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A healthy Easter basket for kids

March 8, 2018 · 1 Comment

A healthy Easter basket for kids

Easter is here yet again and I thought I would share with you some healthy, ethical and natural ideas for the kids’ Easter baskets.

I know Easter can be one of those occasions that can easily become excessive and overly commercialised. Dealing with family members and outside influences that don’t support your healthy choices can be very stressful. Check out my hints on how to navigate this with humour and grace.

What family traditions do you have for Easter? What are you putting into baskets? Let us know in the comments.

 

♥ The Basket

Finding a gorgeous basket you can re-use year after year is a great eco-friendly option. You can also have a hunt around the house for some boxes, bags, tins or baskets you could upcyle, decorate and use!

♥ Ethical Woven Seagrass

I love this biodegradable, hand-made, woven seagrass basket for a simple reusable option. You can embellish with ribbons or wind some pom poms around the top to get a different look every year. You can also reuse it for storage around the home and pop it in the compost when it’s getting ratty.

Get it here.

♥ Handmade, personalised baskets

Head over to Etsy to see a huge range of handmade Easter baskets. Many can be personalised making them a gorgeous gift. Check it out here.

♥ Chocolate

I am a huge advocate for fair-trade and ethical chocolate. If you are not buying something you know is fair-trade, then chances are child slavery is involved in the cacao production. You can get a good range and always be assured that the chocolate is fair-trade and ethical here.

 

♥  Boobook Chocolate Eggs

These Boobook eggs are caramel filled and chocolate coated. Organic, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, they are new to Loving Earth. A whopping half of the profits will go to The Great Forest National Park campaign. Get them here on sale!


♥ Moo-Free Rosie Rabbit

Rosie is a vegan, organic, dairy free, gluten free, soy free choccy rabbit. Moo Free also do larger chocolate Easter Eggs as well. Find them here.

♥ Gingerbread Rabbits

I am a long time lover of these gingerbreads. Hand-made in the Blue Mountains, Karen and Dom lovingly create great quality food in compostable packing. These bunnies are gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, palm-oil free, vegan and contain no artificial weird stuff. They also come in chocolate.

Find them here.

♥ Oscar the Orangutan

These cute little Oscar bars are organic, gluten free, dairy free, palm oil free, refined sugar free, vegan and ethically made. Five cents from every bar goes to The Orangutan Project, to help conserve orangutans and their habitat. They also come in white chocolate flavour. Find them here.

 

 

♥ Easter toys and gifts

 

♥ Easter Bilby Book

Any excuse for a new book is a good idea in my book! This Easter Bilby book from Aussies Nette Hilton and Bruce Whatley. is so charming and will make a lovely family tradition. Get it here in hard back or soft cover.♥ Jack ‘n Jill Bunny Toothbrush

Look I am just being practical here! 😀 Good teeth brushing is important after the Easter chocolates, so make it fun with this cute bunny tooth brush from Jack ‘n Jill. It’s also completely bio-degradable and toxin-free. Find it here.

♥ Peter Rabbit money box

We have some of these gorgeous Wedgwood Peter Rabbit pieces. They make a lovely heirloom gift and they also come in bowls and cups too. Check them out here.

 

You could also add some small things to the Easter baskets like crayons, colouring books, crystals and small wooden toys.

 

Want some more Easter ideas?

 

Healthy homemade Easter eggs

Healthy Hot Cross Buns

Healthy Easter ideas

Cool ideas for Easter that aren’t chocolate

Your complete guide to a healthy Easter

 

 

Filed In: FAMILY / Tagged: allergy-friendly Easter, dairy-free, easter, Easter bilby, Easter bunny, Easter chocolate, easter eggs, ethical, fair trade, gluten-free, handmade Easter, healthy easter, organic, vegan

Cool Ideas for Easter (that aren’t chocolate)

March 24, 2017 · 7 Comments

Cool Ideas for Easter (that aren’t chocolate)

 

This ancient pagan celebration has somehow turned into a commercialised chocolate-fest!

