BLOOMINGTON - Charlotte Talkington's house has looked a little like Santa's workshop lately.

The elves, better known as members of the Consumer Sciences Professionals of McLean County, have been busy creating 10 different varieties of cookie and brownie mixes; overnight coffee cake, peach crisp, apricot nut pancake, cranberry rice pilaf and poppy seed muffin mixes; four varieties of soup mixes; and "spoonfuls," an individual serving of coffee or tea on a spoon.

It's the group's contribution to the annual Festival of Trees, which will see a few changes this year. The festival, which will kick off its four-day run Wednesday at the Interstate Center with a theme of "Christmas Around the World," is the biggest fundraiser for The Baby Fold.

The mixes are sold in the bake shop, started by the women six years ago.

"We made over $2,200 last year," said Barbara Perry, a 47-year member of the Consumer Sciences Professionals. "We think it's a good contribution."

Every dollar is donated to the Festival of Trees, said Talkington, bake shop coordinator. Group members cover the nearly $350 cost of ingredients and provide the packaging and ribbon used to make the mixes look festive.

Pete Moore, marketing and public relations specialist for The Baby Fold, said the money made from the bake shop combined with proceeds from all the festival's special events and the sale of the trees is expected to bring in $150,000 this year - an amount that will take the 13-year total for the festival to $1 million.

"We feel comfortable that we'll meet or exceed that," Moore said.

Moore said festival proceeds help make up the $300,000 budget deficit the agency experiences each year. The rest of the shortfall is covered by private donations.

The bulk of the agency's funding comes from state and federal reimbursements for residential treatment and foster care, he said. The reimbursement rate remains what it was in 2000, he said.

Changes at the festival

In an effort to draw more people to the annual Festival of Trees and raise even more money for The Baby Fold, Moore said, organizers have made some changes to this year's event.

They start with the Top of the Tree event opening night. It's gone from an evening of hors d'oeuvres to a dinner event with a full-course meal. There will be an auction, and participants will get their first chance to place bids or buy items at the festival.

The Ladies' Night event on Nov. 17 also was tweaked. Vendors and the program will focus on makeovers, including a total makeover of two local women.

There won't be a separate Red Hat Society event this year. Instead it's been incorporated into the Holiday Style Show on Friday.

The festival also will have slightly fewer trees and a few more wreaths, centerpieces and decorative items.

"Last year, we sold all the trees, but they didn't get the maximum bids," Moore said.

That also happened when the Consumer Sciences Professionals of McLean County decorated trees years ago, Talkington said. That's one reason the women decided to try a different way to raise money for the event.

The bake shop has been the answer. "It gives us a good project to work on as a group," she said.

And they have it down to a fine art. Member Eileen Wagner figures out how many ingredients they need - this year it included 50 pounds of sugar, 90 pounds of flour, 64 pounds of brown sugar and six pounds of pecans - and Talkington has learned where to shop for the best bargains.

They have three "mixing" parties to get things ready for opening day.

Meanwhile, member Jean Wetter makes her own contribution to the shop. She bakes the more than 50 dozen cookies that also are for sale at the shop throughout the festival.

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Baby Fold services

Following are services provided by The Baby Fold:

- Foster care, including counseling and advocacy services

- Adoption

- Pregnancy counseling

- Hammitt School/Junior-Senior High for children 3 to 21 with autism, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, emotional or pervasive development disorders

- Vocational programming at the junior-senior high school

- A Residential Treatment Center for ages 2 to 13

- Family support services including Healthy Start for first-time expectant parents; Family Services Initiative for families at risk of abusing or neglecting their children; Second Chance Renters for families with poor credit or rental history; and therapeutic stabilization for children with special needs.

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Festival of Trees

What: The Festival of Trees to benefit The Baby Fold

When: Wednesday through Nov. 18

Where: Interstate Center, 2301 W. Market St., Bloomington

Admission: $5 for adults; $1, children 3 to 12; free 2 and under. Tickets available at The Baby Fold, Eastland Mall, Schnucks, The Children's Discovery Museum, Dave's in Fairbury, or online at www.festoftrees.org.

Special Events

- Top of the Tree, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday; dinner, entertainment, auction; $50

- Senior Social, 9 a.m. to noon Thursday; for seniors 55 and older; $4

- Holiday Style Show and Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday; local fashions, models and entertainment; $30

- Avanti's Family Night, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 16; Avanti's meal and entertainment; adults, $10; kids 3 to 12, $3; under 3 free

- Adoption Celebration, 2 to 3 p.m. Nov. 17; celebration of adoptive families and information on adoption; free with admission

- Inspired! A Ladies' Night, 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 17; dessert and entertainment; $15

- Community Thanksgiving Worship Service, 10 to 11:15 a.m. Nov. 18; church service by College Park Christian Church; free

- Sunday brunch, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 18; brunch and special holiday entertainment; adults, $15; kids 3-12, $7; under 3 free