5 Ways to Celebrate New Year's Eve With Kids

New Years’ Eve is a great time to plan a celebration with kids. I like to stay home and ring in the new year as a family, but if you have “grown up” plans, an earlier party with the kids is fun too. Here are 5 ways to celebrate New Year's Eve with kids:

1)  Countdown bags -  I like to fill eight bags with different treats or activities, and every hour, my boys are allowed to open one of the bags.  You can find all the DIY details here.

2)  Year in review questionnaires - Last year I created a year in review questionnaire for the kids to fill out, and I have updated it so that we can do it again this year.  It's a fun activity, and it makes a nice keepsake too.  You can download the questionnaire I designed here.

Update: find a 2021 version here.

3)  DIY party favors - We like to craft party hats and signs (which you can read about here), and we like to make our own noisemaker (which you can read about here).  I also think it would be fun to bake muffins with my boys and send our guests home with "breakfast for 2014" or "midnight kisses" party favors.

 4)  Special treats - Milk in wine glasses (rimmed with sprinkles) and chocolate chip cookies are perfect for a "midnight toast".  You can find our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe here.

5)  Fun themes - I think it's fun to pick a theme for the decorations, food, and activities. I am considering a “clock” theme (including a cake shaped like a clock face), a movie night (with lots of glow sticks and a “milk and cookies” snack bar), or a “pancakes and PJs” dance party.  Or, you can keep things simple by picking a fun color scheme to tie everything together.

However you choose to celebrate, I hope you and your family have a very Happy New Year, and I wish you all the best!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

2013 Year in Review Questionnaire

Update: find a 2021 version here.

Last year, my boys filled out a 2012 Year in Review Questionnaire.  I think it is a great tradition for kids, so I will be doing it again this year.

If you would like to do this activity with your little ones, you can download a copy of my 2013 New Year's Eve questionnaire {for free} here.

Happy New Year!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

My Favorite Ginger Molasses Cookies

These ginger molasses cookies are a favorite in this house.  I especially love them during the school year because they freeze really well, and they are great to have on hand for the boys' lunches.  They are the perfect ginger molasses cookie because they are soft and chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Here's how you make {My Favorite} Ginger Molasses Cookies*:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup white sugar (+ 1/2 cup for rolling)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup fancy molasses
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together:  flour, ginger, cinnamon, all spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together:  oil, white sugar, brown sugar, egg, molasses, and vanilla.  Keep whisking until all the ingredients are well mixed.  Add to flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Roll into 1 inch balls, coat each ball with sugar, and place 1 inch apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes (until crisp around the edges and cracked on top).

*This recipe was adapted from one I found here.

You can print out a copy of this recipe by: right-clicking on the recipe (below), saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 4X6 photo.

You can also make these cookies a little fancier by dipping them in melted white chocolate. Trust me... they are delicious!

What's your favorite type of cookie?  If you try these soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies, let me know how they turn out.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Christmas Potpourri {Cute Neighbour Gift}

Every Christmas we like to make a little something to give out to our neighbours, so this year, the boys and I packaged up some Christmas Potpourri.

Isn't it cute?  

Each bag contained:
1 orange 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 tbsp whole cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks

We just threw all the ingredients into a clear bag, attached the cute tag I designed {which you can download for free here}, and tied it with a ribbon.

I even made a bag for myself, and it's boiling on my stove as we speak.  What's your favorite Christmas smell?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Elf on the Shelf Idea - Elf Kisses... with free printable

Is your elf running out of Elf on the Shelf ideas?  This one is super-simple and lots of fun!

Little ones will be delighted to find the note below and some chocolate kisses.  Seriously... who doesn't love little treats?

You can right-click on the picture to save it to your computer, or you can download the 4X6 jpg here.

I am so glad we have such a nice Elf on the Shelf!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Gift Bags Kids Can Make

I'm always looking for ways to involve my kids in the gift-giving process.  So, when it came time for us to deliver Christmas gifts to our neighbours, I had the boys make these Christmas tree gift bags.

I love how they turned out, don't you?  Want to make your own?

You'll need: plain brown gift bags from the Dollar Store, strips of construction paper in various colors, scissors, glue, and yellow buttons.  Then:

1)  Cut strips of construction paper into various lengths... from larger to smaller... and arrange them on the bag.  Secure them with white glue.

2)  Cut a short strip of brown paper for the tree trunk, and secure with glue.

3)  Glue a yellow button onto the top of the tree.

4)  Allow glue to dry completely.

That's it!  You are ready to fill the bag with lots of Christmas goodies.  My boys had a great time delivering their homemade gift bags to our neighbours.

How do you get your children involved in the gift-giving process?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Review

I have always used a manual toothbrush, so when Phillips offered me the chance to test the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum, I jumped at the opportunity.

The verdict.... I LOVE it.  I tested it for 14 days, and I can seriously see the difference.  My teeth actually feel smoother.  (It removes up to 7x more plaque in hard-to-reach areas and reduces gingivitis up to 2x better than a manual toothbrush.) 

As a busy mom, it is nice to have something I can do for myself that doesn't take any extra time... because time is in short supply around here.  I am all about efficiency, and this toothbrush helps me clean my teeth better in the same amount of time.

It took me a day or two to get used to the vibrating, but the toothbrush has variable speeds, so it made the adjustment easy.  And, this model comes with a UV Sanitizer which is a fantastic way to fight germs in a house with three little boys and a mom who needs to stay healthy.  :-)

The bottom line is... I think this toothbrush is fantastic, and I highly recommend giving it a try.

 ♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I was provided with this product (free of charge) for reviewing purposes only. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own.