The Sweetest Gems

As a child, holiday cookie decorating was pure magic to me. My mom would put together a rainbow of frosting in ziplock bags, ready to transform a batch of sugar cookies into little works of art.

These blank canvases... stars, trees, ornaments... were ours to turn into the sweetest gems. It was a tradition I couldn't imagine my own kids missing out on, so I carried it forward, and each year, I got to see the same wonder sparkle in their eyes.

Watching them concentrate, creating imaginative color combinations, adding just a little frosting here or way too much there, and turning one shape into something delightfully unexpected... it's all part of the joy.

Ideas bounce from one to the other... frosting spills over edges and onto the counter...

a beautiful, colorful mess that fills the kitchen with laughter.

In the end, they carefully picked their very best cookie and set it aside as a gift for Santa on Christmas Eve...

a little treasure full of love and tradition.