Easter Ideas for Hockey Fans

*sponsored post*

As a seasoned hockey mom, I am no stranger to holidays that revolve around hockey. So, when Easter rolls around, hockey themed Easter baskets are a must. This year, I was inspired by Gongshow's new Spring/Summer 2019 line of awesome products. You are going to love how I made my boys' unique Easter baskets. Keep reading for all the fun details!

First, I headed to the Gongshow website and picked out some cool gear for my boys. We're going on a cruise, so I was super-pumped to find sun hats with anchors on them. They will protect my boys from the sun... and they are cool, so they will actually wear them.

My favourite finds were these t-shirts, fanny packs, and sun hats.

I also picked up some summer socks, pucks, and hockey tape.

Then, I flipped the hats upside down to make super-cool "Easter baskets", and filled them with my purchases. Cool, right??? Isn't this so much better than a boring, traditional Easter basket?

You could leave the baskets "as is", but I wrapped mine in cellophane and added pretty ribbons.

My boys LOVED their baskets. Look at those smiles!

And look at them all decked out in their new Gongshow gear. Ignore the tags! lol

If you have a hockey fan in the house, I highly recommend creating your own hockey-themed Easter basket this year. Everything on the Gongshow website is high quality, functional, and super-cool... and if you order it now, it will arrive before Easter.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure - I was given GONGSHOW products for free in exchange for my honest review and promotion of the products. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely loved everything they received.

Find more easy and inexpensive Easter ideas here.

DIY Spring Wreath Ideas... that are surprising easy to make

There is something wonderful about the arrival of Spring, and there is no better way to say goodbye to the "winter blahs" than hanging a bright and colourful Spring wreath on the front door. You can easily make something cheap and cheerful, and you don't need to be super-crafty to do it. Today, I'm sharing some simple and cute DIY Spring wreaths that are sure to keep you smiling until Summer arrives.

This umbrella wreath is one of my favourites. The supplies cost less than $10, and it takes less than 5 minutes to make. It's the perfect craft project for beginners. Find the full tutorial here.

I'm a big fan of felt flowers, and the possibilities and colour combinations are infinite. I love the combination of a grapevine wreath and felt flowers, don't you? You can find the full tutorial for this felt flower Spring wreath here.

Crafting doesn't get any easy than this birds on a twig wreath. If you can work a glue gun, you can make this adorable piece of decor. Find the simple "how to" here.

Crafting is fun at all ages, so you are going to want to check out this Spring tissue paper wreath that kids can make. All you need is a paper plate, tissue paper, and the instructions you can find here.

Another fun thing to make is this Spring color monogram. Choose your colours, and follow the tutorial here.

If boho is your thing, you are going to want to make this simple yarn wreath for Spring. It's easy to make, and the bright and cheerful colours are delightful. Find the full instructions for this DIY boho wreath for Spring here.

And I absolutely love this matching turquoise grapevine wreath. Grab a can of spray paint and some felt, and follow the instructions here.

What do you hang on your front during for Spring? If you want something that you can DIY and customize, I hope you craft up one of these fun DIY Spring wreaths. Which one is your favourite?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this cute DIY Farmhouse Picture for Spring. Free download included here.

AND these 5 high-end DIYs for Spring.

No-sew Sock Bunnies

Several years ago my boys and I made snowmen out of socks. They were fun to make, and absolutely adorable... so I thought it would be fun to make no-sew sock bunnies for Easter. Seriously... how cute are these bunnies?!?!

To make these adorable bunnies, you'll need:

• a spare sock (I got mine at the dollar store)
• a pink pom pom for the nose and two white pom poms for under the nose
• googly eyes
• ribbon
• rice

Then:

• fill the sock (approx. 3/4 full) with rice and secure with an elastic
• use another elastic to separate the body from the head
• tie a ribbon around the elastic (at the neck)
• use glue to attach pom poms and googly eyes
• cut the top in half to create ears and trim to be the size and shape you want

Here is the one I made using a plain white sock.

And here is the one I made using a sock with a heart-shaped pattern. I also left the ears "long and droopy" for this one. What do you think?

I love that you can get a little creative with this craft. I think I might need to make a whole herd of bunnies.

You can also check out a short "how to" video here:

These no-sew sock bunnies make a perfect Easter craft, but you could make them any time of year. I love that you can change the socks, ears, and ribbon. The sky's the limit. Get creative and have some fun!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

Find more easy and inexpensive Easter crafts, recipes and activities here.

Tips for baking light and fluffy biscuits

I bake a lot, but for years my biscuits were a bust. I tried several recipes, but they always turned out flat. It took me years to figure out what I was doing wrong, but now that I have it figured out, I thought I would share my findings with you. If you want light and fluffy biscuits, here is what you need to know:

1) Make sure your baking powder (not baking soda) is fresh. Baking powder is a leavening agent that loses its effectiveness over time. (It's usually good for 9 to 12 months, so if yours is older than that, throw it out.)

2) Mix the dough COLD. The cold (straight from the fridge) bits of butter are what is going to make the biscuits light and fluffy.

3) Use a pastry blender. Cutting the dough with a pastry blender (and not your warm hands) is key. There are tons of inexpensive options, but this one has positive reviews. You can also use the "two knife" method to cut up the dough... but a pastry blender is MUCH easier.

4) Don't overwork the dough. Just knead the dough until everything is combined. Overworking the dough makes the biscuits flat.

5) Bake the biscuits HOT. Make sure you bake the biscuits in a really hot oven. I cook mine at 450 degrees.

6) Don't roll the dough too thin. I roll my dough about 3/4" thick.

7) Use a tried and true recipe. Click here for the one I bake weekly, and I'm never disappointed.

My favourite Light and Fluffy Biscuits

Are you a biscuit pro? Would you add anything to my list? If you struggle with flat biscuits, I hope these ideas help you "up your game". Light, fluffy, and buttery biscuits are the best, don't you think?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple St.Patrick's Day Food Ideas

When it comes to St.Patrick's Day food, many people opt for traditional Irish fare, but a simple way to celebrate is to go with a green and rainbow coloured theme. How fun is this simple St.Patrick's Day buffet featuring green pancakes with rainbow sprinkles?

Green milk in  a wine glass with a rainbow straw (plastic straw covered with Froot Loops) is also fun!

Froot Loops also become "rainbow seeds" when you add the free printable tag you can find here.

And, if you have a Shamrock-shaped cookie cutter, you can easily cook up these adorable Shamrock pancakes. Cute, right?

And finally, extra Froot Loops can be used to make rainbow necklaces for dessert. It's a fun and festive craft for kids of all ages!

What are you serving your family on St.Patrick's Day? I think I'll set up a green buffet. It's an easy and inexpensive way to celebrate March 17th!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in this fun idea.

Pi Day Treats

Did you know that March 14 is "Pi" day? Get it? π is 3.14 (so the fourteeth day of the third month is Pi Day). And... because I love to celebrate everything... and I am kind of a nerd... I thought I would make some simple Pi Day treats.

The basis of these treats is that π goes on forever. So, when you read these tags, you can replace "π" with "forever".

This one would be fun for a teacher to share with her class.

This one is perfect for parents to give to their kids.

This one is great for kids to share with their friends / classmates.

To download the tags I designed (for free): click on one of the pictures below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Aren't these treats super-cute?

I put together treat bags for my boy's lunches, and it made me smile. I told you I was a nerd! lol

Happy π Day!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)