Personalized Lunch Box {Review and Giveaway} - CLOSED

Winner - Jeannie Lam 

Last spring, I hosted a review and giveaway featuring personalized stainless steel water bottles from Stuck on You.  My boys still love their water bottles, so when I was asked to review matching lunch boxes, I jumped at the chance.

These lunch boxes are functional and adorable.  Each lunchbox comes personalized with a choice of cool kid designs and the child's name.  Sweet, right?

So... do you want to win a personalized lunch box for your child? 

Just head over to the Stuck on You website, and let me know which design you would choose if you won the personalized lunchbox. To enter, leave your design choice in the comments below... and don't forget to leave your email address (if you don't have one linked to your profile) so that I can contact you if you win.

While you are there, you'll also want to check out all the other fun products from Stuck on You. They have name labels, shoe labels, book labels, clothing labels, party in a cup, bag tags, backpacks, lunch boxes, library bags, wall art, height charts, t-shirts, wooden name puzzles, and more.

This contest is open World Wide, so everyone can enter.

Good luck!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I received free products in association with this review and giveaway.... however (as always) the opinions on this blog are my own.

Contest Rules:
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 (with contact info). Contest is open worldwide.
3) This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by Facebook.
4) Contest closes on August 24, 2014 at 11:59pm.
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.

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Party Decor

Nothing sets the mood for a party better than unique and clever party signage.  Today I am sharing the fun, easy and inexpensive DIY pirate party signage that I make for my 5 year old's Jake and the Neverland Pirates party.

1) X Marks the Spot - To make this high impact sign for my front door, I painted two scraps of wood bright red.  Then, I attached them together with hot glue in the shape of an X.  I also added a ribbon (for hanging) with hot glue.  It doesn't get much easier than this one!

2) Welcome to Neverland Isle - I think this "pool noodle" palm tree was my little birthday boy's favorite sign.  To make it, I just covered a pool noodle with brown paper and added bristol board leaves and coconuts.  I also added a little wooden dollar store sign that said "Welcome to Neverland Isle".  (I just wrote it with a Sharpie!)

3) Pirate Treasure Map- I wanted to make a little sign that let the guests know what we would be doing at the party, so I made this simple pirate treasure map.  I ripped open a brown paper lunch bag, crumpled it up, and used makers and stickers to add the party activities.  Cute, right?

4) Signs for Stations - To keep the party running smoothly, I used my computer, some stickers, and some dollar store frames to create signs for the different "stations"/activities at the party.  Per below, we had Smee's Tattoo Parlor and Tinkerbell's Jewelry Making Station.

5) Jake's Hideout - During our party, we had a treasure hunt, and the last clue led the party guests to "Jake's Hideout".  I make a sign for our playhouse using a dollar store wooden plaque hot glued to a piece of scrap wood.  I decorated the sign with Sharpies, stickers and a skull I drew on a piece of white cardstock.  I really loved how this one turned out!  (You can download the skull I designed here.)

6) 8X10s from our Disney trip - To add a personal touch to the party, I printed 8X10s of Peter Pan and Jake (with my boys) from our recent trip to Disney.  They looked really cute sitting in our hallway in dollar store frames.

7) Tinker Bell - To add a touch of whimsey to the decor, I decided to include our favorite fairy. I bought a dollarstore candle holder for a "cage", and I taped a picture of Tinkerbell inside.  Then, I set it beside an 8X10 of the "real" Tinkerbell (that I took on our last trip to Disney).

8) Banner - Every party needs a "banner", and this one is super cute.  I used card stock, dollar store letters, a piece of twine, and a hole punch to create this adorable "Ahoy Mateys!" banner.

9) Peter Pan Silhouettes - I love the story of Peter Pan, so this sign was special to me.  I used coloring book pictures as templates to cut these "shadows" from black cardstock.  Aren't they sweet?

I thought all the pirate party signage turned out great, and it was all simple and inexpensive.  Which was your favorite part of my Jakc and the Neverland Pirates Party decor?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

10 Back to School Tips, Treats, and Traditions

I can't bear to think about sending my boys back to school (when they don't go back until the first week of September), but I know a lot of my readers have children heading back within the next couple of weeks.  With this in mind, I thought this was a perfect time to share a collection of my favorite back to school tips, treats, and traditions.

1)  Back to school countdown - Build some anticipation by counting down to the big day. Why not try an easy countdown with candy or a simple balloon pop countdown? {Click on the links for more details.}

2)  Back pack organization - Get organized by making sure the backpacks have a place (and don't end up on the floor).  Over the door hooks are a perfect solution for a small space. {Click on the link for more details.}

3)  School lunch ideas - Get ready for lunches with these tips and tricks: a lunch idea for kids that don't like sandwiches, an out of the box lunch idea, a tip to make packing lunches easier, and 5 tips for getting kids to eat their lunches.  {Click on the links for more details.}

4)  Lunchbox notes - Make lunches a little more fun with these FREE printable lunchbox notes.  {Click on the link for more details.}

5)  Back to school printables - These FREE back to school printables make fun back to school photo props or back to school home decor.  {Click on the link for more details.}

