Easter Egg Tradition

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What's the correct way to celebrate Easter? For Christians, the holiday known as Easter is the most vital day of the year. It is even more significant than Xmas, as it is the completion of the tale that started on Xmas day.

Sadly, Easter has suffered much the same destiny as Yuletide.

That is, it's been highly commercialized, detracting from the true meaning of the day. Some would even say that favoured culture has hi-jacked both these holidays. Each person can have a different feeling on the issue, but at last their conscience should dictate their choice. Some may decide to utterly reject the favoured Easter symbols, and concentrate on celebrating the death and resurrection of Christ, and the successive forgiveness of sin.

This is an excellent way to cope with the holiday, and can't be queried by any one. However, some Christians do feel the secular symbols of Easter have a measure of merit. Amazing family memories can be made from youngsters hunting for Easter eggs that were slowly hidden in the small hours of the morning by the folks. Colouring eggs the evening before is also a great bonding experience for brothers, and for folks and youngsters. Definitely, Christ's sacrifice on the cross should be the focus of all Christians on Resurrection Sun. If your conscience authorizes, bonding with your folks over some secular Easter conventions could be a welcome addition to your Easter party. Easter is possibly the most vital date in several Christians' calendars - the party of the rising of Jesus Christ is marked in over eighty states across the world.

In truth students appear to agree that the word Easter refers to the start of a rising sun. The well-documented sex lives of rabbits imply that they are oft-recognised as symbols of fertility and life, which fits with the non secular theme of new life and also with the beginning of spring.

In truth, in German folklore our pets were a vital symbol of spring, as Ostara - the Goddess of Spring Holiday - was sometimes accompanied by a hare. The convention for Easter bonnets has its roots in much more current times and may be disagreed to be the most short-lived of the conventions.

However, these days the custom appears to be restricted to youngsters using their creativity to form a handcrafted Easter bonnet instead of a lasting fashion trend. And so to the egg, maybe the most prolific symbol of Easter. Eggs are accepted as symbols of fertility and life and so too are inherently linked to spring, when new life can literally be seen growing through the earth.

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The Bunny Stops Here - Pre-Teen Easter Prep Party

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It's a sad day for most families when the rites of childhood fantasy give way to the realities of life. Especially when that happens just about the time of the onset of the dreaded and dreadful teen years! Chances are that pre-teens and teens don't want to have anything to do with the hunting of Easter Eggs. Creating the egg hunt party is a different issue, however. Pre-teens and older teens like the idea of playing the grownup to younger children... especially children who are not related to them.

An Easter Egg Hunt is a wonderful party for older children to plan and execute because it has a creative aspect as well as elements of surprise. Kids like to think of surprise as sneaky. Kids love sneaky. Naturally, there should be some adult supervision and parameters will need to be set such as where the party can be hosted, who will be invited and when the party will be held. Depending how much control that your teens want or how short their attention span is, there can be a planning meeting before the prep party that encourages the older kids to come up with their own ideas for the Egg Hunt. Expect a lot of trips down memory lane as they reminisce about Egg Hunts when they we're young'.

At the planning meeting, be it adults only or with children, an outline will help make sure that all aspects of the party plans are covered. It will still allow for some 'out of the egg' thinking, as it were, when the creative juices start to flow. Items to be considered are:
· Schedule for the actual hunt
· Invitations
· Decorations
· The need to or not to divide the hunt into separate age group locations to make it fair
· Real eggs v plastic eggs
· If plastic... fillers? (remembering that chocolate will melt outside creating an awful mess)
· If real... Egg decoration
· Someone dressed as the Easter Bunny?
· Other games
· Photographer
· Basket decorating for little ones before the Hunt starts Favors
· Refreshments

Invitations:

The need for invitations depends on who will be invited. An Egg Hunt for the cousins at Grandmother's house probably doesn't need an invitation if everyone will be there anyway. Same goes for church groups, school groups or neighborhood associations if information is included in the organization's newsletter.

If, however, children of friends or acquaintances will be invited an invitation will be necessary. They can be as simple as a computer generated letter sized sheets to more elaborate custom ordered invitations. If there is a talented artist in your pre-teen ensemble, allow him or her to get creative. It is also possible to embellish otherwise simple invitations with ribbons, stickers, layered papers, etc. This is an area where kids can add a special touch to set the party mood.

Decoration:

Don't let anyone fool you about decorations for children's parties... they DO notice. Let the older kids plan and execute the decorations. Here are some suggestions to get them started:
· Streamers of pastel ribbons hanging from trees or tied to posts and pillars add a festive look.
· Flowers made from tissue paper are fun to make and very colorful.
· An egg tree made from giant Styrofoam eggs that have been decorated and hung outside from ribbon on a smallish tree or a large shrub.

