Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

President Obama posed with the Easter Bunny.

Thousands of children and their parents dotted the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, joining the Easter Bunny, President Obama and dozens of celebrities and professional athletes for the annual Easter Egg Roll.

Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

First lady Michelle Obama sings and dances as she, Al Roker and Anne Burrell cook pasta with pesto.

The layer of fog that greeted the first wave of excited guests quickly lifted to reveal a brilliant sunny morning. Obama noted the weather as he welcomed guests.

“It was a little shaky this morning, but all of you did a great job sending a message upstairs,” he said.

More than 35,000 guests from all 50 states received timed-entry tickets to the daylong event that features egg rolling, live music, cooking stations, sports activities and storytelling.

Jason Reed / Reuters

President Obama and his family watch as singer Jessica Sanchez sings the Star Spangled Banner alongside Marian Robinson.

Just before the president and his family walked out of the White House to greet the crowd, the Easter Bunny appeared with Robby Novak, who plays the “Kid President” in a series of YouTube videos. The 9-year-old Tennessee resident, who filmed a promotional video for the Egg Roll earlier this year, helped introduce the first family.

Related: Kid President helps White House pull April Fools' prank

After thanking Novak, Michelle Obama encouraged her guests to have fun.

“We want you to run around.  We want you to go over and see the White House Garden.  We want you to learn about making tasty, healthy food,” she said, also noting the other activities available. “But overall, we want you guys to have a good time and keep moving and be healthy.  And, kids, eat your vegetables, okay?”

Jason Reed / Reuters

Joined by the Easter Bunny, the Obamas watch the Egg Roll festivities on the White House lawn.

With his dog, Bo, sitting obediently next to him, President Obama narrated the popular children’s book, “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,” a story about letters of the alphabet climbing up a coconut tree.

“Clearly, the alphabet is full of a bunch of troublemakers,” he said.

The president also took a shot — 22 of them, actually — on the lawn’s basketball court. He failed to make a free throw during various attempts, until he finally handed the ball to a boy and asked for help. The boy successfully made the layup.

"He couldn't make one. I had to help him out," said Kahron Campbell, 10, of Landover, MD.

Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

President Obama and Michelle cheer on children as they race to roll eggs at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday.

Elsewhere, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson also was on hand, one of many professional athletes promoting the year’s theme, “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!” as a tie-in to the first lady’s campaign to fight childhood obesity by encouraging physical activity.

“It’s very important, especially with our young generations, to get those kids used to eating healthy, being more active, and getting outside the house and being active. It really helps with daily life,” Peterson told TODAY’s Al Roker as the two spoke from the South Lawn. “I feel like it’s very important what the first lady is doing with the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative to get kids more aware and get adults more aware. Because I remember when I was 13, 14. I wasn’t inside playing … I was outside.  I can see where it helped me.”

TODAY

The egg and Al: TODAY's Al Roker reports live from the White House Easter Egg Roll.

“American Idol’’ stars Jordin Sparks and Jessica Sanchez topped the lineup of musical performers, while celebrities tapped to read stories to the crowd included NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, Oscar-nominated child actress Quvenzhane Wallis, and characters from "Sesame Street."

Earlier this month, the White House seemed to hint that the annual event was in jeopardy of being canceled due to spending cuts, but quickly shot down that speculation and confirmed the celebration would go on as scheduled.

Each participant left the event with a souvenir hardwood Easter egg emblazoned with the signatures of President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. The eggs come in numerous colors and can also be purchased for $7.99 each. Those who buy the full set online will get a bonus egg featuring Bo, the first family's dog.

Jason Reed / Reuters

Children during the 135th annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House.

Read more:

Obamas to host celebs, athletes at White House Easter Egg Roll

Bo hunts Easter eggs for White House Egg Roll

This story was originally published on Mon Apr 1, 2013 8:31 AM EDT

Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images

President Obama helps a young participant during during the 134th annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House last year.

Famous athletes, celebrity chefs and a pint-sized president will all be part of the festivities on Monday when President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host the 135^th annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

A crowd of 35,000 representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia is expected on the South Lawn for the largest annual public event at the White House. A special guest will be Robby Novak, better known as Kid President, the 9-year-old YouTube sensation from Tennessee whose stated mission is to make the world less boring. Novak helped film a promotional video for the White House earlier this year to let his peers know about the Easter Egg Roll.

