With every holiday there seems to be a little extra stress and a lot of food, usually sugar. As my kids have gotten older, I have realized that I need to be a bit more open to traditions and rituals of each holiday. I can make them my own but I still want my family to participate. Here are ways we still stay true to our healthy lifestyle but don’t miss some activities with friends and family.
Egg Hunts-
For starters, my kids have attended multiple Easter egg hunts this year. Crazy….. especially for me! One was at my husband’s work, one was at my daughter’s school, and today is one with my son’s class after school. While I have tried to boycott most of these in the past, I realized that this year I will let my kids join in on some more fun
Here are a couple of reasons why….my daughter’s school had a no candy rule for their egg hunt. Love it! My husband is the boss at work and his team did an amazing job balancing candy with non-candy items. And today’s egg hunt with my son’s class was more about being involved and being social than anything else. My son really enjoys his classmates and I didn’t want him to feel excluded. And to be honest, it is great for me to be social with the other moms as well. And I control what I can, all the eggs I contributed did not have candy in them and I am sure I am not the only one.
I have noticed more and more stores are offering non-candy items for Easter. While, I don’t love filling my house with little plastic toys, I prefer them over candy. If you do go the candy route, check out some organic brands and even ones that are made without artificial flavors & colors. Check out our store for options
One thing that has helped us not only at Easter but also Halloween is to talk to our kids about candy, we learned to not exclude it completely but give them the tools to make their own decisions about what they eat, how much, and when. They still need a little help sometimes but it is incredible to see them have self-control. When I was a kid I had no limit on sugar and that continued into my adult life.
Easter Baskets-
My kids get to hunt for Easter baskets on Easter morning. To be honest there isn’t much in them. We don’t do candy but we do try to get something small that either will provide an experience for them or hours of fun outside. My mother-in-law got my children seed packets in their Easter baskets this year and hands down those have been their favorite thing. They can’t wait to start their own garden and watch it grow.
What is your favorite thing to put in an Easter basket?
Coloring Eggs-
This was our first year dying eggs and it was a lot of fun. For years I have wanted to try to use food and spices for dyes and I just run out of time, so I bought dye this year. We tried Natural Earth Paint Natural Egg Dye. I loved it. It is made from pure, natural fruit & vegetable extracts. LOVE! I didn’t use all of the powder in each bag, so I still have some left for even more eggs or next year.
An Easter Meal-
Creating a big meal at any time can be overwhelming but especially around a holiday. Family and friends may be visiting or you are traveling to enjoy a meal somewhere else. We are hosting some friends this year and I wanted to share a few tips on how to keep it simple and stress-free.
- Stick with what you know. This isn’t the time to try a new fancy recipe loaded with ingredients. Keep it simple
- Plan ahead. Create your menu, even on a scratch piece of paper. Also, create a shopping list. This will help to avoid multiple trips to the store and minimize stress.
- Ask others to bring something. People are always willing to help. Also if you are heading to someone’s house, check with the host to see if you can bring something.
- Prep ahead of time. I even will cook some sides the night before a big meal and re-heat them before we eat. It saves a lot of time and sanity. I also have time to enjoy my guests as well.
- Remember what it is all about. Enjoy the time with family and friends. Find gratitude, give thanks, and enjoy the people around you.
Remember you can’t control it all. Enjoy creating wonderful memories with your family and friends.
Please share with us what you do make your holidays a little healthier?
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