Christmas Cookie Exchange!And Some Random Christmas Favorites

I've been a blog slacker. I need to finish up Christmas. So I will start by telling you about my cousin Lauri's awesome cookie exchange!

I'll admit this was my first cookie exchange, making me a Cookie exchange virgin. And a cookie exchange retard! I didn't understand the concept. So I didn't really bring the right thing. Luckily, Lauri was over prepared and under judgemental so it worked out.

In case there are others like me that aren't familiar with the concept, I'll explain. Each person makes a ton of the same Christmas cookies, about a dozen per attendee. Then you get together and exchange. This gives you each a variety of pretty Christmas cookies to make gift plates with without having to make a bunch of different kinds yourself.

I didn't have a plan and ended up making the frozen cookie dough that I sometimes make as neighbor gifts. It is delicious dough, and from what I hear doesn't often get made into cookies(because people eat it as dough before they can bake them). We give it out frozen and that way people can keep it in their freezer until they feel like making them. The idea is that people don't have to eat them at Christmas time when we are bombarded with sweets. It is an O.K idea for neighbor gifts, but it stinks to bring for a cookie exchange.

But Laurie had A TON of stuff! You wouldn't believe the spread. For lunch she made a ham, my favorite cheesy potatoes(funeral potatoes), cheese and crackers, cheese ball, shrimp cocktail, and about a thousand other things. Including my favorite cream puffs, homemade caramels, and about ten kinds of homemade Christmas cookies.She even made wassail, which made the whole place smell amazing.

And she made these cute boxes for all of us to take our cookies home in. (pictured above)

She even gave us each a little gift;

The whole thing was totally over the top, and totally FABULOUS! Lauri had an abundance of Christmas spirit, and her whole house looked fantastic. And we were lucky enough to get an awesome party out of it. One of my Christmas highlights for sure.

Here are some of my Christmas favorites around the house:




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My favorite nativity, purchased on our honeymoon



Brenley's poinsettia hair bow. A seasonal favorite. Abigail has one too, but it wasn't as cute, and wasn't worn in public.


My new Noel. Made at Super Saturday. And my olive wood nativity that my mother brought me from Israel. I love having a nativity made from wood that comes from the land where the Savior actually lived and preached.

I love Christmas, and all of the little things that make it special.