Green and Thrifty Easter Basket Ideas

(my son’s idea is that they make good Easter Hats)
It is not too soon to think about Easter Baskets. I know Lent just barely started but I like to have a plan so here we go. Just like Christmas I want to keep Easter meaningful. After all there probably is no more important holiday in the Catholic Liturgical Year. As my great grandmother(a midwife by the way) used to say, “Millions of babies are born but only ONE rose from the dead.” How can we keep our Easter Baskets meaningful while keeping them green and not have it cost us a ton of money?

• This first one is an easy one. We reuse Easter Baskets. Now how does that work you may be wondering? Well The Easter Bunny delivers the goods while we are at mass and mom puts it in the basket and hides them with a trail of clues.
• If you don’t find the idea of reusing your baskets your cup of tea, you can find and use  unusual containers or Easter Baskets at thrift stores or Yard Sales
• Be selective in the candy. I like to include one medium size piece of chocolate, picking one that is bound to be a favorite of my children. For Peanut that will be a white chocolate, and for Pi something more sophisticated like chocolate with salted caramel.
• Remember less is more. Be selective in your items. In keeping the candy to a minimum you not only don’t have hyper kids but you make that candy all the more special and more meaningful.
• I like to include an outside toy such as chalk or jump ropes or a kite, you can often get these at discount stores or dollar stores
• Include some useful things all of us are in need of new water bottles. thanks to a certain lab who will remain nameless, that chews the lids when she finds them.
• Do away with the plastic grass, if you must use “grass” try some excelsior, or grow some wheat grass
• If baskets are available before Church you might want to include something  to wear for Easter, like gloves or a pocketbook for girls, or Easter socks for a boy.
• Since Easter is a religious Holy Day first and foremost and not just a secular holiday it is always good to include something of a religious vein.  you can find some great ideas at Catholic Icing, and Shower of Roses. I especially love the idea of giving your kids something from their Patron Saint, or for an older child St. Christopher Medals in their sport.

Perhaps the best thing you can do to make Easter more green, more meaningful and not break the bank is give less for Easter. A smaller basket with 3 meaningful things in it says more than a big one full of cheap plastic toys and bad tasting/bad for you candy.
Tell us how do you plan on keeping the meaning in Easter Baskets this year?


this post is linked up to Works for me Wednesday, Green and Natural Mamas, Seasonal Celebration Sunday

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