I hosted a cookie exchange for a small group of girlfriends!
One of the benefits of hosting a casual cookie exchange at your own house? You can wear snazzy gold slippers instead of shoes.
(Yes, that picture was just supposed to be of my wine but the slippers made an appearance, so I decided to roll with it. Ha!)
I also wore my new cozy Rudolph sweater for the occasion.
(Yes, I ended up getting it after swimming in a pool of regret when I initially left the boutique where I first tried it on. I’m pretty sure it’s a Lady Rudolph sweater because of the eyelashes, which obviously makes it extra special.)
My girlfriends arrived around 7 p.m. and I tried to have a bunch of not-so-sweet snacks on hand since I knew we’d have a ton of cookies to enjoy throughout the evening.
I put together a small spread that included pita chips and veggies with roasted red pepper hummus, almonds and ham and cheese sliders which were very easy to make and a big hit!
My mom previously made the same sliders when we were in town a few months ago and I couldn’t stop eating them, so I knew I wanted to recreate them for my little get-together. I followed this recipe from AllRecipes.com but used honey wheat King’s Hawaiian rolls (<—highly recommended) and omitted the dried onion simply because we didn’t have any on hand.
I was also pretty excited to break out our new balloon wine glasses.
I bought them over the weekend from Pier One (they’re really affordable and I had a gift card) and I love the look of them.
Once everyone arrived, we displayed the cookies on the counter, chatted, sipped our wine and hung out for a little while before it was time for a white elephant gift exchange!
(Megan clearly won the cutest cookie award for her reindeer cookies! How adorable are they!?)
For the white elephant gift exchange, I told everyone to grab stuff from around their house (valued at around $10) and wrap it up to re-gift since “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!”
During our Friendsgiving parties in the past, we’d host a white elephant gift exchange every year, and it always amazes me what gifts end up being the most coveted. (Last year a 24-piece Tupperware set was the gift everyone wanted… including the guys!)
For the white elephant gift exchange, everyone then draws a number out of a hat and picks gifts out of the pile in that order. You can then “steal” an already-opened gift when your turn comes about or elect to choose one of the remaining wrapped gifts from the center pile. It’s a lot of fun!
I ended up walking away with a fun mug and peppermint tea that my friend Brittany brought which I loved.
Before it was time to go, we made sure to fill up the our cookie boxes with a bunch of cookies!
(The cookie boxes are from Michael’s and they worked like a charm. If you’re hosting a cookie exchange this year, I highly recommend them.)
It was a great night with some great girlfriends. I can’t wait to host another cookie exchange again next year!
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Such a fun way to spend the evening! I love the idea of a cookie exchange with friends…and that Rudolph sweater.
What a great idea! Holiday cookies are the best!! Love your sweater!
You know, I was at physical therapy last night and one of the other patients in the clinic at the time was talking about how she had a cookie exchange! Seems to be the thing to do around this time of year. I need to make some new friends that want to do cookie exchanges, because I would be SO into that.
Your kitchen is beautiful! When do we get a tour??
I’d love to see a tour too – it looks like you got the white kitchen you wanted!
Glad you got the sweater 🙂
How fun! Love that cookie idea! your sweater is so cute! I LOVE your stove top too! I have always wanted one like that!
This is such a fun idea!! Oh and I LOVE your house!!!!!
Aww fun! I need to make a note of this and do a cookie exchange with my friends NEXT year. I’ve done them before and they are so much fun.
Hi Julie! It’s so great you’ve already made a group of girlfriends to hang out with and invite over. I love the decorating and food choices. I have a plethora of wine glasses, but don’t have any big red ones like that and need to get some. Happy Thursday! 🙂
Oh man, I love cookie exchanges. So cute!
That such a great idea! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of a cookie exchange before! Too cute!
Love cookie exchanges! Oh my goodness, the reindeer cookies with chocolate-covered pretzel antlers? Too cute!!!
One of my favorite traditions every year is Cookie Exchage/Secret Santa with my girlfriends! It’s so much funn I have so some girl time during this busy season. Your reindeer sweater is adorable, definitely a good decision to go back for it!
Your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous!! SO big and airy!! love it! you should give us a tour of your house, it looks so cute!
That’s such a cute idea! I especially like the cookie boxes.
How fun! Love your Rudolph sweater, too! 🙂 I’ve never hosted a cookie exchange but your post has inspired me… maybe next year! I have been doing a lot of holiday baking, though, and these cookies were a big hit with my family:
http://daybydaymasterpiece.com/2014/11/12/chocolate-pumpkin-spice-kiss-cookies/
To make them holiday-themed, use a striped peppermint {candy-cane} Hershey’s kiss!
Is the picture of you in your sweater in your kitchen?! If so, from the little bit I got to see it was super cute!!! I can’t wait until you do more posts about the other rooms of your house! The cookie exchange sounds like such a great idea 🙂
Im so happy to see that youve adjusted well to Charlotte! Making freinds can be tough but your personality is infectius!!
Such a great idea for a white elephant — we’re hosting a party next weekend and I might suggest the “one man’s trash…” concept! 🙂
Also, that Lady Rudolph sweater is adorable!
Always, Anita
Cookie exchanges are always so much fun! Your kitchen is beautiful!!
What a fun evening!
What I a fun time! I am loving the reindeer cookies! Also… awesome slippers and sweater. That is the fun thing about the holidays. You can be sparkly and festive and look 100% normal 😉
I love the reindeer cookies too.
“Leggings: the socially acceptable sweatpant”.
I wear mine ALL the time too – to the gym, out with friends, family gatherings… so versatile (if not ubiquitous). Drives my husband nuts, but I don’t care.
I made the little ham & cheese sliders for our family Xmas “soups & salads” luncheon, & they were a BIG hit! I made a ton so we had leftovers, & they were just as great reheated and/or eaten cold.