Simple "make ahead" Meatballs

Now that school is back in session, weeknight meals are becoming increasingly difficult. I like to have a few simple meal ideas prepped and ready to go, and meatballs are always a crowd pleaser. Today, I am sharing my recipe for "make ahead" meatballs. You can cook a big batch in the oven, and freeze them for when you need them.

I like to make a big batch of meatballs on a foil lined tray. I use half for dinner, and I freeze the other half. 

To make a double batch of meatballs, you'll need:

• 2 lbs (0.907kg) of hamburger
• 1 cup bread crumbs (powder)
• 2 eggs

Mix all the ingredients together, and roll into balls. Place the meatballs on a foil lined 9x13 cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until no longer pink (approx. 18-25 minutes). Drain fat.

I like to place half the meatballs in a dish for that night's supper, and the other half goes in the freezer.

I usually turn my meatballs into "sweet and sour meatballs" using sauce made from the following:

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 cup water
• spices (as desired)

I just take half of my "big batch" of meatballs, put them in a roaster, and pour the sauce over them. Then, I cook them in the sauce for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.

These sweet and sour meatballs are great served over rice with some grilled broccoli on the side.

Does your family love meatballs? If you make the meatballs ahead of time, they make a wonderful and easy weekday meal.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS... You can find more of my family's favourite recipes here.

First Day of School 2017

It's been a busy morning at our house, but I wanted to pop by the blog and share a couple of pics from my boys' first day of school. Isn't it crazy how fast time goes by when you are a parent? Today, my boys are going into grades 3, 5, and 7. As always, my boys reluctantly agreed to take a few pics holding their photos for the first day of school last year.

Cute, right?

We also started  the day with a special pancake breakfast.

Now, I'm going to do some work, a little cleaning, and bake a special after school snack for my boys. 

I can't wait until they get home so I can hear all their news. Happy first day of school everyone!

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Penny Spinners... a simple paper craft for kids

Sometimes a simple paper craft is the perfect way to entertain kids, so a few weeks ago I made these adorable penny spinners with my boys. They were fun to create, and even more fun to play with when they were finished. Today, I am sharing the simple instructions for this lovely little art project for kids... including an easy to follow video.

First, you'll need two circles. I used a cereal box for one circle and a piece of white card stock for the other. I wanted the strength of the cereal box and the bright white colour of the card stock (to highlight the bright colours of the markers).

Then, have the kids colour a pattern onto the white circle, cut a slit in the centre of the circles, and insert a penny.

My boys had a great time creating many different patterns, and watching the colours when they spun them.

Check out the video my boys made here:

Cute, right? I love that this craft works for kids of all ages. (Just make sure that an adult cuts the slit for the penny!) I highly recommend making penny spinners with your kids. It's easy, inexpensive, and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon together.

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Class VIP

Today, I am sharing a cute activity that my first grader did with his class.  Every week, a student is selected as the class VIP. As the VIP, the child is able to fill out an "about me" page to share with the class, to bring a favorite book for story time, and to bring home a special stuffed animal from school (named "Andy"). 

The child is tasked with writing a story about his/her adventures with "Andy", and at the end of the week he/she is able to share the experience with the class.  Cute, right?

My middle son had the opportunity to be a class VIP, and it really made him feel special. It's also a great way to get children interested in reading, writing, and speaking in front of a group.

It's always amazing to see how a simple idea really gets a child engaged, don't you think? I love the idea of having a class VIP. Everyone needs to be a VIP some times, right???

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Tips for Back to School Clothes Shopping

Summer is almost over, and that means it's time for kids to head back to school. As the mom of three rough and tumble boys who are hard on clothes (and fussy about what they wear), I have learned a lot about smart back to school shopping. Today I am sharing some of my best tips for back to school clothes shopping with kids.

Here are 5 ways to get an A+ in back to school shopping:

1) Purge - At the end of summer, get rid of the clothes that the kids don't wear by donating or selling them. Also, make sure drawers only contain items that the children will wear during the current season.

