Polar Express Treat Bag {with free printable}

The Polar Express is one of our favorite Christmas books (and we love the movie too).  So, when I was trying to come up with little gifts for my 7 year old to share with his class this year, I decided to go with this adorable Polar Express treat bag.

Isn't it cute?  I bought gold bells at the dollar store, added ribbons, and attached "Believe" tags.  You can print the tags I designed by right-clicking on the picture (below), saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 4X6 photo.

I packaged the bells in bags with little boxes of "train" Smarties, but if you are concerned about sugar or allergies, you could just give out the bells.

What child wouldn't love to receive this adorable bell ornament?  I'm going to leave them on my boys' pillows on the night we have our annual Polar Express minivan adventure (which is one of my favorite Christmas traditions).

Do you love The Polar Express as much as we do?  What are some of your other favorite Christmas movies?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Recycled Crayons for Christmas {gift for classmates}

My boys love to bring treats for their classmates at Christmas, but their school discourages parents from sending in sugary treats.  So... this year I came up with these adorable recycled crayons for my 5 year old to share with his friends.

To make the crayons, I used a silicon mold (that I found at the dollar store), and I followed the tutorial that you can find here.

Then, I put crayons and little notepads in clear cellophane bags, and I tied them up with cute personalized tags.  I think my son's friends are going to love these recycled crayons, don't you?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Snowman Soup

My boys love making little gifts/treats to share with their friends.  A few days ago, they had some friends over, and we all made "snowman soup".

Adorable, right? I am sharing all the fun details over at CBC Parents today, so head on over and check out this fun project.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Stocking Stuffer Coupons {free printable}

Looking for easy and inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas? Check out these adorable {free} printable coupons that I designed. 

Aren't they adorable?  Each coupon entitles the recipient to stay up an extra 15 minutes... by order of Santa.  Print the coupons, cut them out, and add the name of the child.  That's it!

To download your own copy of these coupons: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular photo.

I laminated my stocking stuffer coupons for extra cuteness... but you can skip this step.  Do you have a little one that would enjoy receiving one of the bedtime passes?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Packaging for Homemade Treats

I love baking with my boys this time of year, and we love to share our treats with neighbours and friends.  Check out this darling idea for packaging your homemade goodies.

Isn't it cute?  I took a plain red cup, added a "belt" of electrical tape, and finished with a little button I had leftover from the "Santa belly felt ornaments" I made last year.  I put it all together, added some goodies, and I was done!

I love this adorable, easy and inexpensive way to package homemade treats, don't you?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Neighbour Gift Ideas for Christmas {free tutorials and printable tags}

I love a simple DIY Christmas gift, and today I am sharing some fantastic ideas for neighbours, teachers and friends.  These Christmas neighbour gifts are easy, inexpensive, and lots of fun!

Click on the links for more info (and free printables):

1) For your mistleTOES - Print the free tag, add some bright red nail polish, and you'll have an adorable gift sure to make the recipient smile.  For a more substantial gift, add a gift certificate for a pedicure.  Fun, right?  {Here's the link to the free printable gift tag.}

2) Christmas potpourri - Fill a bag with simple items from the grocery store, print the tag with the instructions, and you'll have a stovetop mixture that will fill your friend's house with the smells of Christmas.  {Here's the link to the potpourri recipe and free printable gift tag.}

3) Goodies in homemade reindeer gift bags - Have the children make these adorable reindeer gift bags, and fill them with homemade goodies or hot chocolate with a "warm wishes" gift tag.  It's a great way to get the kids involved in the gift-giving process.  {Find the full tutorial for the reindeer gift bags here.}

4) Candy bouquet - This gift is fun all year round, and this time of year, it makes a great neighbour or teacher gift.  We made this for my son's teacher, and we included a gift card.  Easy peasy!  {You can find the full tutorial for the candy bouquet here.} 

5) Holly jolly treats - Add a "Popping by to wish you a holly jolly Christmas" tag to a bag containing popcorn and jolly ranchers for this simple and festive neighbour gift.  {You can find the free printable gift tags here.}

Bonus: White wine with adorable FREE tags (that you can download here).

Do you have a favorite DIY Christmas gift to give?  Or have you gotten one that you absolutely loved?  I'd love to hear about it!

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Elf Challenges {free printable}

Starting to run out of Elf on the Shelf ideas?  Here is a new one... with a "kindness" twist. Don't you just love this "week of Elf on the Shelf Challenges"?

To print this sheet of Elf on the Shelf challenges, right click on the picture above, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

I hope our "Elfie" brings these cards to my boys this week.  ;-) I love the idea of having our Elf on the Shelf encourage my boys to spread kindness this holiday season.

♥ 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Santa Wreath

Sometimes you need to add a little "whimsey" to your holiday decor, and this simple DIY Santa wreath fits the bill perfectly.  It is easy and inexpensive to make and lots of fun!

Want to make your own DIY Santa wreath?

1) Start by cutting a circle from foam core (from the dollar store).  I cut mine about 2 inches thick.  Don't worry about jagged edges because you won't see them when the wreath is completed.

