Plan ahead
Rebecca Bahret, writer and mom of two, says, "I stock up on basket supplies a few weeks in advance. I fill the eggs about a week out and make sure the baskets are prepped on Good Friday. We do our religious celebration of Easter on Holy Saturday night, with the hubby and I going to the sundown Easter Vigil Mass, so I fill the baskets and place everything out after we get home. Easter Sunday morning is actually fairly relaxed for us. We just focus on the secular, bunny-related fun."
Check things off your to-do list on your lunch break
Pick up Easter basket fillers and plastic eggs when you run out to grab a bite to eat, or put in a call to the caterers to confirm your order while you nosh on the contents of your brown bag at your desk. Taking care of items on your to-do list a little at a time makes them seem less overwhelming.
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Pare down
Consider scaling back your Easter party guest list and budget in the name of honoring the real reason for the celebration versus the commercial aspect of the big day. You don't need to abandon the tradition of giving your kids baskets from the Easter Bunny and letting them search the yard for plastic eggs filled with little treasures, but you can plan a simple fete centered around the real meaning of Easter.
Share the duties
Just because you're having Easter brunch at your home doesn't mean you have to be responsible for the entire shindig. Host a casual potluck-style extravaganza by asking family members to bring dishes to make up your Easter feast. Put other guests in charge of bringing tunes for the party or crafting ideas (and materials) to keep the kids occupied. During the fete, ask your partner or your kids to welcome guests at the door, refill their beverages and gather everyone when it's time to sit down to eat or start the egg hunt.
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Dine out
If you're too busy with work to prepare a huge meal on Easter night, take a cue from Donna Bozzo, aka The Lady With The Alligator Purse, and go to a restaurant for Sunday dinner. But don't forget to "make reservations crazy in advance," she advises, as restaurants will book up fast.
Make it, then bake it
Easter is synonymous with yummy breakfast casseroles. And lucky for you, many egg and French toast casseroles can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated overnight until it's time to bake them in the morning. Crock-Pot breakfast recipes also do the work for you while you play Easter Bunny the night before. Plus, there's nothing like waking up to the smell of a hot breakfast cooking and pretending that someone else got up early to prepare it for you while you snuggled in bed. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?
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Don't rush the small moments
Donna adds, "I love frilly [Easter] dresses because girls outgrow them so quickly — they don't wear them as teenagers." The real message? Take the time to slow down and enjoy the special little things about Easter that you'll look back on as fond memories before you know it.
More on Easter fun
How to host an Easter party for kids
Easter party crafts for kids
Best Easter books for kids