Eggs. Baskets. Crap.

I looked at my shopping list to make sure I wrote down everything I needed to get for Easter: eggs, baskets, crap.

Even though I wrote the list myself, I was a still little shocked at how harsh it sounded. Especially since I grew up in a home where huge cellophane wrapped Easter Baskets filled to the brim with the greatest gifts imaginable were the standard on Easter morning.

I've heard of people rebelling against their parents and choosing to live their lives in a completely different way. Sons of police officers who grow up to be criminals. Daughters of stay at home moms who grow up to be CEOs of fortune 500s. 

Perhaps I was just one of them? A daughter of a woman who made such a big deal of holidays that I refused to even write out a proper shopping list for Easter.

Maybe it wasn't that complicated I thought as I got into the car to drive to Target. Maybe I am just an efficient list maker.

I walked up and down the aisles at . First I got tiny baskets. I felt bad so I put them back and got big baskets. Then I looked at how much all the crap cost—$5.00 for a plastic bunny, $8.00 for a chocolate bunny, $10.00 for a set of tiny Easter trains and the basket wasn't even half full! I put everything back, including the big baskets. Maybe I am just cheap, I thought.

On my way out, I walked through the dollar section and found a small basket. I filled it with dollar priced items that certainly qualified as crap. But at least it was cute crap.

Driving home I felt guilty. I felt like I was depriving my children of the wonderful Easter experiences that I had as a child. I couldn't shake the guilt—I made plans to go back to Target later and get the biggest baskets I could find, fill them to the brim and wrap them in cellophane. 

When I got home, Josie and Owen snuck their way into my Target bags and found some of the plastic eggs. Since I was going back to get more, I opened the eggs and let them play with them. They took turns filling them with rocks and hiding them all over the house. Each time they found an egg filled with rocks they squealed with delight. 

I decided I didn't need to go back to Target later. My family had everything we needed for a simple, Easter celebration: A few eggs; small baskets; cheap crap, and kids who thought rocks were a suitable surprise.

Reprinted with permission from Mountain View mom Jennifer Fogliani's blog "Little Moments."