In addition to rolling Easter eggs on the lawn, there will be live music, sports instruction, cooking stations and storytelling. “American Idol’’ stars Jordin Sparks and Jessica Sanchez headline the group of musical performers, while those handling storytelling duties for the children will include NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson, Oscar-nominated child actress Quvenzhane Wallis and characters from Sesame Street.

Food Network stars Ann Burrell and Ina Garten will be among those cooking up tasty and healthy eats for the attendees, and a host of professional athletes will be on hand to teach kids fun ways to stay fit as part of this year’s theme of “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!”  There also will be a “Yoga Garden’’ for children.

More than 300,000 tickets were requested from people from across the nation, and a lottery was used to determine the 35,000 recipients of invitations, according to the White House. The White House seemed to hint that the annual event was in jeopardy of being canceled earlier this month, due to spending cuts, but quickly shot down that speculation and confirmed the celebration would go on as scheduled.

This year’s souvenir Easter eggs will come in purple, blue, yellow and pink, bearing the signatures of the President and First Lady. There also will be a commemorative teal egg available with a paw print of Bo, the Obama family’s dog.

Read more: 

Kid President helps President Obama spread word about White House 'Egg Roll' 

Bo hunts Easter eggs for White House Egg Roll

White House: Sequester won't stop Easter Egg Roll

This Easter, one billion peeps will be produced (enough to circle the globe), and will find their way into 70% of the candy-filled baskets across the country.

So, where do they all come from? Weekend TODAY anchor Dylan Dreyer went to the source — or the roost, if you will — the Just Born factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which has been home to Peeps since the very beginning.

Peeps came into existence 60 years ago, but the process behind the sugar chick has evolved quite a bit from its early days, when each chick was made by hand and making one took more than 24 hours.

Back then, the marshmallow mixture was squeezed out of a pastry bag by hand to form the signature Peeps shape. These days, the factory produces more than 5 million chicks every day, using "one of a kind" equipment — and lots and lots of sugar.

Slideshow: Holy Peeps! Elaborate candy creations hop to silly heights

See the most creative Peeps of the year, as candy fans turn the sugary treat into works of art.

Launch slideshow

"We use a little bit of granulated sugar, liquid sugar, and some corn syrup, and then at the end we might add a bit more sugar," explained Mark Wright, the director of operations at the factory, as he walked Dylan through the operation.

Peeps get their signature granular texture from a systematic dusting of white sugar once the marshmallow has been aerated, Wright demonstrated, showing Dylan that a bed of white sugar is placed on the conveyor belt where the marshmallow lands to give it that sandpapery coating.

And before a Peep makes it off the line, it has to pass inspection: no crazy eyes, crooked beaks or improper peeps allowed.

As Dylan quickly observed: "Easter depends on this."

Related: Peep show! Creative ways to dress up your Easter candy

Hot chicks! At 60, Peeps more popular than ever

Brit + Co.

By Brit Morin, Brit + Co.

Ready to take your Easter brunch table to a totally adorable level? Follow this simple tutorial on how to turn a paper napkin into a bunny and you'll be an instant hostess with the mostess.

Materials:
Paper napkins

Instructions:

1. Start by unfolding your napkin and folding it in half so you have one really long side. 

Brit + Co.

2. Take each end of the napkin and fold over the front at an angle.

Brit + Co.

3. Now, fold each bottom corner up towards the middle of the napkin.

Brit + Co.

4. Next, fold again on the side at a slight angle, like you see in the photo.

Brit + Co.

5. Repeat on the other side as well.

Brit + Co.

6. Flip the whole thing over and fold the larger part of the napkin up to the center.

Brit + Co.

7. Flip back to the front and turn the whole thing so that the top of the triangle is pointing up.

8. Now, fold in one side and then the other, so that the second side fits into the little pocket that has been created.

Brit + Co.

9. Now you've got a little bundled up bunny. Pull out the ears and tail, and you're done! 

Brit + Co.

We're loving how sweet these little bunnies look with our egg-cellent table setting.

Want to see more DIY tutorials from this morning's Easter segment? Check out Brit's wrap up on Brit + Co.

More: Creative Easter baskets: More than just jelly beans!

Photos of cute bunnies: Our readers hop to it

Peeps, the sugar-coated marshmallow chicks and bunnies, have been an Easter candy tradition for decades. But Peeps dioramas, statues and other decorative art using the sweets have become popular over the years, making the treats more than just a holiday basket-stuffer.

