Use my code HELEN for 20 percent off all items fro Use my code HELEN for 20 percent off all items from @chatbooks. 

As a mom I can’t recommend @chatbooks enough! I snap hundreds of pics of my toddler and I don’t want them to just live on my phone. For $15 a month I order these monthly hardcover books in the sage ombré. 

From the Chatbooks app, I just pop in my favorite photos from the month and send to print. This would also make an incredible gift for grandparents as we start heading into the holiday season and planning our presents. 

#chatbooks #cbadvocate #dailymotherhood #realmotherhood #socialmediamom
Come with me to the @bridgertonexperience #bridg Come with me to the @bridgertonexperience 

#bridgertonexperience #regencyfashion #bridgerton #atlantablogger #georgiablogger
Some of my recent finds on Amazon! The black dress Some of my recent finds on Amazon! The black dress is my favorite from this haul. Which look is your favorite? 

All of these items are linked in the @shop.ltk app! Follow me there for daily outfits and favorite finds. My username is helengbailey!

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #amazonfashion #amazonfinds
Bridgerton dress reveal! Find out which dress I wo Bridgerton dress reveal! Find out which dress I wore to the @bridgertonexperience! Thanks for all your input! It really came down to the last minute, I was changing back and forth until we walked out the door. 

Don’t worry, you see this one and my second choice in a mom-and-baby Halloween costume in October. 😉

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #regencydress #bridgertonexperience
Is there anything scarier than the first time your Is there anything scarier than the first time your baby climbs the stairs?? Here’s how we keep our little dude off the stairs. We have an open floor plan and asymmetrical stairs and here is the gate we use! We love this retractable baby gate to keep our little man safe!

If you are a human-mom or a fur-mom, how do you keep your baby safe in one area?

Our baby gate retracts up to 71 inches and is less than $50! I’m linking the exact gate we use and some similar options in the @shop.ltk app! https://liketk.it/3LtQE
#dailymotherhood #realmotherhood #socialmediamom #lifestyleblogging #atlantablogger #lifestyleinfluencer #mombloggers #familyblog #familyblogger #bloggervibes #bloggerlove #mombloggersofinstagram #babygate
Loving these cute recent finds from @express! The Loving these cute recent finds from @express! The white dress is my favorite!

All of these are linked in the @shop.ltk app! Follow me (helengbailey) for daily outfits, favorite finds and products I love!

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #expressyou
The best week with the best people! Here’s a lit The best week with the best people! Here’s a little photo dump of all of our fair fun. So happy my little guy loves the Neshoba County Fair as much as I do! 🎡 

#dailymotherhood #realmotherhood #socialmediamom #lifestyleblogging #atlantablogger #lifestyleinfluencer #mombloggers #familyblog #familyblogger #bloggervibes #bloggerlove #mombloggersofinstagram #neshobacountyfair #mississippisgianthouseparty
I have found some great Amazon finds lately! Here I have found some great Amazon finds lately! Here are five outfits using Amazon pieces.

I’m linking everything in my Amazon Storefront (www.Amazon.com/shop/helengbailey) and in the LTK app! (Helengbailey)

Which one is your favorite? I like number 4! 

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #amazonfashion
3 ways to style a cropped blazer! Which look is yo 3 ways to style a cropped blazer! Which look is your favorite? 1, 2, or 3? 

Linking all of these in the @shop.ltk app! My username is helengbailey. Easily shop my entire Instagram, daily finds and favorite pieces on this free app. 

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #expressyou
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Food · November 30, 2018

Holiday Tips for Cookie Decorating

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is decorating tacky sweater cookies with my family. We’ve done it for years now. We schedule a whole day devoted just to decorating, pull out all our tools, and spend hours crafting the perfect cookies. It’s been a lot of trial and error for us over the years, and today I want to share my tips for cookie decorating!

Let’s dive right in shall we?

Tip 1: Roll your dough thin. My sister is really the master baker in our family, so she and my mom tend to get this job. I get lazy and don’t roll the dough thin enough then rudolph looks like he’s had one too many holiday fruit cakes. It get real real puffy and that’s hard to decorate. So roll it thin.

Tip 2: Use flour while you’re rolling. However much you think you need, double it. Heck, triple it. If you use flour constantly while you are rolling your dough, you will be able to get the thinness I was talking about. Also it will prevent the dough from sticking to the pin. Oh, and don’t forget to roll your dough on wax paper.

