Decorated Snowman and Snowflake Sugar Cookies - Day 286 of 365, Tutorial Tuesday

I'm a fan of snowman. Maybe it's because I'm a fan of snow. Kind of.

I love to watch the snow falling but I don't like driving in it. I enjoy shoveling snow but I don't like the cold. I like the look of clean, clear sidewalks and driveways with snow piled to the side. I love waking up in the middle of the night and having the house bright inside because it had snowed. I like that 6 AM phone call that I get telling me there is no school. I like calling the next person on the "snow tree" (yep, that's what it's called) and breaking the wonderful news to them.

I think teachers might even be more excited than the kids when a snow day is called. The snow day call has always been a competition at our house. My husband and I work in neighboring school districts. There are some years where he'll get a call and I won't, some years where I get a call and he doesn't, and some years we both get the call. We've learned not to rub it in if we personally get a snow day because more than likely next year the roles will be reversed.

We haven't had any snow days this year. Yet. But give us some snow and a bit of wind and you might find happy folks in this house.

Right now my snowman and snowflake decorated sugar cookie tutorial will have to suffice.

Day 285 of 365

The achoo and bless you days are done. I've had enough and tossed them in the trash.

I'm talking about salt and pepper shakers.

I'm a collector. I have probably a hundred or so pair. Gas station pumps, tractors, dump trucks, cars, and trains. Characters like Mr. Potato Head, Gumby and Pokey, Smokey the Bear, Cat in the Hat, and Winnie the Pooh. Some made of marble, antlers, and Mt. St. Helens volcanic ash.

When I first started collecting, I bought just about any salt and pepper shaker set I could find. When others found out I collected salt and pepper shakers they bought for me as well. After a few years my collection was beyond what I had room for, so I stopped buying and only kept the ones I absolutely loved.

One pair that was given to me was a plastic set of old folks. When the grandpa-y one was used it achooed and when the grandma-y one was used it said bless you. I eventually put those noisy ones in the donation box I kept in the back of the car. Every time I turned a corner, stopped, or started, the grandpa would go off. We wound up bringing the set back in the house and stuck them in a drawer until we knew we were going to drop them off at the donation center.

That was years ago. Those noisy shakers have been in the drawer ever since. Never been used. But ever since then, the grandpa goes off randomly. If you walk by the china hutch. If you're eating dinner. If you're sleeping in the middle of the night. The batteries aren't easy to take out, so we've just lived the random achoo occurring all times of the day and night.

So as I was sitting at the table and the achoo hit again, I decided enough was enough. Out to the garbage. Now.

I don't need any sneezing around when I'm decorating cookies.