Lynn, hope you have a wonderful time on your trip. No point in decorating at home if you are not there to enjoy it!

If I were you, I'd buy a nice bracelet or some earrings or a nice ring (something small but nice) and put them inside a plastic egg for DD to "find" on Easter morning. You could even take it a step further and tell her there's an Easter surprise hidden somewhere in her room and let her "hunt" for it! that way she gets a more "grownup" gift but still the "thrill of the hunt" she's always enjoyed in past years. Just a thought.

Luvs

Stop the mean, heartless mom guilt right now. The very fact that she's worried about missing out on a hunt only proves how wonderful her memories of growing up must be. I still put the stockings up and fill them for my grown children at Christmas. I love the fact that they still go through the stuff (which is always the same - toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, Bic razors, etc.) as though they were 6 again.

If you want to do some sort of basket, you can always get her a beach tote or one of those cloth shoulder bag purses that seem to hold everything (but you can never find anything in them) and call that her basket. Both are pretty easy to smish up in a suitcase. (Is smish a word?) Skip the candy and put dimes in the plastic eggs, hide them along with the nice bracelet and you're set. I say, do the hunt, even if it is a pain in the neck. She sounds very special and NOBODY is too old for a treasure hunt. Although, I'd keep her thinking you're not going to bother with it.

Honestly, I don't believe it will be your cooking (and you seem to be a great cook), but rather things like silly hunts that are a large part of the reason your children will want to come home for the holidays long after they've moved out. I don't mean it's actually the hunt itself, but rather the feelings that the total package evokes, the fact that they can count on it being the same - being wonderful.

OK. That's probably more input than you were seeking, but you did seem to be asking.

Or, as my father used to say after a loooong lecture, "Go ahead, do what you want. There's nothing I can do to stop you." Skip the hunt. Be a grouch. See if I care.

Lucky, lucky you, a trip to Tucson, how nice. My DS went to college there. You have the Easter Bunny's permission to skip Easter or do as little as you want. I'm thinking like everyone else, some jewelry and maybe a bag of M&Ms and DD should be good to go. Children grow up, families change and so on and so on. The Easter brunch sounds wonderful, I'm trying to get DH to go to the one that our c.culb has since there are just the two of us. He is insisting that we cook and stay home. As for the pets chewing decos., I've been very lucky, my little Smidge has never chewed on anything but her toys, thank goodness. I don't blame you for not decorating, it's a lot of work and anyway I did enough for both of us this year. I'm already thinking about how long it's gonna take to get all those bunnies herded back to the attic.
Syble

I agree with Luvs, just surprise her with a gift, doesn't have to be an Easter Basket. Maybe you can find a tiny one to hide some jewelry in or some cd's or whatever she is into.

My grandson, who will be 14 right after Easter, will be getting some clothes and a light up Yo Yo, he does't eat candy & it's hard to buy for a 14 yr old for a basket, but have to get him things as all the others are younger & still BELIEVE! Which reminds me, I have to find time to get out shopping for his basket, got the younger ones covered all ready!

I wouldn't decorate either if we were going away, just enjoy your Easter trip with your family!

She seems to be such a sweetheart, that I would go with Luvs suggestion too! Sometimes kids just look for the affimation that comes with a surprise from Mom and Dad. It doesn't have to be expensive...just a surprise!
Happy Easter to you and your family,
J

Lynn...I agree with Luvs suggestion too.
I think a sweet, surprise gift that she will enjoy opening.
Something simple, yet a reminder of your special Easter vacation together.
Sounds like a beautiful family vacation. Relax and have fun.

jane

Oh lynn...sounds like a wonderful get-away for all of you! I'm with the others...a beautiful purse or shoulder tote packed away in your bag...along with a lovely small personal gift inside...and I would print out some beautiful pics of Easter eggs (to hide) with a memory written on the back of each ...memories of Easters/or special moments tog from the past.

And your home is BEAUTIFUL...without Easter decor...if you must, bring out a fav pc or two for your gorgeous fireplaces (wrong word, can't think of correct one). ENJOY your trip! Jeanne S.

