And We're Off!

OK, today was our first day as The Cookie Fairies! I took A aside and told her we were going to make cookies and deliver them to whoever The Spirit told us to go to. She was incredibly excited- though admittedly, she also wanted to know if we could eat the cookies!

I decided that we would make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. It's not fall, but I had never made them before- even though I love them- so that's what we made.   

 I think we make a pretty great duo!

 To see this look on her face makes all the effort worth it!

 The finished product:

 And, of course, we HAD to test taste them to make sure they were good! (I am not certain this endeavor will not be good for our waistlines- we will have to do more physical activities to make up for it!)

Overall, I think we are on a good track. It was a lot of fun delivering the cookies, and as you can tell from the photos- A LOVED it!

Why The Blog?

I have absolutely no desire to flaunt what we are doing or to seek the praise of the world- at all. But, I decided to create a blog about our experiences for two reasons:

1. To record what we are doing. I am hoping this is a family tradition that will continue for years, and perhaps be passed onto my grandchildren. I want our experiences on record, and a blog is an easy way to do that. Plus, I can print it off into a book so the children will always have a record of what we have done. I also want them to know that we are seeking the Spirit to guide us in this endeavor, and I want that testimony to be written down so that they know that their mom loved the Lord, loved serving others, and had a testimony that the Holy Ghost hears and answers prayers- even in something as small as who to deliver cookies to.

2. It's possible that a stranger surfing the internet might accidentally come across this blog and be impressed to do something similar- maybe not cookies, maybe nothing that involves baking- just something small that they can do for those around them to make those around them feel loved and valued. If that's the case, please leave a comment and let me know what you are doing to change your sphere of influence!

Goals Of The Cookie Fairies

There are several reasons I finally decided to make a concerted effort to be The Cookie Fairies. Here are some of my goals and the reasons why we are doing what we are doing:

1. I want my children to know the positive feelings associated with serving others

2. I want to serve WITH my children- to improve our bond

3. Everytime we bake cookies, we are going to pray about who we should bring the cookies to. Specifically, we are going to ask the Lord who is in need of a smile or a little extra love. Then, we are going to listen to the Holy Ghost testify to us who we should bring the cookies to. I hope to teach my children how to listen to the promptings of the Spirit and how to HEAR what the Spirit is saying so that they can learn how to follow His voice.

4. Hopefully, we will lift up the sad and bring joy to those who may be struggling.

5. An added bonus is teaching my daughters how to bake- a dying skill, but definitely a worthwhile skill to know (especially if you have a husband like mine who thinks that cookies solve all problems!)

***I am under no illusion that delivering cookies is going to radically change the world. I will not pretend that our level of service is anywhere near that of Mother Theresa. But nevertheless, if we can use cookies to spread our love and also the love the Savior has for each of us, then I will feel pretty good about what we are doing!

Why The Cookie Fairies?

I am a mother of 2 young girls. I am also passionate about serving others. Since becoming a stay at home mom (a position I sincerely love with all of my heart, and by far my #1 "job"), I have not been able to serve in the community as I would like.

Feeling like I wanted to contribute more to the community, I attended a Volunteer Fair put on by our local government. It was wonderful- there were dozens of incredibly worthy causes seeking volunteers. Everything ranging from cleaning the backcountry to tutoring foster kids was available. All of these causes are tremendous- and there are thousands of people doing invaluable service every day.

But none of those quite felt right for me at this stage in life. You see, the thing I am most passionate about is my kids. And, yes, I could get a baby-sitter once a month so I could go and volunteer at one of these fantastic groups and I am certain I would have a wonderful time and I would be able to help others and make a positive impact.

The problem was, there was nothing at the volunteer fair that I was overly passionate about- nothing that I wanted to leave my children to go and do instead of being with them. Again, I am not saying these causes were not worth my time- on the contrary, I thought they were all fantastic. They just didn't quite fit what I am looking for right now in my life.

So I came up with the idea of The Cookie Fairies. This is a service I can do with my children- I can teach them how to love and serve others. Instead of taking me from my children, I am hoping this will bring me closer to my children.

And that is how the idea of the The Cookie Fairies was born.

What Are The Cookie Fairies?

We are a mother/daughter duo who don't necessarily want to change the world, but we do want to possibly help influence those within our sphere of influence. We bake cookies and deliver them to whoever we feel inspired- those who may be feeling down and/or are having a rough time.