5 Tips for Making School Lunches that Kids will Actually Eat

We're a couple of months into the new school year, and lunches are already starting to get a little boring. Am I right?!? Are you looking for a few fresh ideas? Today, I am sharing 5 tips for making school lunches that kids will actually eat.

1) Make snacks for lunch - My kids love things that are easy to grab and eat, and serving snacks for lunch works perfectly. Some people opt for fancy Bento boxes, but my older kids prefer a collection of individual dishes. It also makes it easy to hit all the different food groups and create a balanced lunch.

2) Make breakfast for lunch - My kids love breakfast foods, so taking french toast or pancakes in a thermos is always a popular lunch option. Cereal is a simple choice too!

3) Stock the freezer with homemade goodies - I love having individually wrapped goodies in the fridge ready to pop in the lunch boxes. My kids love taking homemade biscuits and cookies.

4) Mix up some smoothies - Smoothies are wonderful healthy options, but making them in the morning can be time consuming. Making them in bulk and freezing them in these jam jars is perfect. Check out the full "how to" here.

5) Include a sweet treat - A sweet treat is something for kids to look forward to receiving in their lunch box, and it can be a good motivator for encouraging them to eat the healthy items. In our house, the rule is that the cookie can't be eaten unless the other items are eaten too. Clever, right?!?

I love finding new, creative, and EASY ideas for kid's lunches, don't you? What are your favourite ways to add variety and fun to lunch boxes? It's a long school year, so I can use as much help as I can get! 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

7 Covid-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Halloween

Like everything else, Halloween is a bit different this year with Covid restrictions in place. However, there are lots of ways to still keep it fun for kids. Today, I am sharing ideas a few ideas for social distanced (Covid-friendly) Halloween fun!

1) Safe trick or treating - Some people are not comfortable with trick or treating this year, but for those that are, social distancing and proper hygiene are extremely important. People who are handing out treats should sanitize their hands between visitors and keep high touch areas (such as door handles) clean. Trick or treats should try not to gather in large groups, and they should wash their hands before heading out and when they return home.

Having pre-packaged bags of treats (that prevent several kids from touching the same treats) is a great idea too. How cute are these gloves full of goodies? You can even print off a "punny" sign for free here.

2) Decorate - Investing some extra time decorating this year is a fantastic idea. And if you want to get the whole neighbourhood involved, you can opt for a house, window, or door decorating competition. 

It's fun decorating, but driving or walking around looking at other family's decorations is enjoyable too!

3) Halloween movie night - A festive movie night at home is a simple, covid-friendly way to celebrate Halloween. You can find my favourite treat idea and Halloween movie choices here.

4) "Boo" the neighbours - My boys have been "booing" the neighbours since 2011, and it's a perfect activity for this year. Fun treats... and no contact required. Find the full instructions and free printable sheets here.

5) Carve pumpkins, eat the seeds, and make some magic - Carving pumpkins is a tradition in most families, but don't forget to cook the seeds and plant a few to create some magic!

Find a few pumpkin carving ideas here.

Cook the seeds. (To roast pumpkin seeds: clean and pat them dry, spread on a cookie sheet, drizzle with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 300 for approximately 45 minutes... stirring occasionally.) 

Plant a few "magic" pumpkin seeds. Find out how to create the magic here.

6) Play Halloween Bingo or go on a Halloween Scavenger Hunt - Playing games on Zoom or going on an outdoor scavenger hunt is a great way to celebrate this year. You can create your own games, or you can download the scavenger hunt I designed (for free) here.

7) Costume Contest and Parade - DIYing costumes, and showing them off in the neighbourhood is the best way to celebrate Halloween. Organizing a parade or costume party is a wonderful covid-friendly option this year. Check out my 25 FAVOURITE no-sew DIY costume ideas here.

There are many covid-friendly ways to celebrate Halloween this year, but these are 7 of my favourite options. What will you be doing on October 31?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can also find more frightfully fun Halloween ideas here.

Simple (and cheap) Ways to Decorate a Door for Halloween

A blank door makes a perfect canvas for inexpensive Halloween decorating. With a few cheap supplies, you can create a vignette that makes a huge impact. Today, I am sharing my favorite easy and inexpensive ways to decorate a door for Halloween.

Creating a large shadowy piece of artwork is a fanastic door decorating option. I used a couple of pieces of bristol board to create this spooky forest scene. I drew it, cut it out, and attached it to the door with painter's tape. Cute, right?!?!

A white door makes a good "mummy" too. Use painter's tape to cover the door in strips of cheesecloth, and add a couple of googly eyes made from cardstock. I love this one!

