Easter Basket Ideas for Teen Boys

Signs of spring are everywhere this week. The grass is beginning to green up and tiny buds are bursting open on the trees in our neigbourhood. Kids are reappearing on the street in the light hours of the evening, on bicycles and skateboards and in front of driveway basketball nets. Matt and the boys and I are enjoying experiencing the season for the first time in this home, as there are always new surprises popping up before us: the spiky green shoots of spring bulbs in unexpected places, bunnies and chipmunks darting about the backyard, birds of all kinds flying in and out of the conservation area just behind us and stopping in our yard to visit for awhile.

Knowing that we have a busy month ahead of us (after several equally hectic ones behind us!), I've been doing some advance preparations for Easter weekend -- meal planning, treat making, and figuring out what the Easter Bunny might bring this year for the thirteen and fifteen year old boys in our house. (Our Bunny believes that even big kids still enjoy a few sweet and small surprises tucked into a basket on Easter morning!) I've noticed that many Pinterest users recently have been pinning my last year's post about Easter basket ideas for tween and teen boys, so I thought I'd share a second collection of teen-approved suggestions for this year. These small-sized, useful, and fun items are all things that my boys do or would enjoy, but of course, any of them would be great Easter basket ideas for teen girls, too!

First column

Converse key chain: Give them their favourite sneaker in miniature size, just right for holding a house or bike lock key or for attaching to a backpack. These key chains come in an assortment of colours.

Artist pens: Teens who love to draw their own comics might appreciate this set of four black artist pens of different thicknesses (extra-superfine, superfine, fine, and broad).

Fidget cube: The unique sides of this small cube offer six different ways to fidget -- flipping, clicking, spinning, and more. It's a great little gadget for teens who like something for their hands to do while their mind is focused on school work or creative projects.

Second column

The Science of Why book: Teens will find fascinating, witty answers to thirty-nine questions in this science book for all ages, including why Tyrannosaurus Rex's arms were so short and whether or not we dream in colour.

S'well insulated water bottle: Encourage your teens to stay healthily hydrated throughout the day with a practical and stylish bottle that keeps water cold for 24 hours.

Third column

Dark chocolate bunny: An Easter basket favourite, this tasty version is made from organic, fair-trade dark chocolate, and is nut-free.

Gear ties: These three inch rubber twist ties are great for helping keep teens' many gadget cords organized and tangle-free.

Dark chocolate coconut butter cups: Dark chocolate cups filled with coconut butter are a delicious treat for anyone. They come in four flavours: classic, banana cream, mint cream, and caramel + sea salt.

Fourth column

Whoosh! screen shine: A portable bottle of non-toxic screen cleaner and a cloth come in handy for keeping phone, tablet, and laptop screens smudge-free.

Nike ball pump: This pocket-sized pump is a great choice for on-the-go teens who love a good pick-up basketball game.

Fifth column

SpokeLit wheel light: Keep your bike-riding teens safe in the dark with these LED lights that attach easily to wheel spokes and increase the rider's visibility.

Herschel wallet: These nicely designed, sturdy wallets have ample space for a teen boy's essentials, and they come in a variety of appealing styles and colours.

Clip-on camera lens kit: If you have teens who are budding photographers, this set of 3-in-1 clip-on camera lenses would be a fun gift. The set comes with a fish-eye lens, a wide angle lens, and a macro lens, each of which clips easily onto a phone to capture different types of images. These lenses are compatible with a wide variety of phone types (Apple and Android).


We'll be spending most of our Easter weekend at a robotics competition (the high school team Noah and Will are part of made it to the Ontario District Championships - hooray!), but we'll be back just in time for the boys to find their Easter morning surprises. The first Easter in a new home makes for a whole new batch of extra-tricky hiding spots for the Bunny to choose from. Good luck, boys! :)

Everything Etsy: A Holiday Gift Guide

Winter weather arrived suddenly this past weekend, and the chilly air had all four of us eager to embrace the cozy comforts of the winter season: warm socks and mitts, time spent sitting near the fireplace, homecooked meals that roasted all afternoon in a hot oven. The shift in seasons also has us looking forward now to the approaching holidays, when we'll have the chance to share time and favourite traditions with much loved family members and friends.

Every year around this time I get great enjoyment out of finding thoughtful gifts for the many wonderful people in my life. I've been turning again and again this month to Etsy to browse (from the quiet comfort of my own couch!) for unique and beautiful handmade items that seem just right for each of them. It's always a sweet feeling to see familiar eyes shine with delight over a one-of-a-kind gift that was made and chosen for them with heart.

