{Mod Podge} Pirate Treasure Chest

My boys are always collecting "treasures", so I thought it would be cute to make them their own personalized pirate treasure box.

I started off with this plain wooden box from the Dollar Store.

Then, I painted the box with brown acrylic paint.  {If the boys were doing it themselves, I would definitely opt for "washable" paint instead.}

Finally, I printed out a picture of my favorite pirates, and used Mod Podge to attach it to the top of the box

Cute, right?  And wouldn't this make a great craft activity or loot bag at a pirate-themed birthday party?

♥  Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Remembering {Disney} Party

Our family went to Disney in March.  It was such a magical trip for us, and I thought it would be fun {two months later} to have a little party and remember what a great time we had.

It doesn't take much to make a "party" at our house.  My boys really get excited over the little details.  :-)  We had some Mickey-shaped Oreo pops and peanut butter sandwiches.

And of course we needed balloons and Disney dishes.

And when we were finished snacking and playing with the balloons, we put our pictures in an album, and the boys made a little scrapbook.

It was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon remembering our fun week in the sun.

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)  

 

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Inspired by The Lorax

During a walk through the woods, the boys and I found a broken tree branch with some unopened buds on it.  We took it home and stuck it in some water.  The buds are now growing into leaves, and the boys are really enjoying watching a tree bloom {up close}!  

A broken tree branch provides an opportunity for learning

Our branch inspired us to read a book about the importance of taking care of our forests.  Don't you just love The Lorax?  {It is a wonderful Dr.Seuss book with a great message for kids.}

The Lorax... he speaks for the trees

And, of course, we needed a fun and easy snack.  We made cupcakes and topped them with green icing and little "trees" {spearmint leaf candies on pretzel sticks}.

An easy "tree" snack

A walk, a book, and a little sweet treat -- not a bad way to spend a Spring afternoon.  :-)

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Summer Checklist {with free printable}

Last year, the boys and I made a checklist of 50 Fun {Summer} Things we wanted to do.  We checked everything off our list, and ended the summer with an "Ice Cream for Supper" party.  It was so much fun that we decided to do it again this year.  

Here is our {new and improved} list for 2012.  Don't forget to click on the helpful links... and there is a great {more generic} printable version of this list {for you} at the bottom of this post.

1)   Celebrate Canada Day

2)   Read a book outside (Click the link to find out how to make a no-sew reading tent.)

3)   Have a teddy bear picnic (Click the link to find out how to have a teddy bear picnic.)

4)   Go to a splash pad

5)   Swim in a pool

6)   Go to a farmer's market

7)   Go to the library

8)   Make homemade bubbles (Click the link for a great recipe.)

9)   Go fishing

10) Have family movie night – outside (Click the link for some great outdoor movie night tips.)

11) Collect shells at the beach

12) Build a sandcastle

13) Plant something (Click the link to see what we planted last year.  We'll be trying something new this summer.)

14) Visit a wildlife park, farm or zoo.

15) Make homemade sidewalk paint (Click the link for a great eco-friendly recipe)

16) Run through the sprinkler

17) Play baseball

18) Play soccer

19) Ride our bikes

20) Take a boat ride

21) Spend time at a cottage

22) Do a science experiment (Click the link to see a simple experiment we did last year.  We will be trying a new one this summer.) 
23) Watch fireworks

24) Go Geo-caching

25) Make cookies

26) Play mini golf

27) See a play

28) Have a lemonade stand

29) Make play dough (Click the link for a fool proof play dough recipe.) 

30) Play hopscotch

31) Camp in the backyard

32) Have a PJ day

33) Take a bath in the dark (Click the link to see how.)

34) Play Frisbee

35) Make an obstacle course (Click the link to see how simple it is to put one together.)

36) Fly a kite (Click the link for instructions on how to make a simple kite out of a paper lunch bag.)

37) Go on a scavenger hunt (Click the link for a simple and {free} printable list.}

38) Craft a boat and watch it float down a river

39) Have pancakes for supper

40) Play street hockey

41) Make a marble run

42) Do a good deed 

43) Roast marshmallows and make smores

44) Write and mail a letter or postcard

45) Swim in a lake or ocean

46) Take a trip to Halifax {Blank on printable list}

47) Take a trip to PEI {Blank on printable list}

48) Attend the Antigonish Highland Games {Blank on printable list}

49) Ride on the Harbour Hippo {Blank on printable list}

50) Have ice cream for supper (to celebrate completing the list)

Like last year, we will frame our list using cheap frames from the dollar store.  Every time we do something on the list, the boys will "check" it off by putting a sticker over the number.  {A dry erase marker would work too.}  Fun, right?

Want a copy?  I have designed a {free} printable {pdf} version for you... which you can find here.  I have removed a few of the items that are specific to our geographical location and left blanks for you to fill in your own ideas.  

Thanks for playing along.  I think this is going to be a lot of fun!

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
 

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**You can find the 2013 version here.**

Butterfly Tree {from recycled cardboad}

How cute is this tree full of butterflies?  Isn't it perfect for Spring?  Hard to believe this beautiful tree full of butterflies was once an ugly cardboard box in my recycling bin.

Want to make one?

First, draw an outline of a tree on a cardboard box, and cut it out.  (I used an X-Acto knife, but I am sure scissors would work too.)  Then, cut a rectangle out of the cardboard box, and using a slit in the triangle and a slit in the tree trunk, attach it to the bottom of the tree.  (This is how the tree stands up.)

Now for the fun part!  Have the kids make leaves and butterflies, and attach them to the tree. 

To make the butterflies, cut a rectangle out of tissue paper, and have the kids decorate the wings.  Scrunch it up in the middle and twist a pipe cleaner around the middle.  The ends of the pipe cleaner will become antennae.

The leaves are just squares of green tissue paper scrunched up.  We attached the leaves with double sided tape, and we attached the butterflies with mini clothespins.

I am so please with how it turned out.  I think we might even change the decorations with the change in seasons.  :-)  

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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{Babyfood Jar} Tealight Holders

We made these tealight holders for Earth Day, but they are a perfect use for old babyfood jar any time of the year.  Cute, right?

All you need is a babyfood jar (cleaned out), some blue and green tissue paper, and some glue.  (You'll need to thin out the glue to the consistency of paint -- approximately 3 tbsp glue for each 1 tbsp water.)

Here's how easy it is to make one of these adorable tealights with your little one:

First, cut the tissue paper into little squares.  They don't have to be uniform or a certain size because they are going to be layered onto the jar.

Then, using a paintbrush, apply glue to a small section of the babyfood jar, and attach a piece of tissue paper.  Continue to apply glue and tissue paper until the entire jar is covered.

Finally, wait for the glue to dry, and then apply a thin coat of glue over the top of the tissue paper. 

My boys love making these, and you can change the colors to suit any occasion.  

Just make sure to never leave a child alone with a burning candle.  Battery operated tealights might be a safer choice.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy on facebook)

*Originally posted at Okanagan4Kids.com on April 17, 2012.

{Earth Day} Decor

Happy Earth Day!!!

Why not add to the celebration in your house by decorating with this adorable Earth Day Garland?

The best part is... this project is super-easy to make with your little ones.   Here's how you do it:

1) Use a plate to trace big circles onto blue paper, and have your kids cut them out.

 
2)  Decorate the circles with green paint.  (We made some hand prints and did others "freestyle".)

3) Use a hole punch and some twine to string the "earths" together.

That's it... a sweet little project that is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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