Easter Brunch, Books, & a Playlist

We're hosting Easter this year, a first for us.  We've actually never hosted our family for any holiday, so I'm super excited.  We're heading to church before brunch, so I had to plan things that are super low maintenance.  I also ordered new dishes, something I've been wanted to do since we moved over a year ago.  I chose these plates and these bowls.  The green 'grass' runner came from Micheal's for super cheap and the bunny ear and carrot napkin holders came from the Target dollar spot.  Actual cloth napkins came from World Market.  Here's the menu...

Ham & turkey

Croissants

Cheesy potatoes
Green bean casserole
Fresh fruit
Ham & cheese egg bake

Mimosas
Bloody Marys

Rice crispy eggs
Easter party mix

And a little playlist I put together for the morning...

 Our Easter reads.  The Littlest Bunny is Iowa is definitely the favorite!

Easter Weekend | 2016

The kids and I made gourmet cookies ;)

Before school Friday morning...

Fart talk gets them every time ;)

Weekend Egg Meals...

And snacks to take to our friends house...

And decor...

Finally making time to dye & paint eggs... 

{Easter being so early this year really threw a wrench in our preparations!}

Such an aggressive hold! ;)

*I boiled the eggs on Thursday night and then forget to bring them with us to the lake, but thankfully we had a package of the fake eggs to decorate.  So I get the dye kit ready because it seems so much easier than using natural dyes and realize we didn't have any vinegar at the lakehouse, so I had to send Adam up the road to beg from a neighbor steal from a friend only to remember how freaking long eggs have to sit the the dye to actually turn a shade recognizable by the human eye, which we my son has no time for, so I break out the watercolors instead.  The kids had more fun {they have more freedom with watercolors since I don't have to hover over them as much!} and it's way easier.  And safer. And cheaper.  And most of all, prettier  So win-win-win!  Someone please remind me of this little chat next year, okay?

The bunny came...

Church...

My MIL & FIL hosted Easter lunch & an indoor egg hunt {darn cold, windy weather}

And home in time to go to be and get ready for another week...

Previous Easters...
2011 {pregnant in Montezuma}
2012 {J is almost 6 months - we went to both towns for Easter}
2013 {36 weeks pregnant w/ C - we celebrated in Denver}
Happy Easter {Jordyn almost 18 months}
Basket Ideas {for an 18mo. girl}
2014 {celebrated in Monte}
Basket Ideas {for a 1 y/o boy & 2 1/2 y/o girl}
2015 {celebrated in Ankeny}
Basket Ideas {for a toddler girl & boy}
Happy Easter {C almost 3, J almost 4 1/2}