Thoughts on Valentine's Day cookie decorating event

M

marilynfl

Moderator
Again, THANK YOU ALL for so many great ideas.

I'm considering a moveable event: if I have 20 people and have 4 stations set up, then folks can move around and it won't be so static. Also, there would be a game at each zone.

I have 3 station ideas so far:

Zone 1: Cake balls on sticks ready to dip, sprinkle and wrap. I would have the undipped cake balls ready and chilled and two Wilton melting pots. Folks can dip in whichever color they like and then sprinkle on some jimmies. Refrigerate completed balls for 5 minutes and then let them wrap each in a treat bag with ribbon.

Zone 2: Using those brilliant paint palettes Deb noted, I would have my already Royal icing baked cookies and the table would have images they can use as reference.
I also have edible pens for drawing.

Zone 3: Using the purchased cookie kits, I would provide Royal Icing in squeeze tubes to flood the surface. Those would need to be set aside to dry.

But I still need another idea for a fourth zone. Taking all suggestions!
 
marilynfl said:
Again, THANK YOU ALL for so many great ideas.

I'm considering a moveable event: if I have 20 people and have 4 stations set up, then folks can move around and it won't be so static. Also, there would be a game at each zone.

I have 3 station ideas so far:

Zone 1: Cake balls on sticks ready to dip, sprinkle and wrap. I would have the undipped cake balls ready and chilled and two Wilton melting pots. Folks can dip in whichever color they like and then sprinkle on some jimmies. Refrigerate completed balls for 5 minutes and then let them wrap each in a treat bag with ribbon.

Zone 2: Using those brilliant paint palettes Deb noted, I would have my already Royal icing baked cookies and the table would have images they can use as reference.
I also have edible pens for drawing.

Zone 3: Using the purchased cookie kits, I would provide Royal Icing in squeeze tubes to flood the surface. Those would need to be set aside to dry.

But I still need another idea for a fourth zone. Taking all suggestions!
Click to expand...
mini muffin pan brownies or red velvet cream cheese brownies to be decorated with heart mini picks? Or a non-food activity, card-making? Either of the below might be nice, especially the bookmarks. Sorry, I'm racking up the budget costs!

Amazon.com: FreshCut Crafts 240 Pieces Heart Paper Cutouts, 2-Sided US Made Card Stock Punch Out Sweet Colored Hearts for Valentine’s Day Crafts, Bulletin Boards, Classroom Decor, and Posters 4 Sweet Colors : Home & Kitchen

Amazon.com: ArtCreativity 126 Pcs Valentine's Day Heart Doilies Card Crafts for Kids + 314 PCS Valentine’s Day Bookmark Craft Kit - Makes 24 Bookmarks - Valentine Crafts for Kids Classroom : Arts, Crafts & Sewing
 
Marilyn, what about heart-shaped mini cupcakes and having buttercream in a piping pag with a fun nozzle?

"To make heart-shaped cupcakes using foil, simply line a regular cupcake tin with liners, then crumple small balls of aluminum foil and place them at the top center of each liner, which will create the indentation for the heart shape; then fill with batter and bake as usual; once cooled, you can slightly shape the top with your hands to further refine the heart form before frosting. "
 
I’ll be making 24-48 cake pops, so not sure about cupcakes too. Ordered a valentine stencil…most of the ones I wanted wouldn't arrive until the day before the event. Going to stop at the retirement home tomorrow to see the venue and make sure my zone concept work.

Decided against prizes because everyone will want a prize and I’ve already spent $100+ just on food stuff: 4 cookie kits, 6 bags of melting discs, 6 lbs of powdered sugar for Royal icing, 4 lbs of butter & regular sugar for sugar cookies, candy for decorating.
 
oh boy...stopped at retirement home and my contact person wasn't around (no one knew where she was at.) I asked to see the area where she planned to have the activity.

Remember...I originally planned on 6 people at the library. Now I'm up to 20 at their site. Here's the spot:IMG_4836.JPG

I stood there quietly screaming inside my head.

And the room next to it had at least 8 women in wheelchairs, about 80% of whom couldn't sit up straight. I'm guessing those are the folks she mentioned couldn't ride the bus.

Left a note for her to call me so I can see her IN PERSON tomorrow.
 
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ah geez. This is just sad. I suspect this will stop you from offering again without a whole lot of checking...venue, numbers, capabilities, exptectations and all that. But where is responsibility??????? I feel so let down, for you. Are these people not important to their caregivers?!

I am so sorry.

On the bright side though, you won't have to figure out how to organize the 'room'. And they will all be grateful.
 
deb-in-mi said:
Marilyn, what about heart-shaped mini cupcakes and having buttercream in a piping pag with a fun nozzle?