Tip 3: Use metal cookie cutters. Plastic cookie cutters don’t cut the mustard. Metal cookie cutters give you the well defined shape you are looking for and make it easy to cut the dough rather than having to jiggle it over and over to free the shape. Check out a few here, here, here, and here (these are fun because they have sweater vests and v-necks but they are a little smaller than the others.)

Tip 4: Use the proper tools. Just slathering on some icing tastes good, sure, but won’t give you the details you are looking for on your cookie. Bringing other tools to the table will help you create unique effects. Some of my favorite but simple tools are toothpicks, Ziploc bags with the corners cut off, and tweezers. I use toothpicks to create a marbling effect. Ziploc bags are a great cheap alternative (with a super easy clean-up) to piping bags. Tweezers help you with placing the details gently on your cookie.

Tip 5: Have a variety of decorations. Don’t just get red and green sprinkles. Think about the details. How would you make jingle bells, candy canes, Rudolph? One of my favorite cookies last year was the “Mele Kalikimaka” sweater cookie and it’s blue. Get lots of colors, sizes, and varieties of decor. You will probably have to walk down to the baking aisle rather than just park it in the Christmas section at Target. HOWEVER, do stop and get this pack of icing because it’s the best. The nozzle is the jam for cookie decorating. I always recommend white icing and food coloring to achieve the perfect colors.

Bonus tip 6: Have fun and don’t care about perfection. My brother’s cookies are always my favorites. While some of us are concerned with the details, he is having fun and crafting quite the concoctions. His “masterpieces” usually result with us rolling laughing, and simultaneously create my favorite memories.

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

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In: Food

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Comments

  1. Cara Owens-Kindly Unspoken says

    November 30, 2018 at 9:21 am

    Oh my gosh you are so talented girl! These are beautiful! Admittedly I’ve never made sugar cookies but would love to try with my boys this year. These tips are super helpful so definitely saving this for later.

  2. Beth_Daily_Dog_Tag says

    November 30, 2018 at 9:57 am

    Your cookies are so cute! I love baking cookies but I’m not good at decorating them. I’ll have to try these tips, but I’m so impatient, I’m not sure I can pull it off.

  3. Ashley Stephenson says

    November 30, 2018 at 10:47 am

    These are so good! My husband and I always make cookies each year but they always look like toddlers did them!

  4. Chloe Hamard says

    November 30, 2018 at 11:07 am

    I was looking at how to make good holiday cookies so this post is actually coming in handy!

  5. Trish says

    November 30, 2018 at 12:08 pm

    Great tips! I love Christmas cookies, have metal cutters here, but have not done this the past few years. I think you have inspired me to do this soon!

  6. Kay R. says

    November 30, 2018 at 1:02 pm

    Great tips girlie and those cookies look so good!

  7. Yulissa Rosario Santiago says

    November 30, 2018 at 7:21 pm

    I love baking cookies with my daughter! She loves using loooooots of flour ? I’m concerned about perfection and her cookies are just masterpieces because she is just having fun.

  8. Amanda K says

    November 30, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    These are all great tips! My mom and I make cookies like this every year!

  9. Indya | TheSmallAdventurer says

    December 1, 2018 at 1:58 am

    Love these tips! Making and decorating cookies is one of my favourite things to do, especially this time of year. I love my cookie cutter collection, I’ve even started making my own and it’s so much fun! Also I couldn’t agree more on the “need more flour” rule ??

  10. Jiawun | Beauty Nerd By Night says

    December 1, 2018 at 9:21 am

    These are such great ideas! I had a lot of fun decorating Gingerbread Men Cookies with my Mom last year. They definitely weren’t as pretty as your cookies, but we had a lot of fun and spent time together, which is all that matters! 🙂 I’m looking forward to doing it with her again this year so these tips are really helpful! Thanks for sharing x

  11. Summer @ Coffee With Summer says

    December 1, 2018 at 11:11 am

    So, so cute! I really want to do some baking this month – these are so fun!

  12. Shana Lee says

    December 1, 2018 at 5:28 pm

    These cookies are too cute! My daughter would have so much fun making theses!

  13. Mar says

    December 1, 2018 at 9:34 pm

    These are great! I can appreciate an ugly Christmas sweater.

  14. Nicole Pharr says

    December 1, 2018 at 11:36 pm

    This is so cool, I know my girls would love to do something like this. Forming traditions like this are so important. I just love how you all make a day out of it.

