Indoor Winter Fun... hot chocolate and new product taste testing

We recently had a couple of snow days (days off from school due to a winter storm). When the snow flies, my boys love playing outside, but when temperatures get really low, there comes a point when they come inside to warm up... and it's always fun to have a fun activity and treat waiting for them. I love the idea of setting up a hot chocolate and cookie testing station, don't you?

While the kids were out sledding, I set up a little hot chocolate bar using mason jars. I had hot chocolate, marshmallows, a kettle of hot water, and some Hershey kisses to add a little more chocolaty goodness. I also laid out a few NEW products I found at the grocery store earlier in the week. (Any new and interesting products would work, but these are the ones that caught my eye.)

When the kids came inside, they set to work making their own hot chocolates. Everyone customized their beverage to their liking. 

Then, we got to work trying the new cookies I bought.

Each new product got a thumbs up or a thumbs down... and then they picked a winner.

Fun, right? 

Check out this little video we made.

I love the idea of "taste testing" as a fun indoor winter activity. It would be fun to use healthy food too. I might even work in a cooking lesson with our "tasting party" some day soon. What do you think?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. These are just a couple of new products I picked up for my kids and their friend to try... and they were a hit. 😄

5 Appetizers that are Perfect for any Party

I'm a huge fan of appetizers... especially at parties. What's more fun than sitting around with friends sampling lots of tasty bites? Today, I am sharing 5 recipes for appetizers that are delicious and easy to make. 

Nacho Dip - I love this nacho dip because it doesn't require any cooking. It's simple to throw together and bring to a friend's house. Trust me... the platter will be clean when you leave the party! (Find the recipe here.)

Swiss Cheese Dip - My mom always made this tasty treat when I was little, and it was always a hit. Who doesn't love cheese dips?!?! (You can find the recipe for the warm and gooey cheese dip here.)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs - Meatballs are always a crowd-pleaser, and this sweet and sour version is simple to make and tastes delicious. (You can find the full recipe here.)

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Crostini with Balsamic Glaze - Adding a little fruit to an appetizer makes it lighter and healthier. I love the combination of the creamy goat cheese, the crunchy crostini, the sweet strawberry and the rich balsamic glaze. This appetizer is an explosion of flavors in your mouth. (You can find the full recipe here.)

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushroom Caps - Stuffed mushroom caps are always a favourite of mine... and this recipe is simple and delicious. You won't believe how easy it is to make this fantastic appetizer. (Find the full recipe here.)

What's your favourite appetizer? I know you won't be disappointed by any of these easy and inexpensive appetizers at your next party.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more recipes here.

New Year's Eve Activity Bags

In 2012, I made activity bags for my boys as a way of entertaining them on New Year's Eve. Since then, I have been making them annually, and the contents of the bags have changed each year to reflect the fact that they are getting older. Today, I am sharing the contents of the New Year's Eve activity bags I put together this year.

I started with dollar store bags. Then, I cut circles from coloured paper and drew clocks on the circles. I did bags for 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm. and midnight. 

The idea is to have the party guests open a new bag every hour.

Here's what I put in our bags:


6pm - Year in review sheets and pens. You can download my 2021 version for free here.

***Grab you 2022 version here.***

7pm - Chocolates and popcorn.

8pm - A game and a prize. I used LCR with three cash prizes, but any game would work. Chocolate bar Bingo would be fun too. (Bingo with chocolate bar prizes.)

9pm - Candy rings with "Ring in the New Year!" tags. You can download the tags for free here.

10pm - Supplies for a New Year's Eve photo booth. I got a bunch of supplies at the dollar store, and I designed a few photo props (which you can download for free here).

11pm - Midnight Kisses (which are really chocolate kisses packaged in clear bags with free tags that you can download here).

Midnight - Noise makers, sparklers, and cookies. Everything you need to ring in and celebrate the new year!

Isn't this a fun idea? I do 7 bags, but you can do as many (or few) as you want... and if your kids are younger (and won't make it to midnight), you can open the bags earlier.

Have you ever done activity bags with your kids on New Year's Eve? It really is a wonderful idea for a party full of kids, and it works well for a quiet evening at home too. 

What are you going to put in your activity bags? I'm always looking for new ideas.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Check out more New Year's Eve activities and ideas here.

