I admit, I went for overachiever on this list; but if you’ve checked out any of my past stocking stuffer or Easter basket gift guides, you know these are my favorite things to make, and I put my heart and soul into them. Heidi called me the other day and asked what I was doing.

“Working on the Easter basket guide,” I answered.

“Oh my God, you’re still working on it? Weren’t you doing that three weeks ago? How long does it take?” she laughed.

She’s not wrong. I dig into the Internet and find all the secret tunnels that lead to the sweetest unique treasures kids will love. This year, I kept finding more tunnels, so 55 treasures it is. We have a few Easter basket traditions in our home–staples that always go in: a new bathing suit, a few artsy supplies, a new book, a plush. The girls get hair accessories. The rest is filled with fun extras and a few candy must-haves (Peeps, chocolate bunnies, Reesee’s peanut butter eggs). I love the treasures we found this year and cannot wait to fill the kids’ baskets and watch them open them.

Happy Shopping!

1. Ooly Magic Puffy Paint Pens
Ooly’s one of my favorite makers of art supplies for stockings and Easter baskets, and these puffy paint pens are super fun. Paint a picture, blast it with the hair dryer, and watch the paint puff up into a 3-D design.

2. Kids Insulated Rabbit Thermos
Dreamy Easter pastel shades and the cutest subtle bunny design.

3. Bunny Keychain/Backpack Charm
Clip this little guy on backpack, lunch box or jacket zippers.

4. Wood Slingshot & Rainbow Felt Ammo
This has Dash’s name all over it. The slingshot is handcrafted from pine (and made in the US), and the rainbow felt balls are safe for flinging at sisters. Win.

5. Fuzzy Bunny Slipper Socks
Hoping the Easter bunny slips in an extra pair of these for Mom.

6. Kids’ Bunny Toothbrushes
Nothing says spring like a pastel line-up of bunny brushes.

7. Hand Carved Bunny Jumprope
Have you ever seen a prettier jumprope? I think not. Hand-carved wooden handles, cotton roping and so many good reviews!

8. Mon Ami Vanilla Scented Plush Doll
The sweetest little doll with pretty details…and she smells like vanilla!

9. eeBoo Spanish Flashcards
eeBoo is another brand I love for kid gifts–we’ve never been disappointed. Dash has been asking what the Spanish word is for so many words, so he will LOVE these beautiful flashcards.

10. Baby Chick Puzzle Erasers
You can never go wrong with miniatures. Bonus–they’re functional erasers too.

11. Janod Scratch Art Masks
A great rainy day activity, these masks have magic built in. All you need to do is scratch away with the included tool to create detailed colorful designs.

12. Jaq Jaq Butter Chalk
I’m always on the hunt for new kid brands when I visit shops on our travels. I recently discovered Jaq Jaq, and this butter chalk is divine. It’s smudge-proof, writes on all surfaces (windows, mirrors, plastic) and wipes off with a damp cloth. See #13 for the perfect writing surface to complement:

13. Jaq Jaq Chalk Coloring Book
Reusable and great for travel (the Easter Bunny told me he got the DaVinci one).

14. Affimators! Family Deck
I love the Affimators! regular deck and was so happy to see they have a family deck, perfect for Lainey’s basket. All the affirmations are powerful messages delivered in a funny way–not cheesy at all.

15. Kids Round Flower Sunglasses Pack
Kids need to head into spring with some fashion. This 8-pack gives you enough pairs to plop a couple in each basket for multiple kids or share some with friends.

16. Chronicle “50 Cool Things to Do in the Car” Pack
Not too early to start thinking about summer travels. Use the Easter basket excuse to stock up on some fun games you can save until then.

17. Aaron’s Scoopberry Scented Putty
Slime and putty is always a win for my kids, and Aaron’s putty is the best–so many different kinds. This fluffy scented (smells like strawberry vanilla) putty looks like spring and smells like heaven.

18. Cat Blind Box
My kids love any collectible with a blind box. These Kitan Club cats are the cutest. I mean cats in macaroons, cats in teacups! They work as keychains, so you can snap them on a backpack.

19. Le Toy Van Wooden Bunny & Guinea Pig Set
The quality of Le Toy Van toys makes them a fun save-forever gift.

20. Fur Bunny Phone Case
(for iPhones 7 & 8) That tail though!!

21. Smith’s Strawberry Lip Balm (2-pack)
We’re big fans of Smith tins, and this one reminds me of the little slide-top strawberry lipbalm tins my sister and I got in our stockings as kids.

