DIY Artwork Ideas {including a "Canvas N Decor" review and discount offer}

When it comes to decorating my house, I like to keep things easy and inexpensive... and I like to surround myself with things that I love. Today I am sharing my favorite DIY artwork ideas, the latest addition to my home, and a fabulous discount offer.

Children's Artwork - Children love to see their artwork hanging in a place where everyone can see it. I have three clipboards in my boys' playroom where we hang their most recent creations.

Inexpensive Prints - Anything with an interesting pattern can be matted and put in an inexpensive frame. Scrapbook paper, wallpaper, or fabric are all good choices.

Keepsakes - Meaningful keepsakes don't need to be stuck in a drawer. I framed the shirts my boys wore to meet their baby brother for the first time, and I hung them in their room. They make me smile each time I see them.

I have also framed hockey cards, pages from our favorite books, and ticket stubs.

Photos - Don't we all have tons of photos sitting on SD cards, phones, and computers? Framing and hanging cherished photos can make a home feel cozy and comforting. Personally, I get a lot of joy from decorating with pictures.

Recently, I had one of my favorite photos of my boys printed onto a high quality canvas from CanvasN' Decor (with a gorgeous turquoise trim), and I absolutely LOVE it! I have it hanging in my room, and it is the first picture I see when I open my eyes each morning.

Check out how much my boys have grown in just a few short years!

If you love my canvas, and you want to get one of your own, you can currently save 50% on the CanvasN' Decor website (and you can save an extra 10% if you order 2 or more pieces). There is also FREE ground shipping in Canada (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut express only). 

What kind of artwork do you use to decorate your home? I still have a few bare walls in my house, so I'd love some new ideas.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure: I was compensated by CanvasN'Decor for reviewing their product and including it in this post, but (as always) the opinions expressed in this blog are 100% my own.

Birthday Letter... my baby boys turns 6

Today, my "baby boy" turns six, and in keeping with family tradition, I wrote him a birthday letter as a way of remembering a few of the little details that make him so special.  Here is my birthday letter to my youngest son on his 6th birthday.

To my sweet "baby" boy:

This was a big year for you, as you started "big school".  It was a tough transition (for both us), but I am so proud of how far you came this year.  You battled through your anxiety, you made lots of friends, and you excelled academically.  I know you will continue to thrive as you enter Grade One (after we have a fantastic, fun-filled summer together).

On your 6th birthday, I want you to know that I am very proud to be your mom, and here are some of the reasons you are such a special little boy:

• You have a sweet smile, a gentle spirit, and adorable dimples.
• You love to crawl in bed with me for a "morning cuddle"... and I love it too!
• You have a fantastic time playing sports with your brothers, and you want to be a hockey player when you grow up.
• You love to eat crackers... especially while sitting on the couch watching "Jake and the Neverland Pirates".
• You are getting very grown up... but you still say "bees" instead of "because".  I am guessing this cute habit won't last much longer, so I will enjoy it while I can.
• Your favorite color is green, and your favorite food is white cake with white icing.
• You stick your tongue out when you are concentrating.
• You can be shy and anxious in new situations and around people you don't know, but you are really starting to come out of your shell.  I think starting school has helped you gain confidence.
• You still love to snuggle up and read stories... and now you are able to read to me. You love to read, and you are getting very good at it.
• You have a wonderful sense of humour, and you enjoy making Daddy, your brothers and I laugh.

I love you to the moon and back my darling angel, and I hope you have a fun time at your "Carnival" birthday party.

Lots of love,

Mommy

xoxoxo

Nature Scavenger Hunt {with free printable}

A few years ago, I designed a simple scavenger hunt for my boys, and it was a lot of fun.  It continues to be a very popular post, so I thought it would be fun to design an updated version.  You can download and print the NEW nature scavenger hunt for free below.

This printable list is perfect for little ones that can't read, but it is fun for older kids too.

To download and print the scavenger hunt: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

I hope you enjoy this new nature scavenger hunt.  It's a wonderful excuse to get outside, have some fun, and spend time together.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Please note: East Coast Mommy printables are for personal, non-commercial use only. If you are pinning or sharing this post, please share from this page and don't include this picture/download on your own website. Thank you!

Simple Campfire Treats

The boys and I love campfires, and (for us) no campfire is complete without a tasty campfire treat. Of course, roasting marshmallows is always fun, but today I am sharing a few of our favorite simple campfire treats.

1) Non traditional s'mores - Everyone loves s'mores, but we like to shake things up by experimenting with different cookie and chocolate choices. We love smushing a toasted marshmallow between two chocolate chip cookies or using a Reese peanut butter cup. Yum!

And if you feel really ambitious, you can set up a full s'more bar. Fill a tray with different options for cookies and chocolate, and let everyone select their favourites.

Everyone will love combining the ingredients to make their own creations.

I also like to put out a container of wipes for sticky fingers.

And if you want to put out a fun "s'mores bar" sign", you can print the one I designed for FREE. Just click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

2) Cinnamon sugar treat - This delicious snack is made from biscuit dough, butter, and cinnamon sugar. It's a delicious alternative to s'mores, and you can find the recipe here.

3) Campfire cones - This campfire treat is as fun to make as it is to eat. Just fill a waffle cone with bits of fruit, cookies, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Then, wrap it in foil (attached to a toasting fork or stick), and have the kids toast it until it is ooey gooey.

