If you usually do Easter baskets, what are you doing?

[Ginevra]

Did you wisely plan ahead? Or are you, like me, realizing you don’t have any Easter candy and uncertain what you should do about that? I have considered making homemade peanut butter eggs because I have always wanted to try that, but it is doubtful I have the chocolate, which would send me out to a store anyway. 🤔 I do plan to put a mask in each basket. (Gee, thanks, Mom!) But...what else? Should I trudge out for candy? 

[mlktwins]

I picked up some candy at the end of February.  Ordered a couple of things from Amazon and Tartget a few weeks ago, and the rest of my candy was delivered from Target on Saturday.  There will be less stuff than usual, but I think they’ll be happy. I wanted this little bit of normalcy for them this year.

[mlktwins]

See of yiu can get it delivered in time from Target delivered (I did through their ship to home option - not SHIPT).  I would not make a special trip to the store for this though.

[medawyn]

For once, I planned ahead.  I walked past the Easter aisle at Target a little more than three weeks ago and was inspired to pick up eggs and candy.  Fortuitous, since I haven’t been to a grocery store since.

My kids are young, and there is a toy store local to us doing curbside pickup.  I gave them a budget and shopped virtually.  I drove over yesterday, and they stuck bags into my trunk.  I’ll leave them there until Saturday night, since they need to be kept hidden anyway.

Lots of local stores have been offering some kind of Easter shopping - cookies or cupcakes to decorate, family meals, books/puzzles/games/backyard things.  Maybe someone local to you has candy or similar for curbside pickup or delivery?

[Elizabeth86]

I didn't plan wisely.  I bought way more candy than usual because that's what the grocery store had. No way was I browsing Walmart.  We ordered each kid a $20ish dollar from Amazon hoping for the best and they all are set to arrive Saturday 🙏.   The 7 and 8 year old boys got erector sets, 4 year dd got a calico critters set and the 2 year old got a Peppa pig stuffy that makes noise. I wanted to include some books, activity/coloring/sticker books, small things like bubbles and art supplies, BUT I have 4 kids so I didn't want to risk someone getting stuff and someone else not, so we decided 1 toy and candy.  I also considered "having Easter" whenever the Amazon toys came in in case they didn't make it in time.  My kids are little and oblivious to what day it is.  I bought an egg dye kit and they were like, is it Easter? They hadn't even thought about it.  My mom sent them candy too.  My sister bought them all a 6 months subscription to kiwi co AND we just ordered them a trampoline (not as an Easter gift) So, no matter what these kids aren't lacking for anything even if the Amazon stuff didn't make it

 

[Carrie12345]

I placed an order through Walmart real early, but not everything was able to be delivered. (My peeps and bubbles got canceled.). It’s definitely not as much stuff as we normally stick in there, because I usually pick things up randomly, forgetting how much I already have. And I was too stressed to make a serious list.

I haven’t hauled Easter decorations out yet, but I think we might not have grass for baskets. I figure we can run some construction paper though the shredder.

I really don’t know if we have plastic eggs, or how many if we do. I haven’t come up with a work around on that one yet. I guess today would be a good time to pull stuff out and find out!

 

[Dynamite5]

My children are middle school aged and up, so they understand the need for shelter in place and that going out for candy is not appropriate. If we don't have it at home currently, we don't need it. Nothing for Easter baskets. Life goes on. 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Dynamite5 said:

My children are middle school aged and up, so they understand the need for shelter in place and that going out for candy is not appropriate. If we don't have it at home currently, we don't need it. Nothing for Easter baskets. Life goes on. 

Yeah, my kids are old, too, so at least there isn’t any issue of, “why did the Easter Bunny forget us?” We don’t have that problem. But with them being home all the time I felt like I want it to be something special. Though I really don’t want to go out just for candy. Hmm. 

[Selkie]

My kids are older (17, 19, and 21). We're set for candy, because I ordered that a few weeks ago. I usually also put other things in their baskets, like books, art supplies, Legos, makeup/bath stuff. That's not happening this year, because I can't go shopping and Amazon is only shipping essential items in a timely fashion. They are going to get gift cards instead. Their baskets are going to look sparse in comparison to previous years, but it's the best I can do and I know they'll be fine with it.

[DawnM]

My kids are older and they have all said they don't want candy.  So, a little money in an envelope (or more likely, a little card saying I put money in their accounts) and call it a day.