22. Plush Bunny
If you’re looking for the perfect Easter basket plush, these come in so many different cute outfits to choose from–both boy and girl versions. This is the 16 inch plush, or for the same price you can get a pair of 12-inch ones (the ones with the little tie-on bunny hats!).

23. Insulated Water Bottle
Want to make a tween happy? Buy the water bottle, and then buy #24 to go with it.

24. Water Bottle Stickers
So VSCO girl!

25. Bunny Sleep Mask
Brett loves sleep masks and recently influenced the kids, so they’re all into them too (I love walking into them sleeping with a mask–cracks me up). This soft sweet bunny one is so cute!

26. Linen Hairbow Set
I buy these for Nella–the price is amazing for 5 pairs of linen bows! And we use Easter baskets as a good excuse to stock up on needed hair accessories.

27. Bunny Airpod Case
If your teen has Aipods, you know that switching out the case is a favorite event.

28. Schleich Rabbit Hutch l
Gah! How cute is are these little baby bunnies?! A great toy for the restaurant/travel entertainment bag.

29. Candylab Vintage Woodie
If your kid is into collecting, this is the brand for cars, and this vintage woodie is where you want to start.

30. LED Light-up Gloves
Dash will LOVE these. Slip them on, turn off all the lights, dance, make funny videos!

31. Scratch-off Magic Paper
These are a great staple for the art supply bin–fun for any age!

32. eeBoo Beautiful World Puzzle
I’m very particular about puzzle designs, and this one checks all the boxes. I’ve found 100-piece puzzles are the sweet spot for our family. We like to finish a puzzle in one sitting, but we still want a challenge (100-piece puzzles are fun for setting a timer and trying to beat the clock). I love the design and layout of this one (makes hunting for pieces fun and less frustrating).

33. Everyone’s Awake
Newly published, this hilarious rhyming picture book tells the story of night time madness where no one’s sleeping and everyone’s having fun.

34. Girls’ Knee-high Tube Socks
Nella’s into accessorizing her skirts with fun tube socks. These pastel pairs add a touch of spring to any outfit.

35. Nursing Mama Bunny Plush with Magnetic Baby Bunnies
I cannot with the magnetic baby bunnies!

36. Magnetic Bookmarks
Great for chapter books!

37. Pom Pom Bunny Pens
The Easter bunny only signs his name with these pens, of course.

38. Meri Meri Doll Necklace
There is nothing Meri Meri makes that wouldn’t be perfect for an Easter basket. This necklace is the sweetest touch to any outfit and like having a little pal with you all day.

39. Bunny Oil Diffuser/Humidifier
I love diffusing oils in my kids’ rooms and love a cute diffuser that fits in with a kids’ room vibe. This one is the sweetest!

40. Egg Splat Balls (2-pack)
A kid favorite (or adults who still feel like kids)

41. Jellycat Plush Bunny
Jellycat makes the sweetest plush toys, and this bunny has just the right amount of old-fashion “floppiness” (plus, it’s super soft!).

42. Ooly Metallic Colored Pencils
Another Ooly favorite–all the colors, but with sparkle!

43. Meri Meri Hank in a Bag
The bag itself is darling–leather handles and lined canvas. And then they took it to the moon by putting a little dachshund inside–and he has a leash! And a striped t-shirt!

44. Sculpting Play Dough Soap
Is it play dough or is it soap? It’s both! An easy fun way to get your kids in the bath. Play while you clean.

45. Hello Nature Activity Book
We loved Nina Chakrabarti’s Fashion book; this one’s even better–an interactive nature scrapbook with loads of information ad nature activitites.

46. My Best Friend
Newly published picture book–the sweetest story of friendship (I had bought this for our Easter baskets and was so excited to walk in a charming Savannah bookstore yesterday and see it front and center on a shelf in the children’s section).

47. Scribble Scrubbie Bunny & Hamster
These little critters come with markers to decorate them–throw them in the wash to start over.

48. Bunny Gel Pen Set (16 pens!)
What’s a good time to stock up on pens? When you find them this cute–those little scarves!

49. Knot Tying Kit
This has Dash’s name all over it–and will keep him busy to boot! This set comes with picture instruction cards for 20 different knots and two ropes for practicing.

