Are You Easter-Ready?

mum's thoughts, Easter, tips + tricks
a little Easter egg basket which doubles as a home decoration

I am not much of a super-mum who can throw elaborate Easter celebration complete with decors and Easter gift baskets at home even when I want to. In fact I have never attempted to have one and I am sure I am not the only one. There are a lot of us who would simply drool at all these creative and colorful Easter egg DIY crafts found online thinking we can make some of them at home, too. But never worry, as Easter hops on so does hope for the creatively-challenged mums like us!  😛

I am sure we can still have one smashing Easter bash with only too few preparations and without sweating and fussing over the big stuff, especially those we cannot do. So here’s how you can introduce the amazing and colorful ideas of Easter to your little ones without losing your head.

  • Watch Easter-themed movies with the kiddos ~ last Christmas Jared got acquainted with the Easter Bunny {and all the other lovely characters} through the movie Rise of the Guardians. He totally loved the film. Earlier this month I have downloaded the movie Hop so he can ge re-acquainted with the famous bunny, as well as all the other beautiful things related to Easter. I am sure there is a long list of movies with the same theme you can download and watch at home with your little ones
  • Go on an Easter Egg Hunt  ~ nothing will get the children more familiar than whisking them into the thick of the action, so this year, check out your local malls or communities for egg hunting activities and have your children listed. I bet they will have a marvelous time locating all the beautifully-decorated Easter eggs. If the little man is feeling way better by Sunday, I will make sure to bring him to the nearest egg-hunt we can find.
  • Create Easter Crafts with the Little Ones ~ Draw and cut eggs and ask your children to color them whichever way they like. Boil a few chicken and quail eggs and let the little one color them with paint or colored pens. You can also ask them to count the eggs or sort them by color. I’ve found these simple Easter-related crafts online which I plan to make with my little man once he got a bit better, hopefully he will like them.
  • Decorate for Easter ~ to create the warmth and feel of Easter in your own living room, why not have a bit of Easter decoration, too. Color a number of eggs and put them in a dainty basket. You can use the eggs for egg hunt activities come Sunday. You can also rummage the internet for free printables you can hang on your wall or put in frames as instant Easter decor. Let the kids help in preparing these decorations to make it more enjoyable.
  • Prepare Easter Treats ~ you can be as creative as baking Easter cookies or cakes and putting them in bunny-shaped baskets or containers. For those of us who cannot bake to save our lives, we can simply create an Easter basket and fill it with treats that the little ones will like. To make this basket healthier, we can fill it with healthy snacks in pastel Easter colors, or with sugar free Easter candy packs you can buy online or in your neighborhood stores.

images from freedigitalphotos.net

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Movie Date Sunday: The Croods

simple pleasures, family time, movie date, weekends, movies, spending quality time with your children
this photo was taken when we watched the IronMan3 film in April

The little man was so looking forward to watching this film ever since he saw the movie poster last year. So I was not surprised when he said yes to watching it last Sunday just after we got home from our 2-day swimming with my brother and his family and friends. I was feeling rather well rested so I said yes when my sister invited us to go to the mall with her.

It was rather late when we arrived but we still managed to buy tickets and grab a snack {our favorite: a tub of popcorn and a huge tumbler of iced tea} and get in a little earlier than the 7.05 showtime, so we were able to catch the last part of the film.

:film: This film is set in the pre-historic era featuring a family of cavemen led by their father, Grugg {voiced by my favorite Nicolas Cage, so I guess it was not only the little man who’s going to enjoy this film!}, who managed to keep his family safe and sound in the harsh world by following the instructions drawn in their cave walls by their ancestors. Grugg was a typical dad, over-protective, strict and boring! He was also a stickler to the rule and would rule out any pursuit of curiosity and discovery of something new. For him everything not written on their cave walls are not allowed, are dangerous and are potential killers. He lived by the rule and never dreams of deviating from them if only he can keep his family alive.

Eep {Emma Stone}, the eldest daughter, on the other hand, is one adventurous and spirited girl who is bored of their little safe cave existence. She wants to satisfy her curiosity and would love to explore the rest of their world, even if it means putting her life on the line. One fateful night, while the rest of the family are fast asleep, she ventured out from the cave and into the great world outside. She bumped into one intelligent caveman, Guy {Ryan Reynolds}, and followed him in his journey to find the perfect place to live in, which he called “Tomorrow.”

The rest of the family, Grams, mum Ugga, son Thunk, and little daughter Sandy, was sold to the idea and Grugg, unwillingly obliged. Reluctantly, he agreed to leave their dark existence in the caves and began living under the sun more. They had the best adventure meeting colorful and huge animals and other pre-historic creatures in their quest to follow Tomorrow.

Okay I have to stop now, otherwise I will just be such a killjoy and ruin the surprise for you. I give this film a  :film: :film: :film: rating {highest of which is 5}. It is fun and enjoyable to watch. There were both funny and touching parts and even the little man cannot help but laugh. Most of all, it teaches us about the importance of sticking with our family no matter what. This film is still showing in theaters and I’d recommend for you to watch it with your family this weekend.

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Of Long Weekends + Vacation Spas

A long weekend abounds and I am just glad that we’ve already gone out for a swim last week since we’ll be cooped up at home because the little man is a bit under the weather for a few days now {although I am glad that he is feeling better today}. Unlike us, I am sure lot of people are making the most of the long weekend by whisking away their families to the nearest beach or vacation spot. And one of those destinations that seem to have grown in popularity in the past few years are vacation spas. I have not experienced one yet but I would really love to and I’d bet all the crisp bills I have in my pocket now that I will absolutely enjoy it!  😀

Reviews, other reviews, site review, summer, summer vacation

Incidentally, I came across this awesome site on everything vacation spas: Live, Love, Spa. This is a one-stop shop for all your vacation spa need. They have chock-full of fresh ideas and insights on how to DIY a simple spa break at home, as well as tips on how to make the most of your spa vacation. What’s even better is that they have a database of the most reputable spas around and they will help you search for the nearest one to your location that matches all your spa needs and specifications. They even have a list of all the leading spa brands and events that will be of interest to you and your spa buddies.  Visiting their site with its easy-on-the-eye design almost feel like visiting a spa, too, and reading all those relaxing and pleasurable spa experience makes me want to go visit a vacation spa now! 😉

Have you tried vacation spas? How was your experience?

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