Love Bugs

When I was a little girl, I remember making "Love Bugs" out of yarn, so I decided to make a similar craft with my boys. They are simple to make, and they are great for kids of all ages. How cute is this Yarn Love Bug for Valentine's Day?

Want to make one {or a bunch}?  Here's what you'll need:  yarn, an empty egg carton, googly eyes, pom poms, pipe cleaners, a scrap of cardboard, scissors, and beads {or other embellishments}.

Step 1:  Wrap yarn (approximately 60-100 times... depending on the thickness of the yarn) around a piece of cardboard (which should be approximately 3-4 inches high).  When you have finished wrapping, tie a piece of yarn tightly around the top of the wrapped yarn and cut the bottom.  (See picture below.)

Step 2:  Spread out the yarn, and glue it to the top of an egg carton.

Step 3:  This is when I got the boys involved.  I gave them the egg cartons covered in yarn, and let them decorate their "Love Bugs" any way they wanted to.  (I helped them add the pipe cleaner antennae because it was a bit tricky, but they did the rest themselves.) 

The boys added: beads (with their initials) to the antennae, googly eyes, pom pom noses, and pipe cleaner mouths.  So much fun!

I think they turned out really cute, and they are a perfect Valentine's Day craft for kids.  I hope you have fun making these adorable love bugs with your little "Sweethearts".

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find out how to make "Love Bug kits" to share with friends here. (Free printable instructions included.)

And you can find MORE fantastic Valentine's Day ideas here.

New Year's Eve Noisemakers

My three boys absolutely love things that make noise...  go figure! 

So, as part of our "New Year's Eve" celebrations, we made our own noisemakers.  {We made them to ring in the new year, but they are fun to make any time.}

Want to "up" the volume (and fun!) in your house? 

Here is how to make a Kazoo out of a toilet paper roll:

1)  Have the kids decorate a toilet paper or paper towel roll.

2)  Use a hole punch to make two holes at the top of the tube.

3)  Cut out a square of wax paper, and secure it to the top of the tube with a rubber band.

And, here is how to make a paper plate noisemaker:

1)  Have the kids decorate the bottoms of two (sturdy) paper plates.

2)  Put about 3/4 cup of rice on one paper plate, and place the the other plate on top.

3)  Attach the two plates with lots of staples.

These projects are both really easy to make, and they use materials that you probably already have in your cupboards and recycling bins.  Fun, quick and easy... a great New Year's Eve project to do with the kids.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Valentines Day Felt Rosette Wreath

If you have ever made a wreath, you know that wreath forms can be very expensive, so I was super excited when I saw Thrive to Blog use cardboard from an old box as a wreath form.  Genius!  Her version uses burlap {and is lovely}, but I enjoy working with felt, so I came up with this:

Want to make one?  It is time consuming, but not difficult or expensive to make.  Here's what you do:

Step 1:  Cut a heart shape (about 2 inches thick) from an old box.  Then wrap it in 2 inch felt strips (securing with hot glue at the beginning and at the end of each strip).

Step 2:  Make a bunch of felt rosettes.  I made 54.  {This is the part that takes some time.}  You can find a step-by-step tutorial here.

Step 3:  Using a hot glue gun, glue the rosettes onto the felt-covered wreath form.

It is pretty just like this... but you can add a ribbon and/or bow before you hang it up.  I used tulle for a romantic Valentines Day "feel", but you can use anything you like.  (You can also find another version of the wreath here.)

I totally "heart" this wreath, and I hope you do to.  :-)

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

I am NOT a Supermom

Since I started this blog in April 2011, I have had some people call me a "Super Mom".  For the record, it isn't true.  I am like most moms out there.... I am a hard working mom trying my best to create a good childhood for my boys.

The boys who inspire me to be the best mom I can be.

The intent of this blog is NOT to prove that I am better than anyone else or make anyone feel bad.  In fact, my goal is to  inspire and support other moms.  I know being a mom is a tough job, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all the  moms out there who support and inspire me.

That being said, I thought I would share this list with you:

5 Things about me that are NOT "Super"

1)  Most days, my beds aren't made.

2)  My laundry is out of control, and I sometimes dress my kids in clothes directly out of the dryer.

3)  I don't dust, vacuum, or clean my floors often enough.

4)  I buy clothes that don't need to be ironed (because I am terrible at ironing).

5)  My brain has turned to mush.  (I graduated Cum Laude from University, and now I call my boys by the wrong names on a regular basis.  Can you blame "baby brain" when your youngest is 2 1/2?)

Now that I have that off my chest, I am going to go sneak a cookie while my boys are finishing their lunch.  Is it too late to add "I eat too many cookies" to the list???

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Valentines Day Ideas... to get us started

I know it is a little early, but I thought I would start getting in the "Valentines Day" mood by sharing a couple of things I did last year.

First... how cute is this countdown to Valentines Day using "Hershey Kisses"?  {I put three kisses under each number... one for each of my boys.}  It isn't fancy, but the boys thought it was a lot of fun.



"Kiss" Countdown:  red Bristol board, Dollar Store garland, and Hershey Kisses.



I also made heart-shaped crayons for the boys to take to their friends at school.  This is such an easy project!  Just peel old/broken crayons, place the crayon pieces in heart-shaped muffin tins, and cook in the oven (at a low heat) until all the pieces are melted.  Allow to cool completely before removing crayons from the tins.  (I used silicon muffin tins from the dollar store.)

I am trying to come up with some cute class gifts this year.  I have already started to collect some ideas on my Pinterest board, but would love to hear your thoughts.  Thanks!

♥ 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Truly DIY Birthday Parties for Kids

For a party to be "truly" DIY, two things need to happen:   

1. The party can not cost a fortune.    
2. The elements of the party need to be doable by a "real" mom.  

Here are five fun parties I have put together for my my boys. (Click on the links for the details.)

1)  DIY Monkey Themed First Birthday Party

2)  DIY Super Hero Party

 3)  DIY Pirate Party

4)  DIY Music Party

5)  DIY Circus/Carnival Party

Fun, right?  And I promise... I have never taken a cake decorating class, I don't use a party planner, and I never have a big party budget.  All these parties are truly DIY.  I hope you have found an idea or two that you can incorporate into a party for your special little birthday boy or girl.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

** If you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, I would love to have you join me here.

"I Spy Santa" Telescope

I spy with my little eye... someone big and jolly! Can you guess who it is??? We love to play "I Spy" at our house, so I thought it would be fun to make some Christmas Telescopes and Binoculars to help us search for Santa and his Reindeer in the night sky.

Here is how easy it is to make an "I Spy Santa" telescope of your very own:

1)  Cut a square of cellophane and secure it to the end of a paper towel tube with an elastic band.

2)  Wrap the paper towel tube in Christmas wrapping paper, and secure with tape.

3)  Add a contrasting strip of wrapping paper to the top of the tube.

That's it!  

Now you have everything you need to search the sky for Santa.  Let me know if you spot him!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)