ECM Kid's Craft Club - #4 {Canada Day}

Welcome to the 4th edition of the {East Coast Mommy} Kid's Craft Club {an easy and inexpensive way for kids to have fun crafting and experience the excitement of getting their very own mail}.  If you want to join the club, you can find more info here, or email EastCoastMommy@gmail.com, and I will send you the details.


For everyone who is already a member... let's get started on this month's craft - "Canada Day Celebration"!

First... gather the supplies you'll need.  In addition to the supplies in your kit, you'll need tape, scissors, and a red crayon.

To assemble the hat:

1)  Tape the white cardstock strips together to make a band big enough to fit around your head.  Then, wrap the bands around your head to find the write size, and secure with tape.

2)  Color the flags, and cut them out.  Tape the big flag onto the hat band, and decorate with the flag stickers.

To assemble the flag... simply tape the stick to the back of the small flag that you colored.  Easy peasy!

I hope you had fun making this month's craft.  Leave a comment below to let me know what you thought of it.  Your comments help me improve the club, and I love hearing from you. 

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't forget... Assist young children when using scissors, and be careful of the small parts included with this kit, as they can be a choking hazard for children under three".)

Simple DIY Graduation Treats

My 4 year old is graduating from Preschool this month, and he will be starting Grade Primary in the fall.  This is a big milestone in our house, so {of course}, we need to mark the occasion with a special treat.  Today on the blog, I am sharing the DIY graduation treats we are making for his friends on graduation day.

Want to make these adorable {and delicious} graduation caps?

1)  First, gather the supplies.  {We used: a chocolate cake mix and chocolate icing, red candies, square chocolate cookies, and strawberry Fruit by the Foot}

 

2)  Using a mix, bake "mini" chocolate cupcakes.  {You can follow the directions on the box, but instead, I like to add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter, and 3 eggs to the mix.  Then, I bake the "mini" cupcakes at 350 for about 15 minutes.}  

3)  To assemble the graduation hats:

• Cut a strip from the "Fruit by the Foot" to resemble a tassel.
• Attach the fruit strip and a red candy to the top of the chocolate cookie using a little chocolate icing as "glue".
• Turn the cupcake upside down, add a little frosting, and place the cookie on top.

We also put these cute bubbles together for his classmates.  I found some cute "owl" ribbon, and attached a note that says "Owl miss seeing you at preschool!" 

Cute, right?

Do you have any special milestones coming up this summer?  What special treats will you be making?

♥  
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You may also like this sweet graduation treat (with free printable tags).

{Father's Day} Banner

You may remember that the boys and I made a cute "book page" Mother's Day Banner.  {If you want the full tutorial, you can find it here.}  Well... my six year old thought that we needed one for Father's Day, and he decided to make one without any help from me.  {Love that boy!}  

He drew the letters onto construction paper and cut them out.

Then, I helped him attach the letters to pages out of an old book, hole punched them, and strung them up using a piece of twine.

Didn't it turn out cute?  He is super-proud of the decoration he made for his Daddy.  :-)

Are your kids making anything cute for Father's Day this year?

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
 

** If you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, I would love to have you join me here.

End-of-Year {Gifts for Classmates}

I always like to let my boys bring little gifts to their friends at the end of the school year.  This year, we are going with three super-easy ideas.  {If you are interested in what they gave out last year, you can see the post here.} 

Here's what they are giving out to their little friends:

1)  A bag of chocolate chip cookies with a tag that says, "You are one smart COOKIE!" 

2)  A bag of teddy bear cookies with a tag that says, "Have a BEARY good summer!"

3)  Our Summer Checklist {which you can find here} rolled up like a scroll and tied with a ribbon.

So there you have it... three cute little gifts that are easy and inexpensive.  Do your kids like to bring presents or treats for their classmates?  What are some of your favorite ideas?

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
 

** If you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, I would love to have you join me here.

DIY Father's Day Gift

I love things that are meaningful, simple, and inexpensive... and this DIY Father's Day gift really fits the bill! This adorable gift is easy, inexpensive, and guaranteed to delight Dad.

To start, I interviewed each boy separately, and had them answer some questions about their Dad.  Here is what I used:

My Daddy loves ________________.

He is good at __________________.

My favorite thing to do with my Dad is __________________.

I love my Daddy because ____________________.

Love, ___________ (Age _____)

Then, I uploaded a picture of each boy to Picmonkey.com {which is free and user friendly}, and typed in the info from their interview). 

