Easter in quarantine can be a memorable event, even if we have to tweak our traditions.
The 
coronavirus may have stopped a lot of things in our lives right now, but it can’t stop Easter! And we need the hope of Easter this year more than ever. Although your Easter 2020, Quarantine Edition may look (a lot!) different than usual, your children will long for whatever normalcy you can give them, and you can still get into the spirit while social distancing and staying-at-home. The key is to plan ahead and shift expectations!
Dress Code:
Sure, you could spend the day in your jammies, but haven’t we had enough of that already? Now’s the time to break out your fancy clothes! Believe it or not, it will help the whole family get in the mood to celebrate, and you know you will still want to capture those precious “look at us all cleaned up!” photos. If all this time at home has left you with no will to argue with your children over what they wear, great, let them pick out their own outfit (you’ll still have a pretty memorable picture).
Easter Quarantine – Menu:
After weeks of cooking and consuming everything inside our home, I’m first in the “I’m tired of cooking” line, BUT I haven’t exactly been whipping up four-course feasts. So, if you love to cook but usually don’t have the time or energy, now’s the time to experiment with new recipes or techniques. Never made a ham? Go for it! (Keep reading for my easy crockpot ham recipe and accompanying menu below).
Hate to cook? The good news is that there are still several local restaurants and grocers open who will gladly supply you with a ready-to-heat feast. And we all know it makes the decision a little easier knowing that we’re helping out our beloved local businesses:
–The Art of Entertaining (brunch and lunch/dinner options available, pay/order up to 48 hours in advance)
–Time for Dinner (lots of entrees, sides, and desserts to choose from, can be purchased ahead and frozen! curbside pickup)
–Straubs (hams, sides, appetizers, and more–order by April 7th!)
-Historically, Schnucks and Dierbergs have also offered Easter-themed catering, but their websites don’t include any information as of yet, so it may not be happening this year 🙁
The Loot:
Of course, your kids will still expect the traditional Easter egg hunt and Easter baskets. Here, the internet is your friend. Although Target, Walmart, and Amazon may be a little backed up right now for shipping “non-essentials” (come on, are Reese’s eggs ever NOT an essential?!), you can still get all you need with a little advanced planning.
The great news about the Easter egg hunt is that due to social distancing, your kids won’t have to compete with a hoard of other kids (unless you have a big family, of course!). And did you know you can order pre-filled plastic Easter eggs? Check out Amazon, Oriental Trading, Target, and Walmart’s offerings. Then, hide those eggs around your house, indoors and out. The harder you hide them, the longer it takes your kids to find them, and the longer you can sit and enjoy some solitude (mimosas, anyone???).
As far as Easter baskets, I’ve learned that some families go bigger than others, so you may have to temper your kids’ expectations depending on how fruitful your online shopping is and what your budget looks like. There’s also Target Drive-Up, Instacart, and however else you’re getting your TP these days. Check out Sweet Be’s in Des Peres – they will custom-make a basket for you (starts at $30, will ship/deliver or they offer curbside pickup)!
If you haven’t yet tired of the 1 million neighborhood scavenger hunts that have been circulating among parents, check out this Easter themed-scavenger hunt for teens that I found on Tatertots & Jello. Even your normally too-cool teen will get in on the fun, and it’s a great way to get some fresh air after the big meal.
Church:
With traditional, in-person worship off the table this year, most churches are turning to online worship, especially for the big Easter celebration. Check with your church to see if an online experience will be offered and invite your family and friends to worship with you (virtually, of course)! If you don’t already have a church, or yours isn’t offering an online Easter experience, I’d love to have you join me at The Gathering. We are swapping our big blowout at Chaifetz for an amazing live worship service, featuring live music and an inspirational message. The silver lining of this year is that you won’t have to fight for a seat in the pew and can roll in “fashionably late” with the pastor not noticing!
Easter Quarantine – Family Time:
I know, I know, it’s not the same. While you’d typically gather with your extended family on Easter, stuffing your faces and hunting eggs, use technology to your advantage and Facetime/Zoom/GoogleHangout them instead.
The silver lining of Easter-at-home for me this year is that I’ll get to spend much more time worshipping and enjoying the day with my family. I work at my church, so I usually “work” the Easter service and am rushing home and trying to squeeze everything else in. This year, I hope to take advantage of the extra time to slow down and appreciate the unexpected gift (and mimosas, of course!).
Sanders Family No-Fuss Easter Lunch Menu:
-Crockpot Brown Sugar & Pineapple Ham (buy a ham, put it in your crockpot first thing Easter morning, slather it generously with brown sugar and crushed pineapple, turn it on low for at least 6 hours, and it will be ready in time for lunch, easy!)
–Sister Schubert’s Frozen Dinner Rolls
-Scalloped potatoes (out of a box-gasp! But I grab some fresh chives to sprinkle on top and make it feel fancy)
-Green beans
-Deviled eggs
-Mixed fruit
-Fun Easter dessert (in past years, I’ve made a white cake shaped like a bunny, a pineapple-pecan carrot cake, a fancy layered lemon cake, and an angel food cake with fresh fruit).
