Over the years, I have volunteered for a number of different organizations. And I’ve done it for a number of reasons: desire to help people in need, passion for a particular cause, and an interest in growing my community. Never once did I decide to do it because of a strong need to feel appreciated.

That said, I have a confession: when, at one organization, I felt frustrated over their poor communication and unresponsiveness, I kind of lost the drive to continue giving my valuable time and talent. And, after repeated incidents of feeling like all of my work was just being sucked into a gaping void, I decided to step down.  

Although the Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone, at Baudville, we don’t see any reason to stop being thankful. In fact, we like to think we’re just getting warmed up! 

As we reflect on the year, we can’t help but feel deep appreciation for those who make our business thrive: that’s you! We realize that you, our loyal customers, are truly essential to our success. Thank you! 

With Christmas only one week away, those of us in the office who like to bake – and like to eat baked goods – have sugar plums, candies, and cookies dancing in our heads. If you’re like me, you may spend days in the kitchen making goodies to share with neighbors, friends, family, and party hosts. It’s a lot of time and a lot of work!

This year, one of my teammates arranged a cookie exchange among our department. Ten of us signed up for the very easy swap: bake enough of your favorite cookie to share with nine other coworkers. The result was fabulous! We didn’t all have to spend the entire weekend in the kitchen, but we got a delicious variety of sweet and chocolatey treats to share with friends and family.

When we got together for the exchange, we had fun learning about the different kinds of cookies and admiring the unique holiday packaging (we declared Hobby Lobby the best resource for cute bags). We each talked about the type of cookie we made and explained the significance, if any, of the recipe. I made my family’s sugar cookie recipe and decorated each cookie, while one of our designers made an authentic Bosnian dessert. Next year, we’ll each bring a recipe card for the exchange, too, so we can recreate a new holiday favorite.

This is a really easy and fun team activity. Everyone gets to take home delicious goodies and share a little bit about their holiday traditions, too. In our cookie exchange, we had brand new recipes and family favorites shared. You can use this opportunity to learn more about your teammates as individuals and celebrate the holiday season in a friendly way.

Here are a few of the recipes we swapped in our office cookie exchange: 

Last Friday night, Baudvillians gathered together to see who had Lady Luck on their side at Baudville’s Vegas themed Year End Party. Baudville played their cards right, because the party was a blast for all!
    

When we arrived each employee received an envelope filled with playing cards. The cards were used to raffle off dozens of gifts that were lined up on a table. Throughout the night, employee’s names were called and employees won gifts from a 32” T.V. to gift certificates for dinner and a movie.  
    

If your office is anything like ours during November and December, then there’s probably a tray of cookies, a tin of peppermint bark, and/or a basket of gourmet cheese around every corner—as well as a sneaky little feast fairy waiting to sprinkle on the unwanted pounds. Definitely not the kind of holiday magic any of us is wishing for!