Hey GINYOU fam, Dmitri here from Memphis. Man, Easter sneaks up on you, right? I'm already picturing Miles, my one-year-old, tearing into his Easter basket on the floor, and then I picture our new golden retriever puppy, Gus, right there next to him. And then the anxiety hits.

Last year, before Gus, it was easy. Miles just gummed whatever we put in there. This year? Total different ballgame. I’ve been trying to research, you know, find a solid Easter Pet Safety Guide but everything feels so generic. We were at Costco last weekend, doing my usual over-buying of supplies (you always need more baby wipes than you think, folks), and I saw these cute little chocolate bunnies. Instantly, I thought, “Nope, that’s a vet bill waiting to happen.”

Miles is just starting to really get into putting everything in his mouth, which means Gus will, too. I'm trying to think through what goes in Miles's basket that won't kill Gus if he gets to it first. I'm looking at plastic eggs, little stuffed animals, those chunky toddler crayons… but what about the grass? Is the fake plastic stuff a choking hazard for both? Is paper grass just an expensive snack for the dog?

Naomi and I were chatting about it during our Sunday BBQ run (gotta hit those ribs early!), and she suggested I ask here. Has anyone figured out the ultimate Easter Pet Safety Guide for families with both toddlers and curious pets? Any non-candy ideas that are safe for both species? I really don't want to spend Easter Sunday at the emergency animal clinic or fishing a chocolate bunny wrapper out of Miles’s throat. My glitter allergy (the cleanup, people, the cleanup!) is nothing compared to that stress.

Dmitri, OMG, YES. I feel you on this one! Piper here from Kansas City. We've got our husky, Mochi, who thinks he’s a sixth child, and five human kids ranging from 1-year-old Diego up to 13-year-old Ellie. Easter is always a mad dash. I literally have a spreadsheet every year for what goes in whose basket, and a whole separate tab for "Mochi-Proofing." It’s basically my personal Easter Pet Safety Guide.

One year, Caleb (he was 2 at the time) decided Mochi needed some of his jelly beans. I found Mochi later with a sticky snout and a hyperactive bounce. Luckily, it was just a sugar rush, but I swore then and there to get smarter.

For the little ones like Miles and my Diego, I’ve had amazing luck with GINYOU’s stuff. Seriously, their Party Blowers 12-Pack are a godsend. We use them for egg hunt prizes. The best part? They're CPSIA certified, and the plastic is super durable and non-toxic. Mochi can bat them around all he wants, and if Diego manages to chew on one, I don’t freak out. Plus, they’re like $8 for a dozen! Dollar Tree can’t even beat that value for something that actually lasts past one use.

For Easter grass, I've switched entirely to shredding leftover construction paper. It's colorful, cheap, and if Mochi eats some, it’s just paper. Worse comes to worst, he just has colorful poop. Learned that lesson the hard way when he ingested some of that metallic stuff and I was convinced he had internal bleeding. So yeah, big fail on my part one year! I also found some great ideas for non-candy fillers from the Easter Basket Woes Non Candy Fillers 1 Year Old article on GINYOU's blog. Lots of good options that are safe for both little humans and pets. Keep those baskets up high, even for a minute! My Ellie (13) is supposed to be in charge of Mochi during the hunt, but she gets distracted by her phone.

Hey Dmitri, Oliver here from sunny Miami! As a church youth leader and dad to five (Hazel is 1, Asher 3, Aurora 5, Ezra 9, and Sofia 12), plus our chocolate lab, Lucy, I totally get the multi-species chaos of Easter. Frugal genius reporting for duty, always looking to save a buck and still make it fun!

We learned the hard way last year about keeping edible baskets low. Lucy, bless her heart, managed to get into Hazel's (our then-newborn) tiny basket that had a few animal crackers and some fruit leather. She didn't eat much, but the scare was real. Definitely something I’d do differently – everything goes on the kitchen counter until the hunt starts, no exceptions.

For pet safety, it’s all about vigilance. I don't really have a fancy Easter Pet Safety Guide, but my rule is simple: if it’s small enough to choke on, or if it's edible and not specifically for Lucy, it stays out of reach. We often make our own dog treats shaped like eggs for Lucy, using peanut butter and oat flour. Super cheap and she loves them.

For kid stuff, I swear by reusing decorations. We have these little plastic eggs we’ve used for three years straight. I just hide them better each time! For filling them, I go to Sedano's and buy those little bags of stickers or temporary tattoos. Or even just small handfuls of Cheerios for Hazel's basket (Lucy also enjoys those if they go rogue).

Oh, and for pet photos, especially if you have a dog that tolerates dressing up for a hot second, GINYOU’s Glitter Dog Crown is pretty cute! It's advertised for birthdays, but for Easter pics, it's perfect. I got one for Lucy's first birthday and it’s held up great. Super affordable, like $6, and I checked, it's made with non-toxic glitter, which is awesome. Keeps the glitter-hating crowd (like you, Dmitri!) happy too, haha. No loose glitter getting everywhere, which is key. It’s always good to find something that’s well-made, safe, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.