New York chocolatier Jacques Torres first developed a taste for the gooey chicks and bunnies when he moved to the States from his native France. “I discovered that Peeps have a deep part in people's heart," Torres told TODAY.com. "It's a very American thing. It's a part of the Eastern tradition."

He decided he wanted to find a way to combine Peeps with his chocolate-making profession, telling his store managers he was planning to coat the candies in chocolate and other costumes. "People looked at me like I was crazy," he said. But he went ahead with the plan, dipping Peeps in fine chocolate and dressing them up in tuxedos with white-chocolate buttons and bow ties. "We had a big success with them. They sold very well."

Rebecca Davis/TODAY

Torres uses white chocolate to make 'buttons' for his tuxedo-wearing Peeps.

Torres's tuxedoed chicks aren't the only decorative route Peeps have taken. For nearly a decade, newspapers like the Pioneer Press and The Washington Post have held annual contests calling for creative diorama submissions using Peeps. Each year, they're flooded with miniature marshmallow snapshots of everything from classic literature scenes to political satires to famous works of art.

"One of our favorites, 'Eep', was based on the the movie 'Up,'" Tracy Grant, the editor in charge of The Washington Post's Peeps competition, told TODAY.com. "It was a balloon that lifts the house up, and the balloon is all made out of Peeps."

Other recent submissions included a parody of the Occupy Wall Street movement dubbed "Occupeep DC," a diorama featuring 2011's trapped miners in Chile, and a mock-up of the Roman Colosseum. Grant thinks making decorative work out of Peeps has turned into an artistic community effort. "People are very, very creative," she said. "I would say most of our entries are team entries of people working together. Offices work together.  It's turned out to be an incredible testament to the ingenuity of people." This year's contest winners will be featured on the newspaper's website on March 27th.

Deb Lindsey / For the Washington Post

This finalist in the Washington Post's Peeps contest, titled 'Peepius Maximus,' shows a marshmallow-populated version of the Coliseum.

Publications aren't the only ones getting in on the decorative Peeps game. The Carroll County Arts Council in Westminster, Maryland has been holding a popular PEEPshow for the past 6 years, featuring full-scale sculptures and dioramas made out of the candy. Arts Council Executive Director Sandy Oxx says the show, which will run at the Carroll Arts Center from March 28th through April 7th, has received some clever, and occasionally massive, submissions over the years.

"Someone did a whole prom dress, full-sized," she told TODAY. "We tend to get really big monsters and cartoon characters." Oxx says some of her favorite submissions have been simple designs with titular plays on words. "Someone did a horseshoe-shaped magnet," she said. "They called it a 'chick magnet.'"

Oxx thinks Peeps' popularity stems from the candy's long-standing tradition as an Easter basket standby. "Everyone has a Peeps story," she said. "When I was growing up, the fact that they were big and took up a lot of room in the basket, parents could spend $2 and make their baskets really big. If you're Christian, Jewish, like to eat them, hate them, everyone's got Peep memories, so it's a really easy product to base an event around."

Rebecca Davis/TODAY

For Peep-decorating beginners, Torres recommended an easy approach like dusting the chocolate-dipped candy in shredded coconut.

Grant says that annual contests have given a whole new meaning to the holiday treat. "It's a very nostalgic thing," she said. "In a very high-tech world, [the dioramas] feel very old-fashioned and very sweet. It's a real tradition."

And Torres says he hopes to put out even more fun chocolate-covered Peeps creations in the future.  "This year, I want to do a Pope Peep," he said. "Don't get offended about that one."

More: New York City bakery sells $1000 Easter egg

Confessions of a real-life Easter Bunny

Slideshow: Awkward Easter: Some really scary bunnies

awkwardfamilyphotos.com

A hysterical selection of candid photographs of people getting into the spirit of Easter.

Launch slideshow

This year, think outside the Easter basket! The Easter Bunny is getting creative and delivering more than just chocolate and jelly beans.

Lifestyle expert Maureen Petrosky shows off some cute and unique ideas to surprise your kids, friends, and even the dog lovers in your life this year. Try filling up a cute tote bag with goodies like shoes, sunglasses, and even Scotch that last long after the holiday is over.

Check out these creative basket ideas and tell us what you're whipping up for the weekend!

