Fantastic ICE CREAM Recipes and Ideas

Ice cream is a favorite summertime treat in our home, and it isn’t hard to figure out why this is the case. On a hot summer day, there isn’t anything quite as tasty and refreshing as a cold and creamy scoop of ice cream. Today I am sharing a few fantastic ice cream recipes and ideas.

Brownie Waffles - These are our new family favorites. To bake delicious waffle brownie sundaes: 1) Mix a brownie mix according to package directions plus one egg. 2) Cook the brownie mix in a preheated waffle maker for approximately six minutes. 3) Allow the waffles to cool slightly, and then carefully remove them from the grill. 4) Add strawberries and ice cream, and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich - To make your own ice cream sandwiches, simply scoop slightly softened ice cream between two homemade cookies. Our favorite combination involves chocolate ice cream and soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies. Sandwiches made with chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream are also delicious.

You could also try "dressing up" store bought ice cream sandwiches.

Or these delicious homemade ice cream sandwiches using cookies made from a cake mix - These are "must try". They are easy and delicious!

Ice Cream in a Bag - Making ice cream is another endeavor that the kids are guaranteed to enjoy, and you really don’t need any special equipment. To make ice cream in a bag you’ll need: a big Ziploc bag, a small Ziploc bag, salt, ice, sugar, vanilla and 18% coffee cream. You can find the full recipe for ice cream in a bag here.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup NO-CHURN Ice Cream - This easy-to-make ice cream has a rich and creamy texture, and it doesn't require any special equipment to make.

DIY Ice Cream Pie - This is a simple "no bake" dessert that is perfect for summer. Kids will love helping to make (and eat!) this one.

Ice Cream for Supper - Each year, my boys and I make a checklist of 50 summer activities, and we work all summer to complete all of the items on our list. The last thing on our list is always a special “Ice Cream for Supper” party, and it is an event that my boys look forward to all summer. I highly recommend giving this fun idea a try!

Aren't these fantastic ideas for enjoying ice cream?

Ice cream really is a fun part of summer (and childhood). Do you have a favorite ice cream recipe or flavour?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Carnival Games and Activities

Last weekend I hosted a Carnival party for my boys, and we had a ton of easy games that all the kids loved. Today I am sharing all the awesome carnival games and activities I put together for our little party guests.

As the guests arrived, they made a couple of guesses at our guessing booth. The person that guessed the correct number of candies was given the jar full of goodies to take home.

Our carnival prize punch was a big hit with the guests. They threw small rubber balls at the foam core boards until they were able to break through the tissue paper. When the child succeeded, he/she was able to reach inside the cup and claim his/her prize. You can find the full step-by-step tutorial for the carnival prize punch here. 

Every guests was also given access to our giant tattoo board. I cut out dollar store tattoos and taped them to a piece of foam core. Then, guests were able to easily select a tattoo for me to apply. Fun, right?

The party also had a basic face painting station. I bought some inexpensive face paint, and drew out a few simple designs. I am not an artist so I kept things pretty basic, but it was still fun.

The straw draw was requested by my middle son, and it was a huge hit with the party guests. I cut up bits of paper, and then I left some blank and marked some with an "X". Then, I rolled up the bits of paper and inserted them inside one-inch pieces of paper straws. The party guests chose straws, and the ones that found "X"s exchanged them for prizes.

Carnival party games don't get much easier than knock down. All you need to do is: stack cups, throw a ball, and knock them down.

I found colorful bowls at Walmart for $1 each, and I knew they would be perfect for a bean bag toss. The kids loved trying to get points and get higher scores than their friends. 

Every child loves the simplicity of a ball toss game, and this one was inexpensively made from an old box. You can find the full tutorial for our ball toss here.

Our final game was a basic ring toss that I made from a recycled paper towel roll. I wrapped the paper towel roll in red and white duct tape, and then I hot glued it to piece of canvas. I made rings from several pipe cleaners wrapped together.

All of our carnival games were easy and inexpensive... but they were also awesome and lots of fun! You can download all the red and white carnival signs that I designed here. Which carnival games would your kids enjoy?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (Here is the link to all the other DIY carnival party details.)

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Birthday Letter... my middle son turns 8

Today my middle son turns 8, and in keeping with family tradition, I wrote him a birthday letter as a way of preserving a "snap shot" of the little details that make him so special. Here is my birthday letter to my middle son on his 8th birthday.

To my sweet middle son on your 8th birthday:

You have an adventurous spirit, and you have tons of friends. You are kind and fun, and people want to be around you.

You love being active. You enjoy riding your bike, playing tag, and running around the neighbourhood. You also love to play baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey... and hockey is your favorite.

You are a sweet boy, and you are always looking for ways to be helpful.

You like to hold my hand, and you still give me a kiss every morning when I drop you off at school. I know that you will be "too old" for this soon, so I treasure each time you show me affection without the slightest bit of embarrassment.

You love to play with your brothers, and recently, you have started making little movies with them. I love watching your carefully choreographed Star Wars fight scenes. :-)

You enjoy building things... and you are excellent at it. You love LEGO, have your own tools, and talk about building houses when you get older.