[mlktwins]

16 minutes ago, Quill said:

Yeah, my kids are old, too, so at least there isn’t any issue of, “why did the Easter Bunny forget us?” We don’t have that problem. But with them being home all the time I felt like I want it to be something special. Though I really don’t want to go out just for candy. Hmm. 

Mine are 9th grade.  I wanted to make it special for them.  That is the love language I speak 😁.

[Hilltopmom]

I bought my Easter candy in Feb just in case. When I was in my classroom this week prepping more work to send home for my students, I grabbed a few new things from my “treasure chest” to add to their baskets too.

Our neighborhood usually has an egg hunt but we will do it in our yard at home instead. I have a small stash of plastic eggs. It won’t be the same but the kids look forward to it.

I don’t have anything exciting for the teens other than candy but they both got new cell phones right before this all started. I have some hidden Pringle’s and flavored seltzer’s they like too to pull out that day.

My mom is having an Easter quilt show on my front porch railings just to brighten up the neighborhood that day as people take their daily walks. Hopefully the weather will be good.

Edited April 8, 2020 by Hilltopmom

[Meriwether]

I prebought candy and reuse everything else each year (baskets, plastic eggs, grass), so the only difference will be staying home for church.

[Sherry in OH]

We are set for Easter treats.  I purchased chocolate bunnies and some other candies a few weeks ago.  We splurged on Kindles as Easter gifts and allowed the boys have them as soon they arrived. 

My issue is eggs.  When available, they have been limited to one dozen per customer.  I have allocated 2 eggs per person for boiling and coloring.  That is all I can spare.  I usually make a special dessert for Easter.  This year we are having a cake made from a boxed mix - angel food, because it does not require eggs.   

Quill - if you have the ingredients, you could make roll-out cookies in the shape of eggs and decorate them.

[RootAnn]

The big discussion at our house will be -- how long do these items need to sit in quarantine before we can touch them? Can we just wipe them down before handling them and wash our hands after? Can you imagine how much contagion was spread around by delivering these items to everyone's house by the same individual? Will this cause a new peak in cases in 2-3 weeks? Was this an 'essential service?'

[Dynamite5]

1 hour ago, mlktwins said:

Mine are 9th grade.  I wanted to make it special for them.  That is the love language I speak 😁.

Please know, mlktwins that I'm not picking on you specifically, but more generally to people everywhere who are thinking they must go out and about shopping to make baskets for their children:

My love language is more globally focused, I guess. Every time I go out, I am at danger of catching the virus and bringing it home to a house full of people I love. It's not worth that risk to me to have a basket of candy for someone.

Please, please understand that in staying home, you are helping to keep safe lots of other people: the grocery checkout lady's husband with cancer, the person you would have stood close to in the produce aisle's pregnant daughter, your immunocompromised neighbor--and the list is endless. "I wanted my kid to feel special" is just not a good enough reason to not do everything in one's power to flatten the curve.

[Jaybee]

Our boys are older, but every year I just put some candy for them (and us!) in small Easter themed tin buckets. I picked up some Easter candy on my last grocery run. However, dh and I got into the candy yesterday. Maybe we can restrain ourselves these next few days...

[ScoutTN]

I do very little candy and did already get some on grocery trips in March.

Other small gifts, I have a few and some are arriving a day or a week late via Amazon because I waited too late to order. 

Easter will be pretty low key here.

[mlktwins]

7 minutes ago, Dynamite5 said:

Please know, mlktwins that I'm not picking on you specifically, but more generally to people everywhere who are thinking they must go out and about shopping to make baskets for their children:

My love language is more globally focused, I guess. Every time I go out, I am at danger of catching the virus and bringing it home to a house full of people I love. It's not worth that risk to me to have a basket of candy for someone.

Please, please understand that in staying home, you are helping to keep safe lots of other people: the grocery checkout lady's husband with cancer, the person you would have stood close to in the produce aisle's pregnant daughter, your immunocompromised neighbor--and the list is endless. "I wanted my kid to feel special" is just not a good enough reason to not do everything in one's power to flatten the curve.

No worries!!!  I didn’t take it that way 😊.

But...just FYI...My family has NOT left our house since March 15!  I would not be going out shopping for anything Easter specific even if I didn’t have anything for them and they would be fine with that.  I ordered some candy along with a delivery order for necessities from Target.  I stated that on a different post (2nd and 3rd post from the top) above.

I’m in total agreement with all you said!

My sister works in a hopsital and has already been exposed.  She found out Sunday.  We are pryaing she doesn't have it.  I get it...

