Ready for the Easter Basket

A few days ago while at Target, I picked up a Paas Easter Egg Dye Kit.  I didn't know if one of the boys might want to dye eggs with their girlfriend or if I would do it alone or if it would even be used at all.  It was only $1.49, so I wouldn't be out much if it was trashed unopened.  

What a fun $1.49 it turned out to be.  I asked (really more like strongly suggested) that he and I dye the Easter Eggs.  He wasn't all that excited at the idea, but went along anyway.  

The first challenge for me, of course, was the boiling.  I have a known reputation in our family for boiling and taking them out before they are completely done.  It's one of the hardest things for me to do.  I mean, really, the egg is inside the shell, how are you supposed to be REALLY sure?  I boiled them following my trustworthy instructions from Southern Living magazine, hoped for the best, and brought out the egg dye.

They look done to me!

 So while I was chilling the eggs, Jeff was mixing up the dye.  If you know my husband, you know that he does NOTHING less than 110 percent.  This includes mixing up egg dye.  It may same a small task, but he gave it his full attention.

I had the great idea of using my culinary gloves to handle the dye.  I remember what stains they leave on your hands and I had just had my nails done, so I didn't want to mess them up.  What a grand idea that was!  I highly suggest it to anyone with kids!  I vividly remember scrubbing Ross and Cam's hands before church Easter Sunday morning trying to get the egg dye off.  That stuff stains.  My aunt Barbo gave me a great suggestion, too.  You can swirl the eggs around in the dye using a whisk!  That would work good, too.

 Aren't the colors so pretty?  Yes, I know it doesn't look like much dye in the glass.  Not sure what was up with that.  We followed the instructions on the box, and this is the amount of dye it made.  We just swirled our eggs gently -- sometimes not so gently -- in the glass.

We had our Easter Egg forceps.  I have had these since the boys were little.  I bring them out every year.  And every year we don't use them.  They aren't very user friendly.

I thought the box was so pretty.  Of course, Paas is the gold standard of egg dye these days.

 When I was a little girl, though, we used this.

My mom mixed it up with vinegar (I think) and it made the most vibrant colors.  But then technology came along and put the food coloring in the little tablets.  The colors aren't nearly as bright, but oh, well.

I even punched the holes out on the box to put the eggs in to dry.  Jeff pointed out a dumb thing about the Paas kit.  There are only nine holes in the drying box.  Nine holes.  Who dyes only nine eggs??  Don't most eggs come in dozens or at the least half dozens?

Me ready to start.  Hoping my eggs are done.

I thought it'd be cute to color one pink and green and put my monogram on it.  Using the little crayon that came in the box, I drew my initials and put it in the dye.  The pink was worthless.  It had no color.  And the monogram, well, let's just say you could make out the K.  The rest looked like chicken scratch.

We had a good time doing something kind of silly for grownups to do.  Jeff said he never dyed eggs when he was a kid.  I couldn't believe it.  Dyeing eggs was as much a part of Easter when I was a girl as getting a new Easter dress, which we ALWAYS got.  Dress, purse, socks and shoes.  My mama and daddy were so sweet to always make sure we  had new Easter frocks.  Those were sweet, sweet days.

I got this idea off of Pinterest and made it yesterday.  You can't tell too much, but it's a wreath made of Peeps.  Real peeps.  I just hope the ants don't tear it up before tomorrow.  It is very pretty, though.

Our pretty Easter Eggs on display on an egg tray that my aunt Barbo gave me many years ago.

 I also got nostalgic and brought out the baby dishes that Jeff's cousins gave us at my baby shower when I was pregnant with Ross.  There was a little plate, but it got broken sometime.  I love the bunnies.  So dang cute.

So that's my pre-Easter blog post.  I'm having the family over tomorrow night for our annual Easter Egg hunt in the dark.  It's a wonderful time when all our big kids hunt eggs.  Even Ross.  To make it a bit more challenging (but really, how challenging can you make it) we hide them and wait until it's dark for them to find them.  Even doing it that way, it's done and over in about 5 minutes.  And we hide 10,000 eggs.  Not really, but we do hide hundreds.

I'll share pictures of it.  I'm sure they'll be many blogworthy moments.  Till next time, PEEPS, happy Easter.  I hope your Easter is filled with your favorite church hymns, some good fried chicken or ham, a big chocolate bunny and lots of love.