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Getting the Eastertide Party Going {Sponsored Post}

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When I was chatting with Christy and Bonnie on the Fountains of Carrots podcast recently, I realized that while we have some set traditions for observing Lent in our home, we haven’t developed as much for celebrating Eastertide (50 days!) after Easter Sunday comes to an end. But we’re slowly and surely adding in some solid Easter traditions in our home, so I thought I’d share.

Easter Egg Votives from Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles

Kick it Off!

One of the ways we help the kids get excited about Easter is making a big deal out of Holy Week and the Easter Vigil Mass. Last year was the first year we attempted taking our three young kids to Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil and we were surprised that it wasn’t as difficult as we expected to wrangle them through the long services. (OK, so I could have gone without the folks in the pew in front of us trying to pass them M&Ms during the whole Vigil Mass without our permission but, all in all, it was a success!)

The Easter Vigil in particular is a stunning experience. I mean, there’s a bowl of fire! To prepare them for the Mass and  emphasizing the importance of what we were celebrating we bring out a new outfit for each of the kids to wear to the Vigil. Last year, some items were purchased new and some where new-to-them hand-me-downs. Benjamin got new pants and a white shirt and tie, Lucy and Gwen wore fancy dresses. I showed them all their new clothes during Holy Week and talked about how we dress up especially nice on this wonderful day.

We made a big deal of getting dressed for the Easter Vigil and just before getting in the car, we gave each child a new picture book about a saint that they could look at during the service if they got the wiggles. (These are a few of our favorite books for Mass, if you’re looking for suggestions.)

When we got home from Mass (it’s a LONG Mass) they got to open their Easter baskets (last year I shared about what sort of things we put in ’em), have one sweet treat, and then it was off to bed knowing they could play with their new toys Sunday morning. We had a big breakfast and then spent the day with extended family after their Easter Sunday services.

Keep It Going!

We replace the Lent decor with Easter decor on Easter Sunday. Since we gather around the table so frequently (and since we don’t have a mantle because Florida…not much need for a fireplace) the dining room is where we put our liturgical flare. And since I’m candle-obsessed, we use these adorable Easter Egg Votives from Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles to brighten up the table. Each of the kids gets one in his/her Easter basket (huge hit last year!) and then they get so excited about lighting them at the table!

Easter Egg Votives from Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles

I also go a little nuts with flowers around the house. Decor is pretty sparse during Lent, so the kids notice the change!

We try not to go crazy with sweets, but we do loosen things up in the treat department to celebrate. We say “yes” more often when the kids ask about making ice cream or going somewhere fun. The quiet Lent is past and the party begins!

This year, we’re going to listen to the new Easter at Ephesus album and enjoy some of these Easter picture books, too!

Eastertide Fun

Why not save some of the fun Easter-y activities for the Eastertide? For example, we don’t usually jump in with our parish Easter Egg Hunt because it’s always on Palm Sunday and I really don’t like starting to celebrate Easter before we’ve even gone through Holy Week. So, we do our own little egg hunt on Easter Sunday with family. But wouldn’t that be a great activity to do with friends during Eastertide to keep the party going!

And this year I think I’m going to jump in and actually dye eggs with my one-year-old, three-year-old, and six-year-old…..but maybe on the back porch because setting them loose with dye sounds potentially dangerous. 😉

Giveaway Details (NOW CLOSED)

Easter Egg Votives from Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles

Win your own set of six of the beautiful Easter Egg Votives (in a cute egg carton with colored Easter grass, wrapped with cello and tied with a ribbon!) OR this gorgeous honeycomb pillar from Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles (your choice).

Easter Honeycomb Pillar from Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles

The honeycomb pillar is decorating my kitchen window right now and I can’t bear to light it yet, because it’s just soooo pretty.

 

Giveaway CLOSED.

What special Easter traditions do you have get the Eastertide party going?

This post is sponsored by Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles. Review and giveaway products were provided by Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles. All opinions are my own and I only share about products I love. 

Comments

  4. I visited the Toadily Homemade website and my favorite product is the candle making kit. I love doing crafty things, and I’ve never tried making beeswax candles before. I absolutely love the smell of beeswax. Soooooo pretty 🙂

    Reply

  7. Pinned and posted. Took a look at the site, too. I’d have to say for my favorite it’s a toss up between the sushi candles (sushi?!) and… basically any of the floating ones.

    Reply

  16. And I love the Beeswax Tea Lights, so hard to find and usually to expensive for local apiaries to make. Let’s keep this beeswax revolution rolling so the demand is high enough for it to be worth it for them!

