Easter Basket Ideas

March 24, 2021 Hillary

Easter baskets have sort of turned into Spring Christmas Stockings for us over the years and I’m not mad about it. BC winters are so long and so grey. I fully embrace the opportunity to fill a basket full of brightly-coloured objects and items to enjoy throughout the warmer months.

Also, right now, I need a distraction.

So, if you’re looking for inspiration for Easter baskets, I’ve put together a few ideas that include Amazon finds, small business support, and yummy treats. I’m not saying anyone should feel obligated to celebrate a holiday in a certain way, I’m just doing a little online browsing and sharing my finds. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate a holiday and as we prepare to celebrate our second Easter without the annual Nibling Egg Hunt in my parents’ backyard, I am definitely soothing my sadness with putting together baskets that will delight my kids. Their delight is my delight and I’m selfish.

Some, not all, of the links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase through them I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Some are items we own and love. Some are items I’ve been interested in trying for a while. And some are just items that bring me joy for no other reason than I think my kids will love them. Also, I feel the need to clarify that my kids are not receiving everything on this list, this is just a bunch of cool finds I came across while building their baskets. Enjoy!

The Wild Robot and The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown. The kids and I have developed an elaborate pandemic bedtime routine that includes meditation, massage, and reading together in a cuddle heap. I picked up The Wild Robot because of a friend’s description of it as a “kids’ adventure story combined with a Mary Oliver feeling” and we were instantly sucked into the story of Roz the robot. It’s challenging to find books that will hold both kids’ attention (Grady is nine and Poppy is four and that’s a big gap when it comes to stories) but this series hit the balance perfectly. Grady understood the more nuanced parts of the story while Poppy was delighted by the antics of Roz and Brightbill.

Happy Hippo Bath bubbles and bombs and soaps oh my. It’s been a long winter and one thing that’s helped when the feelings start to rise up and a meltdown seems imminent, is getting Poppy into a fancy bath. You put that crab in water.

Jan and Jul polarized, unbreakable sunglasses. I’m a big fan of stuffing the Easter baskets full of summer things. Yes it’s raining and dreary but the sun will come, one day, and when it does we’ll be ready. I really like the stay-on strap and the variety of colours Jan and Jul offers. I learned of this company through a local blogger and she’s got a discount code for 10% off: turnertalks10.

Speaking of summer, it’s time for new suits! Don’t tell Poppy but the Easter Bunny is bringing her this rainbow bikini (and the Gap and Old Navy are having big sales this week so don’t sleep on it!)

Do you have a bubble machine Y / N? (I will be so sad when my kids outgrow the bubble machine. It’s brought us many years of joy and I’m not ready to say goodbye.)

These colourful silicone smoothie straws are a big hit at our house. Fun fact: if the extra long size is a bit unwieldy for little hands and little glasses, you can just cut them in half and then you have twice as many smoothie straws!

My heart belongs to Purdy’s. Specifically, Purdy’s Hedgehogs.

Crayola craft sets. Listen, Auntie Netflix is basically raising my kids at this point and I won’t be shamed for it. However, when I’ve got the time and energy, craft kits are a nice way to break up the monotony of screen time and sleep. The Crayola ones are nice because they have different sets for different age groups and abilities. I like this one because it reminds me of spring (and it’s currently on sale!)

Technically this is a baby gear item and not a toy but I love that this swaddle bundle comes in two sizes. Poppy is big on matching and this way two of her babies can be swaddled in matching blankets. I love the vibrant colours and you can’t beat the deep discount.

Grady really got into cycling last year and his interest was definitely rooted in the cool gear, specifically the fingerless gloves.

This Corkcicle mug was in my Christmas stocking and I am a huge fan. It doesn’t keep my coffee hot for as long as my traditional travel mug but it stays hot for about 3 hours, which is long enough for me. I love the handle so much. I was worried it wouldn’t fit in my car cupholder but it does (internet caveat: I don’t know what your car cupholder looks like. Your mileage may vary.)

