Top 10 Advent Countdown Ideas for Kids... and adults will like them too.

When it comes to Christmas, the days leading up to the big day are my favourite. I adore listening to Christmas carols, baking cookies, watching Christmas movies and counting down to the big day. Advent countdowns come in many forms (from homemade to store bought), and today, I am sharing 10 of my favourite ways to countdown to the Christmas!

**Note: This post contains a few affiliate links. I have 100% chosen these items because I love them, but I want to let you know that if you make a purchase using one of my affiliate links, I may get a small commission on your purchase... at NO additional cost to you. Thank you!**

1) For the Star Wars fan - My boys are huge Star Wars fans, and the LEGO inside this advent calendar is out of this galaxy. (See what I did there?) You can find out more here.

2) For the book and movie lover - This is a favourite way to countdown to the holidays in our house. I wrap our Christmas books and movies and number them 1-24. Then, during the lead up to Christmas, my boys take turns unwrapping the packages. Also... sometimes our Elf on the Shelf does it for us. 😀

3) For the LEGO fan - I absolutely love LEGO, and what is cuter than the LEGO Santa included in this LEGO City advent calendar. This LEGO friends advent calendar is adorable too!

4) For the chocolate and peanut butter fan - This advent calendar is my favourite. How great would it be to start every day in December with a small and delicious sweet treat?

5) For the child who likes surprises - Every time you open a window of this advent house, you get a surprise, including: 9 Kinder Mini Eggs, 9 Kinder Choco-Bons, 3 Kinder Chocolate, 2 Kinder Hollow Santa and 1 Kinder Surprise

6) For the creative child - This crayola Christmas countdown is perfect for a young child who likes to draw and colour. This is a fun one!

7) For the family that likes to keep things simple - Print this FREE calendar and use a marker, stickers or glued-on pom pom to countdown to the big day. Or... just use a chalkboard.

8) For the "old school" family - I made these paper chain countdowns when I was a child, and I made them with my boys when they were small. The time spent together crafting is just as much fun as the countdown. Find the instructions here.

9) For the family that prefers experiences - I love the idea of choosing activities over things. Fill each balloon with a fun activities you can do together (e.g. play a board game, watch a Christmas movie, make a tree ornament, etc...), and pop one balloon every day in December. Fun, right?

10) For the hockey fan - We had this fun calendar last year, and my boys love it. We especially loved the Santa on skates!

How do you countdown to Christmas? I absolutely love all these advent countdown ideas. We usually choose a couple of options because it's so much fun... and it's too hard to choose just one! 😀

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Using Personalized Home Decor to Decorate for the Holidays

When I was growing up, I remember searching souvenir racks for something with my name on it, and I seldom found anything... so when I was giving the opportunity to cozy up my home with personalized home decor for the holidays, I jumped at the chance. You may remember the video of my boys unboxing our goodies from Personalization Mall*. Well, today I am sharing photos of how I used the items we received to transform the front of our home and our TV room into cozy-cabin themed spaces.

*Note: I received free items from Personalization Mall in exchange for my blog post showing how I used the items in my home. However, as always, the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

First, I updated the front of my house. I love the idea of creating an entrance that is warm and inviting for the holidays, don't you? I hung a wonderful rustic "Cozy by the Fire" sign and laid out a charming personalized mat that includes the names of my three boys.

Then, I moved to the inside of my house... continuing with the "cozy cabin" theme. The TV room is my favourite place in the house. It's the space where my family cuddles up and relaxes together. It's so inviting with all of my new holiday decor, don't you think?

How adorable are these pillows? And the blanket is soft, warm, and perfectly on trend for the holidays. I also adore the personalized "candy cane factory" and "Santa stop here" signs.

And if you are going to be cuddling up with the people you love, you are going to need treats. PersonalizationMall.com has gorgeous monogrammed wine glasses and personalized wine label stickers that are super fun!

And the kids will love drinking hot chocolate from personalized mugs served on this charming acrylic tray.

Don't these sweet smiles say it all? To me, this is what Christmas is all about.

My boys also have their own personalized Santa sacks (from PersonalizationMall.com). I wonder what Santa will fill them with this year.

I am absolutely in love with all of my goodies from PersonalizationMall.com. I think the "Cozy by the Fire" sign is my favourite, but they are all festive, fun, and high quality. If you have never checked out PersonalizationMall.com, I highly recommend it for your holiday shopping needs. Personalization is free on all their products, they have fast shipping (1-2 day turnaround) and their exclusive designs are fantastic.

Happy shopping!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy) 

Gift Guide for LEGO Fans

My boys love LEGO... especially my middle son. We've had LEGO parties, planned trips to LEGOland, and purchased many LEGO products. So, when it comes to Christmas, there is always something "LEGO" related on my shopping list. Today, I am sharing 10 fun gift ideas for LEGO fans.

*Note: This post contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of my links, I will get a small commission (at NO extra cost to you). Thanks!

1) LEGO Advent Calendar - There is a LEGO advent calendar style for everyone, but in my house Star Wars LEGO rules! Getting a piece of LEGO every day for 24 days is a fantastic way to countdown to the big day.

2) LEGO Mug - I know it isn't good manners to play with your food, but with this super-fun LEGO mug, it's perfectly OK. I already ordered one of these mugs, and I can't wait for my son to try it out on Christmas morning.