2019 Year in Review... and FREE printable photo booth props

***Updated 2021 version here.***

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 and their friends to fill out on New Year's Eve. We always include the questionnaires in our New Year's Eve countdown activity bags. Here is the 2019 version I designed (that you can download for free). 

To print the "2019 Year in Review": click on the 8 1/2 x 11" photo above, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it. (I sent mine to my local copy store and printed them, and they look fantastic!)

I also have some fun photo props you can print, cut out, and attach sticks to. To print the props below: click on the 8 1/2 x 11" photos below, right-click, save them to your computer, and print them.

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)

Check out more New Year's Eve activities and ideas here.

Christmas Dice Game... a family Christmas gift exchange

Making gift giving into a game is a fun idea for Christmas parties and family gatherings too. This year, my extended family will be playing a “Christmas Dice Game” together on Christmas Eve. Keep reading for all the details on how to play this simple game (and get a free printable instruction sheet).

To play, all participants are asked to bring an inexpensive wrapped. For my family, we are doing a kid's exchange and an adult's exchange. The kids will each bring a $5 gift and the adults will each bring a $10 gift.

The game starts with every person choosing one wrapped gift. (I suggest letting people choose their original gift based on age... from youngest to oldest.) Then, everyone sits in one big circle and takes turns rolling a die and following the instructions for the roll. E.g. A one means “keep your gift”, two means “steal someone’s gift”, three means “everyone pass your gift to the left”, four means “everyone pass your gift to the right”, five means “keep your gift” and six means “steal someone’s gift”. Continue playing until every participant has rolled three times. At the end of the game, whatever gift you end up with is yours to keep! Fun, right?

To download the instructions: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

Have you ever played a game like this? Did you have fun? I can't wait to play with my family on Christmas Eve. If you have any tips for me, let me know.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

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

     

Update: Our family played the Christmas Dice Game on Christmas Eve, and it was a huge success. This will definitely become an annual tradition for us.

Homemade Nuts and Bolts... a DIY holiday gift to give to neighbors and friends

Every year, I make treats to share with my neighbours during the holidays. I love simple DIY gifts that are packaged in a fun way don't you? This year, I filled little jam jars with homemade bits and bites. Today, I'm sharing my recipe (and an adorable packaging idea) for this savory snack.

The best part about this recipe is that you can "change it up" based on what you like. (For example, if you really like Shreddies and don't like Cheerios, you can add more Shreddies and less Cheerios.) As long as you have the same number of "cups" of dry ingredients, you'll be good to go. As a guide, here's what I used...


Ingredients:

7 cups of Rice Chex cereal
4 cups of Shreddies
3 cups of Cheerios
4 cups of pretzels
2 boxes of cheese stick crackers

2 cups of melted salted butter
1 1/2 tbsp seasoning salt
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp paprika


Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2) In a large roaster, combine the first 5 ingredients (i.e. all the cereals, pretzels and crackers).
3) In the microwave, melt the butter. Then mix in the seasoning salt, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
4) Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours... stirring gently and thoroughly every 30 minutes. You'll know you are done when the cereal is dry (i.e. all the butter mixture has been absorbed).

You can package the bits and bites in any airtight container, but I put mine in these little 250mL "jam jars". I used curling ribbon to attach gift tags to the jars. Because I used jam jars, my tags had a little play on words. My tags said, "Spreading Christmas Cheer... one jar at a time." Cute, right?

To download the tags I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Don't my little jars look adorable? The treats are delicious too!

Do you have a favorite DIY Christmas gift to give? Or have you gotten one that you absolutely loved? I'd love to hear about it!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more simple DIY gift ideas here.

Elf Shopping List (free printable list included)

Who knew Elves made shopping lists?!? Yesterday, we woke up to find our Elf on the Shelf holding a pen next to a shopping list he made. Apparently he likes sugar because his list included: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and maple syrup.

To print off a copy of the this Elf on the Shelf shopping list: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo. (I printed mine at my local copy store for less than $1.)

Cute, right? And if you are looking for more Elf on the Shelf inspiration, you can find tons of easy and inexpensive Elf on the Shelf ideas here.

What are some of your favourite Elf on the Shelf antics? My boys love searching for our Elf each morning and seeing what silly thing he has done.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)