Hello sweet friends! Hope you are all enjoying your holiday so far. I've been a BUSY BEE decorating my home for our neighborhood Christmas Candlelight tour of homes. It's been ALOT of work getting ready, but I had to take a little break to join in on my Big Sissy's cookie exchange. I told Miss Jessi when I signed up that I DONT bake!!! Im REAL good at buying pre-made cookie dough and sticking it in the oven. LOL!!!
This time two years ago Grant and I made store bought cookies, and he was so excited! Look at this adorable expression on his face.
These cookies could not be any easier. Just lift off the paper and put on the baking tray. Easy peasy.
This year since I decided to join in on the exchange I had a brillant idea while the children were at pre-school to go ahead and buy sugar cookie dough and use my cute Christmas cookie cutters and bake the cookies. Once the children got home they could have the fun part of adding the frosting and decorating the cookie.
Baking supplies…CHECK!
Christmas cookie cutters…CHECK!!!
So I roll the dough out on the board and use the cutters to make my cookie shapes. Then…I bake them.
This is how they turned out….
Big giant blobs. What in the heck happened??? LOL!!!! Im really curious to know why they didnt keep their shape? What's the secret?
Well, regardless of the flat pancake looking cookies the kids were so excited to decorate them.
Vivi wanted pink icing on her cookie. Of course! 😉
A dash of sprinkles!
Ta-Da! Vivi's pretty pink and green cookie.
Mmmm…good!!!!
Now it's Grant's turn. He needed a little help from big brother to squeeze out the icing.
Sprinkle time!!!!
Hee! Hee! It looks like Grant is putting so much thought into it.
Ta-Da!!! Grant's cookie!!!
Ok, so I feel kinda bad that Im not sharing some FABULOUS cookie reciepe while being apart of Jessi's cookie exchange. My cookies for the children are store bought sugar cookies and turned into colorful giant blobs. So much for the idea of making cute snowman and gingerbread man.
(sorry…blurred photo, but cute!)
However, my children didnt care one bit. They LOVED their cookies and all that mattered was that it tasted good and they had fun decorating them. So I guess there is no stress in me trying to make a perfect cookie. I'll leave that to the experts. 😉
Thanks sweet Jessi for hosting a fun cookie exchange!!! My kiddies are thankful too!
Lastly, if you want to take a sneak peek into my Christmas home take a lookie at this video promoting our Christmas Candlelight tour of homes that begins TONIGHT!!! Im towards the end of the video. 🙂
http://videos.macon.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=7679405&item_index=1&all=1&sort=NULL
Christmas shoppe update on Wen Dec 9th!!!!!! Please stop by to see what Christmas Eye Candy goodies I am listing.
P.S. I hope enjoyed the cute cookie song and it didnt annoy you too much! I just thought it was TOO perfect for this post with the children. Now Im going to have this song playing over and over in my head for days!
Have a fabulous holiday gift shopping weekend!!!
XOXO,
OMG Jenn I just peed my pants and snorted when I saw how they turned out! That is, before the kiddies added their gorgeous creative touches!
You know what? baking isn’t so hard! I know, crazy huh? Even I can do it. I’m not kidding. I don’t bake either, yet, I managed to get some cookies made…. I’ve got a FAB EASY peanut cookie recipe, it’s with peanut butter, sugar and… oh well I’ll find it, but I think flour? maybe not… anyway, it’s as quick as cutting open a packet of cookie dough. You have to try it…. i’ll find it and email you.
Bye for now Miss Betty Crocker/Martha Stewart!
Lol !!!! Well, I will let you in on a secret, my HOMEMADE sugar cookies taste like Hockey pucks !! Lol !! So I always buy the sugar cookie mix too 🙂 A little cheating is ok right ? lol !!
cute post Jenn!!! if the kiddies had fun and liked their cookies, that’s all that matters!!!
haha this is the cutest blog post! You did great they had a wonderful time and decorated them beautifully! Love it! Hugs Grace
As long as the kids had fun that’s all that matters anyway! I tried to make the chocolate chip in the same brand and mine turned into giant blobs too! I’m not sure what the trick is to them…
Oh Jenn!! I am so sorry the cookie did that! But this is the cutest post EVER!! AND, something more important than perfect cookies happened, good memories happened! And that is what matters. Grant and Vivi are soooo cute! It looks like so much fun and I bet they tasted yummy too! You are such a sweet mom :):)
Love ya dear friend,
Amy
Jenn- I think you’ve got the perfect recipe for cookies and lots of fun- your kids are just darling- and I know they’ll remember how much fun it was to decorate Christmas cookies no matter what the shape.
