Making Christmas Memories and Cookies with Friends

I love to bake, and I love Christmas. When my mom suggested that I host a cookie swap for my friends in 2019, I immediately said yes. It is a tradition that I look forward to every year.

During the week of Christmas, after school gets out, I invite girls from our church to our house for a cookie swap. It is so much more than just having a plate full of different yummy treats to share with our families. We swap presents, we make gingerbread houses, we play games and we taste our creations served on my Mom's fancy dishes. Most importantly though, we made memories.

Each girl that attends brings plenty of her favorite Christmas cookies, cupcakes, or treats. Chocolate chip cookies, melting snowmen, corn-flake wreaths and more are displayed for tasting. We make hot chocolate, green Grinch punch and serve them with my mom's best dishes.

We split into groups and make gingerbread houses. Some of the houses don't stand, but that's ok. It is fun to work together and compete to see which house is the most creative. We play games using Christmas trivia or Christmas songs. We also swap gifts.

This year I plan to host again. Some of the girls are now in college, but they look forward to coming home for the holidays and enjoying our tradition. I think the Christmas Spirit is contagious. It is my hope that our cookie swap helps spread that Spirit.

Laura Lee Putnam is a sophomore at Conecuh Springs Christmas School in Union Springs.

By: Laura Lee Putnam