First Day of School Traditions... 2020 edition

The first day of school is an important milestone, and it provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with kids. We keep our back to school traditions simple, but I love them. Today, I am sharing our favorite first day of school traditions... and a few back to school photos of my handsome boys! 😀

We always start our day with a pancake breakfast... with pancakes in the shapes of the boys' new grades. As you can see, they aren't fancy, but my boys find them fun!

Then, we continue our "first day of school photo" tradition. The boys hold an 8x10 picture from the first day of school the previous year. It's so wonderful to watch how much they change from year to year. This year I had the boys take one photo wearing a mask... as a tribute to our new "covid" lifestyle.

Here are a couple photos of my oldest son...

Here's my middle son...

And here is my "baby"...

I also made them take a couple of pictures together. I'm so grateful that they humour me.

And, of course, we ended the day with a "welcome home" treat.

We have had the same "first day of school traditions" for over 10 years. I have always believed that traditions and rituals are the cornerstones of childhood memories, and I really hope I am creating sweet memories for my boys.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Tips for Organizing Kids Clothes for Fall... and our NEW Gongshow Gear

*sponsored post*

Switching seasons can be a pain when it comes to kids' clothes. When summer comes to an end, my growing boys never seem to have any pants or hoodies that fit. I wonder if their arms and legs will ever stop growing? lol Getting organized for heading back to school can be tough, but I have a few tips for organizing kids' clothes that you are going to make your life a little easier!

1) Get rid of what you don't need - Take everything out of your kids' drawers, try things on, and only put back things that still fit... and that they will wear. Anything left over can be donated or sold on a "buy and sell". 

2) Buy second hand - If you are looking for Fall / Winter clothes for kids, make sure to check out consignment shops and "buy and sell" sites. There are many opportunities to buy quality clothes at reduced prices. You can use the money you save to buy a few NEW high quality pieces.

3) Organize drawers - If drawers are organized, it is easier for kids to see what you have, and they are more likely to wear more than just a few of their favourites. I always fold my clothes this way (see below) so that my kids can see what they have without ripping everything out.

4) Buy what they like - There is no point spending money on clothes that kids are not going to wear. Get them involved in the buying process, and let them pick out the things they like. I prefer shopping online with my kids. It is much easier... and if they take a long time to make a decision, I don't go crazy! lol

Gongshow recently gave my boys the opportunity to check out their new Fall / Winter 2020 line, and my boys LOVE the items they received. The hockey themed clothing is a favourite in our house.

My youngest (who is a goalie) picked the Crease King Junior Hat. I love the smaller fit of these hats. They fit my 11 year old perfectly!

My middle son chose the Snow Shower Jr hoodie. I love the quality of this sweatshirt and the subtle tie dye design.

My oldest son chose the Jr Comfy Hour joggers. The material and style are both top shelf. I love the hockey lace detail too.

And, of course, no 2020 back to school wardrobe would be complete without the season's hottest accessory... the Gongshow adustable face mask. 

Are ready for the transition from summer to fall? We still have a bit of clearing out to do, but my boys are pretty happy with the new additions to the wardrobe. If you are looking for a few new quality pieces for your hockey fan, I highly recommend checking out the new Gongshow line.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure - I was given GONGSHOW products for free in exchange for my honest review and promotion of the products. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely loved everything they received.

You may also be interested in seeing how excited my boys were when they received their new clothes from Gongshow. 

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A post shared by East Coast Mommy (@eastcoastmommy) on Sep 3, 2020 at 12:09pm PDT

Pantry Pancake Mix... with free printable tags

When it comes to cooking for my busy family, I love a good shortcut. It's always helpful to have ingredients for quick meals in my pantry, so this "make ahead" pancake mix is wonderful. It's great to have on hand for making a quick breakfast before school... and the leftover pancakes can be cut up and popped in a thermos for a simple school lunch.

To make pantry pancake mix:

Mix the following dry ingredients in a bowl, and use a funnel to put the mixture into a jar:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt

Then, add a fun tag to the jar. 

To print the tags I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

When you are ready to make the pancakes:

1) Dump the contents of the jar into a bowl.

2) Add:

• 1/4 cup melted (cooled) butter.
• 2 cups buttermilk (or 2 tbsp vinegar and enough milk to make 2 cups)
• 2 eggs

3) Stir (just until most of the lumps are gone).

4) Add approximately 1/4 cup batter to a buttered/heated skillet.

5) Cook pancakes on one side until bubbles appear, and then flip.

6) Cook the other side until lightly browned.


We serve our pancakes with maple syrup and fruit, and they are delicious!

Pancakes are fantastic served fresh, but you can make them ahead of time and freeze them too. 

Let them cool, put them in a freezer bag, and place them in the freezer. When you are ready to eat them, pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or reheat them in the toaster.

