Spy Party - Loot Bags

I am planning a spy party for my middle son on Sunday afternoon, and I thought it would be fun to send all the guests home with a simple spy kit loot bag.  Here's what I came up with:

Each kit contains a notebook, pen, fake moustache, glow stick, laser pointer and glasses.  Fun, right?  

I packaged each kit in a brown lunch bag, stamped it "top secret", and added a cute tag I made in Picmonkey. 

I think all the guests of the party will be thrilled with their spy kit loot bags, and I know my little birthday boy will be excited to give them out to his friends.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Pixie Dust Pouches {with free printable tags}

We recently had a Jake and the Neverland Pirates party, and because I think it is fun to send the guests off with some fun party favors, I made some inexpensive pixie dust pouches.

I purchased some little glass jars at the dollar store (6 for $1.00) and half filled them with red and gold glitter.  Then, I put them in small yellow bags, and added a cord necklace.  I finished them off with a cute little tag I designed.

To print your own tags, right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a normal 4 X 6 photo.

Obviously these aren't for unsupervised use or for young children.  Anything that goes around a child's neck can be dangerous if worn while playing.

I think these pixie dust pouches were a fun addition to our little party.  Do you have a little Jake and the Neverland Pirates fan that would enjoy these magical accessories?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more DIY Pirate Party ideas here.

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Cake

My "baby" just turned five, and he requested a Jake and the Neverland Pirates party.  I love making special cakes for my boys on their birthdays, but because I have never taken a cake decorating course, I am always looking for easy ways to make adorable cakes. Here's what I came up with this year:

Fun, right?  Can you believe this is a cake mix and pre-made frosting?  I started with 2 Duncan Hines mixes (chocolate for the boat and white for the island... but I cut the oil in half and subtracted 2 tbsp of water to make the cake a little more dense and easy to work with.

I found a lot of pirate cake inspiration on Pinterest and in books from the library, but here is how you can make one like mine:

First, you'll need to construct the cakes:

1) Make one 9 X 13 chocolate cake and two 8" round white cakes.  The rectangle cake is for the ship, and the round cakes are for the island.

2) Allow to cool completely, and then trim the chocolate cake to make a perfect rectangle.

3) Use a serrated knife to cut the top off the cake.

4)  Cut the rectangle in half (lengthwise), and then cut 2-3 inches off the top.

5) Assemble the ship by placing the two long rectangles on top of each other and the smaller rectangles at either end.  (Use icing in between the layers to secure.)

6) Cut a triangle shape out of the front of the boat.

7)  Lay one of the round cakes on top of the other (with icing in between), and then cover both the "boat cake" and the "island cake" (gently) with "crumb coats" of icing.  Refrigerate until the icing is solid and easy to decorate.

Then, you can decorate the cakes:

To make Jake's boat (Bucky):

1) Frost the cake with chocolate icing, and use a knife to carve "planks" into the cake.

2) Trim the boat with yellow icing, and add a red lifesaver steering wheel and yellow lifesaver windows.

3) Finished the boat by adding a paper sail on a dowel and some little plastic toys.

To make Captain Hook's Island:

1) Frost half the cake with blue icing and create little waves with the knife.

2) Cover the other half of the cake with graham cracker crumbs.

3) Finish the island by added some little plastic toys.

Finally, to finish off the masterpiece, cover the cake board with blue icing, and create tons of waves with your knife.

That's it!  There are quite few steps, but nothing too complicated, and the result is totally worth the effort.  My little guy could not have been more pleased with his cake!

If you make a version of this Jake and the Neverland Pirates cake, please let me know.  I'd love to hear how it turned out.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more Pirate Party ideas here.

Follow East Coast Mommy's board DIY Cakes on Pinterest.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy! {birthday letter to my 5 year old}

Today, my "baby boy" turns five, and in keeping with family tradition, I wrote him a birthday letter as a way of remembering a few of the little details that make him so special.  Here is my birthday letter to my youngest son on his 5th birthday.

To my darling baby boy,

Today you turn five, in less than two months, you will be starting "big" school.  I am so happy that we have had so much time together before this big step in your life.  I will always treasure our lunches, walks, crafting sessions, and snuggles on the couch reading stories.  I am slightly sad to see you getting older and more independent, but I am so proud of the sweet little boy you have become.  Here are a few of the things that make you so special:

• You love to snuggle on the couch (with "big blanket") and read stories.

