5 Tips for Creating an Easter to Remember

Easter was always my second-favorite holiday trailing closely behind Christmas. Candy, baskets, frilly dresses, and did I mention CANDY made it a springtime paradise for me.

This year I'm actually heading to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll with Ava, which I'm sure will exceed my Easter expectations.

But, if you're still unsure of how you're going to entertain your tots for Easter, check out the tips below provided by Walmart for a fun and family-friendly way to celebrate the hoppy holiday!

Ava taking a stroll in celebration of Easter last year.

· Fill large plastic eggs with age-appropriate toys, stickers and wrapped candy, (Tip: Keep safety in mind and avoid choosing small hard objects, or round or sticky candies that may pose a choking hazard for children under 6 years of age.) Filling the eggs can be done well in advance of the Easter-egg hunt itself, of course. When the big day arrives, keep an eye on young children during the Easter-egg hunt, so you'll be right there if they need you. And, if you plan on making your Easter-egg hunt an annual event, buy the large plastic eggs immediately after the holiday when they are on sale.

· Make tie-dye Easter eggs. Squirt or drizzle various colors of paint (not too much!) onto a paper towel. Place a hard-cooked egg in the center and carefully wrap paper towel around the egg, pressing gently. Remove paper towel carefully. Egg will be colored with a tie-dye effect!

· Decorate tiles. Buy inexpensive plain-white, beige or pastel tiles from a hardware store or home-improvement center. Paint or decorate with stickers.

· Customize picture frames. Buy 3" x 5" wooden picture frames. Paste on stickers or small decorative cut-outs of flowers, birds, eggs or other springtime motifs.

· Take an instant photo of each family. Each group can put the photo in their customized picture frame and save it as a keepsake of the day. Some families go as far as to actually hire someone to dress up as the Easter Bunny and pose for portraits.

Do you have Easter plans this weekend?

Today is World Autism Awareness Day

Today, April 2nd, is World Autism Awareness Day. Adopted by the United Nations in 2007, today is the day to recognize and spread awareness on the condition that affects millions of people throughout the world. In addition to raising awareness about autism, today is also meant to spur and draw attention to the unacceptable discrimination, abuse and isolation experienced by people with autism and their loved ones.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said in a statement, "Although developmental disabilities such as autism begin in childhood, they persist throughout a person’s life. Our work with and for people with autism should not be limited to early identification and treatment; it should include therapies, educational plans and other steps that lead us towards sustained, lifelong engagement."

Get the facts on autism below:

• Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys 
• Autism prevalence figures are growing 
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. 
• Autism costs the nation $126 billion per year 
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases 
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism 
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

*Source: Autism Speaks


Were you surprised by the aforementioned facts?

Fabulous Photos from Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards

First Lady Michelle Obama with daughters (from L to R) Sasha and Malia.

Al Roker and Deborah Roberts with their children.

Amandla Stenberg

China Anne McClain

Chris Tucker with his son.

Diggy Simmons

Holly Robinson-Peete with family

Keke Palmer

Ludacris with family

Jada Pinkett-Smith with children Willow and Jaden.

Rachel Crow

Did you watch the awards show?

Giveaway: Aveeno Baby Collection

One of the best things about newborn babies is that their skin is as soft and smooth as butter. To maintain that angelical, supple skin is to use lotions and gentle cleansers that are enriched with natural ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal and  to help lock in moisture.

While I've tried dozens of different brands for my daughter there's one that rises above the rest – Aveeno Baby. Admittedly, I am an ambassador for the brand, but I only agreed to partner with them because I wholeheartedly love how it makes my family's skin feel. Plus, it isn't loaded with a lot weird chemicals to potentially aggravate sensitive skin.

I'm giving away 3 entire sets of Aveeno's Baby Line including lotions, creams, moisturizers, and cleansers.

Simply leave a comment telling me about your baby bathing routine and 3 winners will be randomly selected and announced next week.

"Bully": The Film Every Parent Should See

As a parent of a 2-year-old daughter there are many things I fear, including her first day of school. Sure, most parents have bittersweet emotions about seeing their children mature and become more independent, but after viewing an advanced screening of the buzz-worthy documentary, Bully, my fears and anxiety have increased tenfold.

Directed by Lee Hirsch, the film follows five families and their children who have undergone unspeakable bullying in schools, including heartbreaking stories of an 11-year-old boy and 17-year-old teen who took their own lives to escape the unrelenting pain of bullying caused by their fellow classmates.

Bully will be released in select theaters March 30th. 

In addition to giving viewers  an up-close-and-personal look into the lives of those bullied, it also featured a young African-American girl's story of being held in a juvenile detention facility and later a mental institution as a result of retaliating against her school bus bullies by threatening them with a gun.

The emotional and heartfelt accounts documented in this film will hopefully open the eyes to students, parents, and school system facilitators worldwide. Bullying has always been around, but in recent years it seems to be becoming more than ordinary schoolyard squabbles. In fact, studies have shown that more than 13 million students live in fear of being bullied.

The film has partnered with outstanding organizations such as the National Center for Learning Disabilities to help get the word out about the film in an effort to stop bullying. No parent should ever have to bury their child due to a student's harsh words or physical abuse. Our children really are our future so it's our responsibility to stand up against bullying.

Were you ever bullied in school? Do you plan on seeing this movie when it's released in select theaters March 30th?

Disney To Debut New Animated Series "Doc McStuffins" This Friday

After Disney debuted Tiana, its first African-American princess in 2009, I didn't think things could get any better for Disney-loving little brown girls; but, thankfully I was wrong. The "House of Mouse," is back with a brand new animated series: Doc McStuffins, which features a lead brown-skinned character of the same name.

Doc McStuffins will debut March 23 on Disney Junior, 10am EST.

Voiced by 13-year-old actress, Kiara Muhammad, "Doc" is an adorable young girl who provides "medical" attention to stuffed animals and toys. Not only does the cartoon feature super cute characters, but it also aims to educate and entertain preschool viewers by conveying health messages peppered throughout each episode.

China Anne McCain, who sings the Doc McStuffins theme song and Kiara Muhammad, who voices 

the lead character of "Doc."

Launching in conjunction with the new 24-hour Disney Junior channel on March 23, "Doc McStuffins," will surely be a show that both parents and children everywhere will enjoy!

Will your child tune in to Doc McStuffins? What was your favorite childhood cartoon? 

I'm Back!

Shortly after I launched Brown Baby Gumbo in 2010, I founded Parade magazine's original mom blog: Modern Mommy and was unable to dedicate time to BBG, but now I'm back and ready to take you on my still new journey of motherhood.

As my first post points out, Ava was only a few months old, but now she's a little over 2 years old! Full of personality and a whole lotta of sass, Ava keeps me on my toes. Thanks to her occasional outbursts and tear-filled tantrums, I can certainly attest that the legend of the "Terrible Twos" is true!

Nonetheless, she is the pure joy of my life and will forever be.

Ava earlier this month.

Did your child go through the "Terrible Twos" stage?