THE NATION FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012
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SHOPPING
Gifts that endear Easter is here again. People are getting ready to mark it in various ways. Aside cooking for the family and guests, many buy gifts to appreciate one another. In choosing gifts, consider the ones that would appeal to the whole family. JANICE NKOLI IFEME writes.
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ANY stores around the country have stocked wares for shoppers in anticipation of Easter on Sunday. Store owners, who spoke to The Nation Shopping, said they will celebrate with friends and family. Mrs Elsie Unachukwu, a house wife, said: “Basically, my family and I shall go to church on Easter Sunday. Before then, I would have woken up very early to prepare delicious delicacies for them. Some of our family friends will come around too. I have been buying things little by little. Tomorrow, I will do the final shopping for perishable items”. Mrs Unachukwu’s submission was corroborated by many. While the period is for the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the saviour of the world, many use it to entertain them-
selves. Many use it to go on a brief holiday. Entertainers also organise shows for people to have fun. Some also give out gifts, though not as much as is done during the Yuletide. Among suitable gifts for the season are personalised house wares that would be appreciated by the family. Gifts such as dishwashers, microwave, ceramic coffee mug, dishwashers, dish towel, ceramic plates and tea sets and dinner wares, among others, would be happily received by any family who receives them. To add an Easter flavour to it, it could be personalised with Easter symbols. Majority in western countries are shopping for Easter bunnies, baskets and eggs in lieu of the Easter celebration. A few people in the country also practise the Easter egg tradition. If you are among this class of peo-
• Personalised mug
ple, you might find gifts, such as bunny toilet lid cover, egg shaped lotion soap dispenser and Easter egg centre piece. Meanwhile, on Easter Monday, the First Family of the United States will host the 134th annual White House Easter Egg Roll. This year’s theme is
• Personalised plate
“Let’s go, let’s play, let’s move”. More than 35,000 people will be joining Barrack Obama and his wife, Michelle on the South Lawn for games, stories and the traditional egg roll. In addition to all the fun and games, the day’s activities, which will in-
clude sports courts and cooking demonstrations, will help educate families on smart ways to incorporate healthy eating and exercise choices into their daily routines, which are key pillars of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s move! Initiative.
Creative Easter for kids To make the Easter holiday worthwhile for your kids, you could treat them to creative crafts, writes JANICE NKOLI IFEME.
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ANDICRAFTS are good for kids and they enjoy making them, if wellguided. Many schools now add hand made crafts to their curriculum.As you watch your children grow and learn, one of the greatest joys is seeing their creativity blossom. Children are naturally creative. They learn by seeing, and exploring. They master difficult concepts by recreating them at a child’s scale (a laundry basket becomes a spaceship hurtling through space, for example, or a stack of blocks becomes the world’s tallest skyscraper). If you give them plenty of opportunities to express themselves through art, they will have a natural outlet for all their creative energy. To encourage their creative growth and development, you should establish an environment that helps foster artistic expression. With Easter symbols such as the Easter bunny and eggs, the season offers an opportunity to stimulate your child’s creative talent and imagination with fun crafts of bunnies and eggs. For instance, you
• Easter dish towel
could guide them through making crafts like an Easter egg cardboard gift box or chocolate gift pack. Check your kitchen cupboards for the ingredients for some play dough. Favourite materials are common household items such as cereal boxes, paper and plastic bags, milk cartons, newspapers and egg cartons. Brown paper lunch bags make great crafting material; puppets, book covers, paper chains and more. You can even cook up a recipe of paper mache paste and have a blast tearing yesterday’s newspaper and create a piggy bank where your kids can stash their allowances. Paper plates become masks, purses, or funny animals. There are novel ideas for cards, gifts, decorations and accessories, attractive ways to jazz up a T, shirt or create a costume, and delicious recipes for fancy cakes and other edible treats. Keep art supplies accessible: Do not lock them away in a closet; keep them within reach in an area where your children can use them when they are inspired.
• Hand crocheted humpty dumpty
Have them help you pick out a bright organiser to store their art materials, and let them help you decide where the supplies should go. Stock up on the basics: You do
• Easter bunny cookie jar
• Little mice in a box
not need to go out and buy all of the latest paints or the craziest invisible markers that only write on black paper. You only need the basics: some plain white paper, construction paper, crayons, mark-
• Hand crafted rabbit
ers, kids’ scissors, paint and glue. From time to time, you could supplement with extras, such as glitter, sequins, yarn, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, clay, or even scraps of fabric to glue or stitch together.