Felt Angel Ornaments

Every year, I design and stitch a new felt Christmas ornament for my family and friends. I like to keep the design simple, and I use felt so that it is light and I can mail it with my Christmas cards. This year, I made adorable felt angels.

I started by cutting the follow from felt: 2 red bodies, a gold heart, gold hair (front and back), a beige face and white wings. I also cut a piece of yarn to be used as a hanger.

Then...

1) I stitched the heart to the front of one of the body pieces, I attached the hanger, and I stitched the front and back of the body together (with the wings inserted between the two pieces).

2) I stitched the hair to the front and back of the ornament.

3) I added eyes and a mouth with black fabric paint.

This is a simple design that is easy to sew, and it results in a charming little ornament to share with friends and family. 

I love this ornament, don't you? The felt is super-easy to work with too, so this is a fantastic project for beginners. Do you have any special homemade ornaments on your Christmas tree? Handmade treasures are my favourites!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


PS (You can find more simple felt ornament designs here.)

DIY Grinch Ornaments and Class Treats... with free printable tags

My boys love taking treats to share with their friends at Christmas, but allergies and nutrition policies mean that sweet treats are prohibited. So, I like to come up with fun trinkets that I can package in a fun and festive way. This year, my two youngest boys went with "Grinch" themed treats. 

I based my treats around my favourite quote from the Grinch movie... "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more."

I found some heart-shaped ornaments, tiny presents, and green balls (that I DIY'ed with some red glitter glue) that fit my grinch theme perfectly!

Then, I designed these adorable tags. To download these tags: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

You can just add the tags directly to ornaments, or you can package a few trinkets in clear bags and secure the tags with curling ribbon.

My boys both chose different options, and they equally cute!

Aren't these Grinch treats an adorable Christmas class treat option? I especially love the green balls with the glitter hearts, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in this GRINCH movie night.

Planning a Christmas Fundraiser with Kids

My boys have been hosting a "Letter Writing to Santa" Fundraiser annually since 2011. In the past, we have hosted a party, but the last couple of years, we have sold "kits" instead of hosting an event. It's a great way for people to take part in on fundraiser at a time that is convenient for them. This year my three boys raised $250 for Cystic Fibrosis in honour of their 6 year old cousin that has the disease.

I'm pretty proud of my boys, and I think teaching the to give back during the holiday season is really important. Here's how we organized our fundraiser:

1) I posted the details on Facebook.

2) My boys put together supplies to write a letter to Santa. e.g. They folded letterhead and put labels on envelopes.

3) My boys baked cookies and put special labels on packets of hot chocolate.

4) My boys made magic reindeer food. 

5) My boys assembled tree ornament craft kits. (See below.)

Note: If you are interested in making one of these ornaments, you can download a PDF version of the Santa ornament instructions here.

6) My boys sold complete kits for $10 and donated the profits to charity.

I'm super-proud of my boys and their hard work on this Christmas fundraiser, and I'm extremely grateful to all our friends and family that supported us this year. Merry Christmas!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Tips for Healthy Eating over the Holidays... and a recipe for a simple Christmas appetizer

*sponsored post

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with a registered dietitian at my local Atlantic Superstore. I participated in an in-office consultation, and I took advantage of my store's "shop with a dietitian" program. I learned a lot of simple tips for improving the eating habits of my family, and I got some fantastic ideas that will help us eat better over the holidays. Today, I am sharing the tips I learned... including a recipe for an easy and delicious holiday appetizer.

Here are some of "healthy eating over the holidays" tips that my local dietitian Ellen gave me:

1) Eat healthy snacks. Try to eat snacks that include both fibre and protein to help you stay full longer. If you feel full, you are less likely to overeat at meal times... or when you are attending a holiday party or gathering.

2) Plan meals. Try to plan meals ahead of time so that when things get busy, you are still able to stay on track. Ellen had tons of ideas for eating on the go, eating on a budget and feeding a young family.

3) Stock the fridge, freezer and pantry with healthy convenience items. Pre-cut veggies, frozen vegetables, and high fibre/low sodium frozen food items can be super-helpful to have on hand this time of year.

4) Find balance. Don't deprive yourself of the tasty treats that are abundant during the holiday season, but try not to go overboard. Balance indulgent treats with healthy options like fruits and veggies. 

This strawberry and goat cheese appetizer with a balsamic glaze was recommended to me by the dietitian I met with, and is based on a President's Choice recipe you can find here. I love how simple this recipe is, and it's red and green, so it's the perfect holiday appetizer. 

Here's how I made my version:

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Crostini with Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette
• extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic glaze
• strawberries
• goat cheese
• fresh basil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut baguette on an angle... about 1cm thick.
• Brush one side of the baguette with olive oil, bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 10 minutes, remove from oven, and let cool.
• Top each baguette with 1 tsp of goat cheese, sliced strawberries, and basil.
• Drizzle with balsamic glaze, and serve immediately.

Isn't this a festive looking red and green appetizer? I love how easy it is to make. If you know how to toast bread, you can make this impressive looking holiday treat.

If you are interested in improving the eating habits of your family, I highly recommend setting up an appointment with the dietitian at your local Atlantic Superstore. They offer a variety of services tailored to you and your family's nutrition needs and goals, including: nutrition consultations, phone check-ins, practical shopping tips, meal ideas, healthy weight management programs, and more. You can set up an appointment online here to meet with Ellen or a dietitian at your local store. (And, if you aren't ready to sign up for a one-on-one consultation yet, there are also free workshops you can sign up for. Check your local store for the topics and times.)

