Start a Christmas Cookie Making Tradition This Holiday Season

As you may know from reading my other articles, I love this time of year. I get into every activity under the Christmas umbrella and just the sound of a Christmas song can put a huge smile on my face. I'm all about starting new traditions and celebrating old ones, it's part of the fun that the season brings. It's so much fun to celebrate now that I have a baby and creating and celebrating traditions will become even more important than ever.

One of the rites of passage into Christmas time is of course baking cookies. I have always loved to do this and now more than ever it will bring a new meaning to the season. I'm not even a sweets person, but it's so much fun to try new recipes and make them for family and friends. We still have a ways to go with our adventurous side when it comes to trying out new recipes, but we're getting there. I've created the tradition that my niece and I get together one Sunday afternoon in December and spend a few hours measuring, baking, frosting, and of course tasting. We've been doing this for about five years and she still loves it even at 13 years old. I hope to bring my daughter into the tradition once she's old enough to help out or at least taste test.

I think that the key to Christmas cookies is about a few things such as:

*Make cookies that you can use as a nice giveaway. If you're looking for something to give to your hairdresser, newspaper carrier, or favorite worker at the grocery store a nice tin of cookies can go a long way. Cookies seem to bring a smile to everyone's face and you can make something nice at a lower cost than buying gifts.

*Invest in some cute Christmas tins. You can find adorable ones at the dollar store believe it or not and these really tie it all together to make them look like a fabulous gift that anybody is happy to receive.

*Get involved in a cookie exchange. It's so worth it to try different people's recipes and versions of cookies that you already make. It also helps to build your cookie collection and perhaps even get rid of that extra dozen that you don't really have a need for. It's a fun way to celebrate the season with friends!

*Try a new recipe every year. It doesn't have to be super challenging but it can be something brand new. You can come up with something you've always wanted to try or make your own version of an existing. New cookie recipes are half the fun!

*Create a new tradition around this yummy activity. For me it's about celebrating the old tradition with my niece and bringing my daughter in to expand this. It's so much fun when you know you have these things to look forward to.

Baking cookies can not only be a fun activity but make for that perfect giveaway when you need a little something for somebody. Creating a new tradition can help you look forward to this season even more!