To finish, I printed off the pictures, and put them in inexpensive frames.

Isn't this a great idea?  My husband is going to love having these Father's Day photos sitting on his desk at work.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

** If you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, I would love to have you join me here.

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today, I was looking for a way to use up my ripe bananas {other than making banana bread or muffins}, and I came across this recipe for Banana Oatmeal Cookies on the Today's Parent website.  I tried it out {with a few changes}, and they turned out quite tasty.  They have more of a muffin texture than a cookie texture, but the boys definitely want to make them again.  :-)

If you want to give them a try, here's what you do:

1)  Put the following ingredients in a big bowl, and beat {on medium} with electric beaters until the batter is smooth.

• ¾ cup butter{room temperature}
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 large, ripe bananas {mashed}
• ¼ tsp vanilla

2)  Stir in ¾ cup chocolate chips.

3)  In a separate bowl, combine

• 1½ cups flour
• 1¾ cups  rolled oats
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

4)  Use a wooden spoon to mix the wet and dry ingredients together.

5)  Use a small cookie scoop to scoop batter onto a cookie tray.  Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes.
 

Do you always have ripe bananas that no one will eat?  I look at it as a good excuse to make some cookies.  :-)

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

** If you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, I would love to have you join me here.

ECM Kid's Craft Club {June} Reminder

Just a little reminder that the next mailing of the ECM Kid's Craft Club goes out on June 20, 2012

So... if you haven't already signed up, you should do it ASAP.  The 4-month membership package is only $25 (including Cdn shipping... and there is NO tax).  

Our theme this month is "Canada Day Celebration".

And here is what this month's kit looks like:

 
Do you know a little one that would be delighted to find a special package {just for him/her} in the mailbox?  Email me at EastCoastMommy@gmail.com if don't want to miss out on the fun.


♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy) 


PS - Here is some additional info you may find helpful:


1)  As a member of the club, each month (for four months) your child will receive:

•  mail addressed to him/her
• a personalized letter with fun info/ideas
• all the supplies he/she will need to make the "craft of the month"
• an extra little surprise

Note:  The craft will always be simple (taking less than 30 minutes to complete), the craft will be designed for ages 3-8 (with assistance required in the younger age categories), a link to an online step by step tutorial will be provided, and the kit will contain everything you need to complete the project (with the exception of scissors, glue, tape and crayons).

2)  The cost for a four month membership is $25 (including Canadian shipping).  Payment (via Cash, Cheque made payable to Gina Bell or email money transfer) must be received before a kit is sent out.  Payments can be sent to EastCoastMommy@gmail.com.

3)  The kits will be sent out on the 20th of each month, and I will post a full tutorial on the blog at that time.
 

{Grass-haired} Little Friends

A couple of weeks ago, my boys and I made what my 4 year old calls "crazy heads".  This project is cute, quick, and inexpensive.  {My favorite kind of project to do with the boys.}

First, gather up some old jars and cans, and let the kids decorate them with markers, googly eyes, pom poms, tissue paper, and/or felt {whatever you have lying around}.  After the glue has dried completely, let the kids fill the jars with potting soil.

Then, plant some grass seed in the jars, and let the kids use a spray bottle to water the seeds.  {I love letting the kids water with a spray bottle because it is easier to control how much water they give the plants.  I can actually tell them "how many squirts".}

In a week or two, you'll have hair {grass} long enough to cut.

Fun, right?  See how proud my boys are of their creations?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy) 

PS {Don't miss out on any of the fun... if you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, you can do it here.} 

Cereal Box Notebook

My boys love to draw pictures and write stories, so I thought I would make them some special books from an old cereal boxes.  {Another fun "recycling bin rescue".}

This is such an easy project -- you can whip up a bunch of notebooks in no time at all. 

First, cut covers for the book from the front and back of a cereal box.

Then, using a paper cutter {or scissors}, cut some scrap paper to fit inside the book.

Then, use a whole punch to cut holes in the pages and the covers.

And finally, use key rings to secure everything in place.

Now you are ready to let your little ones fill the pages with fantastic stories.  My six year old used his notebook to write a story about "a little girl with purple hair who tries to eat only red food in order to turn her hair red".  Don't you just love how creative little ones can be?  I wish I had that kind of imagination!  :-)

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

** If you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, I would love to have you join me here.

DIY Monogram

I don't often get a chance to do "mommy" projects, but recently, I found the time for an inexpensive "monogram" craft, and I thought I would share it. It's lovely... and surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make.