2) Wrap yarn around the foam core securing with hot glue periodically.

3) Make A LOT of white felt roses, and hot glue them to the wreath.  You can find a step-by-step tutorial for making felt roses here.

4) Add a dollar store Santa hat to the top of the wreath.  You can secure it with hot glue or straight pins.  (I also stuffed some tissue paper into the hat to add a little shape to it.)

That's it!  Simple, right?

Doesn't it look cute on my front door?  I think I might switch the Santa hat for a snowman hat when Christmas is over.  What do you think?

♥ 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Northpole Communicator {Review and Giveaway} -- CLOSED

Winner - Hilary B. {Thanks to everyone that took the time to enter.}

The boys and I just received two fun Christmas products to review, and I have a set of these products to give away to one lucky US reader.  Even if you aren't living in the US, you are going to want to check out the North Pole Communicator Interactive Microphone and the Polar Explorer Goggles and Adventure Map.

My boys especially love the Northpole Communicator.  Starting on December 1, you can use it to talk (daily) to the North Pole.  

Yesterday morning, my boys were eager to give it a try.  The boys talked to a delightful elf that had them trying to imitate the sounds Santa's reindeer make.  It was adorable!

There is also a fun website where you can find out more info... including how to write to Santa and where you can purchase your own Northpole Communicator.  {Click here to learn more.}

So... are you excited yet?  To win a Northpole Communicator AND Polar Explorer Goggles and Adventure Map, all you need to do is leave me a comment {below} letting me know who would love to communicate with the North Pole in your home.  Don't forget to log in or leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win.

Thanks for taking the time to check out these great products, and good luck with the contest!  You only have a week to enter, so enter ASAP.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I received free products in order to be able to complete this review/giveaway.  However, {of course} the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

Contest Rules:
1) The winner of the contest will be chosen by the Random Number Generator.
2) To enter the contest, you must leave a comment on this post (with contact info). Contest is open to US Residents only.
3) This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by Facebook.
4) Contest closes on December 8, 2014 at 11:59pm.
5) Prize will be accepted as awarded. 
6) Winner 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.

Simple Felt Ornament {Star}

I love to make simple felt ornaments (each year) for our Christmas tree.  They are also great to share with friends.  Here is the simple star ornament I created this year.

To make your own felt ornament:

1)  Collect your supplies.  You'll need a piece of ribbon, a little white button, two circles cut from red felt, and one star cut from green felt.

2)  Stitch the star to one of the felt circles.

3)  Sew a button onto the middle of the star.

4)  Add a ribbon, and stitch the second felt circle to the felt circle containing the star.

That's it!  Don't you just love how easy, inexpensive and cute this little felt ornament is?  I think it would be a great beginner sewing project too.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

10 Things to Do in November {to prepare for the holiday season}

With a little less than a month until Christmas, here are some things you can do NOW to get ready for the big day.  Start checking off items on my November checklist for a less stressful holiday season.

1)  Make room for Christmas arrivals by purging what you already have.  Get rid of old clothes, toys, and everything else that you no longer need.

2)  Do an inventory of the clothing you have, and make a list of the holiday outfits that need to be purchased.  Think about holiday dresses, Christmas concert clothing, Christmas PJs, and outfits for Christmas Eve/Day.  Shop early when the selection is good.

3)  Make a list of Christmas gifts that need to be purchased... and start shopping and wrapping ASAP.

4)  Start baking right away.  Focus on items that freeze well.

5)  Start planning holiday events, activities and parties.  Calendars fill up quickly, so early invites are ideal.

6)  Make or buy an advent calendar.  It's almost time to start counting down!

7)  Book babysitters and hair appointments early to ensure availability.

8)  Buy/order Christmas cards.  Mailing cards out early ensures pre-Christmas delivery.

9)  Make time to give back this holiday season.  Consider baking cookies for a neighbour or buying a gift for a less fortunate family.

10) Don't stress out!  Focus on your family, and enjoy your time together.  It's not about the presents... it's about the presence. :-)

How do you reduce holiday stress?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Letter Writing to Santa Party

Every year, my boys host a "Letter Writing to Santa" party for charity.  They get everything ready, they charge people to come, and they give all the money they earn to Cystic Fibrosis.  This year, they had over 30 guests, and they raised $377.50.  It's an easy and inexpensive party theme that works great as a fundraiser, as a classroom party, or a simple gathering at home.  Here's how we did it....

1) We found a venue, and we made an invite/poster that included all the party details.

2)  We had a raffle for a small gift basket.

3)  We set up a cookie station with juice, water, and cookies.  We made our favorite ginger molasses and chocolate chip cookies.  {Click on the links to get the recipes.}

4)  We gave each guest supplies to write a letter to Santa.