Dividing the Group:

In large groups with diverse ages it might be necessary to divide them into age groups so that older children don't overrun the babies. New walkers to 2 year olds, 3 year olds to 5, etc, where the dividing line is depends on the age group. Eggs can be hidden in different areas of the garden. This also helps keep it fair as to the number of eggs recovered. Another possibility to stave off hording is to limit the number of eggs that can be retrieved or, in the case of small hunts, embellish each egg with a child's name so that they may only recover eggs with their own names, there by insuring an equal number of eggs in each basket when all is finished.

Real v. Plastic Eggs:

Everyone now knows that real eggs hidden outside will become inedible from lack of refrigeration. The simple and obvious solution is: don't eat them. With that issue under control the question of real v plastic 'boils' down to which option the pre-teens choose. Plastic eggs can be stuffed with small candies (not chocolate), stickers, coins, or small toys as well as being decorated with glitter and glued on trim (a glue gun works best for this). Real eggs can be decorated in any number of different methods from solid colored dyes, wax relief, and tie-dyed to acrylic hand painted, glittered and much more. The choice is theirs. A compromise of both is also a possibility!

Photographer:

At least one of the party planning kids should take on the role of photographer during the egg hunt. An area set up for pictures with either the Easter Bunny or a special decorated corner with the egg hunters and their filled baskets will make for treasured pictures cherished for years. Digital cameras allow for quick developing of the pictures so that they can be incorporated into the party favors. Everyone benefits from photographs because life passes quickly and children grow up at the speed of light!

Baskets:

While guests can be asked to bring their own baskets, a fun activity for the older children can be decorating baskets for the little ones. Imaginations can go wild here. Check out the internet and craft stores for ideas. Baskets can usually be purchased at a dollar store or other discount outlet. If baskets are given to the guests they can serve as part or all of the favor from the party.

Refreshments:

After the pre-teens decide what to serve (cookies, cake, 'rabbit food') they should chose how to serve it. They can arrange the food, serve the snacks and provide clean up. Cookies can be decorated and cakes can be made in the shape of Easter baskets and eggs. Cupcakes can be finished with coconut dyed green to resemble grass with jelly bean 'eggs' on top. Having some cookbook photographs on hand when planning refreshments will help visualize the possibilities.

All hands on deck is the name game on the day of the party. Make sure everyone has assigned duties, including adult helpers. Someone needs to be the party manager to make sure everything goes smoothly and to answer questions. A responsible kid can do this or they may prefer to ask an adult helper to be the clip board keeper.

This party can be a joyful transition between childhood and adulthood for the teen party planners. It will also be a delightful memory for the young guests who have the honor of being able to participate. Enjoy!

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Fun Easter Activities For Kids

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The lead up to Easter is an exciting time for kids so you may want some fun Easter activities to keep them busy, happy and settled in this exciting time. There are loads of activities that you do with kids that are not only fun but are also educational. When you choose Easter activities for kids at home or at school, you may as well choose something that will not just let them have fun but it will also help them to learn and grow.

There are many, many worthwhile craft Easter activities for kids of all ages. Design an Easter card or get creative with eggs. Try painting eggs, dyeing eggs or even making picture with crushed dyed, crushed egg shells. Decorating egg shapes is also a great Easter activity for kids of all ages. Just cut out an egg shape from card and the kids can cover it with bands of bright, colorful, crumpled pieces of paper. Kids can also be encouraged to decorate an egg shape with bands of patterns and to keep the patterns symmetrical.

One of the few craft activities that I remember doing myself as a child was actually done after Easter as we needed the beautiful, foil paper that the Easter eggs are wrapped in. We glued pieces of paper all over a jar to cover the outside of the entire jar. We then varnished it when it was dry and the result was a really beautiful jar that could be used for any purpose. This special Easter activity for kids to do after Easter is wonderful way to encourage recycling of jars and Easter egg wrappers.

Once you have tried some craft with the kids there are also loads of puzzles and games that can be tried. Why not make your own Easter board game? The kids can enjoy making the game board and inventing the game and then afterwards they can enjoy actually playing the game. This Easter activity will also bring out their creative side.

Easter Bingo is another fun Easter activity for kids to play again and again. They can make their own bingo cards with Easter words and then play Easter bingo with the cards. The caller can have all of the words on small cards and draw them out one by one.

Next try an Easter puzzle. One that is really simple is to organize is an Easter Bunny Word Scramble. Use the words 'Easter Bunny' or the word 'Chocolate'.