"To make heart-shaped cupcakes using foil, simply line a regular cupcake tin with liners, then crumple small balls of aluminum foil and place them at the top center of each liner, which will create the indentation for the heart shape; then fill with batter and bake as usual; once cooled, you can slightly shape the top with your hands to further refine the heart form before frosting. "
Click to expand...
FYI, I have a heart shape cupcake pan, and once iced was disappointed because they didn’t really look heart shaped anymore.
 
marilynfl said:
oh boy...stopped at retirement home and my contact person wasn't around (no one knew where she was at.) I asked to see the area where she planned to have the activity.

Remember...I originally planned on 6 people at the library. Now I'm up to 20 at their site. Here's the spot:View attachment 3091

I stood there quietly screaming inside my head.

And the room next to it had at least 8 women in wheelchairs, about 80% of whom couldn't sit up straight. I'm guessing those are the folks she mentioned couldn't ride the bus.

Let a note for her to call me so I can see her IN PERSON tomorrow.
Click to expand...
This looks like a repurposed hallway. I’m sure they must have a bigger area even if it’s the cafeteria/dining room. Whoever showed you this must not have all the info. After all they said 20 people, so need to accommodate their own count.
 
marilynfl said:
oh boy...stopped at retirement home and my contact person wasn't around (no one knew where she was at.) I asked to see the area where she planned to have the activity.

Remember...I originally planned on 6 people at the library. Now I'm up to 20 at their site. Here's the spot:View attachment 3091

I stood there quietly screaming inside my head.

And the room next to it had at least 8 women in wheelchairs, about 80% of whom couldn't sit up straight. I'm guessing those are the folks she mentioned couldn't ride the bus.

Left a note for her to call me so I can see her IN PERSON tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Wow, this is a sad story and pic. You put so much into the planning. I would think there's a dining room or larger space in the facility. Otherwise, maybe back to plan A at the library with the ambulatory group that can attend?
 
okay...here's how this is going:

After leaving three days worth of phone message, each getting crankier, my last call stated that I couldn't work without more information and if she didn't call back by the following day, I was cancelling the event.

The event coordinator finally called me back yesterday.

It turns out she has been out "very sick" with COVID and yet no one knew that at work. Since retirement homes can be a hotbed of COVID outbreaks, I'm not sure what to think of that statement.

Coughing into the phone, she claimed she was BACK AT WORK and the event could go on. I told her I had looked at the area planned for the event and said it would not work with the number of patients she wanted. Her response was simply to say she would stick more tables in that hallway, pull out the two cushioned chairs and she could fit 20 people in there.

Luckily we were on the phone and she didn't see my eyeballs roll to the back of my head. Because it was apparent she had no concern that I was organizing & paying for all this--her only concern was how many people she could count as included.

Astonished Marilyn handed the phone over to Cranky Marilyn, who declared: No. I will not do this if I'm going to run out of supplies for them. Limit this to 16 people and I'll provide 48 cookies to ice, 48 iced cookies to decorate and 48 cake pops to dip. That will give each patient 3 cookie per station to play with.

Then she asked me to put the same supplies on all three/four tables so the patients could just stay in one spot. Again, I reminded her that these patients were NOT going to be able to delicately pipe icing onto cookies and that each station would be a different task. So...no, I wouldn't do that.

After I hung up and slammed my head against the wall a few time, I logged into Amazon in search of KN95 COVID masks.

Today I'm baking 4-5 dozen Penny's sugar cookies and baking the cake for the cake pops dough. Tomorrow I'll make the cake pops, do initial chocolate coating and ice the sugar cookies. And I'm doing this NOW because on Monday I have to spend two hours cleaning planting pots with strong bleach for volunteers who will be transplanting seedling for our annual Master Gardener Plant sale. I can't see me hand-rolling cake pops and handling cookies after hours of bleach.
 
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How do we spell Gungadin?

You are brave, with amazing resolve. I hope you take lots of photos to show the crowd to us. Good luck and bless you for your tolerance. If you can't find a mask, I can ship one off to you............
 
I am speechless. I'm pretty sure I couldn't have gotten through that call without breaking down into tears (mad, frustrated, overwhelmed). They fact that you are going through with this is testament to your goodness, generosity and work ethnic. The employee doesn't deserve your support. But you surely will make a difference to 16 residents.
 
Deb, thanks for clarifying the attendees as residents…I’ve been fumbling over the use of “patients” since so many were in wheelchairs.

Marg, I found a good mask online. It’s arriving Monday. Thanks for the offer.
 
