holidays are here shortly and i feel like i'm running out of time already!! arg!! i've got cookie orders creeping up not to mention the ones i'd like to do for the cookie exchanges i'm involved in...and the ones for teachers and bus drivers (i haven't even counted those yet) no freezer room either to get (well to have gotten) a head start...i think by the time christmas is over i'll be sick of cookies but not for too long cuz i love doing them

tell me about it..........I've got about 20 people at my work (my kids' school so at least I'm killing 2 birds w/ one stone there lol) plus some cookie orders for decorated cookies (more time consuming than just baked christmas cookies) plus my DH just mentions he told all the people at his work (another 20 or so) that his wife runs a cake business and their gifts will most likely be the most awesome thing they've ever eaten in their lives (not sure what I know how to make that will fit that bill!) plus I've got multiple cake orders between now and then including a wedding cake and a custom cake (fondant accents, toppers, gumpaste flowers, etc.) all 2 days AFTER Christmas so I guess once I think I've done it all I've got more..........oh and we're hosting Christmas dinner for all of our family this year too!!! Annnnnnddddd my DD bday was Nov. 28 and I still haven't made cupcakes for her to take into school how horrible of a mother am I??

I so can relate. I had a pretty busy last week (6 caterings in 7 days). On Thursday morning, I was looking at my calendar for the next week and was relieved to see I only had one drop off cake the next weekend. Whew! Great! A break before the holiday so I can make my OWN family's cookies.

I am not kidding, by the time I went home that Thursday night, I had added 210 dz cookies due before Christmas, plus another wedding cake for the next weekend. And to add to the timing, my two high school girls who come in after school on mon-tues-wed to make cookie dough balls ... both of them have a school program that they're in, so they can't come in on mon and tues!

So for family cookie time, I invited my sister and my oldest daughter to my kitchen for a mass cookie baking day. Everyone can bring one friend and I'll provide all the basic stuff ... flour, sugar, eggs, butter, mixer, double ovens, etc. THey will bring stuff I don't normally stock. Looking forward to a fun baking day.

I NEVER have enough time to do everything. Last year, I was determined that this December, I was going to bake, make candy, spend a weeekend in Branson (the lights are awesome and the shopping is great) and enjoy the season.

So, I end up with a wedding cake order for December 20. Okay, I haven't made a wedding cake in 17 years but that's okay, seems easy enough to make and I feel better about my skills that I did 17 years ago.

Then, my husband's family decides to come down to our house for Christmas! They live 8 hours north of us and we have always gone there and every year, as they decide where to go the next year, we always offer our house and everyone laughs. So, we will have anywhere from 5 - 12 people the weekend after Christmas. Okay. I realize that we have to "freshen" our third bathroom. Since we moved in 2 years ago, we've done nothing to this bathroom and I almost refuse to go in there and now we have company!! So, we strip the wallpaper, paint, fix tiles, clean, etc. It's almost done and at least I can let people in there now.

So, the only baking so far is the practice cake I made this weekend with my new Magic Line pans. Everyone at work is loving the cake since I brought it to work today.

My house is a wreck and then I decided to allow our small group to have our Christmas party at our house this week. When I told my hubby over the phone, I was met with dead silence. Oh, and we had our carpets cleaned so we had to move furniture around here and there and it's still not it place.

So, the time I was just going to enjoy the holidays and cooking and shopping .... crud! I haven't even STARTED shopping yet!!! Maybe next year I'll get to enjoy the season.

I found an easy solution for the teachers and bus drivers for my son. Gift certificates to use with in a six month time frame and a two weeks notice and if your available to do them. Heres a link you can print them out yourself http://www.giftango.com/gift-certificate-templates.asp

I printed mine out yesterday and they came out GREAT! Quick easy and I will attach with a sample cookie.