Ah, gingerbread houses. The craft is a favorite among those looking to add a little more holiday cheer to their lives. Whether you use a kit or just build according to however the moment strikes you, gingerbread houses look good enough to eat. They even look good enough to live in.
Now you can make that last statement a reality. Well, sort of. Advertising agency McKinney has just created Gingerbreadbnb, which is exactly what it sounds like. It's basically Airbnb but gingerbread-i-fied and for a great cause.
Here's how it works. You head over to Gingerbreadbnb.com, and choose between three different gingerbread homes. Stay in the Modern Home if you're into a fully stocked gummy bar, mid-century taffy furniture and a sugar-glass pool. The Rustic Cabin has an all-natural trail mix fireplace, a Bavarian-style gingerfather clock and a taffy sleeper sofa. Or, you can go with the Cozy Camper, which comes with ginger-bunk beds, a macaroon fridge and a 1/2 candy bathroom. You can find a detailed description of each home on the Gingerbreadbnb website, complete with photos, rules and reviews. It's very convincing.
A stay in each of these comes at varying price points, of course, ranging from $5 to $20 per night. You can rent a home for yourself or gift it.
Unfortunately, you can't really live in a gingerbread house. Life just doesn't work that way. The "bookings" are actually donations to the charity Robin Hood, which helps fight poverty in New York. Robin Hood will receive 100 percent of the donations from this campaign. So far, users have "booked" 319 nights and helped 27 families.
These gingerbread houses, which were actually constructed by prop design house PropTarts. The houses look amazing and this campaign is undoubtedly for a great cause. But I still can't shake the feeling of disappointment that you can't really live inside these wonderful constructions. Maybe next year.