Well, you are a saint. A genuine Saint. I would’ve cancelled. 100%. Having mom in assisted living and in looking at many before we found a place, I can’t see how they don’t have a dining area you could use. This woman sounds extremely unhelpful. Lawd, just reading this upped my blood pressure. In a “I’d like to give you a piece of my mind lady” way.

And yes, covid is still hanging around, my friend’s neighbor had to go by ambulance to the hospital last week, both he and his wife had it. I got it two years after everything shutdown, and you seriously don’t want it. I had to put a chair in the hallway to rest on my way to the kitchen when I had it. I’d been vaccinated.
 
marilynfl said:
okay...here's how this is going:

After leaving three days worth of phone message, each getting crankier, my last call stated that I couldn't work without more information and if she didn't call back by the following day, I was cancelling the event.

The event coordinator finally called me back yesterday.

It turns out she has been out "very sick" with COVID and yet no one knew that at work. Since retirement homes can be a hotbed of COVID outbreaks, I'm not sure what to think of that statement.

Coughing into the phone, she claimed she was BACK AT WORK and the event could go on. I told her I had looked at the area planned for the event and said it would not work with the number of patients she wanted. Her response was simply to say she would stick more tables in that hallway, pull out the two cushioned chairs and she could fit 20 people in there.

Luckily we were on the phone and she didn't see my eyeballs roll to the back of my head. Because it was apparent she had no concern that I was organizing & paying for all this--her only concern was how many people she could count as included.

Astonished Marilyn handed the phone over to Cranky Marilyn, who declared: No. I will not do this if I'm going to run out of supplies for them. Limit this to 16 people and I'll provide 48 cookies to ice, 48 iced cookies to decorate and 48 cake pops to dip. That will give each patient 3 cookie per station to play with.

Then she asked me to put the same supplies on all three/four tables so the patients could just stay in one spot. Again, I reminded her that these patients were NOT going to be able to delicately pipe icing onto cookies and that each station would be a different task. So...no, I wouldn't do that.

After I hung up and slammed my head against the wall a few time, I logged into Amazon in search of KN95 COVID masks.

Today I'm baking 4-5 dozen Penny's sugar cookies and baking the cake for the cake pops dough. Tomorrow I'll make the cake pops, do initial chocolate coating and ice the sugar cookies. And I'm doing this NOW because on Monday I have to spend two hours cleaning planting pots with strong bleach for volunteers who will be transplanting seedling for our annual Master Gardener Plant sale. I can't see me hand-rolling cake pops and handling cookies after hours of bleach.
Click to expand...

marilynfl said:
okay...here's how this is going:

After leaving three days worth of phone message, each getting crankier, my last call stated that I couldn't work without more information and if she didn't call back by the following day, I was cancelling the event.

The event coordinator finally called me back yesterday.

It turns out she has been out "very sick" with COVID and yet no one knew that at work. Since retirement homes can be a hotbed of COVID outbreaks, I'm not sure what to think of that statement.

Coughing into the phone, she claimed she was BACK AT WORK and the event could go on. I told her I had looked at the area planned for the event and said it would not work with the number of patients she wanted. Her response was simply to say she would stick more tables in that hallway, pull out the two cushioned chairs and she could fit 20 people in there.

Luckily we were on the phone and she didn't see my eyeballs roll to the back of my head. Because it was apparent she had no concern that I was organizing & paying for all this--her only concern was how many people she could count as included.

Astonished Marilyn handed the phone over to Cranky Marilyn, who declared: No. I will not do this if I'm going to run out of supplies for them. Limit this to 16 people and I'll provide 48 cookies to ice, 48 iced cookies to decorate and 48 cake pops to dip. That will give each patient 3 cookie per station to play with.

Then she asked me to put the same supplies on all three/four tables so the patients could just stay in one spot. Again, I reminded her that these patients were NOT going to be able to delicately pipe icing onto cookies and that each station would be a different task. So...no, I wouldn't do that.

After I hung up and slammed my head against the wall a few time, I logged into Amazon in search of KN95 COVID masks.

Today I'm baking 4-5 dozen Penny's sugar cookies and baking the cake for the cake pops dough. Tomorrow I'll make the cake pops, do initial chocolate coating and ice the sugar cookies. And I'm doing this NOW because on Monday I have to spend two hours cleaning planting pots with strong bleach for volunteers who will be transplanting seedling for our annual Master Gardener Plant sale. I can't see me hand-rolling cake pops and handling cookies after hours of bleach.
Click to expand...
just thinking.......given her behaviour to date, it probably is an indicator of some other flaws and I wonder if you should remind her firmly that only 16? residents will be accommodated. No more.
 
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