Easter Archives - Rave & Review

Spring shopping at Northgate Mall in Seattle

So, Easter in Seattle was cold and rainy, like usual. But, we didn’t mind because our rain plan was actually our only plan: The Northgate Mall EGGcellent Easter Party for Kidgits members. But, that won’t be a surprise to anyone that knows us, since Northgate Mall is pretty much our holiday go-to plan if we aren’t seeing family.

This past weekend the mall was all done up for Easter for their EGGcellent Easter Party, and as usual, it did not disappoint. There was face painting, treats to snack on, robotics to marvel over, crafts to construct, and even live bunnies to hold. We checked in at the Kidgits Club desk and showed our membership cards to get little goodie bags for the kiddos, and then we headed over to take our annual pictures with the Easter Bunny before we visited the booths. Here’s one of my favorite shots from our Bunny Photo Experience:

Non-candy Easter treats from Corolle dolls

My kids really aren't big on candy, which makes me really happy. Sure, they get the occasional treat at school or during holidays, but I never load up on holiday candy because it just takes up space in my pantry after the kids forget all about it. Since I already know what happens when they get bags and baskets of treats, I'm always thinking of creative things I can give them in their Easter baskets, and I always think Corolle first.

If anyone thought that having a real live baby of our own would diminish the kids' love of all things Corolle, they were wrong. Baby dolls are a very big deal around here and show no signs of going anywhere anytime soon, so I love the idea of getting them each a little surprise in their Easter baskets that can add to all the doll play and make it even more fun.

No-stress Easter dinner with HoneyBaked Ham

Some people are natural born hostesses with buffet tables stocked with everything they could need for gatherings of all kinds, recipes at the ready to wow, and the organization to pull it all together. For me, even the thought of entertaining used to really stress me out. I worried about whether I would have everything perfect for guests, I worried over how clean my house was, and most of all, I worried what I would serve to eat that would work well for a crowd.

But, this year I've been entertaining more and more now that it's just easier to stay home with a newborn and have everyone come to us. And, while I wish I could say I've gotten better about tidying up before house guests, the truth is that now I just blame it on the baby. But, there's one thing I've gotten really good about doing as a mom of three: delegating.

That means when someone says, "Can I do something?", the answer is, "Yes." Sometimes that something is just playing with the kids while I get stuff done, sometimes it's bringing a dish or two, and sometimes that means handing off my baby to the first one in the door so I can enjoy some much needed time using both of my hands. But, my best delegating has got to be the addition of HoneyBaked Ham to our entertaining routine. My #1 tip for surviving entertaining during the holidays is letting HoneyBaked Ham handle the food for me.

Our new Easter tradition: HoneyBaked Ham

I love Easter. I love all the spring colors, I love pulling out my mismatched “fancy” dishes, and I love having family and friends over to celebrate with tea and snacks and then a full dinner.

But, there’s one Easter tradition I just can’t get behind. You see, I just do not like ham. I do not like it, Sam I am. I do not like it here or there, I do not like it anywhere.

Knowing this, you wouldn’t think I would be excited to write about a company like HoneyBaked Ham, but you’d be wrong. I will admit that when I was presented with a menu, the first thing I searched for was ham alternatives. Once I saw they had turkey {both smoked and roasted}, as well as a ton of sides, entrees, and desserts, I was in.

The perfect light and easy Easter meal with Ecce Panis Gourmet Artisan Breads {Coupon Code}

I honestly thought all bread was pretty much the same until I went to Europe the first time. One bite into those preservative-free made-fresh-daily baguettes and I realized I was very, very wrong about bread. It turns out good bread can make a gourmet meal faster than just about anything else in the pantry. Whenever … Read more

DIY Easter Terrarium with ProFlowers

I got hooked on terrariums when I was given a small present from Twig at BlogHer in 2011. Since then I have been dying to learn how to make one on my own but didn’t even know where to start. It turns out I didn’t have to look far, because ProFlowers has their own DIY … Read more

Easter Fun {Semi-Wordless Wednesday}

I know I’ve said this before, but I absolutely love Easter. This year was even better than I expected because this year I had TWO kiddos running around hunting eggs and looking adorable. Seriously, aren’t they just heart melting? This year was also fun because the Easter Bunny {aka, me} got to do some fun … Read more