Give each person a pencil and paper and have them write either 'Easter Bunny' or 'Chocolate'. They then write down as many words as they can think of that can be made using the letters contained in the words 'Easter bunny' or 'Chocolate'.

A prize is given to the person who comes up with the most words and also to the person who has the longest word. Off course the best prize for this game is a Chocolate Easter Egg or Easter Bunny!

Another great Easter puzzle is to make your own word search filled with Easter words. The kids can also practice their spelling skills by playing Hangman with Easter words. You might like to change the Hangman to something with an Easter theme like a bunny or an Easter basket.

Well I hope this has given you loads and loads of ideas for Easter Activities for kids. Happy Easter!

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Easter Costumes and Other Fun Ways to Celebrate

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Easter is coming up in a couple of months, and you may be wondering how you are going to celebrate this year. Maybe you have children who still enjoy celebrating Easter and dressing up in Easter costumes, or maybe you have adult family members who just like to have dinner to be with on the holiday. Either way, if you need some ideas for how to celebrate, just keep reading!

Get Easter portraits! Especially if you have children, Easter portraits are a great way to not only celebrate the holiday, but also to remember the special moments in your life. It is customary in many families for the girls to get a new Easter dress every year, and the boys to dress up in a suit and tie. Why not get a professional family portrait, or at least a portrait of the children, done to give you something to remember the occasion by?

If you are more of the nontraditional type, you might want to consider instead having silly or cute portraits taken. For instance, you can buy infant Easter costumes online; just find a cute one and have the baby's portrait taken in the costume. Portraits of your kids playing with baby chicks or rabbits are also a favorite.

Participate in a community Easter egg hunt. Most communities and churches have Easter egg hunts this time of year. During these events, the kids are given candy and other treats, and hunt for eggs (usually plastic eggs filled with treats and prizes). Check with your local community center, recreation center, or your church to find out whether there are any events like this you could attend.

Sometimes community Easter egg hunts have an additional surprise: a visit from the Easter Bunny! There are plenty of Easter costumes available for rent locally or to purchase online, so often a parent or someone else dresses up as the Easter Bunny to surprise the kids.

Alternatively, if you have older kids who think they are too old for the Easter Bunny, you may be able to engage them in the festivities by enlisting them to help hide Easter eggs for the smaller children to find, or perhaps even dress up as the Easter Bunny themselves!

Dye Easter eggs. This used to be a traditional Easter celebration in most households. Unfortunately, with colored plastic eggs commercially available, which can be stuffed with candy and small prizes, most people forego this fun Easter tradition.

Although you shouldn't hide hardboiled eggs, as they can spoil before they are found and maybe even make someone sick, most kids love to dye their own Easter eggs. The dye can be purchased at the store, or you can find some simple recipes for homemade dye online. After they have been dyed, the eggs should be stored in the refrigerator until they are eaten. Hardboiled, dyed Easter eggs make a great snack, and kids love knowing they dyed the eggs themselves!

Have a picnic. An Easter picnic is a lot of fun for the adults as well as the kids. If the weather is nice enough, you can put together a special picnic lunch, find a nice spot, and eat together. For an extra special lunch, pack some of the Easter eggs you dyed in preparation for the holiday.

Make a special dinner. A nice Easter dinner is a fairly traditional way to celebrate the holiday. It's not as big a deal as Christmas or Thanksgiving, but it's still a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate. For many people, roasted lamb is the traditional fare for Easter dinner, but in the United States ham is a more common and usually a less expensive choice. Pastries and breads are also often associated with Easter: For instance, pretzels were designed to represent a person crossing their arms across their torso to pray, and sweet breads have been served on Easter since pagan times.

There are many fun ways to celebrate Easter. Whether traditional or novel, whether you go so far as to get Easter costumes or just dye some hardboiled eggs, Easter is best celebrated with friends and loved ones.

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Paper Towel Holder - 3 Quick Steps to Choosing the Best Paper Towel Holder

With hundreds of paper towel holders on the market, how do you choose the right paper towel holder? Don't worry, here are 3 simple steps to help you select a holder that's just right for you.

Installation Type: First think about where you want to put your holder. If you're tight on counter space, go with either a wall mounted or under cabinet holder.. Both of these types will involve installation. Consider whether you feel comfortable drilling holes in your backsplash, wall, or kitchen cabinets.

The most popular types are paper towel stands, which are sometimes called free-standing holders. These convenient stands come in many decorative styles, and do not require installation - so there's no need for holes in your walls or cabinets.

