Summer is winding down, and Labor Day is just a couple of weeks away. School is starting back up, with that comes packing lunches and after school snacks. One of my favorite after school snacks was my grandmother’s fresh baked cookies.

Since this time of year always makes me a little nostalgic for homemade cookies I wanted   find a cookie recipe that fit into the fast paced, over scheduled world we live in today. A lot of people tell me they don’t have time to bake from scratch. Or baking is too complicated, or has too many steps.

Well, what if I told you that I’ve found a cookie recipe that will win you extra cool points with your kiddos!  Only takes fifteen minutes to put together and doesn’t  even require butter or flour? Not to mention this cookie is seriously delicious! Well, I found just that cookie. What is this miraculous cookie you speak of? I am glad you asked, the cookie is a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookie.

Once you’ve tried it, it will become one of your go to recipes for a quick dessert. If someone in your family has a peanut butter allergy you can always substitute almond butter or any other nut butter.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie (no flour, or butter)

So you’re getting married or you’re having baby. Both ocassions are cause for celebration. Family and friends are excited to celebrate this next big chapter in your life. Those celebrations usually mean bridal showers or baby showers.

With showers comes the question, to play games or not play games? I found alot of people, myself included are in the no games camp. I totally understand shower games are a good way to break the ice with guest and get people interacting with each other at the party.

However, let’s be honest most shower games are pretty lame, for example, the what’s in the diaper game. Seriously, who came up with the idea to melt candy bars in a diaper and pass it around for people to sniff? That game is just gross! Oh and the guess how big the belly is game, which serves to only make the pregnant woman feel self consious about her body. Come on, watching grown women drink out of a baby bottle is just awkward. Besides all of that the games often feel like forced fun. Plus there is alwas that one guest who is overly competitive and takes the games way too seriously, and get’s their feelings hurt if they don’t “win”.

So you ask, if we don’t play games what are the guest suppose to do for two hours? I am happy you asked. Instead of games, I like to plan activities for the guest. Such as decorating a onesie for the baby, or writing words of wisdom in a journal for the parents. For a bridal shower you can have guest write down fun date night suggestions for the couple or advice for a happy marriage. These activities allow guest to be interactive during the party but on their own terms, and not forced to interact if they don’t want to .

So next time you have to throw a shower, think about fun activities and creative projects your guest can participate in instead of  typical shower games. With that said, if you and your crew enjoy playing games at shower then by all means game until your hearts content. There is no right or wrong answer it totally depends on what you and your guest perfer. I am just offering  alternatives to the shower game tradatition.