Lunchbox Smoothies (school lunch HACK)

Recently, I saw a post for lunchbox smoothies at One Good Thing by Jillee, and I knew I needed to make a batch of lunchbox smoothies for my freezer. I LOVE the idea of making a big batch of smoothies at the beginning of the week, sticking them in the freezer, and popping them in the lunch bags each day.


To make your own Lunchbox Smoothies, start with a big batch of your favorite smoothies. 

Here's the recipe I use:

4 cups frozen strawberries
2 bananas
1 cup orange juice
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp honey

I blend everything together, and I end up with 5 cups for lunches, and a few extra glasses to drink right away.

For the drinks I freeze, I use BerNARdin Freezer Jars and Lids 236 ml. They are great for freezing, and they are easy to open.

I store the smoothies in my freezer, take them out in the morning, and they are ready to drink by lunch time.


Fun, right? Do you have any fantastic school lunch ideas? My boys are super-fussy, and I am always looking for new ideas and inspiration.


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find more school lunchbox hacks here.)



Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Tart

Yesterday was my boys' first day of school, and I promised to make them a special after school snack. They LOVE chocolate chip cookies, so I thought it would be fun to make them a giant chocolate chip cookie. Today, I am sharing my recipe for a delicious, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie tart.


To make this easy and impressive cookie tart... start with my favorite soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe (which you can find here). Then, scoop out a dozen cookies, and press the rest of the cookie dough into a well-greased tart pan. I cooked my chocolate chip cookie tart for at 325 degrees for 45 minutes... but I would suggest 40-50 minutes (depending on your oven).


This giant cookie was a huge hit with my boys. It makes a fantastic after school snack, and is perfect with a glass of cold milk or a hot cup of tea or coffee.


I highly recommend giving this yummy treat a try in your house. It will not disappoint. (My boys have already requested that I make it again.)


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

First Day of School 2015 {our traditions continue}

The first day of school is a huge milestone for kids, and in our house, we always mark the occasion with a few family traditions. This year was no exception.


We always start the day with a special breakfast... pancakes and drinks in fancy glasses.

Then, we get ready for school, and I get the boys to pose for pictures holding pictures from the year before. The boys are always excited to look back at how much they have changed from the previous year.

After the pictures, the boys head for the bus, and I meet them at their school and help them find their classes. They always bring treats for their friends and treats for their teachers.




Finally, when the school day is over, we always have a special after school treat. I love sitting around the kitchen table, eating cookies, and talking about the boys' day.

Do you have special first day of school traditions? It's a sad day for me, and it is hard to say good bye to summer, but making the first day of school a fun occasion helps us get through!


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

First Day of School Treat (free printable tags)

The first day of school is a big deal for kids, so I always like to pop an extra special treat in each of my boys lunch boxes. This year, I made their favorite chocolate chip cookies, and added a cute little note.


The note would be cute attached to a pre-packaged snack too.


In fact, I put together a bunch for my boys' to take to school on the first day to share with their friends. Cute, right?


This is an easy and inexpensive way to make the first day of school special. I love the idea of my boys passing out little treats to their classmates on the first day of school. If you would like to do this for your little ones, you can download the tags for free by: right-clicking on the picture below, saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 4X6 photo.


Isn't this a cute treat for the first day of school? What special "goodie" did your little one request in his/her lunchbox?


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Pool Noodle Craft Projects {dollar store crafts}

I love dollar store crafts, and pool noodles from the dollar store are among my favorite dollar store crafting materials. Pool noodles are fun, inexpensive, and versatile, and today I am sharing some of my favorite pool noodle craft ideas and tutorials.


1) Lightsabres - My boys are huge Star Wars fans, so it is no surprise that these super-cute pool noodle lightsabres continue to be a huge source of entertainment in my house. To make them, you just need: pool noodles, duct tape, electrical tape, stickers, and the tutorial that you can find here


2) Poppers - These pool noodle poppers are easy to make and super-fun to play with. They also make fantastic prizes and party favours. Check out the full pom pom popper tutorial here


3) Boats - My boys loved making these simple pool noodle boats. You can read about our boating adventure and get the full tutorial here.


