Let’s be good to our fluffy and feathered friends, as well as all the other wonderful creatures on the planet – I include (most) humans as well!

I only say ‘most’ because there are still some strange humans who think trophy hunting is something to be proud of.

Anyway, before I start ranting on about that, there are a few Easter plans we could make this year to help save the planet. Yay!

Often, at this time of year, the shops are packed with chocolate and plastic novelty toys. And parents everywhere are adding stuff to their to-do lists in lieu of creating egg hunts and making all the Easter plans that pop up at Easter time.

One of the wonderful things about Easter is that it usually arrives along with the Spring. Although sometimes we get snow at Easter – but moaning about the weather is not what I’m doing today – the sun’s been shining!

Chocolate is actually good for you (see my post here ) but the problem is that it’s only the dark kind which doesn’t always appeal to the children’s taste-buds. If your children love it, then great! But regular easter eggs are often packed with sugar and additives and all they really do is satisfy the craving for a few moments and turn the kids into hyper-active crazy people. Yep, been there, done that.

So, how about going down a different road this year? We still have a while to go and time to get creative – how about…

**Making energy balls? There are tons of healthy recipes online – I found this one on Nest & Glow. Although one of the ingredients is cocoa powder, there’s usually organic cocoa available in most good health stores.

Sesame chocolate raisin balls

1 cup / 140g Sesame seeds
1 cup / 150g Raisins
½ cup / 50g Cacao / Cocoa Powder

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until the paste starts to stick together
You may need to shake the blender or scrape the inside a few times between blends
Scoop out a heaped teaspoon at a time and roll into balls
They will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container in the fridge

NOTE– they will only keep for a few weeks if you hide them!

And when the big Egg Hunt Day arrives, maybe they could be wrapped in greaseproof or waxed paper – anything other than plastic is a plus.

**Avoiding plastic novelty toys really should be priority these days – I suppose it always should have been but we do know better now. How about checking out local eco-friendly craft markets. Supporting small businesses helps families pay their bills and take their children swimming, rather than lining already rich pockets with more of your hard-earned cash.

Have a look on Etsy. I just typed ‘childrens easter gifts’ into the search and came up with some amazing natural gifts. Really worth a look.
**And if you’re feeling creative yourself, make something! Many years ago, I was strapped for cash when my youngest daughter’s birthday was coming up and I designed a doll – since then I’ve developed many costumes and themes for the doll and made the patterns available for everyone to try.

If you’d like to try it yourself, pop over to the Ekokids. page

But if dolls or knitting aren’t your thing, what is?

Again, have a look on Etsy and see if anything springs to mind. Are you an excellent wood carver? Maybe you could create wooden egg cups or Easter bunnies! Really, looking at some of the wonderful creations made me want to immediately sort out some crafting space in my home.

So, if you’re reading this only a month before Easter, there’s still plenty of time to create something different this year.

Anyway, Happy eco-friendly, sugar-free Easter everyone!

Linda x