Our Favorite Christmas Traditions

I'm sure you have heard me say it before, but I truly believe that family traditions and rituals are the building blocks of childhood memories.  I have blogged about many of our Christmas traditions, but I thought it might be helpful to share a collection of my top five Christmas traditions.  

Just click on the links below for more info.

1)  The Polar Express - mini van edition.  Seriously fun!

2)  Elf on the Shelf - our elf antics are nice... not naughty.

3)  Letter Writing to Santa Party/Fundraiser - our way of giving back during the holiday season.

4)  The Tree - the five things we do every year.

5) Christmas Eve - the five traditions that make Christmas Eve the most special day of the year.

And of course, we bake cookies, build gingerbread houses, listen to Christmas carols, go carolling, and watch our favorite Christmas specials.

Are holiday specials part of your Christmas celebration?  What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Elf on the Shelf Book Countdown

It's December 1, and it's time to start "counting down" to Christmas.  Luckily, last night (while we were sleeping) our Elf on the Shelf decided to put together a Christmas countdown for us.

If you don't have an Elf on the Shelf, this is still a great idea.  Dig out 24 of your Christmas books and movies, wrap them up, and number them.  Then, each day, the kids unwrap and read/watch the book/movie they opened that day.  Fun, right?

Our Elf is usually pretty smart.  He numbers the books/movies to ensure that there is always a movie on family movie night, and "The Night Before Christmas" is always the last book my boys open.  Such a clever Elf!

How do you count down to Christmas?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more fun Elf on the Shelf Ideas here.

Elf on the Shelf North Pole Treats with free printable

Check out the adorable treats our Elf on the Shelf brought my boys this morning?  Aren't these "North Pole donuts" cute?  

Interested in making your own?  The poles are paper straws with a marshmallow stuck on the top.  Then, you just have to attach a "North Pole" sign that you can download for free here.

Fun, right?  I think they would be perfect for an Elf on the Shelf welcome breakfast.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (I think Elfie was inspired by the party he found here.)

You can find MORE easy and inexpensive Elf on the Shelf ideas here.

5 Ways to Count Down to Christmas

In our house, we are always counting down to something -- a special event, a birthday, a vacation, or a holiday.  I think "counting down" is an important part of the fun, as it builds a lot of anticipation and excitement.  Here are 5 ways we "count down" to special events in our house.

1)  Paper chains - I love an old fashioned paper craft, and paper chains are simple, fun, and can be color coded to any special event or holiday.  You can find our more info on our Christmas paper chain advent countdown here.

2)  Chalkboard or calendar -  We have a chalkboard in our kitchen, and it always documents the next special day in our house.  It just doesn't get any easier than this!

3)  Wrapped books or movies - Nothing builds excitement like unwrapping a gift.  At Christmas, our Elf on the Shelf wraps all our Christmas movies and books.  You can read about it here.

4)  Treats/Gifts - A sweet treat each day of a countdown can be a lot of fun.  Check out our "Kiss" Countdown here, and our "Smartie" Countdown here.  You can also purchase a chocolate advent calendar or a calendar filled with little gifts.  My son received this Playmobil advent for his birthday, and is super-excited to give it a try.

5)  Balloon Pop -  Filling balloons with notes containing special activities is a fantastic way to count down to Christmas.  Why not have items like "drink hot chocolate" or "make Christmas cookies"?  Simple and fun!  (You can go here to find out how a balloon pop works.)

How do you count down to Christmas in your house?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Honeydukes Sweet Shop

Check out the "Honeydukes Sweet Shop" I put together for my oldest son's Harry Potter party.  Isn't it the cutest?

I made the sign using a piece of (dollar store) foam core trimmed with pink duct tape.  Then, I printed some letters onto cardstock and used double sided tape to secure them in place.

For the treats, I bought some jars at the dollar store, and added some labels I made using Picmonkey.com. 

Here are the treats we had:

Bott's Every Flavor Beans - no-name gourmet jelly beans
Ollivander's Edible Wands - black liquorice
Fizzing Whizbees - popping candy
Mad Eye Moody's Eyeball Gum - eyeball gumballs
Chocolate Frogs - chocolate frogs made from frog-shaped chocolate molds
Remus' Werewolf Fangs - candy corn

I also made some "Golden Snitches" by hot gluing feathers onto gold foil wrapped chocolates.

What Harry Potter fan wouldn't love shopping at Honeydukes Sweet Shop?  It's a fantastic loot bag idea.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Quick Tip Tuesday #27 - Pool Noodle Wreath Form

This isn't an idea that I came up with (as it is all over Pinterest); however, it is so clever that I knew I needed it to be part of Quick Tip Tuesday.

I LOVE this idea because it is super-easy and inexpensive. Basically, you use duct tape to secure the ends of a pool noodle together.

I stick a craft stick into the openings on the ends to make it stronger, and I use lots of duct tape.  Once I didn't use enough duct tape, and it came apart.... not good!

Also, if you want a different size/ diameter, you can also use pipe covers (which you can find at your local building supply store).

To make a wreath, just wrap the form with yarn, burlap or fabric.  Then, add whatever embellishments you like.  The dollar store has tons of inexpensive options.

Have you ever made a wreath from a pool noodle?  I'd love to see it!

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

A Pirate Adventure... and our new favorite toy

I have three little boys, so there is always some sort of play adventure going on in our house.  Pirate play is one of my boys' favorite ways to spend an afternoon, so today I thought a would share a simple DIY pirate adventure with you.

Every pirate loves a treasure hunt, so why not write up some simple clues and hide them around the house?  A simple pirate snack is also a must because pirates work up a big appetite searching for treasure!

And, of course, a pirate craft is always fun.  Here is a simple pirate ship craft you can make with your little ones.

First, download the free pirate ship template that you can find here.

Then, have your child color the pieces, cut them out, and glue them in place.  (In addition to the template, you'll also need three popsicle sticks, a few Cheerios, and some glue.)  Isn't it a cute little craft?

And... if your little one loves using his/her imaginations to go on "play adventures", you should totally check out our new favorite toy -- the Imaginext Rescue City Centre.

Rescue City Centre features a city scape with lots of action!  The left side features a gas station, a currency exchange, and a jewelry store.  The right side of the set is equipped with a fire station, police station and hospital.  It also comes with two figures, a fire truck and lots of interactive sounds and actions.  Seriously... it is a lot of fun!  My boys haven't stopped playing with it since we got it.

Also, be sure to check out the Fisher-Price website for lots of new "Ed Venture" content and a great contest.  Contestants are able to play an online game and unlock the next phase of the game by solving clues.  You'll have a chance to win 1 of 5 $300 Imaginext prize packs including the Imaginext Rescue City Centre, Imaginext Mega Apatasaurus, Imaginext Eagle Talon Castle, and Imaginext Batcave.

What types of adventures do your little ones like to go on?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Imaginext 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.