L.A. Burdick

Delicious macaroons from L.A. Burdick are sure to make your Passover meal even tastier.

Passover starts March 25 and runs through April 2, and as Jews around the world prepare to give up leavened bread for eight days and nights, they have more options than ever to fill their Seder tables. Here are some of the most delicious ways to bring haute Hebrew goodies home.  

Gefilteria
These days gefilte fish is the sexiest Jew, next to Bar Rafaeli. This New York-based company makes their fish quenelles with salmon, pike and whitefish caught from the Great Lakes, then gently poaches the loaves in an onion broth. The result is airy, mild and elegant, closer to fine French food than the stuff in jars at the supermarket. It is shipped nationwide and arrives at your door frozen and ready to be consumed on Pesach.

Matzel Toff
Standard matzah isn’t the most exciting stuff. But, cover it in buttery toffee, rich dark chocolate and a touch of sea salt, and you have a treat that isn’t only Passover-approved, it’s year-round delicious. Beloved by celebrities like Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray, this sweet and crunchy treat is sure get your kids to try some matzah without bribing them with gelt (money).

Sarah Durlacher

Ish
Horseradish is always served at a Seder, both on the Seder plate and as an accompaniment to gefilte fish. But now it’s actually tasty instead of overly acidic and sulfuric. Ish makes artisanal prepared horseradish with fresh fruits and vegetables, and it is so tasty that you will never believe it’s related to the neon pink stuff you are used to choking down. From traditional earthy and hot beet horseradish to Asian-inspired ginger horseradish, this really elevates a traditional Seder meal.

William Greenberg Desserts

William Greenberg Apple Macaroon Cake
Though Passover is often a holiday filled with chalky jelly rings and insipid matzo meal cookies, it doesn’t have to be. Legendary New York City bakery William Greenberg (yes, you may have seen Betty from “Mad Men” carrying some of the bakery’s goods to a dinner party) treats Passover as an excuse to roll out the big guns, especially with its apple macaroon cake. This soft almond sponge cake is crusted in buttery pecans and topped with fresh apple slices. The cake ships nationally, but be warned, it might not make it to the end of the meal before guests finish it off.

Vermatzah
Remember the cardboard-like stuff that you are used to? Well, forget it. Vermatzah is here to save the day. This small batch, handmade matzah from Vermont is truly the Cadillac of matzohs. It is made from Vermont-grown wheat, is hand formed and wood fired, and the company prides itself on creating a hearty texture and taste.

Distillery 209 Vodka and Gin
It isn’t only bread that observant Jews must avoid during Passover. Oh no, it’s all forms of wheat other than matzah, as well as legumes, rice and other grains. Because of this, most liquor is not kosher for Passover. Luckily for those of us who need a little liquid courage to get through a night with our families, Distillery 209 has created kosher vodka and gin. The vodka tastes clean, the gin is lightly herbaceous without being too floral, and both go well with your favorite mixer.

L.A. Burdick’s Coconut Macaroons
What is Passover without a macaroon? This year, go for the high-end stuff from renowned chocolatier L.A. Burdick. While some macaroons can taste dry and dusty, these luxurious cookies are anything but. The macaroons are sweet, pleasantly sticky and loaded with fragrant coconut flavor. Dipped in the company’s trademark rich dark chocolate, they will make you wish that the holiday came more than just once a year.  

For more from Sarah Spigelman, visit her blog, Fritos and Foie Gras.

Courtesy Dylan Dreyer

The Dreyer family in Manalapan, N.J., in 1984.

By Dylan Dreyer, Weekend TODAY

With Easter season upon us, we reached out to Weekend TODAY weather anchor Dylan Dreyer to share some of her memories of what the holidays mean to her and her family. Here’s what Dylan had to say.

Courtesy Dylan Dreyer

Dylan and her brothers wait on the stairs in 1993.

On Easter, I’d be the one to wake up first, then I’d go down the hall and wake up my two older brothers. Once I was sure they were awake, I’d wake up my parents. They took forever to get up and ready and the three of us kids would have to wait on the stairs until they were.

We’d slowly creep down, one stair at a time, but would never dare to go all the way downstairs because we knew our dad would kill us! We’d pass the time by trying to sneak a peek in the reflections on the pictures on the wall to see if we could spot a colored egg. Eventually our mom and dad would walk past us on the stairs, but then they’d have to go to the kitchen to make coffee, then find the video camera. Even that took a long time because it was one of those old-fashioned film cameras that took forever to set up, even though more modern ones were certainly on the market.

