DIY Pool Party Cake Tutorial

Today, I am hosting a joint "pool party" for my two youngest boys (who are turning 7 and 9). They told me they wanted gummy sharks on their cakes, and I went to work designing something simple and fun for them. Below, I am sharing pictures of (and a tutorial for) the DIY Pool Party Cakes I made for my boys.

For each cake, I started out with two 8 inch round cakes. I levelled the cakes and used icing to create a double layer cake. I added a crumb coat, and refrigerated it overnight.

Then:

1) I added some icing and covered a "beach" area with sand (aka graham cracker crumbs).
2) I used food coloring to tint some icing blue and covered the remainder of the cake with the blue "water". I used an icing knife to create waves in the blue icing.
3) I added details to the cake: bear cookies floating in peach gummy rings, bear cookies laying on froot roll up towels, gummy sharks, and cocktail "beach" umbrellas.
4) I also added some sand and water (icing) to the serving tray, but this step is optional.

Check out the final product. Isn't it cute???

I made two because my boys each wanted their own cake. One is chocolate and one is white, so everyone is happy!

A pool party is a perfect theme for a summer birthday, don't you think? I can't wait to share the rest of our party details with you soon.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Coding for Kids

I am always looking for ways to encourage my boys to learn new things during their summer vacation, and finding something they can do on a rainy day is a bonus. So, when DK books offered to let me check out their "coding" books, I jumped at the chance!

Both books provide easy to follow step-by-step instructions, and were a hit with my older boys... especially my eight year old. He was able to create a simple game in under an hour. I would highly recommend both books (Coding Projects in Scratch and Coding Games in Scratch), but Coding Games in Scratch was our favorite.

If your kids have an interest in computers, you should totally check out these books. The step-by-step instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the pictures are fantastic and really helpful.

Have you ever tried coding with your kids? Do you have any tips you'd like to share?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I was provided with these products (free of charge) for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own.

BIRTHDAY LETTER for my youngest son on his 7th birthday

Today, my "baby" boy turns seven, so in keeping with family tradition, I wrote him a letter as a way of remembering all the little details that make him special. Here is my letter to my youngest son on his 7th birthday.

My dearest, sweet "baby" boy,

This was another big year for you as you continued to work hard at conquering your anxiety in new social situations. Though you continue to be a cautious boy, you are willing to try new things, and you are getting more confident with each passing year. 

On your 7th birthday, I want you to know that I am very proud to be your mom, and I want to share some of the reasons you are such a special little boy:

• You have a sweet smile, an awesome giggle, a gentle spirit, and adorable freckles on your nose and cheeks.
• You love to cuddle... especially if I am reading you one of your favorite stories.
• You have a love for reading, and you are getting really good at reading on your own. You are pretty proud of your ability to read "chapter books".
• You took part in a multi-sport program this year (12 sports in 10 months), and you learned a lot of new skills. Hockey and Tai Kwon Do were your favourites!
• You get pretty cranky when you get tired and/or hungry... but most of the time you are a sweet boy. ;-)
• You love riding your bike and playing sports with your brothers, and you want to be a hockey player when you grow up.
• You ask me for crackers a hundred times a day. I actually think you are happiest when you are sitting on the couch with a bowl of crackers watching a TV show.
• You are getting very grown up... but I still catch you saying "bees" instead of "because". It's pretty cute!
• You had a great year in Grade One. You loved your teacher, the new "month" song you learned each month, and the baby ducks you hatched in your class.
• Your favorite color is green... especially sea-foam green.
• You love white cake with white icing, and you often order vanilla ice cream when we go to an ice cream stand.
• You are a bit of a clown with a wonderful sense of humour. Dad, your brothers, and I are always laughing at your silly antics and your crazy dance moves.

I love you to the moon and back my darling angel, and I hope you will always know how grateful I am to be your mother.

Lots of Love,

Mom xoxox

Gearing up for backyard camping... and a $500 Walmart gift card GIVEAWAY

Contest closed - winner - Amy Stackhouse

I was recently given the opportunity to gear up for a backyard camping adventure at Walmart. My boys had a wonderful time choosing the supplies we needed/ they wanted. We got a new 8 person tent (big enough for our family of 5), games to play, a movie to watch under the stars, supplies for s'mores, and a variety of awesome Energizer® lighting solutions.

Camping is a fantastic way to do something fun as a family -- and you don't even have to leave home! My boys are extremely excited to go on our camping adventure, and I am looking forward to sharing the details of our backyard "staycation" soon. 

In the meantime, do you want a chance to win a $500 Walmart giftcard? You can use it to buy all the camping supplies you need for your own summer camping trip. Walmart has everything you need for your camping adventure at everyday low prices.

Don't forget to stock up on Energizer® flashlights and lighting solutions to keep your family safe in the dark. We purchased a wonderful Energizer® lantern and Energizer® Vision Headlights for every member of our family. 

We also stocked up on Energizer® Max® and Engergizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries. (Check out Energizer.ca for all the info you need to know about lanterns, flashlights and long-lasting batteries.) 47% of Canadian campers agree that most camping essentials require batteries, so be sure to stock up on reliable ones.

To enter to WIN a $500 Walmart giftcard, all you need to do is leave me a comment below letting me know the first camping item you will buy with your gift card if you win. (Make sure you are logged in, or leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win.) Note: This contest is open to Canadians only, and the contest closes on July 26, 2016.