Today I'm sharing with you an Etsy Holiday Gift Guide that features some of the many lovely items I've come across in my own browsing. Whether you're looking for a special gift or some cheerful holiday decor to warm up your home, you'll find plenty of creative options here. For even more holiday inspiration, take a look at these gift guides created by the Etsy editors.

For the Home

Snowflake Embossing Rolling Pin from Rolling Pin Collection

Monogrammed Faux Fur Christmas Stockings from Davie and Chiyo 607

White and Gold Deer Decor from White Faux Taxidermy

Red Lantern Lamp from The Slumber Jack Baby

For Her

Red Plaid Flannel Scarf from Janny's Girl

Silver Branch Initial Necklace from Kate Szabone

Crochet Flower Slippers from Eva's Studio

Pebble Art Family Picture from Juniper Avery Sea Glass

For Him

Leather Travel Cord Organizer from INSIDE Gift

Rocket Science Necktie from Cyberoptix

Papa Mug from Milk and Honey Luxuries

Laptop Table and Portable Workstation from LapPad

For Teens and Tweens

Felt Bag from Green Sheep PL

Bacon Hoodie from My Cool TShirt

Lumberjack Faux Fur and Plaid Throw Blanket from The Cozy Tot

Crochet Cat Beanie from 2 Mice

Hockey Medal Hanger from AKRO Boutique

For Little Ones

Upcycled Newborn Hat from Rowan's Tree House

Suede Moccasins from Threads and Arrows

Toddler Apron from Sable et Mer

Lumberjack Mini Hockey Stick from des Enfantillages

Small Surprises for Anyone

Natural Lip Balms: Sweet Honey, Mint, and Morning Coffee from LONE WOODS

Linen Holiday Napkins from Kitch Studios

Harris Tweed Coin Pouches from Life Covers

Bear Fridge Magnets from Stoats and Weasels

If you live in Waterloo Region and would enjoy browsing beautiful handmade gifts from over 60 different local Etsy artisans in person, head on over to the Holiday Market being held this Saturday, November 26th, from 10am until 5pm at RIM Park. Parking and admission are free. I'm excited to take a peek myself --  maybe I'll see you there!

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this blog with your Etsy purchases.

Easter Basket Ideas for Tween/Teen Boys

They may be big kids now, but even tween- and teenaged boys appreciate a basket of fun surprises to hunt for on Easter morning. Here's a collection of ideas the Easter Bunny might like for the growing (and growing and growing!) boys in your house this year.

First row

Finger scooters: These tiny versions of real scooters are similar to Tech Deck finger skateboards, and are fun for guys who like to perform cool tricks with a quick flip of the hand.

Surf Sweets jelly beans: Made without artificial colours or flavours, and free of the ten most common allergens, these bright beans are a sweet Easter treat for kids of all ages.

Illuminating bands: Keep your tween/teen boys visible and safe with an LED slap band that can easily be worn on an arm or an ankle while kids are biking, walking, running, or skateboarding after dark.

Nike Elite basketball socks: According to my teen, these are the best socks ever for their comfort and performance. Many colour variations are available at sporting goods stores, and the Nike outlets in the States sometimes have cool patterned ones, too. (Noah wore a circuit-board patterned pair for good luck on the final day of his robotics competition this past weekend, and he and his team won the final and a spot at the World Championships in St. Louis in April! Definitely good socks.)

Second row

Colourful airplane-making paper: Give your tweens and teens who like to fold and fly paper airplanes a large assortment of paper patterns to work with. Instructions for four different plane styles are included; you can also find many design concepts with folding directions online.

Aerobie superdisc: This soft rimmed disc is an aerodynamic flyer and easy to use for players of all skill levels. Tossing it around with some buddies in a yard or a park is a fun way for guys to spend time being active outdoors.

Unique puzzle cubes: Tweens and teens who are familiar with Rubik's cubes might enjoy the challenge of other unique cube designs, ones that shift shape when turned and have interesting colour patterns. The inequilateral cube pictured above is only one of many available options for keeping your puzzle-solvers' brains sharp.

Third row

Precision screwdriver set: This is a very useful little gift for guys who like to tinker with electronics, or for those who wear glasses. You never know when the need for a small screwdriver might arise!

Drawstring gym bag: These handy nylon bags make carrying gym clothes to and from school or extra-curricular activities a cinch. (They're also useful for keeping smelly socks contained after a workout!)

Dark chocolate bunny: All-natural dark chocolate bunnies are a great choice for tweens and teens with food sensitivities. I've found the Barkley's one pictured above online; many health food stores carry dark chocolate bunny options, too.

Thing Explainer book (Complicated Stuff in Simple Words): A goldmine for guys who are interested in how things work, this book explains complex concepts using only drawings and the 1,000 most common words in the English language. Thing Explainer has kept my teen fascinated for hours.

