Style Lush

Easter basket traditions

By Manda

My kids are little and so we are still working out the "traditions" we do as a family during the holidays. We're not so much into Santa/the Easter Bunny/the Tooth Fairy etc. but we do have the desire to participate in traditional celebrations with our kids and certainly do not feel the need to deprive them of Easter baskets!

This is not to say that I'm all about you-know-what in my kids' Easter baskets (spell it with me: C-A-N-D-Y). Our son is 6 months old and too young for candy and our daughter, who is 2.5, has enough energy to drive me up one wall and down the other without the aid of HFCS. Last year I put a little pair of pink Converse sneakers in my daughter's Easter basket with a couple small toys. This year I have TWO Easter baskets and I decided to make it official: Every year my kids will get a new pair of shoes in their Easter baskets! I am so excited about it!

This year I chose these for Syd:

{image via Amazon.com}

And these for Elijah:

{image via Amazon.com}

Along with shoes we'll have a few small toys, a small tube of  Hershey's Kisses for the big girl, and we will hunt up a few plastic eggs around the house.

If you celebrate Easter, what will you put in your kids' Easter baskets this weekend?

Easter Egg Dyeing for Grownups and Big Kids

By Amy H.

Am I the only adult who still gets excited about coloring eggs? I have small children now, so I'll be doing the whole PAAS dye tablet thing. (Yes, I'm too chicken to attempt these crafty projects with them.) But before the kids, I still wanted to embrace the tradition. In case you feel the same way or your kids are too old to get into egg dying the easy way (or you need a gorgeous centerpiece for your Easter meal!), here are a few links to tutorials for more ... involved egg dyeing. I'm sure the Easter bunny will love them!

Lace eggs from Martha Stewart:

 

Silk-Dyed Eggs from Our Best Bites:

 

Russian Easter Eggs from Cut Out + Keep:

 

Natural Easter Eggs from Ready Made:

 

Aren't they beautiful? 

DIY Bowtie and Necktie

By Leah

Easter is next Sunday, and so is my wedding, and that means I have extra leeway to dress up my two-year-old like a springtime fancy lad. Think sweater vests, seersucker knickers, saddle shoes, wee suspenders, a tweed newsboy cap, and the pièce de résistance, a bowtie in an unapologetically cheery fabric. 

After last year's fruitless search for a bowtie pattern that didn't require advanced math involving protractors and Texas Instruments, last month I found this bowtie pattern (specially sized for toddlers) from Say Yes to Hoboken. The entire project took me ten minutes, even on the first try (my sewing ventures usually don't go so smoothly), and because you're only creating the bow--there's no strap that goes around the neck*--the pattern is endlessly adaptable for things like headbands and barrettes, belts, pillows, purses, even gift boxes and Easter baskets. If you have a 10x10 square of fabric or have been waiting for an excuse to raid the bin of fat quarters at the craft store, this is the craft for you. 

(Click for a closer view.)

*I was wary about attaching the tie to my toddler with a safety pin, so I took a clip off another tie and slipped it into the one I made. Here's a set of ten tie clips available through the Divine Domestication shop on Etsy, where you can also buy sweet bowties in the cutest fabrics if you're not up for making your own (yet). 

Bonus project: Here's a pattern from the Purl Bee (also via Say Yes to Hoboken) so you can make a matching necktie for the willing grown-up boy in your life. To die for!    

Silly Easter basket stuffers

by Emily

One of my favorite stores in the whole entire world is Paper-Source. We are lucky enough to have one RIGHT DOWN THE STREET and I can spend hours wandering around, fondling cardstock and sniffing leather-bound journals. I probably don't have to tell you that I have to do this alone. My husband gets bored and then completely embarrassed that I'm SMELLING things that aren't actually meant to be smelled.

One thing Paper-Source does really well (not that I can think of anything they do WRONG) is stock cute little unique gifts. Here are a few that would work really well for kids in lieu of candy, if, for example, you're looking for a couple of extra things for Easter baskets that don't cause cavities.

