Get Prepared for the Easter Season

I don’t mean to alarm you guys, but it’s just under two weeks until Easter. Time to get our butts into gear, because there’s nothing more panic-inducing than a last-minute trip to the shops only to find all the good chocolate has been taken!

Of course, it’s not all about the chocolate. Let’s talk all things Easter season, and how we can prepare now to take the pressure and stress off our shoulders when the time comes.

KIDS’ STUFF:

Easter Hat Parade: This is one we don’t want to leave until the night before! Some schools make them in class, but others are required to bring one in from home. Easter craft items are easy to find these days – Big W, Kmart, Spotlight, The Reject Shop, etc. all have options — so you can get creative with the kids on the weekend and help them make something they can’t wait to show off. Buy a cheap hat or pair of bunny ears as the base, or make it yourself from cardboard (extra points if you can source the cardboard from boxes lying around at home). Don’t forget the craft glue! And please remember: this is about kids exploring their imagination and having fun dressing up. It’s not a competition between parents for best in show. Let’s collectively decide not to engage in that!

Easter Raffle: Does your school do an Easter raffle? For many public schools, it’s a great yearly fundraiser. Be sure to get your tickets in and, if you can, donate some choccies for the prize pool.

Easter Outfits: Your school or day care might have a themed mufti day in the lead-up to Easter: bunny motifs are the obvious choice, or anything pastel. Don’t feel you have to buy new things if you have nothing at home — simply draw on a bunny nose and whiskers and hand them a carrot! Likewise, if Easter is an event for your family that requires special or coordinated outfits, plan this now.

Easter Baskets: If your kids put out a basket for the Bunny to fill, or they use one for an egg hunt, check now: Is last year’s basket still good? Do you even know where it is? Lol … many a parent has been foiled at the last minute by assuming the answers to these (myself included)! If you don’t have one (or can’t find it!) and you don’t want to buy one, grab a plastic ice-cream container and some paint, and let the kids go nuts! It doesn’t have to be expensive to be special.

FAMILY STUFF:

Menu: Whether Easter is an important social occasion or just another day for you, you’ll need to plan your long weekend menu ahead of time, as many shops close for at least one of the four days. Do a meal plan now to avoid aimlessly wandering the aisles with everyone else the day before Good Friday!

Gifts: Make a list of who you need to buy for and what you need to get, and try to do it well before the long weekend. Many shops have sales on Easter items in the weeks before, so take advantage if you can.

Decorations: If you’re having people over, or you’d just like to create a more festive Easter vibe at home, put out some decorations. There are lots in-store, or check out Pinterest for inspo.

Holiday: Are you going away over Easter? In that case, for the previous points, make it all transportable and/or accessible wherever you’re going.

Traditions: Do you have traditions that you follow every year, or are you looking to initiate some? These could be gift traditions, like a chocolate bunny or Easter PJs or a Lego set, or activity traditions, like putting out a carrot for the Easter Bunny and leaving a trail of footprints (baby powder!) or tail fluff (cotton balls!). You might have a movie night (try Hop or Peter Rabbit for little kids, Rise of the Guardians for older kids) or an egg hunt. Head here for some of my family faves (plus you’ll find a free colouring-in page for your littles).

JUST FOR YOU:

Beautiful, don’t forget about yourself! The extra-long weekend is the perfect time for relaxation, fun and self-care. Ensure you have what you need — a good book, your favourite foods (yes, this includes chocolate, so you don’t get busted stealing the kids’!), quality time with family or friends, a new outfit — whatever floats your boat. You’ve worked hard making this time special for everyone else, be sure to take time to enjoy yourself too.

(And if you’re working or find yourself unwell over Easter, plan a special long weekend for another time — literally get out your planner right now, find a date and write it down!)

Happy Easter from my family to yours!

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