Hop on over!

Easter is coming....

This time of year has become particularly special to me... both of my girls were born near Easter. My oldest was born two days before, while my youngest was born two days after! And somehow their birthdays ended up three years and 1 day apart? lol Pretty funny huh?

In addition to birthday planning, spring for me is also about planning Easter traditions. I didn't grow up celebrating Easter so our "traditions" have only been in place for as long as we have had our girls. The first few egg hunts we took our daughter to our church but due to our lifestyle and unavoidable moving, we have had to create traditions that will travel with us. Each year I tend to panic as to what we should do to make it special but for the first time, I'm not really stressing about it. The girls have already been chattering away about how great Easter was and how they want it to be "just like last year!" At first, I must admit, I did feel a bit of panic. It's our first year in a new place so we are hitting a lot of firsts in our new house, and knowing that they liked it so much last year I wasn't sure if we could duplicate it again this year. So I set the girls down and asked for more details as to what exactly they meant by "just like last year"! Gosh do I wish I could think as simple as kids do.... they just wanted to find eggs! lol So....do we go to an egg hunt? Yes, in our own back yard! We get all dressed up for our Easter meal of ham and our favorite orange annis seed bread (that I only make especially for Easter Sunday) and we set up the hunt for the girls...

Now, I know the norm is to buy lots of candy and have baskets of junky toys awaiting them but for us, I look at it as a time to celebrate rebirth and the joys of spring. For months before, I collect little treasures of homemade goodness from swaps (and some made by me too) and let the girls discover their little spring themed goodies.... and a few little sweets mixed in for good measure. This year, I have actually cheated  a bit and actually bought a few store bought goodies to hide in eggs too.... Have you seen the isle of Hop goodies at Walmart? We haven't even seen the movie yet (that comes later this week! woo hoo!) but I couldn't resist!!! They had all sorts of adorable goodies... so when I actually got to run into the store on my own I just had to pick up those cute little erasers!! I just know they won't be used for erasing tho... I can already see them living in the Barbie house and having eggs to live in... lol Ahh... the joys of being a kid! To top it all off, we will hide two very special eggs (as per our tradition)... a gold one and a silver one.... each with clues for finding that something special that doesn't fit in an egg! :)

So, in closing.... I am learning more and more everyday that its not about the big things you do but rather the little things that leave a lasting impression. I only hope this Easter will be as memorable as the last one...although I'm betting a bit wetter and less sunny! Ha!

Can you see the egg in hiding?

 What do you have planned?

About Hop:


Blending state of the art animation with live action, Hop is a comedy about E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), the teenage son of the Easter Bunny. On the eve of taking over the family business, E.B. leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer. Once there, he encounters Fred (James Marsden of the X-Men series, Enchanted), recently fired and determined to pull his life together. Feigning injury, E.B. persuades Fred to take him in, and Fred finds himself living with the world’s worst houseguest. Back on Easter Island, the Easter Bunny’s second in command, an oversized chick named Carlos, seizes E.B.’s disappearance as an opportunity to plot a coup. Ultimately, Fred and E.B. are Easter’s only hope and they find themselves returning to Easter Island, locked in an epic battle to save the beloved holiday. The film is helmed by Tim Hill, director of the blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks and produced by Chris Meledandri’s Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me).

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hop blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here