Parent Tip: How To Create Great Easter Baskets on a Budget for the kids!

3 kids!

That's how many I have and that's how many I will have.

(Made sure they doubled tied them two hours after having the last one.)

So now I thought this Easter I'd do something different. I made a great dinner and I was feeling really good about spending time with the kids for Easter without the worry of a lot of things going on in my life.

I took a trip to Family Dollar. My favorite store in the world next to CVS and decided to get them something special.

With it being Easter Day, there was  discount on a lot of stuff already. That was a plus and with only ten dollars to spend, I knew I had to get something really good.

Now Tip number one to help you save money. Buy things throughout the year when it's on sale. Before even making this trip, I already had a number of items at home. This included candy, items that I knew the kids liked and knick knacks. I keep them around the place hidden where I know the kids won't look or go.

I spent a dollar each for the baskets and then three large chocolate bunnies.  I had fruit at home as well, but just because this was Easter, I wanted more candy for them, which is rare around the house.

Instead of buying individual bags of candy, I bought one bag of individually wrapped chico sticks, a bag of assorted candies and then a large bag of skittles.

At home I divided the skittles up in sandwich bags. I used the air to increase the height inside of each basket because it's a waste to buy that grass or any other filler.

Throughout the year, I bought lip gloss, nail polish and other small beauty products for the girls. For the boy, I got things for his hair and other necessities.For the 8 year old, I had gotten some toys off a clearance rack almost a year ago still in the package. I had taken the batteries out and then resealed it for safe keeping, but now I found a great excuse to present it to her.

After distributing everything, I set them out on the table, so as soon as they walked in the door from church they would see them.

It was a great surprise and I couldn't have spent more than five to seven a basket, but it was packed with things that they loved and could not only use just on Easter, but also throughout the year.

I find that it doesn't take much to make kids happy. A lot of patience, planning and thoughtfulness, you too can be the best momma evah!

In all these baskets were about a year in the making from all the things I had saved up around the house, but my children enjoyed them and that was what was important.