4) BBQ'd Donuts - If you have never tried BBQ donuts, what are you waiting for?!? A warm toasted donuts is the perfect campfire treat. Find the instructions here.

Aren't these all fantastic campfire treat ideas? Do you have a camping recipe that I should try this summer? I'd love to try something new!

♥ Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Last Day of School 2015

Today was the last day of school for my boys, so I thought I would share some pictures from our day... and share a few of our last day of school traditions.

We always take an end of year picture, the boys go to school, and when I pick them up, we head out for ice cream!

After ice cream, we go home where I have a finish line waiting for my boys.  They LOVE this tradition!

And, although we don't do "grading gifts", the boys always get new books.  They love new books, and I love that it helps to keep them reading over the summer!

We had a fantastic last day of school, and now we are looking forward to summer vacation. Bring on the sunshine!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Number Crafts and Activities (1-10)... including free worksheets and craft templates

I teach a weekly class for Preschoolers called "123 Learn with Me".  It's a 10 week class, and each week we learn about a new number through fun activities and crafts.  Today, I am sharing links to all TEN awesome lesson plans and NUMBER CRAFTS.

Click on the links to download the worksheets and craft templates for FREE.

NUMBER ONE crafts and activities - The highlight of our "number one" crafting session was an adorable (and colorful) paper plate bird.  Free worksheets can be downloaded by clinking the link.

NUMBER TWO crafts and activities - The "One Fish Two Fish" handprint craft is seriously cute, and a fun way to learn about the number two.  Free templates can be downloaded by clicking the link.

NUMBER THREE crafts and activities - We learned about the number three through "The Three Little Pigs". The puppets and houses were a hit with the kids, and you can download the templates for free by clicking the link.

NUMBER FOUR crafts and activities - We learned about the number four via some great worksheets and by crafting these adorable (personalized) cupcake liner flowers. Cute, right?  All the worksheets and templates can be downloaded by clicking the link.

NUMBER FIVE crafts and activities - We had a lot of fun learning about the number five during our teddy bear picnic.  You can find everything you need to host your own picnic by clicking the link.

NUMBER SIX crafts and activities - We went on a Pirate adventure and learned all about the number six.  The highlight was the pirate treasure chest craft containing six jewels.  You can download all the worksheets and templates by clicking the link.

NUMBER SEVEN crafts and activities - We learned all about the number seven via a "too cute for words" love bug with seven spots.  Crafting a number seven headband was also a lot of fun for the kids.  You can download the entire number seven lesson plan by clicking the link.

NUMBER EIGHT crafts and activities - What has eight legs? Well, the answer is... the adorable octopus and spider crafts we made to learn about the number eight.  Free templates can be found by clicking the link.

NUMBER NINE crafts and activities - We had a lot of fun learning about the number nine, and the highlight was definitely our monster with nine eyes.  You can download all the number nine templates and worksheets by clicking the link.

NUMBER TEN crafts and activities - The kids had a great time using their ten fingers to make an adorable owl craft.  You can download this craft, and additional craft templates and worksheets, by clicking the link.

Isn't crafting a fun way to teach little ones about their numbers? I hope you enjoy all the free worksheets and templates. Happy crafting!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can grab a copy of my 40+ page "Numbers" WORKBOOK here.

Summer Checklist {2015}

Every year my boys and I start the summer by coming up with a summer checklist.  We always have 50 items, we print the list, and we "check off" items as they are completed. Our last activity is always a "have ice cream for supper" celebration!  Here's our 2015 Summer Checklist.

To print a copy of this checklist: right-click on the picture (above), save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.  (I sent mine to our local supply store and had it printed for $0.39.)

I have also included some helpful links below.

1) Celebrate Canada Day or the 4th of July
2) Watch fireworks or attend a parade
3) Have a teddy bear picnic

4) Go to a splash pad or swim in a pool
5) Host a "half sleepover"
6) Go to a farmer's market
7) Visit the library and read a book outside
8) Make homemade bubbles
9) Go fishing or hiking
10) Have a family movie night outside
11) Paint rocks or make patio stones

12) Pick out a toy or treat at the dollar store
13) Plant something and watch it grow
14) Visit a wildlife park, farm or zoo
15) Build a fort
16) Create a simple backyard water park

17) Play baseball, soccer, golf or street hockey
18) Make ice cream or go to an ice cream stand
19) Go for a bike ride
20) Decorate a cake or bake cookies
21) Spend time at a cottage, beach or park
22) Do a science experiment
23) Play a board game
24) Go geo-caching

25) Have a "kids pick the meals" day
26) Play mini golf
27) See a play or visit a museum
28) Have a lemonade stand
29) Try a new food
30) Have a theme day (e.g. a pirate day or superhero day)
31) Camp in the backyard or living room
32) Have a PJ day
33) Build a large puzzle
34) Make a summer reading list or keep a summer journal
35) Fly a kite
36) Have a dance party in the living room
37) Go on a scavenger hunt

38) Build an obstacle course
39) Play with water balloons
40) Do a good deed or raise money for charity
41) Visit a new city or town
42) Play "tag"
43) Roast marshmallows or make a different campfire treat
44) Write and mail a letter or postcard
45) Run in a race
46) Craft a boat and float it down a river
47) __________________________
48) __________________________
49) __________________________
50) HAVE ICE CREAM FOR SUPPER!

Do you have a favorite summer checklist activity? I'd love to hear about it!  The boys and I are always looking for new adventures.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)