Healthy and Happy Easter 🐣

Spring is upon us and Easter is here!
Easter can be one of those occasions that can easily become excessive and overly commercialized. I thought I would share with you some healthy, ethical and natural ideas to ensure you and your little ones have a healthy and happy Easter celebration!

The basket

Finding a basket you can re-use year after year is a great eco-friendly option. One that is biodegradable that you can reuse for toy storage and pop in the compost bin when you no longer need it is even better. Support a local artist and head over to Etsy to find one that’s perfect for you.

Easter grass

Traditional petroleum-based Easter grass generates tons of emission and landfill waste each year. Eco grass is made of 100% renewable content, is fully biodegradable or can be reused for years to come. It is available in a 1.25 oz bag size that fills a standard-size Easter basket and comes in 3 colors: pink, yellow, and green. Even better? It’s made in the USA!

The eggs

Traditional plastic Easter eggs also add to our carbon footprint.  Consider using eco eggs which are made in the USA from non-toxic, durable, plant-based plastic and have a secure closure, so you can safely fill them to the brim for those Easter egg hunts.  Eco eggs come in two sizes and 5 assorted colors: pink, yellow, green, blue, and purple. They can be stored and reused for many Easters or disposed in industrial compost.

Dyeing and decorating eggs is a favorite Easter tradition! Decorative and symbolic for both at Easter and Passover, here are instructions from on how to dye eggs naturally…using food as dye!

Materials

Pasture raised white eggs
White Vinegar such as Olive R Twist White Balsamic Vinegar
Natural coloring agents from fruits/vegetables/spices (see below)
Saucepan

Filtered water

Olive oil such as Olive R Twist Extra Virgin Olive Oil

White crayon for drawing and decorating

Choose which colors you’d like to dye your eggs.

Red/Pink : 1 1/2 cups shredded beets

Orange: 7 yellow onion skins

Yellow: 3 tablespoons of ground tumeric

Green: 2 cups Spinach leaves
Robins Egg Blue: 1 1/2 cups of red chopped cabbage

Blue: 2 cups grape juice

Purple: 2 cups blueberry juice

Brown: 2 cups of brewed coffee

1. For each color, fill a saucepan with at least three inches of water.
2. Add the natural ingredient of your choice from above.
3. Bring contents to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or longer for the deepest color.
5. Strain liquid into a large mason jar, and allow to cool to room temperature, 2-3 hours. This is a good time to write and decorate your eggs with a crayon if you wish!
6. Stir in 2 tablespoons white vinegar and add 3 hard-boiled eggs
7. Seal the jar, and refrigerate overnight or until the egg is the desired color.
8. Rub with olive oil to give them a glistening finish!

Any food that gives off a tint when boiled is a potential dyeing agent – look around the kitchen with your kids for other natural ingredients that might produce a fun color!

A Prize

A book for every occasion- that’s the motto in our house! Our friends at The Little Bean introduced us to this gem that both of my kids adore! Shop local and pick up your own copy or another Easter favorite at The Curious Reader.

The CANDY!

Chocolate is so much more than candy. It’s a superfood packed with antioxidants and cardiovascular benefits, and studies show chocolate boosts energy, reduces stress, increases concentration and even improves mental health. WIN!

So we know chocolate is good for us, but is it equally as good for the farmers who grow it? The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 250 million child slaves working to produce many of our everyday purchases such as coffee and cocoa. They are exploited for their work, forced to work long hours with little or no pay and have little rights. When we choose to buy Fair Trade products, we are casting a vote for the ethical treatment of the laborers around the world who are responsible for the food we eat. Fair Trade certification means not only that workers are paid fairly but also those farmers have safe and environmentally-friendly working conditions.

UnReal is on a mission to unjunk the world by reinventing America’s favorite foods…candy!  Colorful candy shells coating a pop of milk chocolate that’s a treat we can get behind. But artificial colors and ingredients? No thank you.  You can get all of the great taste without any of the junk with these sweet little gems. Only fair trade ingredients found in nature cover their milk chocolate gems colored with red cabbage juice, beetroot juice, annatto extract and turmeric extract.  Every ingredient they use is non-GMO,  made without gluten, corn, or soy, and is sustainably sourced. Fair trade ingredients, less sugar and UnReal taste!

Choc Zero is a fair trade, gluten free, soy free, non-GMO and sugar alcohol free company. They’re also Kosher certified. They use an exclusive monk fruit formula to make a line of products with absolutely no added sugar for the every day sugar junkie in your life! Their Fair-trade, ethically sourced, premium cocoa beans are some of South America’s finest and they use real Madagascar vanilla beans to perfect their chocolate flavor.

Feel good about enjoying gummy bears this Easter! SmartSweets is tackling one of the largest and most concerning problems hidden in our everyday sweets — sugar. SmartSweets has innovated the first candy ever that kicks sugar—naturally! Every ingredient they use is non-GMO, free from sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners and colors. They use fruit and vegetable juice for color and flavor for that sweet and sour taste.

Surf Sweets Jelly Beans are made with organic fruit juice and organic sweeteners, are Non GMO verified, and include 100% of Vitamin C per serving.  They are produced and packaged in dedicated facilities free of the top 10 allergens, making them a top choice for safe treats to share with family and friends. In addition, Surf Sweets is a proud member of 1% for the Planet and will donate a minimum of 1% of the sales from their products to a number of organizations that support environmental causes, including Climate Cycle, Healthy Child Healthy World and EcoMom Alliance.

A toothbrush

Brushing those teeth is important after indulging in all of those Easter treats!
Did you know the most common bacteria found on toothbrushes are the same ones that cause plaque, cavities, gingivitis and bad breath? The solution? Use a Norwex Silver Care Toothbrush. On contact with water, the silver covering the toothbrush’s base releases active ions that eliminate 99.9% of the bacteria commonly found on toothbrushes. This natural, self-sanitizing process also prevents the growth of these bacteria. The unique, replaceable Silver Care Plus Head snaps in and out, and the plastic handle is reusable. Find it here.

The belly-ache

Nux vomica is the main remedy to have on standby during this festive season to treat signs such as overindulgence and hangover. After gobbling up that Easter candy and the like, you may have some digestive issues. Reach for homeopathic remedy, Nux vomica by Boiron to relieve symptoms of heartburn or drowsiness caused by overeating or over drinking.

Blessed and Happy Easter!

Megan Jolin of Mother Earth Mama is a board certified Holistic Pediatric Nurse Practitioner whose passion is to bring health and wellness to the whole child.
Megan provides evidenced-based, family centered care in prenatal health and wellness, lactation counseling
, newborn care
-infant feeding
, infant massage
, vaccine consultation
, nutritional analysis and counseling
, toxin free home environment
, self care for parents and children, children’s yoga
 and a natural/integrative approach to common childhood illnesses. Contact

Disclaimer: Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not a substitute for advice from your health care professional. You should not rely solely on this content, and Mother Earth Mama assumes no liability for inaccuracies. These products and recommendations are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition.