7 Ways to Make Family Movie Night Special

At the end of every week, my family gathers together to enjoy one of our favorite family traditions – Friday Night Family Movie Night.  Does your family enjoy movie nights?  Here are 7 simple ideas that can help make movie nights a little more special.

1)  Make movie night a tradition by having it on the same night every week.

2)  Pair it with a favorite meal.  (We always have pancakes for supper on movie night, but Pizza Friday would be fun too.)

3)  Pick a good family movie... one that everyone will enjoy.  If consensus is difficult, let the kids take turns making the selection.

4)  Use special dishes.  (I have popcorn bowls from the dollar store that we only use on movie nights.)

5)  Set the scene with a special sign or two.  We have a “Movie Snacks” sign and a “Now Playing” sign that we use every week.

6)  Get comfy.  PJs are the perfect attire for family movie night, and it makes the transition to bedtime (after the movie) easier.

7)  Have movie snacks.  Popcorn is always a good choice, but pick whatever your family enjoys.

It’s also fun to “mix it up” some weeks by adding something special.  E.g. Choose a fun theme, have an outdoor screening, make a craft to go along with the movie, or bake a special treat.

Implementing some (or all) of these suggestions will add to the fun, but the most important part of family movie night is sitting down together as a family.  Years from now, the kids won’t remember what movies they watched or the snacks they ate, but they will remember the time spent together cuddled up on the couch.
♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Quick Tip Tuesday #4 - Makeshift Mudroom

Although I dream of a fancy, highly organized mudroom -- I just don't have the space or budget for it right now.  So... I took a small wall in my garage and made a little "makeshift mudroom".

It isn't fancy.  It is just 6 hooks and 3 bins from the dollar store... but it works.  Each of my boys has two hooks for their sweaters and jackets, and each boy has a bin for all their shoes.

It is an easy, inexpensive, and effective solution.  A place for everything and everything in its place.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

What makes summer "all good" for you? {Contest from McCain}

Summer is almost here, and McCain is asking the question, "What makes summer all good for you?"  To find out, McCain is hosting an All Good Pinathon and awarding $100 each to the 5 pinners whose boards inspire them the most.

Entering is fun and easy.  Just follow these simple steps:

1) Create a board on Pinterest and name it "McCain All Good Pinathon".

2) Pin the things that make summer all good for you. e.g. a perfectly ripe peach, the smell of grass, a picnic with friends, blowing bubbles at the park, a trip to the beach, etc..

3) Include one pin from McCain that makes you feel happy.

4) Tag each pin in your board with the keyword McCainAllGood.
5) Fill out the short contest application here.

That's it! And... if you are looking for inspiration, you can check out my board here.

My boys and I have a summer checklist full of things that are "All Good" to us, and we have already started checking some things off. Don't you just love summer?

Good luck, and happy pinning!  I can't wait to see what makes summer "all good" for you.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure – This is a sponsored post.  I received compensation as a thank you for participating; however, the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

Backyard Safari

Last week I made some "safari" binoculars out of foam and felt, and I got a great idea.   Wouldn't it be fun to set up a backyard safari for my boys?

It was a simple idea, but it was a blast!  Here's how I did it:

1)  I found a package (with 5 identical sheets) of safari stickers.  I took one sheet, and attached the stickers to paper plates.

 

2)  I took the sheets of matching stickers, and I gave one to each of my boys.  I also gave each boy a clipboard and a sheet of paper.

3)  I went into the yard and hid all the plates.

4)  The boys took their clipboards, and they went in search of the paper plates.  When they found one, they took the matching sticker from their sheet of stickers and stuck it to their piece of paper. The goal was to find all the plates and move all the stickers onto their sheet of paper.

Fun, right?  I think it would be fun to hide little plastic animals and have the kids search for them.  I think we might try that next time.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Easy Paint Touch-ups

I just finished painting my main floor, but I know that my three little boys will be marking up my walls very soon.  So, here is my quick tip for today....

With little jars of touch up paint labelled and ready to go, paint touch ups will be a breeze.

Clever, right?


♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Foam and Felt Binoculars

Recently, I was contacted by Jo-Ann (a fabric and craft supplier) about taking part in their Summer Craft Challenge.  After looking through their catalogue, I knew I needed to make foam and felt binoculars for my boys.  Their version is on the left, and mine is on the right.  

Didn't they turn out cute?  My boys absolutely love them.  Here's how I made them:

1) I cut two 6"x6" squares of blue foam.
2) I cut two 6"x6" squares of zebra felt.
3) I cut two 6" X 1 1/2" strips from the leftover blue foam, and I cut four 1" X 6" strips from the black felt.
4) Using hot glue, I glued the zebra felt to one side of each foam piece.
5) I glued the foam to the edge (on the end) of each of the square pieces.
6) I glued the black felt strips on top of the blue foam (near the edge) and on the opposite side from the foam and felt.
7) I rolled each square piece to create a cylinder, overlapping 1/2", and I glued it in place (using lots of hot glue).  Then, I used hot glue to attach the cylinders together.
8) I traced around each end of the cylinders on black felt to get 2 felt circles, secured them in place using hot glue, and cut out centres using sharp scissors.  
9) I used scissors to punch a small hole in the side of each cylinder, fed cording through the holes, and secured it with knots.

These binoculars turned out super-cute, but they take some time to construct given all the steps.  For a simpler version, you could just use plain foam squares and a couple of black felt strips at the top and bottom of the cylinders.  It just depends on how much time you want to spend on the project.  :-)

Would your little one love going on a backyard adventure with these adorable safari binoculars?

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure:  I received free projects related to this post, but the opinions on this blog are my own.

Easy and Inexpensive Class Treats

The end of a school year is a big milestone for little ones, and I like to mark the occasion by letting my boys take "end of year" class treats to their friends.  This year, I came up with 4 different options for them to choose from:

Aren't they cute?  I made tags for each "treat" using the "collage" function in Picmonkey, and I had the photos printed as wallet size.  I think using a picture adds a nice, personal touch.  

Here is a closer look:

Option 1:  Have a "BALL" this summer!

Just fill a little bag with some inexpensive balls from the dollar store, and your little one's classmates will be "bouncing" with happiness.  ;-)

Option 2:  "STAY COOL" & have a great summer!

Just tie a tag around a freezie.  When your little one's classmates get home, they can pop the tasty treat in the freezer and enjoy it on a summer day.

Option 3:  You are one SMART COOKIE!

Bake up a batch of your favorite cookies, and bag them up individually with a tag.  Who wouldn't love a cookie for an afternoon snack on a summer day?

Option 4:  O-fish-ally headed to grade 3!

Just staple a tag to a bag of goldfish.  Quick, easy, and great for a school that prefers pre-packaged snacks.

I love the idea of my boys sharing special treats with their friends.  Do your little ones bring class treats on the last day of school?

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)