03/15

Easter Basket Fixins: It Can’t ALL Be Candy

#Supermommas, I know you feel my pain. Everyone loves a piece or two of candy, but I just can’t willingly let my little monkey dive head first into the sugar shack of Easter candy overload.  I’m not a killjoy whatsoever, I promise!!  I believe in making candy laden holidays like Halloween and Easter as fun as possible without the sweet treat overkill.

Let me show you how with a little creativity you can still be the best Momma bunny on the block. I’m going to show you two Egg-a-rific Easter baskets. One of our baskets has minimal candy and the other contains ZERO candy.

Easter Basket #1 – a NO candy version:

Brooks is cuckoo for Transformers and Superheroes right now. So my no candy distraction is ALL about loading his basket full of things I know he will love.  Theme that baby out!  You know what lights your little up.  Take their favorite thing(s) and find related treats for their Easter basket.

• Amazon is a great place to find specialty items.  That is where I found the Transformer Bumble Bee Easter basket.
• Target has a great Spiderman, Yoda, and Ironman Easter baskets that would bring a smile to any child’s face.  If a more traditional basket is what you seek, than this or this one may be more up your alley.  I’m also a big fan of all the super adorbs baskets I’ve seen lately made of felt.
• For my little Transformer man, I thought this tee would be a perfect fit. This vintage looking tee is really cute, too.
• Who doesn’t love Play-Doh?  This garbage truck is sure to win over those who love things with wheels (AKA Brooks) or how about this Superhero Super Smash Down Hulk?
• I think this Kinetic Sand is really cool and the perfect treat for those little bubbas who love making sand castles at the beach.
• Brooks is really getting into temporary tattoos so I added a pack of those to his basket. Looks like Hello Kitty is getting into the faux ink game, too!!

Easter Basket #2 – a light smattering of candy:

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not against candy.  I just think it’s a wise idea to add more toys and non-edible treats to balance out the Easter sugar fest equation.

• You can’t lose with these cutie mini Dr. Seuss Books.  They are perfect for travel and especially during a road trip.
• Sidewalk chalk is always a winner.
• My son’s life would be nothing without bubbles. Playing with bubbles is one of his favorite pastimes.
• No Easter basket at my house would be complete without some Transformer love.

On the candy front, my suggestion is that you scale the candy to the size/age of your child.  There is no reason to hand over the 4-foot solid chocolate Easter bunny to your toddler.

• Smaller treats like the chocolate carrots pictured above are a better option.
• I’m a huge fan of Yumearth Organics.  Their lollipops and their gummy fruits are some of my favorite treats.  There may have been a bag of gummy fruits that did not make it into Brooks’ Easter basket due to a certain pregnant Momma who needed a snack herself.  Names removed to protect the innocent!
• Yogurt Raisins that come in small snack sizes are perfect basket filler and I simply couldn’t resist the chocolate covered sunflower seeds that come in carrot shaped packaging.

I’m by no means the sugar police.  I’m a proponent of moderation and I know around the Easter holiday our kids are given more candy than they should eat.  If you are open to being a little creative, it is pretty easy to find candy alternatives that will make your kids equally as happy.