5 Holiday Shopping Tips

Holiday shopping can be enjoyable, but it can also be extremely stressful.  I remember one year my middle son had his heart set on a tabletop hockey set.  Unfortunately, I waited too long to order it, and I ended up getting it at a store two hours away.  After that, I knew I had to make an effort to make holiday shopping easier, more successful, and more fun.  Here are the rules I try to live by...

1)  Start early - If you start early, the stores will be less crowded, and you will have more time to locate the items you need.

2)  Don't go overboard - Try not to let your gift buying get out of control.  Draw names where appropriate, and set limits.

3)  Shop online -  Shopping from the comfort of your home after the kids have gone to bed can be relaxing and efficient.  It is the best way to easily locate items and find the best prices.

4)  Remember what's important - Instead of going in debt to amass a mountain of toys for your little ones, focus on getting one or two special presents instead.  Put more energy into creating memories than into shopping.

5)  Get organized - Get the kids to write letters to Santa, and make a copy and stick it to the fridge.  A "locked down" list will prevent a last minute scramble.  Also, make a list of all the people you need to buy for and any ideas you have.  Then, check off the names each time you make a purchase.  (Note:  Mattel.ca has some great holiday toys and wish list capability to help plan your holiday shopping.  You can check it out here.)

What are your best tips for making holiday less stressful?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I am part of the Mattel Holiday Blogger Campaign with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Easy Harry Potter Cakes

I am not a professional cake decorator. In fact, I have never even taken a cake decorating course. But, I always try to make special cakes for my boys' birthdays.  This year I made two Harry Potter cakes for my oldest son (and I'm also sharing a simple cake I made for a movie night). All THREE Harry Potter cakes were simple to make and turned out totally cute!

The first cake I made for the Harry Potter party was a simple "Quidditch Cake".  

To make each goal post, I wrapped electrical tape around pipe cleaners and twisted them into a circle.  Then, I stuck the end into a paper straw.

And to make the golden snitch, I added wax paper wings.

I finished it off by adding some "every flavour beans" along the bottom of the cake.  I think it adds a nice touch of color, don't you?

The second cake I made for the Harry Potter party was a simple "Crest Cake".

I started with a basic rectangular sheet cake, and I carved it into the shape of a crest.  I did a crumb coat, and then covered the cake with yellow icing.  I piped on some red trim, and then I added some fun "Harry Potter" items -- a fruit roll-up scar, a foil wrapped golden snitch, some every flavour beans, and a chocolate frog.  Simple and fun! 

And... for a special movie night with my boys, I made this simple cake with pink icing and green icing... a replica of the cake Hagrid made for Harry Potter in the first movie. It doesn't get easier than this one!

Which Harry Potter cake is your favorite? I think a Harry Potter fan would love any one of these magical desserts!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You may also be interested in our easy and inexpensive DIY Harry Potter party. The simple details are super-fun!

5 ways to teach children about helping others this holiday season

I think that my most important job as a mother is to teach my boys to be good and caring people.  I want my children to be kind to family, friends, and other people in our community.  It's a big concept for little people, but here are 5 ways to teach children about helping others this holiday season:

1)  Talk to them - Children need to be told how fortunate they are, and they need to understand that not everyone has the things that they do.  It's simple... but it's important.

2)  Put them to work - One important tradition we have incorporated into our family is an annual "Letter Writing to Santa" party/fundraiser.  My boys host a party, we charge people to come, and we donate the money to a charity that they choose.  They are able to bake the cookies, assemble the craft kits, help set up, and take money at the door.  "Doing" the work really helps them to feel like they are making a contribution.

3)  Volunteer - There are always organizations that could benefit from a visit from little helpers.  Pick something that interests your children.  My boys have sung to seniors at a local nursing home, and it was a great experience for everyone.

4)  Do something small - Little gestures of kindness can make a big impact.  I like to have my kids bring treats or little gifts to their classmates during the holidays, and we always bake and deliver treats to our neighbours.

5)  Send a card - This is a simple thing that you can do with your little ones right now.  They can make their own cards to send to family and friends.