3) LEGO Idea Book - I love the idea of making NEW projects from OLD pieces of LEGO. This fantastic book has over 500 ideas. That should keep the kids busy for a while.

4) LEGO Clean Up Mat - If you have ever stepped on a piece of LEGO, you know the importance of being able to clean up the pieces quickly and easily. This clean up mat is super-clever and the perfect quick clean up solution.

5) Clear Shoe Racks for LEGO Storage - There are tons of ways to store LEGO, but using a clear shoe rack is one of my favourites. The shoe racks take advantage of unused space on the back of a door, and the clear pockets make it easy for kids to organize their LEGO.

6) LEGO tape - This LEGO compatible tape is unique and clever. It's great for craft projects, and kids will love coming up with imaginative uses for it.

7) Classic LEGO Building Bricks - I'm a sucker for the classic LEGO bricks I grew up with. Rather than a "kit" with a specific thing to build, there are brightly coloured bricks which can be used to build endless imaginative creations.

8) LEGO Reactions Book - The STEM fan on your list will love this book. With existing pieces and the ones included with this book, you can design and build moving machines. How cool is that????

9) LEGO Stocking Stuffers - LEGO Crayons (which you can make by melting and cooling old crayons in a LEGO mold) and LEGO minifigures make great LEGO-themed stocking stuffers.

10) LEGO Kits - There are countless kits you can buy, but in my house the Star Wars kits are always the most popular. I am also loving the new Harry Potter kits this year.

Do you have a LEGO fan on your shopping list this Christmas? I hope this LEGO gift guide has given you some ideas and inspiration. Is there something you love that is missing from my list? Let me know what you think in the comments. 

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy) 

Halloween 2018

Just a quick update to let you know how our Halloween went down this year. As always, there was a mad dash between school, hockey practice, and getting ready to trick-or-treat... but we managed to get everything done. Pumpkins were carved, and three boys left our house happily with the three costumes they designed and I put together.  Check out their DIY costumes below.

This year, my oldest son went as Clark Kent (aka Superman). We bought an $8 t-shirt from Walmart, and added a shirt, tie, and glasses. Everything was secured with safety pins... and voila... a super hero in disguise.

My middle son went as Chewbacca. We already had the mask, so he added brown pants, a brown sweater, brown fuzzy mitts, and a duct tape bandolier. It was the perfect costume for this Star Wars fan.

My youngest son decided to be a "fancy waiter zombie". I'm not entirely sure this is a real thing, but he seemed to have a very clear idea of what he wanted: a fancy outfit, white make-up, and a body part on a tray. He was happy with how it turned out, and I think he looked great... so we'll call it a success.

Kids are dressed, pumpkins are carved, and everyone is out collecting candy. It doesn't get much better than that.

I can't wait for the kids to get home and tell me all about their adventures... and I won't mind if they share a bit of their candy with me too. Happy Halloween everyone!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Halloween Candy Alternatives Kids Will LOVE... including lots of free printable tags

No child should feel left out at Halloween, so it's important to have some candy-free, allergy-safe Halloween treat options available for trick-or-treaters. I love finding fun trinkets and packaging them in a cute way, and today I am sharing some of my favourite options (and free printable tags) with you.

1) Halloween "Booo"bles - These adorable (free) printable tags transform boring bubbles into a fun Halloween treat. Find the tags and details here.

2) Halloween Straws - How cute are these Halloween straws that can be packaged with these adorable "Eat, Drink and Be Scary" tags? Perfect when you want to be allergy friendly! You can download the free printable tags here.

3) "Fang"tastic Treats - These treats (and their cute packaging) are wonderful additions to a class Halloween party. They are perfect when you want to be sugar-free and allergy-friendly! You can download the free printable tags here.

4) Eyeball Treats - The super-cute packaging and tags make these the perfect treat to share with friends on Halloween. Everyone can enjoy them because they are allergy-friendly! You can find out all the details and download the tags for free here.

5) Funny glasses (sugar-free) Halloween Treat - It's always great to have a non-food Halloween treat option... and these silly glasses are fantastic. You can download the FREE printable gift tags here.

6) Halloween play dough kit - This adorable treat includes a package of orange Kool Aid, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a recipe for homemade Halloween play dough.  Click here to download the free printable playdough recipe gift tag.

7) Mazes - This little "maze" game is inexpensive and sure to be a hit with little ones.  You can download the "I think you are an a'MAZING' friend" free printable gift tag here. 

8) Googly eye glasses - These silly glasses are sure to make little ones giggle.  You can download the free "'Eye' am lucky to have a friend like you" bag toppers here.

10) Pictures with pencils or little toys - Add a personal touch by attaching little gifts to photos.  You can find all the "how to" details here.

11) Tic Tac Toe game - This tic tac toe board is definitely more "treat" than "trick".  You can download the tic tac toe boards {for free} here. 

12) Playdough Treats - These party favours / Halloween treats are perfect for sharing because they are allergy safe and sugar free. You can download the "punny" tags for free here.

With these candy-free treat options, you are going to be the most popular house on the block. They make perfect Halloween class treats too. Happy Halloween!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE "FANGtastic" Halloween ideas here.)