Fourth row

Movie gift card: Make it easy for your tween or teen to enjoy a movie of his choice (without having to ask you for money!) by tucking a gift card to a local cinema in his Easter basket.

Waterproof notepad: Does your tween or teen claim to get his best ideas in the shower? This waterproof notepad, stuck to a shower wall, will make sure that he always has somewhere to write down those great ideas before they vanish.

Hacky sack:  Easy to throw in a backpack and take out anywhere, hacky sacks provide quick entertainment for tweens and teens who are looking for something active to do either alone or with a group.

If the Easter Bunny wants to be especially fun, he'll hide the baskets in almost impossible to find spots this year, just so your tween/teen boys realize that they don't know everything. ;)

Chocolate Cherry Valentine Cupcakes (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free)

When special occasions like Valentine's Day are near, I often enjoy using the time that I'm home alone to bake a surprise treat that my three guys and I can all enjoy together. This afternoon I had several hours free, so rather than turning to one of our old favourite chocolate recipes (cashew butter balls, mmmm!), I decided to play around a bit and come up with something new. Will was thrilled when he came home and discovered the heart-shaped silicone baking cups drying in the dish rack -- he went rushing around the house on an instant treasure hunt to find whatever it was I had made in them. His eyes lit up enthusiastically when he came across these chocolate cherry cupcakes in the fridge, and he wanted to know how soon he could eat one. With their delicious chocolate base and their toppings of a homemade cherry sauce, whipped coconut cream, and a sprinkling of dark chocolate, these cupcakes are making all of us eager for dessert this weekend!

Chocolate Cherry Valentine Cupcakes

For the cherry topping:

2 cups frozen pitted sweet cherries
1 tbsp water
1 tsp coconut palm sugar
1 tbsp ground chia seeds

Add the cherries, water, and coconut sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the cherry mixture for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cherries have softened, stirring often and using the spoon to break the cherries up a little.

Gradually add the ground chia seeds to the hot mixture, stirring continuously while adding them, then lower the heat and cook for another 10 minutes or until the cherry mixture has thickened. Remove the cherry sauce from the heat and let it cool slightly. Place it in a lidded glass container and put it in the fridge to set while you bake the cupcakes.

For the cupcakes:

3 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Arrange twelve heart-shaped silicone baking cups in rows on a baking sheet.

Combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well. Add the mashed bananas to the mixture and stir until all ingredients are well combined.

Divide the cake batter between the twelve heart-shaped baking cups, using a spoon to make sure it's spread out smoothly to fill all parts of each heart. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool. Once cooled, remove the cupcakes from the silicone cups.

For the whipped topping:

1 398ml can of chilled, unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk (I used Native Forest Organic brand)
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

plus one square of dark chocolate, shaved, for garnish

Turn the can of coconut milk upside down and remove the lid. Drain the liquid out of the can, then scoop out the remaining solid coconut cream into a mixing bowl. Beat the cream with an electric mixer to soften it up a little. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and beat the cream again until it is smooth and fluffy. Spoon the whipped coconut cream into a piping bag fixed with a wide star tip.

To assemble the cupcakes:

Carefully spread a spoonful of the cherry sauce over the top of each cupcake, following the outline of the heart. Pipe a heart-shaped serving of whipped coconut cream in the centre of each cupcake, then sprinkle the shaved dark chocolate on top. If not serving immediately, store the cupcakes in the refrigerator.

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope your weekend finds you enjoying good times with loved ones.

"Fancy Drinks": A Kids' New Year's Eve Cocktail

We've been enjoying a wonderful Christmas holiday here. There have been fun visits and special dinners with cousins and aunts and uncles, late mornings in pyjamas, movie nights with four of us tucked up under warm blankets in our now finished and very cozy basement, afternoons spent enjoying new books and Lego sets and games, Christmas cookies and steaming mugs of tea in the evenings. The holiday season is a gift in and of itself, I think, the way it gives us so many hours to spend in each other's company, playing and laughing and eating and resting to our hearts' content.

As 2015 nears its end, perhaps you and your family are making plans for a New Year's Eve celebration. We're making plans here, too, ones that involve more family and food and fun, so we can welcome 2016 with the same positive energy we hope to keep with us all year long. Whenever there is a celebration being talked about around here, Will requests "fancy drinks" for the kids, so they can enjoy something bubbly as well as the grown-ups. I'm not a fan of pop, even on special occasions, but I'm happy to create something fizzy and sweet from natural ingredients to fill the kids' toasting glasses. This "fancy drink", made from orange and pomegranate juices and sparkling water, is one of my boys' favourites.

