Lunchbox Treats, a FREE printable, and a GIVEAWAY from Dare

Recently, my boys and I were invited to test out the new nut-free Dare cookies featuring Wowbutter (which tastes like peanut butter but is totally nut-free).  I was excited at the chance to add some variety to my boys lunches, and so were my boys.

Each of the boys quickly picked a favorite.  My oldest loved the Wowbutter Wagon Wheels, my middle son chose the chocolate chip and Wowbutter Bear Paw minis, and my youngest really enjoyed the Bear Paws morning snack with wowbutter and strawberries.

My boys love the taste of these new snacks, and I love that they are a tasty source of protein with no artificial colours.  They are the perfect peanut-free addition to school lunch boxes, and they would be great for class treats and loot bags.

To make our new snacks a little more fun, I decided to design some cute lunchbox notes to attach to the "bear paws".  I think my boys will get a kick out of my little puns when they find them at lunch time.

To print your own 4X6 sheet of lunchbox notes, right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular photo.  Then, cut the tags, and attach them to the treats with a stapler or tape.  Cute, right?

And... in addition to these free lunchbox notes, I have another treat for you today... a chance to win a Dare Prize Pack (ARV$75).  This prize would definitely make packing lunches a little easier!

To enter for a chance to win Dare cookies, lunchbox containers, an ice pack, a water bottle, a lunch bag, a backpack, and a $25 Visa/Mastercard gift card, simply leave a comment below letting me know which of these Wowbutter treats from Dare would be a favorite in your house.  (Don't forget to leave me your email address if you don't have one linked to your profile) so that I can contact you if you win.  This contest is open to Canadian residents and closes Monday, September 22, 2014.  WINNER: Andrea - "Bears Paws are a staple in our house, and this is great!! School friendly! Thanks for the chance."

You'll also want to head to www.darefoods.com to learn more about their great products and visit the Dare Bear Paws facebook page to stay up to date on their latest news, promotions and contests.

Enjoy the lunchbox notes, and don't forget to enter the contest.  It's a great prize.  Good luck!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I am participating in the Dare Bear Paws and Wagon Wheels blogger program with enCompass Media and received product and payment as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinion 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 to Canadian Residents only.
3) This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by Facebook.
4) Contest closes on September 22, 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.

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)