Christmas is only...15 days away?! Wow...I hope it didn't sneak up on you like it did for me this year. I decorated our house the weekend after Thanksgiving and sat back and enjoyed it...a little too long, I think. This past week I spent some time online, perusing the stores for the perfect gifts for family and friends while trying to be mindful of shipping deadlines. Oh the joys of living in different states!I even got around to ordering holiday cards...imagine that! I must admit, they are super cute. They arrive next week (nothing like cutting it close) and I cannot wait to mail them. This year I decided to order them from TinyPrints.com. I was able to design my cards and see the changes in real-time (who needs to order proofs nowadays?). I could not have been happier with how they looked online...my fingers are crossed that they look just as good in-person! I'll be sure to post photos of them on the How To: Simplify Facebook page after I send them!
In addition to buying presents and designing our holiday cards, I also brainstormed gifts to distribute from How To: Simplify. I came across some really great ideas and, mixing a few ideas here and there with some that I had in my head, I came up with something I hope my family and friends will absolutely love...and enjoy (wink wink).
As you know, 'tis the season for indulging in countless treats...and spoiling the ones you love with home baked goods will only add to the holiday cheer. Not able to give your tasty treats in-person? There's no need to stress...check out some of the ideas below. They will help you package up your cookies and treats for a safe and sound delivery to family and friends this holiday season.
- Bake treats that travel well. Cookies, bars and brownies are your best bet when it comes to shipping. Be sure to cool them thoroughly and wrap them in plastic wrap, aluminum foil, parchment paper, waxed paper, plastic bags or a combination of any of the previously listed items.
- Use cookie cutters that have rounded edges. By using cookie cutters, especially ones with rounded edges, your cookies will arrive in one piece...without points breaking off.
- Avoid fragile treats (obviously). Be sure to stay away from treats that tend to crumble when under pressure. Also, it's not always wise to ship cookies that have frosting and filling. The frosting might soften which will cause the treats to stick to one another...or worse, a filled cookie might break, causing filling to cover all of the other cookies in the package. Sturdy, thick or small treats are usually the best.
- Wrap the treats. Cookies and bars tend to travel well when wrapped in pairs, back to back or individually with plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil.
- Invest in added protection. Pack treats tightly (and in a layered fashion) into tins or boxes. See below for some cute packaging ideas. If you're shipping them in a box, be sure to cushion them with packaging material like crumbled newspaper, paper towels, bubble wrap, etc.
- Label the packages. To ward off a potential catastrophe, label your boxes "perishable," "this side up" and/or "fragile" to encourage safe handling.
- Holiday Cookie Mailing Tubes (via Martha Stewart)
- Bakery Boxes (via Bake It Pretty -- I actually ordered a few items from this site this year...love, love, love this shop!)
- Candy Cane Treat Box (via Martha Stewart)
- Iced Cookie Boxes (via Martha Stewart)
Take some pictures of your packaging and be sure to post your creations on the How To: Simplify Facebook page. I would love to see what you create!
* Photo from Martha Stewart
1 comments:
Great ideas...Thanks for sharing them!
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