The Girls Easter Baskets

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.  

Easter is this upcoming Sunday. I know I have posted a bunch of Easter related posts, but here is another. I talked about Easter basket shopping and I finally got all of my items. Well, I may find something else small that I can put in the eggs that is not candy that I have below. 

So here is the girls Easter baskets. One has a blue basket and the other has a pink one. While they were at school one day, I grabbed their baskets and filled them up to make sure everything fit and that I had what I wanted.

And here is a breakdown of what is inside.

Harper Canyon Sandals

My girls are obsessed with sandals and they love Rory's Birkenstocks, so I thought this was a happy medium. Plus I got them on sale at Nordstrom Rack.

Makeup Eyeshadow Brushes

I talked about these in my Amazon Prime purchases. I got these because the girls are really into makeup right now. They got a bunch of makeup for their birthday and always want to try new colors. Since some of the colors are bold, I needed more of these, so why not put them in their baskets?

Ello Glass Tumbler

The girls love using water bottles. I was a little hesitant on getting them glass ones, but these have a silicone sleeve and the glass is really thick. I got the purple and blue one.

Bunny Ring Pop

My girls love Ring Pops and when I saw these at Target, I had to grab them.

Peeps Sally Hansen Nail Polish

When I was at Ulta using my gift card (I will let you know what I got in another post), I grabbed these for the girls. I love the brightness of the colors and they are really into painting their nails. Even by themselves with some supervision.

Universal Thread Hair Clip

The girls always see me where one of these when I blow dry my hair. They love doing their own hair and I thought these would be cute for them. We got one in blue and one in purple.

Osh Kosh Cloud Dye Sweatshirt

My girls want crop tops after seeing other kids wear them. I am not about that, so this is as close as they are going to get. It says it sits at the hip. It is still cooler here, and these will also be perfect for Summer nights in Graeagle.

And then I got these items below to stuff in their Easter eggs for the Easter egg hunt on Easter morning. As I said above, I want to get something else for them that is non-candy. Suggestions?

Cadbury Creme Eggs Mini

Fun fact, I can't stand these, but Rory and the girls love them.

Andes Mints

We all love these in my house. They are even better when you put them in the fridge.

Starburst Jelly Beans

The girls and I love Starburst, so these are a natural candy filler for us. 

What are you putting in your kids Easter baskets? What are your Easter plans?

Easter Dresses and Outfits for Girls

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.  

Just like Valentine's Day, I love shopping for Easter dresses/outfits. They usually are in a pastel with flowers or bunnies, and are so cute. I rounded up some Easter dresses and outfits for girls. I bought the girls one of these outfits, but I definitely wanted more for Spring.

Pink Tulle Dress  |  Tie Back Dress  |  Bright Pink Dress  |  Bunny Tights  |  Bunny Dress

Tulip Dress  |  Blue Floral Dress  |  Blue Floral Tank Dress

Sequin Dress  |  Green Floral Dress  |  Pink Button Up Dress  |  Yellow Top  |  Green Skirt  |  Jumpsuit

The girls have the Blue Floral Tank Dress. They wore it all Spring and Summer. It is a linen dress, so it holds up to many washes, playing outside and stains come out easily.

I am trying to decide between the  Green Floral Dress and the Yellow Top and Green Skirt. Help me decide.

Easter/Spring Dresses for Women

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.  

Can you believe that Easter is just over a month away? I can't. I have already started shopping for the girls Easter baskets and plan to get a post out soon of what I have already gotten them and then some things that are on my list. But first, I thought I would share some Easter/Spring dresses for us ladies and then some Easter/Spring dresses for the little girls.

I don't know about you, but I dress up each Easter. Some years it is dressier than others. Here is a picture from last year's Easter.

My dress was from Target and the girls dresses were from Old Navy.

And now for the women's dresses.

Flutter Dress | Swiss Dot Green Dress | Bow Dress | Tie Blue Dress | Blue and White Floral Dress

Blue Puff Sleeve Dress | Green Ribbed Dress | White and Green Floral Dress | Blue Corset Midi Dress

I have been wanting the bow dress for quite awhile. I am even considering it for a wedding that I have in August. But I just want it to go on sale. I haven't decided what I am wearing, but if I had to choose right now, I would go with the first or second dress in the top row or the first dress in the bottom row. They are all so beautiful and feminine.

Do you dress up for Easter? Do you have a Spring wedding that you are attending?

Dyeing Easter Eggs With Cool Whip

This is a repost from last year and two years ago. To my new followers, this is a great way to dye eggs. And to my die hard followers, this is a reminder of a great way to dye eggs.

