Easy Family Picture Arrangements

In June, we had some family pictures taken, and I have been planning on framing them for a few months.  This weekend, I finally put them up, and I thought I would share my tips for hanging groups of family photos.

Here's what I do:

1)  I collect a bunch of pictures and picture frames that work well together. 
2)  I arrange my pictures on the floor until I get an arrangement I like.
3)  I make paper templates for the pictures, and arrange them on the wall.
4)  I do some final measurements, and hang the pictures.

I just love surrounding myself with pictures of my family, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Elf on the Shelf Halloween Greeting...free printable

Those of you that follow this blog know that my boys love their Elf on the Shelf, and they miss him a lot when he is at the North Pole.  Luckily our thoughtful Elf ("Elfie") sends us greetings throughout the year.  Here is his Halloween postcard.

Isn't he cute all dressed up for Halloween?  You can download a free copy of this 4X6 picture (without the watermark) here.  Feel free to print it, pin it, and share it with your friends, but please link back to this post... not directly to the download.  Thanks so much!

Does your Elf on the Shelf keep in touch throughout the year, or does he just come at Christmas?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Spooky Pictures and Fun Frames for Halloween

It is no secret that I love being surrounded by pictures of my boys, so this year, I thought it would be really fun to use their pictures as part of our Halloween decor.  The result was frightfully adorable!

I started by "turning my boys into vampires" using Picmonkey.com (which is free and really user-friendly).  You can see the before and after pictures of my boys below.

Cute, right?

Then, I needed some inexpensive frames for the pictures.  I found plain purple frames at Walmart (3 for $3), and I added some glittery spiders with hot glue.  I just love the combination of purple and black when decorating for Halloween, and I am really happy with how these frames turned out.

This is a great DIY Halloween Decor project, and it's a lot of fun for the kids.  Do you think you'll give this a try with your little ones?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Halloween Toilet Paper Holder

While browsing through Pinterest, I came across this simple idea here, and I knew I had to do it for my boys.  All you need is a pair of dollar store stretchy gloves and some kleenex.

Isn't this a fun Halloween decoration?  My boys think it is hilarious!  Here's how easy it is:

1) Stuff some kleenex into the fingers of dollar store gloves.
2) Cut slits in the palms of the gloves.
3) Place the gloves over the bars of the toilet roll holder.

I think this idea is fantastic for Halloween.  It is easy, inexpensive, and lots of fun!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Paper Chain Halloween Countdown

My boys are super-excited about Halloween, and are constantly asking me, "How many more days until we can go trick or treating?"  So, today my four year old and I made an adorable Paper Chain Halloween Countdown.

Isn't it cute?  We started by making a super cute handprint spider.

1)  I painted my son's fingers and palm with black (washable) paint.
2)  I pressed his hand onto a paper plate.
3)  I painted his other hand, and pressed it onto the plate... with overlapping palm prints.
4)  I let it dry, and then my little guy added two googly eyes.

Then, we added a paper chain.

1)  I divided sheets of construction paper into 1 1/2 inch strips, and my four year old cut them out.
2)  We linked the first strip around a slit in the paper plate, looped it around, and stapled the ends.  Then, we added all the links and secured them with staples.
3)  We finished by adding a ribbon hanger to the top of the paper plate.

Didn't it turn out cute?  How are you counting down to the big day?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Book Nook

I believe that books should always be visible and accessible to children, and this is why you will find books in almost every room of my house.  In an effort to be a little more organized, this weekend, I created a simple DIY "book nook" for my boys.

It was really easy to put together.  I bought some unfinished spice racks from IKEA and painted them white.  Then, I added a framed photo of a page out of one of our favorite books.  (I also added a quote to our picture using Picmonkey.com.  It says, "The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. - by Dr. Seuss.")  Cute, right?

I love how all the books are "on display", and the boys are thrilled with how easy it is to find their favorites.

Do you have a "quick tip" for displaying books in your home?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Handprint Turkeys - Thanksgiving Craft

Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend, so I thought I would share a simple "turkey" craft the kids will love.  (And moms will love it too because we are all suckers for little handprints, aren't we?)

To make a handprint turkey:

1)  Paint your little one's hand with washable paint.  (You can do the fingers in different colors if you want.)

2)  Press the hand (with thumb out) onto a piece of paper or paper plate.

3)  Add a googly eye, wattle, beak, legs, etc...

That's it -- a fantastic craft and an adorable keepsake.  Happy Thanksgiving!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)