Like many of us, Ella and Myriah Mason turned to baking during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to pass the time.
The two young sisters from Oakwood, east of Lindsay in Kawartha Lakes, have always enjoyed baking with their mom Jenn, but they’ve now turned their pandemic passion into a sweet home-based business — while also using it to raise funds for community causes.
With the help of their mom, the two entrepreneurs launched Sweet Things Bakehouse back in late March, specializing in do-it-yourself (DIY) sugar cookie kits.
“When COVID hit back in March, we decided to make some DIY cookie kits and post them on Facebook for the girls’ friends to purchase and then watch the girls’ live instructional video to learn how to decorate them,” Jenn says.
“We thought that this would be a fun activity to do to help keep everyone busy while social distancing. They ended up being a hit. Even people we didn’t know were purchasing them.”
The girls quickly sold out of their first spring DIY cookie kits in early April, and then sold out their Easter DIY cookie kits — and donated all $560 of the proceeds to Kawartha Lakes Food Source.
During National Nurses Week in May, the girls decided to create a DIY cookie kit featuring a scrub and heart and a nurse and heart, with a plan to donate all proceeds to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay.
The kits sold out within an hour, and the girls have since donated $558 to the hospital’s Heroes at Heart appeal, which is supporting urgent COVID-related needs as well as ECG machines.
“We’re so grateful to Jenn, Myriah, and Ella and all of the people who bought their cookies during Nurses Week,” says Ross Memorial Hospital foundation CEO Erin Coons.
Sweet Things Bakehouse is now selling Father’s Day DIY cookie kits. The kits, which cost $11 each, contain everything you need to decorate and wrap your own cookies for Dad.
Along with the kits, Ella and Myriah also star in Facebook Live instructional videos explaining how to decorate the cookies with royal icing.
Limited quantities of the kits are available, so if you’re interested in ordering one, visit Sweet Things Bakehouse on Facebook at facebook.com/sweetthingsbakehouse/.