4) Wreaths - Pool noodles make fantastic and inexpensive wreath forms. You can find the tutorial for making a pool noodle wreath form here.  And you can find a tutorial for my Halloween pool noodle wreath here



5) Holiday decor - Pool noodles provide great inspiration for holiday crafting. Pick up a bunch of pool noodles during the summer months so that you will have them on hand when needed. You can find the tutorial for my pool noodle witch legs here.


6) Party decor - DIY party decor can really make a party feel special, and pool noodles can be transformed into fantastic party props. For example, I turned a pool noodle into a palm tree for my son's pirate party. You can find the full tutorial for my pool noodle palm tree here and pool noodle garland here. Fun, right?



I just love pool noodles. They really are one of my favorite crafting materials... and they are so inexpensive! Do you have a fantastic pool noodle creation? I'd love you to share it in the comments (below).


Gina Bell
(aka East Coast Mommy)

Pool Noodle Boat

One of the items on our summer checklist this year was "craft a boat and float it down a river". It's a lot of fun for my boys to make boats, take them to the river, and see how week they sail. In the past, we have used popsicle sticks, paper and stuff from our recycling bin. This year, we made simple (and super cool) pool noodle boats.


The boys loved their pool noodle boats because were waterproof and very buoyant, and I loved how simple they were to make.


To make a pool noodle boat:

1) Cut two equal-sized pieces from a pool noodle. I used a serrated knife.
2) Use electrical tape to attach a straw to the middle of one of the pool noodles.
3) Use duct tape to attach the two pool noodles together.
4) Cut a sail from craft foam, decorate (if desired), and use a hole punch to attach it to the boat.


We took our pool noodle boats down to the river, and my boys had a fantastic time chasing them along the shore line. It was a fantastic way to spend some time outside with my boys.


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

School Lunch HACKS

Each year has 195 school days, and I have three boys -- that's 585 school lunches each year. Making easy and nutritious lunches that kids will actually eat can be challenging, so today I am sharing some school lunch hacks that will help make the process a little less painful!


1) Breakfast for lunch - My boys aren't big sandwich eaters, so breakfast for lunch is a popular option in our house. I often make a big batch of French toast (made with whole wheat bread, eggs, milk and a touch of cinnamon) and freeze it. Then, I take a slice out of the freezer each morning, heat it up in my toaster oven, cut it up, and stick it in a thermos.

Hard boiled eggs are fantastic too.




Cereal is another simple “breakfast for lunch” option. I fill a thermos with a low-sugar cereal, and my boys add milk at lunchtime. With the addition of some fruits and vegetables, it’s a pretty nutritionally balanced meal.


And dollar store dressing cups make perfect holders for a bit of maple syrup!


2) Stock the pantry and the freezer - I love to bake in large batches, wrap the items individually, and store them in the freezer. Then, each night, I just pull what I need from the freezer, and pop them in the lunch bags. This method works great for biscuits, muffins, and cookies.


A well-stocked pantry is also a must. I always buy lunch staples (like granola bars, raisins, unsweetened applesauce, etc…) in bulk when they are on sale. Then, I take them out of their original packaging and put them in plastic containers from the dollar store. This little trick helps save money, makes lunch items quicker to access, and frees up cupboard space.



3) Free lunchbox notes - I love to leave little notes in my boys' lunches because it lets them know that I am thinking about them while they are at school. To download the notes I designed (for free), right-click on one of the pictures below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular photo. (FYI: The apple notes are 8X10 and the bear notes are 4X6.)



4) Apple trick - My middle son is missing some of his baby teeth, so he can only eat an apple if I cut it up for him... and he doesn't like when an apple starts to turn brown. The solution: cut an apple, put it back together, and secure it with an elastic, and cover it with some plastic wrap (to keep the air out). 


5) DIY ice packs - Frozen yogurt tubes are fun to eat, they keep lunches cool, and they thaw in time for lunch. A damp sponge in a Ziploc sandwich bag also makes an easy DIY ice pack that they can use to clean there hands after they eat.



6) Lunch box smoothies - Make a batch of smoothies, freeze them, and pop them in the lunches each morning. You can find details on the jars I use and the recipe for lunchbox smoothie HACK here 



7) Lunchbox biscuits - These biscuits are delicious, but the school lunch shortcut is even better. You can get the recipe and read all about my lunchbox biscuits HACK here.



I hope these school lunch HACKS help make "back to school" a little less painful in your home. Do you have a school lunch HACK you'd like to share? I can use all the help I can get!


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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