I am so terrible about taking pictures when I get together with friends. Chalk it up to having too much fun and not remembering (and not wanting to be intrusive), I guess!
So, with only four pictures to show for last night, our mini trip to Orlando for Laurel’s Christmas party was a great time.
I got to see some of my favorite girls and celebrate. Two of my friends, Laurel and Kaitlyn (seated on the ends), graduated from graduate school on Friday and Leah (seated in the middle) got engaged at the beginning of the month!
Ryan and I arrived in Orlando in the early evening and immediately felt nostalgic for our old hometown. It really was such a fun place to live.
Laurel’s Christmas party included dinner and a cookie exchange, so we arrived hungry and immediately dug into appetizers when we got there. I ate so much crab dip, meatballs, white chocolate peppermint Chex mix and cheese puffs that when it was actually time for dinner I was hardly hungry. I need to learn how to pace myself better, but the ham, mashed potatoes and green beans were also delicious!
We spent the night just hanging out and catching up with our friends. The white elephant gift exchange was basically awesome!
Ryan and I left with two different baking mixes which made me a happy camper.
I see some brownies and winter white cupcakes in our future!
We also had to play Catch Phrase because that game is so much fun!
My team lost, but it was a close game and both the winners and the losers got cookies!
I brought three different kinds of cookies to share, but my favorite of the three were the green swirl cookies in the middle of the above picture which I made by following a recipe from Our Italian Kitchen. They tasted like buttery shortbread!
I left with a whole container of cookies and a tin of homemade toffee from Leah.
And speaking of cookies, here’s today’s featured cookie recipes from the cookie recipe link up! Recipes will be posted through Christmas Day from the comments section of the cookie recipe link up post, so there’s still time to submit your favorite cookie or bar recipe if you’d like!
Cookie Recipe Link Up
- Cranberry Hootycreek Cookies (Submitted by Terri)
- Butterscotch Blondie Bars with Peanuts and Pretzels (Submitted by Caitlin)
- Ultimate Fudge Topped Oreo Brownie Bars (Submitted by Baby’s Mood via Kevin & Amanda)
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Those fudge topped oreo brownie bars look amazing!
Wow, you actually left the party with really good gifts! Most white elephant gifts I receive end up in the trash!
I don’t take too many pictures when I’m visiting with friends, either. A few pictures is fun, but after a while, I think they think I’m just taking pictures for entertainment purposes on my blog haha! And I don’t want them to feel used! 😉
So fun! What were some other gifts that people brought?
I have a white elephant gift exchange at work Tuesday, but I don’t know what I’m bringing!
Looks like such a fun night! And with very yummy food!
Looks like such a fun night. 🙂 I came out a White Elephant gift exchange the other night with a $30 Target gift card—I was pleasantly surprised, haha!
Looks like a great night!! Great cookie recipes! Thanks 🙂
I am totally the same with pictures — I often either 1. am having so much fun that I totally forget to take them or 2. if I do remember, I feel like I am making everyone feel self conscious.
I’m the same way! I usually end up simply forgetting, but I also don’t want to feel too intrusive especially when people know I will be blogging the photos later!
Those butterscotch blondies look amazing!!
What a fun party! And that last cookie recipe, the Oreo bars, looks so good!
Those oreo brownie bars look sinfully delicious!
I love this cookie linkup idea. I was a little late to the party, but left my link for you today and I really hope you share it. It’s so easy and so delicious. 🙂
Those Oreo bars look like the kind of dessert that would make going up a jeans size worth it- WOW!
I love catch phrase! Best game ever. Looks like you guys had a ton of fun!
what a fun evening! i love catch phrase too – definitely one of my favorite games with a group of people. and wow, those oreo brownie bars you featured in your link up look incredible!
Holy yes! I am so making those pretzel blondies. They’ll be my Christmas gift from me to me. HA!
You came away with great white elephant gifts! Success! Do you happen to have the recipe for the white chocolate peppermint Chex mix? It sounds so good! It also has inspired me to make the original Chex mix today!
these are to die for: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/10/peanut-butter-brownies/ 🙂 🙂 🙂 peanut butter brownies!
ooooh wow. yum!
Pacing at the holidays? With all that food?! Never! Haha. Last night I was “in” recovering from my bout with the flu and had to miss out on tons of festivities with my boyfriend’s family in Chicago, so I made sure to indulge in numerous chocolate chip cookies, homemade soup, snacks and chocolate! I thought I would have better control before the holidays…not so much…had to celebrate my getting better! Hehe.
Looks like a GREAT evening! Love Christmas with friends!! Happy Sunday 🙂
Hi Julie,
that looks like a fun night and it reminded me that today is actually my “pbfingers anniversary”. Last year, on sunday before Christmas I was invited to a Christmas cookie exchange party and frantically googled last minute recipes for peanutbutter cookies when I stumbled upon your blog! I was immediately hooked and it opened a whole world of fabulous, independant and healthy living women/ bloggers to me!
I am so glad I found your blog AND your pb cookies were a total hit!
Enjoy your sunday!
this comment made me smile so big!!! 🙂 thank you for continuing to read, yacine!
It looks like you had an awesome time! Congrats to your friends with such exciting changes in their life!
love your pink dress! is that cynthia rowley from tj maxx?! weird question, i just have a very similar one in black! : )
yes!! and i wanted it in black but they were out of my size. i also saw it in a deep gray that was really pretty!
Baking mixes? What a great idea!
Where’s your dress from- super cute! I can’t believe you can wear that now (in December) though- I had on like 3 layers here in D.C. to go out last night haha.
thank you! it’s from tjmaxx and the brand is cynthia rowley.
Looks like you had a blast!
I HAVE to try the last cookie you made….wowsa!
Oh I’m so the same about taking photos! I am taking a photography course in Jan so I’m hoping it will encourage me to take more photos of get-togethers with my friends! I also find if I take a couple at the beginning of the night at least if my camera gets forgotten about later on I will have 1 or 2 photos!
I’m horrible at taking pictures when I’m at parties and get-togethers. When I’m having fun with friends the idea of whipping out my camera falls to the wayside. You do a better job than I do!
Those green swirl cookies are so cute and festive! Looks like a fun (and delicious) party. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the cookie recipes. I made the snickerdoodle cake cookies and the chocolate crinkle cake cookies to share with my coworkers tomorrow. They both turned out very yummy and I think will be well received.
I actually just keep a camera in my purse that way if I feel like capturing the moment I’ve got my good camera with me. Have a great Sunday!
oooh i hope they’re a hit!!
this is kinda random but ever since you posted about that blue bell christmas cookie ice cream, ive been trying to find it! i live in orlando and cant find it at walmart or publix 🙁 where did you get it? im dying to to try it
how frustrating! we got ours at publix. 🙁
All of that food looks incredible!
You guys are so cute. Catch Phrase is literally one of the best party games ever. The first shot looks just like your homepage head shot!
Looks like a fun time at the Christmas party. I love Catch Phrase – we play it all the time!
I’m loving all the cookies recipes!
Oh my, I just said I wasn’t making anymore cookies and sweets but these treats are to die for. I just can’t say no.
Glad you had such a wonderful time with friends. That’s what the holidays are for. Have a wonderful week and Merry Christmas.
Is that dress on your fashion page!? I love it.
What’s sad is that in my reunions with friends we always end up in sweat pants and comfy sweatshirts!
Fun!!
I just left an office party white elephant with the recipe for panera mac & Cheese (to die for), and Santa’s Whiskers christmas cookie recipe.
You gotta try both of these!
Do you think you could get the recipe for that white chocolate peppermint Chex mix? I “need” to make some. LOL. Thanks.
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