I've loved bake sales for as long as I can remember. Whether they're part of a garage sale, a country fair, or stand alone, bakes sales bring friends and neighbors together to sample lots of homemade goodies while supporting the community.

When the school year heats up, so does bake sale season. Parents and kids pitch in with teachers and coaches to raise money for extracurricular activities. It's a long-standing tradition I hope never goes out of style because there's more to the humble bake sale than meets the eye.

Along with teaching kids the true value of a dollar (like how long it really takes to earn one) bake sales show them real life business skills. Our kids negotiate with their supplier (me) and chief baker (also me) to make sure they'll have inventory. Then they must negotiate with their distributor (my dear husband) who will transport both them and their goods safely to market. Then they put in a long day's work at the sale. Finally, the kids get together to see how much they've raised toward their goal.

It's good for them, but I'll let you in on a little secret: it's awesome for me. I love baking at this time of year. Teaching the kids something along the way...well, that's just a little bonus!

Your "Let's Get Baking!" Gift Guru,
Linda