How Autism Ruined Yet Another Holiday (Except that it didn’t)
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How Autism Ruined Yet Another Holiday (Except that it didn’t)

Autism has a tendency of ruining things. Having an autistic child ruined my life. Yes, friends, that was my mindset. Autism ruined a holiday Autism ruined my life Autism ruined my relationship with my daughter Autism ruined my marriage But I couldn’t have been further from the truth. I’ll take you back to a time when I thought differently. A time when I was quick to blame autism for just about everything. And yes, I mean autism specifically and not my child. I would never say that my child ruins things because it’s entirely untrue. Her autism, on the other hand, oh yes – I could place blame on that for plenty of things. First, autism robbed me of my hopes and dreams for my…

How to Plan an Easter Egg Hunt for Multiple Age Groups

How to Plan an Easter Egg Hunt for Multiple Age Groups

One of the most memorable parts of Easter, for me, was having an Easter egg hunt. Usually that meant having one at my grandmother’s backyard and one year I went to a larger Easter egg hunt when we were visiting family in Los Angeles. I still remember my younger cousin finding a golden egg, and being quite proud of herself. Squeaker does not quite understand the concept of Easter egg hunting though we will likely dye eggs this year. Next year, however, we will probably do an Easter egg hunt at home or participate in one at church. Here are some tips and advice for how to plan an Easter egg hunt for different age groups. Hiding Easter eggs is something families and many communities…

Easter Traditions in the United States

Even though Easter has passed, I still wanted to take a look at some of the Easter traditions in the United States. Because we are such a cultural melting pot, which I think is a beautiful thing, many of the traditions that we have are borrowed or adapted from other countries and cultures. But what do we have that’s distinctly American? I’m on the hunt to find out.   In some parts of the country, the Easter celebrations start with pre-Lenten festivals and parades. One such example of that is Mardi Gras (which is the culmination of a week long celebration) with the largest and most widely known parades taking places in New Orleans, Louisiana. Another tradition that might be considered distinctly American, is the…

Candy Free Easter Basket Ideas

We don’t do baskets for the older two or Squeaker, just yet, but we do make Easter baskets for T & J. This year, however, I want to try and stay away from the candy. I realize, of course, that candy is sometimes the most important part- but, it doesn’t have to be. Plus, we still have a chocolate Easter bunny from last year sitting in the cabinet. So is candy necessary for the basket? Not always. That’s why I’m offering up a few candy free Easter basket ideas based around themes. Candy Free Easter Basket Ideas for Kids Theme: Frozen With Frozen Fever released in 2015, and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure released in 2017, and the announcement of Frozen 2, it’s no wonder that Frozen…

50+ Easter Recipes

With Easter coming up next weekend, here are 50+ family friendly Easter recipes for you to try. Normally I try to split these up between desserts and well, non-desserts but they’re all together this time. Hopefully you find something you like! Traditionally, we have ham on Easter though I certainly wouldn’t mind having lamb one of these years. There are quite a few egg based recipes in case you’re wondering what to do with all of those hard boiled eggs. And, speaking of leftovers, there are also a few recipes based on what you might have leftover from your Easter dinner (namely ham). Chilli Egg Casserole from Sunny Simple Life Maple Glazed Ham from Divine Lifestyle 45 Ways to Use Easter Leftovers from Living on a…

Easter Gift Idea: Jesus Sees Us

I received a complimentary product to facilitate this post, but this did not sway or influence this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and mine alone. For Squeaker, I want holidays to be a blend of culture (worldview), faith, and fun. This especially holds true with important Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter. But finding appropriate toys and books can sometimes be difficult. Or at least toys that I think she’ll enjoy that aren’t too tacky or not very child friendly. With Easter especially, I want to use this time to teach her more about Jesus and our Christian faith. I want to look for items that will both build up her faith, not only for Easter but all year. That’s why I’m…