We have so many pencil crayons and markers and stickers, etc., but we are always running low on paper. Drawing paper, watercolour paper, construction paper. Easter is a great chance to replenish the pile.

You can never have too many rainbow umbrellas to brighten up a grey day, am I right?

Kanso Designs uses agricultural byproducts and recycled plastic to make plant pots that are simple and beautiful. How cute would it be to fill an Easter plant pot instead of an Easter basket? And then after you eat the chocolate you get to buy a new plant to put in the pot! It’s truly my dream.

Speaking of plants, if you’re in BC or Alberta, Plantsome delivers gorgeous houseplants right to your door, they’ve got an app to help you keep your plants alive, and they’ve got amazing customer service. I have literally emailed them a picture of my plant and they doula’ed me through caring for it.

The sweatshirt knit scrunchie by Under the Shade Designs is my favourite scrunchie of all time. Poppy and I both love them and we have very different hair, though we have similar (low) tolerances for tight things pulling on our scalps. These scrunchies are cute but also extremely well-made and comfortable to wear.

{image: etsy.com/ca/shop/undertheshadedesigns}

A Peeps face mask. Can you even?

Perler beads are not my favourite. Minecraft is not my favourite. But Grady engaging in a craft that he finds enjoyable and satisfying and time-consuming? Ranks pretty high on my list of favourites. This book has banked a lot of hours this year.

Make tea lovers and whale lovers happy with this stunning Killer Whale Porcelain Art Mug by Trevor Angus. 100% of the art featured on Native Northwest products is designed by Indigenous artists.

There is a not-small part of me that wants these Sparkly Kitty Clips for myself but I’ll have to settle for living vicariously through Poppy.

The day the Peppermint Halo runs out in our house is a sad day indeed.

Shawn and I recently discovered that of all the spatulas we own, we both have the same favourite. I can’t think of anything more romantic than discovering we share the same spatula ideals. The Easter Bunny may be bringing a backup favourite spatula is what I’m saying.

Thank you for joining me on this journey; I hope you found some ideas or at least found a bit of a distraction for a little while. Easter will be what it will be, whether we’re celebrating with elaborate baskets or a few foil-wrapped chocolate eggs. We’ll video chat with our families and miss the chaos of a big family dinner, but we’ll be grateful for the glimmer of hope on the horizon.

What are you putting in your family’s baskets this year?

21 for 2021

January 1, 2021 Hillary

These aren’t really resolutions but a list of things I want to focus on or achieve in 2021. Maybe some are a bit resolution-ish but I won’t hold it against them. Some are just hopes and dreams because who knows if the state of the world will allow us to follow through but if you know me at all, you know I can’t help but be hopeful.