Alternatively, you can just add a wreath to an interior or exterior door of your home. This is a DIY wreath I made from a pool noodle. It was easy to make, really inexpensive, and I love it! You can find the step by step instructions for this Halloween wreath here.

How are you decorating the doors in your home for Halloween? I hope you try one of my easy and inexpensive DIY ideas.

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Minion Costume... made using dollar store supplies

I love a good homemade costume, don't you? I especially love that the finished creations are unique and budget friendly. So, when my 10 year old said he wanted a minion costume that "looked like a mascot", I headed to the dollar store, and I got to work on my DIY Minion Costume (made from dollar store supplies).

I started with a dome-shaped candy bowl, and I used Mod Podge to attach yellow napkins. (Hint: I found the napkins thin and hard to work with, so I recommend using strips of yellow paper instead.)

Then, I cut a mouth out of a round laundry basket, covered it with yellow dish cloths (secured in place with duct tape), and attached a pop up hamper (with twine).

I cut two holes in the sides of a pop up hamper, and covered it in yellow dishcloths. Then, I used black duct tape, mason jar lids, and eyeballs printed on cardstock to make the Minion eyes.

Then, I used hot glue to attach pipe cleaner "hair" and duct tape to attached paper teeth.

Finally, I covered an old apron in blue duct tape to make the overalls. Cute, right?

My son was super-impressed with his costume, and I thought he looked super-cute. There really is nothing better than a DIY Halloween costume.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

         Find MORE ideas for easy and inexpensive Halloween fun here.

The BEST Homemade Frozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Is there anything better than warm cookies right of the oven? My boys are obsessed with my homemade chocolate chip cookies, but it's not always convenient to serve them straight from the oven. That's why I love having frozen balls of chocolate chip cookie dough "ready to go" in the freezer. If you haven't tried this little trick, you are missing out!

I start by mixing up my favourite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe. You can find the full recipe here.

I use a cookie scoop to place balls of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper. Then, I cover the cookie balls with a piece of plastic wrap, and place them in the freezer until frozen... about 4 hours or overnight. 

You can find the inexpensive cookie scoop I use here. (affiliate link)

When the cookie balls are completely frozen, they can be placed in a freezer bag until you are ready to bake them. (Cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months if it is wrapped well.)

When you are ready to bake the cookies, just place the frozen cookie balls on a cookie sheet, and bake like you normally would... adding a couple of minutes to the cooking time. They are soooo delicious!

I love this process for making chocolate chip cookies, but you could use it with other recipes too. 

It's so wonderful having cookie dough in the freezer "ready to go". It's perfect for surprise visitors, after school treats, and school lunches.

Give it a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

DIY Thanksgiving Decor for Kids and Adults

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with family and friends. If you are hosting dinner this year, why not get the whole family involved in creating fun and inventing decor? Today, I'm sharing the best ideas for EASY and INEXPENSIVE DIY Thanksgiving decor.

How cute is this turkey wine bottle? Use a glue gun to attach a couple of dollar store leaves to the back. Then, use more hot glue to attach two googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. It doesn't get much easier, and your guests will love seeing this whimsical bottle of wine on the table!

The wine is great for grown ups, but there should be something on the table for younger guests too. How about a fun turkey candy dish? The kids can help by tracing and cutting out their handprints from coloured card stock. Then, arrange the hands together, secure with tape, and use hot glue to attach the "feathers" to the back of a glass dish from the dollar store. Finish by using hot glue to attach googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. You can fill the dish with any type of candy, but I love the colours of these Reese's Pieces.

Paper crafts are great for kids too. They add to the festive decor... and they keep the kids busy while you are making dinner. You can find the full step by step instructions for this stained glass paper turkey here. 

Kids can also use 1 inch squares of tissue paper (in fall colours) to make this paper plate Thanksgiving wreath. You can find the step by step instructions for this simple wreath here. 

And, of course, adults can make a wonderful wreath for the front door too. Don't you just love this cozy argyle fall wreath? If you can use a scissors and a glue gun, you can make this wonderful piece of Thanksgiving Day decor. Find the full step by step instructions for this Thanksgiving wreath here.

And I love this FREE Thanksgiving print. Download it here, and pop it in a dollar store frame. Cute, right?

Crafting a few unique pieces makes Thanksgiving a little extra special, don't you think?

How are you decorating for Thanksgiving this year? Are you making any fun crafts? I love the personal touch added by handmade items, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the adorable Thanksgiving party favours (and free printable tags here.