You can also find magnetic towel holders, which are perfect if you wish to attach your towels to your refrigerator or other metallic surface. Magnetic types are especially popular for boats and RVs.

Holder Finish or Color: Now that you've decided where to keep your towel roll, consider the holder's appearance. Do you want to match your appliances? If so, consider stainless steel or chrome finishes.

How about matching other fixtures in your kitchen, such as your sink or faucet? Then a bronze or copper finish will definitely fit the bill.

If you like a rustic look in your kitchen, then you might want to consider either wrought iron or wood finishes. Another option to consider is going with a color that you like. Black and white are the two most common colors; but you can also find red, yellow, blue, and green.

Cost: Costs for towel stands and holders range from under $10 for a plastic model, to over $150 for a designer model. The best sellers are more reasonably priced at under $25.

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Great Easter Decoration Ideas

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Easter is on its way and its early this year so be sure you take the proper steps to decorate in style! Whether you are having guests over for a special dinner or event or just want to create a seasonal look around your home for the holidays, you will be able to use these great Easter ideas. You can also tailor or tweak them in any way you see fit to meet your needs.

Decorating Outside

For many people decorating, the outside of your home can be just as fun as your indoor holiday décor. There are many great ways to decorate for Easter outside. Some commercial products, such as large, blow up Easter bunnies or eggs, can be purchased to decorate outside or you may choose to use your creativity and create your own outdoor scene. You can hang eggs from your tree or place a giant bunny on the lawn. You may decide to go with a religious theme that describes your beliefs of this holiday. It's all up to you.

When decorating outside for Easter just remember these tips:

1. Be careful of anything that will be damaged with the weather (wind, morning dew, possible rain)
2. Be cautious using real eggs outdoors as animals may be attracted to them
3. Follow safety precautions if using lights or electrical decorations

Decorating Inside

You can decorate the inside of your home for the season as well. Now is time to pull out those Easter themed wall hangings, pastel streamers, curling ribbon, door banners and other decorations. But you can also get more creative and try:

* Easter decorative candles
* Paper mache eggs decorated in Easter style is a great décor item for any room
* Create an Easter tree with your family
* Make or decorate candles to disperse throughout your home
* Use decorative Easter baskets to place of different tables throughout your home
* Easter or spring flowers brighten up any room
* Create an Easter mobile

Decorating Your Table

For many families, Easter dinner is a big deal. It's the center of the holiday events so why not have a centerpiece they will make a lasting impression? When decorating your table, the centerpiece can be one of the most important parts of your holiday décor. There are many commercial centerpieces that can be bought and used as décor or you can have fun and create your own. A basket full of hand decorated eggs is one great idea. Try using eggs that the whole family has decorated together and then display them in your centerpiece at Easter breakfast or dinner.

Other ways to decorate your Easter table are with:

* A homemade Easter tablecloth
* Easter napkin rings
* Flowers on the table or for the centerpieces (Easter lilies are a great choice!)
* Chair decorations

We hope that enjoy some of these decoration ideas and that you and your family have a wonderful holiday season. Happy Easter!

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Easter Egg Hunt and Craft Ideas and Activities For Kids on Easter

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Easter is a holiday that you can spend with your family, especially with your kids. The Easter egg, craft ideas, kid's activities are some of the enjoyable things that you can do with them. For ideas on Easter eggs, you can buy cute little wooden eggs from the near crafts store and paint them using acrylic paint or use colorful glitter paint to make them more dazzling. These painted eggs will make an excellent Easter decoration in your house. You can display them in a basket or display them individually with your children's names written on each egg and the year they were made.

For craft activities with your children, you can still do the dyeing of eggs. This is a traditional activity during Easter and this activity is also fun. Now, there are many available egg dye kits for easy and safe dyeing of eggs. You can also make your own homemade dye by mixing hot water, food coloring, and a tablespoon of vinegar (preferably white). If you are going to write names, create designs, and draw pictures, just use crayon (white wax) before dyeing them and leave them in the dye longer to create a much deeper hue.

Another Easter egg, craft ideas, kid's activities' idea is making egg cookies and decorating them. You can design egg-shaped cookies, or flower cookies, or bunny cookies, and more by buying these shapes of cutter. Decorate your cookies with variety of colors using sprinkles, frostings, chocolate chips, M&Ms, and other small candies or chocolates.

Then, you can also make Easter cards with your kids. This is a very enjoyable craft for the kids. The children can make cards from construction paper or card stock and then decorate them with their drawings of eggs, bunnies, lambs, chicks, or flowers. They can also use stickers and glitters to accessorize more the cards. These cards are great gifts for their friends, family, relatives, and teachers too and these are very economical.

