Kids Garden in a Bag

The other day in one of my online communities that has to do with food and nutrition, a person asked about Easter basket stuffers that are non-food, since she didn't want the Easter bunny to bring just candy. Here's something that would do nicely: a kid's "garden in a bag" from the Branch website. I love plants myself, and I like the idea of getting kids interested in growing things. This kit contains a plastic-lined kraft paper bag, soil, flower seeds, and a wood planting stake. The bag can be colored and personalized, and then the plant is grown right in the bag which is also waterproof. Once the plant is big enough, it can be transplanted elsewhere.

I wasn't sure whether to call this an eco-friendly gift since the bag is plastic-lined, but I think it does pretty well, all things considered. Where I live we can recycle all kinds of paper, so I would even be able to recycle the bag once I took the plastic lining out.

The following plants are available: sunflower, nasturtium, strawberry, tomato, a pretty Mother's Day assortment, and more! Altogether I counted 21 different options. Cat grass, dog grass (I never knew there was such a thing!), a "thank you" assortment, a number of herbs.... It's a lovely selection. The prices vary based on the plant, from $9.00 to $16.00.

What: Kids Garden in a Bag
Where: Branch website
How much (as of today's post): ranges from $9.00 to $16.00 (plus shipping)

Easter Puzzle Ball

If the Easter Bunny needs help filling out the Easter basket with some non-sugar-coma-inducing items, this Easter puzzle ball might be just the thing. It's a 30 piece puzzle that makes an egg shape when assembled, and it comes with a plastic stand and a string so you can display upright or hang the egg when finished. The description notes that it measures two inches by two inches, although I don't think that can be quite accurate because an egg doesn't measure the same width as length. It's probably close enough, though.

What: Easter Puzzle Ball
Where: Puzzle Inspiration website
How much (as of today's post): $7.95 (plus shipping)

"Swingbird" Correction Tape

I'm not entirely sure why this is called "Swingbird Correction Tape", when I would have been inclined to call if "yellow chick correction tape" or some such. But in any case, here is a little office supply stocking/Easter basket stuffer that won't add inches to the waistline. Regular $9.95, it's currently on sale from Solutions for $4.99 plus shipping, making it quite the affordable little office stocking stuffer.

What: "Swingbird" Correction
Where: Solutions website
How much (as of today's post): $4.99 (plus shipping)

Godiva Easter Carrot

Last week's Wednesday food post was the Lindt chocolate carrots, this week is Godiva's similar offering: a carrot-shaped toot filled with orange candy-coated milk chocolate pearls. It has a net weight of 4 oz. and looks very elegant, in my opinion!

What: Godiva Easter Carrot
Where: Godiva.com or Godiva stores
How much (as of today's post): $8.95 (plus shipping)

Baby Chick Loofah

Here's a non-chocolate Easter basket stuffer: a baby chick loofah from the Spoon Sisters website. It's odd, though -- I always think of a loofah as a personal bathing item, but the description for this chick indicates that it's meant for the kitchen, for cleaning pots and pans. It's handmade and certified organic, and it's "tough enough to clean stubborn dirty dishes, yet gentle enough to scrub fruits and vegetables."

All I know is, it's cute. ;-)

What: Baby Chick Loofah
Where: Spoon Sisters website
How much (as of today's post): $5.95 (plus shipping)

Lindt Chocolate "Carrots"

Aren't these chocolate "carrots" by Lindt adorable? I saw them in the grocery store a few weeks ago. I'm sorry to say I forgot to note down the price, but I think they were under $5. Hard to believe it's almost Easter, isn't it?!

What: Lindt Chocolate "Carrots"
Where: Borders, candy stores, drugstores, etc.
How much (as of today's post): under $5 (I think!)

Chocolate Truffle-filled Easter Eggs

On a recent trip to Williams Sonoma, I saw this lovely box of chocolate truffle-filled eggs. I'm not even a big chocoholic, but it's such a cute box I wanted them! Perfect if you want something a little fancier than the bag of foil-wrapped chocolates from the grocery store.

What: Chocolate Truffle-Filled Eggs
Where: Williams Sonoma (online or stores)
How much (as of today's post): $14.00

Jelly Bean Bingo

Oh dear, it finally happened -- I missed a post. I started this blog on November 1, 2008, and this is the first time I didn't manage to get a daily post up. My husband and I were traveling, and I managed to pre-schedule some posts, but I ran out of time and mistakenly thought I could get back to a computer in time. So I'm writing this post after the fact....