Oh my gosh Jenn, could these two adorable children be any cuter!! How much fun, nevermind the memories of baking with Mom for the Holidays! Very special!!
Happy Thursday and enjoy the rest of your day!!
Big Hugs xOxO Nerina 🙂
I have had many cookie upsets too. But if you got to share quality time with the kids it is fun no matter what. LOved your post. Fun as always
hey Jenn, I love pics of the Vivi & Grant decorating their cookies… too sweet!
Just watched the video. I’ve already been to the house… which is beyond beautiful. Having Christmas in each room must be wonderful. Have a great time.
Now, I need to go put my tree. LOL I feel bad… your entire house is done & I haven’t even started. 🙂
Hugs to you sweetie,
Joanna
Hey love bug.
eeekkk the kiddy’s look adorable.
you are a fabulous cookie baker.
they taste the same right?
so adorable.
thanks for playing!!
love ya
oxoxo,
Jessi
Good Afternoon Jen,
Being I have never met you ….It was so much fun to hear your voice on the video as it so fit your adorable face!!! Your home looks gorgeous (what a neighborhood!!!) and Santa must be ever so ready to visit. I hope you have a grand time tonight with the tour and a wonderful Christmas Holiday!!! Kiddo’s are oh so cute too with all of that sugar!!!!
XOXO Tricia J.
Hey chickadee! Who said we all had to be bakers! Nothings better then not cleaning up a mess after baking a batch of cookies! Plus it looked like the kiddies had so much fun super cute! Have fun at the open house. hugs
toodles-
Sarah
Hi Jenn ~
Love this post, it brings me right back to when my kids were little ~ so sweet! They’re a good reminder of how unimportant perfection is, it’s all about being together!
Loved the holiday house tour idea! Hmmm, I should start that in my neighborhood!
Your home looks beautiful and wonderfully festive, thanks for sharing!
xo Heidi
This is such a cute post – adorable little kids decorating their sugar cookies.
Such beautiful photos of everything!
Oh how cute! They still look yummy to me! I use to be a Wilton Cake Decorating Instructor, and sometimes I did cookies. Here is the recipe I like to use: http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Roll-Out-Cookie-Recipe
They are made so that the cookie does not loss shape in the baking process. I actually went shopping today to get some fun stuff to decorate cookies with next weekend. One of my favorite parts of the season.
Hugs
Cassandra
Hi, Jenn!
Your cookie calamity turned out as cute as ever! Don’t worry about your cookies fusing together. It’s all about the kiddies and mommy spending time together during a very festive season.
Tuned in to your holiday home tour sneak preview video. Now that’s Amazing with a capital A! You seem to throw yourself wholeheartedly into each and every project. Wow! And your home seems quite huge. However do you do it all? Do you have a maid?
Best wishes,
Christine Karie (your southern yankee admirer)
Love the song! And, your post brought back sweet memories of all the cookie decorating parties I had for my three kids when they were younger.
Hee-hee! You’ve got the right attitude, Jenn! I used to be quite the baker (back before I had a tummy1) sometimes cookies will spread if your oven isn’t hot enough or if your cookie sheet is warm when the dough goes on.
Jenn, those kitties in the mittens!!!! Does the image belong to you???? I WANT IT!!! ☺
enjoyed the brief home tour. wish i were there for a walk-thru to truly see the “sugar plum” dining room. YUM – great decorating:) and the kids just make it all come to life!
Love those pics!
Love the way Viv blended her colors!
Artist in training.
BTW…that song!…perfect!
although…I have muted my computer after the third round of it…hehehehe
xoxo
Suze
Jenn, I just watched your beautiful video and had to come in and comment! It was so wonderful to get to see you and hear your voice. You are exactly like I thought you would be! So sweet and gorgeous! Your home looks FABulous! I cannot wait to see more of your Christmas decor! Thank you so much for sharing this video with all of us!
Hugs,
Amy
OMG!!!! Sooooooooo precious Jenn! Oh how I wish for those days back with my children….Enjoy every second of it Jenn…Happy Holiday to you and your family!!! XO Ann
Jenn I am cracking up over here! Seeing those cut-out blobs made me love you even more. LOL
THe kids are adorable and looks like had a BALL…that is ALL that matters!
(just don’t serve those at your open house tour!! LOL
xox
I love your blog so much. You make everything look like fun! I love the cute pics…yummy cookies and those Santas on your counter! Enjoy the holidays!
Jenn,
Your cookie post was the sweetest with your children! I also enjoyed the video & getting to hear your sweet southern voice. Would love to have been able to take this tour. Your neighborhood is just gorgeous.
Please, please, please post pictures of your holiday decor for us to see every gorgeous detail!!!!
I do hope you have a very Merry Christmas & a very Happy New Year!
