Toonie Parties (an alternative to a mountain of gifts)

Every year, my boys host "toonie" parties for their birthdays. Instead of bringing toys, each guest is asked to bring a card containing a "toonie" {a $2 coin}.  Then, when the party is over, the birthday boy uses his money to pick out one special toy.  

(Last time my two younger boys had a "joint" party, and they received this cute card from one of their friends.  Sweet, right?)

I love the idea of "toonie" parties, don't you?  The birthday boys don't spend a lot of time at their parties opening presents, parents of the guests aren't asked to buy an expensive gift, and my boys don't receive a ton of toys they don't need.  What do you think?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

Birthday Letter {to my three year old}

Today, my baby boy turns three. 

I believe birthdays are big milestones for children, and they always make me pause and think about how special these years are with my little boys.  In an attempt to remember the little details of my boys' personalities at different ages, I came up with the idea of writing each boy a "Birthday Letter" each year.  Here is a snapshot of my "baby" boy at three.  :-)

To my sweet three year old boy,

Here are a few of the reasons why you are the most special three year old in the whole world...

• You always say, "Do you wonder ...?"  {e.g. I was reading a story and you had a blanket on your head.  You said, "Mommy, do you wonder where this voice is coming from?}
• You are really funny.  {You are always making Daddy and I laugh.}
• You are hungry all the time, and you eat like a bird when I give you a meal.  {I think you would live on crackers if I let you.}
• You are a parrot... and repeat everything your "brudders" say. 
• You love playing soccer, baseball, and hockey with Daddy and your "brudders".
• Your favorite show is "The Wiggles", and your favorite color is "green".
• You give great cuddles, and you love to play with my hair... especially when you are sleepy.
• You are super proud that you now have a "real bed" and "big boy underwear".  {I am proud of you, but it reminds me that you are no longer a baby, and it makes me a little sad.}
• You have a special blanket that you call "Big Blanket".  You like to take off your socks so you can feel how soft your blanket is... with your feet.  :-)
•  You always give Mommy big hugs and gentle kisses, and I treasure every one.

Happy Birthday!  I love you "all the way to the moon" my little angel.

Love,

Mommy

xoxo

"Duck Tape" {Race Car} Party Decor

I am throwing a "Race Car" themed party for my two youngest boys on Saturday {and, of course, I will be sharing all the fun details here very soon}.  But I couldn't resist giving you a little "sneak peek" at a couple of the fun projects I am working on.  Check out this adorable frame:

All I did was cover a dollar store frame in this fun checkered "Duck Tape" that I found at Walmart.  Isn't it perfect for this picture of my race-car-loving birthday boys?

I also made this sign for the food table at the party.  I used the same tape to frame a piece of foam core from the dollar store.

I think these simple touches are really going to add to the fun, "race car" atmosphere of the party.  I can't wait to share them with my little boys and their friends.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

5 {Easy} Science Experiments for Kids

My six year old loves science, so I promised him that we could do a few {easy and fun} experiments during his summer vacation.  I have put together a small collection for you here. 

I am not a science whiz, so I promise you can easily do all five of these simple science experiments with your little ones.  :-)

1)  Exploding Sandwich Bag - Here is a great little experiment that I found at Come Together Kids.  {Her tutorial has a fun little video that shows the reaction taking place.  You should check it out.}  Want to give it a try? 

• First, gather your supplies {baking soda, a square of toilet paper, vinegar, water, and a Ziploc sandwich bag}.  
• Then, take 1 tbsp of baking soda and wrap it in a square of toilet paper.  
• Next, pour 1/4 water and 1/2 white vinegar into the baggie.  Partially zip the baggie, but leave an opening for the baking soda packet.

• Finally, head outside {because this part is messy}.  Drop the packet into the water/vinegar mixture, seal the baggie, put the baggie down, and wait for the "pop"!

Be prepared to do it again and again... it is pretty fun.

2)  Balloon Magic - We originally did this experiment last summer, and it is super-easy.  Basically, we used a baking soda and vinegar solution to blow up a balloon.  You can find the full tutorial here.

