Sports Party Centrepiece Ideas

Customized centre pieces add a festive flair to parties and banquets. The one I am sharing today has a hockey theme, but it could easily work for any sports theme. I purchased some inexpensive items from the dollar store and created something simple and fun. Keep reading for all the DIY details.

I purchased some dollar store jewels, a glass container, and some battery operated tealights. The tealight under the jewels casts a lovely glow, and works well in a banquet setting. 

Just add a puck or ball, and you have a fun piece of decor.

You can also attach sports cards to the top of dowels and insert them into the container. 

I love using simple dollar store supplies to create something new and unique, and I think this is a really fun piece of DIY party decor, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Shared HOCKEY BEDROOM (on a budget) Revealed

My two older boys have shared a room for most of their lives, but recently I realized that my boys were outgrowing their room's childish decor. I needed to redo the room to incorporate practical (and age appropriate) storage solutions for their things, as well as their individual interests and personalities. With a small room and a limited budget, I managed to come up with shared HOCKEY BEDROOM that both of my boys are extremely happy with.

One of my goals for the room was to make sure each boy had his own "side". They have matching bedding, but I labelled each side with a hockey stick containing each of their names. (You can find a step-by-step tutorial for the hockey sticks here.)

Check out the before and after picture (below) of the back wall of the room.

Don't you love the hockey sticks with the names? I painted the letters to match the colours in the bedding.

The red dresser that was originally in their room didn't match the new bedding, so I switched the dresser they had for one I had in another room. "Shopping your house" is a great way to decorate on a budget.

I hung a framed poster over the dresser, and added two baskets for books -- one for each boy.

Check out the before and after picture of my middle son's side of the room (below).

He wanted a place to display some of his LEGO, so my husband hung a couple of IKEA shelves, and I framed his first jersey in an inexpensive shadow box.

And for additional LEGO storage, I hung a clear shoe rack on the back of his door.

Check out the before and after picture of my oldest son's side of the room (below).

My oldest son wanted some DIY artwork on his side of the room. I put his first jersey in an inexpensive shadow box, I framed a picture I took of him playing hockey at the beach last summer, and I hung hockey cards showcasing his favourite players.

I also used a used an inexpensive ($30) bookcase to store the boys' books and belongings. Using cheap bookcase in a small space is another helpful tip for organizing a shared room.

Check out the before and after picture of the back end of my boys' shared bedroom (below).

I swapped out their toy bins for an inexpensive book shelf with baskets to store their "bits and bobs". Each boy has two baskets to store their "treasures", and I now know where to put things that they leave lying around the house.

What do you think of my boys' new room decor? I love that the room is age appropriate, organized, and decorated to their tastes. And, of course, I am thrilled that they are both happy with how it turned out!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Holiday Celebrations (Ideas, Recipes and Activities for Every Holiday)

Below, you will find a collection of my holiday celebration posts... including: New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, St.Patrick's Day, Easter, April Fool's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Canada Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas. There are many ideas for easy and inexpensive ways to make every holiday special. Scroll down and click on the links for additional info, ideas, and recipes.

Click on the links (below) to access the holiday collection you are interested in.

NEW YEAR'S EVE FOR KIDS

SILVER AND GOLD NEW YEAR'S EVE

VALENTINE'S DAY 

ST.PATRICK'S DAY 

EASTER  

APRIL FOOL'S DAY

EARTH DAY

MOTHER'S DAY

FATHER'S DAY

CANADA DAY

THANKSGIVING

HALLOWEEN

CHRISTMAS

New Year's Eve Ideas for Kids

Celebrating New Year's Eve with kids can be a lot of fun... and you won't have to worry about finding and paying for a babysitter! Win. Win. I'm always a big fan of ringing in the new year with my boys', so today, I am sharing some of my favourite ideas for celebrating New Year's Eve with kids.

1) Countdown bags - I first put together countdown bags for my boys when in 2012, and they have been a New Year's Eve staple in our house ever since. It's a fun way to keep the kids entertained, and it is a wonderful way to build anticipation for the big countdown. Read all about our simple New Year countdown bags here.

2) Photo booth - Setting up a photo booth is another fun way to entertain kids (and to document the fun of the celebration). You can download the props below, print them on card stock, and attach a stick for holding them. You can also inexpensively buy props at the dollar store.

To download my props: right-click on the pictures below, save them to your computer, and print them like regular 8X10 photos.

3) Mocktail bar - Setting up a fun drink station for kids can be a lot of fun. Fruit juice and sparking water can be used with whimsical garnishes like candy stir sticks and gummy bears. You can also have milk in fancy, candy-rimmed glasses for a "milk and cookies" toast at midnight.

4) Party favours - Every party needs a "party favour". I love the idea of midnight kisses (Hershey Kisses in champagne flutes), candy rings or bells to "ring in the new year", and/or breakfast for the next day (cereal in plastic bowls with cute tags.

5) Fortune cookies - Fortune cookies are always fun for kids, and it is simple to turn store bought cookies into a special treat using the tutorial you can find here. You could also turn them into a party favour by adding a tag that says "wishing you good fortune in the the new year"

6) Year in Review Questionnaire - New Year's Eve is the perfect time to review the past year with kids. It's also wonderful to set goals for the year ahead. I love this 2017 Year in Review form, and you can download it for free by: right-clicking on the picture below, saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 8X10 photo.

Update: find a 2021 version here.

How do you celebrate New Year's Eve? Do you stay at home with the kids, or head out to an adult party? You can always do both if you do something early with the kids. There is no law against an early countdown. Happy New Year, and all the best to you and your family!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

2017 Year in Review Questionnaire

New Year's Eve is a time for reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the new one -- not just for adults, but for kids too. With this in mind, each year I put together a Year in Review Questionnaire for my boys to fill out on New Year's Eve. Here is the 2017 version.


Update: find a 2019 version here.

It is a pretty simple questionnaire, and you can download the free printable by: right-clicking on the picture (above), saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 8X10 photo. I usually print mine at my local office supply store where colour copies are $0.39 each.

I love seeing what my boys come up with each year. Maybe someday I will make a book for each of my boys using all the questionnaires they have filled out over the years.
Happy New Year, everybody!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

How to Turn "Store Bought" Fortune Cookies Into an Elegant New Year's Eve Treat

I am a big fan of keeping things simple, and I absolutely LOVE a good shortcut. Today, I am sharing a really fun idea for New Year's Eve. With a few ingredients, and a couple minutes, you can transform "store bought" fortune cookies into an elegant New Year's Eve treat that will impress your guests!

You'll need: store bought fortune cookies, baker's chocolate, and sprinkles.

Then: 

1) Melt the baker's chocolate according to package directions. (I melted mine on medium heat for 2 minutes... stirring at 30 second intervals.)

2) Dip the cookies in the chocolate, and let excess drip off.

3) Dip the cookies in sprinkles, and place on wax paper to allow the chocolate to harden.

That's it!

They really are impressive looking when you put them on a nice tray.

It would be fun for kids to help make this treat too, and they'll love cracking them open and reading their fortunes. You can also dip a glass in chocolate and sprinkles for an added festive touch.

I love a good short cut, don't you? These fortune cookies are easy, inexpensive, and a lot of fun. You could even send them home as party favours with a "Wishing you good fortune in the new year!" tags. Fun, right?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)