Get as many people in my family vaccinated as soon as possible. If I haven’t made my position clear, I am pro-vax. I’ll take all the vaccinations you offer. I will vaccinate myself in a back alley. Yay, science!
Write before Netflix. Even if it is just five minutes of stream-of-thought nonsense in a journal, write something before turning on the nightly Netflix.
Register Poppy for kindergarten because apparently they let tiny infant babies attend school now.
Read 20 books. I didn’t make it this year but I’m going to give it another shot.
Visit Vancouver Island. It feels like tempting fate by planning to travel but this one falls into the 100% wishful category. My hope is that by summer the vaccination program and the warmer weather help our numbers drop enough to allow us to travel in our province.
Continue going to physio and seeing the pain specialist to figure out how to reverse the shenanigans in my neck caused by my thyroid surgeries. This one feels a bit delicate because I only recently discovered the neck stuff but I plan to write more about it to try to process it.
Blog more about food? The question mark was a keyboard mis-strike but I’m keeping it because it feels right.
Visit 25 new-to-us locations (parks, hikes, etc.) in beautiful British Columbia. There is so much of our province we haven’t seen and now is the perfect time to remedy that. Even with our current orders to restrict travel outside our health authority, we have so much opportunity to discover new spots. I’m really excited about this goal and I hope we stick with it.
Buy proper grownup kitchen knives. I love to cook. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I am still using a basic, not-great-quality set of knives I bought more than ten years ago.
Get stronger. This isn’t about getting a smaller body or seeing a certain number on the scale. This is about feeling strong and stable in my core. It’s about going to bed without a heating pad. It’s about supporting my bones because the odds are stacked against them. 2020 was the year I learned how to engage my transverse abdominis and I’m hoping 2021 is the year I manage to do one true, non-anchored sit-up.
Rent a banjo. Learn to play.
Swear less. Look, we’re a sweary family but Poppy is starting kindergarten next fall and she swears like a sailor. We need to help set her up for success by making swearing less common in our vocabulary. This might not be achievable but acknowledging the problem is the first step in fixing it, right?
Stretch daily.
Send more handwritten cards and letters.
Get a professional haircut. I had a haircut scheduled for March 2020 which I had to cancel because my kids had the stomach flu. The following week the province shut down. My hair has never been this long and it is driving me bananas. I am getting very close to cutting my own hair but common sense has prevented me from attempting it thus far.
Get a marble pothos to add to my plant collection.
Meal plan weekly. Yes, it’s boring but it makes the week less stressful and means we throw out less food and do takeout less frequently. Get the kids involved in planning our meals.
Reorganize and decorate the front entranceway. The closet is packed with stuff no one uses. The pictures are dumb. The area is cluttered. It’s dark and dim and unwelcoming.
Do not buy any skincare or makeup until I use the stuff I already have (unless a specific need arises and I don’t have a product that will suffice). I get distracted by new products and abandon things half-used. I want to stop buying skincare and makeup products unless I genuinely need them and will use them.
Either figure out how to refinish the mangled tops of our bedside tables or buy new bedside tables.
Start a family gratitude jar to help cultivate a gratitude practice with the kids.

Are you making resolutions or a “21 for 2021” list this year?

December 27th

December 27, 2020 Hillary

It’s the afternoon of December 27th and I am still wearing the pyjamas I put on on Christmas Eve. In normal times we would have seen my family and Shawn’s family on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but these are not normal times. We have been doing family Zoom calls and FaceTimes and there was a brief driveway drop-off of gifts but there has been no reason to get out of our pyjamas. This is the year of Pyjama Christmas and we are embracing it wholeheartedly.

It’s a weird year, yes, but not a bad one for us. We are housed and employed and relatively safe as long as we stay within our bubble. I am exhausted from all the gratitude I have been practicing, I promise. But I’m also leaving a little room for the sadness too. I miss the noise and chaos and overwhelming love of being together with my whole family. I miss seeing the exchange of joy when my kids spend time with their grandparents. I miss the connection. We’re so lucky to have the technology and the means to connect virtually, I know, but I miss hugs. I’m not even that much of a hugger! This is what 2020 has turned me into.

I’m not complaining, I’m just acknowledging that this year is messy and I’m happy/sad. I’m enjoying all of the time spent with my family and I’m craving five solid minutes of complete silence. I’m cozy in my pyjamas and wishing I had a reason to get dressed and leave my house. I’m grateful everyone in my family has stayed healthy and terrified that won’t remain the case before we’re all able to get vaccinated. I’m overthinking it all is what I’m saying, and I am so tired.

December 21, 2020

December 21, 2020 Hillary

It’s winter solstice, the shortest and one of the best days of the year. I’m not saying it’s my favourite day of the year but it’s up there with my kids’ birthdays and the day the local farms open their strawberry season.

It’s a hopeful day. Tomorrow will have more hours of daylight than today. The sun will return. There will be light and warmth. It feels particularly significant this year as we transition into our fourth season of COVID-19. We are weary but there will be light.