Lynn, you got some great suggestions to make Easter still special for DD. And some wonderful comments about the subject too. When my son and his wife set up an Easter egg hunt several years ago for little ones in our family (we have four little and four big, LOL), he informed the big ones they had to find the hidden eggs too. Lot of moaning and groaning from them. Especially the two in their early 20's. Then he mentioned some eggs had $5 and $10 in them, and one special egg had a $100. Those big kids were scrambling around like mad. It was a riot. So he repeated that last Easter. I swear it was more fun to watch the big kids than the little ones. Oh, and throw in two excited dogs who wanted to hunt eggs too. LOL.
Making memories is such a lasting gift.

hugs, Karen

It's been a LOT of years for me, but I'm still sad when I don't get an easter basket from my mom. lol!

BUT, my mother always gave us mostly fruit. Each basket had apples, bananas, oranges, pears, and grapes, minimally. She'd always add some of our small favorite candies -- mine were jordan almonds and those milk-ball type of things :) She likes jelly beans, so there were plenty of those. lol! There'd always be one 'chocolate' bunny on top (my sisters preferred 'white chocolate'). In a good year, I'd also get a can of black olives (I love 'em) and my sisters would get a jar of maraschino cherries. lol!

I just hope that the easter bunny can find you all at the resort! :)

Lynn, with all the help here, you should be able to pull off something fantastic and have a wonderful trip. I enjoyed reading this and after reading Karen's, was laughing. Enjoy and let us know what you decide.

Punk

Lynn, IMO decorating at any time is for our pleasure and if it becomes inconvenient or a 'duty' it can be easily dispensed with. Secular Easter decor is really spring decorating so could be done any time before or after Easter, or not at all. Perhaps when you come home from your trip you could buy some indoor spring plants which you'd all enjoy.

I completely understand dogs eating things they shouldn't. Our little darling recently chewed a Scrabble tile that fell on the floor! Fortunately we realized before she swallowed it. Good thing I have several sets (for crafts) or we'd be missing a Y! :-D Years ago a different little dog ate several Girl Guide cookies and fortunately survived. I try my best to keep everything potentially harmful away from all the fur babies as I know you do but they don't always make it easy.

The Easter basket/candy thing is different IMO. Even tho your daughter is 'becoming' an adult she's not quite there yet and probably still needs some little Easter goody. If she rarely eats much out of a basket I think you might just get her a really good quality small chocolate treasure (perhaps to go along with that piece of jewelry). I don't know the good brands in the US (maybe Lindt?) but when I want something known for quality I go to Purdy's in Canada as their stores are easy to find in malls.

We often traveled at every school break, including Christmas and Easter, and Santa and the Easter bunny always found us wherever we were, even in Europe. Of course our kids were younger then but I know none of us like to give up traditions - especially those involving chocolate! LOL

Wishing you a lovely mini-vacation and I know you will decide what is best for you and your family without stressing.

Thank you all for all of your GREAT suggestions!
Sorry that I didn't get back here over the weekend to answer, but DH was hogging both computer AND my laptop all weekend long! He was trying to hook up the new one and transfer data. Hmmm . . . he should have called the Geek Squad, as that was a wasted two days for him!

Anyhoo, I love your suggestions and plan to use them. We do have many plastic stuffable eggs and I'm going to pull out some to take with me to La Paloma. I'll stuff them with money, some good Lindt chocolates (love their candy!) and a couple pieces of costume jewelry, too. I'd get her something nice, but we already bought her a very nice necklace for Christmas and a ring for her birthday on 3/18. I'm also going to use Jeanne's ideas to include some written messages to her. I know that she'll get a big kick out of a hunt for eggs on Easter morning. Thanks again for that suggestion and all the ideas of what to stuff them with.
All's well here. No Easter decs going up, and no guilt about it now either . . . thanks Ladies :~)
I do like, Luckygal's idea of buying some pretty Spring flowers and putting out my nice Spring decs when we get back. Gotta run . . . I spent the weekend putting away all the Winter clothes and pulling out all our Spring ones. Now I need to see what still fits (scary!) and start packing. I'm kind of O/C about that and like to get it done early, otherwise I tend to over-pack . . . a LOT!
Lynn