Other Easter egg, craft ideas, kid's activities crafts include annual family traditions. Some families will simply create long lasting memoirs of both parents and children. Parents will record the search of their children for Easter eggs or take pictures and videos while they were making their crafts. Some families also set their reunions on this day and videotape the occasion for keepsake for the years to come.

So, this coming Easter, what are the activities you have planned for your family?

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More Than Your Usual Presents

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If you think that the handcrafted necklace you bought as a birthday gift for Mom was expensive, or that the scrapbook you made for your girlfriend already took a lot of hard work, then you most likely have not heard about these gifts. Read this short guide to some of history's most expensive, extraordinary and jaw-dropping gifts:

- The Amber Room

In pre-World War II Russia was a room whose walls was made of amber panels and had decorations of gold leaves and mirrors. Considered to be the "Eight Wonder of the World" for its sheer beauty and opulence, the Amber Room was one of the greatest attractions of Catherine the Great's Tsarkoye Selo palace.

The room however, has not always been a Russian possession. The room was originally a part of Prussian king Friedrich I's home (the Charlottenburg Palace). It was built from 1701 to 1709 by master craftsman Gottfried Wolfram and, at the time of its destruction, contained over six tonnes of the precious resin. The room found its way to Russia in 1716 after Friedrich Wilhelm I, hoping to further cement German-Prussian relations, gave the entire room to Peter the Great as a gift after the latter expressed his admiration for it's beauty.

- The Taj Mahal

Dubbed by UNESCO as "one of the most universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage", the Taj Mahal was built as a symbol of a man's undying love for his wife. The famous structure was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 after the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It was to be the final resting place of the grief-stricken emperor's wife.

The grand mausoleum features a plinth, a tomb, four minarets, a mosque and an elaborate gateway and took 12 years to complete. Aren't you glad you could now easily buy gifts and jewelry online?

- Great Animals for the King

Most animal lovers get a puppy or a kitten as a gift, that's not the case however, when you are a monarch. Over the course of his reign, England's Henry III received a variety of great beasts as gifts from his fellow monarchs. In 1235, the Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick II sent him three leopards (Henry's royal shield of arms featured three leopards). The three great cats were then followed by a great white bear from the king of Norway in 1252 and an elephant from Louis IX in 1255.

- Imperial Easter Eggs

Thinking about buying your girlfriend a birthday gift that goes beyond the usual jewelry and flowers? Try taking a cue from from Tsar Alexander III who in 1889, commissioned the famous jeweler company Faberge to make a special Easter egg for his wife, the Empress Maria Fedorovna. When pulled open, the first Faberge egg (which was actually made of gem stones) opens to reveal a gold yolk, which in turn, has a golden chicken inside it. The chicken meanwhile, contains a replica of the Imperial Crown which has a tiny ruby egg hanging from it.

The queen was so delighted with the exquisitely bejeweled egg that the Tsar ordered that an egg with a surprise inside be created for his wife every year.

- £50 Million House

While most husbands normally buy ladies perfume or a nice piece of necklace as a gift for their wives, Bernie Ecclestone, the president and CEO of Formula One Management, just had to go a few steps further. The "king of F1" proved to his wife (and the rest of the world) just how generous a husband he is by surprising his spouse with a £50 million palace. Located in the Kensington Palace Gardens (England's Billionaires' Row), the mansion has 12 rooms, a garage that can hold 20 cars and is close to Kensington Palace the London home of the Sultan of Brunei.

Not all of us could afford to give our husbands a vintage Ferrari car or our wives the ultimate Christmas gift for women (diamonds, what else?). Just take comfort in the fact that whatever your gift may be, as long as it comes from the heart, it will always be cherished and appreciated.

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Get Ready For Easter With Vintage Dinnerware

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Charming vintage dinnerware can make your holiday gatherings even more special. Pretty pale colors, shiny glassware, and bold clear accent pieces are reminiscent of the colored Easter eggs, jelly beans, marshmallow chicks and other treats that many of us remember from our childhood Easter baskets.

Easter was one of the big holidays at our house. Ham, mashed potatoes and cherry pie were sure to be on the menu. And colored Easter eggs, of course, to eat plain or turn into deviled eggs.

To serve the afternoon dinner, Mom pulled out the big oval platters, large serving bowls, glass pie plates and other "best" dishes that were only used for Sunday family gatherings.

You can combine old and new dinnerware to put together a beautiful Easter table setting at your home this year.

Start with a theme. It could be a motif (like bunnies or chicks) or a color scheme (like yellow and white).



