The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming!
A lot of folks I know aren’t going home this year because of $$ issues so I thought I’d write a few post about how to make your apartment really embody that home away from home feeling. The first thing I notice about my parents’ house is that something always seems to be in the oven. My mom’s a great cook and it’s a bonding activity that we tend to do together. So, with that in mind, I thought I’d share some fun baking options that will bring out the November/December coziness we all love — even if you can’t go home this holiday season.
1) Host a cookie exchange! Cookie exchanges are pretty rad because not only does is give you cause to bake, but you get to try a little bit of everything. I went to one last year and came home with about 13 variety of cookies ranging from sugar to Italian wedding cookie. Plus, as the host, it will give you an excuse to glam up the apartment a bit and get a few extra festive goodies, even if that just means an x-mas light or dreidle or two. After everyone leaves you’ll still have the holiday apt and. . . cookies!
2) Join Tuesdays With Dorie. What is Tuesdays with Dorie? It’s basically a baking follow-along blog. All of Dorie’s readers bake a recipe once a week and then post about it, sharing their experiences. You do have to buy Dorie’s baking book but she has a ton of followers that seem to think she’s quite a tasty baker. And. . . whaddya know. . . they’re currently doing a holiday bakefest!
3) If you’re like most folks forced to do a secret santa/hannaclaus exchange at work, save your dough. . . by making some! Find out your special person’s favorite baked good and get a crackin. I’m sure you’ll get an A for effort:)
Hi Hillary!
Sounds like you and your roommate have some great ideas to coz-fy your place! Glad you liked the cookie exchange. Can you send the link to Flown the Coop? I couldn't find it:)
Alissa
Alissa, the cookie exchange is a great idea!
My roommate is from New Mexico and the holidays are a difficult time because she misses her family; and you're right, it's expensive to travel back and forth from you parents' house.
So this year, to make the apartment more cozy we decorated pumpkins together for Halloween, created personalized Christmas stockings, and cooked/shared our favorite Thanksgiving family tradition dishes.
It might not be perfect, but it's the thought that counts, right?
Check out my blog Flown the Coop sometime. I'd love to get your feedback.