{ my favorite holiday tradition : by guest poster mary from pretty good }

Our neighborhood is not for everyone. It’s in a historic part of our city, so the houses are all 150+ years old, and they’re, quite literally, on top of each other. The charm is obvious, but being packed in together tight with your neighbors is something that, when we moved in three years ago, I wasn’t sure how we’d adjust to.

But we fell right in love with our new community. Rather than feeling suffocated, we felt immediately connected with people who were more like family than friends. People who would spend their Saturday helping you expose the hidden fireplace in your living room and would bring you a pair of fresh lobsters they caught earlier that day and were only steps away with a bottle of wine and a roaring fire during a blizzard. So when the holidays roll around, we make it a point to put together special goodies for these special people whose houses we can practically touch when we open our windows.

The first year, we made my husband’s favorite fudge and proudly delivered them to everyone, until we soon learned that the ex-mayor (who lives just a few houses away) has been wowing everyone with her great-great-great-grandmother’s fudge recipe for years. Ohhkaaay.

The following year, determined to make our mark, we tackled this amazing, fall-off-your-seat fabulous cinnamon rolls recipe. They were completely, sinfully delicious, but making them turned our kitchen into a total disaster area and although I have been known to exaggerate for effect, I swear I was scraping the sticky butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture off obscure parts of our counter through late June.

Two days ago, on Saturday, with a smidge of a red wine headache, I was thankful that this year I had scoped out something easy (but still wickedly yummy) to make for the neighbors: Oreo truffles and red velvet cake balls. They're simple, require minimal baking, and are kid-friendly -- because three years here has added a few little ones to these homes.

This new ritual of baking, packaging, and delivering treats door-to-door is one of our favorite things about this time of year. And the very act of creating something to share with others and spreading a bit of cheer is the absolute reason for the season.

---------------------

{ You might know Mary from her photo blog, pretty good, and her whenever-she-gets-around-to-posting Tumblr. Or, you might not. She’s also fifty percent of the t.ruffle girls, and would like you to know that even though Karey said they’d close up the shoppe for the holidays on Friday, the doors seem to still open. So take a peek inside before she goes to lock up. And have yourself a very, very, super, happy Holiday! }