6)  First day of school photos - I always take photos of my boys (on the first day of school) holding a photo from the first day of school the year before.  {Click on the link for more details.}

7)  First day of school teacher gift - My boys like to bring a little gift for their new teacher on the first day of school.  You can read about it here. {Click on the link for more details.}

8)  First day of school class treats - My boys like to bring treats for their new classmates on the first day of school.  You can find a few ideas for class treats here. {Click on the link for more details.}

9)  Elf on the shelf postcard - If your little ones are fans of Elf on the Shelf, you might want to check out the FREE printable first day of school postcard here. {Click on the link for more details.}

10)  Back to school traditions - If you are looking to start some back to school traditions, you can check out my five favorite back to school traditions here.  {Click on the link for more details.}

I still have a month before I have to say good bye to summer, but I know the time will go by quickly.  I hope you have more vacation ahead, but if you are heading back to school soon, these tips should be helpful.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Party Food

Don't you just love a party with cute food?  Recently, I had a Jake and the Neverland Pirates party for my youngest son, and although I kept it simple, I think the pirate themed food was adorable!

Here are some of the highlights:

1) "Fish" sandwiches - I made peanut butter sandwiches, cut them out with a cookie cutter, and added a chocolate chip eye.  Cute, right?

2) Fish and Chips - I threw some salt and vinegar chips and goldfish in a bowl and called it "fish and chips".  My 5 year old thought it was hilarious.

3) Pixie Sticks - Although I am not a big fan of feeding my kids pure sugar.  I couldn't resist serving "pixie dust" at a Jake and the Neverland Pirates party.

4) Gummy sharks - This is another overly sugary snack, but sharks and pirates just go together, so I had to have a few on the table.

5) Bucket of Cheesies - I bought this bucket on clearance, cleaned it, and filled it with my little guy's favorite treat.  Clever, right?

6)  Edible Necklaces - The party guests made their own edible necklaces with some cord, froot loops and a gold coin.  It's a party craft and a snack.  Fun!

7)  Pirate Cake - Every party needs a cake, and this one was adorable.  You can find the full tutorial here.

All the pirate party food was a hit with the little party guests. Which one is your favorite?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more Pirate Party ideas here.

No-Sew Spy Shirts

Recently, I threw a 7th birthday party for my middle son.  He chose a "spy" theme, and I thought it would be fun to have the boys wear personalized spy t-shirts.

I bought 3 plain black shirts at Old Navy for $6 each.  Then, I used dimensional fabric paint to write on each shirt.  I used their agents as their secret agent names.  Fun, right?

It's a fantastic idea for an adorable personalized spy t-shirt, and it could easily be made into a no sew spy costume for Halloween.  Add some black pants, gloves, and a ski mask, and you're good to go!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Birthday Letter {to my middle son turning 7}

My second born son turns 7 today, and in keeping with tradition, I have written him a birthday letter.  It is my way of capturing all the little details that I don't want to forget when he is older.  Here are some of the reasons my adorable 7 year old is so special:

To my sweet boy,

I can't believe that you are turning 7 today.  Time goes by so quickly, and I am really making an effort to treasure every moment of your childhood.  You are full of energy and life, and I am grateful that I have you for my son.  Here are a few reasons that you are such a wonderful little boy.

• You lost your first teeth this year (three of them)... but you still have a killer smile.

• Your favorite color is blue, and you love watching Star Wars.

• You are turning into an excellent reader, and I love all the notes you write me in your "Mommy and Me" journal.

• You are a natural athlete.  You recently won your first trophy at Tir Nan Og (a track meet), and Mommy and Daddy were very proud of you.

• You are fantastic at fixing and building things.  You love LEGO, and you want to "fix things" when you grown up.

• You have tons of friends.  When you go out, you are always waving and smiling at someone you know.

• You continue to love playing with your brothers.  Some of your favorite games are: hockey, soccer, baseball, cars, pirates, and Star Wars.  (You are great at acting out scenes from Star Wars with pool noodle light sabres.  You are an awesome Jedi!)

• You have a really big heart.  When I am sick, you give me your "blankie" to make me feel better and you cry at sad movies.  You also made cards for everyone on Father's Day so no one would feel left out.

I love you to the moon and back... and more each day.

Love, Mommy xoxo

If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever. -- Winnie the Pooh

Simple Spy Cake

My middle son is having his 7th birthday party tomorrow, so I thought a 007 spy cake would be perfect.  I am not a professional cake decorator, so I came up with a simple design using two round cakes and one square one.

I used Duncan Hines Cake mixes, but I used 2 tbsp less water and half the oil called for in the recipe in order to make the cake more dense and easy to work with.  Then, I carefully carved out the numbers, covered them in a crumb coats, and stuck them in the refrigerator.  When the icing was firm, I added a finishing coat of frosting.

I decorated the cakes with dollar store magnifying glasses, sunglasses, and black icing footprints.

Didn't it turn out cute?  Have you ever had a spy themed birthday?  What kind of cake did you have?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)