• When you grow up, you want to be an "X-Men" hockey player, and you want to be #11 (like your older brother).

• You are super-funny, and you always like to make Daddy and I (and your brothers) laugh.

• Your favorite color is green, and you always want to eat your cereal out of a green bowl.

• Your favorite show is Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and you chose it as the theme of your birthday party this year.

• You love music, and I often catch you singing when you don't think anyone is listening.

• You had a great time in Florida this year, and you often talk about the fun we had at Disney.  (You were a pro at Jedi Training Camp!)

• You love playing hockey, soccer and baseball... and you are so happy that it is finally "your turn" to have your own teams and jerseys... instead of being dragged around to all your brothers' practices.

• You stick your tongue out when you are concentrating.

• You are shy with people you don't know, but you really come out of your shell around family and friends... and when you get on a stage.

• You always ask me to sing you a "soft song" when you go to bed, and your favorite is "Mum-a-bye" (aka "Hush Little Baby").  I love that you still play with my hair as I sing.

I love you all the way to the moon and back... plus a little more each year.

Love,

Mommy xoxo

PS (I apologize in advance for the fact that I am going to cry like a baby on your first day of school.  I hope I don't embarrass you too badly.)

If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever. -- Winnie the Pooh

Summer Reading List

One of the items on our summer checklist this year is... make a summer reading list.  First, the boys and I came up with a list, and now we will get the books from the library and read them together.  Today I am sharing our new summer reading list.

Fun, right?  Don't you just love seeing your children reading during the summer months.  I know I do!

To download a copy of our list, right click on the picture above, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular photo.

Or... why not try making your own list?  I bet your little ones have tons of great ideas.

I think creating a summer reading list is a great way to encourage kids to read (and help prevent the "summer slide").  What are your best tips?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Party Loot Bags

Loot bags are always a challenge for me when I am planning a party for my boys.  I want to give the guests something that goes with the party theme, but I like to choose something that won't end up in the garbage as soon as they get home.  Here is the loot bag idea that I came up with for my son's Jake and the Neverland Pirates party.

I found reusable cups at Walmart for $1 each.  Then, I added a little bag of cookies, a beaded necklace, and a gold coin.  I made custom tags on Picmonkey, but if you would rather something you can just print easily, you can use the generic "pirate booty" tag that I designed.  Just right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4 X 6 photo.

Cute, right?

I hope the party guests will really like this Jake and the Neverland Pirates loot bag.  I know my little birthday boy is excited to share them with his friends.  

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Pirate Hooks

I am planning a Jake and the Neverland Pirate party for my youngest son, and I thought it would be fun to make pirate hooks for all the party guests.  After the party, the hooks (that don't go home with our guests) will be added to our "dress up bin".  We love playing pirates!

Want to make your own pirate hooks from cups and tin foil?

1)  Start with a square piece of tin foil.
2)  Roll up the tin foil and "squish it".
3)  Cut a little hole in the bottom of the cup.  Make sure it isn't too big.  The tin foil needs to fit tightly in order to stay in place.
4)  Place the foil through the hole, pull through, and twist into the shape of a hook.

That's it!  Do you have a little pirate that would love dressing up with this pirate hook?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this pirate party post.

Spy Party {pom pom target practice}

I am currently planning a DIY Spy Party for my middle son's 7th birthday. Given that he and his friends will be training to be spies, I knew I needed some sort of target practice, but I didn't want to give all the kids guns, so... I thought it would be fun to make some pool noodle pom pom shooters. I got the idea for a pool noodle pom pom shooter from FSPDT.  (You should totally check out her version if you get a chance.)

For our version, I used black balloons and "moustache/secret disguise" duck tape.  Cute, right?  I love how easy and inexpensive these were to make.  Here's all you need to do:

1)  Use a serrated bread knife to cut a pool noodle into short pieces.  I made mine slightly taller than the width of the duck tape.

2)  Cut the top off a balloon with a pair of scissors.

3)  Place the balloon onto the pool noodle, and tie the top into a knot.

4)  Secure the balloon to the pool noodle with duck tape.

These are perfect for my son's spy party, but they would be fun any time.  My boys have been playing with them ever since I made them.  Trust me... they will keep your little ones entertained for hours!

Do you have a little one that would like these pool noodle pom pom shooters?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Celebrating the Last Day of School

Monday was the last day of school for my two oldest boys, and we had a lot of fun marking the special day.  Here is how we celebrate the last day of school in our home.

