I have a whole lot of cookies I need to bake and decorate. how far in advance can I do this? I need them done by the 19th. Can I do it this weekend or would they taste stale? Any advice / tips would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Iced or drop cookies?

Ziploks are great storage containers. Airtight rubbermaid or tupperware containers. Freeze them and take them out of the freezer on the 18th. (I sometimes bake ahead for my daily cookie order(s); package them in the ziploks, and put them in the freezer. I pull them out the night before delivery, and they are fine ... customer doesn't even know they've been frozen.)

If I have alot of cookies, I make my doughs first and roll it in parchment paper like a long tube. I then put my doughs in the freezer, when I am ready to bake I just pull out the tubes of dough and slice like you would a sugar cookie and bake. Since I have the capability of baking alot of cookies at a time I usually bake all in one swoop, cool and then box.The only cookie I actually freeze baked are the no fail sugar cookie, they seem to do real well if they are sealed well.

Thank You girls for your tips, I wish I can be good on baking cookies but I do not know why I can't. I found it so difficult to decorate them.