The place for news, updates, announcements, and water bottle gossip from the Buns and their humans.

Hot Cross Hoppenings

February 22, 2024

November 1, 2025

A Special Keepsake for HCB Families

While our bunny nursery chapter is gently closing, the love and memories shared here continue to grow. We are thrilled to announce our Custom Bunny Coloring Books, designed exclusively for families who have adopted a Bun from Hot Cross Buns.

Each book is made with photos from your bunny’s earliest days here — capturing their sweetest expressions, tiniest whiskers, and the magical beginnings of their journey with you.

This is our way of continuing to share joy, remembrance, and the tender connection we’ve always cherished with every family who welcomed a Bun into their heart.

Thank you for being part of our story. We are honored to remain part of yours.

✨ Your bunny’s story, ready to color.
🛒 Order here: Hot Cross Buns Mercantile

October 31, 2025

A Gentle Shift in Our Journey

Over the past few weeks, something unexpected and beautiful has settled onto my heart. For a long time, I carried quiet worry about finding the right homes for our Waiting Buns so we could continue operating as a full rabbitry. That hope was rooted in love — wanting each Bun to have the best life possible.

But recently, after prayer, reflection, and looking at the many rabbits already waiting for homes elsewhere, I’ve felt a tender shift. Instead of striving and stressing, I am choosing to rest. To trust. To simply love and care for the Buns already entrusted to us.

This isn’t giving up — it’s leaning in. Leaning into peace. Into stewardship. Into the joy and responsibility of caring deeply for the rabbits already here, who know our voices, our routines, and our hearts. They are safe. They are cherished. That is enough.

Last night, with surprising excitement, I found myself dreaming of new creative forms this chapter could take — building thoughtful product lines and meaningful offerings through the Hot Cross Buns Homestead. As I worked through ideas, I found that every single Bun here naturally fit into one of those visions. Each one has a place and a purpose. It will take time — perhaps a couple of years — but the future feels hopeful and rooted.

Of course, I still hold space in my heart for the possibility that one or two of our younger Buns — Cabana, Frisbee, or Kayak — might find a wonderful forever home. They are such bright souls, and I know they would thrive in the right family. And if they stay? That will be a blessing, too. They are loved either way.

As for our older Buns… well, they have carved out permanent places in my heart. Their personalities, their stories, their presence in our daily life — they are part of the fabric of this place. I see now that this season isn’t about letting go of them, but embracing them more fully as part of what’s next.

Will we return to breeding? No. There are many rabbits in the world already waiting for loving homes, and we want to honor that reality by being faithful stewards to the ones under our roof. This feels right. It brings peace. It brings joy.

So here we are — in a new season, with open hands and full hearts. Caring. Creating. Growing. Deeply grateful for every Bun who has shaped our story — and continues to do so, zoomies, messy bottoms, shedding, and all.

Thank you for walking alongside us through every season. Your kindness and encouragement mean more than you know.

October 30, 2025

HCB's Waiting Bun of the Day: Francesca

Francesca (Frankie) is still waiting to be matched with a loving forever family who will love her quirks as much as we do. She's wired a bit differently than most Buns. She definitely wants to be an only Bun, so no bonding buddies for her. She doesn't mind cats or dogs, but tries to nip other rabbits.

Francesca is every inch the busy-body, but struggles with the equally strong facet of her personality that demands observation, rather than interaction. She wants to know what's going on, but then darts away when invited to participate.

We think that she would be happiest as a free-roam girl, but because of her nipping tendencies towards other bunnies, we can't allow her to experience that much freedom at Hot Cross Buns for the safety of the other Buns.

If you think this box-loving conundrum of bunny-ness could be a great addition to your life and home, please complete the New Bunny Questionnaire to tell us about yourself and the home you could provide for her.