In any case, here's a cute little Easter basket "stuffer" that I saw at Borders this past weekend: a miniature "book" edition of Jelly Bean Bingo. This kit includes: six bingo mats, a fold-out caller's sheet, 75 numbered cards, a prize, and a 32-page miniature book. This would be good way for the kids to entertain themselves if you're stuck in the kitchen getting Easter dinner ready!

What: Jelly Bean Bingo
Where: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.
How much (as of today's post): $6.95

Bunny Hot Cocoa -- To Buy or Do It Yourself

This little "toot" or cone of hot chocolate would be lovely for Easter, especially in those places where your winter is lasting forever this year! I found this on the Pelican Bay website, but it occurs to me it would be something that would be fairly easy to do yourself. Even if you don't have a little cone-shaped bag (since I'm not sure where to buy them), you could also use a little sterilized jar that you fill with cocoa and tiny pastel marshmallows, and then decorate with Easter trimmings. It would work for other holidays too, for that matter.

If you're not handy in the kitchen or with crafts, though, you can always just buy this!

What: Bunny Hot Cocoa
Where: Pelican Bay website or DIY
How much (as of today's post): $6.50 (plus shipping) or pennies if you DIY

Bunny Tiny Taper Holders

It's way too early to post about an Easter stocking stuffer (i.e. an Easter basket stuffer), but I just came across these and they're so cute I couldn't resist. This set of four taper candle holders comes with one each of blue, yellow, pink and green bunnies, which hold 1/2 inch diameter taper candles (not included). You could split up the set and give two and two if you like, reducing the per-person cost. Wouldn't they look lovely on a springtime table, or even hopping among your windowsill plants when not in use as candle holders?

What: Bunny Tiny Taper Holders
Where: Williams Sonoma website or stores
How much (as of today's post): $19.00 for set of 4 (plus shipping)

Miniature Watering Can Clock

This graceful little watering can clock is the perfect stocking stuffer for a gardener -- and it's so Spring-like that it would also be lovely for a Mother's Day gift or an Easter basket. It's currently on sale for $12.95 from the Potpourri website. It measures 2.5 by 3 inches, and the battery is included. And by now, I'm sure most of you are ready for a taste of Spring!

What: Miniature Watering Can Clock
Where: Potpourri website
How much (as of today's post): $12.95 sale price (regularly 19.95) (plus shipping)

Jelly Belly / Cold Stone Creamery "Ice Cream Cone"

How cute is this little "ice cream cone" from Jelly Belly? I ran across this in a little candy store a few weeks ago, then looked it up online for more information. The cone is about 4.5 inches tall and contains 1.5 ounces of Jelly Bellys in a "Cold Stone Ice Cream Parlor Mix", which includes Chocolate Devotion™, Our Strawberry Blonde™, Birthday Cake Remix™, Apple Pie a la Cold Stone®, and Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip®.

I think this is the perfect stocking stuffer for an ice cream lover, since you can't exactly put real ice cream into the stocking! Pair with a Cold Stone Creamery gift certificate, or a homemade certificate for an ice cream cone from anywhere. The pretty pastel colors also make it suitable for an Easter basket.

What: Jelly Belly / Cold Stone Creamery "Ice Cream Cone"
Where: Grocery stores / drug stores / candy stores
How much (as of today's post): $2.99

Bubble Gum Fairy Eggs

If you have a little girl who likes fairies, these Bubble Gum Fairy Eggs would make a cute stocking stuffer. I found these on the Archie McPhee website. The speckled white, blue, green, and orange pieces look like tiny bird eggs and come in assorted fruity flavors. They're packaged in a charming star-shaped tin that measures 3" x 3" x 1". It would also work in an Easter basket as an alternative to jelly beans.

What: Bubble Gum Fairy Eggs
Where: Archie McPhee website
How much (as of today's post): $4.95 (plus shipping)

Calla Lily Earrings

It might not be self-evident on this blog, but in general I'm much more into funky and artsy and edgy than I am into "pretty". This time, though, the pretty just got me. These 1 1/8" earrings, made of porcelain and rhodium-plated brass (whatever that is), are stunning. In addition to being the right size for a stocking, they're perfect for a springtime birthday, Mother's Day, or next year's Easter basket.

What: Calla Lily Earrings
Where: Potpourri website
How much (as of today's post): $49.95 (plus shipping)

Easter Cake Pops from the Bakerella Blog

I've never been a fan of Easter chocolate molds, where you simply melt different pastel-colored "chocolate" buttons into molds, and end up with pink, white, and yellow bunnies, hens, and chicks. Some were on lollipop sticks, while others were just "standalone" pieces wrapped in cellophane individually or together. Even as a kid, I thought they tasted too sickly sweet, and of course now I know that white chocolate is not actually chocolate anyway, since it has no cacao in it.

