Elf on the Shelf {Easter Card}

Some of you may remember that our "Elf on the Shelf" sent a Valentine to my boys.  They were so thrilled by it, that I thought it would be fun if our "Elfie" dropped off an Easter card too.  My boys will be so excited to find this card beside their baskets on Easter morning.

Would you like a copy?  I have put together a {free} generic, printable 5X7 version, and you can download it here.

Do your little ones miss their "Elf on the Shelf"?  Mine sure do!

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

Simple St.Patrick's Day Cupcakes

My boys love decorating cupcakes with holiday themes, so this year we decorated cupcakes three ways for St. Patrick's Day.

Aren't they cute?  We made vanilla cupcakes, frosted them with buttercream icing, and decorated them with:

1)  Froot Loops

2)  Lucky Charms

3)  Shamrock Sprinkles.

I never buy sugary cereals, so my boys think they hit the jackpot with these cupcake toppings!  :-)

Are you making any St.Patrick's Day treats this year?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

Easy Appetizer {Nacho Dip}

Have you ever been asked to bring an appetizer to a party?  Do you have a "go to" appetizer that you like to make? I always like to bring something that is simple, tasty, and doesn't need to be reheated.  I hate bothering the hostess to heat up something that I have brought. So, today I am sharing my favourite appetizer to bring to gatherings: My Easy and Delicious Nacho Dip.

For a plate of this dip, you'll need:

• one (8oz package) of room temperature cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons of mild taco seasoning mix
• 3/4 cup mild salsa
• 1/2 green pepper (or whatever colour you have on hand)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1)  Combine the room temperature cream cheese with the sour cream and mild taco seasoning mix.  {I like to use a potato masher, and then a spoon.}

2)  Spread the cream cheese/sour cream mixture onto a large plate or platter, and then cover with mild salsa, green pepper, and grated cheddar cheese.

3) Chill in fridge until ready to serve.

That's it!  To make a large platter, you can double the recipe. (I often do this if I know there is going to be a crowd.)

Serve this dip with a bowl of nacho chips, and I guarantee there won't be any leftovers to take home. 

What is your favorite appetizer recipe?  I am always looking for new "tried and true" favourites.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

10 Quick and Easy St. Patrick's Day Ideas

St.Patrick's Day isn't a major holiday, but the boys and I like to celebrate March 17 by doing a few things that are fun and easy. Check out this collection of 10 simple ideas that are guaranteed to delight your little leprechaun.

1) Lucky Penny {to share with friends} - Click here for free "lucky penny" printable postcards.  This is a really fun St. Patrick's Day treat to share with friends.

2) Dollar Store Frame - This St. Patrick's Day frame is a great way to get low cost St. Patrick's Day decor.  Click here for a full tutorial and free printable.

3) St. Patrick's Day Penny Banner - This charming banner is easy to make using things you likely already have lying around the house.  Click here for a full step by step tutorial.

4) Treasure to Share - Click here for a free printable bag topper.  Your little leprechauns will love sharing a St. Patrick's Day treasure with their friends.

5) Leprechaun Trap - Click here to find out how easy and fun it is to try to catch a leprechaun.  They are tough to trap, but it sure is fun to try.  :-)

6) Shamrock Hat - This easy craft is simple and lots of fun for kids.  Click here for the step by step tutorial.

7)  Shamrock Pancakes and Green Milk - A few drops of green food coloring, some pancake batter, and a shamrock cookie cutter are all you need to make these adorable pancakes.  Don't forget to add a few drops to some milk too.

Rainbow Seeds make a fun breakfast too! Get the FREE downloadable tag here.

8)  Rainbow Necklaces - String some Froot Loops onto some braiding cord, yarn, or shoestring liquorice to create these edible rainbow necklaces.  Your little leprechaun will love making and wearing this festive piece of jewellery.

9)  St.Patrick's Day Treats - Little ones will love decorating St. Patrick's Day cookies or cupcakes.  Make sure you have plenty of green icing, sprinkles and colorful candies on hand.

10) Leprechaun Bait - This a great way to share St. Patrick's Day fun with classmates, and it's a fun St. Patrick's Day party favor too. Click here for a free printable Leprechaun Bait bag topper, or here for free printable Leprechaun Bait tags.

Bonus 

11) Leprechaun Paper Dolls - This little craft is as fun to play with as it is to make.  Click here for a free printable leprechaun puppet.

What do you do to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Will you try one of the easy St.Patrick's Day ideas?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Refresh Your Flavours for Spring

I don't know about you, but I am totally ready for some warmer weather and some lighter fare. All winter, I am drawn to hearty vegetables like squash, carrots and parsnips, but this time of year, I start shifting toward salads, peppers, tomatoes and asparagus. {Asparagus is my absolute favorite vegetable!}

I like to pan fry fresh asparagus {with a little butter and salt} until it is bright green and still a little crispy.  Yum!

How do you like to refresh your flavours for Spring?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I am a member of the Sobeys Better Food Lovers program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation.  However, the opinions in this post are 100% my own.

Preschooler Craft {St.Patrick's Day Hat}

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, I thought I would share a fun and festive St. Patrick's Day craft with you.  This festive hat is great to make with little ones -- it is simple enough for Preschoolers, but older kids will enjoy it too.

Here’s how you make one:

1)  Gather your supplies (which you probably already have lying around your house)… white and green cardstock, scissors, glue, tape, crayons, googly eyes, and something for the nose (e.g. a penny, a pom pom or a button).

2)  Make a headband by cutting two or three strips of white cardstock about 2 inches thick.  Have the child color a “rainbow” onto the strips.

3)  Fit the strips to the child’s head and use tape or a stapler to secure it into the shape of a headband.

4)  Cut a big shamrock out of green cardstock.  (You can draw it freehand or print one from the internet.)

5)  Make a face on the shamrock using a crayon, googly eyes, and a penny, pom pom or button.

6)  Tape the decorated shamrock onto the front of the headband.

Cute, right?  And, making a fun hat to wear on March 17, 2013 is just one way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your little leprechauns.  Here are a few more: 

1)  Wear something green. 

2)  Drink green milk.  (Just add a few drops of green food coloring to regular milk.)

3)  Set a leprechaun trap.  (They are hard to catch, but sometimes a good trap will cause a leprechaun to drop some of his treasure.)

4)  Eat green pancakes.  (Just add a few drops of green food coloring to your favorite pancake batter.)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I hope it is a lucky day for you and your family. 

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

{Toy Story} Family Movie Night

Every Friday night is "family movie night" at our house, and last Friday we had a special screening of "Toy Story".  This is one of our all time favorite movies, so today I am sharing some easy and super-fun Toy Story snack ideas with you.

We started the night by having some "Pizza Planet" pizza for supper.  Then, it was on to the snacks.

To create the snack table, I dug out some of our Toy Story toys, purchased some snacks, and added some fun "word bubbles" for the characters to hold.  My boys thought the word bubbles were a lot of fun.  Here is what they said:

1)  Woody had some trail mix, and his sign said, "Howdy Partner!  Try some trail mix."

2)  Mr. Potato Head had some popcorn, and his sign said, "Try some popcorn... it is way better than chips."

3)  Alien had some Reese peanut butter cups, and his sign said, "Take me to your leader... and I will let you eat one of my delicious UFOs."

4)  Bullseye had some water, and his sign said, "Welcome to my watering hole."

5)  Buzz had some Smarties, and his sign said, "This snack is yummy... to infinity and beyond!"

Fun, right?  I think these snacks would be fun at a Toy Story themed birthday party too, don't you?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure:  I’m part of the Disney Junior Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.