All Things Bunny Blog Post: Feeding Time in the Bun Room

October 29, 2025

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Seven Weeks to Find Homes for the Waiting Buns

As we approach the end of 2025, I find myself reflecting on what these next few weeks will mean for Hot Cross Buns Holland Lops. For nearly ten years, this little rabbitry has been a place of love, laughter, heartbreak, and countless whisker kisses. Each Bun who has passed through our doors has been cherished beyond words.

Now, with only seven weeks remaining until our application deadline, we face a hard truth: unless we can find loving, permanent homes for several of our waiting Buns, Hot Cross Buns will close its rabbitry doors at the end of December.

To ensure that any remaining adoptions can be thoughtfully completed before the holidays, the deadline for new placement applications is Wednesday, December 17th. After that date, we’ll prayerfully reassess our plans for 2026 and beyond, focusing on running Hot Cross Buns Homestead.

This is not a decision made lightly. Every placement takes time, care, and discernment — and we want each of our Buns to find the perfect family match, just as we always have. We continue to pray for those special people who will open their hearts and homes to these wonderful rabbits.

If you’ve been thinking about adding a rabbit to your family, or if one of our waiting Buns has caught your eye, now is the time to reach out. You can learn more about each available rabbit on our Available Buns page. Already approved clients can send us email to express interest. Families new to HCB are invited to complete the New Bunny Questionnaire to help us get to know you and what type of Bun would be most suitable for your home.

If adoption isn’t possible for you right now, would you please consider helping us by sharing our posts or telling a friend about our rabbitry? Sometimes, a simple share can lead to a life-changing match.

However these next seven weeks unfold, we remain deeply grateful — for every Bun who has blessed our lives, and for every person who has supported this journey. Whatever happens next, love and appreciation will always be at the heart of Hot Cross Buns.

With gratitude,
Amy & Evelyn

October 25, 2025

There's a New Girl in Town...Introducing Ima!

We were so blessed to adopt this lovely 12-year-old girl through the Friendship APL earlier this week. I had been watching her listing for about two weeks, and her soulful, wise eyes pierced my heart every time.

She was a very beloved member of two previous families. We don’t know why her first placement ended, but her more recent family of seven years became homeless and had to make the heartbreaking decision to surrender their sweet girl. We want her family to know that she is safe, cherished, and loved.

Ima is still looking for them and trying to understand why her world turned upside down, but we promise to love her and care for her all the rest of her days.

We have decided to call her “Ima” (pronounced EE-muh), the Hebrew word for mother. Her eyes hold a depth of wisdom, pain, and love that many mothers know all too well.

She has been with us since Tuesday evening and is settling in beautifully. Although we know our time together will be relatively short due to her age, we want to help her live life to the fullest — with long walks, gentle snuggles, plenty of treats, and a warm, cozy bed to call her own.

We love her already.

Quick poll for our followers:

October 24, 2025

I've been pondering offering custom coloring books for a while, but want to make certain there's interest before putting it out there in our online shop. Thank you to everyone who responds!

October 23, 2025

Hot Cross Buns' Waiting Bun of the Week...Cabana!

This sweet girl comes across as being a bit shy initially, but warms up quickly. She just likes to observe a situation and feel safe before gently exploring and booping new people. Once she feels comfortably confident, she will binky and play happily. Cabana is the most cuddly of the three does in her litter and enjoys hunkering down for some loving pets and snuggles. To learn more about this gorgeous chestnut girl, please check her out on the Available Buns page. When you're ready to begin the adoption process, please click the Ready for a Bunny? tab and fill out the pre-screen form.

🌿 Still Hoping, Still Here

Some days, it feels like the quiet stretches on forever. The waiting, the wondering, the hoping that the right hearts will finally cross paths with ours.

Here at Hot Cross Buns Holland Lops, every bunny has a story — and every one of them deserves a safe, loving home where they can be known and cherished. We’re still here, caring for them each day, believing that somewhere out there are families who will see what we see: gentle souls waiting to belong.