Then they’d go into the living room and say “Nope! Guess the Easter Bunny didn't come this year!” That was our cue that we could run into the living room and start the hunt. It was the same old lie that was told to us every year. We knew the Easter Bunny always came to our house!

The whole tradition would begin the night before, when my mom would hard boil a couple of dozen eggs while we were at church. She had plenty of time to do it, because the Easter vigil is a long Mass! My poor dad had the task of keeping three kids focused and awake through the whole thing.

When we got home, the Paas egg-dying kit would be on the table and I’d measure out glasses of water and vinegar. After we dropped in the magic dye tablet, we’d all grab clear crayons and start decorating our eggs. It was always fun setting them in the dye long enough for them to turn into the most brilliant colors, and of course then we'd see how sloppy our invisible egg drawings were. But it was a clear marker of whose eggs were whose, so the Easter Bunny wouldn't mix them up! 

Courtesy Dylan Dreyer

A very young Dylan Dreyer tastes some candy at Easter in 1983.

When it was time for bed, I’d leave out some carrots and water for the Easter Bunny, then I’d try as hard as I could to sleep through the night. I had to get some sleep because the next morning started around 6 a.m.

We’d each have our own room to hunt in: Jamie got the living room (he’s the oldest, so he got the biggest), Mike would have the dining room, and I’d have the little sitting room off the kitchen. I was the youngest and those were the breaks.

Now finding our colorful eggs hidden in the most obvious of places was great, and finding the giant Easter basket full of candy and little presents was even better (mine was always hung from a hook on the ceiling). But the best part was breakfast. We’d take two of our newly discovered eggs, peel them, and mash them up with mayo, salt, and lots of pepper. My dad would make a pile of buttered toast and a plateful of bacon and it was the absolute best breakfast ever. It was Easter breakfast, which was more predictable and traditional than what we ate for dinner. (Come to think of it, I’m not even sure what our standard Easter dinner was. Ham I assume, but don’t quote me on that.)

After breakfast, I had to go check out if the Easter Bunny ate his carrots. He always did, and there were always two perfect, huge marks of bunny teeth proving he gnawed away at them!

Courtesy Dylan Dreyer

An elated 8-year-old Dylan with her Easter basket in 1990.

As time went on and my brothers moved out, I was the only one left waiting on the stairs on Easter morning. But right on schedule, my dad and I colored eggs the night before, they were hidden away on Easter morning (only now with everyone out of the house, I got the biggest room!), the Easter Bunny ate his carrots, and we’d eat our egg salad with toast and bacon. Age wasn't a factor: teens, 20s, 30s.

Even just a couple years ago, my dad visited me in Boston for Easter and we colored eggs after church, I waited on the stairs the next morning, the eggs were hidden, then found and eaten. 

That’s why I love holidays. It’s the family tradition, the familiarity of that season that comes each year, the childlike excitement, and the genuine laughs and smiles that bring you back to your youth. My brothers have passed those same traditions on to their kids, and I will someday too.

Until then, Mr. Easter Bunny? You can now find me in New York City. And I’m sure my dad and I will have those eggs colored for you! 

Dylan Dreyer is weather anchor for Weekend TODAY. She's a native of Manalapan, N.J.

More:

Spilling the beans on the Bunny: A father's Easter quandary
Which came first? The Easter or the egg?
Where was Dylan Dreyer during the blizzard?
Meet Weekend TODAY weather anchor Dylan Dreyer
Pets, Pictionary and pie: Anchors share holiday traditions

courtesy of Dave Blackmer

Dave Blackmer: PR by day, Easter Bunny once a year.

Most of the time, Dave Blackmer does PR for a medical billing company in Taylorsville, Utah. But  once a year he takes on a very special side job: dressing up as the Easter Bunny.

He first stepped inside the suit a few years ago, when his mother told him the neighborhood was organizing an Easter egg hunt. While the homeowner's association had the money to put on the hunt and procure a bunny suit, "they hadn't found anyone willing to don the costume for an hour or so,” Blackmer told TODAY.com.

courtesy of Dave Blackmer

The worst part of being in the bunny suit? The sweat, says Blackmer.

