Just because you’re hunkering down this Easter, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the holiday. Everything from brunch to crafts and even visiting with friends can still be fun to do with a little planning and creativity. And you don’t even have to pull out the folding table and chairs to include the entire family. Here are some tips to get you ready for the big day. 
Visiting with family: Today’s technology can bring your entire family together from all over the world with free teleconferencing services such as Skype, Zoom, and Discord. Your entire family signs up for each account on their phones or laptops and, on Easter Sunday, you can create a conference video or audio call. Facetime is another free service you can use on your iPhone, iPad, iPod or Mac.
Great food: If you had the time to shop for your holiday meal and the grocery store had your ingredients, you might be enjoying one or more of the traditional Easter dinner options such as leg of lamb, glazed ham, lamb stew and hot cross buns. However, this year, it’s important to remember that if you do have shopping issues and dinner ends up being frozen pizza or even hamburgers, it’s okay. But if you’re still looking for a few recipes, here are some great options:
Start the day off with these tasty ham, egg and cheese brunch cups from one of my favorite websites for recipes, Pinch of Yum, or try their Egg and Croissant Brunch Bake. The Food Network is a great resource for free recipes, like this classic glazed ham recipe or this roasted lamb recipe from Tasty. If lamb stew is your preferred meal, this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen will leave you filled. Of course, a great meal is nothing without awesome side dishes, like these honey glazed carrots from Food Network and these mouth-watering sauteed brussels sprouts.
Save room for dessert though and you can choose from these 80 desserts on the Delish websites. I personally prefer the Easter Egg Oreo Truffle.
Making fun stuff: You don’t need to spend money on materials to create great Easter decorations. All you need is some paper from around the house and crayons and your children can design their own Easter eggs. When they are done, cut them out and hang them up or hide them for a unique Easter Egg hunt. If you’re looking for other decorations you can do at home, check out the DIY & Crafts website where they will show you how to make a rabbit from a styrofoam cup and how to make a centerpiece from an old book. 
Coloring in and out of the lines: If you have a printer at home, Crayola has a lot of free coloring pages you can print and give to your children to keep them busy for hours. Maybe even put them in their Easter baskets. Other websites that have free Easter printables are Free Fun Easter, The Spruce Crafts, and Free Coloring Pages.
Telling stories: Easter is a definite sign of spring, so check out some books with a spring theme through your library’s online portal or download some e-books on Amazon. Now he might not be a rabbit, but Curious George’s website has some fun adventures where he plants seeds and cooks pancakes. Surprise the kids with something new to do.
And finally, once you have dyed those Easter eggs, hide them inside the house for some Easter Egg hunt fun with your nearest and dearest. And whatever Easter is, it is. Just have fun and enjoy the day.
More articles on Living on the Cheap:
Great ways to use leftover ham
DIY Easter eggs, plus tips for using the leftovers