Good luck with the contest, and come back soon to read all about our backyard camping adventure!

♥ Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Contest rules:

1) The winner of the contest will be chosen by a Random Number Generator.
2) To enter the contest, you must leave a comment on this post. Contest is open to Canadians ONLY.
3) This contest is not being hosted or sanctioned in any way by Facebook.
4)  Contest closes on July 26, 2016 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. 

Disclosure: I was given a gift card to purchase products to be used during our backyard campout. Although I was compensated for promoting the #EnergizeYourSummer campaign, all opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.

Carnival Signage

Recently, I shared my boys' easy and inexpensive DIY Carnival Party, and I've had a lot of positive feedback about the party. Everyone loves the little DIY details, and many readers have been asking me about the signs I used. So, today I am sharing all the carnival signage I designed FOR FREE!

Below, please find a blank version of my carnival sign (in case you want to add your own games), and several of my other signs, which are available to download for free. I would love to have you download and print any of these signs for your personal use, but please don't use them for commercial purposes, and don't post or reprint them without permission from me. If you want to share them with friends, please provide them with the link to this post. Thank you so much!

To download any of the signs: click on the design you like, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

Blank sign:

Tattoo sign:

Face painting sign:

Guessing booth sign:

Straw draw sign:

Ball toss sign:

Bean bag toss sign:

Knock down sign:

Ring Toss sign:

Prize booth sign:

Concession stand sign:

Clown Nose Sign:

Frisbee Toss Sign:

Photo Booth:

Pick a Pop:

If you want to see all the fun ways I used these signs, take a look at our DIY Carnival Party here. It was a lot of fun, and it is an easy and inexpensive party theme that appeals to all ages!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

MORE DIY Carnival Party Ideas

10 Ways to keep kids cool this Summer

Summer is officially here, and the temperatures are starting to rise. Keeping the kids cool when it when it's hot outside can be a challenge, but it can also be a lot of fun. Today I am sharing 10 easy ways to keep the kids cool this summer.

1) Swim - Find a beach, lake or pool, and let the kids enjoy an afternoon of swimming. Nothing says "summer" like splashing around in cool water. (Little splash pools are fun too.)

2) Water fight - Fill a bucket or splash pool with water (so that it can be used as a re-filling station), and give everyone water pumps or guns. Set the rules (like no squirting in the face), and let the battle begin!

3) Spray bottle full of water - Purchase inexpensive spray bottles at the dollar store, and fill them with cold water (on its own or with a little ice). The cool, gentle mist from a spray bottle can be extremely refreshing on a warm day. This is a fantastic tool any time, but I love it for when you are sitting under a tree reading a book or when you are spending time at a beach or sporting event.

4) Water balloons - Fill a bunch of balloons with water, and your children will be thrilled. Water balloons are great for games of catch, water fights, water balloon baseball, and more! (I recommend buying fast fill balloons. Once you try them, you will never struggle with tying water balloons again.)

5) Slip n slide - Every kid needs a slip n slide. I had one when I was a kid, and my boys love theirs. They are inexpensive, fun, and a wonderful way to spend a warm afternoon.

6) Sprinkler - Running through a sprinkler is a childhood right of passage. It is a super-simple way to have fun and cool off on a warm day.

7) Sponges - Purchase a package of sponges at the dollar store for a super-easy way to keep cool. Sponges soaked in water become perfect (and painless) water fight weapons. You can also use the sponges to play "drip drip drop". (All the kids sit in a circle, and one child walks around the circle with a sponge, while saying, "drip drip drop". The child with the sponge says "drop" and squeezes the water from the sponge over someone's head. The two kids then race around the circle, in opposite directions, and both kids try to be the first person back to the original spot.) Fun, right???

8) Ice - Freeze a few small items in blocks of ice, and let your kids try to get them out. Forks and cups of warm water make good tools for this activity.

9) Ice Cream - You can't beat cool treats on a warm day. My boys LOVE brownie waffle sundaes and homemade ice cream sandwiches. You can find some of our favorite ice cream recipes here.

10) Cool bath - After a long day in the sun, a cool bath (filled with glow sticks) is refreshing and fun. A good night's sleep is sure to follow too!

How do you keep cool when the temperatures start to rise? I hope you try some of my ideas, and have a fantastic summer with your kids. Enjoy!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Pool party PARTY FAVOR ideas {with free printable tags}

I love a cute and clever party favor that fits perfectly with a party's theme, don't you? Summer is here, and pool parties are plentiful, so today I am sharing three easy and inexpensive pool party treats that your party guests will rave about. I've even included adorable tags that you can download and print for FREE.

The first idea is to "scoop" some cotton candy onto an ice cream cone, and wrap the sweet treat with a cellophane bag and ribbon.

Another (less sugary) option involves replacing the cotton candy with a dollar store splash ball. This pool party treat is just as cute as the cotton candy, but better for the kids' teeth. ;-)

And for something completely different, putting together summer craft kits for the kids to take home is a fun alternative. To make this adorable paper popsicle, kids will need coloured card stock, a craft stick, tape (to attach the stick), and some colourful stickers.

All three party favor ideas are lovely, and they can all be packaged with the adorable tags I designed. There are three tags to a sheet, and you can punch a hole in the corner of each tag and attach with curling ribbon.

To download the tags for free: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Look how cute they look when they are all packaged up together!

What do you think of these pool party favor ideas? Do you have a favorite? I quite like the cones with the splash balls.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)