 

 

 

[Heatherwith4]

I ordered the stuff online from target.  Lots of candy to split between everyone and a book for each kid.  

[Guest]

We added candy to a grocery pick up, and have eggs from prior years, so we’ll do a backyard egg hunt. I also ordered some games from publishers directly that seem amenable to playing over a video call, and hopefully at least one will arrive. 
 

I am kind of glad DD is 15 and not 5. 

[TheReader]

I am debating doing a drive-by goody bag drop off to my K/1st kiddos in my classes, but not sure if the parents would accept bringing the bags into the house or not. I may poll the parents and see. 

Our own boys are old enough to understand these things, and so we'll do a nice lunch & maybe a dessert using what we have, and I may see if there's anything in my "treasure box" for my K/1st kiddos that I can give my kids (I know we have some chocolate in the pantry...), but I'm thinking I'll just involve them in helping spread some joy to others. We'll color egg pictures for the windows for the kids in the neighborhood to find on their "egg hunt" (swapping over from the bear hunt), and I'm trying to figure out a way to visit my grandma w/o actually visiting her. I hate the thought of her alone for Easter (my grandpa died March 2nd).  We may take some food down and drop it on her porch or something else no-contact. 

I did email my K/1st kiddos an Easter coloring book PDF, at least. 

[mlktwins]

Not Easter basket related, but we are using food we have on hand (one frozen prime rib) to make a somewhat nice Easter dinner.  I have all the makings for our favorite 3 tiered Christmas jello (we didn't get much of what we made at Christmas 'cause everyone else ate it -- LOL).  So...we will have red, white, and green jello salad on our Easter table :-).  I also have a brownie mix on hand and one unopened container of French Vanilla ice cream.  That will be our dessert :-).

[hippiemamato3]

I went to Target yesterday. The baskets will be a little different this year because I didn't plan ahead well, but they're still good. 

[Penguin]

I ordered a small amount of expensive candy from Williams Sonoma two weeks ago. The candy and its packaging is really pretty and it was overpriced. But I am content with it. The youngest person here is 19.

Edited April 8, 2020 by Penguin

[Ali in OR]

We also reuse baskets and plastic eggs. Easter candy was somehow high on my priority list when I did that last Target run on March 13. I'll put chocolate eggs in the plastic eggs to keep the cat out of them and then hide the eggs around the house for the girls to find. I also ordered a pair of shorts for college kid and a pair of leggings for youngest, but I don't think they'll come in time to make it into the baskets. My kids are also older, so this feels like a fun throwback to earlier years. Middle kid was away at Easter last year as a freshman in college, and I can't even remember if I did a hunt for just youngest. But unlike previous years, I can't hide the eggs after they go to bed--they're up past midnight and I'm not! I'll hide them Easter morning, because likewise I am up way before they are!

We gave up sweets for Lent (which is probably one reason I was eager to plan out Easter candy on March 13), so we'll also make a cake and maybe a mud pie.

[happi duck]

I still do baskets for my kids(ya).  I'm not heading out for stuff though.  I might do gift cards to etsy or society6.  Maybe some digital downloads.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Sherry in OH said:

We are set for Easter treats.  I purchased chocolate bunnies and some other candies a few weeks ago.  We splurged on Kindles as Easter gifts and allowed the boys have them as soon they arrived. 

My issue is eggs.  When available, they have been limited to one dozen per customer.  I have allocated 2 eggs per person for boiling and coloring.  That is all I can spare.  I usually make a special dessert for Easter.  This year we are having a cake made from a boxed mix - angel food, because it does not require eggs.   

Quill - if you have the ingredients, you could make roll-out cookies in the shape of eggs and decorate them.

Now that is an excellant idea. That is something I can do that would be special and not require shopping. 

[Penguin]

Oh and I am going to make a cake, too. It will look similar to this one by Cakes by Melissa .

[alisoncooks]

I preordered a few newly released books in January, so those are the main thing for the baskets. I grabbed candy on a Walmart run back in February (though I've eaten some...). Last time I got groceries, I bought cake mix (so we'll decorate an Easter-themed cake), and plastic eggs. I also picked up sidewalk chalk so we could do that together. 

We usually spend Easter weekend at my parents house, with a huge extended-family church, lunch, and egg hunt. I'm trying to still make it fun, even though my girls are old enough to skip it (middle school). 

