Simple is Better {Winter Fun}

My boys teach me a lot of things -- the most recent lesson being -- "often, simple is better".  Today, I want to share two REALLY simple and super-fun things you can do with your kids.

1)  Snow Painting -  All you need is a spray bottle filled with water and a few drops of food coloring.  The kids will have a ball using the snow as their canvas.  {I know mine did.}

2)  Glow in the Dark Bathtime - All you need to do is throw a bunch of glow sticks into the bathtub.  Does it get any easier than that?  We did this last night, and my boys thought it was awesome!  {Seriously awesome!}

So... this weekend, give one of these activities a try.  It takes very little effort, and your kids will have a ball... guaranteed.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Sucker Valentines

I am not a huge fan of suckers, but I couldn't resist making this adorable Valentine for my six year old to share with his classmates.  (I guess a sucker on Valentines Day isn't going to hurt.  :-)

The original concept for this idea, wasn't mine -- there are tons of versions on Pinterest.  For my simple version, I got my husband to hold up a dollar store tablecloth behind my six year old.  Then, I got him to pose like this.....

Next, I used an Exacto knife to cut two slits in the picture -- one on top of his fist and one on the bottom.  I inserted a sucker and "ta da", a super cute valentine.  My six year old can't wait to pass out these Valentines to his first grade friends!

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Sharing the fun with:

 

The Hungry Caterpillar

I love to cuddle up and read with my boys.  I think a love of books is a great gift you can give your children.  We have a lot of favorites around here, but "The Hungry Caterpillar" is definitely one of our staples.

While we were reading it the other day, I was reminded of a craft I made when I was a kid.... caterpillars out of egg cartons.  {Don't you just love nostalgic crafts?}

It is a simple craft, but the kids loved it!

I just gave the kids an empty egg carton, and let them color it with markers.  Then, they added some googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae.  

You can also help your caterpillar "turn into a butterfly" by adding some wings made of cardstock.

What are some of your favorite books to read with your children?  I am always looking for new stories {aka "excuses to cuddle up on the couch with the boys"}.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

  

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” 

E Buchwald.

Heart Rosette Valentines Wreath {take two}

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a heart-shaped felt rosette wreath I made using a wreath form made from an old cardboard box.  I changed my mind about the ribbon, and thought I would show you my new version.  Here it is:

And in case you missed it, here was what it looked like before.  

Which one do you prefer? The full tutorial for the original wreath can be found here.

... and you can find a tutorial for felt rosettes here.)

I love the classic and clean look of the new version. What do you think?
♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

{Make Ahead} Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am always looking for ways to get organized, and today I am sharing one of my favorite ways to simplify the "making lunches" process.  I make big batches of baked goods, individually package them, and pop them in the freezer.  Today, my four year old made our favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.  

The recipe we use can be found at DianaDesserts.com (but we make "mini muffins", and reduce the baking temperature to 350 degrees).

I love three things about this recipe:

1)  The muffins are moist and delicious.

2)  It is a fun to bake them with kids.  "Little hands" can fill the tins with muffin liners, mash the bananas, and add and stir the ingredients.

3)  They make perfect "little treats" for school lunch boxes.  (I freeze them in individual snack bags, which makes them easy to "pop" into lunches each night.)

Give them a try, and let me know what you think.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Recycled Crayon Valentines

I am always love cute, easy and inexpensive gifts the boys can give to their little friends.  This year, my four year old is bringing these adorable heart-shaped crayon Valentines to his Preschool pals.

Cute, right?

Want to make some?  Dig out your old broken crayons, and follow these simple instructions.

Step 1 - Soak the crayons in water, and put the kids to work peeling the paper off the crayons.

Step 2 - Break up the crayons and put them in a heart-shaped muffin tin.  I found this silicon one at the dollar store.  (Don't forget to put the flimsy silicon muffin tin on a proper cookie sheet before you pop it into the oven.)

Step 3 - Melt the crayons in the oven.  (I set my oven to 300 degrees, and it took about 10 minutes for all the crayon bits to turn to liquid.) 

Step 4 - Carefully remove the tray from the oven, and let the crayons cool completely.  (I put mine outside to speed up the cooling process.)

Once you "pop" the crayons out of the tin, they are ready to give out.  I attached ours to cards (which I printed on my computer) that read, "I ♥ having a friend like YOU!", but you can package them any way you like.

Much better than a bin of broken crayons, don't you think? 

Happy Valentine's Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

"Kiss" Countdown

Last year I made a "Hershey's Kiss" countdown to Valentine's Day for my boys.  It was a huge hit {which is not surprising given that it involved eating chocolate each morning}! This year, I decided to let them make their own, and here it is:

The boys started with a piece of foam core (from the dollar store), and I used hot glue to attach a "Kiss" sign (which I also got at the dollar store).  I printed some numbers from 1-14 on the computer, and they cut them out and glued them on.  Then, they added some foam letters and heart-shaped felt stickers.

To finish it off, I used double sided tape to add Hershey's kisses under each number.  I used three (one for each of my boys), but you can use any number.

Now we are ready for Valentines Day... and all the "kisses" that come with it!  ;-)

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)