I’ve always joked that I’m a stay-at-home mom who never stays home, but that has become such a blatant realization now that we are home during this COVID-19 social distancing and now, stay at home order. I think you don’t truly know how much you stay on the go until you’re told you can’t. Though the extra family time together is nice, it breaks my heart a little more each day when Laney asks every morning, “Where are we going today?” And when I tell her “nowhere” she follows up with, “Is everything still closed? School? The zoo?” This is affecting our little ones just as much as us, especially when Laney and Morgan look at leaving the house as an adventure. So here I am just trying to create as many at home adventures as I can through new crafts, activities, games, outside playtime, walks around the neighborhood and new educational screen time.

Now with Easter quickly approaching, I’m so glad I finished my Easter basket shopping just before the pandemic began. However, I know that may not be the case for everyone, so I wanted to share with you what we are doing for our girls to help give you some ideas and maybe an opportunity for some retail therapy. 🙂 Along with Easter basket items, I’ve also shared great experience gifts and Easter dresses as well as Mommy & Me options. We may not have holiday functions and church services to attend this year, but putting on a cute outfit can sometimes make all the difference on how you fell about your day. I plan to still pull out the tripod and take some family pictures that day too!

Easter Baskets

Do you grab a cute new basket each year or have you invested in personalized baskets to go the distance? Laney started off with a couple of baskets given as gifts but last year, for Morgan’s first Easter, I decided to get the girls matching, personalized baskets. I scoured Etsy trying to find something I liked but then came across Personal Creations. They run some great sales and I got these baskets for a great price! They are no longer offering the exact baskets I purchased, but here are a couple of similar styles.

But just in case you like to mix it up each year, here are some other cute options:

Easter Basket Gift Guide

I tend to go a little overboard when putting together Easter baskets. Like any other holiday, I get excited to shop as soon as the merchandise hits the shelves and these days it comes out about 2 months early. So basically I shop for those 2 months buying cute little finds and then when it comes time to build the basket I realize I have wayyyy too much. So this year I’ve been proactive and have kept a list in my phone with items I want to include, notating things I already bought and things I still need to get. I’ve determined I want to get each of them a book, a piece of clothing, a plush, a small toy and a craft (plus a few extras as it’s bound to happen).

Here is what will be in our baskets this year:

Laney

Morgan

Experience Gifts

Zoo Membership

Last year, my parents gave the girls a Valentine’s Day/Easter gift of a zoo membership. We are so lucky to have Riverbanks Zoo only 20 minutes from our house. It is a wonderful zoo and since having a membership we have been almost every week! The girls and I love it! The membership also gives us guest passes to be able to take family and friends from time to time too. And then this year as part of Laney’s birthday present, they upgraded our membership to include extra attractions at the zoo like the carousel, train rides and feeding the giraffes! Another perk of a zoo membership is discounts at other zoos across the country! We hope to visit the North Carolina Zoo at some point later this year.

Tickets to a Show

Disney has been releasing some pretty great movies lately and though theaters aren’t ideal right now with the current circumstances, gift cards are a great gift too and something everyone can look forward to enjoying together later! Things such as Disney on Ice, Trolls Live, etc. are also great gift options as well.

Children’s Museum Membership

Do you have a children’s museum in town? This is another great outing for kids that burns energy but also allows for various teaching moments. Can’t go wrong with giving this as a good too!

Free is just as fun!

Day dates like picnics in the park, baking cookies and playground playtime are also great ‘coupon’ gifts to give. The options are endless!

Easter Dresses

Just because church services will be held in the comfort of our own homes doesn’t mean we can’t still dress us and use a tripod outside to snap a few family pictures! Here are some really cute options from Target!