Valentine's Day Cookies

About a week or so ago, I got the great idea to make cookies for Valentine's day.  I thought it would a fun little project for Sommer and I on one of those frigid days when we really didn't want to go outside.  And then I remembered how difficult it can be to bake (or do anything in the kitchen, really) with a toddler.  I tend to have really high hopes for an enjoyable baking experience and then my hopes are usually dashed (at least a little bit) when the mess that I usually make while baking ends up multiplying by...a lot. 
So, the morning that we were planning to do our baking I changed plans...

While my toddler did this:

 

I did this:

for some reason I am a terribly messy baker...

  Our cookie dough was able to chill in the fridge while we hung out with Matt until he had to leave for soccer practice and ate dinner.  Then, while we had the long part of the evening all to ourselves, Sommer and I set out on the (even messier) task of rolling, cutting, baking and icing the cookies.  You see, I thought my idea was genius.  I really thought that if I mixed up the cookies myself and did the rest with Sommer, I would cut out the really messy part.  Rookie mistake.  

So much flour and sticky dough...

And, have I ever mentioned that our dining room is carpeted and our kitchen has barely any counter space??

icing that would rather go on fingers and in mouths ;-)

sprinkles that roll everywhere

 But, we had tons of fun and I witnessed one of the sweetest moments while I was across the counter getting cookies out of the oven...

 my girl, sweetly singing to and rocking the baby heart cutouts.  

<3

In case you are curious I used this sugar cookie recipe.