I didn’t make an Easter Basket for Annabel last year, as she was not even five months old. (Maybe I should have for the photo-op, but I could barely get out of the house in decent clothes to get groceries at that point…)  This year, I kind of have my act together (kind of) and I’ve been collecting things for the last few weeks.  This won’t come as a surprise, but I’m trying to make her Easter Basket as Green as I can without being  a total nerd.

I knew exactly what type of basket to purchase.  While I am not, my girl will grow up a Southerner, so I bought her a beautiful, high quality Charleston Sweetgrass Basket at The City Market.  These beautiful baskets are hand-woven by descendants of African slaves, who brought this craft with them to the New World nearly 400 years ago.  Not only does purchasing a sweetgrass basket contribute to the local economy and support a dying art, these baskets are made of a renewable and plentiful local plant.  I mean, not to pat myself on the back or anything…

I saw Tim’s Real Easter Basket Grass at Whole Foods (it’s also available at Terrain) and it was a no-brainer for $8.  It smells so good and it’s grown on an Organic Vermont farm.  Annabel can chew on it all weekend if she wants and I won’t mind a bit.  (If you do buy plastic Easter grass, try to reuse it every year; it’s made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource, and it’s not recyclable.)

You can get Eco Eggs on Amazon or at Whole Foods.  They are just like normal, plastic easter eggs, but they are made from 100% renewable content and they’re made in the USA.  Another no-brainer at 12 eggs for $15.

Annabel was playing with bubbles at school the other day, and of course I caught myself wondering, “I wonder if those are toxic”.  I know, I sound a little crazy, but since I hadn’t bought her bubbles yet and wanted to include them in her basket, I was on a mission.  It turns out, The Honest Company Bubble Bath comes with a bubble wand.  Two activities in one?  Sold, for $11.95.

Have you seen Eco-Kids Eco-Crayons?  They are made of beeswax, plant-based ingredients and natural pigments and they are nice and chunky, perfect for little hands.  $8.  I bought some recycled paper and some Washi tape, (to stick the paper safely to our coffee table.  You can also use painter’s tape) which is a genius trick that I learned from one of my best friends, Sally Benedict.

I don’t know if Annabel is tired of her books, but I am.  I bought a slew of new board books for us to read together, like The Runaway Bunny. $9.

I threw in a few wind-up chicks and bunnies (probably toxic and made in China, haha) and I can’t decide if I’m going to give her anything that resembles candy, even if it’s Organic…  I feel like there is plenty of time for that…  Maybe she can have a little ice-cream at Easter Brunch.  🙂

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