The 12 days of caring can be done in any order you wish. You can do them for 12 straight days or every other day. The joy of giving is what the holiday season is all about!

1st- SECRET ELF- Leave a special poem, a small gift, plant or holiday story at a homebound neighbor or someone in need. You can continue this daily or weekly throughout the month!

2nd- CARING COOKIES - Make your favorite cookies for someone special in your life. You could give them to a teacher, a relative, a neighbor, or a friend. Check the recipe below.

3rd- BIRD EXTRAVAGANZA- Decorate a tree for the birds. Cover pinecones with peanut butter and dip them in birdseed. String popcorn and cranberries. Cut up apples, oranges, and other fruits to hang pieces on the tree.

4th- HOLIDAY KITS- Create a holiday project for a child that cannot afford to buy a present for someone he or she loves. Put together everything a child would need to make a present for a loved one.

5th- TABLE DECORATIONS- Make a holiday centerpiece or place mats for a local senior center or deliver some to Meals on Wheels.

6th CARING CALENDAR- Interview an elderly neighbor or a relative and find out the important dates in their lives. Create a calendar with handmade pictures or photos and fill in the special dates. This can be done on the computer, by hand or with a calendar kit.

7th- HOLIDAY HOPE CHEST – Fill a shoebox with small gifts and a card for a homeless child or someone that will be spending the holidays in the hospital.

8th- KITTY AND PUPPY LOVE – Bring cat and dog food, clean old towels and clean blankets, newspapers and paper towels to your local animal rescue shelter along with some extra kitty and puppy “treats” or animal toy. And can you change Happy Holidays From Family Cares to FamilyCares!

9th- SOUP TO SHARE- Make a container of homemade soup and give it to someone that is very stressed out or depressed and needs to know that someone really cares for them. Check out the Tortellini Soup recipe.

10th- DECK THE HALLS- Decorate a shelter, senior center, community center or an elderly person's home in your neighborhood. Find out which holiday they celebrate and make some bright decorations that they can hang up in their windows. You could also make BIRDFEEDERS for them to hang right outside their window.

11th-FUDGE DELIVERY… Remember your garbage man, postman, bus driver and any other deliveryman that may stop at your home on a regular basis. Make some homemade fudge and a special holiday card.

12th- CARING FAMILY MEAL- This can be made for your own family, a relative a neighbor or all of the above! The hope is that everyone in your family participates in the planning and the preparation of a special meal. You can use your own family favorites or check out our recipe area.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM FAMILY CARES!

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:
¾ cup butter
1 1/8 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder

How to:
Using your electric mixer, combine the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs and then the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. If it seems too dry, add a little milk. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough out on a floured surface. Use a variety of cookie cutters to make your favorite shaped cookies. Decorate them with sprinkles and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen.