Making Memories {10 Family Rituals/Traditions}

Special moments for children don't always involve big gestures and expensive vacations.  I believe family rituals and traditions are the basic building blocks for the memories that children will take with them into their adulthood.  Here are 10 of our favorite family rituals/traditions:

1)  We have pancakes for supper every Friday night.  (It is easy for me, and my boys love it.)
2)  We have family movie night every Friday night.  We have special snacks, get in our PJs, and cuddle up on the couch together... all of us.  (In the summer we have it outside - check it out here.)
3)  We make a big deal about birthdays.  We have a big party with friends on a convenient day, and the boys make each other cakes on their real birthdays.  (I also write a birthday letter to each of my boys on their special day.)
4)  Every Easter we egg the neighbours.  (You can read about it here.)
5)  Every Fall we take a trip to a pumpkin patch.  (You can read about it here.)
6)  Every Halloween we "boo" the neighbours.  (You can read about it here.) 
7)  We love Christmas.  We have special traditions for Christmas Eve (that you can read about here) and for getting our Christmas tree (that you can read about here).
8)  We think the first day of school is special, and we have 5 special ways of marking the occasion each year (that you can read about here).
9)  We celebrate the last day of school with an end of year banner and a trip to Dairy Queen for ice cream.  (You can read about it here.)
10) We started filling out "end of year questionnaires" on New Year's Eve.  I look forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come.

What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy these specials times with your family.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Baking with Greek Yogurt {Yoplait Review and Giveaway} - CLOSED

And the winner is...

SUMMER PLEWES17 April 2013 10:21

I have never tried greek yogurt. I don't know what is stopping me , but I just love regular yogurt so much lol

Healthy eating is important, but if you're like me, sometimes you need a little treat.  So... in an effort to eat a bit better, I have been meaning to give greek yogurt a try.  It can be a great lower fat alternative to butter and oil when baking (and it is a source of protein).  So, I pulled out my "no fail" banana bread recipe (that I wrote about here), and I substituted the 1/4 cup oil with 1/4 vanilla greek yogurt.

It turned out great.  Are you encouraged to give it a try?  Well... I can help...

Want to win four coupons for free Yoplait Source greek yogurt AND one $100 gift card for Lululemon?  Just leave a comment below letting me know whether or not you have ever tried greek yogurt.  Simple, right?  :-)

And, if you want a BONUS ENTRY, just subscribe to my RSS feed or by email, and leave a comment letting me know you have done it.

BTW... I found some great info about greek yogurt baking substitutions here.  Let me know what you think.

Good luck!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. However, (of course!) the opinions on this blog are my own.

Rules {I am a mom... I can't help it}:

1. The winner of the contest will be chosen by the Random Number Generator.
2. To enter the contest, you must leave a comment on this post.  Contest is open to Canadian residents (over 18 years of age) only.
3. This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by facebook.
4. Contest closes on April 29, 2013 at 11:59pm EST.  A winner will be chosen on April 30, 2013.
5. Prize will be accepted as awarded. 
6. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond.  After 48 hours the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. 
7. East Coast Mommy (aka Gina Bell) is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prize.  However, while I am not responsible, I will make every effort to assist the winner in obtaining their prize.
8. There are other bloggers offering similar giveaways through Life Made Delicious.  You may enter on numerous blogs, but you may only win one prize.

20 Earth Day Crafts and Activities

April 22 is Earth Day, and it is a great opportunity to teach children about recycling and respecting our planet. It is also a wonderful excuse to get outside and enjoy nature. Today I am sharing a fantastic collection of 20 {easy and inexpensive} Earth Day crafts and activities.

{Click on the links/titles below for full tutorials.}

1)  Make a cereal box notebook.

2)  Turn a babyfood jar into an earth day tealight.

3)  Decorate with a DIY earth day banner.

4)  Transform an old box into a beautiful tree full of butterflies.

5)  Read The Lorax, and enjoy a "tree-themed" snack.

6)  Use an empty egg carton to learn about how caterpillars turn into butterflies.

7)  Use empty jars and cans to create some adorable "grass-haired" friends.

8)  Enjoy some backyard bird-watching.

9)  Raid the recycling bin, and try creating some homemade toy boats.

10)  Craft some paper bag kites and head outside.

11-20)  Click here to check out the collection I posted last year (which includes:  

• a recycling matching game 
• how to make tooth taxis from old film canisters 
• planting for beginners 
• 5 things to make out of a cardboard box 
• 3 types of DIY birdfeeders 
• milk carton birdhouses 
• nature walk buckets 
• nature collages
• a recipe for homemade sidewalk paint). 

I hope you have a great Earth Day with your family!   

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Review and Giveaway {Mandala Sky Jacket} - CLOSED

The winner (as chosen by Random.org) is Comment #4:

Jessica Thibodeau9 April 2013 09:16

Loving the Jolene jacket! But am in love with the wondur zip jacket as well. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Sky Marcano (of Mandala Sky) about reviewing one of her stylish, Eco-friendly, Canadian-made yoga jackets.  I checked out her website, and I was impressed with her designs.  Then, she sent me the Wunder Zip Jacket (in white) to review, and I loved it!

The jacket is made from a super-soft and comfy fabric that has just the right amount of "stretch".  The length is great, and the design is really flattering.

Do you want to win one of these fabulous jackets (valued at $89)?  Just visit www.mandalasky.com, and leave a comment below letting me know your favorite piece of clothing on the site.  (Don't forget to log in or leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win.)

Mandala Sky Jackets are carefully designed by Sky Marcano to give you a unique stylish piece of clothing. The Jackets will give you a sense of ease and relaxation while still feeling beautiful and put together. The length and cut of her designs has been talked about as one of the most flattering clothing lines available today.

Good luck!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Rules {I am a mom... I can't help it}:

1. The winner of the contest will be chosen by the Random Number Generator.
2. To enter the contest, you must leave a comment on this post.  Contest is open to Canadian and US residents only.
3. This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by facebook.
4. Contest closes on April 23, 2013 at 11:59pm.
5. Prize will be accepted as awarded.  (Shipping will take approximately 2-4 weeks.)
6. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond.  After 48 hours the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. 

Please note:  I was provided with this product (free of charge) for reviewing purposes only.  No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own. 

What I Really Want for Mother's Day {and Ginger Cookie Recipe}

For Mother's Day, I don't want jewellery, fancy clothes, or a trip to an exotic location -- they cost too much and don't really fit my lifestyle at the moment anyway.  This year, I have my heart set on something pretty simple -- a big cup of coffee, a couple of homemade cookies, and 30 minutes to enjoy them ALL BY MYSELF.

Don't get me wrong, I love my boys and I cherish my time with them, but I do miss those "long ago" days (before I became a mother) when I could pee by myself and drink a full cup of coffee... sitting down... while it was still hot.  Who's with me?

And, in case my husband reads this and needs more ideas, here are the Top 5 Things I Really Want for Mother's Day.

Isn't this a great list?  What would be on your list of "Things YOU Really Want for Mother's Day"?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (Here's the link for the Ginger Cookies in the picture.)

{Easy} Spring Wreath

Although the weather is still a bit chilly in my neck of the woods, my thoughts are already turning to Spring.  I just took down my Easter decorations yesterday, and I wanted something bright and cheerful for my front door, so I made this adorable felt wreath.

What do you think?

Here is how simple and inexpensive it was to make:

1)  Gather your supplies.  You'll need a wreath form, some felt (in various Spring colors), a piece of yarn, some scrapbook paper, alphabet stickers, and a hot glue gun.

2)  Make some rolled felt flowers using the tutorial found here.  {I used 12 flowers for my wreath.}

3)  Cut small triangles out of scrapbook paper, and apply alphabet stickers to form the word "Spring".  Then, use hot glue to attach the triangles to the white yarn.

4)  Using hot glue, secure the flowers and the "Spring" banner to the wreath form.

That's it!  I am so pleased with how it turned out.  It is super-cheerful, and it makes me smile every time I look at it.  

What do you have hanging on your front door?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the simple DIY Spring Wreaths here.

Monster Madness

As a Disney Junior Mom, I was excited to hear that Disney Junior Canada is premiering a new show this month -- Henry Hugglemonster.  My boys and I love monsters {the cute kind}, so I thought this was a great opportunity to share a couple of our favorite monster crafts with you.

Cute, right?  The keys to a successful monster craft are: googly eyes and a little imagination.  Here is what we made:

1)  Monster Bookmarks -  Who doesn't love an adorable bookmark?  We made our "monster bookmarks" out of craft foam, but paper would work too.  After you have finished creating your monster, add a ribbon loop at the top and a googly eye or two, and you'll have an adorable bookmark for all your favorite monster stories.

2)  Monster Magnet Movers - Kids will have a great time moving these adorable pom pom monsters around "like magic".  All you need to do is draw a road on a piece of paper.  Then, take two "attracting magnets" and attach one to a pom pom monster, and one to a folded "handle".  Put the monster on top of the paper and the magnet on the bottom of the paper.  When you move the bottom magnet, the monster will move too.  Fun, right?

3)  Playdough Monsters - Little ones will have a blast making monsters from playdough, googly eyes and pipe cleaners.  Let the kids use their imagination to create a bunch of friendly, monster friends.

I hope you have fun with these monster crafts, and I hope you enjoy the new Disney Junior series - Henry Hugglemonster.

Let me know how you enjoy the monster crafts and the new show.  My boys and I will definitely be watching.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

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