Baked Oatmeal... and the fantastic new product that helped me clean up

Last weekend I made baked oatmeal, and when I was done (like always), I threw all my dishes in my dishwasher without rinsing them.  My baked oatmeal was delicious, and my clean up was super-easy.

Want the recipe and the secret to my easy clean up?

First, here's the recipe for Maple Brown Sugar Baked Oatmeal:
(inspired by the recipe I found here)

1/2 cup melted butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp real maple syrup
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup 1% milk
3 cups quick oats (or the old fashioned kind for a chewier texture)
1 tsp salt

1)  Mix butter, eggs, brown sugar and maple syrup.
2)  Add baking powder, cinnamon, milk, oats, and salt.
3)  Bake in a greased 9X11 pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
4)  Serve warm with milk (and a little brown sugar or fruit, if desired).

Now for my clean-up secret:  I used the new Finish® Power & Free™ dishwashing tabs.

(Quantum®) Finish® Power & Free™ uses Hydrogen Peroxide Action™, which combines water and active oxygen to give you the unbeatable clean and shine you’ve come to expect from your dishwashing detergent with less harsh chemicals than ever before. No compromise needed and the same great performance.  I have always loved the Finish® Power & Free™ line-up of products (Quantum®, Powerball®, and Jet-Dry®), and now I am really excited to know that I can get the same sparkling clean with less chemicals. 

And... it's the perfect time to give the new tabs a try because you can get a FREE sample on the Finish Facebook Page (while supplies last).

If you try the recipe or the detergent, let me know what you think.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure – I am participating in the Finish® Power & Free™ Blogger Campaign on behalf of Finish®. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Kinder Valentines... and a chance to win

My boys love giving unique Valentine's to their friends, and this year, I came up with a great Valentine for my 8 year old to share with his class -- a Kinder Egg Valentine.

Isn't it cute?  I found some little "wedding favor" boxes at the dollar store, and I added a cute tag that says, "You're an EGGcellent friend.  Happy Valentine's Day!"

You can download a 4X6 jpeg of the tags by right clicking on the image below and saving it to your computer.  I got mine printed at my local photo developer for $.19.  That's less than 7 cents a tag!

And... in case you need more incentive to give out this adorable Valentine, Kinder® is kicking off 2014 with a really fun promotion -- Kinder® Crack’n Win®.  There are new toys and over $2.4 million in instant prizes to be won.

Inside each specially-marked Kinder® Surprise® egg, you will find a PIN embossed on the toy and/or toy leaflet within the capsule.  Once you’ve found your code, simply visit the Kinder® Canada Facebook Page, enter your PIN code (along with some additional information as required), and click “Check Your PIN”. 

One lucky Kinder® fan could drive away in a Fiat 500 POP, 2 lucky Kinder® fans could win a family trip to Orlando, over 27,000 Kinder® fans could win a family night out to the movies, and 201,000 fans could win a free Kinder® treat!  Exciting, right?

Happy Valentine's Day, and good luck!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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

"Quick Grab" Hat and Mitten Baskets

One of my biggest challenges is getting my family out the door (on time) each morning.  In the winter, the search for hats and mitts makes mornings even more difficult in our house. But, last weekend, I came up with a solution... "Quick Grab" hat and mitten baskets.

I have a small house, and I don't have a mud room, so I only have a limited amount of space to work with.  I decided to use the small wall beside the door that connects my garage to my house.  This is where my boys put on their boots, so it is the perfect place for them to put on their hats and mitts.

I purchased cheap baskets at the dollar store, and my husband attached them to the wall with some washers and screws.  (I like that the baskets have holes in them because the hats and mitts are often slightly wet.)

Each of my boys has their own basket for their hat and mitts, but the baskets could be used for other things too.  I am thinking about adding a basket for phones and car keys.

