Simplify and Have a More Eco-friendly Easter

The other day I was in the store and went by the Easter aisle.  There were so many cute things:  plastic eater eggs, chocolate Easter bunnies, etc.  I put more than a few in my cart to send to the kids of the other Spendwise Moms, but before I got to the check out line I put them back.  What was I thinking?  Why would I want to spend $50-$100 to send clutter to their kids?  One of them is moving and doesn't need more stuff around the house.  She also wanted to have a very simple Easter for her kids.  The other one just moved and doesn't have space for Easter clutter either.  I would have also paid more in shipping than the things cost.  I went back and forth and decided to go the eco-friendly route instead of the cute clutter route.  I think all the Easter clutter reminded me of great memories of my own kids having Easter egg hunts with plastic eggs filled with money or candy.  That was before I cared about my carbon footprint.  I have certainly done my share in the past of contributing to the trash and waste without a second thought.  I can't undo the past, but I can learn from it and be more conscientious of what I do now.  So, instead of Easter clutter, the kids I bought for are getting Cold Stone Creamery gift cards.  I also bought Easter cards, but considering what I would have bought it is definitely a step in the right direction.  I saved the money on the postage, and the families will have a night out spending time together and there won't be a lot of clutter left behind after the holiday.  It is hard to make changes though.

Here are a few things you can do to have a more Eco-friendly Easter:

1.  Plan ahead.  By planning out what your goal is in celebrating the holiday, you can make your activities and purchases fit in line with your goal.

2.  Instead of all the Easter clutter, try dying hard boiled eggs together.  Give gift cards or a new Easter outfit instead of candy and misc. clutter.

3.  Do fun activities together instead of focusing on the gifts.

4.  Instead of candy, give organic bunny shaped graham crackers instead.  You can also try to slip in something healthy if you want to give treats.  Put money in eggs that you hide instead of candy.

5.  Make special meals.  Make a bunny shaped cake together as a family.  There is also a recipe for a crescent filled carrot with salad inside.  Look here for more ideas.

6.  Focus on the positive changes you make.  It takes time to simplify and have it be a long term habit.  Take it step by step and focus on what you are doing, not what you still need to change.

7.  Instead of new Easter baskets each year, consider reusing what you have.

8.  Whether you are Jewish or not, try having a Passover feast.

9.  Make an Easter Basket out of bread dough instead of buying one.

Easter has become like a second Christmas to some.  And, like Christmas, we get so caught up in the celebration that it is easy to forget the real meaning of the holiday.