2) Shop early - Back to school clothes should be purchased as early as possible to ensure the best selection of sizes and choices. As a mom who needs six pairs of sneakers each Fall (3 pairs of indoor shoes and 3 pairs of outdoor shoes), I've learned that getting organized early really helps to reduce my stress.

3) Involve the kids - If you let the kids help with the selection of their own clothes, you will only be spending money on the clothes that they will actually wear. My boys are fussy about colours, designs, brand names, and textures, so it makes sense to let them help shop for their own clothes. Check out the fantastic items my boys chose when I let them pick out something special at Sport Chek* for the first day of school.

My 11 year old loves hats and loves hockey, so I wasn't surprised when he chose this great Under Armour hat. It's high quality, and the size S/M fits his head perfectly!

My 9 year old is heading to a new school, and loves to collect (and carry around) "treasures and trinkets", so he was obsessed with getting a new backpack with lots of pockets. He couldn't be more excited about the new Under Armour backpack he picked out! 

My youngest loves hockey and will only wear soft, comfy clothes. He loves the texture and look of this fantastic Under Armour t-shirt... and I love that it matches his eyes!

4) Shop online - Shopping online allows you to research and shop without leaving the comfort of your home (without dragging your kids "who hate shopping" to the mall). SportChek.ca is a great choice because they have guaranteed footwear sizes, easy returns within 60 days, a large variety of brands, online shopping/research opportunities, and online customer service. There is also free in-store pick and and free shipping on orders of $99 or more. Sport Chek is a convenient one-stop shop.

5) Buy quality clothing and shoes - If you spend a little more on children's clothing, it will last, get worn, and save you money in the long run. I have three boys, and quality clothing gets passed down to younger siblings, and it still looks great. You can also resell brand name clothing on "buy & sell" sites or at consignment shops.

My boys are happy and ready for the first day of school!

I hope you find my tips helpful, and that you take some time to check out the fantastic, high quality, back to school styles available at your local Sport Chek store or online at SportChek.ca.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure - I have partnered with YMC and Sport Chek and have received compensation for this post. All opinions in the post are my own.

DIY Hockey Decor (and keepsake)

Recently, I was cleaning out my garage, and I came across my boys' first hockey sticks. I am usually pretty good at clearing clutter, but there was a part of me that was sad to think of getting rid of these particular items, so I decided to up-cycle them into decor for their rooms. I love the way this project turned out, and today I am sharing all the details of this DIY hockey decor project.

I started out with my boys old, banged up sticks. I removed the old hockey tape, spray painted the sticks with black paint, and re-taped the sticks.

Then, I painted wood letters (that spelled out their names) in bright and cheerful colours.

I used hot glue to attached the letters to the stick.

Didn't they turn out sweet? I love that they are room decor AND a precious keepsake.

I'm redecorating the room that my two older boys share, and I plan on putting these sticks above their headboards. I'll be sharing the big reveal of their new room soon!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

How I Convince my Husband to Watch MY Shows on Netflix

With three young (and very active boys) our family is always on the go and very busy. It's often a struggle for my husband to go out together, so we do a lot of "at home" date nights. We'll order in food, or snuggle up and watch a show or movie at the end of the day. Our biggest problem then becomes: "Who decides what we watch?" We definitely have different tastes, so today I am sharing the THREE ways I convince my husband to watch MY shows on Netflix:

1) Careful Selection - When my husband and I first started dating, I convinced him to watch "Terms of Endearment" by telling him it was a comedy. Apparently, it wasn't his kind of movie, and it took years for him to trust my choices again. Lesson learned -- don't try to get your spouse to watch shows that you know he isn't going to like.

These days, I am much more careful with my suggestions. Recently, we have found some great selections that we both really enjoy. "Atypical" and "Ozark" are our current favourite binge-worthy shows.

2) Trickery/ Positioning - Phrases that work: "I heard this is really good", "This is a lot like that other show you like", "Let's try one episode, and if you don't like it, we won't watch any more."

3) Treats - When all else fails, bribing my husband with tasty sweet treats always works. Wine and chips work well too!

How do you convince your spouse to keep you company on the couch? What is your current favourite binge-worthy show?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)