So I found myself this year looking for something new. I'm not afraid to do a gift that requires work ... I've got the time, so the work doesn't bother me. I looked high and low (also known as "Pintrest") for a good idea. I couldn't find anything I loved. I need something I can make for the masses, and I mean masses. I finally decided on hot chocolate spoons. So I ordered the wooden spoons on Amazon, bought the cute washi tape, bought all the chocolate and toppings, bought the individual ziploc bags, bought the treat bags, made the tags, and got to work. It was so many steps! First, tape the spoons (like an idiot, I put the tape the entire length of the spoon. Then I realized that the tape would then go in their hot chocolate, that'd be bad, so I had to retape every one. Annoying.). Then I dipped and topped them - that was fast and easy. I did milk chocolate with mini marshmallow bits (which I found at Albertsons- took me 5 stores to find those), Christmas sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, drizzled white chocolate, and crushed candy canes. Then I did the same toppings on spoons dipped in white chocolate. The dipping was actually the fastest part of the assembly. Then I had to put them all in individual bags (that I found super cheap at Cash and Carry), then assemble them into bags - specific to families. Then I had to tie tags on to each bag, with cute ribbon saying to add this to their next cup of hot chocolate. This was another hang up. Tyler thought people would be confused - like they would just added it to milk, not hot chocolate. They certainly don't have enough chocolate to become hot chocolate, it's just a fun addition to hot chocolate. But Tyler thought people would be confused, Derek thought it was dumb we weren't supplying hot chocolate, and then I heard of one friend who got our spoons and was actually confused, adding it to plain milk (after I had adamantly said that no one could be confused). Then there's the plain number of how many spoons you have to do. I ordered 200 spoons - my thinking being I do about 40 families, and they average 5 people per family. I was WAY off! I only got half way through my list. This year we did 65 families, who average closer to 6 or 7, so instead of 200 I needed closer to 400. So then I still ended up doing 30 bags of moose munch on top of the spoons. After it was all said and done, I didn't love the spoons. Super cute, but too many issues. Two thumbs down from my family. Way down if you ask Derek and Tyler (who is extremely opinionated for being a 14 year old boy).
Too much tape - bummer
So that leaves me thinking about next year ... I'm thinking a treat bag filled with different kinds of cookies. If I did 4 different kinds (chocolate chip, peanut butter, snicker doodles, and chocolate with crushed candy canes), I could do 2 of each - giving each family 8 cookies. And, the best part, I could make them early and freeze them. I could have them bagged and tagged and in the freezer. I could have them done before thanksgiving! Gasp! I think I'd need 11 dozen of 4 different kinds. I could just bag them in treat bags and tie on a tag with baker's twine - easier than ribbon. Bring on cookies for next year.
