Spring & Easter Guide 2023

Spring has finally sprung and Easter is just a few weeks away! So of course now is the perfect time to get out and start shopping for all those spring and Easter themed goodies! I know I've already been decorating at my house! And I've already started making my list of things I need for Easter baskets this year.

I say no matter how old you are you're never too old for an Easter basket. In recent years I've even started doing a family basket since my kids are older and aren't really into toys anymore and they seem to both love it. There's stuff we can all share as well as a little something for each person to have as their own.

Are you ready for spring? It's coming soon!

Spring is so close I can almost taste it! Okay maybe not taste spring exactly, but things that go along with spring like grilling on the patio. The birds have already started to make their way back and are chirping and we are supposed to have temps hit the 60's this week here in Indiana. So this girl will be going into full spring mode in no time! And that means lots of cooking, cleaning, and getting outdoors for this family!

It's time to get those nails ready for Spring!

I don't know about you but I tend to change not only the colors of clothing I wear based on season, but also the colors of nail polish I wear too. I think this is especially true when it comes to spring because I have always associated it with lighter and more pastel colors. Maybe because pretty much everything Easter related is pastel, or maybe because it's a calm season. Either way for me it's time to break out the pinks, blues, purples, etc. and give myself a new look. I mean every girl deserves a little self pampering now and then right? And one of my favorite nail care brands Sally Hansen just happens to have some really awesome spring colors!

My daughter saw me with my new nail polish colors and immediately begged to paint my toe nails. I figured since it wasn't quite sandal weather yet why not..and let her proceed to paint my toes..I mean toe nails. I love that she enjoys doing nice things for mom, but she still needs a little work when it comes to painting nails. Luckily nail polish is one of those things that comes off pretty easy from skin once it's dried. And to my luck the kind of polish we were using has argan oil in the formula so the skin around my toe nails got a little extra nourishment in the process.

Sally Hansen has some really nice pastel colors in their line-up in both gel and standard nail polish formulas. I've never tried gel nail polish so I figured why not give it a shot and see what all the hype is about. So far it seems to actually be doing really good on my nails compared to standard polish. I tend to have a problem with nail polish flaking off my fingernails easy when I'm doing things like washing dishes and household cleaning. So looks like this gal might have just found a new favorite line to use this spring!

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Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own and are in no way influenced by my partnership with mentioned brands.

Spring showers = crafting fun indoors!

I don't know about where you live, but it seems like this spring has already been filled with way too many rainy days. We finally got past the cold days that seemed to just drag on and now we're filled with dreary rainy days. And in my house that means kids that aren't happy because they can't get outside and play. But that's okay because this mom has already started using her crafting skills to keep them entertained. (Okay so maybe some of my skills aren't really mine, they are actually from Pinterest.) But hey, if it keeps them entertained then I'm happy. With a little help from Pinterest and some supplies from Oriental Trading crafting can help pass the time on any day rain or shine.

One of the crafts we recently did was make Homemade Glitter Slime. This is one of those that I borrowed from Pinterest. If you've ever searched there are tons of different variations to the slime/putty recipe out there. We've actually done quite a few different ones, and even purchased a kit that came with several different recipes in it too. You can check out my crafts Pinterest board for lots of recipe ideas if you want to try some yourself.

Supplies I used from Oriental Trading:
Short Jars
Jeweltone Premium Glitter Glue Set

Another craft we've done, that yes I actually came up with was making homemade water globes. I use plastic jars and fill them with water, colored water beads (I let these soak overnight first), and sparkly jewels. If these are going to be played with I actually use a colored glue stick to seal the lids on. It ensures that the lids won't get unscrewed on accident and they spill everywhere. Plus it gives the outside of the jar a little added color too. We've actually done these a few different times now using different things inside to make them themed and even given them as gifts to my daughter's friends. It's amazing how much the kids like playing with these just watching the stuff inside swirl around when they turn them upside down.

Supplies I used from Oriental Trading:
Short Jars
Water Beads
Shiny Flower Jewels
Jewel Assortment
Surebonder® Colorful Mini Glue Sticks

And finally another of my own crafting ideas, and personal favorite (because it's edible of course) is candy flowers. You can create all sorts of different pictures using candy. I don't know about you, but we always seem to have an over abundance of candy laying around after every holiday. What a great way to use it up! And these make great gifts too. My daughter made a bunch of the candy flowers using a bag of spring mix candy and gave them to her teachers at school for teacher appreciation week. She wrote thank you on them with a marker and signed her name at the bottom. Something quick and simple, and everyone that got one loved it. I mean who wouldn't enjoy getting a homemade gift that's covered in candy!

Supplies I used from Oriental Trading:
Lime Green Candy-Filled Straws
Hershey’s® Spring Assortment
Surebonder® Colorful Mini Glue Sticks (to glue down the candy)

Do you have any great crafting ideas you'd like to share? Please feel free to leave them for me in the comments and links if you have shared them yourself online.

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