Choose tableware in light pastel colors and white. Lots of vintage wares in pale yellow, green and pink are in shades that go with home-dyed, colored eggs. These particular tints aren't often found in new dinnerware, but they are readily available in the vintage market.



Select glassware and accent pieces in rich shades like red, purple, green or orange. The big, bright jelly beans that we had 40 years ago are still available at Easter time. And, if you leave your eggs in the dye bath longer, you'll also get these deep, vibrant colors.



Use centerpieces and decorations based on common spring themes of bunny rabbits, baby chicks, and spring flowers like daffodils and tulips. All these things symbolize new life, a traditional Easter theme. Older dinnerware patterns feature these motifs, as well as use gingham, dots, checks and other border designs that can help tie your color scheme together.

Pretty vintage dishes can add to a beautiful Easter table setting, an enjoyable special meal, and inspire you to create new and different table settings throughout the year.

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Chocolate Hot Cross Buns And Easter Eggs

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Going to the local supermarket in February and seeing rows and rows of Chocolate Easter Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies in all sorts of decorative colors, sizes and packaging and Hot Cross Buns appearing next to loaves of bread is an exciting visual experience of anticipation or one of disgust that Easter in our society has come to this. I love chocolate so I get excited.

The enormous volume that is stocked in all of the supermarkets and shopping centres tells me that I am not the only one that enjoys buying, giving, receiving and eating lots of Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns.

As a child growing up in Australia I have fond memories of the Easter Holidays. Sometimes we would go away for a few days on a holiday and other times we would spend it at home. No matter where we were The Easter Bunny always delivered a Chocolate Easter Egg in the middle of the night and I remember waking up to a brightly colored foiled covered egg.

We would spend Easter Sunday lunch with the family. I would wait eagerly at the window watching out at all the cars going by for my Nana to arrive in her little white mini knowing that a chocolate easter egg would be presented to me on arrival. I was never interested in eating lunch and my brothers and sisters and I would eat a token amount and disappear to consume chocolate Easter eggs until we felt really sick.

Over the Easter holiday period we would have Hot cross buns grilled under the griller or baked in the oven with butter spread over them for snacks. Hot Cross Buns tend to have a "burp" factor in some people (and now I am older I am one of them). I am not sure whether it is the spices or the yeast but I have discovered that Chocolate Hot Cross Buns are fine to eat and don't "repeat" on me. They are delicious fresh from the oven or heated up in the microwave and I have discovered that they are even better with chocolate hazelnut spread instead of butter!

Easter is a great time to spend with your family and eat lots of chocolate Easter eggs and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns. Happy Easter!

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Cute Easter Crafts For Kids

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Easter time! A time to celebrate new life and new beginnings. Here are some cute Easter craft ideas your kids will enjoy made from common items found around the house.

Pop bottle Easter Basket

Here is an Easter basket idea that uses the bottom of a plastic soda bottle.

Supplies Needed:

1 or 2 Litre soda bottle

Scissors

Paper punch or stapler

Glue

Tissue paper or other decorating material

Parent to cut off the bottom of a soda bottle. This will be your basket. Trim the edges cleanly. Parent to cut a ½ to 1 inch ring from the soda bottle, cut in half and use one half as the handle. To attach the handle, use a paper punch to put a hole in the basket where the handle should be attached. Punch a hole at each end of the handle. Use yarn or ribbon to attach the handle to the basket. Decorate as desired.

Easter Egg Collage

Give your child a large egg shape cut-out from construction paper. Have your child decorate with sequins, scrap fapric, foil, buttons crayons, markers, etc.

Easter Lambs

Have your child trace their hands on black construction paper. Cut handprints out. Place handprints upside down so that the four fingers are the legs and the thumb is the head. Have your child glue cotton balls to the body. Add wiggly eyes for the eyes.

Juice can Easter Bunny

Supplies Needed:

Frozen juice cans (glue white paper around)

Construction paper ears (white outer and pink inner)

Nose (pink)

Wiggly eyes

Feet (white)

Cotton balls for tails

Black construction paper strips for whiskers

Glue

Have your child assemble rabbits by gluing rabbit parts onto juice can.

Palm Branch Easter Craft

Supplies Needed:

Green construction paper

Green pipe cleaner

Glue
Cut out a leaf shape from green construction paper. Glue a green pipe cleaner to the middle of the leaf. Let your child cut slits in the leaf.

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Tasty Edible Easter Crafts For Kids

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Edible Easter crafts are a fun activity for kids of all ages. These Easter recipes are a great way to spend some quality family time together and satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. So get out the Easter candies, get ready to bake and let's make some edible Easter treats.
 