If you’ve been thinking about welcoming a rabbit, or if one of our Buns has caught your eye, please take a moment to visit our Available Buns page. Even just sharing a post or mentioning our rabbitry to someone who might be ready makes a difference.

Until then, we’ll keep doing what we always do — loving them well and holding onto hope.

This week's All Things Bunny Blog post: Why Hay is More Important than Pellets

As I type, Loofah and Henrietta are at the vet for their neuter and spay, respectively. If all goes well, Loofah will be available for matching in 2-3 weeks, and Henrietta in early December.

UPDATE: Loofah did great with his neuter and is looking perplexed with his current lot in life as a former breeding buck, now unemployed. If he recuperates quickly, he will be available in early November.

Henrietta is doing well, too, but we are very glad Evelyn was so in-tune with this little doe's temperament. She had noticed that Henrietta was acting differently and told me she thought we should get her spayed soon, rather than waiting until after Rosie and Posey were done. I listened to her intuition that something was wrong and am rejoicing that she spoke up. Henrietta had abnormal tissue growth on one of her ovaries which the vet believes was pre-cancerous. Everything was safely removed, so there's no longer any risk to Henrietta's health. Henrietta will turn three years old in late November and will be ready to live a pampered pet life shortly thereafter.

October 22, 2025

October 21, 2025

🎂 Celebrating Mississippi Mud Pie's Fifth Birthday Soon

Our lovely Mississippi Mud Pie (affectionately known as Missy) will be celebrating her 5th birthday on November 7th! She’s a confident, charming little doe who enjoys being admired and absolutely deserves a life filled with gentle affection and plenty of pampering.

Missy has already been spayed and is ready to begin her next chapter as a cherished companion. If the right family comes along before her birthday, we’d love to see her enjoy her golden years as the treasured center of attention in a quiet, loving home. Her adoption fee has been adjusted to $200 in hopes of helping her find that perfect match, as our greatest wish is simply to see her happy and adored — whether that’s here with us or in a forever home of her own.

If you're new to Hot Cross Buns, and you believe Missy might be your ideal match, please begin by completing our New Bunny Questionnaire form . Already approved clients interested in Missy can simply send us an email at hcbhollands@gmail.com and we can begin the conversation. We’d be delighted to introduce you to this beautiful girl and share more about her sweet, sassy personality.

🐇💛 Because every Hot Cross Bun deserves a home where they can truly flourish.

⏰ Last Call! Coloring Book Sale Ends Tonight! 🐇🎨

If you’ve been thinking about grabbing the Hot Cross Buns Coloring Book, this is your gentle reminder that the sale price ends tonight!

This sweet collection of 40 bunny-themed pages was created from real Hot Cross Buns photos and is perfect for anyone who loves our Buns or simply needs a little calm, creative joy in their day. 💛 Whether you’re coloring alongside your children or relaxing after a long day, now’s the time to grab your copy before it returns to the regular price.

👉 Available HERE on our HCB Homestead site — just $6.99 through midnight!

Thank you for supporting our rabbits and helping us continue to provide the best care possible for every Bun here at Hot Cross Buns. 🐇💛

Waiting Buns of the Week: HCB's Cabana, Kayak, and Scuba

This trio of charmers were pulling out all the stops yesterday as we met with a family. Scuba, as usual,, was the most outgoing. She has decided she likes to try to nibble other people's hair! Kayak remains a lovely middle-of-the-road girl who moves at her own page. Cabana is still the most relaxed of the three and seeks laps when she's in the mood for a good cuddle. They were all showing off their binkies and zoomies when put in the pen for some playtime.

October 20, 2025

October 17, 2025

We've posted a few new pictures of each of the younger waiting Buns on their individual photo galleries (viewable through the Available Buns page.) It's been a while since I was able to take new ones. They have gotten a bit bigger, but really haven't changed a lot in the past 2-3 weeks. They're ready and waiting for their forever families to find them.

