Easter Baskets in Quarantine

April 03, 2020 by Katie Wilson

There have been a lot of times are a lot of times during this pandemic when I would have preferred to deal with things by curling up with a blanket on the couch and hiding for a while. I kind of just want life to stand still so that when things start to normalize we will be starting back where we left off. I so wish we could do this but we can’t so while we are doing our best to stay home; birthdays, anniversaries and holidays are coming to pass. It will be strange and sad not to celebrate with family as so many of have planned but Easter has always been a big deal in our house so I’m trying to motivate myself to make it memorable and fun for the kids.

So since Easter isn’t going to be cancelled and it’s in less than 10 days, we’re going to keep our traditions pretty simple this year…dying eggs, matching pajamas, dressy Easter attire (even if it’s cold and we don’t have anywhere to go) an egg hunt and Easter baskets. Regardless, of our reality I still love building Easter baskets for my kids - it’s a form of escapism for me. This year I had some items pre shelter in place orders, ordered a couple of items online and then tried to shop from some local shops in Chicago that are offering delivery or curbside pick up. Read on for this year’s TAKE on Easter baskets.

If you’re still looking for some Easter basket ideas this is the majority of what I collected so far mostly before the Illinois shelter in place order. Since then I have been able to shop a bit from a neighborhood toy and book store and have ordered some Easter candy from a local spot. It may not be much but it feels helpful to assist in supporting small and local business right now.

Monica & Andy Ruffle Striped Swimsuit
Too Many Bunnies
Junie B; First Grader: Dumb Bunny
Happy Easter Llama Bunny Socks
Peeps Marshmallow Scented Bubbles
LEGO Star Wars Kylo Ren’s Shuttle Microflighter
Crewcuts Spiral Hair Ties
Furry Bunny Glasses
Grow Alien
LEGO Dots Bracelets
Bunny Pajamas (The ones I ordered are no longer available but I always love some classic stripes!)
Jellycat Blossom Bunny
Meri Meri Bunny Bag

This year as activities to keep my kids engaged are even more valuable than ever I’ve bought into the hype and ordered the EggMazing Easter Egg Decorating Kit. I hope our eggs turn out half as well as advertised! This Easter will be a bit heavier than usual for most everyone around the world so no matter how you celebrate this year stay safe, stay healthy and try to make some new memories.

***Affiliate links are included in this post.

Hoppy Easter!

April 10, 2019 by Katie Wilson

Do you celebrate Easter? Is it one of your favorite holidays? If you’ve answered yes, to any of the questions I can relate. Easter is easily one of my favorite holidays (maybe my favorite) and with it being a little more than a week and a half away it’s at the forefront of my thoughts. We’re traveling for the holiday this year but that doesn’t mean I’m not filling our suitcases with loads of Easter goodies! I’m trying to scale down with plans to pick up some items on vacation but I love Easter baskets more than I love Christmas stockings and that’s saying something. Perhaps it’s related to my love of bunnies..seriously, I can’t resist them. One of my first pets was a bunny and The Country Bunny is one of my favorite books from childhood so clearly, in my mind an Easter basket isn’t complete with a bunny or two. Read on for my TAKE on ideas for this years Easter basket goodies.

In order to successfully pack for our trip I’m limiting Easter goodies to one suitcase. I’m trying to stick to around 3-4 items per kid and limiting sweets along with our collapsible Bunny baskets from Paper Source, that will certainly fit the bill in the space saving category. I figure I can always pick up a last minute chocolate bunny and find some last minute crowd pleasing bubbles to top the baskets off!

Here are some of the items that made the cut this year (as pictured above): LEGO Brick Headz Easter Bunny Building Kit, Mad Mattr Modeling Dough, Bunny Pencils (Flying Tiger Copenhagen), freeze dried Astronaut Ice Cream Sandwiches (a little unconventional but fun), TWEE Unicorn Horns Sidewalk Chalk, Meri Meri Surprise Heirloom Carrots, a new book (Duck! Rabbit!), a sand toy (HABA Sand Brick Maker Set), Plus Plus Construction Building Toys Tube Sets (Dinosaur + Unicorn versions), and an often requested USPS Mail Truck to add to our ever growing collection of cars.

I may or may not have scooped up a handful of the flocked Easter bunnies (pictured above) to use in the baskets and/or as part of centerpiece for Easter dinner. I couldn’t resist them and they come in up to 10 colors and in various sizes. I’ve seen them in a few shops around Chicago (Hazel, Four Sided) but haven’t been able to find them online. I will be sure to update once I do.

P.S. If you’re looking for some more Easter ideas, last year the kids Easter baskets were seriously EXTRA and I documented them in a detailed post here. Plus some of my favorite Easter books to help build up the coming holiday can be found here!

Hope y’all have a Happy Easter!

Kate's Book Corner - The Easter Edit

March 09, 2018 by Katie Wilson

I have many fond memories of Easter growing up. It often coincided with Spring Break and meant a trip to Florida but it always meant milk chocolate covered marshmallow eggs. I still devour these every year. Does anyone else have a favorite Easter candy? As a parent Easter is without a doubt, one of my favorite holidays. I can't get over dressing the kids up, dyeing eggs, putting together baskets and of course, hiding the Golden Egg!

My love for a holiday always translates to an obscene amount of holiday-themed children's books. I counted. I have 24 Easter books but I narrowed it down to my top ten for the edit. The ten books in my Easter Edit are appropriate for babies up to 8 year-olds. The board books lend themselves better to the younger demographic whereas the hardcover books are much preferred by my older children. Not to say that my oldest won't read through all of the books because she will. As soon as I bring up new holiday books they will all pore over them for hours.

I'm a freak for any books about a Golden Egg, Bunnies, and Curious George and luckily my children don't object. However, my absolute favorite Easter book since childhood is The Country Bunny And The Little Gold Shoes. I think when I was little I was memorized by the Mother Cottontail, her many children, and the pastel-colored illustration but as an adult, I read this book and think, this author was progressive! The message in this book is so poignant and so relevant. It shows children that their mothers can raise children and through hard work accomplish their dreams - they can have it all and so can you! So it's safe to say this book will remain my top choice for years to come.

Happy Reading!

The Easter Edit