In any case, if Easter has snuck up on you but you still want to make some treats yourself, and you're tired of simply melting chocolate into molds, you might want to take it to the next level with cake pops. I don't remember how and when I first came Bakerella's blog, but I remember being astounded at her ingenuity and at the adorable detail of her various cake pops. She has basic cake pop instructions here, from which you'll see that cake pops are made from a mixture of cake and frosting, which helps the pop hold its shape. It's then dipped into colored melted chocolate and decorated with edible pens, candies, etc.

You really should spend some time exploring her blog to see all the amazing things she's made from this basic concept. And naturally she has some for Easter, including Easter egg cake pops and bunny cake pops. But my hands-down favorite is the adorable little sheep cake pop shown above.

Easter Parade DVD

This is right on the borderline of what I've been considering a "luxury Friday gift item" -- I've arbitrarily been using $20.00 as the cutoff point, and as of today, this Easter Parade DVD is $19.99 on Amazon. But the list price is higher, which means if you need to get it at the last minute in a store instead of ordering it online, you might end up paying closer to the $26.99 list price for this classic movie.

If you're not familiar with the story, Easter Parade stars Fred Astaire and Judy Garland; he's an established entertainer who's just been jilted by his partner, and he vows that he can turn any young woman who comes along into a "star" by the next year's "Easter parade", when the women stroll up and down the street, parading their Easter finery on the arms of their escorts. It's silly and cliched and charming, and would make an out-of-the-ordinary Easter basket gift for anyone into old movies.

What: Easter Parade (Special Edition)
Where: Amazon, Best Buy, Target, etc.
How much (as of today's post): $19.99 (plus shipping)

Divided Butterly and Flower Boxes

This Easter stocking basket stuffer pays off twice: once when you fill it with jelly beans or pastel M&Ms, and again when the recipient can use it to hold jewelry-making beads, earrings, or other little treasures. In fact, if you're trying to cut back on the Easter candy altogether, why not just fill it up with beads to begin with? You could then also put little pliers, coils or jewelry wire, or other jewelry-making tools into the Easter basket too.

The butterfly and flower boxes pictured come from The Container Store website, although as of today's date it says that both have been back-ordered. However, you may be able to get them in person at a Container Store location, or find something similar at Michael's, AC Moore, or Hobby Lobby craft stores. Another option might be a plastic "egg carton" if you can find one.

What: Divided Butterly and Flower Boxes
Where: Container Store website or store location
How much (as of today's post): $2.99 (plus shipping)

Mini Iced Easter Cookies

If you're sick to death of chocolate in Easter baskets (trust me, there really are some people who aren't addicted to chocolate!), here's a nice alternative, although it's a wee bit expensive at $22.95. However, you could counter that by divvying up these 30 miniature iced Easter cookies into separate cellophane bags for multiple Easter baskets. Aren't they adorable?

Of course, if you're a baker, you could make your own cookies for a lot less. I myself am not so good with the baking.... And at this late date, you'd pay a fortune for expedited shipping if you wanted these in time for Easter, but if you're lucky you might have a Williams-Sonoma store near where you live. Our mall has one and I enjoy looking around it, although it always makes me hungry....

What: Mini Iced Easter Cookies
Where: Williams-Sonoma website or store
How much (as of today's post): $22.95 (plus shipping)

Mommy Loves Board Book

Technically, the themes in this book -- mommy love and baby animals and counting -- aren't specifically about Easter, but with these adorable bunnies gracing the cover, I say close enough! It certainly won't look out of place in an Easter basket. This book is written by Anne Gutman and illustrated by Georg Hallensleben, who also write/illustrate the wonderful Lisa and Gaspard series about two little dogs and their misadventures. Happy reading!

(And if you have kids, you owe it to yourself to check out the Lisa and Gaspard books at the library. In one adventure, they accidentally get locked in the museum for the night. In another, they try to create the perfect Christmas present for their teacher, and succeed -- sort of!)

What: Mommy Loves
Where: Amazon or other bookstores
How much (as of today's post): $5.95 (plus shipping)

Bunny Coin Purse

This adorable bunny coin purse would be great for little girls' Easter baskets. It's 4 inches wide by 3 inches tall, comes in five different colors, features a friendly little bunny, and can be used year-round since it doesn't actually have any eggs or other Easter paraphernalia on it. And I love the fact that it's made of imitation rather than real leather. Older recipients might enjoy it too.

What: Bunny Coin Purse
Where: Perpetual Kid website
How much (as of today's post): $11.99 (plus shipping)