How are you going to teach your children about helping others this holiday season?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Elf on the Shelf Welcome Breakfast

Our Elf on the Shelf used to come on December 1st, but last year he came for my son's birthday on November 20th.  This year, he arrived early again, and this time he brought a special birthday breakfast.

I have seen a lot of Elf on the Shelf Welcome Breakfasts on Pinterest, but I like this one because it is simple.  Here is what our elf brought:

1)  North Pole hot chocolate and colored marshmallows. 
2)  Candy canes (which make great stir sticks for hot chocolate).
3)  North Pole pancake mix (which looks a lot like regular pancake mix with colored sprinkles added).  

To download and print the recipe for North Pole pancakes (below): click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Fun, right?  How do you welcome your Elf on the Shelf?  Do you think your little ones would like our simple North Pole Breakfast?

♥ 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in the 40+ fantastic Elf on the Shelf ideas here.

Birthday Letter to my Eight Year Old (First Born) Son

Today my oldest son turns eight, and I am continuing my tradition of writing my boys letters on their birthdays.  I wish all of you could meet my sweet birthday boy.  He really is one of a kind.  :-)  

To my sweet boy,

I can't think about you without the word "angel" popping into my head.  You really are a special boy with a kind heart, and you make me proud every day.  Here are a few of the things that make you the darling eight year old that you have become:

• You love to watch, play, and talk about hockey.  I see a lot of cold rinks in my future.
• You are very talented musically.  You love choir and playing the guitar, and you even write your own songs -- and they are really good!
• You love to draw and write stories.
• You try hard at everything you do.  You have incredible focus and love to practice when you are learning something new.
• You still call me "Mommy", and I love it.
• You still aren't embarrassed to kiss me good-bye when I drop you off at school.
• You have a lot of friends, but your brothers are definitely your best buddies. 
• You are reading Harry Potter, and you are excited about the fun stuff we are doing for your Harry Potter birthday party. 
• You would eat peanut butter sandwiches for every meal if I would let you.
• Your favorite color is red, your hockey number is 11, and you want to be a hockey player when you grow up.

Happy birthday my sweet angel.  You may be eight, but you will always be my first baby.

Lots of Love,

Mommy

xoxo

If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever. -- Winnie the Pooh

Quick Tip Tuesday #26 - Simple Reindeer Ornament

During the hectic holiday season, sometimes it's helpful to have a "quick craft" on hand to keep the kids busy.  Here's a simple reindeer ornament the kids will love to make.

Little ones can make it in four easy steps.

1)  Glue three popsicle sticks into a triangle.
2)  Glue on googly eyes and a pom pom nose.
3)  Twist two pipe cleaners into antlers.
4)  Add a ribbon hanger.

So cute and simple, right?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Writing a Letter to Santa Party/Fundraiser Tutorial

This year my boys held their 3rd Annual "Writing a Letter to Santa" party/fundraiser.  They raised $238 for Cystic Fibrosis (in honor of their baby cousin who has the disease).  It's one of my favorite Christmas traditions, and I am hoping that some of my readers may be inspired to throw a similar party with their children.  So, today I am sharing all the info you need to host your own "Writing a Letter to Santa" party/fundraiser.

First, you'll need to decide on all the details of your party.  (We made this little poster.)

Then, on the day of the party, put your little ones to work.  My boys worked really hard before, during and after the party, and they were extremely proud of their efforts. 

And, of course, you'll need to make some cookies.  We had three types of cookies and juice boxes for our guests.  You can download a cute sign for the cookie table here.

And every guest was able to make some reindeer food to take home.  We used oats, Cheerios, and red sugar sprinkles.  You can download the tags for the reindeer food here, and you can download a cute sign for the reindeer food table here.

The kids were also given paper and envelopes to write their letters, and the supplies they needed to make a simple craft.

Finally, as a parting gift, every child was given this cute Santa beard.  You can download the template here.

I would be delighted to have you use my downloads to put together your own party.  If you do, I'd love to hear all about it!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)