Fall Tradition... a Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

For our family, one of the highlights of Fall is our annual trip to a pumpkin patch.  It is a great adventure for the boys, and they love running around trying to find the perfect pumpkin.

 

Not only is it a great family outing, it is a perfect photo op.  :-)  Check out some of our pics over the years:

2007

2008

  

2009

2010

2011

I highly recommend doing a "google" search and finding a pumpkin patch in your area.  I guarantee you'll have a great time, and make wonderful memories with your kids.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Homemade Kites

What is more fun on a beautiful fall day than getting outside and flying a kite?  Making your own kite out of a brown paper bag is lots of fun and super easy.  My boys loved it!

Here is how we did it:

1)  Decorate the paper bag. 

2)  Use a hole punch to make four holes (two on each side of the opening of the bag).  We used little stickers to reinforce the area around the holes and make them a little stronger.

3)  Use two pieces of string (equal in length), and tie one end around each hole.  See below.

4)  Hold the two loops (the middle of each piece of string), and tie them together using a long piece of string.  Wind the other end around a popsicle stick.  {This will be what you hold onto when you are flying your kite.}

That's it!  Add a little wind, and you are ready to fly your homemade kite.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Halloween Costumes and Project Re-Cap

We went to an early Halloween Party, so I thought I would share a few pictures of my boys in their Halloween costumes.  Seriously, could they be any cuter?????

My five year old wanted to be a clown, and he fell in love with this rainbow wig from Walmart.  I bought a $6 plain white shirt and added some craft foam buttons (in colors that he chose).  We added a foam nose and a bow tie from the Dollar Store and voila!

My four year old wanted to be Spiderman... no surprise.... he LOVES Spiderman.  I bought this costume second hand for $5, and he loves it.  I think he might actually think he IS Spiderman.  lol

I had an adorable monkey costume I wanted my two year old to wear, but he insisted on being a Super Hero.  {He does look pretty cute in his mask and cape.}  If you want to make your own, you can find the tutorials here and here.

And now that you are in the Halloween spirit, here is a recap some of the Halloween Projects we did this year, in case you missed them.  Happy Halloween!  

Dollar Store Halloween Plaque

5 Minute Felt Pumpkin

Water/Milk Jug Pumpkins

Googly Eye Vase

Halloween Photo Banner

Ghost Oreo Pops

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
 
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Oreo Cookie Pops

In my opinion, Amy at The Idea Room is the queen of Oreo Cookie Pops.  If you want to make some fancy and adorable pops, you should check out her blog.  Her Frankenstein Oreo Pops are {almost} too cute to eat. 

I thought they looked like fun, so I let the boys take the lead making our "ghost" cookie pops.  The ones the boys made are not pretty like Amy's, but they didn't seem to notice.  :-)

Here's how you can make some of these fun treats:

1)  Gather your supplies.  You will need:  Double stuff Oreos, white chocolate chips or candy melts, wooden stir sticks, and wax paper.



2)  Insert stick into the middle of the Oreo -- gently.

3)  Melt the chocolate according to the package directions.  We put ours in the microwave for two minutes at 50%.

4)  Spoon the melted chocolate onto the Oreo until the entire surface is covered, and then lay on wax paper to dry.  (We coated the front and the back, and then the sides.  Make sure to put some around the base of the stick so that when the chocolate hardens, the stick will be secure.)

5)  Decorate as desired (while the chocolate is still soft).  We just used mini chocolate chips because we had them in the pantry, but any kind of candy/decorations could be used. 

6)  Wait for them to dry/harden.  You may want to transfer them to the fridge to speed up the process.  If your kids are anything like mine, they will find it hard to wait.

Sugar and mess.... does it get any better for little boys????  Give it a try with your little ones, and let me know how it goes.  
 

♥ 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Nature Collage

Last week I wrote about taking my boys on a nature walk.  We made our own baskets and collected lots of great stuff, and when we got home, we made a collage.  It was a lot of fun, and the artwork turned out really cute.

Here is what we used:

• Stuff we collected on our nature walk (twigs, leaves, grass, etc...)
• A piece of canvas from the dollar store
• Paint (and a paint brush)
• Glue

First, we painted the canvas, and we let it dry overnight.

Then, we used LOTS of glue to attach all our "little treasures".

Didn't it turn out great?  Now we have a great piece of artwork AND a wonderful reminder of our afternoon wandering through the woods. 

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Lunch Box Notes

My oldest son is in grade one, and sometimes I think he feels left out of the fun I have at home with my younger two boys. One way I try to brighten his day is by putting little notes in his lunch box. I think it reminds him that we are thinking about him when he is at school.

Note:  My little guy doesn't eat much lunch.  I am not starving him.  I promise.  :-)

Here are 5 of my favorite "lunch box note" ideas:

1) Make your own notes. A fun little "post it" with a note from mom will make your little one's day. It really doesn't have to be fancy... just heartfelt. :-) I made my own on my computer (an easy to print black & white version with the option of adding your own sticker). If you want a copy, you can download it here.

2) Use print-your-own "fill in the blank" notes. I really like these notes from Make and Takes. They are both free to download and are super cute.

3) Use print-your-own "joke" cards. Here is a cute "free" version from Darling Doodles. My son loves these jokes and sharing them with his friends.

4) Send a picture. A picture says a thousand words, and a picture in his lunch will remind your little one about his/her family or a fun time you shared together.

5) Purchase pre-printed notes. These ones from Little Jots are sweet. I love that they come with "hug" and "kiss" stickers.

These are my ideas for lunch box notes, but I would love to know yours. What do you do to make your little one's lunch a special part of his/her day?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Halloween Garland

I always like to decorate the window in my kitchen with a holiday themed banner.  It just seems to add a "festive" feeling to the space.  For Halloween, I made a simple photo banner using pictures of the boys (from the last five years) dressed up in their costumes.

All you need is some black construction paper, some Halloween photos, a hole punch, scissors and ribbon.

Here is how to make a photo banner:

1)  Cut some triangles out of black construction paper, attach a picture to each triangle with tape or glue, and punch a hole in each of the top corners of the triangles.

2)  Weave ribbon through the holes (as per the picture below).

3)  Hang your banner, and enjoy.  :-)

It really does add a "festive touch" to a space, and it is a great way to display pictures and remember past Halloween fun.  :-)

♥ 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)