The pressure is on parents to make Easter another Christmas but with copious amounts of cheap, nasty chocolate. It’s easy for kids to get caught up the hype.

Okay, so how do you participate in Easter, enjoy some chocolate and not be a party-pooper?

My tips are to go back to basics.

Create family traditions based around making Easter treats together (homemade hot cross buns and Easter eggs are really not too hard to do!) You can put a limit on treats or let the grandparents supply the chocolate while you get the kids something else for their Easter basket.

When it comes to chocolate, buy smaller amounts of good quality, fair-trade chocolate and really savour it.

Here are some more ideas and alternatives for you.

 

♥ Bamboo Easter Signs

These bamboo signs are hand made in Melbourne and start at just $15.00  You can get a generic one or get it personalised with your kids’ or family name! Check it out here.

♥ Recycled Sari Easter Basket

At just $9.95, this gorgeous Easter basket is made from recycled saris and ethically made in Bangladesh. I want one of these for myself. Just adorable! Get it here.

♥ Terracotta Bunny Lantern

Perfect for the person in your life who doesn’t want chocolate for Easter but you still don’t want them feeling left out. It makes a gorgeous decoration for the house at Easter as well. Get it online here.

 

♥ Organic Crochet Bunny

Beautifully hand-made in Australia using organic cotton, you can get one of these adorable bunnies here.

♥ Wooden Counting Rabbits

This set of eco-friendly counting rabbits with carrots can be used as a puzzle or free play. Totally safe for kids with non-toxic paints and plantation timber.

Get it online here.

♥ BBYO Bunni Water Bottle

For those too old (or cool) for toys, this Bunni water bottle is super cute. The bottle has no plastic at all and is heat resistant so you can use if for water or hot drinks! Get it here.

♥ Oxfam Unwrapped

Gift some chickens or a goat or a myriad of other life saving things to those in need. Check out Oxfam Unwrapped here.

♥ Gingerbread Bunnies!

I am such a fan of Gingerbread Folk’s products. They are handmade in the Blue Mountains and contain no artificial nasties. The bunnies are wrapped individually in compostable packaging and perfect for baskets or for hunting! Get them online here.

 

♥ Healthy Marshmallows

The very clever Jo Whitton from Quirky Cooking has just come out with this yummy, all natural, honey-sweetened marshmallow recipe just in time for Easter. It’s so easy to make and relatively inexpensive too. Try out some different flavourings and have fun! Get the recipe here.

 

♥ Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

A really fun project to do with the kids is dyed eggs. Using natural ingredients like turmeric and beetroot, Mommypotamus shows you step by step how to do it. Read more here.

 


♥ Cute Eco Easter Bags!

Super easy, eco-friendly and really, really cute. A great way to share your homemade treats. Find the tutorial here.

 

♥ You might also like to read:

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs

Your complete guide to a Healthy Easter

Healthy Hot Cross Buns

Healthy Easter Ideas

 

 

Filed In: FAMILY, FOOD / Tagged: chocolate, chocolate free, easter, easter eggs, easter food, Easter gifts, sugar-free

Healthy Easter Ideas

March 16, 2015 · 4 Comments

Healthy Easter Ideas

 

It’s that time of year again! I have a round up of some of my favourite ideas and blog posts to keep you healthy and happy this Easter.

