Halloween Lunchbox Notes... free printable

I know it is early to start sharing Halloween ideas, but I know some people are already "pinning" ideas for the Spooktacular Day!  So, in an effort to keep up with my lovely readers, I thought I would share my Halloween Lunchbox Notes with you today.

You can download a free 8X10 jpg here.

Cute, right?  My boys love jokes!  What would your little ones think of these adorable lunch box notes?

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Tips for Getting Kids to Eat Their Lunches

I have been hearing from a lot of moms that are worried because their little ones aren't eating their lunches.  I had similar concerns when my oldest son started school, and I think it is a pretty common problem.  I am not an expert, but I thought I would share a few things that worked for my boys.  So...  here's my best advice for getting your kids to eat their lunches.

1)  Make it easy - Buy containers that are easy to open, and practice opening them at home.  If children need to wait for someone to help them open containers, they are likely to run out of time, and they won't finish their lunches.

2)  Pack what they like - As much as you would like them to eat a perfect lunch, the truth is that they are not likely to eat things they don't like.  Work with them to come up with healthy options that they want to eat.

3)  Eat more at snack time - From my experience, kids want to eat their lunch as fast as they can so that they can get outside and play with their friends.  In the past, my boys have tried to eat bigger portions of their lunch at snack time so that there was less to eat at lunch time.  If this is an option for your little ones, you should give it a try because it worked for my boys.

4)  Save dessert for last - The rule in our house is... "the treat in the lunch box doesn't get eaten until all the healthy food is gone".  This is a big motivator for my boys.  If they break the rule, there is no treat in the lunch box the next day.

5)  Don't worry - If you little ones eat a healthy breakfast and a healthy supper, don't freak out if they don't eat every bit of food you pack in their lunch boxes.  They'll eat if they are hungry, and the best you can do is pack them a healthy lunch and hope they eat it.

I hope you find one or two of these tips helpful.  Do you have a tip that works for you?  I'd love to have you share it in the comments.  

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Peanut Butter Teddy Bear Cookies

Every summer, my boys and I have a "Teddy Bear Picnic", and we always eat homemade peanut butter "Teddy Bear" cookies.  We bake them and decorate them together, and the boys love them.

Want to make them for your own picnic?  Here's what you do:  

Cream together: 

• 1 cup butter 
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Then, beat in two eggs.

In a separate bowl, mix:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix wet and dry ingredients together.  Then, let the kids roll a 1 inch ball {for the face} and two smaller balls {for the ears}.  Flatten slightly. 

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 10 - 11 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake. 

Once they have cooled slightly, you can add the eyes (chocolate chips) and nose (a Smartie or M&M).  Then, after they have cooled completely, you can add an "icing" mouth.

Cute, right?  All you need are these cookies, a blanket, some teddies, and some cute kids to have a picnic with.

Enjoy!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

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)