Cookie Exchange Favors?

[Pam]

Hi!! What a great website - I love it!!

I have been hosting cookie exchanges for 7 seven years now (this year will be my 8th one). We have anywhere from 20 - 30 people who attend. My challenge now is doing something different and not so predictable. I normally give out some sort-of favor (i.e. homemade fudge in a cookie cutter, or Russian Tea, etc.) Any ideas on a new and fun party favor?

Thank you,

Pam

[Bonnie]

I usually start looking for my little favors the year before when the stores are having their after holiday sales. Last year I gave out cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma (I found them on sale for 9 cents each and they were originally selling them for $3.00). I put them in a cello bag with a cookie recipe. There is a picture of them in my cookie exchange pics.

The year before I found those grocery list note pads with the magnets on the back (the ones you keep on the fridge). They were so cute - decorated with gingerbread men and only $1.00 each.

If you can find cute holiday magnets on sale that would be nice favor as well. Your Russian Tea sounds interesting.

[Bonnie]

Forgot to add.......

Last year I found on sale at Linen's and Things fingertip towels (I guess that is what they call them). I bought a variety - blue with frosty and green with elves, etc. I plan to roll them up and use curly ribbon to keep them together. I like to place them in my big basket to hand out as the ladies leave.

Pot holders (with a Christmas theme) are always good gifts. Most Dollar Stores carry these now.

Candles are another good favor. I try to find cinnamon or pine. Place them in a cello bag and tie off with curly ribbon.

My first year I found Christmas pot pourri at Michael's (medium size bags) for less than a dollar. This was a big hit.

[Claudine]

How many dozen cookies do you have people make when you have 20 or more women. I am hosting my first exchange on Dec 12 from 2-5 and I want it to go well. I think it would be a great tradition to host a cookie swap every year so I want to make it enjoyable so everyone will want to come back every year.
We have hosted an annual kids' xmas party for family and friends every yr. This will be our 3rd yr. We have it at our house and Santa comes and delivers presents to all the kids and then he rides ina sled on a trailer with all the kids with him sitting on the trailer bed and they and we play xmas songs and go caroling thru the neighborhood. I just do appetizers and desserts and it starts at 6pm. Everyone is so kind and brings either an appetizer or a dessert. The first yr we had 95 people total and last yr we were expecting 115 but we had a blizzard and only 89 people came. We have 140+ invited this yr. We also ask everyone for voluntary $5 donations so we can purchase toys for the kids in the cardiac intensive care unit in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. I have 4 yr old twin girls and my one daughter has had 3 open heart surgeries and spent her 1st xmas in the cardiac intensive care unit of that hospital. So this is something we do in her honor. Sorry for rambling...

[pam]

I love your story!!

With 20 - 30 women I usually ask them to bring 5 dozen. I normally have appetizers, spiked holiday punch, wine, sodas (though the punch is ALWAYS the most popular thing). We all have a lot of fun - and do a lot of laughing!!! This year I am putting an option on the invitation of donating a toy for the 'Toys For Tots' campaign and will have a big box for people to fill as they come over.

Pam

[Bonnie]

Hi Claudine,

WOW you are a busy woman and your house must be HUGE to hold all those people (140 plus).

Anyway, back to the cookie exchange. My first year I asked for 6 dozen per person. I realized that was a bit too many for one person to bring to an exchange. My group of ladies all do so much around the holidays. The second year I asked for 4 dozen which everyone agreed was a bit more doable (plus a lot of recipes make 4 dozen or can be doubled easily to make 4 dozen).

Each lady that brings 4 dozen will still go home with a variety of 4 dozen cookies. I believe that works out to 2-3 cookies from each of trays. If I'm wrong someone on the board will correct me - math is not my strong suit especially tonight when I am exhausted.

[Claudine]

Pam, what is the recipe for your spiked punch.? Bonnie, the Toys for Tots program is a great thing for you to do. Before I had my girls, I never realized what xmas is like for kids who don't have alot of money or for kids who have to spend xmas in the hospital. It's such a rewarding thing to do.

My husband is a builder and built our house so it is a pretty decent size ranch but my whole 2nd floor can only be accessed through the garage and its one big room the entire width of my house. So it holds alot of people....but we've never had this many beofre.
Everyone has told me they would like to take home about 6 cookies from each kind offered so I think I am going to keep it at around 12 women b/c then they would be making 6 dozen...well actuallly 7 since the extra dz will be for ourselves for the swap to nibble on.

[Bonnie]

Hi Claudine,

Sounds like you are very organized. I too have thought about doing something like that for my cookie exchange.

I am involved with the missions team and women's ministry at our church and I know exactly what you are saying. Last year our women's ministry had the kids Sunday school classes decorate 12 inch table top trees (90 of them) and we delivered them to a local nursing home. It took all of us over 3 hours because the folks just loved talking. This was right before Chirstmas Day and I would have thought so many would have family there decorating their rooms, etc. but sadly NO. It just broke our hearts.

This year we are doing a Christmas party for kids that live in a housing project. We are doing it with the help of a local church near by. The church will bus the kids over. Early in the year we found out that so many of these kids started school with no book bags or supplies so we were able to get 40 of them together inside a week - it was great. It is not a huge housing project so it is doable for our group of ladies.

I have thought about collecting mittens, scarves and hats for the local food pantry. I have helped there before and believe it or not some kids come in with their parents and have nothing warm to wear not even a decent coat. The lady that runs the pantry loves to have these items on hand for just this reason.

Oops rambling........

Well basically what we are all saying is that it doesn't take much to make a difference in someones life.

[Joann]

I have done favors at both of my exchanges,, last year I did holiday salt/pepper shakers I got at Dollar General for $1. The previous year I did Christmas spreaders/forks that looked like Christmas light bulbs on the end. Got those from Big Lots packged 4/$2. So my favors have ended up costing about $1 each. I have had less than 10 in attendance so this was not a huge deal.
I love the cookie cutter idea, and am thinking of getting 2 metal cutters and tying them togther with curling ribbon or doing 1 in a cello bag w/recipe.

[Pam]

I posted the recipe on the 'punch' thread.

[Bonnie]

Joann I have seen those spreaders that have the light bulb on the end - love them. I think this year I am going to get some of those and put together a spice packet with a dip recipe.

I also love the salt and pepper shaker idea.