Easter Egg Hunt for Any Budget

Easter Egg Hunt for Any Budget by Corina Volegna

Times are tough sometimes but we should not let that spoil our holidays. With Easter just around the corner, we should make sure we have everything we need without compromising our budget or feeling restricted. Although as adults we might be able to take a few cuts, kids cannot grasp the concept of "tough times" and should be protected against struggles.

This is why we put together this great Easter Egg Hunt that is not only full of fun, but also practical. It will keep the kids cheerful and it will keep you, and your wallets, happy. We will show how easy it is to create and how fun it is to play. This might be the only time when putting all your eggs in one basket could be a good idea!

Easter Basket Carrot-Egg Hunt

The main idea behind this hunt is that the kids will collect plastic eggs and paper carrots that contain clues. Then, they will come together with all the clues they found and try to figure out where the treasure basket is. You can either set a time limit, and see how many clues they can find, or let the kids know the exact number of "clues" there are hidden. Before we start the hunt, we need to create the Easter basket. This is the treasure the kids are seeking, and your wallet's little secret.

Creating the Basket

Rather than spending so much one all those items that kids collect in their own basket, be more practical this year! Create one basket by filling it up with lots of Easter paraphernalia. You can add anything from chocolate eggs to stuffed bunnies, plush chicks or other stuffed animals. If you want to ensure kids won't get too hyped on all the sugar that day include more Easter figurines and stuffed animals. This might be even more beneficial in the long run, as the toys last long after the candy is gone. So, decorate your basket by creatively placing some plush chicks surrounded by some fun Easter eggs all around, and maybe add a cute Easter Bunny in the middle, it is the tradition nevertheless! You can embellish it by adding some Easter candy or by adding extra toys and little stuffed animals, depending of your preference.

The decoration for the basket also depends on this next step: do you want to raffle off the Easter basket contents, or do you want equal amounts of everything for each child. If you raffle them, then you can play with the toys and stuffed animals, since a toy for each child and some candy would not kill your budget. However three or four stuffed animals per child might be a lot. So, if you do want that each child to have an equal share of the basket, you might want to stuff it with some Easter candy and maybe a cute little stuffed chick figurine or plush baby duck per child. This way at the end of the hunt, everybody has a good time and some nice Easter gifts.

The Clues

After you created your basket, hide it somewhere you know the kids will not be able to find it. If your place is small, you can hide it on top of a cabinet and cover it with something. Just make sure is high enough for them not even to spot it, or else, their curiosity might draw them to climb to some dangerous places.

Now for the clues. You can create two types of clues. If the kids are big enough to read, use words to tell them where they should look. If not, use drawings or signs.

There are also two ways you can mask these clues. You can put them on a piece of paper inside plastic colorful eggs, or you can write them on your very own paper carrots. To create the carrots all you need is orange and green construction paper. Cut long triangles from the orange paper, and cut a thick triangle from the green paper. Glue on the top of the green triangle to the bottom of the orange triangle. Cut the base of the green triangle, in long thing parts, as if it were shredded and leave the green shreds on. There you go! You just made yourself an easy paper carrot. Now all you have to do is write the clue on it and you are all set.

The Hunt

Hide the eggs and the carrots in easy to reach places, such as under the couch pillows, under the covers of your bed, behind lamps and so on.

Give the kids either the number of clues or a time limit and watch them scoop around for the clues. When the time is out, or they found all the clues, get all of them together and help them figure out where the basket is located. After the Easter basket is found distribute or raffle of the content to each kid.

And there you have it. This Easter hunt is a guaranteed success. It is so much fun that the kids will talk about it all year round and it is easy on your budget. Have a happy hunt and a happy Easter!

Are you ready for this extra-fun Easter basket hunt? Find great looking stuffed chicks, baby plush ducks, stuffed bunnies and other stuffed animals, just like the ones in the article at KCPlush.com and have yourself an amazing hunt!

Article Source: Easter Egg Hunt for Any Budget

Happy Holidays for Pets!

Here is an article I found while surfing the internet, thought it would be of interest to our readers, it's from www.drsfostersmith.com with much thanks!