3)  Playing with Density - This is a fun "will it sink or will it float" experiment we found in a book we got at the library (Kitchen Science by Chris Maynard)

For this one, I put 1/4 colored water, 1/4 oil, and 1/4 corn syrup in three different glasses.  Then, my six year old tried to guess what would happen when he poured each of the liquids into the same glass.

As the liquids started to settle, we talked about how the more "dense" liquids sank and the less "dense" liquids rose.  The boys were all mesmerized by this one.  They even started adding different things to the mixture {like salt} to "see what would happen".


4)  Making Butter - Watching butter transform from a liquid, to fluffy cream, to a yellow blob of butter is a fun science lesson {and a yummy one too}.  You are essentially shaking the droplets of butterfat until they collapse and rejoin into one big blob.  You can find the full tutorial here.

5)  Film Canister Rockets - This is a fun one, but requires close supervision and safety goggles {or swimming goggles if you are the little boys who live in my house}.  lol

For this experiment, you will need an old film canister, some water, and some Alka-Seltzer tablets.  

Half fill the canister with water, add 1/4 of an Alka-Seltzer tablet, quickly replace the lid, and stand back.  It is really fun to watch the lid "popping off" because of all the pressure from the Carbon Dioxide gas.

Do you have a "little scientist" living at your house?  Which one of these experiments do you think he/she would like most?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

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Mommy and Me Journal

I love the idea of encouraging my boys to practice their reading and writing in a "fun" way during the summer. I also like the idea of having a constant open line of comunication with them. So, I decided make Mommy and Me Journals for my boys.  It's a fantastic, easy and inexpensive idea!

The idea of the journal is that we use it to write notes back and forth to each other.  I write notes to my boys, and then I put the journals beside their beds... and they do the same.  They love our little "game", and their little notes make adorable bedtime reading for me.  :-)

This project is super-easy and inexpensive to make.  I bought cheap journals {$2.49 each}, and I used my computer to create a little labels that say, "Mommy and Me {our secret messages to each other}".  Then, I printed the labels onto photo paper and attached them with double sided tape.  Easy peasy!

How do you encourage your kids to read and write over the summer break from school? Don't you love the idea of a "Mommy and Me" journal?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Last Day of School {traditions}

Friday marked the last day of school for my six year old, and our summer is now offically underway!  :-)  Here's a peek at how it went down.

First, we went to get ice cream.  Here are pictures from this year and last year.  {Fun, right?}


2012

2011

Then, my six year old got to run through his "Grade One Finish Line" banner.  He really loved this!

I think traditions are an important part of childhood.  Do you have any "end of year" traditions with your little ones?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

Want to see where I live?

I have readers all over the world, so today, I thought it would be fun to share a little bit about my home on the East Coast.  Our part of the world is rich in culture and traditions, and there are a lot of fun things to see and do. 

We live in Antigonish, NS, and one of the highlights of our summer is the Antigonish Highland Games.  {I highly recommend a visit if you get the chance.}
 

Two hours from Antigonish is the city where I grew up --

Halifax, NS.  We love to stroll around Historic Properties and visit our friend Theodore Tugboat -- the lead character in one of our favorite books.

And, of course, because we are located on the Atlantic ocean, we love to hang out at the beach.  There is nothing like building sandcastles and playing in the ocean.

From Nova Scotia, you can take a ferry boat to a beautiful Island called PEI.

  
PEI is the home of the beloved character "Anne of Green Gables".  If you have read the books (and even if you haven't), we highly recommend a visit to Avonlea Village.  You can dress up, stroll around the village, and enjoy some great music.



There are lots of great sites to visit on the Island, and lots of local music to enjoy.  We "followed the fiddler" in Victoria by the Sea, and the boys really liked it.

I hope you enjoyed this little "tour" of our part of the world.  Stop by and visit me any time.  :-)  

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

* Originally posted at MamaSmiles.com on June 21, 2012.