What's In Your Easter Basket?

Easter is almost here, and I've got my daughter's Easter basket and goodies hidden in a kitchen cabinet. Don't worry. It's up high so she can't open it. I just have to remember to not open it when she's in the kitchen or she'll totally see everything.

When I was a kid, Easter meant egg hunts and Easter baskets. My uncle used to hide plastic eggs around my house, either when we were at church or the night before. Sometimes I would find candy inside the eggs, but sometimes I'd find Susan B. Anthony $1 coins. I felt so rich when I shook the plastic egg and heard the hard metal of a coin rattling inside.



(Side note: it's surprising how many people do not know what a Susan B. Anthony coin is. Every time I tried to use one to pay for something, the cashier would do a double-take at the coin. Like, "Is this is a quarter or ???")

Chocolate bunnies were always a thing in my family, and you always ate the ears off first. I don't know why. That was the tradition. And Peeps. Oh, how I loved Peeps. Usually just at room temperature, but then we discovered that you could microwave them. Make a S'more out of them. That's a real treat!

But my all-time favorite Easter candy (one that I really can't eat anymore due to lactose-intolerance) are Cadbury Creme Eggs. My mom shared my love of these ooey, gooey chocolate eggs. I don't know what was really inside the eggs, but it was delicious. I usually bit into the top of the egg first just to crack it open. And then I would lick the goo inside, and continue eating the sides of the chocolate for easier access to the goo. (Sorry if that description sounds gross. I guess describing how to eat a Cadbury Creme Egg is not the same as describing how you eat a Reese's or an Oreo.)

A few years ago I made my own Cadbury Creme Eggs. You can find my recipe/process for that here. If I can find a suitable substitute for the butter in the recipe (coconut oil, maybe?), then I will definitely try to make these again.


Sometimes there were non-candy treats in my Easter baskets. Just small toys or other small things that my parents (or the Easter bunny - sorry!) knew I liked and/or wanted.

In recent years, there has been a big push for non-candy Easter basket items. Stuffed animals are always a big hit. Who doesn't like super cuddly bunnies or other spring-themed animals? And bubbles and bubble toys are always a hit, too. Bottles of bubble solution, something I'm giving to my daughter this Easter, are small enough to fit inside the basket, even if you throw in three of them at once. And you can also find small handheld bubble blowers that are the perfect size for a basket.

This Easter, I am going to add a few candy items in my daughter's basket. She's really not big on chocolate or dessert, but she specifically requested a chocolate lollipop (I found a rabbit-shaped one at Dollar Tree) and the new M&M's candy bar. And because for months she's been obsessed with Kinder Eggs and I've been telling her, "Not until you're 3", I'm going to throw a few of those into the basket. They are a combination of candy and toy, and the egg shape of the packaging is perfect for Easter baskets.


I've also been saving a stuffed bunny to give her for Easter. The bunny has the same name as my daughter! Sure, she has a bunch of Easter bunnies already (see pic above), but what's one more to add to the pile? (I store them after Easter every year and only bring them out around the season as decor or for my daughter to play with. So far, she hasn't played with any of them. She has, however, wanted to play with the Easter decor that is not a toy.)

If you're looking for Easter gift ideas that are not candy, my co-worker and I filmed an episode of our company's YouTube show, The Playdate, where we talk about and show you some great Easter toy ideas. Check it out and also enter for a chance to win a prize pack (through Thursday, April 11, 2019)!

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