How to Throw an Easter Lunch with Bunny Sandwiches

I take holidays very seriously; I'll take any reason to celebrate!  This year especially called for extra fun and festivities (thank you Corona) so leading up to Easter we had lots of fun moments including this Easter lunch.  I love doing stuff like this because it doesn't take much effort but it means so much to my girls.  I hope one day they look back at all these memories and want to continue these traditions with their children.

Easter Crafts that Spread Love and Kindness

Easter time during Quarantine called for crafts.  Not only to keep us busy and entertained but more importantly as a way to connect with friends, family and those who are lonely.  One of the greatest gifts from Shelter in Place has been the ways that we are finding to connect and to spread love.  Our first craft was paper carrot feet.  We painted the girls feet, cut them out along with cutting strips of green card stock.  Glued the strips to the feet and then wrote Happy Easter on the front.  On the back the girls hand wrote this joke, "What did the rabbit say to the carrot?  It's been nice gnawing you."  They then sent blessings and signed the carrot card.  We mailed these to a few family members and then to a local retirement home.

A Bright & Colorful St. Patty's Breakfast

St. Patrick's Day has become one of my favorite holidays because who doesn't love bright colors, rainbows, magic and a little luck?!?!  I always enjoy our holiday breakfasts but this one was extra fun to put together.  It was just the joy and light we needed in this crazy time.  We also got to enjoy it a bit more because we didn't have to race off to school (hello quarantine bonus).

How to Make Lucky Leprechaun Snack Mix

This St. Patty's Day treat was so simple and quick to make and added lots of fun to our holiday brunch.  It stores well in the fridge and can be enjoyed for many days.

Ingredients:

• Lucky Charms (2 Cups)
• Rice Chex (1 Cup)
• White Melting Chocolate (Two Squares)
• Pink Sprinkles

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments.  Dump in Lucky Charms and Chex and mix.  Top with sprinkles and lay on parchment paper.  Put in fridge to harden.  Once set crumble up and put in an airtight container.

Giving the Gift of Music- Piano Lessons

My girls have always had a love for music and it makes this mama so happy.  There isn't a single car ride that doesn't involve music requests around the clock and spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen are a thing in our household.  Needless to say "we've got a feeling inside our bones" and we decided to fuel their musical passions with piano lessons recently.

Easy & Sweet Valentine's Day Gifts

I try to find new class Valentine's gifts each year for my girls and I also try to avoid junk since they get plenty of it on this holiday.  This year I gave the girls a few options and they both chose Slap Bracelets.  When I picked up the girls from school several of their classmates had them on and the girls said they were such a hit.  I also found it was a great option for boys and girls.  So many of the cute ideas were only appropriate for one gender.  I found them online in bulk and so it was really cheap.  I found the printable online, printed and cut them out.  Lastly, I used a little craft tape to attach the gift tag to the bracelets.

I've included a couple more ideas that I used in our Valentine's Week of Love.  If you've been around here for awhile you know I've done this activity with my mom since I was a very young girl.  We've continued the tradition my whole life and were so excited to pass on the tradition to my kids.  This year was so crazy that I didn't get to photograph a few of the gifts but here is a small sample:

Donut Valentine's:  "I DONUT know what I'd do with you!" 

Candy Bouquet or Gift Basket with Valentine's Poem

How to Throw a Valentine's Brunch

I live for the holidays and I try to make each one of them extra special for my girls.  I've done a holiday brunch for as long as I can remember and they are no longer a surprise for the girls but they still have a huge amount of excitement for them.  I try to make each one a little different so it's fresh for all of us.  These holiday breakfasts don't take a lot of time or money but I think they have a big impact.  I usually keep things from year to year and reuse them and use things I already have around the house.