Neighborhood Cookie Exchange

Happy New Year!

I am way behind on life right now!  With Christmas, sick kids (again) and bitterly cold weather up here in the Great North, I have not done anything but laundry, cuddle under blankets with feverish children and think about all the things that I should be doing.

Anyway, school resumed today and I feel somewhat back to a normal routine.  So hopefully I can hang out around here a little more

Before Christmas (and illness) we hosted our neighborhood's annual cookie exchange.  It is always great fun because we love our neighbors.  I keep saying that we should start a commune on our block because that is how it feels most days. Always watching out for each other and helping out whenever necessary.  Like our own little family.

I kept it really simple this year.  I created this invitation in Picmonkey just using their free options.  And then I uploaded them to Walgreens and had them printed.  Then I picked them up in an hour later and delivered them shortly after.

There should have been a door prize for Spot the Number of Typos
Seriously can not do anything productive when my children are awake!

I went with a Hot Chocolate bar and had everyone bring an appetizer and it worked out great.  The Hot Chocolate bar was the easy thing ever.  I just googled hot chocolate in the crock pot, found a uber easy recipe, started it a few hours before the party and it was ready to rock at party time.  I put out various add ins to suit people's fancy.  There were add ins of the alcoholic persuasion and then the standards like marshmallows, whipped cream and of course, candy canes.

Then I just set up the table for cookies and everyone came and had a blast.  I didn't take many photos because we were so busy chatting and eating!

This was my favorite packaging ever!  Our neighbor is also our mailman (very convenient, Right?!) so his wife made little mailboxes for her cookies and then printed the recipe to look like an envelope tucked in the mailbox.  I think everyone is going to have up their packaging game next year to compete with all that cuteness!