It's that time of year again. Unfortunately, as moms we worry that our kids are eating nothing but junk. Don't we? If it came down to it, we'd love to give our kids these types of baskets...
Reality, however, wins out and our kids want these types of baskets...
If you're anything like me (and I know you are!), you really wish you could give these baskets to your kids, and they'd squeal with delight running from friend's house to friend's house to brag about the beautiful Easter basket their mom just gave them.
As I try to figure out how to Easter basket shop while my kids are standing right next to me, check out this list of items that Aby at Creative Organizing offers as alternatives to all that candy!
- body spray
- book
- bubble bath
- coloring books
- crayons
- crocs
- flashlight
- flip flops
- gardening gloves, seed packets, bulbs or kid-sized gardening tools
- gel pens in spring-like colors
- gift card
- glitter glues
- gum
- hair accessories
- jewelry
- jump rope
- lip balm
- loofah
- lotion
- markers
- movie tickets
- nail polish
- notebooks
- paperclips
- pens / pencils
- perfume
- playing cards, trading cards, baseball cards or small games
- reusable water bottle
- sidewalk chalk
- spring themed cookie cutters
- spring themed socks
- sticky notes or a small seasonal notebook
- straws
- stuffed animals
- sunhats or baseball caps
- sunglasses
- swim suits
- toothbrush
- and, of course, a chocolate bunny or other favorite candy
30 comments:
Good reminder!
The Easter bunny never brought a lot of candy to our house in the past. Usually he would bring only 1 candy item & a movie or two & a cute stuffed bunny.
Thanks for the list! I have had that Martha basket in my files forever..It is simply beautiful. I'm always looking for ideas and this is perfect ~ Off to check out the link.
When my children were small they always had 'unusual' items in their Easter Baskets. (a cute summer shirt, toothbrush, flip flops, body spray, pencils/pens for school, etc). One year my son had a basket ball with his. I tried to limit the 'candy' side of it! Now they are lucky to get anything as they are 'grown'. LOL
My kiddos always get some plastic toys, a stuffed bird with real song (nature lovers), a book, and candy. The absolutely LOVE new toothbrushes so that's not a bad idea to start including in there too.
Those are some great ideas! Thanks for sharing them! I know that my favorite part of my Easter basket was the books that I'd get.
For YEARS my boys got either a baseball, a ball glove, cleats or a ball hat in their basket along with a few candy items. It was that time of year when I would have had to buy them anyway, so it worked out great! Thanks for the list...it's a great one!
Great ideas! I also put money in our eggs-dimes or quarters-the girls love the sound. Sometimes I'll buy sugary cereals to put in the baskets-they have to share with the family (my husband LOVES sugar cereal) so they don't get a whole lot, and it fills up the basket quickly.
Those are all great ideas! And I think I have used just about every one of them. I fill plastic eggs with candy for my kids to do an egg hunt. So I only put one candy item in the basket itself.
we only got candy at christmas and easter at our home, so i would have been heart broken with a non-candy filled basket.
and i think my kids/husband would revolt if the easter bunny left fruit.
i wish i could. i dont want to work off all those marshmallow peeps!
Great list of alternatives...Thanks for sharing!
We don't allow Olivia to have candy baskets for Easter. Instead, she gets toy baskets, filled with cheesy and cheap little toys.
While I was deciding what to put into my kids' easter baskets this year, I chose all non-candy items also. (Grandmas and Grandpas get them enough candy in our family.)
I got the kids each a new tooth brush and their own toothpaste for one idea.
Another idea is bandaids. Kids love bandaids so much that I got them each their own box to use as they wish. I won't have to be the bandaid police for awhile anyway.
Other items: bubbles, stickers and a book.
I don't think they'll miss the chocolate bunnies a bit.
Since we live in AZ and swim season starts early around here, Easter baskets always have goggles, and either a new swim towel or a swim suit. They need them anyway, why not put them in the basket?
I have 4 (little) kids. I put all sorts of things in their basket this year underwear will be in there. We do an egg hunt with the plastic eggs. I put ONE jelly bean or piece of candy in each egg and some eggs get a few pennies for their piggy bank. I've done shirts and toothbrushes and all sorts of things like that too.
We have banned candy in our home : ) Not 1 piece has made it in my little girls baskets. They got movies, flash cards, a few little plastic toys, clothes, books and mini puzzles this year.
Thanks for that list. I was just thinking about what to do this morning. I love your blog and have been a reader for a long time. I haven't left a comment before, but decided there was no better time to start than now! Thanks for all of the wonderful posts. You are inspiring! :)
We only do a small egg in each basket as well. This year the boy will be receiving bunny softies made by me, some hot wheels cars and a couple of books each.
As much as I love it, I don't think the fruit one would go down too well in this house!
All of these are really great ideas!! Thanks for the list!
great ideas all of them! when my kids were young enough to get baskets I always included videos, books, small toys and lots less candy too!
great list of ideas...I've yet to start shopping, so thanks for getting my brain going... I try to do something faith-based as well--book or video or something...
It's funny but we never do Easter baskets. We stick to chocolate and the kids get whatever they find on their Easter egg hunt. That's it, although now that they are older we have started a new tradition that, believe it or not, they love. I buy extra chocolate eggs and the kids hide it in a room for my parents, my husband, and myself to find. They love watching us find the eggs, or more like miss all the eggs. It works for us so we all get chocolate.
If I put apples and bananas in their baskets it wouldn't be terribly exciting, BUT a container of fresh blackberries with an easter bow or some chocolate dipped strawberries are special and healthier treats:D We also put in some fun juice, like Naked drinks or carbonated juice drinks and then fill up one of those carrot-shaped cello bags with trail mix (which has enough chocolate to make you think it's a sweet treat :)
This is an interesting article. I like this cool gift ideas and I enjoyed reading your post. Thanks for guiding me through this. Rarely do I find good entries that would walk me through. Great post.
-pia-
I don't have a kid that young anymore but I sure would like to have that beautiful green basket:) WOW!
our baskets aren't really baskets- they're beach/sand castle buckets. filled with chalk, bubbles, a swim suit, tooth brush, gardening stuff (seeds, gloves, shovel) and target hand the awesomest stuff in their $1 section this year: FRILLY GLOVES, BIG HATS & PEARLS... my girls are going to freak.
Great ideas. Kites are also a big hit with my kids.
I used to love picking out all the goodies for my girl's Easter baskets when they were younger. I would shop for months getting those extra-special little goodies. Each girl's basket had items especially for her. Love & blessings from NC!
Great Easter basket filler ideas!
I think I am going to add some apples and oranges to the baskets this year. We usally stick with books and outdoor toys for the baskets. (side walk chalk, bug catchers, yo-yo, kites,paint books, chapstick, new toothbrush etc) The eggs is what has a little bit of candy and some change.
What a great giveaway! Great list too.
I absolutley LOVE that green basket with the green ribbons on either side! Do you have any source info on where it's available? Thanks so much!
Post a Comment