Balancing bird, $4.95

We had these as kids and LOVED THEM. They're perfectly balanced so you can balance the beak on anything and they appear to just hover in the air. You want to see a five-year-old LOSE HIS MIND? Balance it on your nose.

Animal Hands temporary tattoos, $7.95

I could amuse myself with these for hours.

Silly straw glasses, $3.95

Ok, so they're not acceptable for tea at the Ritz, but these are clever and (at least in my household) well-loved. (And adorable.)

Monster balloon, $9.95

This inflates to FORTY INCHES in diameter. That's... well, that's a BIG balloon.

Rubber band shooter pen, $6.50

So, maybe not so much for a preschooler, but I can think of a few husbands who might like to have these on hand at the office. (I know you guys are totally thinking the same thing.)

Secret message writing set, $7.95

Set of two pens comes with a magic light - shine it on the page you've written on to reveal the secret message. 

Now, who's going to make ME an Easter basket containing all of the above plus roughly sixteen pounds of dark chocolate bunny? Any takers?

{Photo credit: paper-source.com}

Reader Question: Easter Outfits for Infant Boys

By Blythe

Style Lush reader Gaby is looking for an Easter outfit for her ten-month-old son.  She speaks for so many mothers of boys (like me) when she says:

I am not a fan of the sweater vest, and that seems to be about the only option in most retail stores. I would love to find something cute for my little guy, and since most stores stock approximately 9000000000 Easter dresses and throw boys a pity sweater vest combo or two, I'm kind of stuck.

 

This is my son in an Easter sweater.  He wholeheartedly agrees with Gaby.

I'm not sure why the children's clothing industry wants to dress our baby boys like little old country club members, but there it is.  When dressed in these outfits, they can end up looking like squashed-up piles of argyle and seersucker, bound, if they are lucky, by striped elastic suspenders.

My favorite solution to this problem is the all-in-one jumpsuit/romper/shortall.  It appears to be comfortable, it looks adorable, it provides easy diaper access, and if you choose one with a collar it automatically looks as dressed-up as a baby ever needs to be.

Ralph Lauren Baby Shortall

This one is springy in classic gingham.  There's also a similar plaid one at JCPenney that comes in larger sizes.

{photo credit: ralphlauren.com}

Carter's Crab Romper

For the polo shirt prep.  And it's on sale for $8.99!

{photo credit: kohls.com}

Coccoli Romper

If spring has actually sprung where you live, this one is cool and nautical.

{photo credit: amazon.com}

You could dress any of these up a bit by pairing them with the classic white baby shoes.

Etsy Easter hair bow roundup

by Emily

There are a little more than three weeks until Easter Sunday is upon us! This is good news for all of you who haven't ordered an extra-special Easter hair bow for your daughter. And even if you didn't feel the need to purchase an extra-special Easter hair bow, I think you will after I show you ALL OF THIS (insert grand sweeping arm gesture):

From Etsy seller bubbipop
L-R: yellow Easter chick; pink chick in egg; chocolate Easter bunny ($3.49 each)

From Etsy seller Pink Sugar Shoppe
L-R: Easter tuxedo bow ($3.95); Easter layered boutique bow ($7.95)

From Etsy seller Crafty Mama Designs
L-R: cottontail bunny clippies ($3); Easter egg boutique bow ($2.50); Easter clippies ($5.25)

From Etsy seller Blueberry Jam Boutique
L-R: chocolate bunny with bow ($3); bunny ears felt clips ($4.50)

From Etsy seller Clippie Collections
L-R: pink and white bunny ($3.95); purple Easter egg ($3.25); sweet peep ($4.25)

From Etsy seller Sweet & Sassy Accessories
L-R: Peep and Honey Bunny set ($6.50); milk chocolate felt bunny ($3.25); Bailey the Hoppy Bunny ($3.25) 

[photo credit: Etsy.com]

Easter dress round-up!

