green your holidays, Easter edition

Easter is coming!

As a kid, our Easter egg hunts always involved hard boiled chicken eggs that we had collected from our own hens and then had the fun of dyeing ourselves. Our baskets were macrame over wire frames and the "grass" was fluffed out yarn ends permanently in place. While I'm sure the yarn was petroleum based (it was the 70s after all), they were sturdy and reusable year after year. I'm sure those baskets are still hiding away in a box in my mom's basement.

What, you don't have indestructible Easter baskets from your youth? Well, look no further than your local thrift shop for a plethora of options! This was the basket selection at one shop local to me recently:

Plenty of options and very reasonable prices too! So that covers the basket, how about a cute bunny to put in it?

Okay, the bunnies got photobombed by a bear, but there were even more bunnies that didn't make it in this shot. And how cute is that puppy in bunny ears?? Maybe you're looking for something less soft and cuddly?

There's plenty to choose from! Skip the plastic Easter grass and maybe use a pretty scarf scrunched up in the basket instead (they have plenty of those too!). Bandanas would work nicely for a boy. :-)

When looking for pre-made sweet snacks to add in, look for ones wrapped in foil rather than plastic. The foil can be made into a ball and once it's a few inches big (check your local guidelines for specific size requirements), it can be added to your recycling! Of course, making your own sweets can eliminate even the recyclable materials. ;-)

Shopping secondhand not only takes away the need for so many new products to be made which saves resources, but it also saves you cash (those stuffed animals were only $1-2 each!) and your money will go to a great cause. Sounds like a great way to celebrate Easter to me! :-)