As proof for why it is that our no-cookie mandate was a good idea this year, yesterday morning I had three of them for breakfast, slathered with a little glob of chocolate frosting. I have no willpower when it comes to Christmas cookies. We'd hoped to foist most of them off on the rest of the group at the potluck, but it turned out that, despite many more of our group saying they were going to come, there were only five of us who actually showed up. Luckily I'd brought lasagna, someone else brought a salad, and we found a bag of rolls in the fridge, so we had a complete meal. The other cookie-bringer was feeling a little overwhelmed with extra cookies as well so we all sat around the table – kids included – and painted enough to feed to the choir, since rehearsal was last night. But that still meant there were great piles of cookies to go home with us. What to do, what to do.

Yesterday morning I piled cookies onto two festive paper plates, Richard wrapped them in plastic wrap, and we took one each to our offices. The remaining cookies were left on a plate at home with a note for the cleaning elves (aka Merry Maids) to please help themselves. So – no more cookies. Sigh. This morning I was hoping there might be one or two cookies still lurking on the plate at the office, but by the time I made it in there was nothing left but crumbs. I was reduced to eating chocolate for breakfast, which, in retrospect, made the cookies look like quite the nutritious alternative. Yesterday was a veritable cornucopia of goodies – my cookies, the See's chocolate we were sent for meeting our office food drive goal, and a bag of extremely flaky pastries my boss brought in. Today all that was left was the chocolate, for which I was grateful because otherwise breakfast would have been bad coffee and microwave popcorn and I am not sure that is the best way to start the day.

Speaking of our food drive (which officially ended last Friday, but who's counting), the fifth and last office finally met their goal. It might be a week late, but we're going to let that slide because the important thing is that, as a company, we managed to bring in nearly a ton of food. For the first time trying to coordinate a company-wide event that seems to me like a pretty good success. Also, there was chocolate (or in the case of the late office, there will be chocolate later). So we are all quite happy. Even though there are no more cookies to eat. For now.

This has been a Holidailies entry.