Early reviews of our newly available coloring book have been very positive and encouraging. If it sells well, I hope to create additional books and, perhaps, even books of individual Buns throughout their lives. We'll see where this takes us.

Waiting Bun of the Week: HCB's Francesca

We adore Frankie and her sassy, persnickety attitude towards everything. Today we made a brief video of her enjoying one of her favorite treats, which she receives rarely so she doesn't get an upset tummy. To learn more about Francesca, please see her listing on the Available Buns page.

October 16, 2025

October 15, 2025

This Week's Post on the All Things Bunny Blog: Why Rabbits Aren’t Starter Pets — And That’s Okay

We’re happy to share that Henrietta and Loofah are scheduled to be spayed and neutered next Wednesday. If all goes well, they’ll be added to the Available Buns page once they’ve fully recovered.

We also plan to have Sullivan, Rosie, and Posey altered within the next month or two. Sullivan will be made available for adoption, while Rosie and Posey have already found their forever homes here with us. They will likely be the last Buns altered before our potential closing date.

At this point, our ability to continue the Hot Cross Buns breeding program depends on finding loving homes for at least five more waiting Buns and having a waiting list of at least four families hoping to be matched with babies in the near future. If we aren’t able to meet those goals, we’ll conclude our breeding program and shift our focus entirely to our homestead projects.

We’ve made a promising start by placing four of our original twelve Waiting Buns, but things have grown quiet again. Please help us spread the word so our remaining Buns can find the wonderful homes they deserve.

New Release: The Hot Cross Buns Coloring Book – Volume 1

I’m so excited to share something special from the heart of our rabbitry! The Hot Cross Buns Coloring Book – Volume 1 is now available as a printable PDF, featuring 40 real-life Holland Lop Buns from our Hot Cross Buns family.

Each page was lovingly created from genuine photographs of our rabbits, transformed into charming coloring pages that celebrate their unique personalities and sweet expressions. This collection is perfect for bunny lovers of all ages — whether you’re a lifelong rabbit enthusiast, a Hot Cross Buns adopter, or someone who simply enjoys peaceful, animal-inspired art.

🩵 Details:
• 40 real Holland Lop illustrations
• Landscape orientation for easy coloring and display
• Printable at home on standard 8.5" × 11" paper
• Instant digital download

Let the Buns bring a little joy, calm, and creativity to your day!

It's our first product being sold at the Hot Cross Buns Homestead site. Click the image blow to be taken to the shop.

Thank you for supporting us as we try additional ways to keep the Buns in hay and pellets!

PS...I think all of the kinks have been ironed out, but PLEASE let us know if you run into any difficulties along the way.

October 14, 2025

October 13, 2025

We have been enjoying Princess Parcheesi's visit SO much! She is quite the little charmer and loves all the attention she's getting. I was hanging out with her on the couch this morning, and she kept bouncing back and forth, waiting for pets and hopping away to explore the cushions and blankets on the back of the sofa. Most of the images I took were blurry, but here are a couple of fun ones. I love the way she's cocking her head at me in the first one!

I'm diligently working on a new project that I hope will be ready for release in another day or two. Hint: it involves the Buns you we all know and love, and crayons, colored pencils, markers, etc. More soon!

We received a 1-year adoption update about Dozey (HCB's Theodosia) from Emily and her daughter Elie.

They said, "We wanted to check in and say hi. Today marks the one year anniversary of adopting Dozey. We adore her so much and she is doing great. We also plan to celebrate her 4th birthday next week on the 15th! Hope all is well! Here she is today, she’s a little grumpy after her butt bath and blowout. ☺️"

Thank you so much, Emily and Ellie! Dozey looks beautiful! We so hope she has a wonderful 4th birthday and that she brings you just as much joy in the years to come. Thank you for taking the time to let us know she is thriving with your love and care. We so appreciate it! <3

October 10, 2025

October 8, 2025

Blog Post of the Week: Rabbit Myths: What Every Future Bunny Family Should Know

We're gearing up to welcome a visiting Bun tomorrow! Princess Parcheesi will be hanging out with us for a few days and we're so excited to see her again! She's been with her family a few months now and has become quite the pampered princess!

