Before it does though, I wanted to tell you about a great organization that brings a little something extra to the lives of people who are down on their luck. While it might not fill a clear-cut need, I think something that brings a smile to faces fills an absolute need of delivering a little happiness … a little feeling of being special … to people who really need it.

Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry at the BlogHer Boston conference. She is a food writer and founder of Drop In & Decorate, a Rhode Island-based, tax-exempt nonprofit organization. This organization provides support for cooking decorating events held around the country and abroad, with the cookies produced being donated. This year, the nonprofit has support from some major companies who are making it easier than ever to just drop in.

What’s it all about? Here’s the basics, direct from Lydia:

The idea behind Drop In & Decorate is simple: bake some cookies; gather a group of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, your worship group or book group to decorate the cookies together; donate the cookies to a nonprofit agency serving basic human needs in your own community. It’s a simple idea in a complicated world, and  something anyone can do.

If you’d like to host your own Drop In & Decorate® event, Pillsbury and Wilton would like to help. Pillsbury has donated 50 VIP coupons, worth $3.00 each, off any Pillsbury product — including sugar cookie mix, icing and flour — to be distributed, first come, first served, while supply lasts, to anyone who plans to host a Drop In & Decorate event (max. 5 coupons per person). And we’ll include a Comfort Grip cookie cutter, donated by Wilton, while our supply lasts.

Write to lydia AT ninecooks DOT com for more info on how to get your free coupons and cookie cutters.

It’s such a simple thing: to bake and decorate cookies. But it can mean so much. If you are looking for something charitable to do as a family, group or school this holiday season, check into Drop In & Decorate.

Ok. So yes. I am a native New Yorker (however living outside of New York, but still closeby). And yes, I had never been to The Container Store . . . until today. Oh. My. God. I am such a container junky (and no, I actually didn’t buy anything due to an unreasonably long line).

Here are some items of interest though that I located and plan to purchase later:

• Salad Blaster Bowl - This AWESOME bowl lets you transport your salad and dressing in the same container without having them mixed (which everyone knows causes wilting). When you are ready, you push in a button on the lid and the dressing falls onto the salad. How cool is that?
• Snack and Dip - Ok. I wasn’t convinced when I saw this, but the more I’ve considered it, the cooler I think it is. Honestly, I do take a lot of dips and dippers to work, and this handy container lets you compactly transport them together. YAY!
• Sandwich Plus Lunch Container - I don’t take many sandwiches to work, but this is such a nifty container with to parts – one for the sandwich and a second with divided portions to store whatever else you bring like (mmmm) pickles, fruit and veggies. Take a look. It’s very cool

Three things that are ALWAYS in my fridge:
1) Salsa
2) Barbecue sauce
3) Cheese

Three things that are NEVER in my fridge:
1) Grape juice (I hate the stuff and have since I spilled it on me while in my sleeping bag at camp when I was 11)
2) Horseradish (YUCK!!!)
3) Scallops (They make me so sick)

Check out Sweetnicks for a roundup.