DIY Camping Party... on a budget

I love a DIY party because (even thought it takes a little effort) it's memorable, unique and budget-friendly. My two youngest boys have July birthdays, so a "camping" theme was perfect for them. What's better than a party where kids run around outside, play games, and eat s'mores? You are going to love all the DIY details of this DIY camping-themed party. It's pretty special!

I started out by setting the stage with some simple DIY camping decor. I used Picmonkey.com (an online photo editing software) to create a photo banner for the entrance. I also created some simple signage and placed it in inexpensive dollar store frames.

I also used camping gear (that I already had) to add to the atmosphere.

We had a camp schedule that included: registration (signing in and guessing the number of jellybeans in the jar), a scavenger hunt, games, prize punch, cake and s'mores, making candy kabobs, and parent (and loot bag) pick up.

The scavenger hunt was a lot of fun. I set up clues all around the neighbourhood, the kids broke into teams, and the race was on! There was a mixture of puzzles to be solved, activities to be completed, and clues to be found. I think this the highlight of the party for most of the kids.

After the teams completed the scavenger hunt, they were all allowed to claim a prize from the prize table.

Other popular activities at the party were: "guess the number of jellybeans" in the jar, make a candy kabob, and make a s'more.

To download a copy of this sign for your party: click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

To download a free copy of the s'more bar sign for your party: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

And of course there was lots of camping party food set up on a dollar store checkered tablecloth. (Scroll to the bottom to download the food labels for FREE.)

We served: hot dogs, bug juice, camp candy, bears, campfire flames, and goldfish. Check out the cute little signs I made below.

Of course, we also had campfire cakes. I made a chocolate one for my middle son and a vanilla one for my youngest boy. (The logs are cookies, and the flames are fruit roll ups.)

Look at my sweet birthday boys and their wonderful smiles! I love these little faces.

My boys had a fantastic time celebrating with their birthdays with their friends. A camping-themed birthday party really works wonderfully for all ages.

When the kids left at the end of the party, they each chose a goodie from our prize punch and grabbed a balloon loot bag.

For another peek at our party, check out this short video I made.

I hope you love this DIY camping party as much as my boys and I did. A camping-themed birthday party has endless possibilities for activities, food, decor, and fun!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (If you want to download the food labels: click on the photos below, save them to your computer, and print them like regular 4x6 photos.)

Last Day of School 2020... COVID 19 Edition

Today my boys celebrated their last day of school. It was a bit different this year (because of Covid 19 and the fact that my boys have been studying at home since March), but we still had a bit of a celebration.

As always, my boys had an end of year "finish line". The difference this year, was that instead of running into the house, they ran out of the house.

We also gave some treats out to our neighbours.

The boys also got their "last day of school" ice cream. Through the years, we have eaten in, but this year, we enjoyed it in our car.

It was a different school year for us, and the summer will look different too... but we are looking forward to an easier schedule and lots of fun.

Happy last day of school everyone!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Last Day of School Treats... COVID edition

Over the years, my boys have shared many cute last day of school treats with their classmates, teachers, and friends. This year, there will be no "in school" celebration, but I still wanted to find a way to keep this tradition alive. So, I decided to put together some treats for my boys to deliver to the neighbours on our last day.

Our plan is for the boys to deliver these tasty treats to our neighours on the last day of school. How cute are these Freezies with little "Isn't it COOL that school is over?" notes attached?

To download the FREE printable tags I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

We have a big batch ready to deliver. Aren't they cute?

I love this simple way to spread kindness in our neighbourhood... and I love that we are still able to celebrate the last day of school by sharing a sweet treat. Happy last day of school!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE last day of school treat ideas here.)

Rock Painting for Beginners

Painting rocks is a wonderful creative endeavor. It's a perfect easy and inexpensive activity that kids and adults can do together. It's also a fantastic way to add colour and kindness to the world. Today, I'm sharing some tips for painting rocks... and I've got some painted rock inspiration for you too!

To paint rocks:

1) Collect a variety of rocks.
2) Make sure the rocks are clean and dry.
3) Pick a simple design.
4) Choose bright colours.
5) Paint the rocks. (I mostly use acrylic paint from the dollar store, but using paint markers is fun too!)
6) Finish with a sealer (if they are going to be outside).

Here are some of the designs my boys came up with.

I particularly love these little penguins they painted.

And how cute are the Minion rocks?

And I painted these simple rocks. I'm not an artist, but I'm really happy with the way they turned out. 

And my kids made these cute ones!

Painted rocks make great decor, paperweights, and garden decorations. You can turn them into games (like Tic Tac Toe), and they are also a great way to spread kindness. You can leave them along trails and roads to brighten the days of people walking by. Fun, right?

Have you ever painted rocks? What kind of designs did you do? I'm always looking for new ideas and inspiration.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Father's Day Cookie Jars

It's always fun for a child to make a special gift for their Dad on Father's Day, and there is no better gift than a sweet treat. I love this tasty alternative to socks, ties and underwear! Today, I am sharing the recipe and instructions for making this adorable Father's Day cookie mix in a jar.

To make a Father's Day jar of cookie mix:

1) You'll need to start with a clean 1L mason jars.

2) Then, you'll need to layer the ingredients below (patting down each layer before adding the next one):

First layer: 1 3/4 cups flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt
Second layer: 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
Third layer: 1/2 white sugar
Fourth layer: 1 1/2 cups quality, semi-sweet chocolate chips

To make the process easy: use a wide-mouthed funnel to fill the jars, and make a tool to press down the layers. I attached a round piece of cardboard to the end of skewer and covered it all with tin foil.

3) Then, print off the cookie tags below and attach it to the cookie jar with twine or yarn.

To download the instruction tag: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print.

To download the gift tag: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print.

Here is one that my son made. Isn't it cute?

What Dad wouldn't love this personalized treat?

This would be a fantastic DIY Father's Day gift for the special man in your life. Kids will love making it, and dads will love receiving it! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more Father's Day celebration ideas here.