Cookie Day - Our Black Friday Tradition

While other people are scurrying around huge crowds of people trying to get the best deals, my family has always spent Black Friday staying home with ridiculous amounts of flour, sugar, butter, and plenty of creativity baking cookies all day.  We call the tradition (very creatively, I might add!) Cookie Day.  It is probably my favorite family tradition.  Each of the kids could invite a friend and we would spend all day baking batch after batch of different types of cookies to share with neighbors and take to Christmas parties in the coming days.  Christmas music playing, we gorged ourselves on cookie dough and ordered Chinese for lunch.  I have so many sweet memories of this day and it is one I plan to continue with my own family.

This year was Sophie's first opportunity to participate in our own little Cookie Day.  (Unfortunately, my family lives too far away for us to join in the "big" festivities).  We had so much fun baking together, as we always do, but this day seemed extra special.  And the teacher in me can't help but see all the fabulous life lessons she's learning as we spend this sweet time together!

We made chewy oatmeal cookies - nothing really special or even Christmasy, but it's what I had on hand.  (Unlike my brilliant mother, I had not done a spectacular job planning for the day).

Sophie was a great helper pouring in the ingredients.  We would count the scoops of flour or sugar as we poured them in.  One day this will be a great lesson in measuring, as well!

She loved watching the mixer do its thing, and of course pushing the buttons to make it happen.

Baking is full of fun sensory experiences like smelling cinnamon and feeling flour between your fingers.

The food processor is her favorite kitchen tool by a long shot.  She's already a professional at pushing these buttons. I love the excitement on her face!

Our tradition had something my family's didn't have - a Christmas music dance break in front of her reflection in the stove.

And of course, no Cookie Day is complete without sampling the fruit of your labor!