  15. Jasmine Maria says

    December 2, 2018 at 5:08 pm

    Oh we can’t to decorate gingerbread cookies.

  16. Adriana says

    December 2, 2018 at 9:23 pm

    Love your tips! Cookie decorating is THE best ever!

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Use my code HELEN for 20 percent off all items fro Use my code HELEN for 20 percent off all items from @chatbooks. 

As a mom I can’t recommend @chatbooks enough! I snap hundreds of pics of my toddler and I don’t want them to just live on my phone. For $15 a month I order these monthly hardcover books in the sage ombré. 

From the Chatbooks app, I just pop in my favorite photos from the month and send to print. This would also make an incredible gift for grandparents as we start heading into the holiday season and planning our presents. 

#chatbooks #cbadvocate #dailymotherhood #realmotherhood #socialmediamom
Come with me to the @bridgertonexperience #bridg Come with me to the @bridgertonexperience 

#bridgertonexperience #regencyfashion #bridgerton #atlantablogger #georgiablogger
Some of my recent finds on Amazon! The black dress Some of my recent finds on Amazon! The black dress is my favorite from this haul. Which look is your favorite? 

All of these items are linked in the @shop.ltk app! Follow me there for daily outfits and favorite finds. My username is helengbailey!

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #amazonfashion #amazonfinds
Bridgerton dress reveal! Find out which dress I wo Bridgerton dress reveal! Find out which dress I wore to the @bridgertonexperience! Thanks for all your input! It really came down to the last minute, I was changing back and forth until we walked out the door. 

Don’t worry, you see this one and my second choice in a mom-and-baby Halloween costume in October. 😉

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #regencydress #bridgertonexperience
Is there anything scarier than the first time your Is there anything scarier than the first time your baby climbs the stairs?? Here’s how we keep our little dude off the stairs. We have an open floor plan and asymmetrical stairs and here is the gate we use! We love this retractable baby gate to keep our little man safe!

If you are a human-mom or a fur-mom, how do you keep your baby safe in one area?

Our baby gate retracts up to 71 inches and is less than $50! I’m linking the exact gate we use and some similar options in the @shop.ltk app! https://liketk.it/3LtQE
#dailymotherhood #realmotherhood #socialmediamom #lifestyleblogging #atlantablogger #lifestyleinfluencer #mombloggers #familyblog #familyblogger #bloggervibes #bloggerlove #mombloggersofinstagram #babygate
Loving these cute recent finds from @express! The Loving these cute recent finds from @express! The white dress is my favorite!

All of these are linked in the @shop.ltk app! Follow me (helengbailey) for daily outfits, favorite finds and products I love!

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #expressyou
The best week with the best people! Here’s a lit The best week with the best people! Here’s a little photo dump of all of our fair fun. So happy my little guy loves the Neshoba County Fair as much as I do! 🎡 

#dailymotherhood #realmotherhood #socialmediamom #lifestyleblogging #atlantablogger #lifestyleinfluencer #mombloggers #familyblog #familyblogger #bloggervibes #bloggerlove #mombloggersofinstagram #neshobacountyfair #mississippisgianthouseparty
I have found some great Amazon finds lately! Here I have found some great Amazon finds lately! Here are five outfits using Amazon pieces.

I’m linking everything in my Amazon Storefront (www.Amazon.com/shop/helengbailey) and in the LTK app! (Helengbailey)

Which one is your favorite? I like number 4! 

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #amazonfashion
3 ways to style a cropped blazer! Which look is yo 3 ways to style a cropped blazer! Which look is your favorite? 1, 2, or 3? 

Linking all of these in the @shop.ltk app! My username is helengbailey. Easily shop my entire Instagram, daily finds and favorite pieces on this free app. 

#midsizestyle #midsizestyleblogger  #midsizestyleinspo #styleblogging #styleblogs #styleblogg #fashionblogger #fashionblogg #fashionblogging #fashionblogpost #fashionblogs #fashionblogers #blogstyle #expressyou
This floral dress is made for wedding season! 🌸 This floral dress is made for wedding season! 🌸🌹 It comes in three colors and it just so cute with the ruffles and pleated skirt. 

Plus, very exciting, @chichiclothing has officially launched in the US! This is the place to shop for wedding guest dresses. So if you have a wedding coming up, check out their wedding guest shop.

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