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure: I have partnered with Atlantic Superstore and have received compensation for this post; however, as always, all opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

Ways to Make Christmas Magical for Kids

Kids won't always remember the gifts they receive, but they will remember the things their family does together every year. I've always enjoyed making Christmas magical for my kids, and today, I am sharing some of my favourite tips, tricks, and ideas. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

1) Polar Express - Every year, my boys and I go on a Polar Express adventure. They go to bed, find tickets on their pillows, and we head out in our van with hot chocolate and cookies to look at Christmas lights. Then, when they arrive home, they find bells from Santa's sleigh on their pillows. You can print FREE Polar Express tickets, and read all about this fun activity, here.

2) Magic Reindeer Food - Every year the boys and I make magic reindeer food. Then, on Christmas Eve, we sprinkle it on the lawn to make sure Santa's reindeer can find our house. You can get the receipt and FREE printable tags for magic reindeer food here.

3) Elf on the Shelf - We adopted our scout elf ("Elfie") many years ago, and he has been bringing magical fun to our family every year. He has done many fun things, which you can read about here, but we absolutely love when he brings Magic Elf Seeds. In the past, he has delivered magic elf seeds that grew into cookie pops AND magic elf seeds that grew into a candy cane garden.

4) Letters and Videos from Santa - Nothing epitomizes the magic of the holidays like the jolly guy in the red suit. So, of course, letters and videos from Santa are always exciting to receive. Our Elf on the Shelf often brings us our letters from Santa, and he lets us know when Santa has sent us special video messages.

5) Magic Santa Key - Several years ago, my boys were concerned about how Santa was going to get into our house without a chimney. Luckily, Santa left us a magic key, and he has never had any difficulties leaving presents. You can get your own FREE Magic Santa Key tag here.

In addition to the above, we also like to focus on the magical power of giving. My boys always buy gifts for each other, and they host a "writing a letter to Santa" fundraiser. How do you make the holidays magical for your family?

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

“Children see magic because they look for it.” 

- Christopher Moore

You can find MORE easy and inexpensive ideas for Christmas fun here.

WARM WISHES Yarn Hat Ornaments... with free printable gift tags

My boys are getting older... and a little "mature" for the types crafts we did together when they were little. So, this year, I wanted to make a craft with my boys that was great for older kids. I've seen a bunch of versions of these yarn hats on Pinterest, and I have been wanting to make them for many years. They are the perfect Christmas craft for tweens and teens... and adults will love making them too. Today, I am sharing the step-by-step instructions for yarn hat ornaments, and some FREE printable gift tags that make them the perfect DIY gift for holiday giving.

To make these adorable yarn hat ornaments, you'll need: a ruler, yarn in your desired hat color, stuffing or cotton balls, old paper towel rolls and scissors.

To make the yarn hat ornaments:

1) Cut a paper towel roll into 1/2" strips.
2) Cut 10" strips of yarn... about 40-50... depending on the weight of the yarn.
3) Fold yarn in half, make a loop and insert it into the strip of cardboard tube.
4) Take the two ends of the yarn, and pull them through the loop. Pull tight.
5) Continue this process until the entire cardboard ring is covered.
6) Push the yarn through the ring to create a "hat brim".
7) Use a long piece of yarn (approx. 12") to tie the top of the hat.

8) Stuff some filling or cotton balls into the hat.

9) Trim the pom pom on the top of the hat.

10) Use the string you used to tie the top of the hat to create an "ornament hanger".

You can use one colour of yarn, or you can alternate colours. I love doing two pieces of one colour and then two pieces of another colour. You can also play with the width of the piece of paper towel roll, the weight of the yarn and the lengths of the pieces of yarn.

Aren't these yarn hat ornaments totally adorable? I can't wait to hang them on my tree.

And... these yarn hat ornaments make fun DIY Christmas gifts. Just add these adorable "warm wishes" tags. Click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Isn't this a sweet little homemade holiday gift?

Do you like making crafts with your older children? What have you made? Now that my boys are getting older, I can use all the ideas I can get. 😀

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE ideas for easy and inexpensive Christmas family fun here.)

Elf on the Shelf Magic Seeds... for a candy cane garden

Several years ago, our sweet Elf on the Shelf brought us a special gift... magic elf seeds. The seeds were shaped like little trees, and when we planted them in sugar, they grew into cookies on sticks. This year, Santa sent us a new type of magic elf seeds. These tiny candy cane seeds grow into a garden full of candy canes!

The little candy cane seeds were hand-delivered by our Elf on the Shelf in a little bag with the instructions attached (and you can download the instructions for FREE below).

Aren't these little seeds adorable? (They look a lot like Wilton cake decorations.) 😉

And they are even more adorable with this cute tag attached.

To download the tags for free: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

This is such a fun idea. It's simple, and the candy cane garden that grows is nothing short of delightful!

Do you have an Elf that likes to bring a little magic to your home? We are so lucky to have "Elfie". Elf on the Shelf really has become a treasured holiday tradition in our home.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find more easy and inexpensive Elf on the Shelf ideas here.)