Tuesday's Top 5 Tips For An Eggcellent Easter Celebration

Hi Everyone -- We're going a bit rogue here at the CSN Stores Blog (but only in the most entertaining way). Instead of Top 10 Tuesdays, we're going to make this a Top 5 Tips Tuesday. Specifically, I'm going to share the best ways To Make Your Ages-Old Egg-Coloring Tradition An All-Out Neighborhood Bash. (And yes, this is my daughter, Chloe, dressed up like a Fashionista Bunny. This picture really sets the right mood, I think.)

Easter is one of my favorite family holidays. Plus I've just completed a slew of radio interviews from Chicago to Milwaukee and Indianapolis to Columbus, OH. I suggested that we should all do something unexpected this year, expanding what was once a family get-together into an all-out party. Here are a few tips and fresh finds to make this party a new, much-anticipated tradition with a lot of entertainment value and charm:

Tip 1: Make or find easy decorations based on the egg theme. Here are a few suggestions ranging from hilarious to heartwarming and all of them are available at CSNStores.com: Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Easter Egg Decorations – Gorgeous and traditional accents to hang high above the action to avoid breakage. Then to make sure the celebration has a very light-hearted flavor, be sure to "invite" the Advanced Graphics Easter Bunny Stand-Up. This adorable accent stands on its own and is over 5 feet tall! It's a real hit with toddlers and parents who never really grew up... But enough about me.

Tip 2: Make (adult) life easier and get yourself an Egg Cooker. This one from Krups makes boiling eggs effortless and participatory for the kids, too. It's also great year-round for all types of recipes. And for those of you who are trying to start your day with a metabolism-boosting, protein-filled breakfast. There's nothing better than a few hard-boiled egg whites to get the body going.

Tip 3 -- Make your own 3-D bunny cake and decorate it before the party, using it as the centerpiece for your table. Just look at this cake mold -- and the great bunny you can make with it. Don't you think your kids, their friends and their friends' parents will flip when they see this 3-D bunny cake ready to pounce from the table? Okay, maybe they won't flip, but they should find it both interesting and indulgent. AND, by the way, a very well-known food writer in NYC also loves this cake and was kind enough to write about it (and about CSN Stores) at nydailynews.com today.

Tip 4: Use a special mold to create these decorated egg "cupcakes" and then give the kids multi-colored sprinkles, frosting, and small candies they can use to decorate them, before the egg-coloring commences. Just look at how attention-getting these egg-shaped cakes can be.

Tip 5: Have enough glass or plastic containers on hand with vinegar and coloring tablets in them to make the egg-coloring and egg-drying process fast and easy. Then divide the group of kids into Egg Hiders and Egg Finders and conduct several rounds of Easter Egg Hunts, with the groups switching roles along the way. So make this Easter a great one and send us any pictures of your big party.

Best, Chloe's Dad

CSN Mondays - Handy Living 'Jetsons' Collection Launch

Today, we wanted to announce the launch of a fun, new collection from Handy Living. The Jetson’s line features a number of chairs and ottomans that are supported by a pedestal, giving each a futuristic feel.

These high back arm chairs combine modern and contemporary aesthetics for a totally ‘out-of-this-world’ look. On top of that, the furniture’s extra thick polyurethane foam seat and back provides ‘out-of-this-world’ comfort. And, like all Handy Living products, these ship UPS and, thanks to their innovative design, can fit through narrow doorways and stairways. Turn your living room into a scene from one of your all time favorite shows!