Robin,

This is my 3rd cookie exchange and we had such a good time this year.

Each person brought four dozen cookies, an unwrapped Christmas ornament and a wrapped Dirty Santa gift. I provided door prizes for the ice breaker game and served a variety of cheeses, fruit, artichoke dip with crackers and we sipped on Mimosas!

As the ladies filed in for the exchange, they were greeted by a friend who wrapped their ornament in tissue paper and placed the ornament in a Christmas lunch bag. The women then proceed to play an ice breaker game in groups of four at various tables set up in my home.

We played the 7-11 dice game. When someone rolls a 7 or 11 they get to take the wrapped present in the center of the table. If someone else rolls a 7 or 11 they take the gift away. The person that ends up with the present in front of them after the two minute timer goes off, keeps the gift. She stands up from the table and another person who isn't playing at a table starts to play also.

EVERYONE goes home with a "door prize". A hint is to hit the mall after Christmas and pick up the bulk of the door prizes for the following year's exchange.

We exchange our cookies and then play the Dirty Santa game with the gifts that the participants brought with them. Finally we exchange the ornaments that were wrapped in the Christmas lunch bags when the ladies entered the exchange. We all gather around and I read the "Right Left, Christmas Gift Exchange story" found on Robin's games page and cross my fingers that everyone gets an ornament other than the one they brought. ;)

I can't wait for our exchange this year!

Thank you for such a wonderful, helpful website!

Kate Locke
THLCCL1@aol.com
Jenks, OK