Little Monsters Halloween Sign {free printable}

My boys don't like Halloween decor to be too spooky, so I like to have a lot of "cute" decorations around the house.  This year, I designed this darling sign that says, "BEWARE... 3 Little Monsters Live Here", and I am sharing the free printable with you today.

I printed the 8X10 photo, and framed it in a dollar store frame.  I love how easy and inexpensive this picture is.

To download your own copy for free: Click on the picture below that corresponds to the number of children you have, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a normal 8X10 photo.  Easy!

As with all of the printables I have designed, I invite you to print, share (the link to this site), and enjoy them for your personal use for free.  However, I own the copyright to these items, so please don't resell this image, and/or reprint or repost it without prior written consent.  Thank you!

I can't wait to hang this cute piece of Halloween decor in my hallway. It's such a quirky and fun piece of Halloween artwork.  How many little monsters do you have?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


PS - You can find more easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

No Cook Play Dough Recipe

Last week, my sister asked me for the play dough recipe I use with my boys, and I realized that I have never posted it here.  I love this recipe (based on one I found at DLTK) because the ingredients are simple, you don't have to cook it, and it smells great!

Here's how to make my favorite (fantastic smelling) play dough:

1) Mix 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup salt, and 1 (6g) package of unsweetened kool aid powder.

2) Stir in 1 cup boiling water and 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil. (I use canola oil.)

3) Wait for the mixture to cool slightly, and then knead it for 5 minutes. It will be sticky at first, but if you keep kneading it, it will smooth out nicely.

That's it!  Easy, right?

Don't forget to store the homemade play dough in a Ziploc bag or an airtight storage container when the kids have finished playing with it.  It should last a month or two.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Backyard Camping "must haves"

Sometimes heading out on a road trip with the family isn't possible and a "staycation" becomes the only viable option.  When this happens, why not pitch a tent and do some backyard camping?

For our backyard camping adventures, we always have:

• s'mores
• sparklers
• an outdoor movie
• stories and games in the tent
• sleeping under the stars

Backyard camping is always a lot of fun, and you don't have to travel far or pack a suitcase. Do you have a little one who would like to "camp" this weekend?  Enjoy!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

First Day of School... the traditions continue

Today was the first day of school, and it was a tough one for me because my youngest son started "big school" for the first time.  I was in tears a few times, but overall, we had a good day.  We started the day with our traditional, "first day of school pancake breakfast".

Then, I made my boys pose for some pictures.

The boys brought treats to share with their class (which you can read about here).

And they brought a little gift for each of their teachers (which you can read about here).

Finally, we ended the day with a special snack, and little chat about the day.  

Everyone says they are going back tomorrow (and I have stopped crying), so I guess we can call the day a success! 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Teacher Gifts {for the first day of school}

Every year {on the first day of school} my boys bring little gifts to their teachers.  I love teachers, and I want to teach my boys the importance of giving, so I think this is a great tradition.  This year, my boys are taking "first day of school survival kits".

I took my boys to the dollar store, and I let them pick out mugs.  Then, I let each of them fill their mugs with treats that they thought their new teachers might like.  They had a lot of fun choosing chocolate bars!

Then, this afternoon, I printed out some fun tags, and added them to the mugs.  To print out the tags I designed: right-click on the image below, save it to your computer, and print it like a normal photo. Because of all the color, I sent my to "Staples" (our local office supply store), and they print the sheet for $0.39.

I think my boys are going to love delivering their treats tomorrow. Do your little ones like to bring teacher gifts on the first day of school?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like these school lunch ideas.

Simple Boat Science Experiment

I believe it is important to expose my boys to science and nurture their curiosity for why things work the way they do.  With this in mind, we always do a science experiment during our summer vacation.  This year, we built boats and tested their buoyancy.

First, I let my boys design and build their own boats.  They started with a layer of craft foam and used hot glue to add popsicle sticks.  Then, they added a straw mast, and a craft foam sail.

Once the boats were finished, I asked the question, "How many rocks will it take to sink your boat?"  My boys came up with their own guesses (hypotheses), and then we tested the hypotheses to come up with a conclusions.  (In case you are wondering... it took 9 rocks to sink this boat.)

We had a lot of fun building our boats and testing their buoyancy. Then, when we were finished, we took our boats down to the river, and floated them there.

Do you ever do simple science experiments with your little ones?  If you are looking for some more ideas, I have a collection of another five simple science experiments here.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Tips for New Hockey Moms

I am not an expert when it comes to hockey, but I am a mom of 3 hockey-loving boys. When they started playing hockey a few years ago, I didn't have a clue about what gear they needed or how to put it on, so I thought it might be helpful to share a few tips with all the NEW hockey moms out there.

First of all, you need to get the right equipment. We started with the youth hockey starter kit from Canadian Tire, and then we added the other gear we needed.  (It is definitely the cheapest way to get started).  

Basically, you'll need: skates (which are usually 1 size smaller than the child's shoe size), a stick (with a curve that fits the way they shoot), an approved helmet with a face mask, gloves, shoulder pads, elbow pads, shin pads, hockey pants, an equipment bag, jock/jill protective shorts, a neck guard, hockey socks, a jersey, hockey tape, and a water bottle.

Then, once you have all the gear, you'll need to know how to put it on.  Here's an easy step by step tutorial:

1)  Start with the clothes that you want to wear under the child's gear. My boys always wear long underwear (or PJs for early morning practices).
2)  Pull on the jock/jill shorts (which have velcro on them to hold up the hockey socks).
3)  Put on the shin pads (which are marked left/right).
4)  Put the hockey socks on over the shin pads, and secure the tops with the velcro on the shorts.
5)  Pull the hockey pants on over the shin pads and hockey socks.
6)  Put the shoulder pads over the child's head, and secure with the velcro.
7)  Secure the elbow pads (which are marked left/right) with the velcro.
8)  Put the jersey on over the shoulder pads and elbow pads.
9)  Don't forget the neck guard.
10) Buckle the helmet so that it is secure.
11) Pop on the gloves and skates, and hit the ice!

That's it.  If you have a little one playing sports this winter or fall, have fun, and stay warm!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I am taking part in the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Pedal For Kids blog campaign. While I have received compensation as part of my affiliation with this program, the opinions shared are my own.