Holiday Safety for Dogs Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff We want the holidays to be a happy time for you and your pet, not a time for an emergency visit to your veterinarian. The food and decorations that make the holidays so much fun for us can be dangerous for your pet. We don't want this article to dampen your holiday spirits, but we do want you to be aware of the dangers and plan carefully to avoid these potential hazards. Dangerous Holiday Foods Foods you eat or drink that you should never give your pet: Rich, fatty foods, like gravy or grease, can cause problems ranging from stomach upsets to pancreatitis. Alcohol can cause serious intoxications in pets, and many pets are attracted to the sweet taste of drinks, especially eggnog. Be sure to clean up and rinse all glasses after Christmas parties. Chocolate, coffee, and tea all contain components called xanthines that are dangerous to animals. Chocolate is especially a problem because pets love its flavor. Unsweetened baking chocolate and dark chocolate are the worst culprits, but all chocolate, fudge and other candy should be placed out of your pet's reach. A safe alternative would be carob drop dog treats. Bones from fish, meat or poultry can also cause problems if swallowed. Be sure to keep bones (other than those made for dogs) away from your pet. Rawhides, Busy Buddy Bouncy Dog Bones, and hardened, sterilized bones are much better alternatives for your pet's chewing needs. Poisonous Plants We all like making our homes more festive for the holidays. We enjoy the green foliage and colorful flowers of plants. Unfortunately, many of the plants we have in our homes during the holidays can be poisonous to pets. Never let your pet chew or eat any of these holiday plants: • Holly • Mistletoe • Poinsettias • Hibiscus So when you brighten up your home, please place these plants well out of your pet's reach, or use imitation holiday plants. Gifts Under the Tree Rawhide or other edible items left under the tree can be very tempting. And remember that companies (even Drs. Foster and Smith!) often package rawhide or other pet gifts wrapped in ribbon. Make sure to remove ribbons or ties before you present gifts to your pet. If played with and swallowed, yarn, ribbon or string on gifts can cause intestinal obstruction, requiring surgery. Batteries for toys or other gifts can be toxic and cause intestinal obstruction. Keep in a safe place until they are ready to be inserted in the gift. Christmas Trees O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how careful we must be. Christmas trees and their decorations can create hazards for pets. Place your Christmas tree in a stable stand, and attach it securely to a window or wall. We've known others who have hung their tree from the ceiling! Consider using a Scat Mat to keep pets away, and make sure your pet is always supervised when in a room with a tree. Tinsel's shininess is attractive. When eaten, it can cause blockages, which often require surgery to remove. This year, think about leaving it off the tree altogether. Chewing on electrical cords can cause problems ranging from burned mouths, to electrical shock to death by electrocution. Unplug decorative lights when you're not there or spray cords with No-Chew Deterrent Spray. Place ornaments that are shiny, or could be swallowed or broken high up on your tree. Larger, less intriguing ornaments can go near the bottom. Decorating trees with food is asking for problems. Candy canes and gingerbread people can be as enticing to your pet as they are to children. We know of one diabetic dog who ran into some problems with regulating her disease because she was stealing candy canes off of the tree. Popcorn, raisin, or cranberry garlands are beautiful, but can cause an obstruction when eaten, requiring surgery. Visitors Some pets love visitors and behave very well. Others may be fearful or aggressive. If your pet tends to be fearful around strangers or in crowds, make sure she has a quiet room to sneak away to that has water, food, a place to rest, and if you have a cat, a litter box. When inviting visitors, make sure they know you have a pet. If these people have allergies, you can help them by using a product such as Perfect Coat Bath Wipes to make sure your pet's haircoat smells fresh and is dander free when near the guests in your house. Pet Gifts and Treats When choosing a holiday gift for your special friend, be sure it's safe - no small pieces that could come off and be swallowed. Choose healthy holiday treats for your pet and give them in moderation. Our Premium All Natural Biscuits make a great treat for almost any dog and are much healthier than human table food. The holidays are a time of great fun and excitement for everyone. With a little planning and by following these precautions it can be a safe and fun time for your pet as well.

Holidays are coming-How about Home Security?

