the Easter there was no sugar

Unfortunately, Easter falls smack-dab in the middle of our ‘No-Added-Sugar’ Challenge. Sorry, guess you’ll have to pass on inhaling all that extra sugar this year (insert sarcastic voice). Seriously, don’t we all regret that (first/second/third…) bag of jelly beans?

(If you’re really that broken up about it, there’s nothing stopping you from stashing a bag to eat May 1. It’s your sugar rush, not mine.)

Back to Easter. Andrew and I have done baskets for each other every year since we got married, and for the last four or five years we’ve spent the holiday with his grandmother in Indiana. I happily fill their baskets and–let’s be real–most of mine. Andrew throws a couple surprises in for me, too. He’s actually a fantastic gift-giver; over the years I’ve gotten floral running tights, stacks of books, a beautiful journal and tons of ‘healthy’ treats like fun granola, energy bars and specialty chocolate.

This year, I wanted to show everyone how easy it is to find no-added-sugar items for everyone’s Easter basket! After a quick trip to Wegmans and TJMaxx, (and grabbing some of our own items from around the house), I put together some ‘themed’ baskets:

For the ATHLETE:

Obviously, this one is near and dear to my heart, and features some of the items that will go into my basket. New running socks, dry shampoo, hemp seeds, Evoke ‘Athlete Fuel’ cereal, Sunbutter (no added sugar version), a KIND fruit bar and a BondiBand sweat band. (You can get 10% off your order at BondiBand with my coupon code ‘healthypineapple.’) To read my post on how AMAZING these sweat bands are, click here.

2. For a WOMAN:

I had grandma in mind when I built this one, although it’s not exactly what she’ll be getting, since she reads the blog! EOS hand lotion, nail file and polish, Bath and Body Works shower gel, Tom’s bar soap, a tea sampler and a lavender shave gel as well as a KIND fruit bar and a lemon Larabar. Since MY grandma isn’t doing a sugar challenge, I got her a couple treats, too, that aren’t shareable so Andrew and I won’t be tempted.

3. For a MAN:

I don’t know about your hubby, but mine LOVES his everything-flavored bagels, so these pretzels were a must-buy when I saw they didn’t have sugar. Also in the basket: an adventure book about the Adirondacks, ‘manly’ hair gel, my favorite Project 7 gum (gotten get that everything-breath fresh!), beard soap and a trail mix.

4. For a CHILD:

I realize this basket is a little anemic and girlie, but bear with me. I grabbed some of my favorite childhood books, colored pencils, KIND fruit bars and a little board book I intend to give my bestie’s daughter when we see them just before Easter. Kids are perhaps the easiest to satisfy, as small stickers, toys and trinkets will fit into plastic eggs. I’m always a huge fan of books as gifts for any occasion, and coloring books are all the rage these days.

Happy Easter-basket filling!

insta-valentines

This year, instead of buying multi-packs of valentines to send to my loved ones (yes, I still communicate via snail mail–quite often–and even send valentines and Halloween cards, too), I went with a downloadable version from EatHealthyDesigns.

There are three different packs of six for $3, or you can buy all three packs for $7.50, and right now they’re 10% off. Since they’re printable, you could buy them TOMORROW and still impress your valentine on time! And at that price (coupled with that fact that you can print as many as you’d like), you might as well hand them out like candy!

It’s obvious why they appealed to me–they’re food-related! I love the ‘You are berry awesome’ and ‘I love you a latte’ the most. In fact, the whole website is full of fun gifts and apparel I’m dying to own, like the ‘you guac my world’ tank top.

Since we don’t own a color printer, my original plan was to print in black and white and color them myself. However, because they are PDFs, they print in grayscale so I had to print them elsewhere. No matter–I printed a few extras and saved them on my computer so I’ll have them for next year. Now I just need to buy a stack of small envelopes for them all…

Disclaimer: EatHealthyDesigns did not compensate me for this post. Heck, they don’t even know who I am!

artsy

I have a friend (who has since moved away–sadness) who was incredibly talented and filled her home with creative paintings featuring florals, people and different quotes and Bible verses. I used to babysit her three little girls, so I saw these pieces of art all the time, and was eventually inspired to create some of my own.

Little-known fact: As a child, I wrote/colored/drew/painted up a STORM, although I never considered myself particularly gifted. It’s always been my dream to one day write a novel, but that’s been shelved in order to pursue other interests, including nutrition and fitness, right now. One day. Maybe.

Anyway. A few months ago, I took a trip to Hobby Lobby and picked up some supplies to create some ‘art’ of my own.

I started with a blank corner of our kitchen island countertop. It faces the TV room but since we eat most of our meals sitting across from each other at that countertop (Andrew in the TV room, me in the kitchen), it seemed like an appropriate place for a food-themed piece. I knew I wanted to create something that would inspire me to eat healthy food in a healthy way, which is why I chose Psalm 107:9.

The only challenge was that the teal was so dark, I couldn’t see any pencil marks, so I had to free-hand the entire thing. I think it turned out rather well, despite feeling terrified I was going to spell something wrong the entire time!

My second project (click for a larger photo) is in the laundry room and I was inspired by different things I’d seen in stores and online lately. Pineapples are so hot right now–I must be a trendsetter. The quote is: ‘Be A Pineapple: Stand Tall, Wear A Crown, Be Sweet.’ Again, I thought I could embellish with Bible verses, so I found different ones that were appropriate for each portion of the quote.

My last piece is in the kitchen itself, and another food/Bible-themed project. Who knew ‘eat, drink and be merry’ is from the Bible?? I didn’t. I made this canvas a gradient with lighter colors on top, and made the text color match the beige of our walls.

I can’t say I’m in love with any of the pieces, but I’m happy with how they turned out and like having my own original ‘artwork’ on my walls instead of generic items purchased at big-box stores. That’s how Andrew and I decorate anyway, mostly with photos or maps or other items that harken back to our European travels. In fact, we have some maps being framed right now for our bedroom!