[gstharr]

Last month, before the world changed, I started to acquire pro level golf clubs for the 9th grader's June birthday ( he just made varsity, number 2 seed).  Well, he saw the irons before I could hide them.  So, i let him play them, while I kept the wedges stashed.  Well the irons were so much better, and different from his old irons that I had to let him play the wedges as well.   But, I did keep a box of yellow ProV1 balls. We are going to have a golf ball hunt on Easter.

[SKL]

I was going to order online, but I was too late with all the strange delays related to COVID.

So the other day, I stopped at the drugstore and picked up some candy. 

I plan to make my kids figure out decorating on their own, using things we have around the house.  They have come up with some fun ideas in the past, so why waste money on a kit?

[Kassia]

My kids are all older and I only have one at home now (teen).  I bought tons of candy in February thinking everyone would be home, but now it's just me, DH, and dd.  I also have noncandy stuff for dd since she doesn't like to eat a lot of junk - leggings, hair ties, and gymnastics stickers.  I have protein bars for her, too.  Oh, and I have a few of those Belvita bars and peanut butter/wheat cracker packs for her.  Now I just have to stay out of the excess candy!  

 

[athena1277]

Kroger had a “spend $20 on Easter stuff, get $10 off” sale a few weeks ago.  I bought enough to finish filling baskets then.  I didn’t know how hard it would be to get stuff later.  My kids are disappointed that a big event for Easter weekend was canceled, so I wanted to at least make sure the bunny dropped off something good.  I bought a dozen plastic eggs in February at Dirt Cheap, so I’m going to let the older kids make an egg hunt for little dd.

[Storygirl]

I picked up chocolate bunnies, peeps, and a few other candies a couple of weeks ago at the store, and we reuse our Easter baskets and grass, so we are set for the basics. Around the holidays, our local spirit-wear store had a 50% off t-shirt special, so I bought my kids shirts with their school logo on them, but I didn't need them for Christmas presents, so I will put them in their Easter baskets.

Which reminds me that I need to remember where I stashed the shirts. And I need to make sure I got one for DD18, who attends a different school. I'll need to come up with something for her, if I didn't. She would be happy with a gift card, if I don't have a shirt for her.

DH will do a grocery run sometime over the next couple of days (he is our designated shopper) and can pick up things for our Easter meal. I have a small  beef tenderloin in my freezer, so we can have a special meal.

But it won't be the same, because we were planning to see extended family, and Sunday is MIL's birthday. We will make the best of it and either call her or try to have a family Zoom gathering.

[Spryte]

I shopped for Easter in late Feb, when someone on that megathread or another thread about CV mentioned picking up Easter  candy.  We have a stash of gifts I keep on hand, and I have raided that for the baskets.  Just stuff I know the kids will like, nothing Easter-y.  Things I see and pick up randomly.  A Funko Pop Leonardo da Vinci, some complicated 3D puzzles.  A t-shirt.

We reuse baskets and plastic eggs.  I’ll line the baskets with the t-shirts instead of grass, and fill the eggs with coins that I know haven’t been out of the house in months, to hide in the backyard.

If I had not prepared in advance, I’d decorate rollout cookies and wrap individually, and I’d make some chocolate candies we like (I don’t know what they are actually called, we call them chocolate nummy balls - they are butter, sugar, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, ground oatmeal, rolled in powdered sugar).  I might melt some chocolate chips and use chocolate molds.  Maybe have the kids make egg candles out of old crayons, for fun. If kids were little, I’d melt the crayons myself and use old plastic eggs as crayon molds, and give them little egg crayons.  Maybe there’s a way to give a certificate for a new kindle book or game.  I’d write it, artfully, on an egg shaped piece of cardstock and preload the book or game on their device.

I would not go out for Easter candy, personally.  We are making do with what we have on hand, unless something is absolutely essential.

[73349]

[details]

Edited October 2, 2020 by Carolina Wren

[teachermom2834]

I did a pick up order when this first started at Target for some candy and snacks and odds and ends. I tracked down a little toy that 11 yo dd asked for but Amazon wasn't shipping in time from Barnes and Noble.

But mostly I've reminded everyone (it is just 17 yo ds and 11 yo dd) that the Easter Bunny is under quarantine and limiting trips to protect all the vulnerable bunnies. 

[BusyMom5]

I bought a few bags of candy to fill eggs, and one chcolate bunny for each kid.  We will fill the eggs and hide them.  For the 2 younger kids, I found some gifts in the gift closet.  I told the kids over 10 that they get the chocolate bunny- that's all.  I just could not find stuff to order for all of them and have not been able to really shop in a store.  We've cut back on the Easter stuff the last few years, anyway.  

