Not to sound like a Scrooge (or whatever the Easter equivalent would be) but I am not a fan of regular Easter baskets. I mean, I can get behind how cute they are, especially the ones in bright colors that have fabric liners with cute springtime animals festooning them. So you'll probably think my reason is really silly.
They're a pain to store.
For real. It's not like I'm a minimalist, but I try not to hold onto a lot of superfluous items, and when it comes to seasonal decor I try to store it as efficiently as possible. Traditional Easter baskets don't stack into each other, hence they take up a ton of room for something you use one day.
My second reason is that I like things like that (Easter baskets, Christmas stockings) to match, or at least coordinate, and how do I know I'll be able to find the same type of baskets I've bought for the rest for the family for each kid that comes along?
So, here are some alternatives to the traditional Easter basket, if you're also in the market for something different.
//1. Bushel Baskets//
When I was looking at Easter baskets when we were first married (because, yes, I love holidays and we got Easter baskets before we had little ones) I fell in love with small bushel baskets. You can find them all year long, they stack into each other, they get a lot more use then just for Easter, and I can always find the exact same type even when I've had to look in different stores in different states. So this is what we use and they're perfect for us! I've also seen now that they're starting to make more festive Easter baskets in this style, but you'll pay a lot more the Easter version of them, when you can just buy them yourself and add your own paint or decoration!
//2. Reusable Bags//
Reusable bags have become really popular, and you can find them in pretty much any dollar store (these cute Dr. Seuss bags were in my local Target dollar bins). I love these because they're so practical, they make great pool or library bags for your littles, or you could always steal borrow them and use them to make your grocery shopping a little more fun!
//3. Sand Pails//
I don't know about you, but we go through sand buckets pretty quickly over here. They just always seem to only last a season, with the handles breaking, or long cracks appearing after numerous loads of heavy water and sand. If you household is like ours, wouldn't a new sand pail be a great Easter basket to welcome the warmer weather and replace your old one? Plus, they are really inexpensive!
//4. Storage Bins//
Check out these adorable totes and baskets I found on a recent trip to Target. There are so many decorative bins out there that would make beautiful Easter baskets, and then have a great second life as storage for toys, art supplies, or clothes!
//5. Flower Pot/Watering Can//
If your little one has a green thumb then they'd probably love something that they can use outside. A little plastic flower pot or fun watering can with their favorite characters on it would put a smile on both your faces when they use them outside to help you in the garden! You can usually find a ton of outdoor things geared towards kids at this time of year at Target, Kmart, and Walmart.
//6. Edible Candy Basket//
If you're not sure what I mean by an edible basket then check out {this} post on The Krazy Coupon Lady and {this} post on One Good Thing by Jillee. The great thing about these "baskets" are that once the candy is eaten, there's nothing to store! These are great if someone in your family REALLY loves candy, although I think if I went this route I would make sure that everything inside the basket was candy-free. :)
What about you? Are you a traditional basket family all the way? Do you think I'm silly about not wanting to store them?
Labels: gifts, holidays