Note: I have seen a lot of people complain that they did not get the results that I did or that their color completely wiped off. Follow these tricks and tips below and you shouldn't have any problems

What you need:

White distilled vinegar
12 large eggs
Food coloring
2 containers of Cool Whip
Disposable pan
Paper towels
Toothpicks
Disposable gloves

I made my hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot and they came out perfect. I used Skinny Taste's recipe and they were cooked perfectly, though 3 cracked.

Do it:

1. Soak your eggs in a bowl filled with the distilled white vinegar for 20 minutes.

2. While your eggs soak, put your Cool Whip into the disposable container. Side note: I get my disposable aluminum pans at Costco. You get about 30 pans for $6. Total steal and they are good quality.

3. Using the food coloring of your choice, add several drops to one side of your pan. Then you can add a second color in if you desire. Repeat this for the other side using other colors.

This isn't enough food coloring, but I just kept adding more after I swirled it until I was satisfied.

4. Using a toothpick or knife, swirl your food coloring in. Make sure it gets swirled in deep into the Cool Whip.

5. Put on your gloves. Take out an egg and pat it dry using a paper towel. Then put your egg in the Cool Whip mixture. Make sure you turn it a couple times allowing the Cool Whip to cover your egg. Leave the egg in the mixture. Let the eggs set for 20 minutes.

6. Rinse off your gloves or get a new pair. Fill a bowl with water and take an egg out of the mixture. Gently place it in the bowl, rolling it around to get off all the Cool Whip. Do NOT run the egg under water. I would do a few eggs and then change the water out.

7. Take the egg out of the water and pat dry with a paper towel. 

8. Store in your egg carton.

Easter Outfits for Kids

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Another fun Easter post. This time Easter clothes for kids. Will you be celebrating Easter with family? Going to church? Dressing up?

For the Boys - Shirt  |  Shorts

For the Girls - Floral Dress  |  Bunny Dress  |  Bunny Shirt  |  Pink Skirt

For the Baby Boys - Shorts Outfit  |  Denim Pants Outfit

For the Baby Girls - Ruffle Skirt Outfit  |  Jumpsuit Outfit

I love all three outfits for my girls, but I can't decide which one to get them. What is your pick?

Easter Basket Ideas for Kids 5 - 9 Years Old

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Another fun Easter post. This time Easter basket ideas for kids 5 to 9 years old. Some of these items the girls are getting, some I bought for them recently (ie for Mexico), and some are just ideas I have for the girls/kids birthday parties.

Big Truck Hats - This is a local company to me and we have several of their hats. I have some, Rory has some and the girls have some. They are amazing and perfect for beach and Summer days.

Imagine Ink Books - My girls love these and will be getting this set and another princess one. Since this one comes in a pack of three, I need one extra to split them up. They have them in pretty much any character you want.

VTech Kids Karaoke - My girls would love this thing, and I would get it for them if we didn't get them handheld microphones last year for Easter.

Frozen Dive Toys - I got the girls these dive toys and some Trolls ones. They love diving for toys in the kiddie pool in Graeagle.

Glow in the Dark Slime Kit- What kid is not obsessed with slime? I know my girls are and this is a fun glow in the dark kit for it.

Disney Waterproof Stickers for Water Bottles, Skateboards, Luggage - My girls are getting these for their luggage and their water bottles that they bring to school daily. This will set their water bottles apart from others.

Apples to Apples Disney Edition - I think my girls might still be a bit too young for this, but I am hoping to get it for them next year. Unless any of you have it and it would be ok for 6 year olds. I love the game Apples to Apples and this is a fun family version.

Stomp Rocket - I have purchased this stomp rocket 3 times already. My girls have it, my nephew has it and one of the girls friends has it now. It is a huge hit.

Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel - This towel is pretty awesome. It is perfect for the beach, gym, sitting in the grass or for travel. I got the girls one for Mexico and they dry soooo fast, pack small and dry people off quickly.

Punching Bag for Kids - My nephew has this and loves it. 

Other items for the Easter baskets:

Candy

Coins/Money inside of hidden eggs

Chapstick

Bandaids

Books

Sandals

Bathing Suits

Goggles

Easter Weekend

I haven't done a weekend update in many months, but I feel like Easter weekend is a good one to recap. Even if we were in quarantine.

Our weekend started off at 11 am on Friday as we only work half days on Fridays and that has continued even when we are working from home. We gathered the girls and Walter and headed over to another neighborhood area to take a long walk. They have the best walking path that is wide, uphill and beautiful.

Then we came home and had sandwiches and the girls went down for a nap. Yes, they are still napping some days if we get them to burn enough energy off in the morning. That usually means a bike ride, walk or scooter ride around 11 or 12.