The best part about this project is that it uses foam core, twine, felt, and ribbon... which are all inexpensive materials.

To make it:  I printed out a huge "B" {using WordArt: "Rockwell" font} on my computer, and I used it as a template to cut out the letter from foam core from the dollar store {using an X-Acto knife} .

Next, I wrapped the letter in twine.  I did the edge first.  Then, I started wrapping in one direction, and then I switched to the other direction.  I secured the twine with hot glue periodically.  {Around the "curves", I used a lot of hot glue to prevent the twine from slipping.}

I finished the project by attaching a felt flower and ribbon using hot glue.  {You can find the tutorial for the felt flower here.}  

Wouldn't this little project look cute on a front door or as wall decor inside the house?

I think I might need to make another one... so I have one inside and one outside.  :-)  If you make one, where will you put it?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (Don't miss out on any of the fun... if you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, you can do it here.)

Backyard Birdwatching

Lately, my boys are totally into backyard birdwatching, so a couple of weeks ago I made us a new bird-feeder.  I took an old 2L pop bottle, cut some holes with an X-Acto knife, and stuck in a couple of wooden spoons.  {I also wrapped it in twine to make it a little fancier, but this step isn't really necessary.}

And, before long, we had a little visitor.  :-)

We started getting visits from a few varieties of birds, so we headed to the library for some books to help us identify our "new friends".  I highly recommend the two books we found:  A Kid's First Book of Birdwatching by Scott Weidensaul and Backyard Birds by Robert Bateman.

And, if you are looking for a special snack for your little birdwatchers, you could always whip up a batch of these bird nest cookies.  They are chocolate cookies with some leftover Easter Eggs on top. 

Fun, right?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (Don't miss out on any of the fun... if you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, you can do it here.)

ECM Kid's Craft Club - #3 {Foam Magnets}

The {East Coast Mommy} Kid's Craft Club is an easy and inexpensive way for kids to have fun crafting and experience the excitement of getting their very own mail.  {If you want to join the club, you can find more info here, or email EastCoastMommy@gmail.com, and I will send you the details.}

For everyone who is a member... let's get started!

1)  Gather all the supplies that came in your kit.

2)   Cut out all the pieces on the template.  Use the paper templates to cut out the foam parts.  {The frog is made from the green foam, the flower is made from the yellow foam, and the mouth and nose are made from the black construction paper.}

 

 

3)  Arrange all the pieces (per the picture below), and glue in place (with white glue).  Allow to dry completely.

4)  To finish, peel the paper off each magnet, and attach to the back of the foam pieces.
 Cute, right? 

 

As always, let me know what you thought of this craft.  Your comments help me improve the club, and I love hearing from you. 

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't forget... Assist young children when using scissors, and be careful of the small parts included with this kit, as they can be a choking hazard for children under three".)

{Review and Giveaway} Pirate Books - CLOSED

CONTEST CLOSED - and the winner is:

Anonymous19 May 2012 22:54

I think my son would love any of those books, but "How I Became a Pirate" stands out to me. Our mommy son dance theme was pirates this year. Love it!
Mdipping@att.net

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group.  They offered to send me some fun "pirate" books to review, and if I liked them, they would let me give an identical set of books to one of you {a $91 value}.

Of course {being a pirate loving family}, I said YES!  Here are the books we received:

Charlotte Jane Battles Bedtime

How I Became a Pirate

Pirates Activity Book

Pirate Nap A Book of Colors

Lives of the Pirates

Sheep on a Ship

We loved all the books, but "How I Became a Pirate" was our favorite. 

Ready for a chance to win ALL of these fun books {worth $91}? 

Comment (below) letting me know which of these books you would most like to win.  Just leave your answer (and email address if you aren't logged in) before Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

Good luck!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Rules {I am a mom... I can't help it}:

1. The winner of the contest will be chosen by the Random Number Generator.
2. To enter the contest, you must leave me a comment telling me the name of the book you would most like to win.  Contest is open to Canadian and US residents only.
3. This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by facebook.
4. Contest closes on May 23, 2012 at 11:59pm.
5. Prize will be accepted as awarded.
6. Winners will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond.  After 48 hours the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. 

Please note:  I was provided with this product (free of charge) for reviewing purposes only.  No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own.