Easter

Ham will be the centerpiece of many Easter dinners this weekend, but the cost of that traditional main dish may make it harder for families to live high on the hog.

It'll be a good Easter for sellers of brightly colored outfits and chocolate bunnies: Americans are expected to shell out 11% more for the holiday this year.

The early arrivals of Easter and spring got shoppers out of hibernation in March. However, experts caution about reading too much into most retailers' strong sales numbers. The trends underlying double-digit sales gains show shoppers are still counting pennies.

An early Easter and a spring thaw helped spur shoppers into stores in March, and retailers now expect to post healthy gains for the month. The International Council of Shopping Centers said that sales are up 4.7% over the same time last year.

In case you hadn't noticed, Easter is hippity hopping its way here faster than you can say, "what do you mean you're out of jelly beans?" If you're the kind of rascally rabbit that has ever positioned the chocolate bunny just-so to hide the dented side because it was the last one on the shelf,...

Get 15% off your purchase of $30 or more using Ghirardelli chocolate coupon code BUNNY. The code expires April 1 and does not apply to discounted merchandise. If you order by Wednesday, March 31 at 1 p.m. PST choose expedited shipping to get your chocolates by Easter. Or order by Thursday, April...

Here comes Peter Cottontail ... and he isn't real after all. The annual warning against giving kids live rabbits for Easter got WalletPop hopping on the bunny trail to find low-cost alternatives. The Mechanical Rabbit from Tamiya ($18) has plenty of bounce in its step, and its transparency lets...

If you're looking for signs that our chilly economic situation is beginning to thaw, you may want to check out the family Easter basket. According to figures recently released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the average consumer will be spending more on everything to do with Easter this...

We're not out of the winter woods yet but spring is on the horizon and those of us who've had it up to our chins with cold and snow can't wait. Neither can dollar stores it seems. They've begun to stock everything from Easter baskets to gardening gloves. 99-Cent Only Stores are advertising the...

Easter's hopping up quickly. And chances are you're scrambling for some craft ideas for the kids. Scramble no longer. Instead, download this free Easter craft projects e-book and make the kids smile. You're on your own for the chocolate bunny, though.