50. Zip-up Bunny in an Egg
They remind me of 80’s Popples! (they have chicks too!)

51. Bunny Jump Home Game
This cognitive skill-building puzzle game requires kids to help rabbits hop safely to their home, sliding foxes and mushrooms to get there. Great for travel (ages 7 and up) with 60 different challenges testing logic and spacial recognition.

52. 32 Ways to Dress Baby Animals
Another great one for the restaurant/church/travel bag

53. 50 Ways to Draw Your Beautiful Life
Lainey got this for Christmas, and it’s beautiful! Anything Flow publishes is beautiful. It is packed FULL of so many lovely things–postcards for painting, tear-outs, watercolor paper, etc.

54. Paint-a-Bunny Garden Stone
I love this because it’s a save forever Easter gift–put it in the garden or by the front step. (This one’s going in Lainey’s basket, and I can’t decide if we’ll want to keep it or give it to my dad for his gardens up north.)

55. Wee Society Celebration Journal
We LOVE Wee Society journals for kids and have almost all of them. This celebration one is so fitting for our family. We love our traditions and celebrations, and this gives kids a great invitation to write about them and document their own versions.

 

At any given moment, on any given day, know that I am itching to paint or wallpaper something in our house. Nella’s dresser has had a painting target on it since I bought it (for $25 off Craigslist!) several years ago, but I gave it a good run as a white dresser first. I could wait no longer so finally, a few weeks ago, I succumbed to the itch and bought several cans of glossy green paint. And then it snowballed because I thought the gorgeous green dresser would look lovely against some floral wallpaper. If you give a mouse a cookie…

The results are delightful. (Here’s what it looked like before.)

I have had the little owl hanging on her door since she was in a crib, and it’s made the cut to stay for every room change-up.

The dresser was super easy to paint. I just lightly sanded it and removed the drawers and hardware (I spray painted the hardware metallic gold before I put them back on.). I used Rustoleum Gloss Spray Paint in Emerald Green.

The wallpaper was a really good deal from Wayfair, and while it isn’t removable (peel and stick wallpaper’s are usually a lot more $), it was so easy to install. I love the way it brings all the elements in the room together. The room actually feels bigger with the wallpaper.

I really wanted sconce lights above the bed with a clean no-cord look but didn’t want to create a more complex design project with cutting the wall and hiring an electrician. My sister told me about an installation hack she discovered from Nesting With Grace, and it’s AMAZING. You attach battery remote control-operated puck lights into the sconce shades (we used industrial strength Velcro to do that) and then attach the sconces to the wall with the wiring tucked into the wall plate (or you can cut the wiring off).

And then with a little click of the remote, you have light! The puck lights (6-pack) come with batteries already in them and the remote has several settings for dimming the lights. They’re perfect, and I love the look and functionality! I ordered these sconce lights from Amazon (they come in so many cute colors) in green but ended up spray painting them with the dresser paint (fast and easy) because I wanted a perfect match).

Of course we kept the Yes You Can banner in the room (I love it so much!) but just moved it above the other dresser to switch things up. I love the rattan mirror–only $20 at Marshalls. And I fell in love with the red toadstool (T.J. Maxx) and only wish I would have bought the second one that was a little taller because I went back to buy it later, and it was gone. I’ve found so many hidden gems from Homegoods, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx for my kids’ rooms (red Swiss Cross tin is also from T.J. Maxx–we use it as a piggy bank–as well as the Kate Spade pink floral sheets on the bed).

This was the curtain in the room before we switched it out. Even though the panels were white, they still felt really heavy; and the curtain rod needed to be moved higher to open the space up.

The new sheer curtains (super affordable) lighten up the space up so much more. They’re still white, but they are sheer and have playful subtle polka dots.

We added a little art gallery wall.

Retro Florida Map, Face Puzzle – Moon Picnic, Welsh Terrier Art (Friday!), Coneflowers Print – Juniper Print Shop (digital download), Andy Warhol Soup Print – Amazon (shaped notecards–I just added mounting squares to the soup one and mounted it on white matting), Ever Upward Pennant, Every Day I Get to Spend With You Pennant

…and a few other little touches to complete the look. Nella loves it. She’s so easily pleased and oohs and aahhs over everything, so it’s a lot of fun to reveal the room to her.