[ksr5377]

I'm ready for the younger two (5 and 9) but other than candy, have nothing for the 12 and 13 year old.  DH and I were just talking last night about making up certificates getting them out of a week of a chore of their choice or something like that.  Maybe IOU's for a smoothie run to our favorite local place?  Maybe a few plastic eggs in their baskets with cash? I usually find fun toiletries from Sephora or an album I know they'll enjoy but those stores have been closed for a few weeks now. For the younger two I had picked up some seed packets as well as a few things from Target when I happened to be there mid February.  I like to buy things earlier because when I go closer to the holiday I feel more panic about being unprepared and tend to overbuy.

[theelfqueen]

My 15 and 19 year olds will each get a chocolate rabbit and a peeps pop (got them a while ago), a pair of new pajama pants (stay at home life) and new wireless earbuds (got them from Amazon). 

[hippiemamato3]

3 hours ago, Dynamite5 said:

Please know, mlktwins that I'm not picking on you specifically, but more generally to people everywhere who are thinking they must go out and about shopping to make baskets for their children:

My love language is more globally focused, I guess. Every time I go out, I am at danger of catching the virus and bringing it home to a house full of people I love. It's not worth that risk to me to have a basket of candy for someone.

Please, please understand that in staying home, you are helping to keep safe lots of other people: the grocery checkout lady's husband with cancer, the person you would have stood close to in the produce aisle's pregnant daughter, your immunocompromised neighbor--and the list is endless. "I wanted my kid to feel special" is just not a good enough reason to not do everything in one's power to flatten the curve.

It's ok to feel this way. It's also ok to still want to keep traditions alive in a difficult time. 

[Kassia]

56 minutes ago, ksr5377 said:

 DH and I were just talking last night about making up certificates getting them out of a week of a chore of their choice or something like that.  Maybe IOU's for a smoothie run to our favorite local place?  Maybe a few plastic eggs in their baskets with cash? 

 

I love these ideas! 

[Pippen]

I sent small ones to my out of state kids along, with the gloves and disinfectant wipes they always wanted. 

If I didn't already have things on hand from that, I'd probably bake frosted sugar cookies or something along those lines. 

[MercyA]

I used Target drive-up service for this very thing today. I already had some little gifts ordered from eBay, Better World Books, and Justice. I just needed some natural, dye-free candy, which almost no one has around here, and a bigger Easter basket. 🙂 

I was so impressed with Target. Great online selection and great service--and I could tell they were taking the covid situation very seriously. 

[SounderChick]

I ordered each a small gift off Amazon $~20.  We reuse the plastic eggs so I will fill them with whatever I can find in the house.  It will be weird because we usually go to church and than a huge party.

[pitterpatter]

I bought DD's stuff several weeks ago at Walmart/Target when I went out for groceries. I overbought and spent too much because I shopped in haste (and the sales were lamentable). I just wanted the stress of it gone. I didn't know what the weeks ahead would bring. We reuse baskets, grass, etc. every year, so I only had to buy the fillers.

[Sherry in OH]

4 hours ago, kand said:

Pretty much exactly the same here. I didn’t go out for anything, but fortunately was able to get a few things when I made orders online from Target and Amazon a few weeks ago. I have to see if we have any food coloring or anything we can use to color eggs. That was the one item that didn’t end up coming with my delivery. It was back ordered or something, and I’m going to end up getting it after Easter. Oh! I just remembered we have a gingerbread house kit that was an extra someone gave us at Christmas that we didn’t use. I think I will pull that out for them to do on Easter.
 

does anyone know if gel food coloring works for dying eggs? I know I have that, and I’m thinking I could dissolve it in some boiling water and add vinegar and it would work just the same, wouldn’t it?

 

Yes, you can use gel food coloring instead of liquid.  The proportions of water and vinegar are the same for both.  You can also use, Kool-Aid powder, coffee, tea, onion skins or beets.  If you don't have any of those items you can use crayons or non-toxic markers.  Colored pencils also work if you don't press too hard.

 

[ScoutTN]

8 hours ago, Quill said:

Now that is an excellant idea. That is something I can do that would be special and not require shopping. 

We are baking cut out cookies on Friday! 

[katilac]

I have college kids, but they lucked out because I had to go to the grocery today, lol. 

If we didn't have candy, we'd probably have a baking session. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by katilac