Don't you just love how easy and inexpensive this solution is?  Do you have an idea for making the morning rush a little easier?  I'd love to hear it.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Harry Potter Wands

There are tons of fun versions of DIY Harry Potter Wands on Pinterest, so I was inspired to make a batch for my son's 8th Harry Potter-themed birthday party.  Today I am sharing a tutorial for my easy and inexpensive version.

My version is made from inexpensive dowels that you can buy at any dollar store or craft supply store.  You'll need dowels, hot glue and a glue gun, brown paint and a paintbrush, and inexpensive "gems" for the ends.

Here's how you create the magic:

1)  Use hot glue to make a design on the dowels, and allow them to dry completely.  {I stuck the wands in floral foam to allow for easy drying}.

2)  Use brown acrylic paint to completely cover the dowels.  {I painted the tops, allowed them to dry, and then painted the bottoms.}

3)  Use got glue to attach a "gems" to the bottom of the wands.

That's it!  Aren't they cute?

They were definitely a hit at my son's Harry Potter party.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

12 Months of Handprint Art

I love handprint art, don't you?  I think artwork created from little handprints is adorable, and the finished products make fantastic keepsakes.  Today, I am sharing 12 months worth of handprint art ideas.

So.... do you want to make these masterpieces with your child?  Just use handprints and palm prints to create the basic shapes, and then add details with markers (where necessary).  Here is the breakdown by month:

January - snowflake
February - heart
March - leprechaun
April - umbrella
May - flowers
June - butterfly
July - fish
August - sun
September - apple
October - pumpkin
November - poppy
December - Santa

The artwork pictured above was created by my six year old, and his teacher turned it into a calendar that he gave to my husband and I for Christmas.  I absolutely love it!  Which one is your favorite?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

7 Unique Valentines {for kids to share}

My boys love giving Valentines to their friends, but I am never really happy with the store bought cards.  I have always tried to come up with fun and unique Valentine ideas, and today I am sharing 7 unique Valentines we have made.  {Click on the links for additional details.}

1) Teddy Bear Treats - Bag up some teddy bear crackers, and add adorable "I am beary happy to have a friend like you" gift tags. And you can find another fun "BEARY" tag option here.

2) Cookie Pops - Make cookie pops or other yummy treats, and add notes that say "someone thinks you are really sweet".

3) Star Wars Valentines - Create adorable and unique picture valentines with glow stick light sabres.

4) Bookmark Valentines - Make DIY bookmarks for kids to share with their friends.

5) Berry Treats - Add "I am berry happy to have a friend like you" tags to a bags of candy (or real) berries.

6) Photo Valentines - Take a picture in front of a dollar store tablecloth backdrop and add suckers to each photo.  You can also add other treats to photo Valentines.  You can find some fun options here.

7) Crayon Valentines - Recycle some old, broken crayons into totally cute Valentines.

Which is your favorite?  Do you have a unique Valentine idea or do you prefer to go with a store bought Valentine?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

*PS... If you are concerned about sugar and allergies, you can check out 10 {easy and inexpensive} CANDY FREE options HERE.

10 Wonderful Winter Activities for Kids

Being a kid in winter can be a lot of fun, and today I am sharing a wonderful collection of indoor and outdoor winter activities.  Here are 10 of my family's favorite winter activities.

1)  Make paper snowflakes.

2)  Drink hot chocolate with marshmallows or whipped cream.  (And it will taste even better out of styrofoam cups or homemade snowman mugs.  Click on the link for more info.)

3)  Read a book about snow.

4)  Make snow ice cream.  (Click on the link for more info.)

5)  Make a snowman craft.  (Click on the link for 10 fantastic snowman crafts and activities.)

6)  Have an indoor picnic or go "indoor camping" on a cold day.

7)  Cuddle under a blanket and watch a movie.

8)  Go sledding or skating. (You can even get instructions for making a duct tape sled here.)

9)  Build a snowman or snow fort.

10) Paint on snow.  (Click on the link for more info.)

What is your favorite winter activity? The winter can be long... but it can be a lot of fun with these wonderful winter activities.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)