Home Security Basics by Marc Dean

Many of these steps are actually simple things that people have been doing for generations, such as locking their doors and windows (even those on the second floor). And if you're going away on vacation, asking a trusted neighbor to retrieve the mail and newspaper each day, and setting up a light timer to give the appearance of someone being home in the evening. While these are all steps that should definitely be taken, there are plenty of others. For example:

Do not share information regarding your vacation plans with people you do not know. Providing even the smallest indication that you will be away from home may be all the information that someone needs to plan and execute a break-in while you are gone.
If your vacation will take you away from home during the winter months, be sure to make arrangements to have someone take care of your snow removal in the event it snows. Un-shoveled sidewalks and driveways can provide an easy indication that no one is home.

Store ladders in your garage or in a place where they can not be easily seen. A ladder lying along side of a house or under a deck might be all an intruder needs to break into your home through an upper floor window.
Keep valuable items such as laptop computers, pocketbooks and wallets out of plain view. Thieves typically look through windows before breaking in; seeing a laptop on the kitchen table or a wallet lying on the kitchen counter may provide the incentive they need to attempt gaining access.
Boxes from expensive electronic equipment such as computers, televisions and DVD players should be broken down before they are left out for recycling. Leaving the boxes intact by your curb provides a clear indication that there are valuable items in the home.

Finally, it is always a good idea to keep a current inventory of all the valuables you have in your home. Some people find it helpful to review that list each month and make additions and deletions as needed. Having a current inventory will be an invaluable resource if you do become victimized by an intruder.

Marc Dean is a freelance writer who writes for Preferred Consumer. He has done significant research online on home & garden, and how to protect your real estate or apartment.

Article Source: Home Security Basics

Halloween Is Near

Creating a Halloween Graveyard Everyone Will Enjoy by faststride

If it is Halloween and you are planning to decorate your house under the Halloween theme, you may be wondering about making a Halloween graveyard in your own yard. You might have answered this question with a ‘yes' but stopped short of implementing it because it would require too much effort or too much spending on your part. However, you need not hesitate anymore because there is a simple and affordable way of making a Halloween graveyard.

Making a Halloween graveyard requires you to have certain basic things. The following is a list.
1. Hay
2. Cardboard
3. Thermocol sheet
4. Gray paint
5. Black marker
6. Surgical glove (optional)
7. Gelatin (optional)
8. Coat arms (optional)
9. Stick (optional)

The following are the steps for making a Halloween graveyard on your own lawn or in your yard.
1. Take the hay and set it up in such a way that it looks like a grave mound. This can be done by making the hay mound and then covering it with a sheet and dirt.

2. After this you need to cut cardboard and thermocol in the shape of the tombstones that you need. The cardboard will need to be pasted on the thermocol to make it smooth while the thermocol is being used to make the tombstone a little beefy.


3. Paint the half done tombstone with granite paint. You can also use black paint to make it look old and aged. Once the paint dries, you can write some choice epitaphs on the tombstones. The content of the epitaphs depends upon your preferences. For example they can either be scary or funny. This tombstone can now be placed at the head of the grave mound.

4. You can also make the graveyard even scarier by doing the following:

a. Take some coat arms and fill them with hay and a stick to make them look like arms.
b. These arms would end in surgical gloves filled with gelatin.
c. You can place this newly conjured up arm on any one of your graves to make it look like a dead body is trying to climb out of the grave.
d. It should also be noted that gelatin will make the hand move at the slightest of disturbance like wind or a pet. Also, you can place the hand at multiple angles in order to give a varying effect.

If you repeat the above steps multiple times then you can turn your courtyard or lawn into a ghoulishly scary Halloween graveyard. Moreover, even your children would enjoy helping you with this whole venture as the dead arm is going to be a source of a lot of fun for them. Graveyards and graves are an intrinsic part of Halloween and every child should have one for at least one Halloween of his childhood. Now you can provide your child with fun filled memories of him playing with his friends in the graveyard made by his father or mother.

Halloween is a fun night for everyone let spookynite.com help you with Halloween Decorations , Halloween Costumes and all your Halloween needs to a great night of spooky fun.

Article Source: Creating a Halloween Graveyard Everyone Will Enjoy