Thanks for all the fun posts this past year!
Hi Jenn, Loved the video and the tour of your home. The kids and their cookies are beyond adorable! Happy Holidays, xo, suzy
I think you 100% captured the spirit of xmas cookie making! Besides, I think Grant and Vivi’s artistic vision was really succinctly expressed in their cookie frosting. Kind of an homage to the mannarist movement. A blending of two opposites, if you will.
Sublime…..
Thanks sweetie pie!!! XO
Jenn,
How funny!!! Let me start of saying the kids look so cute and looked like they had so much fun decorating the cookies..
I love your giant blobs.. I think they look like christmas ornaments(hehe)…
Stephenie
Hi Jenn
Too cute song! I have to apologize, didn’t notice the cookies you baked cause the two cute cookies decorating them distracted me!!! Happy Holidays! Can’t wait to see the tree! Love ya,Lori
well, if it’s any consolation, I’ve had that happen to me many, many times before!
I love that you can buy cookie dough over there. I’ve only ever seen gingerbread dough sold here, and even that has gone from the shelves. Shame, because I could use it today. My daughter and I will be working on our Gingerbread House, so a short cut would have been useful.
Your home looks beautiful in the video.
I just want to squeeze those adorable children of yours!! You are wonderful mother, and Iove that about you!!!
Jenn~ Your lil’ helpers are sooo adorable. Vivi and Grant worked so intently on their sugary confections. The delight on they’re faces when their masterpieces were completed and eaten…priceless
Seeing those reindeer slice cookies brought back a flood of precious memories when my sons were little and we’d bake those too.
We continue to bake cookies traditionally, but now my sons are grown and we’ve added my (new) dil to our fun.
I’ll be posting a foodie tutorial on reindeer cookies that are whimsical and easy. I’ll let you know when I do.
The cause for the deflated Pillsbury refrigerator sugar cookies is a simple fix of adding flour. The cookie mixes are more forgiving then the refrigerator doughs, but both require an additional 1/2 cup of flour (per batch). You can bake a test cookie to see if you need more or less. The mixes don’t require you to refrigerate the dough before you roll it out.
I hope this helps. feel free to convo me if you’ve got any other questions.
I loved the video. It’s always nice to see and now hear about the gorgeous decorations. Your home is a true refection of your creative talent.
Sweet Holiday Wishes,
Sara
Cookie- cookie! I’ll have this song in me for life now! Too cute! ♥
Oh Jen…..just took a sneak peek at your home on the video – simply GORGEOUS!! You went all out – but, I’m sure you do every year! I love your sweet savannah accent! So cute. And, it was so funny because I had my two yorkies sitting on my lap while I was watching it this morning and when they heard your dogs barking in the background they went berserk! hah hah
Can’t wait till you list your goodies in your etsy tomorrow….maybe I can get some pretties for me for Christmas!
xoxo
Rochelle
Thanks for sharing the pics of the children having such a great time! Loved it! And the video of you home is fabulous! I did feel like I was enjoying childhood again! Just beautiful! You are such a delight..your neighborhood is going to love stepping into your home.
Merry Merry-
Sue
oh my gosh, this post is too CUTE !! from the pics to the music, I love it all!
happy holidays!
xoxo, Tiffany
Adorable!!!!!!!!! You are right that song will be in my head for days! Thank you for sharing your fun with all of us. Can’t wait to see the photos of the home tour. Merry Christmas.
Charlene
I’m so delighted to find your blog. I love your pretty things! Brings a smile to my face. Don’t feel bad about your cookies, I blundered with some tonight. Pulled the electric beater out of the bowl and it was still running. Threw wet dough all over my Christmas garland and OH BOY, is that stuff hard to pick out of garland!!! What sweet children you have too!
Are you kidding? Kids with their own cookie creations are more special than any perfectly decorated cookie on earth! These are gorgeously done, made with lots of love and fun!!
Hi
I just found your blog today via Romantic Country magazine and I’m so enjoying all the beautiful pictures!
I was wondering if you could possibly tell me where you got your son’s adorable Dr. Seuss shirt? I would love to get one like it for my baby brother!
Thanks so much!!
HI
I just want to let you know I had the same problem with ”spreading cookeies” when I made a boxed Gingerbread boy cookie I bought at Costco this year..all ran together..Not sure if I added a little to much liquid or what was the problem..very disappointing huh??
hugs,Patty
Hi Love!! I’m pretty sure the reason why your cookies didnt keep shape and expanded were because it wasnt cool enough. When wanting to cut out cookie shapes you need to make sure the cookie is cool as possible to keep shape. The warmer a cookie is before hitting the oven the more it will expand.