Easter Craft Idea #1
 
Edible Easter crafts are always a favorite in our house. Not only do we have a blast making these items but eating them is just as much fun. One of our favorites is an edible bird's nest. This is a finger licking good craft project for kids of all ages.
 
How to Make an Edible Birds Nest
 
Supplies
 
Chocolate Cake Mix
Paper cup cake holders
Cup Cake Pan
Crumbly Chocolate Bars (like Butterfingers)
Easter Candy Eggs
Marshmallow Peeps
Frosting
 
Bake the cupcakes as directed and let cool. Give each child a cupcake, candy bars, Easter candy eggs, frosting and peeps. Have the kids frost their cupcake and then add the crumbly chocolate bar (breaking into stick like pieces) around the outer edge to form the nest. Then add Easter egg candies and the marshmallow peeps. These cute nests are totally edible and will look great at your Easter dinner table.
 
Edible Easter Craft Idea #2
 
This Easter egg "treat" tree is easy, inexpensive and delicious.
 
How to Make an Egg Treat Tree
 
Supplies
 
Broken Tree Branch or Sticks
Empty Plastic Container (like from margarine)
Floral Foam or Styrofoam ball
Plastic Easter Eggs
Easter Candy
Ribbon
Hot Glue
Construction Paper
 
Decorate the outside of your plastic container by covering with colored construction paper. Place the floral foam in the container and stick your tree branch part way through the foam. Fill up several plastic eggs with Easter Candy. Hot glue a piece of ribbon to the top of the Easter egg. Hot glue a loop at the top of the ribbon and hang on the branch. Repeat adding eggs until you have a fun and tasty looking "treat" tree. Place this cute little tree out where everyone can grab an egg for their tasty treat.
 
 
Edible Easter Craft Idea #3
 
Have a wiggly, jiggly good time with jell-o mold Easter treats.
 
How to Make Jell-o Easter Treats
 
Supplies
 
Easter Shapes Jell-o Mold
Jell-o
Cool Whip
Easter Candies
 
Make up the jell-o and pour into the mold. Let this set up. Then remove from the mold and set them on the plates. Plop on some whip cream and get ready to decorate. Using the Easter candies, decorate your jell-o Easter shape. For Easter eggs use different colored candy to make them colorful. For Easter animal shapes, add candies for the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Eat right away or refrigerate for later.
 
These tasty edible Easter crafts will have you and your kids "hopping" with tons of fun. Although edible crafts are fun and yummy, they won't last long. So don't forget to make some Easter crafts for kids using other craft supplies so you can decorate your house with these crafts your kids make. 

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A Frog Can Be Part of Your Easter

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Easter Bread is very traditional in most holiday meals.
There are recipes that have been handed down from grandma's
mother up to and including the "mom" making the Easter
meal. There are also some symbols that have endured the
generations - namely, rabbits, chicks, bonnets, and tulips.
But there is one that should be part and parcel of Easter, namely,
the frog that makes everyone think Spring. Spring and Easter
were made in heaven so both should be enjoyed.

You can surprise guests at your holiday meal with a bit of
"whimsy" when they sit down to eat. Having Spring Frogs
alongside each plate may startle a few but in the long run, it
will be a meal to be remembered and then some.
You start out with five frozen dinner rolls, thawed but still
cold to the touch. Then you will need 1 beaten egg. For the
body of your frog, press two rolls together and this should form
an "egg" shape. Place the body with the pointed end up on a
cookie sheet covered with either parchment paper or non-stick
spray. For the back legs, cut one thawed roll in half. Form each
of the halves into a crescent shape. Place each crescent roll on
the sides of the body, in the back, and at the bottom. Cut another
roll in half to form the back feet. Roll each half, making one end
thicker than the other end. Flatten each wider end and cut two
very deep slits to make three toes. Place each frog foot horizontally
along the bottom of the body and the hind legs. Spread the toes gently.
Cut the last roll into thirds.

To form the front legs and the feet,
roll and flatten each of the pieces the same as you did for the
back legs. Cut two slits in each of the rolls to form toes. Attach
the legs where the body and back legs join. Spread the toes gently
apart. Shape the remaining piece of roll into two large balls and
two small balls. With your thumb, push a deep depression into
the middle of the two larger balls to form "eye" sockets. Place
these sockets on each side of the narrow end of the frog body.
Set the smaller balls into the sockets. Cut a nice happy deep smile
from one side of the body to the other. Brush your frog with
the beaten egg and let it rise about 30 mins. Bake for 20 mins.
until a nice golden brown. After ten minutes of baking, take the
frog out the oven and make the mouth opening a bit larger with a
knife. Return frog to the oven and finish baking. Set him on a nice
plate of green Easter grass, and add a few "treats" around him/her.