    Reply

  18. It is hard to pick a favorite from their site, but the candle making kits look like such a fun activity for the kids! How fun would the small candles be for birthdays?

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  26. It’s hard to pick a favorite off their website, but I think the honeycomb pillar candle is awesome.

    And, I’d love to try out one of the candle making kits!

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  28. I think the make your own candle kit looks like fun.

    We love Easter Vigil and have been taking our son (6) for the last few years as well. The excitement and joy in the church is so palpable on that night.

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  32. By far my all time favorite product from the website where the sushi votive candles! Ha ha ha imaginations are awesome!

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  33. I pinned the egg candles! Would love to have one for next year, when my baby girl will be old enough to appreciate it.

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  35. I’ve order plenty of amazing candles from toadily handmade and so far my favorite has been the basket weave pillar candle. It’s the best and smells amazing. 🙂

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  44. My favorite product on Toadily Handmade’s website is their floating candle in the shape of a frog on a lily pad – so cute!

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  47. Visited the main website…so had to pick a fave!! I’d probably love the honeycomb solid pillar, though I too would be loathe to actually light it and see it burn away!

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  55. I’m so boring, my favorites are just the hand rolled pillars – nothing fancy! I’ve noticed that I’ve recently been really sensitive to the smells in other candles, so we’ve been trying to do away with those and to beeswax instead (and we’ve gotten all our beeswax candles from Toadily in the past).

    Reply

  57. As for a favorite product, I’ve been meaning to make the Advent candles you post about, but always end up forgetting until after Advent starts– in browsing their site, I love the small candlemaking kit, which I think I need to pick up to get some practice in before next Advent!

    Also, I know this is a giveaway post so you may not be responding to comments, but I’m curious to know why your parish does the egg hunt on Palm Sunday– even as an Anglican, I would be thrown by celebrating Easter before Holy Week!

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  61. Also, these eggs are delightful, and would be my very first Easter decoration! (Is that insane or what?) I pinned them to my Pinterest board, but I can’t post them on facebook, since I gave it up for Lent. 🙂

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  66. My faves off the website are the pillars, and of course the advent candle set. I got the set of 3 last year and am using some of the leftovers for Lent!!

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  69. I visited the website and love the handrolled tapers! I think I would like the natural scent since it smells like honey!

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  72. Oh my goodness! The sushi candles! But I would probably just choose the basic and beautiful solid poured pillars or tea lights if I was going to buy any…boring but true.

    Reply

  76. I think the egg votives are so cheery- definitely a great choice for Easter decor, and I also lovethe taper candles on the Toadily Homemade site.

    Thank you, Haley! I always enjoy reading your blog.

    Reply

  108. ok i have NO idea what i would use them for but those sushi candles are too much!

    other than that, i’m in love with the Easter Eggs honestly. its just such a fun fun way to brighten up the Easter table! and the advent candle making kit. did that this yea with the kiddos and they LOVED it <3

    Reply

  111. I am obsessing over the eggs!! They are just the cutest! We’re a new family and I’m trying to create traditions 🙂 I think a candle in our baskets is a great one to add !

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  117. We bought the advent candle-making kit this past Christmas and loved it — will for sure be an annual purchase!! Simple enough for small hands and beautiful too.

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  126. I love everything they make, but I think the eggs are my favorite. I told myself I should wait and see if I might end up the lucky winner here, but even if I don’t win the eggs I might buy one for my husband’s Easter basket anyways. I’m so excited to start our own family traditions (even though we don’t have kids yet)!

    Reply

  139. The candle making sets are such a good idea. I’m as un-crafty as they come, but those look manageable. I think they’re my favorite. Although it’s hard to beat the cuteness of the egg votives!

    Reply

  146. Hi Haley! I’m one of the 3 people left on the planet not on facebook or pinterest! Hope I can still be counted! I love the egg candles, they are so sweet! Thanks for sharing your ideas about celebrating Eastertide.

    Reply

  147. I love their Advent candles. I found them from your website a couple of years ago, thank you! Those egg ones are adorable, I totally need those in my life!

    Reply

  149. I pinned and shared on Facebook! I also checked out the website and I have to say my favourite is tied between the votive beehive candles and the Easter egg candles. both are super cute!

    Reply

  152. You know I love the carved rose pillar candles, but the homeycomb pillar candle is actually another one of my favorites. Can’t have just one favorite, they have too many awesome candles!

    Reply

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