5)  We gave each guest supplies to make a little craft. {You can find the tutorial for our simple gingerbread man ornament here.}

6)  We set up a reindeer food station so that all the guests could make reindeer food to take home.  {You can find all the printables you need to set up your own magic reindeer food station here.}

7)  Each guest received a Santa beard as a little gift that they could take home.  {You can download a free template for these Santa beards here.}

We had a lot of fun at our 4th annual "Writing a Letter to Santa" party, and I am super-proud of my little elves.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Free Christmas Printable {It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas}

With December just around the corner, I thought it was a perfect time to share a free printable with you.  Don't you love this, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" printable?

To download your own copy... just right-click on the picture (above), save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.  To save on ink, I always send my printables to my local office supply store, and have them printed for 39 cents each.

Once printed, you can put this in a dollar store frame for instant, inexpensive holiday decor.

Cute, right?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Birthday Letter to My Oldest Boy... turning 9

In keeping with tradition, today I wrote a birthday letter to my oldest son on his 9th birthday.  He continues to be a sweet and caring boy, and I continue to be proud to be his mother.

To my awesome oldest son,

As you get older, you are changing and becoming more independent, but you still have the same kind heart you have always had.  You really are a sweet, well-rounded boy, and I love you more each day.

Here are a few of the reasons that you are the most special 9 year old in the whole world:

• You give everything you do 110%.  Your focus and intensity is something Daddy and I really admire about you.
• You were recently voted co-captain of your hockey team (by your teammates), and Daddy and I are proud that you were recognized for your strong work ethic and positive attitude.
• You love playing with your brothers... especially mini sticks, basketball, and chess.  I love that you are all good buddies.
• You love Friday night because we always have pancakes and watch a movie together as a family.  I'm happy that you aren't too old to snuggle with your mother.
• You love choir and playing your guitar (when we have a little time away from the rink).
• You still call me Mommy, and I love it... even though I know it will likely come to an end soon.
• You love peanut butter sandwiches and would eat them at every meal if I let you.
• Your favorite color is red, your hockey number is 7, and you want to be a hockey player when you grow up (after attending university, of course).

Happy birthday my little angel.  You may be 9, but you'll always be my first baby.

Lots of Love,

Mommy

xoxoxox

Magic Reindeer Food

Every year my boys host a "writing a letter to Santa" party/fundraiser for charity, and we always have our guests make their own "Magic Reindeer Food".  It's a fun traditions, and kids love it. Today I am sharing the recipe we use, as well as the printable tags that I designed... for FREE.

The first thing we do is set up our reindeer food making station with bowls of oats, Cheerios, and little bags of red sugar crystals (aka magic dust).  Then, we let the kids follow the recipe and scoop the ingredients into little bags. Here is the recipe we print out, frame, and place on the table.

To print an 8X10 copy of this recipe, right click on the picture (above), save it to your computer, and print it like a normal photo.

Then, each guest uses a piece of ribbon to attach a fun tag to the their bag of magic reindeer food.  Here are the tags I designed this year.

To print this 8X10 sheet of magic reindeer food labels, right-click on the picture (above), save it to your computer, and print it like a normal photo. (Note: Print it, use it, and share it... but don't sell it. I designed the tags, the copyright belongs to me, and I am giving it to you for free.)

Making magic reindeer food is a lot of fun, and it is even more fun to sprinkle it on the lawn on Christmas Eve.  It's a great way to help Santa find your home!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find more fantastic Christmas tips, crafts, recipes and ideas here.

Christmas Handprint Canvas

I have a huge weakness for handprint art, and I am so delighted to share my boys' latest masterpiece with you today.  Don't you just love this Christmas handprint canvas?

My youngest son also made an adorable handprint Christmas countdown, and you can check it out at CBC Parents here.  It's a really cute way to build excitement and anticipation this holiday season.  Have a look, and let me know what you think.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Elf on the Shelf Calendar

If you love Elf on the Shelf, and you are looking for a great way to organize all the "elf antics" this year, I have a great tool for you. Check out the adorable Elf on the Shelf calendar I designed.

To print a free copy of this "blank" calendar, right-click on the calendar (above), save it to your computer, and print it like an 8X10 photo.

And... if you are looking for some Elf on the Shelf inspiration, I have a collection called, "a month of Elf on the Shelf ideas and printables" that you can see HERE.   I have even designed a copy of the calendar containing all the items in my collection.

To print a free copy of this calendar of ideas, right-click on the calendar (below), save it to your computer, and print it like an 8X10 photo.

Cute, right?  Enjoy the calendar, and have a great month with your Elf on the Shelf!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase products recommended by me, you will be supporting my blog and all the free tutorials and printables I provide.  Thank you!

Simple Neighbour Gift

I love to have my boys bring little gifts to our neighbours during the holiday season.  Each year, I try to think of fun and inexpensive treats I can put together easily.  This year I came up with this simple (yet adorable) DIY neighbour gift.

Isn't it cute?  I put a package of popcorn and Jolly Rancher candies in a bag, and I added a little note that says, "Popping by to wish you a Holly Jolly Christmas!"

To download the tags I designed, right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Do you like to share treats with your neighbours?  I think this simple neighbour gift is a fun way to share holiday spirit.

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)