“These are your favorite?” I gasped. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? I’d make them all the time!”

He shrugged, sadly. “I thought you knew.”

LESSONS IN MARITAL COMMUNICATION, PEOPLE!

And Hubby’s not the only one who likes these cookies:

I’ve tried to find the exact recipe on-line, but I can’t. Here’s the one I use:

1 Cup butter

1 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup white sugar

Cream above ingredients together

2.5 eggs, added one at a time (I know, I know. Two and a half??? The original recipe is double this amount, but it makes about 6 dozen cookies, so…)

1 tsp vanilla

2 Cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Then, add the goodies:

2 cups quick oats (go easy on this…the dough can get too hearty, and the cookies won’t spread when you bake them)

1   12-oz package chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate)

6 oz coconut

1 Cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts)

1 Cup raisins

Drop by spoonfuls on lightly sprayed cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.

I used butter instead of shortening, and you really only need one tsp of cinnamon, not two, and if you’re going to dye the cookies, like I did, I wouldn’t use cinnamon at all, just sugar. Oh, and do you see any purple or green cookies in the picture? No? That’s because I tried those colors, and it was a disaster. If you plan on trying green and purple, I’d research your food coloring amounts, and really mix the dye in well. Just sayin’….

And tune in soon — I’ve got another post coming about how I chose to ship the cookies. We’ll see which method works best.

In the meantime, be sure to enter my giveaway! For details on entering the contest, see my post on Cookie Mailing Month!

Okay, so I know I’m a teensy bit obsessed with treat bags, but before you get mad at me, just LOOK at these cuties from Jana’s Eubank’s Blog “From My Feathered Nest”:

Seriously, how fun & festive would it be to get this in the mail? Jana gives brief instructions on her blog, but even if you don’t have the same tools that she uses, you can still create something similar, using the photo as inspiration. Hit up Michael’s, and then fill your bag with a spoonful of your missionary’s favorite non-meltable treats, like jelly bellies, skittles, or sour patch kids.

Oh my word, love me some Bath&Body Works! So many festive scents to choose from this season. When I heard they had come out with a candy-corn-scented product, I worried about whether I could be trusted not to eat it. Try your luck with this little product. It comes in a 1-oz container. Perfect for your missionary to tuck inside his or her bag on the go, and very handy, in my opinion. But remember: when shipping, be sure to choose packaging that won’t compress, and be sure to put the little bottle inside a zip-lock bag, just in case it opens during transit. That would be one deliciously-scented mess. And while you’re on the B&BW site, check out their other cute Halloween products.

Make this treat even more fun by tucking it inside a crafty favor bag like the one below, featured on Gordon Gossip:

Who doesn't love the look of Fall?

This is a fun and simple craft that is sure to add autumn festivity to your missionary’s day. I found this craft, and detailed instructions, on the following website:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4610766_silk-leaves-that-seem-fall.html

Basically, the effect is achieved by sewing silk leaves together with thread, and then dangling them from the top of a window. Step inside any craft store, and you will easily find the ingredients you need. Include tape, or better yet, hooks (like the Command brand) so your missionary can hang these beautiful decorations.

Do-it-yourself

For messages accompanying packages, or for everyday letters to your missionary, homemade stationary is a simple, inexpensive way to keep things fun. Check out the “Stationery Printables” section of this site for a few designs I put together, or do an image search on google to find a design you really love.

http://www.missionaryideas.com/stationery-printables

Candy-grams are so fun, but unfortunately, shipping a large, stiff posterboard to your missionary isn’t usually an option. By changing a few things, however, this present becomes possible again.

Last year, a family member and I made candy-grams for our cousins serving in Montreal and Romania. Here’s how we were able to ship them:

Instead of putting the candy on a posterboard, use fabric. Go to your local craft store and get a yard or so of Halloween-themed material, and then attach the candy with a hot glue gun. Use a permanent marker to write out the message on the fabric. Our missionaries loved these!

This project is very fun, but can become expensive to ship, so use discretion when planning for length and amount of candy used.