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Tempur-Pedic and Clever Girls asked me if I would write about my holiday comforts, and since I can’t seem to STOP writing about the holidays it was easy to say yes.

For me, the holidays are all about the cookies. I have so many memories of my mom making Christmas cookies as a kid – papparkakor with piped white icing (recipe coming soon!), thumbprints, spritz in “S” and “C” shapes through the cookie press, toffee, tea cakes, raspberry bars, these amazing little meringue mushrooms (they look so much like real mushrooms people are scared to eat them) and most of all sugar cookies with colored frosting and sprinkles. She would patiently make up all the colors – blue, white, yellow, red, green –  then frost the different shapes – houses, Santas, stars, trees, gingerbread men, stockings, bells, candy canes, angels – and pass them to my sister and I so we could create our masterpieces. And when the inevitable moment came that we got bored with sprinkles and wandered off to go shake our presents with sticky fingers, she finished the rest of the batch for us.

Mom always started the cookies right after Thanksgiving and then popped them in the freezer so whenever we had family or friends over there would be a variety plate. Dude, I REALLY LOVED the variety plate. Cookies defrost pretty fast sitting on a counter, but I used to end up eating half-frozen sugar cookies just to make sure no one ate the best ones before me. I might have a cookie addiction. WHAT, I CAN STOP WHENEVER I WANT.

Four different kinds of Christmas cookies is JUST THE BEGINNING of my baking.

Although I keep talking about cookies, what I’m talking about is really MORE than cookies. We were a military family, often separated from my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins by thousands of miles. And even though we were always together, we couldn’t create yearly traditions based on where we lived – like always visiting the good Santa at the fancy mall or going to see the local light parade – because we moved around so much. But no matter where we were, there were always cookies.

Now I’m carrying on the Christmas cookie tradition with my own kids. We’re STILL a military family and I know the traditions we’re established here in Connecticut aren’t going to last forever so I want them to experience the comforting feeling of being home for the holidays…wherever home might be.

Comfort is the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday gift list, so be sure to take advantage of Tempur-Pedic’s Buy 2, get 1 free pillow offer! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Tags: baking, Christmas, cookies, family, holidays, sponsored, traditions