Your favorite color is white, and you love apples and "sour keys" candy.

You are a caring and sensitive soul, you love your blankee, and you give awesome hugs.

You can be very stubborn, but you have a big heart, and I wouldn't change a thing about you.

I love you to the moon and back my sweet, spunky boy.

Love,

Mommy xoxo

Easy Skittles Cakes

I just hosted a Carnival party for my two boys, and they requested separate cakes, so I thought it would be fun to do a number cake for each of their ages. I made a giant 6 and a giant 8, and I covered both cakes with Skittles. The Skittles cakes were a hit!

I started with 2 Duncan Hines mixes (white for the six and chocolate for the eight). I followed the package directions... but I cut the oil in half and subtracted 2 tbsp of water to make the cakes a little more dense and easy to work with.

I found a lot of cake inspiration on Pinterest, but here is how I made mine:

To make the six, I started with two round cakes, cut out the pieces I needed, and "glued" them together with icing. Then, I started making straight lines of Skittles. I covered the tops first, and then I did the sides. It took me about two hours (and a lot of Skittles) to make this cake.

To make the eight, I started with two round cakes, trimmed the bottom and top of the circles where they attach, cut circles out of the centres with a glass, and "glued" the two pieces together with icing. Then, I started making straight lines of Skittles. I covered the tops first, and then I did the sides. It took me about two hours (and a lot of Skittles) to make this cake.

The cakes were time consuming, but they were not difficult at all. I suggest using a good amount of icing and applying the Skittles right away. Also, don't refridgerate the cakes. I put my "eight" in the fridge overnight, and the color of the Skittles faded. The kids didn't seem to mind though!

My boys are huge fans of Skittles, but I think this would be a fantastic cake with M&Ms too! What would you top your cake with?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Carnival Prizes

This weekend, I am throwing a "joint" DIY Carnival Party for two of my boys. I think the kids are going to be excited about all the prizes that they are going to be able to win. Today, I am sharing a "sneak peak" at some of the easy and inexpensive carnival prizes I have purchased and made for the party.

All of the prizes will be displayed in front of a fun "prize booth" backdrop that I created from a dollar store tri-fold and red duct tape. It was a simple DIY project, but I think it will have a big impact. A good backdrop really sets the stage and adds a bit of "polish".

One of the prizes I am really excited about are the pom pom poppers I made from pool noodles, balloons and duct tape. I was able to make a bunch (inexpensively), and I am sure the kids will have a lot of fun with them. You can find the full tutorial for pom pom poppers here.

Of course, I also have a bunch of dollar store goodies. My boys had fun picking out their favorite little treats.

One of the more unique prizes that will be available to be won are these LEGO crayons that I crafted from old, broken crayons. I love how bright and colorful they are, and my boys love LEGO! You can find the full tutorial for recycling crayons here.

Another way to get a lot of prizes without breaking the bank is to buy in bulk and divide up the contents. I bought a large box of sidewalk chalk, and I bagged it up in groups of two. Now I have a bunch of fun prizes for the kids to win.

It's also fun to try new ways to present prizes. I created a fun "prize punch" (from dollar store supplies) for hockey cards. You can find the full tutorial for this carnival prize punch here. I have been making these prize punches for years, and they are always a highlight of my boys' parties.

Finally, a party isn't a party without some sweet treats, and these little containers of candy make perfect prizes. I purchased big bags of candy, and then I packaged them in little condiment containers. Cute, right? With these little containers, a few bags of candy can be turned into a large number of treats.

I can't wait for all our little party guests to win some of these carnival prizes. I wonder which prizes will be the biggest hits. Do you have a favorite?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


PS (Here is the link to all the other DIY carnival party details.)

Simple Summer Crafts {with free printable templates}

It would be wonderful if every summer day was sunny... but the reality is that there will always be at least a few rainy days. Today I am sharing some of my favorite simple summer crafts that are guaranteed to keep the kids happy and entertained when the weather keeps them inside.

Paper fan - This adorable paper fan is easy to make, and it is guaranteed to keep you cool when the temperatures start to rise.  To make a paper fan:

1) Download the template I designed here.
2) Color the fan, and cut it out.
3) Tape a craft stick to the back of the fan.

Paper popsicle - I love this simple little paper popsicle craft. Tape a popsicle stick onto the back of a piece of paper, and decorate with markers and sticks. It doesn't get much easier than this cool treat!

Tissue paper flower - This cheerful paper flower is colourful, and it makes a great keepsake when you add a picture of the little crafter to the centre.  To make a tissue paper flower:

1) Download the template I designed here.
2)  Color the flower.
3)  Fill the petals with 1-inch square pieces of tissue paper.  Just crumple up the tissue paper squares, dip them in glue, and attach them to paper. 

Painted rocks - Children love collecting rocks, and a rock makes a fun and inexpensive canvas.  You can find everything you need to know about painting rocks here.

These rainy day craft projects are all easy, inexpensive, and lots of fun for children. What crafts will you make with your little ones this summer?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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.