You can make these fun kids' cocktails very simply by adding a few ice cubes to each glass, filling them one third of the way up with orange juice, adding a generous splash of pure pomegranate juice, then topping them up with sparkling water. A few fresh cranberries or orange slices make the drinks look extra special, and Will likes when I add a striped straw and a little paper drink umbrella to each glass, too.

Cheers to you, wherever you are -- I hope you've been enjoying a wonderful holiday, too!

Peace and Joy

A friend recently shared this post on Facebook:

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending some time at Conestoga Mall finishing up a few things. ... The parking lot was a zoo, even at 10:30am, but I found a spot at the far end and enjoyed a quiet walk in the rain to the entrance. Line ups were common in most stores, but it was time to reflect and give thanks. Sadly, at The Bay, a cashier walked away from her cash for a few moments to help someone and in the meantime two women wanted to purchase their items immediately! They rang the bell at the cash over and over again. Meanwhile, I was choosing the perfect socks for the girls' stockings and heard the ladies comment in such a negative tone of voice to the cashier as she returned, "We've been ringing this bell for 10 minutes, you were nowhere in sight!" The cashier said she was sorry. As I approached the cash, the young cashier had a hard time to look me in the eyes. I told her that she was ok and that the customers certainly weren't ringing the bell for 10 minutes and that she could let that go and enjoy her day.
If you are out in the hustle and bustle today, see what you can do to share a smile, and take a few moments to reflect while standing in line ups....

I loved this reminder to slow down and find the joy in the last preparations for Christmas this week, keeping in mind that just being able to drive to the mall and buy food and drinks and gifts is a privelege we're fortunate to experience.

My friend's words reminded me of a post I wrote here four years ago; I'm still grateful for the same things. A very merry Christmas to you all!  xoxo

***

The Real Joys of Christmas

Despite the fact that no part of me wanted to enter through the store doors this time of year, I popped into Walmart today after my yoga class to pick up a few things we needed around the house.  As I expected, the aisles were a dangerous labyrinth of carts and people, half of them frantic and running, and the other half seemingly lost as they wandered aimlessly, preventing others from getting by.  I managed to get out of the store within fifteen minutes and only almost got run over once, but I was glad to return to the relative calm of my own home afterwards.  (And let me reassure you that I'm not trying to be smug about the zen-like state of my home during the holiday season with that last comment -- it was only calm because I was the only one here.  If you had been around this evening when the four of us were home, and Will was wailing over nothing in the family room while Noah simultaneously (accidentally) shattered a glass all over the kitchen floor, and then I lost it, you'd know that our house can be just as crazy a place as Walmart at Christmastime!)

I know firsthand how easy it is to get caught up in a hectic, emotional state this time of year.  We feel we NEED to get all the right gifts, make all the right foods, decorate our house in just the right way, fit in all the right activities, and generally produce a Christmas that is Facebook share-worthy.  (Broken glass all over the kitchen floor somehow doesn't fit with that picture, I'm thinking.)  In all of our complicated holiday rushing about, it's also very easy to forget that the most beautiful and true joys of Christmas are often the simplest things, things that don't require a trip to Walmart or a Martha Stewart-esque flair for perfection (and that won't be ruined by a broken glass or two!).

Real joy is sharing steaming mugs of hot cocoa with your family around the kitchen table after an afternoon of sledding or skating or road hockey together.  It's reliving favourite old family stories with your parents and siblings and other relatives, laughing together and fondly remembering those dear souls who are now only with you in spirit.  It's opening the mailbox and being greeted by the wonderful smell of anisette wafting through the box of homemade genettis that your grandma so thoughtfully sent you, and suddenly being brought back to the happy Christmas Eves of your youth spent at her kitchen table.  It's taking a few moments late at night with your spouse to look at your beautiful sleeping children, their faces softly lit by the Christmas lights from the hallway, and to marvel together at how you ever got so lucky to have them.  It's giving gifts of the heart, by sharing part of yourself with those who really need their spirits lifted this time of year.

When I think back to the Christmases of my childhood, I don't remember very clearly what I received as gifts, and I know that Christmas was never "perfect" (because I'm sure despite all of my parents' efforts, my brothers and I probably wailed over nothing and broke a few glasses, too).  What I do remember with great fondness, though, is the feeling of being warm, and safe, and content at Christmas, feelings that came from being surrounded by a family I love and who showed me in the most meaningful ways that they love me, too.  Whenever I start to feel frantic about getting ready for Christmas, I try to remember what I hope my boys will remember about their childhood Christmases when they grow up, and suddenly all of the other stuff seems less important.

