Growing up, each spring my mother would get me a new dress to wear on Easter Sunday. “Get” and “new” being somewhat arbitrary words, because she did not always buy a brand-new dress. Some years, I wore hand-me-downs, some years she made the dress, some years we found a secondhand dress. With two little girls of my own, I’m faced with the same situation my mother tackled year after year — dressing and coordinating a family of four for the Easter holiday. It would be great to have the time and budget to shop for new outfits for my husband, my baby, my three-year-old, and (of course) myself, but it’s just not a practical option. However, there are ways to get everyone looking their best without overspending and, more importantly, over-stressing. Here are a few tips to get the fam ready for Easter Sunday!

Many times, we’d get new(ish) clothes as kids because we got bigger. But, if we stayed the same size, we’d keep wearing our church clothes until we grew out of them or damaged them. Thankfully, my husband and I are done growing, so we’ll be sporting garments already hanging in our closets. Also, thankfully, my spouse and I work in fairly formal office settings, so we have dressier options. Many times, your work-wear can double as your church-wear. For men, swap out your white button-down for a pastel shirt, like light blue, or lavender. Standard black, grey, or navy dress pants will suffice. You don’t have to don a full suit and tie unless you want to. Just make sure shirt and pants are wrinkle-free, and dress shoes are polished.

For the lady of the house, if you wear dresses for your job, then, by all means, you can repurpose a workplace frock for your Easter celebration. Don’t feel you have to stick with florals and pastels. Mix things up with a striped dressed, a gingham print, or an abstract pattern. On the flip side, you can tone things down with a neutral shirtdress. I’d recommend leaving your LBD in the closet for Sunday services, as black can be a bit severe. A light grey, navy, or warm beige will be a breath of chic minimalism in a sea of bright flowers.

Of course, you don’t have to wear a dress. Trousers and a blouse are a totally appropriate alternative. I love the idea of colorful tailored bottoms, like a red or green slim-fit pant with a feminine breezy top or twin set. If you really want to push the envelope, consider a jumpsuit. Be careful if you go down this style path. Jumpsuits aren’t the most flattering of garments, they can tend to look a little too casual, especially the pull-on knit kind, and with the prevalence of cutouts and cold shoulder silhouettes, they can be a bit too revealing for a religious and family holiday. However, if you find (or have) a one-piece that provides you with coverage, structure, and is dressy enough, take it for a spin this Easter. For myself, I’m opting for pink, ankle-length pants from Old Navy and a navy silk button-down shirt.

For little ones, you can repurpose other holiday clothes. Smart Mom shoppers know that the right kind of print/fabric/silhouette can carry into the next season/holiday. For my toddler daughter, she’ll be re-wearing the burgundy floral dress from Thanksgiving, which still fits, topped by a pink cardigan instead of a grey one. For babies, you may need to buy new since they don’t have as deep of a closet as older kids, or you can utilize hand-me-downs. For my 10-month old daughter, I can repurpose a pink dress worn by her sister two years ago, that was also worn by me 37 years ago. Yes, my mother kept this adorable pink dress with matching bloomers that is still in great condition and size-wise lines up just right this the Easter season.

For boys, a bowtie can dress up both long sleeve and short sleeve button-up shirts. In general, going with a school-uniform inspired outfit is always a presentable option. Of course, I don’t have boys, and I’ve never tried to wrestle a boy into a Sunday suit. If you know your son will put up a fight to wearing a tie of any kind, or a blazer for that matter, try for a colorful polo and laundered dockers. Whatever you are able to get on him, just make sure it’s as clean and wrinkle-free as possible. Of course, if your son is a little gentleman, then go with a tie, jacket (or vest) with matching pants and loafers.

Overall, don’t worry too much about coordinating colors or prints. Your main goal is to have everyone look presentable and fresh. If your kids are old enough, have them iron their clothes. If adult garments need to be professionally cleaned, then, by all means, get them to the dry-cleaners. Check both adult and kids’ clothes for stains and/or rips, and make sure everyone has the appropriate shoes. If everyone gets out of the house on time in clean clothes, wearing the same colored socks, and with combed hair, mission accomplished. Happy Easter!