By Maggie

I had grand plans to pick out the Perfect Easter Dress (with a matching bonnet, natch), but then we decided to move this week. And now I'm all, "Can't she just wear her Christmas dress?"

One last shopping opportunity presented itself over the weekend and I ran to the mall and proceeded to wail and gnash my teeth over the stiff, shiny, scratchy balls of fabric that passed for toddler Easter dresses. Why so... plasticky, baby clothes manufacturers? Desperate, I picked a plain cotton Carter's sun dress from Penney's and then dashed over to Macy's where I found this:

 

I'm a sucker for Peter Pan collars, what can I say. 

But perhaps I should have done some shopping online. Here are some other contenders. 

 

I love this sweet style from Crazy 8. Possibly because it looks almost exactly like her Christmas dress, in blue. I'm so predictable. 

 
These two are from Gymboree. I LOVE the flower applique, although some might think it's not fancy enough for Easter. The ribbon dress is on the stiffer side, but I love the flouncy!

Carter's pink sateen from JCPenney.

This Target dress would look adorable with a tiny white shrug.

And for those of you with the cash, this is silk Janie and Jack dress is a bit more elegant.

I'm surprised at all the sleeveless dresses - Easters are reliably freezing in Washington State, at least. However, my biggest Easter attire issue? None of the stores I looked at carried Easter bonnets! TRAVESTY! One or two of the online stores offered matching "sun hats" but I need a BONNET. With a brim and a chin strap, just like the ones my mother made ME wear. Thank goodness my mom tracked them down at Sears (Sears!) otherwise Easter would be RUINED!

What are your girls wearing for Easter?

Easter Basket Ideas (The Non Candy Kind)

by Elizabeth

I love filling Easter baskets!  Now please note I'm not advocating that you skip jelly beans and those crazy delicious Cadbury chocolate eggs, but here are few other fun (non candy) ideas that I like if you're looking to mix things up this year.  

1.  Art stuff - paints, markers, crayons, chalk, or nice colored pencils.

2. Bubbles!  Those bubble sticks from the Dollar Store are really popular at our house. 

3.  A small plant or some packets of easy to grow seeds like peas or beans.  If you include gardening tools it's a whole theme and you can plant some things together after the sugar coma wears off. 

4.  Play Doh is another hot commodity around these parts.  

5.  This egg soap from Cost Plus is super cute. (Available in store only).

6.  My son LOVES these books, I loved them when I was a kid, and $3.25 for a timeless classic really can't be beat.

 

7.  These fairy rings went in last years Easter baskets and I'm a big fan. 

8.  Flashcards! Educational and super cute.

9.  Socks - always strangely popular with my child. 

10.  Vermont Name Trains - an especially good choice if your kid has a short name.  Otherwise you can always start with his or her initials.  Or take out a bank loan. 

11.  Paint Your Own Tea Set from Cost Plus.  (Available in store only). I've already fielded several requests for one of these from my child - I'm actually really looking forward to the tea parties. 

12.  Because I'm cheap practical, I always like to include any stuff that my son needs anyway - this could be things like pajamas, shampoo, sippy cups in fun styles, a toothbrush, even a cute pair of new shoes.

{Photo credits:  amazon.com, worldmarket.com, gap.com, dreamchildstudio.etsy.com, janieandjack.com, piecesofvermont.com}

Store Spotlight: Prairie Path (perfect for Easter!)

By Jennie

Hey, have you caught on to the fact that I like holidays? I like celebrating and decorating and, more than anything, throwing a party or hosting a get-together or organizing a dinner.

So, even though we're a full month (and some change) away from Easter, I'm already enjoying the candy, the pastel colors and searching for the perfect menu for the day.

While doing a little online browsing, I stumbled upon this set of ten handmade Easter egg ornaments {$20} that would look perfect displayed in anyone's home who's filled with a little Easter spirit.

 

{Photo from Prairie Path}

(Check out the rest of items in this shop. It's full of great stuff!)

It's never too early to start celebrating. So, get to it.