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Spreading Some Holiday Cheer

December 15th, 2010

Growing up my mom always made tons of Christmas cookies, caramels and other goodies and sent a big plate full to each neighbor. We’ve done something similar since we moved in here. I’m not much of a cookie maker when it comes to the holidays, I prefer chocolates and other things like caramel corn. We also don’t stop at the neighbors when spreading delicious holiday cheer. We take goodies for everyone at the Post Office, the library and our small town local bank. Of course we live in a small town, so each of these place only has 4-7 employees.

I enjoy doing this because it shows all those people that we talk to each week that we appreciate the service they provide and that they go out of their way to do their jobs well. The ladies at the library will hold new books for us that they know we’ll like, our UPS man always delivers our packages in great shape and always has a treat for the Chiots, the friendly post office workers are always ready to chat, and the ladies at the bank always have treats for the Chiots in the drive-thru.

Do you hand out any kind of goodies to neighbors and other people like the mailman?

14 Comments to “Spreading Some Holiday Cheer”
  1. Lisa on December 15, 2010 at 8:24 am

    I make cookie dough for all my sons’ teachers. I make our family secret chocolate cookie dough, wrapp it so it can be placed in the freezer and used AFTER the holidays. Or, they can slice and bake them from the fridge during the holidays [http://realisa.org/gifting/]. We haven’t made this years gifts.

    Reply to Lisa's comment

    • Susy on December 15, 2010 at 10:36 am

      That’s a great idea – love the cookie dough.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  2. sarah Barnard on December 15, 2010 at 11:22 am

    I make English toffee and hand it out until Christmas. Easy enough to make and it seems like such a luxurious treat! I also leave little gifts on my neighbors porch late Christmas Eve. Christmas morning they wake up to a little surprise on their porch with a note of why we appreciate them so much. I love the cookie dough idea as well!

    Reply to sarah Barnard's comment

  3. warren on December 15, 2010 at 11:52 am

    Of course, we give out small jars of honey. In a lot of ways, it is how we pay off our neighbors for having bees on our property…but it works great!

    Reply to warren's comment

    • Susy on December 16, 2010 at 10:37 am

      Of course, the best way to make your neighbors love your bees!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  4. Michelle on December 15, 2010 at 11:58 am

    I am so bad about doing this…every year I have good intentions…then I don’t follow through! But this year I am going to make salted caramel and chocolate dipped pretzels….for neighbors and my mail lady. I’m also going to make some truffles for my mother and some chocolate covered almonds for my dad. We’re not exchanging gifts this year…but I’d still like to give a small gift!

    Reply to Michelle's comment

  5. Emma on December 15, 2010 at 12:35 pm

    What a great idea! My husband and I are just starting our venture toward homesteading and hope to move out to a small town within a year. It’s these stories that inspire us to try country living and get out of the Big City. I’m excited about the real possibility of getting to know our post office workers, UPS driver, and the other people in town that make small town life so pleasant.

    Thanks for sharing! You’ve inspired me to step up and make a little something for those who serve us day in and day out.

    Reply to Emma's comment

  6. Miranda on December 15, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    We always used to give cookies and a tip to our postman growing up. Nowadays i have 2 main postmen and several swing guys, so i’m never sure who’d get it and thus don’t give them anything. (that and the fact that half the time they don’t even pick up our outgoing mail, hmph).
    I do like to pass things to friends and neighbors, though. Especially since i love to bake cookies but hate the extra pounds EATING all those cookies would add.

    Reply to Miranda's comment

  7. Blake @ Salt, Teak & Fog on December 15, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    Yes, we do some baking/candy-making… and make some limoncello for those extra indispensable people! Your description of small town life is just so captivating, so genuine. We like to give treats out at the holidays, perhaps to bring a little small town charm to our big city.

    Reply to Blake @ Salt, Teak & Fog's comment

  8. Vegetable Garden Cook on December 15, 2010 at 6:17 pm

    I made some homemade peppermint bark and some almond roca this year… Unfortunately most of it ended up in my tummy, but I have some of it wrapped up for others!

    Reply to Vegetable Garden Cook's comment

  9. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mark mile, Susy Morris. Susy Morris said: Spreading Some Holiday Cheer http://goo.gl/fb/ucVTF #holidays #appreciation #goodies […]

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  10. MAYBELLINE on December 16, 2010 at 2:11 am

    Carmels. Oh my hips!

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  11. Sincerely, Emily on December 16, 2010 at 4:55 pm

    When I was younger we would put a “treat” in the mail box for the postman and one in the paper box for the paper “boy” and one in the milk box for the milkman. Great memories. I think those are all great ways to say Thank you for the service they provided. I always am good about saying “thank you” to people, but you have reminded me there are other ways to do that also and it doesn’t have to be something huge or expensive either, whether it is store bought or homemade! Thank you!!! Emily

    Reply to Sincerely, Emily's comment

  12. Hillary Guerra on December 24, 2010 at 6:40 am

    Yes, we do some baking/candy-making… and make some limoncello for those extra indispensable people! Your description of small town life is just so captivating, so genuine. We like to give treats out at the holidays, perhaps to bring a little small town charm to our big city.

    Reply to Hillary Guerra's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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