Three Things : Easter

If your guy likes pencils have your tried the Smencils?! They have them at Container Store and other places/boutiques. They are #2 pencils made with recycled newspaper and smell great (guaranteed for 2 years). My kids love them.

My guys really liked getting little gardening tools too when they were little. The little shovels and rakes are great...oh they make little work gloves too. You might also like to try pysanky eggs. We would leave them out on a table all month and the boys would stop whenever they had time and work on some. They can be really simple or incredibly complicated.

Darn, the pencil's are sold out. I have dyed my eggs with beets and coffee, and used the rubber band method...and it works, and is really fun! Love the basket idea...we are traveling as well, and I am not sure how we are going to do the Easter Bunny thing!

Great ideas! Does Simon like Easter Egg hunts? My parents would hide jelly beans through out the living room and when I woke up Easter morning I would get to find them. I was bummed when my parents stopped doing it, I guess they thought I was too old, but I still am not.

Speaking of dying eggs, i read a really neat article in Family Fun Mag today...
They did resist dying or whatever the technical name is. they put leaves on the egg, wrapped egg in hosiery, then dyed the egg. The leaf and hose were removed, leaving a really cool "pattern" on the egg.
here's the link:
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11921

Reading your blog brought back memories. As our son was growing up I always tried to use something other then a basket...cowboy hat, wagon etc. We also tried to keep candy just a part of it...Hot Wheel cars, pencils/crayons,sketch books, puzzles, etc. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I really like the seed idea. What a great way to get children interested in gardening, (my other passion), as well as a way to spend quality family time. If Simon is interested in gardening you might want to check out the book Roots Shoots Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy.

LOVED the felted eggs. Went to the link, and realized the shop was just down the street from me! Called to make sure they still had the pattern, then went in to pick it up. They were on the phone, with someone else who had read about it in your blog today, and they were THRILLED. I love how one little comment can bring all of us crafters together, throughout the country, and help independent shop owners at the same time! I have already started on my first egg, and the woman who wrote the pattern has some other delightful felted goodies too.
So thanks for the great idea and link! I would never have stopped in there otherwise.

great ideas. since our 21 year old son just got married this year (only child) i want to do something for the 2 of them together. this year i will be making their easter basket a clothes hamper and filling it not only with great personal and fun stuff, but also that practical stuff that newly weds need.

Ali,
Martha needs to put YOU on her show!! : )

Ali,
Kind of off the Easter topic, but did you see the cute Simon Says poster on the Land of Nod site? I love all the vintagey type items for home decor and really love when I see my owns kids names on things. Parker, Holden and even your Simon are not as common names as one would think!

Love these ideas! Thanks!

Thanks for sharing Ali - I found a great 4x4 raised bed at Plow & Hearth for $60. . .I'm planning to get that for my 7 YO and start a little garden together.
All the best -
Hillary

What cute ideas! on the pencil topic.. I just thought I'd share a cute tutorial I found today for "photo pencils" http://photojojo.com/content/diy/diy-photo-pencil-covers/
Happy easter treat hunting!

Amazingly, the Easter Bunny always brought art supplies to our house, maybe not so amazing when you consider all those cool eggs he makes. A great annual replenishing of colorful fun arty stuff.

Hi Ali,
Since you have a little guy that loves pencils, you might check out the idea on Photojojo for customizing pencils with photos. (http://photojojo.com/content/)
Endless possibilities...
Laura U

Love the suitcase idea. I've been wanting to do something more "usable" than baskets. Thank you for the constant inspiration.

Those littel baskets are absolutely adorable and such a great idea. I'm actually recycling the easter basket from last year (she's barely 2 so I'm sure she won't mind lol), and the seeds are a great touch because it's something you can do together and watch it grow as he grows. You always have the best ideas, thanks for sharing.

thanks for the martha link... so many fun ideas there!

great ideas! Lilian Vernon has personalized pencils as well, not in that color range however. Another idea is Madlibs. Remember those? I loved those as a kid.

GREAT ideas for Easter Ali! :) Simon is sure to love them :)
Also wanted to let you know that I am having a big giveaway on my blog, so if you have a moment, stop on by. :)

Ali,
Go to this link:
http://photojojo.com/content/diy/diy-photo-pencil-covers/
It's a Photo Jo Jo site and shows you how with just 12 pencils you can create an image of your own photo with just srips of paper and a glue stick wrapped around the pencils. It's supercool. I think this would be a winner for you and Simon. It's not hard to achieve by the sounds of it, just three photos printed on paper strips wrapped around the pencils. I love the idea.
Ruth

Thanks for all the great ideas. I also found this great knitter who shared her pattern for knitted eggs. They look cute so of course I had to start knitting some!
Kori
http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/free_knitting_patterns/2008/01/knitted-easter.html

I love the seed idea! I am totally swiping that one...I have been trying to come up with fun and meaningful things to put in my 5 year old and 1 year old's baskets. So hard to find things that truly tie in with the real meaning behind Easter, but I love the seeds idea. You might also want to check out the latest Family Fun magazine...they have the most adorable yarn birds and nests to make! I just went to JoAnn's yesterday for styrofoam eggs and yarn. Can't wait to try them out.

Ali- where did you get those alphabet stamps towards the end?
Kip

Cute ideas...
Here's the link for the rubber band technique on RealSimple.com: http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/celebrations/0,21770,1711861,00.html
-Rachel