During what can be a very hectic holiday season, I wish you and your family many moments of real and peaceful Christmas joy.

Maple Spiced Nuts

Christmas preparations are now in full swing at our house. I've been having fun this week working on one of everyone's favourite parts of the holiday season: the delicious foods and special treats we'll enjoy with family and friends who come to visit. The boys have each put in their requests for which cookies and squares they hope will make the baking list this year, and I'm looking forward to recreating some of our family's best-loved traditional foods that evoke happy memories of Christmases past.

One of the treats that was always around in little bowls at Christmastime during my childhood was roasted mixed nuts. Everyone had their favourites (brazil nuts for my dad, cashews for my mom and me), and the salty snack was always great to munch on while we enjoyed drinks and laughs with relatives. This week I noticed a recipe for sweet and spicy nuts in the December issue of Chatelaine magazine, and it reminded me that I've long wanted to try making a roasted nut mixture of my own for the holiday season. Today I tweaked the ingredients of the magazine recipe to suit my own preferences and ended up with a pan full of fragrant and tempting snacks.

Maple Spiced Nuts

2 1/2 cups of shelled natural nuts (I used 1/2 cup each of almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews and hazelnuts)
1/2 cup unsweetened large flake coconut
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground cinnamon (I like to use Frontier organic cinnamon, which is especially flavourful)
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 275 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the nuts and the large flake coconut.

Place the coconut oil in an oven-safe bowl and set it in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating. Once the oil is liquefied, remove it from the oven and add the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice to the bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Pour the syrup and spice mixture over the nuts and stir to coat. Sprinkle the sea salt over the nuts and stir again. Spread the nuts out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, stirring once every 10 to 15 minutes.

Allow the nuts to cool before serving.

These roasted nuts are a perfect combination of maple sweetness and cinnamony spice, and I'll be happy to set them out in little bowls this holiday season so everyone can enjoy their favourites. (It's still cashews for me!) Maple spiced nuts would also make lovely homemade holiday gifts if placed in pretty glass jars tied with festive ribbon. Enjoy!

Etsy: Happy Holiday Gift Ideas

The leaves have all fallen from the trees around us now, leaving empty spaces where not long ago there were brilliant splashes of crimson and gold. Looking out at the deserted landscape, it would be easy to feel a November sort of melancholy. A few days ago, though, I caught sight of a beautiful red cardinal perched in the bare branches of the tree right outside our kitchen window, his bright feathers adding a welcome splash of colour to the morning. It was the first time I had seen this winged friend in months, and I was reminded of how each season brings its own little joys to our lives. It's important to keep our hearts open to receiving them.

One of the things I love about this time of year is choosing special Christmas gifts for family and friends. I start early to give myself lots of time to find little treasures that I hope will make each person happy. Time and time again I find myself turning to Etsy, the wonderful online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods, to do much of my holiday shopping. It makes finding unique gifts fun and easy (and I don't have to go to a crowded mall to do it!)

Today I'm sharing a collection of lovely gift giving ideas I've found as I've been browsing Etsy lately. Perhaps you'll find something here that would be just right for a special person you know.

For the woman with a generous heart:

You Are My Heart Cuff Bracelets from Amy Waltz

Hand Knit Red Cable Scarf from Knits by Nat

Leather Tote Bag from Go Forth Goods



All Natural Body Care Gift Set from Wild Raven Soap

For the guy who doesn't need another tie:

UnCase for iPhone from Zero Five Design

Herringbone Wool and Leather Mitts from System63

Rosewood Watch from tmbrwood

Duck Canvas Dopp Kit by Shotgun Paul

For the trend savvy tween or teen:

Sterling Silver Name Ring from Ivory MR

Handcrafted Bamboo Skateboard from Habitat Imprint

Red and Black Gingham Wool Wristlet from Sweet Pea Totes

Recycled Circuit Board Keychain from ReComputing

For the sweetest little member of the family:

Sock Monkey Toy from Amber Vroom

Natural Wood Bowling Set from Apple n Amos

Striped Bathrobe from Eco Emi

Vintage Wooden Rocking Chair from Little Cows

For the friend who loves small surprises:

Panda Cookie Dunk Mug from Lenny Mud

Hand Stamped Vintage Spoon from Milk and Honey Luxuries

Heart Hand Warmers from WormeWoole

All Natural Peppermint Bark Candle from The Tiny Collection

There are so many more wonderful handcrafted items from around the world to discover on Etsy. Take a peek at the thoughtfully curated editors' picks in the Etsy Holiday Gift Guide to make it even easier to find the perfect something for everyone on your list. May you find much to smile about this November!