This mirror decal is from Daisy Natives, but Booooo!–they don’t sell it anymore. I love it so much.

Peaches duvet covers are from Urban Outfitters.

I’m debating painting a single rainbow stripe across Nella’s closet doors, but that’s still in the air (Instagram poll voted in favor of the stripe). In the meantime, please enjoy the marker doodles on her bedroom door and a sorority sign that says “Sig Kap Loves Nella” because she loves it.

And, of course, spillover lodging for relatives of the Hedgehog Family. Dollhouse can’t house everyone.

The big question is…what gets painted next? (I’m looking at you, kitchen cabinets.)

 

 

Source List

Dresser: Rustoleum Gloss Spray Paint in Emerald Green
Floral Wallpaper – Wayfair
Sconce Lights – Amazon
Battery-operated Puck Lights with Remote – Amazon
Curtains – All Modern
Peaches Duvet Covers Urban Outfitters
Pink Star Pillows
Rug – World Market
‘Yes You Can’ Banner – Oxford Pennant
Lifeguard Station – Candylab Toys
Rattan Sunburst Mirror – Marshalls (it was only $20!)
Toadstool – TJ Maxx
Swiss Cross Tin (we use it for a piggy bank) – TJ Maxx

 

 

 

Kid rooms are my favorite thing to decorate, and the challenge of creating happy, creative spaces for kids is one I love embracing. We frequently change things up in our kids’ rooms for fun, but items can add up. All my kids’ rooms include a mix of items we splurged on from our favorite stores as well as thrifted finds and steals we found digging around the Internet. I’ve been collecting some favorite kid room items I found on Amazon and only wish I had a few more kids to decorate for.  Since I don’t, I’ll share them with you.

1. Toy Storage Basket Love the modern Swiss cross design, natural cotton canvas and the fact that it can fold up when not being used. Great for toys or laundry and pretty enough to leave on display.

2. Moon Lamp It’s gorgeous even when not illuminated, but when it’s glowing…wowza. Comes with a remote to change the lamp to 16 different colors.

3. Pom Pom Star Pillow I love shaped pillows on kid beds. This one is super affordable at $12.95 and has the sweetest pom pom trim.

4. Wool Felt Ball Garland We have colorful wool garland hanging in several different places in our home, and it’s such a source of happiness. Makes a cheerful statement in any kid’s room. This set comes with 2 strands, 24 balls each.

5. Cloud Pillow Another whimsical toss pillow at just the right price (kids’ toss pillows can be expensive!).

6. Retro Schoolhouse Clock I love the simplicity of this clock and have seen similar ones that cost much more. Comes in black or two punchy colors–orange or mint green.

7. Natural Matted 11 x 14 Frame At $15.99, this classic frame with mat is perfect for buying several an creating a gallery wall of photos.

8. Balloon Dog I love finding unique items that are heavy enough to hold up a stack of books on a kid’s dresser. This little guy is a fun conversation piece in any kid’s room. This is the 10 x 9 inch one, but this mini one still adds a cute touch to a dresser top.

9. Rainbow Macrame Garland Such a fun pop of happy colors and texture (and only $10!). Would be darling hanging over a kid’s bed or dresser or hung along the top of a window.

10. Copper Wire Twinkle Lights  These babies are a staple in our home and a big part of my “things that make me happy” collection. I love adding a little magical twinkle to kids’ rooms–they’re also great for hanging in forts. I personally like the ones that plug into the wall because I hate changing batteries (and always forget to turn them off before bed).

11. Wood Garment Rack This sturdy garment rack is great for displaying play clothes, creating more storage space where closet space presents a challenge or helping develop some organization and responsibility in a kid’s room (by laying out a week’s worth of clothes and shoes for morning routines).

12. Rainbow Plush Pillow There are some pricey rainbow plush pillows out there (I’ve had my eye on a few), but this one is a nice middle price point. Rainbows make any kid’s room better.

13. Llama Head Wall Decor What kid wouldn’t want this llama friend hanging on their wall?

14. Floating Book Shelves A great way to display favorite kids books but also works great for framed pictures. This 3-pack rustic wood shelf set is narrow enough when you’re short on wall space.

15. Magnetic Wood Picture Hangers I LOVE these! They’re a fun alternative for picture frames and make switching out art easy and quick. They’re also a great way to hang kids’ art projects.