Make Packing Lunches Easier

Now that we are back to school, I thought I would share one of my favorite lunch making tips. I buy lunch staples in bulk when they are on sale, take them out of their packages, and put them in plastic containers from the dollar store.

This tip helps save money, makes lunch items quicker to access, and frees up space in the cupboard.  

I also have lots of fruit, yogurt, and cheese strings "ready to go" in my fridge, and individually wrapped homemade treats in my freezer.

Do you have a tip to help make packing lunches easier?  It is one of my most dreaded tasks, and I can use all the help I can get. Thanks!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Loop-de-loop Paper Airplane... with free printable template

Sometimes a simple craft is the most fun, and my boys loved this paper airplane that flies in circles.  All you need is a piece of card stock, a pencil, some crayons, a pair of scissors, and a paper clip.

First, you'll need to print the template I have drawn for you.  (You can download it here.)

Then:

1)  Cut out the airplane and color it.
2)  Fold your airplane in half (along the dotted line).
3)  Measure about 1/2" from the centre, and fold down the wing.  Repeat for the other side.
4)  Add a paper clip to the nose.
5)  Fly away!  :-) 

Old-fashioned paper planes are fun too... especially if the kids get out their markers and give them some cool designs.

Do you have little ones that would enjoy an afternoon of flying paper airplanes? Would they enjoy this paper airplane template?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

First Day of School Photos

Yesterday, I shared the gifts/treats my boys gave out on the first day of school, so today I thought I would share a few photos of our day.

We always start a new school year with a special pancake breakfast, and then we head outside to take some photos to mark the occasion.  This year, we used the signs I designed {that you can download here}.

Then, we took our traditional photos of the boys holding their first day of school photos from the previous year.  I love seeing how much the boys change from year to year.

We finished the day with some milk, cookies, and a big chat about the days events.  We all had a great first day, and we are looking forward to the year ahead.

How was the first day of school at your house?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You may also be interested in the first day of school tips, tricks, and traditions here.

First Day of School Class Treats/Gifts

Today was the first day of school for my boys, and as always, they each took presents for their teachers and new classmates.  I think this is an important tradition for us because it teaches the boys about the importance of giving, and it gives them a little boost of confidence on their first day.  This year each boy chose their own gifts.

My four year old chose to bring his Preschool classmates LEGO crayons.  We made these gifts by melting down broken crayons in a LEGO mold and attaching a note that said, "I am looking forward to building a friendship with you".  

My six year old chose to bring his Grade One class a container filled with "Smarties".  We added a note that said, "For the Grade One Smarties".

My seven year old chose to bring his Grade Three class a couple of bags of cookies.  We added a note that said, "For the Grade Three smart cookies".

And of course, we couldn't leave out the new teachers.  Each boy brought their new teacher a crayon pencil holder and a flower pen.

I found some inexpensive pen holders and crayons at the dollar store.  Then, I just used a glue gun to attach the crayons.  Simple! {...and you can find the tutorial for the flower pen here.}

I can't wait for my boys to get home from school.  Isn't it fun hearing about the first day?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy) 

Doc McStuffins Fun

We are huge fans of Doc McStuffins on Disney Junior Canada, and it inspired my boys and I to come up with a Doc McStuffins craft and adorable little snack.

We thought it would be fun to make a "Big Book of Boo Boos". I took an inexpensive journal, and added a heart (that you can download here). Then, my boys added a couple of bandaids. Cute, right?

After we finished our book, we made a cute "Band Aid" Snack. It looks kind of gross, but my three little boys thought they were hilarious.

I just cut up some graham crackers, added some white frosting for gauze, and finished with a smear of red gel icing blood.  Simple but fun! 

Do your little ones like pretending to be a doctor like Doc McStuffins?  Watching my boys "pretend" always makes me happy.

♥
Gina (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.

Quick Tip Tuesday #15 - Backpack Hooks

Do you have kids that drop their backpacks on the floor when they come in the door after school?  I was tired of tripping over the kids' bags, so I came up with a simple solution.

I bought some over-the-door hooks, and hung them up next to my "make shift mudroom" in the garage.  Now, we go through their backpacks right after school, and then the bags go up on the hooks... ready for the next morning.

I love how easy and effective this solution is, don't you? 

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Geocaching {for beginners}

Last year, we took the kids geocaching for the first time, and it made our Summer Checklist again this year.  My boys LOVE it!  For those of you who have never done it, basically, geocaching is a simple "high tech" treasure hunt.  (Instead of a map, you use a mobile phone or a GPS device.)

We used my husband's iPhone, so....

1)  The first thing we needed to do was download a geocaching app.  We used one called "Geocaching" by Groundspeak Inc., and one called "Opencaching" by Garmin.  Just do a search, and I am sure you'll find one you like.

2)  Then, we followed the instructions from the app.

3)  Finally, we used the iPhone like a compass to locate the treasure.

Fun, right?

Just remember.... be a good geocacher by following the simple geocaching rules of etiquette.

• Sign the log.
• If you take something out of the cache, make sure you leave something of equal value behind.
• Leave the cache exactly as you found it so that others can find it after you.

That's it!  So... grab your device, some comfy shoes, a pen, and some trinkets to leave behind, and head out on your own geocaching adventure.  Have fun!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)