So he stepped up and accepted the challenge, agreeing to wear the costume. Before he tried it on, he tried to come up with a voice that would help him get into character. “I eventually settled on something that sounded like a cross between Kermit the Frog and Stitch [from Lilo & Stitch],” he said.

When he first got into the costume, Blackmer couldn’t believe how physically challenging it would be. The bunny suit — fur lined with latex — was quite warm, and he couldn’t stop sweating underneath it.

“After anybody hugged the Easter Bunny, there was an audible SCHLORP as the latex pulled away from my sweat-soaked face,” he said. “I felt dehydrated and thirstier than I'd ever been before. I still danced and hopped, but a little less. My goofy Easter Bunny voice was getting slightly hoarse.”

courtesy of Dave Blackmer

Blackmer says being the Easter Bunny is tiring, but he enjoys the experience.

Though he got tired from hopping around, jumping, posing for photos, and interacting with the kids, he kept it going when he saw how much fun people were having. Luckily, there were other Easter-themed activities to keep the kids occupied, and he got to take some breaks and relax while the kids dyed eggs and played games.

Just when Blackmer was about to change out of his costume for the day, one last family arrived, disappointed that they were too late to take part in the fun. He agreed to say hello to the kids and take pictures with him, and someone let him know that one of the children was deaf.

Courtesy of Dave Blackmer

Blackmer loves dressing up as the Easter Bunny to put a smile on kids' faces.

“I only know the basics in sign language, and it's next to impossible to sign while wearing fluffy white bunny mittens, but I knelt down and managed to sign 'I love you,'" he recalled. “Her eyes lit up and she threw her arms around my neck in the most endearing, genuine hug.”

The experience opened his eyes to the power of being the Easter Bunny, and Blackmer soon found himself committing to future wearings of the suit, despite the sweat. “I immediately informed my mom that I wanted to do this again the next year,” he said.

While being an Easter Bunny may be a demanding — and hot — job, Blackmer admits he’s hooked. “It's always more effort and more physically demanding than I anticipate,” he admits.

So why keep doing it, year after year? “The rewards are equally astounding, every time. Seeing a child's face light up with joy is one of the greatest things in the world.”

Sugar and Plumm

A New York bakery has created this $1000 specialty Easter egg.

If you want to be the first one to buy a $1,000 chocolate Easter egg from a New York City chocolatier, there’s still time—as of this writing, Sugar and Plumm had not yet sold one of its Giant Egg Showpieces, which went on display in the store on Friday. 

Even though it stands at nearly 3 feet tall and weighs 22 pounds, the egg is still very fragile, according to a company spokesperson, so it’s available for pick-up only, at either the store's Upper West Side location or its branch in Paramus, NJ. 

It takes 30 hours to create the giant egg out of dark, white and milk chocolates, and the whole thing is edible.

“I wanted to show the world the work of art and creativity that [we] could come up with,” says company founder Lamia Jacobs. “This egg is one of our masterpieces.”

The whimsical-feeling Sugar and Plumm, a bistro, bakery and chocolatier, specializes in over-the-top creations, such as its “Earthquake in a Fishbowl” dessert ($17), which is a bowl full of three slices of cake, a slice of pie, three types of ice cream, oh, and butterscotch pudding.

If all that sugar goes to your head and you find yourself contemplating shelling out for the $1,000 egg, you may want to turn your attention to the smaller Chicks-n-Egg, available for a mere $95. 

More from TODAY:
Easter crafts bonanza! DIY eggs, baskets, and more
Photos of cute bunnies: Our readers hop to it!

Looking to make an Easter basket or decorate Easter eggs before the holiday? Look no further! TODAY brought in the experts to help with all your Easter craft needs.

Martha Stewart's artistic Easter eggs

Whether you're looking for an elegant centerpiece for an Easter brunch or colorful eggs to decorate with your kids, Martha Stewart shares a few of her most egg-cellent decorating tips.

Creative Easter crafts: baskets, cupcakes and more!

Soleil Moon Frye, founder of MoonFrye.com, shares some of the Easter crafts she enjoys with her daughters, including hand-decorating Easter baskets and adorable Easter-themed cupcakes.

6 creative Easter baskets under $20

Deborah Stumm, founder of SuperMom360.com, shows how you can make colorful and creative Easter baskets with fun themes for kids who are sports fans, aspiring gardeners, or enjoy pampering themselves.