Last year we had the best Easter ever. And believe me when I say I don’t like to exaggerate or make others think my life is better than it is.

Two years ago Easter was miserable. We couldn’t get it together. There were egg hunt fights, discord with Marcello and I, camera malfunctions and general fussiness. Did I blog about that? No. I thought about it, but when I write brutally honest posts someone one inevitably writes me, instructing me that I need to find the joy in motherhood. It’s good advice. I do need to do that, but sometimes you just want to be honest and vulnerable with other moms without advice that makes you feel guilty, you know?

Sometimes holidays mount too much pressure and leave us feeling disappointed. There is no exact magic formula, but I have some tips to a fun, stress-free Easter holiday. Here is what made our day so great:

• Lower your expectations.

• Lower your expectations again.

• Lay out Easter church clothes the night before so you have all the pieces if clothes are important to you.

• Take a picture before church instead of after (when tights are torn and ties are ripped off!).

• Put on a good, patient attitude for the kids.

• Don’t force the photo opp. I didn’t get a family photo last year because I forgot to take the picture before church! The boys stripped their button-downs and ties off immediately after church (like in the car) and Marcello stayed home because he was getting over the flu. And that was ok! I have a good one from a few years ago and what have I done with it? Nothing. If happens, perfect! If not, no big deal.

• Stay completely off social media so you won’t be tempted to compare.

• Assign colors for the Easter eggs. This was a lifesaver. The kids ended up with the same amount of eggs and the same loot. They even helped each other this year! I can’t recommend this enough, with little ones especially.

• Don’t get mad when the kids don’t eat lunch after they’ve stuffed their faces with candy all morning.

• Plan an activity or two for kids in the afternoon to keep them busy. I did egg painting from the dollar store and ball hoppers. They weren’t expensive or complicated, but engaged the kids and they had so much fun.

• Tell the Easter story: Do resurrection eggs. Read the Bible or children’s Bible together (The Jesus Storybook Bible is my favorite). And/or watch a kid’s cartoon about Jesus’ death and resurrection.

• Most of all, remember that this day is not about eggs or bunnies or spring dresses. It is about Jesus defeating death and securing our entry into Heaven! So if the day goes terribly wrong, that’s ok because Jesus is still king and you still get to enter eternity with Him!

A little video

Assigned color egg hunt and garden-themed Easter baskets from the dollar tree. See the details in this post.

Tell the Easter story to the kids. Get my resurrection eggs printable here.