Fun, yes, and a different take on the usual Easter breads, but a very
welcome addition. Your Easter frogs will become a family favorite
and you just may have to make them several times during the Spring
season -

Something to think about,

©Arleen M. Kaptur

March, 2008

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Chocolate Easter Eggs

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Chocolate Easter Eggs are what many people give at Easter, at least in Australia. We came home with so many Easter Eggs from school and kinder that I was tempted to open an online store.

The problem with commercial chocolate is that the ingredients are not particularly good for our health. The main ingredient in most commercial chocolate is sugar, followed by a number of other ingredients such as milk solids, cocoa, cocoa butter, lecithin and flavors. Who knows what 'flavors' means anyway? This is a good way to hide nasty additives in my opinion. Then there is also the heat treatment that removes any goodness from chocolate.

Commercial chocolate can also impact your health. Children who are amine responders will often become aggressive, which makes for fun times with siblings, along with other food intolerance symptoms. Other family members might become tired or lethargic, cranky or moody and others might get a case of irritable bowel syndrome.

My recommendation if you insist on having commercial chocolate Easter eggs is to buy organic, fair trade chocolate. Yes, chocolate can be good for you; the ultimate is to have raw chocolate as it has huge health benefits. The anti-oxidant value in raw chocolate is higher than some super foods combined. It also has other nutrients such as magnesium, chromium, iron and amines.

For those who suffer from food intolerance symptoms, you need to be aware of the amines in chocolate. While some of the amines in raw chocolate are important for your body, I recommend you heal your body first, before putting that next piece of chocolate in your mouth.

A great alternative to giving out chocolate Easter eggs is to give a small toy chicken or novelty item that children can play with. They appreciate this just as much as chocolate Easter eggs and I talk from experience here.

If your children are old enough then I recommend you make your own raw chocolate Easter eggs. It is a great way to come together at Easter and enjoy the treats afterward.

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Spring Honeymoon Ideas

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Planning a spring wedding? Then it is also time to make your honeymoon arrangements. Take a look at these great ideas for spring honeymoons.

Outdoor enthusiasts have lots of fun options for springtime adventures. One of the best is to take a trip out West for spring skiing. On many of the big mountains in Colorado, Utah, and British Columbia, there is plenty of good skiing left well into April. It can be a lot of fun too, as you will have lots of snow combined with sunny days and pleasant temperatures. Not only that, but lift tickets can be less expensive in the spring than in the peak winter season.

To promote the spring skiing season, many of the large resorts have festivals and special events in March and April. There are concerts, parades, and even Easter egg hunts! Combine that with the fantastic shopping and restaurants at some of the more posh ski destinations like Aspen, and you will have a honeymoon that offers endless fun things to do. Dining at ski resorts is not limited to burgers grabbed in the ski lodge, either. Plan on some romantic dinners in cozy little bistros. Dress up a cashmere sweater with a couple of Swarovski crystal bracelets for the perfect ski resort chic dinner outfit. (If you wore Swarovski crystal bracelets for your wedding, it will be especially fun to wear them again on your honeymoon.)

For those who are tired of chilly early spring weather, think about a honeymoon to a warm weather destination. By late spring, south Florida and some of the closer Caribbean islands will be reaching very comfortable temperatures. If you want to be assured of perfect beach weather, plan on heading further south to a spot like Aruba, which has highs well into the mid-80s by March. Just try to avoid scheduling any trips to popular destinations that will be overrun with college students on spring break!

The dessert Southwest is also very beautiful in the spring. Well past the monsoon season, but before the oppressive summer heat sets in, Arizona and New Mexico are extremely pleasant. Chill out by the pool at a fabulous resort, or visit the artists' galleries in Taos, Santa Fe, or Albuquerque. Maybe you can even pick up a unique piece of pottery or a painting to display in your new home. That would make a wonderful honeymoon souvenir.

Culture lovers may wish to consider a spring honeymoon in Europe. You are not guaranteed fantastic weather, but as long as you avoid Easter week, you should be assured of much smaller crowds than in the summer months. If you want to get close enough to the Mona Lisa to see the brushstokes or spend a few minutes admiring the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome without being jostled by a swarm of tourists, going in the spring is your best bet. And who cares if the weather is not perfect when you can spend your evenings enjoying romantic dinners in some of the best restaurants in Europe? Bon Voyage!

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