Easter: It's not about the Bunny.

Easter isn't about the Egg Hunts, Dyeing Eggs, the Candy or the Chocolate.

 It's definitley not about the Easter Bunny, even though I take my kids to see him each year & you know I love me a good crying kid with the Easter Bunny picture.

(Luke is not too sure.....anyone want to make a wager that he cries next year?)

Even though we have fun doing these little things during Easter, the real reason we celebrate Easter is because of Jesus.

Jesus, who died on the cross to forgive me and you from our sins. 

All of our sins. Past, present and future.

Why? Because he love us. No matter what. 

He came to save us from ourselves & paid the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Dying on the cross & rising again 3 days later. 

Giving HIS life so we can have life in him.

And we celebrate today because the tomb was empty, HE is Risen! 

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."
Matthew 28:6

Today, I am thankful for the cross, thankful the tomb was empty and thankful for all HE has done for us.

Jesus loves YOU. Yes, YOU.
Happy Easter!

Spring Break Snapshots + A Winner

Spring Break. It flew by.
I had big plans to get a lot of stuff done, like do more of my 40 bags in 40 days, etc.
But that didn't happen. We had other stuff to do!

Here is a snapshot via my iPhone.

Spring Break started off last Friday with Friday Night Pizza Night. 

And Basketball. LOVE March Madness!

I have had fun playing with my new laptop this week, thankful for the technology grant at my school!

 On Sunday, I headed into San Francisco with my mom & sisters.

Absolutely gorgeous day in San Fran.

We saw Jersey Boys, it was my mom's Christmas present from my sisters & I.

So good! Loved all the fun music.

 Then we headed to dinner at Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern. Delicious!

 Monday we headed to Central California to visit Grammy!

 Grammy is now 101 years, 5 months old. Because when you are 101, every month counts! 

Grammy & Luke....two hands, 101 years apart. Love.

Sunset on the way back home.

 Needing caffienc to finish the drive home. Diet Dr. Pepper with pellet ice, courtesy of Arco AM/PM (we don't have Sonic around here)

 Painting the girls nails.

We dyed Easter Eggs:

Finally using my sewing machine to make some bunny shirts, I haven't used it in months!!

Waiting in line to see the Easter Bunny:

 Yogurtland. My favorite.

 Don't forget....our 3rd Pin-Spired Link Up is on Monday! Link up those Pinterest Inspired Outfits!

And, the winner of the Chirp Handmade Shop Credit is #10

 

Is it YOU?

Happy Good Friday, Friends.

It's Friday.....But Sunday is Coming!

Some of Our Favorite Easter Activities

 It's been so nice to have this week off for Spring Break because it's allowed me to have time to do some of my favorite Easter Activities with the kids. 

Thought I would share some simple & fun Easter Traditions that we have done.

Planting Jelly Beans

 

Take some jelly beans & plant them in your yard/garden.

Water them & then see if anything the next day.....

  You could do this on Good Friday & have the lollipops appear on Easter Sunday representing that God has taken the old and given us new life. You can even read Luke Chapter 18 in the Bible.  Talk about how Jesus’s body was laid in the tomb then on the 3rd day was raised from the dead and lived again. 

The girls were SO excited finding the lollipops.

Other Easter Activities I love:

Bunny Tracks 

(on our front walkway made with flour)

 Bunny Trail 

(Marshmallows leading them to their Easter Baskets)

Empty Tomb Easter Cookies with Scripture (Recipe & Instructions HERE)

 

(This pic is from 3 years ago, 3 year old Kate. So sweet!!!)

Resurrection Rolls (Recipe HERE)

This year I am also excited to use the Easter Egg Coupons in their Eggs!

Download them HERE if you haven't already!

What is your favorite Easter Tradition?

Mine is making Resurrection Rolls with the girls & re-telling the story of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and have my girls understand more and more what that means each year.

I also love spending Easter day with family & friends. 

And of course, eating a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. Best Easter Candy EVER.

Tie-Dyed Eggs {2013 Edition}

The past few years I have been dyeing Easter Eggs using men's ties that I buy at the Thrift Store.

I use the $2 Egg Kit to dye eggs with the girls, this is definitely more of a craft for me :)

Here are the silk ties BEFORE I cut them up to use them for the Eggs.

Remember, the uglier the tie, the better :)

These ties, dyed the Eggs like this:

The girls wanting to wear the ties:

The ties cut up & tied around the eggs:

 Wrapped up in cloth & ready to get boiled:

The final products!

Egg #1

 Egg #2: (Claire's favorite)

 Egg #3 (This one didn't turn out so well, really faded)

 Egg #4

 Egg #5

 Egg #6 (Kate's favorite)

Egg #7 (My Favorite!)

 All the Tie-Dyed Eggs together:

Which one is your favorite?

This a fun way & easy way to dye eggs!

It's always a mystery how they are going to turn out!

Past Years:

2011 Tie Dyed Eggs

2012 Tie Dyed Eggs

Easter Egg Coupons {Free Printable}

Every year on Easter morning, we have a little Easter Egg Hunt in our house.

Instead of putting jelly beans & other candy in the eggs, I decided to do the eggs a little different this year.

Sure, I will still put in a jelly bean here & there, but since Kate had a little cavity at her last dentist appointment, I wanted an alternative to candy.
(And, some of them promote quality time with your kiddos!)

 I made a printable for you with 10 of the ideas printed on them:

 

{To download, Click so the image pops up in a new window, Right Click, Then Save & Print!}

 

Cut out the coupons, fold it up & stick it in an Egg.

Eggs full of Coupons of things to do... better than candy!

And, because I love you all, I made a blank set. 

You can just write in your own coupons :)

{To download, Click so the image pops up in a new window, Right Click, Then Save & Print!} 
 

I made a list of things to put in the eggs that would be fun for my girls based on things they love to do.

Here are the 20 ideas/coupons that my girls will have in hidden in Eggs:

1. Staying up 30 minutes past bedtime

2. Picking out the books for bedtime stories

3. Picking the movie for Family Movie Night

4.  Playing 30 minutes of Wii

5.  Going out for Frozen Yogurt

6.  Downloading a new App for the iPad

7. Sleeping Over in your sister's room

8. Having mom make your bed

9. Having mom clean your room

10. Getting an extra Story at Bedtime

11. Chocolate milk at Dinner

12. Playing 3 games of Uno with Mommy

13. A bike ride to Starbucks

14. An afternoon at the park

15. Going to the zoo

16. Icee at Target

17. Riding in the Car Shopping Cart at the Grocery Store

18. Breakfast for Dinner
19. Playing a Board Game
20. Watching a show in Mommy & Daddy's bed

I would also love to hear any other ideas you have for putting on the coupons.
 Hope these will be helpful to you this Easter!
Linking up here , here, here & here

{Don't forget about the Chirp Handmade Giveaway! Enter HERE}