Spring has officially sprung, which means the Easter Bunny is arriving soon. The end of Lent is a wonderful celebration of Easter – and it can definitely be a planet-friendly holiday! Whether you find a meatless ham alternative for supper or embrace conscious tips to have a zero waste Easter, there is plenty you can do to support Mother Earth on this special day. And this means your Easter baskets can be eco-friendly as well. Keep reading for a full list of the best eco Easter basket stuffers (shop the full list on my Amazon storefront!).
Read More ➥Tag: easter
bookmark_borderThe BEST Meatless Ham Alternatives for Easter Dinner
Hey earth muffins! Easter is almost here! Like with all holidays, food is often the centerpiece of every Easter celebration. And that typically means a delicious ham! However, for those of us on plant-based diets, it can leave us searching for a good alternative… Just like there are plant-based turkey alternatives for Thanksgiving, you can also find great meatless ham alternatives for your Easter dinner too. Keep reading for the full list!
Tofurky “Ham” Roast
Tofurky has a great meatless ham roast in a lot of grocery stores this time of year. It is small (about the size of a softball), but is perfect for families with both meat and plant-based eaters. Just pop this into the oven with the ham! This roast comes with an amber ale glaze to put on top, but you could always just eat it plain as well. Definitely a great inexpensive and minimal effort product.
Read More ➥bookmark_borderHow to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs
Hey earth muffins! Easter is less than a week away! Hopefully all of your plans are in place so that you can enjoy the holiday. This week is full of Easter preparations… Which means lots of eggs are getting dyed! Did you know you can naturally dye your Easter eggs? Instead of buying a dye kit (full of plastics and neon shades of the rainbow), opt to dye your eggs at home! Natural dyes are better for you, better for the planet, and look much more rustic and –well– natural. Keep reading for two of the best ways to naturally dye Easter eggs!
Option 1: Dip dye the eggs
This method is similar to the dye kits you can purchase this time of year. Instead of using a dye tablet all you have to do is concoct some dyes. The basic recipe is this:
Read More ➥bookmark_borderEco-Friendly Easter Gifts: What to Put in Your Baskets!
Hey earth muffins! It is crazy to think that Easter is only ten days away. Lent has gone by so fast! I hope everyone is looking forward to spending time with family and friends to celebrate the holiday; I know I definitely am. Most people make some sort of Easter basket… Which can totally be sustainable! 🌎 ❤️Here are my top suggestions for eco-friendly Easter gifts to give this year!
Go with secondhand baskets.
Most of the “Easter” baskets at the store are flimsy and cheaply made these days. Instead, check out the options at your local thrift stores to find baskets of all shapes and colors. You can always find a ton of basket choices secondhand, which makes it easy to avoid those crappy ones elsewhere.
Read More ➥bookmark_borderHow to Have a Zero Waste Easter!
Hey earth muffins! I can’t believe that Lent is almost over and Easter is around the corner… I am SO ready for some spring weather. Winter is tough for me in terms of work and seasonal depression; having some sunshine and warmer temperatures is going to make my life much better. 😊 With Easter just around the corner, many people are making plans on how they are going to celebrate. So, when you and your loved ones are deciding this, opt for an eco-friendly Easter this year! As I’ve done for many other holidays, here are my tips for having an amazing, zero waste Easter! 🐰
Stream the Easter Vigil or Mass online.
While many people are getting the vaccine, it is important to stay safe this holiday. Church services are central to many celebrations of Easter, so see if your church has a live stream service online. You can still dress up in your best spring fashion, but you can opt out of a mask (unless, of course, your family decides that masks should still be worn). The cathedral I attend has been live streaming their services for years even before the pandemic, so I will be tuning into their Mass with my family. ⛪
Thrift your Easter decor (including eggs!)
I’m always amazed at the cute holiday decor I can find at my local thrift stores. I’m not one to have a ton of holiday decor around the apartment, but I’ll definitely put up a bunny or two. Shopping secondhand is a great way to reduce your impact on the planet. Plus, you can find some unique treasures that no one else has! 🐇 One of my favorite local thrifts had bags of plastic Easter eggs too – perfect for any Easter egg hunt! If you can’t find secondhand eggs, opt for wooden ones instead of plastic.
Reuse your Easter basket every year – and thrift it!
Even when it isn’t springtime, baskets are everywhere in thrift, secondhand, and antique stores. Find a cute one and then reuse it every year for the Easter Bunny’s treats! If it isn’t too spring-colored, you can even use it around the house until it is needed for the holiday. I remember using the same basket every year growing up, and it was super fun to bring it out each year when we were decorating for the holiday. If you are gifted other baskets from family and friends, find a good use for them as well – don’t just toss or donate!
Choose bulk candy and/or avoid plastic packaging.
The bulk bins are my favorite – and you can find some delicious treats to fill up Easter baskets! Not only is bulk bin shopping easy, it reduces a ton of packaging if you bring your own bags to fill. If you don’t have a lot of candy options in bulk, you can fill Easter eggs with special notes, drawings, money, or little secondhand trinkets. Depending on your bulk bins, you might not have any candy options… If that is true, buy large bags of candy that aren’t individually packaged to save on waste. 🙌
Avoid plastic Easter grass!
Even as a kid, I hated Easter grass. It got in the way of my precious Easter candy and got EVERYWHERE. Now, I hate it because it is super wasteful and bad for the planet. Opt for paper grass or cloth stuffing materials, reuse the Easter grass you already have, or just use no grass. Your basket will be just as pretty if it is a zero waste Easter one!
Dye eggs with natural dyes.
There are a bunch of ways to dye your eggs in a natural way. If you don’t want to go through all of the trouble, see if your secondhand store has dye kits. I saw a bunch at my local thrift store – just make sure the expiration date is okay! You could also skip the dyes and use brown eggs and paint markers instead!
Go meatless and skip the ham.
After being vegetarian for over a year, the meat I miss the most is my mom’s Easter ham… BUT, save the planet and go meatless for your Easter dinner! This year, my mom got me a “ham” from the brand Tofurky… So get creative and figure out how to have a delicious vegetarian feast as well! Be conscious of the amount of food too, and do your part to reduce food waste!
Stream your favorite Easter films.
My family seems to have movies to watch for each holiday. We always watch It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (affiliate link) and Here Comes Peter Cottontail (affiliate link) for Easter! If you also have a similar tradition, stream your Easter movies as you eat some of your bulk candy or make popcorn from bulk kernels!
Get your Easter dress secondhand!
I’ve always been a fan of cute spring dresses, so it was always fun to get super dressed up for Easter. Hit up your local thrift stores and find some super cute pieces to wear. Or, rent a dress online from sites like Rent the Runway. If your family is into Easter bonnets, try DIYing yours this year! 😍
Overall, it isn’t that difficult to have a zero waste Easter – you just have to be mindful of the waste your celebration is creating. I hope everyone is planning to celebrate in a safe, eco-friendly way, and I bet the Easter Bunny (and Easter Beagle) won’t forget to stop at your house! 😊 Happy Easter!
Love,
Jenna ♥