That evening I made pizzas at home and it is always a huge hit. Sutton always wants pepperoni and Avery wants cheese, so I make a little area just for them. There was also a second pizza that we had for lunch another day. The girls ate all of our toppings, so I am hoping I can make two full alike pizzas next time.

That evening we watched more Ozark. We ended up finishing it Saturday evening and WOW. Just wow. It was sooo good.

Saturday morning we got up, had some breakfast and then drove up to Lake Tahoe. There is a newer trail that runs from Incline Village area to Sand Harbor. We have walked it a few times, but right now is so perfect to do it. We are distanced from everyone, we get to be by the lake, we get outdoors and just have a wonderful time. We almost made it to Sand Harbor, but I forgot to bring snacks, so Sutton was getting tired. We did walk over 4 miles.

I posted some of these on Instagram and asked people where their favorite place was? I got a lot of responses about beaches which is definitely our favorite place. Lake Tahoe is my absolute favorite place in the US. It is sooooo majestic.

After our walk, we went over to a local burrito place and picked up burritos, chips and guac and a quesadilla to go. We ate them in the back of Rory's truck picnic style in the sunshine. It was absolutely perfect. Then we made the drive back down home and the girls took a mini nap.

That evening we were not very hungry, so I made this quick stir fry which we love. Then we finished Ozark when the girls went to bed. I also got everything ready for Easter morning. I filled their baskets, stuffed and hide eggs and then made bunny prints up to our doorway. I usually do the whole driveway, but this year, I just did the front step area. The girls loved it.

The girls woke up early, but we had them stay in their bedroom as we are trying to keep to a schedule, so the weekdays don't get too crazy with us working from home. Then we gave the girls some baskets and let them roam through the house!

After the girls found their baskets and hunted eggs, we made bacon and bunny cinnamon rolls. Ours looked more like Mickey cinnamon rolls, but the girls still loved them.

Then we took a walk as a family and then came home for lunch and naps for the girls. While the girls napped, I took a quick nap. Then we went to my in-laws house for Easter. Now before anyone jumps down my throat for it, we haven't seen my in-laws in 6 weeks. They have dropped stuff at our house on our doorstep, but never had any interaction since my FIL had a bad cold. Even though we had dinner over there, we did not hug, we kept apart and hung outside most of the time. And it was only the 6 of us.

The girls had another egg hunt, got more Easter gifts and we dined on ham, scalloped potatoes, tomato pudding, salad, rolls and my FILs spicy mustard. Plus we had some dessert before heading home. Overall, it was a great weekend.

How was your Easter weekend?

PS Happy Tax Day! How many of you got your taxes filed before they gave us all an extension? We did!

Dyeing Easter Eggs Using Cool Whip

I have been sharing this post for the past few years. I am not sure if you all have eggs to dye this year, but I wanted to share it in hopes that you do have eggs to dye and get to hunt the Easter eggs. We plan to dye our Easter eggs the same way this year as long as I can get enough eggs.

Note: I have seen a lot of people complain that they did not get the results that I did or that their color completely wiped off. Follow these tricks and tips below and you shouldn't have any problems

What you need:

White distilled vinegar
12 large eggs
Food coloring
2 containers of Cool Whip
Disposable pan
Paper towels
Toothpicks
Disposable gloves

I made my hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot and they came out perfect. I used Skinny Taste's recipe and they were cooked perfectly, though 3 cracked.

Do it:

1. Soak your eggs in a bowl filled with the distilled white vinegar for 20 minutes.

2. While your eggs soak, put your Cool Whip into the disposable container. Side note: I get my disposable aluminum pans at Costco. You get about 30 pans for $6. Total steal and they are good quality.

3. Using the food coloring of your choice, add several drops to one side of your pan. Then you can add a second color in if you desire. Repeat this for the other side using other colors.

This isn't enough food coloring, but I just kept adding more after I swirled it until I was satisfied.

4. Using a toothpick or knife, swirl your food coloring in. Make sure it gets swirled in deep into the Cool Whip.

5. Put on your gloves. Take out an egg and pat it dry using a paper towel. Then put your egg in the Cool Whip mixture. Make sure you turn it a couple times allowing the Cool Whip to cover your egg. Leave the egg in the mixture. Let the eggs set for 20 minutes.

6. Rinse off your gloves or get a new pair. Fill a bowl with water and take an egg out of the mixture. Gently place it in the bowl, rolling it around to get off all the Cool Whip. Do NOT run the egg under water. I would do a few eggs and then change the water out.

7. Take the egg out of the water and pat dry with a paper towel. 

8. Store in your egg carton.