 

♥ Chocolates

moo-free-organic-dairy-free-easter-egg-100g-bunnycomb♥ Moo Free Easter Eggs. This range is so popular at Easter time! As well as being dairy free (Moo Free, geddit) they are also organic, vegan, gluten free, non gmo, egg free and fair trade. All while tasting like high quality milk chocolate. Be quick – these go fast!

fair-trade-easter-organic-milk-chocolate-egg

♥ Organic Times Easter Egg. Made from organic swiss chocolate and sweetened with rapadura, this chocolately egg is also fair trade and palm oil free. I also love the other chocolate range that Organic Times does which includes chocolate coated almonds, licorice, ginger and more. Find that range here.

chocolate-easter-bunny-biscuit-all-natural

♥ Chocolate Gingerbread Bunny Biscuit. So cute and a great little addition to the Easter basket. They come individually wrapped in compostable packaging and are handmade in the Blue Mountains. Free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, eggs and GMO-free, there is also a gluten free option.

alter-eco-organic-truffles-velvet-108g

♥ Alter Eco Velvet Truffles. Confession time – I buy these for myself and hide them from the kids. The are soooooo delicious! You can also feel virtuous eating them because they are organically grown, fair trade, GMO-free, gluten free and have compostable wrappers. The smooth balls of Peruvian chocolate with a melty, silky centre oozing with pure coconut oil and milk chocolate will make this a perfect gift for anyone. HOT TIP: Get a pack for yourself, you won’t be sorry!

crio1♥ Crio Bru. This is the chocolate you have when you are not having a chocolate. Just 100% pure roasted cacao beans, Crio Bru the most healthy hot chocolate ever! Brew it in a plunger, thermomix, coffee machine or on the stove for a rich, chocolately hit without sugar and all the nasties. The Vega Real is my favourite blend, but there are heaps to try and they are all different.

 

♥ Gifts

I know many of you like to keep the chocolate to a minimum and pop a few non-food gifts into the Easter baskets. Here are some perfect ideas.

australian-barefoot-bilby

♥ Bilbys! These are made from 100% natural fibres and non-toxic dyes. They are hand woven by fair-trade artisans in Sri Lanka.

 

18576208♥  Interactive sticker card from Oxfam Unwrapped will educated kids about how chickens help developing countries.

 

love_mae_bamboo_dinner_set_woodland_tea_party__38203.1424815930.380.380

♥ Love Mae Bamboo Dinner Set. So eco-friendly – this set is biodegradable and contains no toxins or formaldehyde. Super cute.

kate-knapp-s-book-nest-eggs

♥ Nest Eggs by Kate Knapp. The most gorgeous non-food gift for teenagers or adults! Inside is a collection of Kate Knapp inspiring illustrations and thought provoking quotations. Kate is a favourite in our family!

 

Homemade Easter:

If you want to make some chocolates yourself this year, here are some great starting points:

 

Choc_making_ultimate_pack_515x600pxl

♥ Chocolate Making Ultimate Pack. Cyndi O’Meara from Changing Habits has everything you need for making healthier, homemade chocolates!  The cacao wafers are amazing!

 

11052015_10153060584370630_5172484125639248190_n

♥ Cute Eco Easter Bags! Super easy, eco-friendly and really, really cute. A great way to share your homemade treats. Find the tutorial here.

More:

Browse some of my other Easter posts for some recipes and ideas:

Healthier Hot Cross Buns

Healthy Homemade Easter Eggs

How to Make your Own Healthy Chocolate for Easter

Seven Sensational Healthier Chocolate Recipes

Homemade Chocolate Bars

 

Easter Special – Chocolate Making Ultimate Pack

Filed In: FAMILY, FOOD / Tagged: chocolate, easter, easter eggs

Healthy Easter Guide

April 2, 2014 · 106 Comments

Healthy Easter Guide

 

Easter doesn’t have to be difficult for those of us who want to be healthy or have allergies.

It just takes a little bit of hunting around! I have a round-up of the best healthier Easter alternatives from some fabulous online stores.

 

Banjo carob easter egg ♥ Biome Eco Store

Celebrate Easter with Banjo The Carob Bunny, a delicious carob Easter egg made with Australian grown carob and real cocoa butter.  Only the purest natural ingredients are added to blend a mild, naturally sweet smooth carob Easter egg.  100% palm oil free, gluten free, preservative free & caffeine free.

