Preparations :: Easter

tutorial on how to make these coming! So easy and cute!

It's 30 days till Easter! {well its 28 now... I'm late in posting!}

We started off with this 30 day countdown which uses excerpts from The Living Christ

Last month I was saying to a friend how I need a calendar that runs before things happen. Like reminders two weeks or more before a birthday, before valentines, Pancake Tuesday, Easter ... all the holidays that you need to prepare for well before the day actually hits.

Easter confuses me with its changing dates. Especially when it is at the beginning of April because in March I think I have plenty of time, turn the calendar page and BAM Easter is in 5 days! I've been doing fairly well this year in being prepared but I'm thinking a calendar with those little printed reminders... before the day would be awesome. One day I'll be organised I swear.

So to help myself and maybe you if you wish I'm writing down easter preparations here

RIGHT NOW::

:: Suprise Eggs
I started this week on my {Surprise Eggs}  I find I can collect more eggshells the earlier I start. Each year the girls seem to need more and more (12 is no longer sufficient!) The hardest bit is remembering NOT to crack eggs in half when cooking. I use a sharp knife and slice the top off the egg. Empty the egg into your cooking, then wash the eggshell out. I store them in an open egg carton so they can dry out. I found some gorgeous surprise eggs over at O Happy Day . Filled with Gold glitter or birdseed or cereal so the mess can be left behind in a park without worry. Great idea! My kids really enjoy this easter activity. One of our favourite Easter Traditions.

:: Easter Tree
Decorate with eggs, religious things, whatever you wish really. I made names of Christ birds to hang on ours this year using this dough recipe

:: 30 Day Living Christ Countdown



TWO WEEKS OUT::

:: Easter Countdown Calendars
Easter Week Activity Countdown
12 day treat or activity Easter Countdown

::Growing Easter Wheat Grass
Pretty Wheat Grass Tutorial at Ecoki
Our previous wheat grass

:: PINATA!
Egg Pinata
Chicken Pinata
Easter Basket Pinata

ONE WEEK OUT::

Palm Sunday - we read the story and act it out with real palm leaves and make palm crosses
Passover - celebrate on the real date or the thursday before easter as Christ did
Hot Cross Buns - We've made these Easter Friday for the last few years
Soft Pretzels - we make these around the day Christ prayed in Gethsemene
Dying/Decorating Eggs - A must and fav with the kids.
Easter Candle Ring - we love candlelight and quiet thoughts and a devotional if I can sneek it in


 "Without Easter we would have no Christmas" - this was our starting quote with the children. They had to think really hard why it was so! If Jesus had not given his life so we can have eternal life he would have been just another special but ordinary person. Because of Easter and his ultimate gift we want to celebrate his birth.

Easter seems to be a much more solemn holiday than christmas. I hope that I don't cheapen that, but my goal is to try and put as much if not more effort into Easter than I do at Christmas. It's such a special holiday {and a lot less commercial -if you ignore the cocolate eggs everywhere} that there seems to be a lot less stress associated with this holiday. I'm hoping to use that to my advantage to give the girls lots to ponder on at this time of year. { no end of years parties, no presents for others to buy, no work/christmas parties - therefore ideally I should have lots more time and focus for Easter}

Enjoy! I hope my efforts will result in a greater love of Easter and Christ for my children