I absolutely love having this homemade pancake mix in my pantry. It's simple to make and the pancakes are light and fluffy.

My kids love pancakes, and I love a good shortcut, so this pantry pancake mix is perfect for my family. What's in your pantry that you couldn't live without? Do you have any good mealtime shortcuts to share? I'm always looking for new ideas.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more family friendly recipes here.

First Day of School Lunchbox Treat... with free printable tags

The first day of school is a special day that requires an extra special treat. This little lunchbox treat is perfect for a child's luncbox, and it is wonderful for kids to share with classmates too. I'm even sharing the "punny tag" for free for you to use below.

My kids love Fruit by the Foot, so I thought it was the perfect first day of school treat to include in their lunches this year. To add some extra cuteness, I designed a "Put Your Best FOOT Forward" tag to attach to the treat.

Seriously, isn't it cute? Who doesn't love a good pun?

To download the tags I designed for free: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

And it's simple to make a bunch to share with friends and classmates too!

Do you have a special first day of school lunchbox treat you like to share? I think these "Froot by the Foot" treats are simple and cute, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Apple Stamped Banner / Bunting

Apple decor is perfect for Fall and for back to school... and it's even better if it's handmade. I am loving this adorable DIY apple stamped banner / bunting. It's fun to craft, and it makes a wonderful piece of custom decor for your home.

I found a pre-cut canvas banner for less than $2, but you can use cardstock instead (if you can't find inexpensive canvas). 

Then, to make a banner: cut an apple in half, apply a light coat of red paint with a paint brush, and use the paint covered apple to stamp the bunting. 

Wait for the paint to dry, and then you can add details (seeds and a stem) with a brown Sharpie.

Then, use hot glue to attach a piece of twine or string to the back of each "flag".

This is what it looks like when it is all finished. Cute, right?

I think a DIY apple stamped banner / bunting is the perfect project for this time of year. It's great for Fall, and works well for the first day of school too.

Happy crafting!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

First Day of School Cookie Bar

Who's looking for a special treat to serve to the kids on the first day of school? I love the idea of setting up a "You are one smart COOKIE!" bar, don't you? Here's one I made using my light box.

You could also download and print the sign below. Just click on the photo below, right click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 picture.

For my "one smart cookie" bar, I made two of my favourite cookie recipes.

You can find the recipe for my favourite chocolate chip cookies here.

And you can find the recipe for my chococolate cake mix cookies here.

I like the way the contrasting colours of the flavours look on the tray, but you could use any homemade or store bought cookies.

Discussing the first day of school over cookies and milk sounds like the perfect way to end the day, don't you think?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Mask HACKS Every Family Needs

In this world of Covid 19, wearing non-surgical face masks has become part our daily lives. With five people living in my house, and the need for every family member to always have a clean mask, I quickly realized that I needed to put a few systems in place to control the mask chaos. Today, I'm sharing 5 mask hacks that every family needs to know about.

1) Have "clean" and "dirty" baskets by the door - I picked up these cheap plastic baskets at the dollar store, and I attached paper tags. Now, it is easy for everyone in my house to locate and grab a clean mask on the way out the door. And, when people come home, they drop them in the "dirty" basket, and when it's time to do a load of laundry, it's easy for me to grab the soiled masks and throw them in with the rest of the dirty clothes.

To print the tags I designed: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

2) Buy a lanyard - If you are going to be in a situation where you are taking a mask on and off, a lanyard is a great solution. Ideally, a clean mask would be used every time, and clean masks should be stored placed in a paper bag between uses, but for many, this isn't realistic. A lanyard keeps a mask close at hand, keeps it off the floor, and prevents it from getting lost. 

NOTE: Due to strangulation concerns, lanyards should only be worn by older kids and adults, and they should NEVER be worn while playing. Lanyards with "breakaway" options are best.

Alternatively, fanny packs are great for holding masks and small bottles of hand sanitizer.

3) Wash masks in a lingerie bag - I picked up this lingerie bag at the dollar store, and it is perfect for washing masks. I throw the dirty masks in the bag and hang them to dry. I love that the lingerie bag keeps them all together so they are easy to grab (and hang to dry) when I am transferring the rest of the laundry into the dryer.

4) Have lots of masks in lots of places and label them - Making sure every person in my family has a mask when they need it is not easy. I put a clean bin of masks by the front door, but I also put clean masks in the car and in my purse. Using name labels (especially with kids) is super helpful too. Name labels prevent sharing and help keep masks from getting lost.

5) Try different styles and different colors of masks - In my house, different people prefer different styles of masks. Having a good fit makes mask wearing easier, and having different designs makes it more fun.

Do you have any tips for making "mask wearing" easier and/or more fun? I love all these mask HACKS... but the basket idea is my favourite. It has really organized my mask chaos. If you try it, let me know what you think!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Bonus tip here...