Biome also has vegan dairy free eggs and chocolates to help those with allergies celebrate Easter.

♥ Gingerbread Folk

Karen and Dom make cute Choc-Gingerbread Bunnies that are individually packaged in compostable wrappers. These are ideal to send to school instead of chocolate, to use in an Easter egg hunt or decorate place settings at Easter lunch. The bunnies are a chocolate gingerbread flavour and are all natural, no colours, flavours or preservatives and totally egg-free! 

Healthy Easter Guide - Allergy Free

♥ Allergysave

Sonya, the allergy expert from Allergysave has done it again and created a fabulous e-book filled with Easter recipes.

Having food allergies no longer means missing out! Easy Allergy Free Easter is full of delicious recipes for anyone with food allergies or diet restrictions. All recipes are FREE from Gluten and the Top 8 food allergens (Peanuts, Tree nuts, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Fish and Shellfish). Many recipes are also free from refined sugar. Available to download now at the Allergysave website here.

 

Want more?

♥ Coming up this month on the website – Healthy Chocolate Recipes, Gifts for the Easter baskets that aren’t chocolate, Healthy Hot Cross Buns and more….

♥ Check out my Healthy Easter Guide from last year and my Guide to a Happy, Healthy Easter from the year before for more Easter ideas.

♥ Search ‘chocolate’ in the search box for all my yummy chocolatey treats!

 

Have a happy, healthy Easter!

 

Easter Special – Chocolate Making Ultimate Pack

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: chocolate, chocolate bars, easter, easter eggs

Your guide to a happy, healthy Easter

March 29, 2012 · 17 Comments

Your guide to a happy, healthy Easter

Your guide to a happy, healthy Easter

Easter is just around the corner !!

Special occasions seem to go hand in hand with overindulgence, don’t they? Chocolate, hot cross buns, chocolate, huge family dinners and more chocolate!

I have the best ideas from around the web to make your Easter a whole lot healthier. Enjoy.

 

 

Hot cross buns, hot cross buns…….  Make your own hot cross buns this Easter and you avoid loads of sugar and additives. It’s really not that hard! Perfect for Easter Sunday brekky with some organic butter. Try these ‘Hot, Happy Buns’ from the clever Wendy at Vegie Smugglers.

You might also like this version from the amazing Teresa Cutter if you want something that is wheat free, gluten-free and paleo friendly!

Another cute idea for breakfast are these ‘chick eggs’ that I found on Pinterest. You can see how to make them here.

 

I know, I know, you are thinking “When is she getting to the chocolate?”

Okay, chocolate time is here. Yes, I realize that Facebook is going viral with news that chocolate is good for you and you can lose weight eating chocolate. I am pretty sure they mean two squares of good quality dark chocolate per day, not a bucket of Smarties! Personally, I would rather quality over quantity when it comes to chocolate. Choose the best quality, organic chocolate you can find, eat a small amount and enjoy it, guilt free!

What a cheeky organic chocolate bunny from Organic Times.

 

This one from moo free might interest you too. It’s vegan and dairy free.

Now if you want to get really fancy, you can have a go at making your own chocolate, from scratch (and I’m not talking about melting some cooking chocolate into moulds here!).

You can get a raw chocolate kit from Loving Earth. Very cool.

You can try Quirky Cooking’s thermomix recipe for Almost Raw Chocolate.

Now, Easter doesn’t have to be all about loading the kids up with chocolate. You can put non-edible things in the Easter baskets too! For a bit of fun, you can print off these cute Easter activities.

If you have any other ideas for making Easter healthy, please leave a comment below! It would be lovely to get some more thoughts!

 

Whatever you do for Easter, have a lovely time with your family. Stay safe, happy and healthy!

 

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: chick eggs, chocolate, chocolate egg, craft, easter, easter eggs, hot cross buns, loving earth, moo free, organic times, quirky cooking, sarah wilson, sweet william, teresa cutter, vegetarian, vegie smugglers

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