Happy Belated Birthday to Sweet Tart! She turned 9 years old on October 4th. We did celebrate with her that day, but I neglected to mention her in my previous post. Sweet Tart is a broken sable point who belongs to my youngest son (19). She had a couple of litters as a breeding Bun, but was retired fairly early on, so she could enjoy life as a pet bunny. Although she has slowed down a bit in the past year, this sweet, observant girl remains in excellent health and loves cuddling with her Bun-Daddy, who is her favorite person in the whole wide world.

October 7, 2025

Driftwood Has Found His Forever Home!

Our sweet fuzzy boy Driftwood has officially hopped off to his forever home — and he even has a new name to match his snuggly personality: Teddy! 🧸

Teddy’s new mom, Abigail, seemed to fall in love with him the moment she held him in her arms. True to form, he settled right into her lap for a long snuggle, his little “airplane ears” standing straight out in curiosity as he soaked up all the attention. It was love at first sight.

We’re so happy knowing that Teddy will be cherished, spoiled, and adored in his new home. Congratulations, Abigail — and welcome to the Hot Cross Buns family! 💕🐇

Ivy Has a Forever Family, too!!!! 💕

Our beautiful chocolate girl Ivy has hopped into her forever home — and our hearts are so full! Ivy has always been our shy, watchful little Bun, but when she met Katie and her bunny George, she seemed to know she had finally found her place in the world. She sat calmly, accepted gentle pets, and showed that tender, trusting side we always knew was there. Ivy was soaking up the love and attention, so her confidence is already soaring with Katie as her new Bun-Mom.

October 5, 2025

How did the Pest Fest go? It was a wonderful turnout, for such a warm day. We saw many pampered pooches and even a couple of bunnies riding around in a stroller. The dogs all seemed to be wonderfully well behaved and their people seemed to enjoy themselves, too.

We ended up taking Missy, Kayak and Scuba along after being offered the use of a generator and some fans to blow on them. These, combined with frozen water bottles and a periodic breeze off the lake kept them comfortable enough to endure the toasty temperatures. They received plenty of attention and we got to "talk bunny" with many lovely people. We're so hopeful that a couple of them may truly be interested in a little Bun friend in the not too distant future.

One of the most memorable moments was catching up with Liz, who adopted our little buck, Linus in 2020. Our buck Finnegan (then named Rerun) was his foster brother. Linus was the sweetest little guy, and I'm pleased to share that he's doing beautifully and couldn't be in a better home. Talking with Liz and hearing her update absolutely made my day! Thank you so much, Liz! Please give Linus (and your adorable little dog!) some love from all of us at Hot Cross Buns. See a throwback photo pf Linus below.

Evelyn and her bakery did great! She had a steady stream of customers all day. A dog or two attempted to "counter surf" some of her treats, but catastrophe was averted. :D What she didn't sell yesterday was snapped up after our church service today.

It was exhausting work, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

We received a very positive update about how well Holly...new name Holly Nutmeg...is settling in. She's doing well and is making progress towards being a free-roam Bun each day. There are some growing pains with one of her new kitty siblings. She was especially fond of their other bunny, Inky, and were cuddle buddies. His passing brought some turmoil to her kitty-heart, and she isn't quite sure what to make of Holly Nutmeg's arrival. We so hope they become the best of friends, once the dust settles.

Blog Post of the Week: Three of Our Buns Still Awaiting Forever Families

Today's blog post gives a bit more insight to Gumption, Francesca, and Ivy, three of the Buns we're so hopeful will find incredible loving families in the coming months. Enjoy their pictures below.