v 5 issue 33: Happy Easter

We have packed this issue with great ideas to make Easter fun for the whole family.


Cover by Carrie Steffe










1 Alligator clips, pinch clips, and all sorts of bows have been sweetened up with the Easter Bunny for fabulous accents to any special outfit. Love the prices and the spectacular assortment available at weeones.com Enter code: easter 10 for 15% off all purchases.

2 It all starts with a plain white album, but add a few scrapbooking stickers and the end result will be egg-cellent indeed. The pages of the "Take Your Pix" White Boardbook are composed of thick, rigid pages with special spots on top for slipping in photos. The addition of family photos and some holiday doo-dads will surely capture any baby's attention. Enter code: TTW10 for 10% for off all purchases.

3 With an airy texture and the tickle of pastels, the Lily Dress from Luna Luna Copenhagen encompasses the beauty of spring in a gorgeous dress for girls of sizes 2T- 6. A petal fabric print, gathered at the shoulders and neckline, is balanced with the ruffles of a slightly sheer solid underlay and sash. Available @ lilswanky.com. Enter code: ttw20 for 20% off all purchases.

4 Personalize the holiday with labels, notepads, and cards from Doodle Bugs. Messages of your choice can be added to predesigned labels for postage and gifts...or grab a notepad to jot down the tasks of the season. Many to choose from at reasonable prices! Enter code: FSTTW for free shipping.

5 By stashing 3 essential pieces into a cordura nylon zip pouch, the Babysparewear fashion fix has everything needed for a quick change...even the space for extra wipes and a diaper. Visit Tiny Tots with Style to purchase this kit that includes pants, a short sleeve tee, and the long sleeve tee printed with solid graphics of mother bunny and her baby. Enter code: TTW15 for 15% off all purchases.

6 Handpainted pink canvas Easter bunny shoes from MarieLynn Boutique are sure to add bounce to a little step. On each pair of shoes, a heart-nosed bunny with a green polka-dotted bow is peeking from the sole and surrounded by tiny, plump carrots. The finishing touch comes from generously oversized ribbon laces! Enter code: EASTER for 10% off all purchases.

7 When peeking out the window at a winter wonderland, toes stay toasty in the Little Yipper Slippers. A pup of pale blue is characterized with floppy ears, rosy cheeks, and a spotted eye to fit feet of 0-6 months. Absolutely adorable.

8 A true classic from Margaret Wise Brown-The Runaway Bunny. No matter how much the little bunny tries to escape, his mother always seems to think of a way to stand by his side. An endearing tale of unconditional love. Perfect for basket stuffing!


Easter egg-decorating made easy
Coloring Easter eggs is something kids look forward to every year. However, it can be messy, right? Well here are some ideas for Easter egg coloring made easy and inexpensive as well.

After the eggs are hard boiled, let them cool down a bit so you can handle them. Apply a bit of water to the egg; take some colored tissue paper; cut it in different shapes and apply it to the egg. You can turn an egg into a work of art with geometric shapes and strips. Or, you can buy Easter stickers, and have the kids cover the eggs with those. No mess, no fuss!

Other fun & easy techniques kids will love:

Make Natural Dyes for for Easter Eggs
red: soak red onion peels with vinegar or use juice from red beets or blueberries
yellow: soak yellow onion peels, or use saffron
green: spinach water
brown: tea

Hints for Coloring Easter Egg
For multi-color eggs, start in the lightest color first.
Always let hard boiled eggs cool before starting any of the craft techniques.
Be sure the children let the eggs dry before putting the egg in a 2nd color.

Groovy Tie-Dyes: Tightly wrap your egg in a slightly dampened cotton cloth. With an eye dropper, put dots of different food colors on the cloth. After 5 minutes, unwrap the egg. Far out.

Stripes: Wrap rubber bands of varying widths around your egg before you drop it into the dye.

Aluminum Foil Technique: crumple and uncrumple a large square of aluminum foil, then coat the foil with acrylic paint. Set the egg in the center of the foil and loosely wrap it. Gently press the foil against the egg, then remove the egg and let it dry. Repeat with other colors, if you like.

Let’s face it; as adults, coloring Easter eggs is just as enjoyable for us as it is for the kids. Whatever you choose, Easter egg coloring can be enjoyed by the entire family. Have fun!


Easter Basket Gift Ideas
More and more parents are opting to skip all the sweet treats or at least limiting them and fill the kids baskets with gifts. Many Easter-themed gifts are available. We have chosen a few great gift ideas for an Easter without candy.

DVDs:

A Woolly Good Time. From the creators of Wallace & Grommit, Shaun the Sheep is a legendary clay animation series full of witty humor both parents and children will love. Get ready for non-stop laughs and giggles with Shaun and his barnyard pals and watch them get themselves in and out of trouble.




Barney: Egg-cellent Adventures Barney's first Easter-themed DVD. Watch as Mother Goose, a nest full of eggs, and a mysterious, carrot-eating visor bring super-Dino adventures to the whole family in 3 full packed episodes.






FUN GIFTS:


Piggy paint is as natural as Mud! Made with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E to protect little one’s nails and cuticles. No toxic chemicals so that means no bad odor just colorful fun. Over a dozen bright colors to choose from! Enter code: Tot Trends for 15% off purchases




Looking for something organic to fill the Easter basket with? Sckoon makes a wonderful collection of organic cotton dolls. Cotton inside as well as outside so they are Eco-friendly and ready for love.






Bloom Putty is the twistable, poppable, sniffable play stuff for kids of all ages. Free of most allergens, this putty is scented with organic & natural oils. So many scents and colors to choose from! Enter code: basket to save 15% thru 3/26/10.






What basket is complete without musical bunny ears? Great for Easter photo ops too. Add a deck of bunny playing cards from Denimndaisies.com and you have a basket full of fun and giggles! Enter code: spring for 10% off your purchases.




Easter Eggs Hunts Without Candy: Fill some plastic eggs with stickers, temporary tattoos, fun erasers, and hair clips. Eggs can also be filled with healthy edible treats. Nuts, cheerios, raisins, and dried fruit are all preferable to jelly beans.

Hallmark makes a great game called, "The Golden Egg Treasure Hunt." Using carrot-shaped cards with clues to help little hunters find a large golden egg filled with something special. We loved this one last year! and it can be used year after year.

Whatever you choose, healthy replacements for Easter candy can come in any form which will not only entertain your kids, but can become the start of a new Easter tradition in your home.