Spring has long been the time to celebrate renewal. Seems like everything is “waking up” after a long winter. And Easter is a great time to get the family involved in baking sweet treats to celebrate.

Baking is more fun when the kids are involved. Have them decorate simple Betty Crocker® Sugar Cookies in the shapes of bunnies, ducks, and flowers. Doesn’t matter if your little ones think a duck looks best if it is green with purple feathers, or the bunnies should be pink with blue ears. Foster their creativity, and let them be proud of their work.

Of course everyone always has a blast coloring eggs. Some fun tips:
• Draw on eggs with candles or crayons before dipping eggs in colors (dye won’t stick to the wax areas).
• Make marbleized eggs: 1) dip egg in prepared color; 2) add tablespoon of olive oil to a different/darker color, and swirl together; 3) dip egg in second color to create affect).
• Glue ribbons, buttons, and googly eyes to eggs to create fun creatures.

Get outside… Instead of a formal Easter dinner, how about an informal picnic at a park or in you own backyard? Play games with the kids like musical chairs, hula-hoops, and have your Easter egg hunt outside.

Celebrate the new season with treats, games, and family and friends. Easter is a time to celebrate renewal and life with your family and friends.

Where can you find the hottest celebrities, hippest musical acts, your favorite athletes, and tons of slime? The Kids’ Choice Awards™! Be sure to tune in to Nickelodeon March 31, 2012 to see host Will Smith and the biggest event in slime history.

Will, a ten-time Blimp Award winner, will be joined by Hollywood’s biggest stars in an unforgettable slimefest where kids rule. Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards let kids choose their favorites in music, movies, sports, television, and more every year.

Look for nominee information, voting, videos, celebrity photos, and more at nick.com/KCA12.

See how you can win a trip to see the 2013 Kids’ Choice Awards live in Los Angeles. Visit nick.com/go2KCAs or look for information on specially marked General Mills products in your Target store to see how you could be in the audience in 2013!

What’s old is new again. Getting back to basics. Retro-living. Whatever you want to call it, more and more people today are making an effort to simplify. Whether it’s working to better balance work and home life, spending more time around the dinner table as a family, or simply turning off the television, people everywhere are realizing there are better ways to live without the constant juggling of career, activities, and family life. And 2012 may just be the year to make some positive changes for your family.

Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Appreciating the people around you and the things in your life makes an enormous difference to your level of happiness. Write the things you are most thankful for and post it on the refrigerator as a constant reminder.

The recent economic conditions have forced everyone ponder the “need vs. want” question. According to a 2005 study, people who simplified their lives were found to be much happier than those who continued to strive for wealth, prestige, and status. It seems the pressure of attaining such superficial goals leads to feelings of depression and ongoing dissatisfaction. Instead, set your goals according to personal growth, family, and your values.

Spend your time wisely. Eat meals together as a family as often as possible. Turn off the television. Play games together. You’ll reconnect as a family, memories will be made, and you’ll all have fun at the same time. Kids don’t really crave stuff, they crave time with you.