However, with some thoughtful planning, you can have a happy and blessed Easter.
Easter is coming up, and once again, it will be time for gathering with friends and family, eating amazing food, and remembering our amazing Lord who died for all of us. Still, with any holiday comes stress and making sure we forget nothing. Like any holiday, if you plan, you will have a happy and blessed Easter.
Two Weeks Ahead
The menu- Now is a great time to plan your Easter menu. Look online and see what’s on sale and plan your Easter meal around that to help make it more cost effective. If you are counting on family members to bring sides or desserts, touch base with everyone so they are clear about what they are bringing. On the flip side, if you are ordering dinner from a restaurant or a pre-made meal from a store, make sure you get that order in. If you are going out for dinner, make sure you make your reservations ASAP.
Shop for new Easter attire- Take the kids to buy new Easter attire. If you have to order online, pay for expedited shipping so you will have plenty of time for returns and exchanges.
Easter baskets- Gather all the things you need for your kids’ Easter baskets if you celebrate the Easter Bunny.
Touch base with your guests- If you have guests coming from out of town, touch base with everyone to make sure there are no issues and that everyone will make it.
Stock all your ingredients- Take stock of what you need for all of your recipes. The last thing you need is to not have brown sugar for the ham glaze or to be out of cinnamon to put in the carrot cake. Don’t forget things like aluminum foil, cooking spray, foil pans, and extra food storage containers. Also, it’s easy for guest to lose track of their drinking glasses. Buy a pack of solo cups and write names on them to keep from running out of glasses.
Communicate with your spouse or significant other- Sit down with your spouse or significant other and make sure you are on the same page for everything that will go on. Who is going to pick up out-of-town guests? Where is their hotel? Who will put out the Easter baskets for the kids? Who will help the kids get ready on Easter Sunday? Do you need to work together on meal prep ahead of time (peeling potatoes, cutting vegetables, etc.)?
One Week Ahead
Look over the menu again- Go over your menu one more time to make sure you have forgotten nothing.
Double-check your ingredients- Double check you have all the ingredients you need and won’t run out of anything.
Order your groceries- Order your groceries any time between Wednesday and Friday if you can. This will still leave time on Saturday to grab anything the local store may be out of. The same goes if you go shopping in person. You will have a few extra days if you need to go somewhere else because your normal store doesn’t carry or is out of an item.
Make Easter basket lists- Go over the list you have of Easter basket items and break it down by child so you know which items go in which child’s Easter basket. If you have anything large that doesn’t fit in a basket, set a reminder for yourself to set it out with the basket.
Confirm flights and hotels- Call your long-distance family and friends who are coming and verify flights and hotels with them one more time. If possible, have them email you their itinerary to help you keep track of everyone.
Make plans for your pets- Where are your pets going to be when you have company? Can they chill and be good once they settle down after company arrives or can the dog or cat get aggressive? Also, if your pets are running loose, make sure your guests know not to feed them any people's food. Most people don’t realize that many foods that we eat are toxic to our furry friends.
The Night Before
Meal prep- Peel potatoes, cut up vegetables, and make sides and desserts ahead if possible.
Pick up out-of-town guests- Pick up out-of-town guests at the airport and check in later in the evening to make sure they are settled in. Also, go over who is picking them up for church in the morning or other family gatherings.
Make Easter baskets- Gather up all the things you bought for those Easter baskets and put them together.
Lay out everyone’s clothes- Make sure you lay out everyone’s clothes, accessories, and shoes so there is no question about what everyone is wearing on the big day.
Put out the Easter baskets- After the kids go to sleep, put out those Easter baskets.
The Morning Of
Meal prep- Get up early and do some minor meal prep. Throw together the salad, put the rolls on a baking sheet, and put them in the fridge, make the glaze for the ham or the homemade salad dressing. If you are planning on putting something in the crock pot, make sure you get it ready and turn it on.
Get the sides ready- Put your sides in either foil pans or baking dishes with lids so they are ready to make things extra easy to clean up.
Set the table- If you are having dinner in the dining room, set your table ahead of time.
Get the kids to help- Let your older kids help the younger ones get dressed, set the table, and help clean up after the younger ones go through their Easter baskets.
Assign tasks- Assign tasks for your children, like loading the dishwasher after breakfast, feeding the dog, etc.
Keep breakfast simple- Keep breakfast simple with cereal, toast, frozen waffles/pancakes, toaster pastries, fruit, etc. You can also make a breakfast casserole a few weeks ahead and freeze it and then thaw it to serve on Easter morning. Another option is to make overnight oats or oatmeal in the crock pot.
That Afternoon
Set dinner out buffet style- Instead of cluttering the table, set out dinner buffet style.
Easy clean up- Make clean up a snap by ensuring that you put the sides in containers with lids and, if possible, bake the ham and turkey in foil roaster pans. Put as much food in containers in the fridge as possible. Just let the food cool, snap on a lid, and put it away. Put the dishes in the dishwasher and have one of your kids help wash the pans so you can move on to socializing.
Bust boredom- As much as adults love to socialize, kids can get bored. Break out the board games, coloring books and crayons, or let them play outside in the backyard with some supervision. Also, encourage parents to bring a backpack of the kids' favorite toys and other things to keep them entertained.
Keep cleaning supplies on hand- Spills can be inevitable, so make sure you keep carpet cleaner, furniture cleaner, and stain wipes for clothes on hand.
Put away the Easter baskets- Make sure your kids put up their Easter baskets before company arrives.
Talk to guests about your pets- Before you sit down for the meal, remind your guests about your pets and that no one should feed them any food from the dinner table.
Like any holiday, Easter can be a little overwhelming. However, with some thoughtful planning, you can have a happy and blessed Easter.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Deagreez