First, I always pick my boys up from school, and we go for ice cream.

Then, the boys run through a "finish line".

I think it is a lot of fun to have end of the year traditions, don't you?  I don't do grading gifts, but I did treat the boys to new books and a special treat.

How does your family celebrate the last day of school?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Turquoise Summer Wreath

I don't get a lot of time to work on "grown up" craft projects, but yesterday I finished a new turquoise wreath for my front door.  It was really easy to make, and I love how it turned out.

Isn't it a fantastic summer wreath?  I really like the blue grapevine wreath, and the flowers are so bright and cheerful. 

Here is what the wreath looked like when I bought it...

Then, I spray painted it, and added some fun felt flowers (that I made using the tutorial you can find here).  These flowers are really simple to make.  All you need is some brightly colored felt, scissors, a glue gun, and a few buttons.  

I am really enjoying my new summer wreath. What do you think? If you make one, let me know how it turns out.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the simple Summer wreath I made here.

Celebrating the Last Day of Preschool

Today was my 4 year olds last day of Preschool, and like all milestones, it was a cause for celebration.  Here's how we marked the occasion:

First, my little guy brought presents for his friends and his teachers.  Every celebration needs gifts, right?

Then, we made sure to get a picture of my son with his teachers.  I think a child's first teachers hold special places in their hearts forever, don't you?

Finally, I surprised him with a Preschool Finish Line after school.  He loved it!  We even had to tape it back together so he could do it again.

When my little guy started Preschool, he cried at drop off for months.  He only attended Preschool two days a week (for a couple of hours each day), but it took him a long time to let me leave without crying.  It's funny how life come full circle.  Today, on his last day, he was all smiles... and I was the one with tears in my eyes.  

I have no idea how I am going to survive his first day of "big school" in September.  Anyone have any tips for this sad Mommy?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Canada Day Wreath

Canada Day is just around the corner, so I wanted to share the adorable Canada Day wreaths my boys made from paper plates and tissue paper.

Aren't they cute?  I am sharing the full tutorial over at CBC Parents.  Come on over and see how easy it is to create your own Canada Day Decor.

Happy Canada Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Alphabet Crafts - Letter W

My 4 year old and I are getting close to finishing our "crafting our way through the alphabet" adventure.  Yesterday we made a Windsock craft and did some Letter W printing practice.

To make a wind sock:

1)  Color a piece of white card stock.
2)  Roll the card stock into a tube, and tape in place.
3)  Punch some holes in the top of the tube, and add a pipe cleaner handle.
4)  Tape strips of tissue paper to the bottom of the tube.

Cute, right?  I think this is a great summer craft.  My little guy had a fantastic time running around the yard... and telling me which way the wind was blowing.

After our craft, we did a bit of printing practice.  To practice writing the letter W with your little one, right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print.

Interested in more "letter w" crafts? With some construction paper, crayons, scissors, glue and googly eyes, you can easily make this "letter W walrus".

How cute is this worm made of Cheerios? Twist the end of a pipe cleaner into the shape of a head, and glue on two googly eyes. Then, have the child thread the Cheerios onto the pipe cleaner, and when the child is finished, twist the end to secure the Cheerios.

Fun, right? Next up, the letter "X"!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more alphabet crafts here.

"Tote"ally Awesome Teacher Gift... with free printable tag

My 4 year old has spent the last year with two fantastic preschool teachers, so on his last day (Thursday), he is bringing them each a special gift.  Each of his teachers will receive a pretty summer tote bag with a tag that says, "Have a 'Tote'ally Awesome Summer!"

Cute, right?  I think it is the perfect bag for trips to the park or beach this summer.

If you would like to download and print the 4X6 tag I designed, just right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a normal photo.

I love how bright and cheerful this little tag is, don't you?

What is your best teacher gift to give/get?  I always like giving things that are useful.  Gift cards and special notes are always great choices.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Class Treats {Have a cool summer!}

Our school year is winding down, and today I am sharing the class treats my 6 year old is sharing with his friends on the last day of school.  He is bringing large freezies with little tags that say, "Have a cool summer!"

Cute, right?  I love how simple this idea is, and my little guy is anxious to share these fun treats with his classmates on Wednesday.

To download the tag I designed, just right click on the 4X6 picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like any other photo.  (I designed it so that three tags fit on one 4X6 photo.)

Here are all our treats ready to go!

The only thing better than these class treats are the lazy days of summer that are sure to follow!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)