It's a holiday! That gives us permission to binge out on candy, raid the kids' Easter baskets, and eat all sorts of junk, right? WRONG! While there are lots of temptations around this time of year, here are a few tips I use to keep myself from straying TOO far off track on Easter weekend.
1: I don't buy KitKats! You see, those little sticks of goodness are nobody's favorite in this house but MINE. So when I'm shopping to fill the kids' Easter baskets, I have to be honest with myself. If I'm buying KitKats, I'm really buying them for ME to eat, not them. Giving yourself an honesty check when you're shopping will take you a long way towards staying on track.
2: Fill their baskets with something else! My rule of thumb is to pick one or two treats the kids like and use those to fill their baskets. For instance, last year, they each got a mini-carton of rainbow goldfish, a treat they love that isn't candy, and one I won't be tempted to steal. I also hit the dollar store or the kids toy section and get them a new reading or coloring book and a small toy, maybe new hair bows or headbands for my daughter and a new toy car for my son. Not everything in the basket is required to be edible!
3. Moderation! Why do we feel the need to buy so much candy? Cram each plastic egg as full as we can? Buy ginormous chocolate carved bunnies? I got one bag of little chocolates and used that to fill their plastic eggs. Each egg got ONE chocolate in it. Set the precedent now and stick to your guns! You'll be less likely to have a bowl of leftovers hanging around tempting you over the next 3 weeks, and no one will feel deprived that there isn't a giant basket of chocolate on the counter come April.
4: Decide ahead of time what your holiday indulgence will be! Every year, my mom makes French Crépes on Easter morning after church. We fill them with strawberries and top them with powdered sugar, and they are a part of my childhood I look forward to every year. I choose to make that meal my holiday indulgence, instead of chocolate. I don't feel deprived, I just feel smart.
5. Your last tip is to remember the "reason for the season!" I know it's something we typically hear at Christmas time, but the same is true at any holiday. We are here, at least in my family, to spend time together. To celebrate Christ rising. To love each other. Not for chocolate. Remembering that will help you stick to your goals and take more time with the family, and less with the buffet.
I hope these tips were helpful! Please, share it with someone you love who may need a few tips this holiday. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to never miss a helpful tip or recipe, and as always, live healthy, live happy. Love, Amanda
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