I have a big family. It’s huge. We are now on the fourth generation so there are lots of kids. Loads.

This familial fact, coupled with my (ongoing) attempts to be more ethical gave me the eggstraordinary (but unpopular) idea of banning Easter eggs this year!

I can’t stand the idea that my kids will get 20+ chocolate eggs… each! I will have to have the cyclical, “no, you can’t have another chocolate egg” every twenty minutes for three months, and I’ll have a truck load of useless (and unnecessary) packaging to get rid of. But, I’m not completely evil – I’m not banning Easter eggs entirely- just mixing it up.

Our annual tradition is to get the whole clan together on Good Friday for an Easter-themed shindig with fish and chips. As the tribe grows year on year,  we have to hire a venue as we no longer fit under the same roof.  Now, this is lovely but, if you want to make a change to tradition, you have to get in there early. It took some convincing, but I have secured our own familial Good Friday Agreement and, this year, we are doing Easter Jars. This is our ethical alternative to the usual plethora of Cadbury’s, Nestle, too many sweets, ugly mugs, crappy plastic toys and piles and piles of discarded packaging.

The idea is that each child decorates their own recycled jam jar and the adult family members put the cash they would have spent on an Easter egg in each jar with a few small chocolate eggs and sweets. Each child takes home a keepsake jar for future treasures, chocolate eggs and a wee nest egg to spend on a new toy. Or, if they really want to, 20+ Easter eggs!

Have a cracking Easter!

Amy x