here. Bake cupcakes, frost with chocolate icing, dip in dirt (Oreo cookie crumbs), and insert some gummy worms.

14) Cookie pops - To make super-easy cookie pops, just add some sticks to "ready to bake" cookies.  Isn't everything more fun on a stick?

15) Eyeball treats - Nothing says "spooky Halloween treat" like a goodie with an eyeball (or two) on it.  You can find the full instructions for an eyeball cake (here), Halloween candy bark (here), and screaming pretzels (here).

And don't forget the teacher.  Click here for all the cute DIY details you'll need to make this cute teacher treat!

What is your favorite class party treat?  Did it make my list? I'm always looking for new ideas, so feel free to share your favourites in the comments.

♥ 
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?)

You can find more easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

DIY Gift (using dollar store socks)

Recently I saw some cute socks at a craft show, and I instantly wanted to make my own DIY version. Today I am sharing the easy and inexpensive way I transformed dollar store socks into an adorable gift.

To make these fun socks, you are going to need: dollar store socks, cardboard from an empty cereal box, and dimensional fabric paint. 

Then:

1) Cut two pieces of cardboard to the width of the recipient's foot, and insert them into the socks. This will give you a flat and easy-to-work-with surface to write on.

2) Write your message on the socks.

3) Allow the fabric paint to dry according to package directions. My paint said to leave it for 4 hours, but I left mine overnight to be safe.

4) That's it!

This craft could easily be adapted for anyone based on their interests. What about?

If you can read this, bring me beer.
If you can read this, bring me coffee.
If you can read this, bring me cookies.
If you can read this, bring me chocolate.
If you can read this, bring me a book.
If you can read this, bring me a crossword puzzle.
If you can read this, go bug daddy.

Fun, right?

I am loving these socks. I wonder if anyone will bring me wine if I wear them?

Can you think of someone that would enjoy receiving these DIY socks as a gift? What would you write on them?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Peanut Free Lunches for Picky Eaters

Packing lunches is one of the tasks I detest the most. My boys' schools are peanut free, and they don't like sandwiches, so my options for filling the lunch boxes are limited. I know I am not alone in this struggle, so today I am sharing some simple peanut free lunch ideas that kids will actually eat.

Make your own "lunchable" - These DIY "lunchables" are healthier and better for the environment than the pre-packaged, store-bought versions. The kids won't be able to resist the adorable (and easy to open) containers filled with their favorites. You can even get your kids involved by letting them choose what they want to put in the containers.

Make ahead freezable smoothies - Make a batch of your favorite smoothies, put them in these freezer jam jars, and stick them in the freezer. If you put them in the lunch boxes in the morning, they'll be ready to enjoy at lunch time.

Breakfast for lunch - My fussy eaters don't love sandwiches, but they really enjoy breakfast foods. So, "breakfast for lunch" is a perfect option for my boys. Their lunch box staples include: cereal in a thermos, french toast, and hard boiled eggs.

Homemade baked goods - It's always helpful to have a well stocked freezer. I bake large batches of goodies, store them in the freezer, and pop them in my boys' lunch boxes each morning. Three of my favorite lunchbox recipes are: 

• fluffy lunchbox biscuits
• my favorite chocolate chip cookies
• soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies

Fridge and pantry favorites - A well stocked fridge and pantry on Sunday will make it easier to pack lunches quickly and efficiently all week. In addition to fruits and veggies, I like to purchase: morning rounds, preservative free meats, unsweetened fruit cups, cheese strings, yogurt tubes, raisins, whole wheat crackers, pretzels, hummus, pasta and salad dressing (for a quick pasta salad), granola bars, etc...

My boys don't like taking leftovers because they think the school microwave is gross, and they take too long to eat. However, if your kids enjoy leftovers, that is another great option.

I hope some of these options work for you and your fussy eaters. I also have a school lunch ideas Pinterest board that you can check out for more simple lunch ideas.

Do have a fantastic peanut free lunch idea you'd like to share? I'd love to have you leave it in the comments below. I am always looking for school lunch inspirations.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like these helpful school lunch hacks.

Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

Have you ever had a peanut butter cookie craving? The next time the urge strikes, you need to try this recipe for triple peanut butter cookies. If you like peanut butter cookies, you'll love this cookie that is packed with THREE types of peanut butter goodness!

To make this cookie, you'll need:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
• 3/4 cup mini Reese's Pieces

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, peanut butter, and both sugars.
2. Add baking soda and baking powder, and beat until combined.
3. Add egg and vanilla, and beat again.
4. Stir in flour.
5. Stir in peanut butter chips and mini Reese's Pieces.
6. Spoon onto cookie sheet, and bake in preheated oven (at 375 degrees) for 8-10 minutes.
7. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

These cookies were a huge hit with my boys. If you are a fan of peanut butter cookies, you are going to love these triple peanut butter cookies.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Vampire Teeth Treats (and free printable tags)

It's always fun for kids to have unique Halloween goodies to give to their friends, and today I am sharing a few adorable vampire-themed treat ideas. Check out these easy and inexpensive vampire teeth treats... and free printable tags.

Plastic vampire teeth are plentiful at the dollar store this time of year, and they can be used to turn a regular donut into a special vampire treat. You can package them up with a darling "A Sweet Treat to Sink your Teeth Into" tag. Cute, right?

I used Picmonkey.com to transform my son into a vampire and create some spook-tacular tags.

If you don't want to use donuts, you can just package a pair of teeth with a small "sweet treat".

These are the tags I designed using Picmonkey.

If you aren't feeling adventurous enough to create your own tags, you can use the generic tags that I designed. Just right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Don't you just love this simple Halloween treat idea? I think any child would be delighted to receive one of these vampire teeth treats.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find more easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

Using a CHEAP Bookcase to Get Organized

As a mom with a small house, three growing boys, and a lot of stuff... I am always looking for easy (and cheap) ways to bring a little order to my chaos. Last week, I was looking at the "piles" of "stuff" all over my older boys' room, and I knew I needed to find a way to organize their things. Today, I am sharing my tips for getting organized... with the help of a $30 bookcase.

My two older boys (who are 9 and 10) share a room, where they like to pile their stuff on top of any free surface. I needed to find a way to organize their stuff in a way that they could access it, and easily put their items away in a logical place.

The starting point for my project was a little blue table in their room that they have outgrown. I removed the table from their room, and I replaced it with a $30 three-shelf bookcase.

This little shelf looks a lot neater, and all of my boys' belongings are definitely more organized!

I was even able to remove a lot of the items from the top of their dresser and find places for their books and treasures on the bookcase.

This is what their dresser looks like now. Much better, right?

I am loving how much tidier my boys' room looks now. Not bad for $30!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Several years ago, I shared my mom's recipe for "no fail" banana bread. I use this banana bread recipe frequently... and sometimes I use the same recipe for muffins. These banana chocolate chip muffins are simple to make, they always turn out great, and they are perfect for my boys' lunch boxes.

To make my mom's simple banana chocolate chip muffins:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and insert liners into a muffin tin.

2) Whisk the following dry ingredients together:
     2 cups of flour
     1/4 cup white sugar
     1/4 cup brown sugar
     3 tsp baking powder
     1/2 tsp baking soda
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/2-1 cup chocolate chips

3) Beat the following ingredients together:
     1 egg
     3/4 cup milk
     1/4 cup melted butter (cooled)
     1 1/2 cup mashed bananas

4) Mix wet and dry ingredients until combined, and pour batter evenly into the muffin tin (to make 12 muffins).

5) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

I make these muffins every couple of weeks, and I often freeze them for school lunches. If you give them a try, let me know what you think. 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)