OCD...Yep that's me.

OK...so I probably shouldn't call it OCD. Maybe, perfectionist Maybe, obsessed? I don't know what to call it?!? But when ever I get an idea in my head, I HAVE accomplish it or it'll drive me CrAzY till I do!!

The latest idea was that I wanted all 4 of my boys to have different colored Easter baskets. I had 4 baskets already: 1 green, 1 yellow, & 2 blue. But I wanted each boy to have there own basket in there favorite color. So I needed to find a orange basket for my oldest son Parker. I've had this in my brain since last Easter. And honestly, I have been looking and looking and looking that long to find an orange basket...to no avail.

So last week, I decided, in order to have what I wanted, I was going to have to paint one of the blue baskets to orange. That is just what I did. I spray painted it first. Then added a little lighter color orange paint by rubbing it on with a wet rag so the basket didn't look too "painted." (if you know what I mean).

I then went to Hobby Lobby and got each of my boys first initial and painted it to match there baskets. I tied the initial onto the handle with matching ribbon. The baskets turned out just like I had them pictured in my head (which is always an accomplishment) and best of all...Parker LOVED that he had an orange Easter basket.

(Now for the OCD part...) So for our egg hunt on Easter morning, I have each of my boys only collect the eggs in the color of their Easter baskets.  (I know...I may need counseling) but it's the perfect way to make sure each of the kids gets the exact same number of eggs with all the same prizes inside. So there is no fighting, whining or complaining on Easter morning as to who got what!!

Easy Easter Countdown

This year, I wanted to do something special for my boys to get ready for Easter. Somehow, the real reason for the holiday, Our Savior and the miraculous gift of the resurrection, always gets lost in the holiday shuffle at our house. I don't know why?!? But every year, when Easter is over, I always wonder if my boys understood the true meaning of the holiday between the easter eggs & baskets. Christmas isn't like this but Easter is.

So I wanted to have something we could do as a family to talk about the real reason we celebrate easter. So I went a hunting...and I had found this DARLING countdown online...

{courtesy of eighteen25.blogspot.com}

However, I wanted to fill the eggs with more than just candy. I wanted to fill them with something that would pull the spiritual side of Easter into our countdown.

And I found it!! This great "spiritual" Easter Countdown

{courtesy of howdoesshe.blogspot.com} 

This countdown has a scripture for each day (starting 12 days prior to Easter) and a small item or "token" that coorilates with that scripture. I filled my eggs with 4 of each "token", so that each day, ALL 4 of my boys got a "token" to keep, to help them remember the scripture.

 Everyday, my boys have been begging to do the countdown. They've taken turns reading the scripture and passing out the "tokens." After reading each scripture, we talk about that scripture and it's meaning so that I know my boys understand it & how it pertains to the Easter Story & Easter's true meaning. I displayed my eggs on a cupcake tree in my kitchen so it was close and easy to access everyday.