The Green Easter Basket

 

 

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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.

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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…

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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.)

 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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