Change is in the Air

Stick with me.  Important message.  Circuitous route.

Turns out, I'm good at far less than I thought.

One look in my garage is all the evidence you or anyone would ever need. Two unfinished, Altoid tables sit in the corner waiting for "the closer" to come in and spend the 20 minutes (max) that it will take to finish them.  Directly across from the Altoid tables is a small cooler stuffed with a plaid pillow case and filled with the coins from Matthew's piggy bank.  Long time readers will remember we were supposed to count the coins and report back about the total amount.  Matthew's birthday is in mid-April.  Today is June 9.

Yeah, it's true.  I like the idea of ideas far more than I like the mundane tasks associated with carrying them out.  No, I'm not, nor ever will be, anyone's "closer."

I'm not out of business though.  You know why? 

I keep great company.  Katie, Heather, and Cheryl - my side kicks in this whole blog venture - are the yin to my yang.  They are skilled organizers/techies/people-people, and artists.  Even they aren't each good at all of those things, though.  Further proof none of us is good at everything. 

Sunday we had a Highlowaha retreat and the three of them let me in on a little secret.  They don't love making daily posts the way I do.  Cheryl loves doing the craft part of her blog posts, Katie loves figuring out new ways to do things such as add her Song of the Day, and Heather could spend hours contacting friends to participate in HLA events like yesterday's CompadRay Q&A.

Each of us is good at something different, but we share something in common.  We all agree that life is too short to spend time doing something we don't thoroughly enjoy.  So, my "compadrays" and I are switching things up again at Highlowaha.  Beginning Monday, I will resume writing daily posts (except Fridays when we come to you via video and Saturdays which we'll rotate).  The other three will be fully employed advancing our blog community in all the ways I have failed.  Heather will work at recruiting readers as fun as each of you.  Katie will manage patches, paperwork, and keep us ahead of the technology curve, and Cheryl... well, Cheryl will continue cranking out one amazing Ray after another and will help make my attempts at creative endeavors more fabulous. 

This is a better use of our time and talents and I think, in time, you'll agree.

Tell us about a task you find yourself carrying out that is a total mismatch with your skills and interests or... just tell us what you think of the switch-up. 

Signing off until tomorrow...

On Your Toes

EXTRA! EXTRA! Kentucky Won and is the host of our Second Annual Taste of USA! Thanks to all who voted, to Tera and Julie who helped develop the new approach, and to Cheryl for making turning our idea into a reality! Lots of planning to come.

Now onto today's topic.

The other day I was walking across campus for a meeting and Nicole, the campus employee whose job is to stand at the gate greeting visitors, flagged me down to tell me she liked my toe nail polish.

Now, I (Claudia, by the way) don't consider myself a girly, girly, so being noticed for something as feminine as toe nail polish was a real compliment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the girl changing my own oil, splitting my own wood for the fireplace, or spending my weekend sitting in a tree stand waiting for prey of the season, but manicures, pedicures, and outfits topped off with accessories are new to me. Lipstick is still no where in my repertoire.

Nicole and I had a quick exchange about my toes. She asked what color my polish was (no idea) and then offered up that her favorite color was something called, "Amped Up." When I arrived at the meeting to which I was headed, I shared the story of my fun exchange and she immediately chimed in that her favorite color was Cherry Jubilee.

All this talk about toe nail polish immediately made brought me back to the years I spent working at Southern Methodist University (SMU) with a student named, Erin. Erin was a terrific student and her "signature" was flip flops on her feet. It had to be sleeting or inches of snow had to be covering the ground for Erin to give up her flip flops for something with a covered toe. SMU is in Dallas, which is to say it didn't sleet or snow very often - if at all. Erin, the girl from Michigan, with a bone to pick with cold weather, could almost always be seen in flip flops.

Erin's favorite color... Hoola Hoop. In fact, Erin would tell me to ask her about the color of her nail polish just so she could have the chance to say it... "Hoola Hoop." It is kind of fun to say, I have to admit. Go ahead try it. Say it out loud, just once, "Hoola Hoop."

You might be wondering where I'm going with all of this. It's summer, toe nail polish is in, and we're a blog about creativity. Only Crayola rivals the creativity that goes in to naming colors for nail polish bottles. Crayola and Highlowaha, that is.

I thought it would be fun to spend today using our creativity to develop fun new names for toe nail polish. "And the Rocket's Red Glare," "Cherry Tomatoes," or "Bubble Yum" are just a few of my attempts at fun names.

How about you? Below are a few colors. This weekend, let's paint the toe red and take a shot at creating our own nail polish names. Who knows, there could even be a fun prize in it for the name that most strikes my fancy.

Signing off until Monday...

Gutter Sundae Monday

Hopefully each of you took the Memorial Day holiday seriously and slept in.  I know I did.  

Claudia here, back from Leadershape and loving every minute of it.  My week away, with a group of motivated college  students ready to improve the world, was every bit as rewarding as you might expect.  We did a challenge course, talked Inclusive Leadership, wrote vision statements, set stretch and manageable goals, watched a thought provoking video about social entrepreneurship, discussed the discipline required in being a person of integrity, laughed a lot (even cried a little bit), and before leaving committed to staying the course on our leadership journeys. 

If there are any new St. Mary's readers joining us for the first time today, welcome!!!

Today's creative idea is compliments of the staff at the John Newcombe Tennis Center where I spent the last week.  It happens the idea is perfectly timed for Memorial Day Weekend when the celebration of all things summer is top of the order.

Introducing the Gutter Sundae.  It is the perfect solution to pool parties, end-of-season soccer parties, staff gatherings, neighborhood gatherings, and any other event where you're dishing out ice cream.  It's every bit as simple as it looks...

Simply buy a piece of guttering from either Home Depot, Lowes, or your local hardware store.  Line the gutter with tin foil and then build and serve your sundae.  Unlike a big bowl, the Gutter Sundae stretches the length of the table and allows every one to dig in at once.  Clean up is easy - pull out the tin foil (ice cream is usually gone) and hose it down.  If you're like I am and have a hard time leaving well enough alone, consider decorating the outside of the gutter.  Paint it with the name of your child's soccer team, draw a ruler, or sketch a sundae.  The possibilities are endless!

So how about you?  For what event might you use the Gutter Sundae and more importantly what would you put in yours?  Bananas?  Hot Fudge?  Flavors of ice cream?  Sprinkles or nuts?

Signing off until tomorrow...

Concerted Cultivation

Good morning.  Claudia here, coming to you from Harvestwood Court, where we take Sleep in Saturday seriously.  

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and while I could fill today's post with all sorts of creative gift ideas, that is what most of last week was about (topped off with a final surge of creative ideas by our very own Peggy).  Instead, today I am going to share a parenting idea with you and then let you tell me what you think. 

The concept is Concerted Cultivation.  Here's a short story to put it in context.

About a month ago Matthew came home from his Pre-K class complaining that his teacher never calls his name to do art.  All the other kids got to make bumble bees except for him.  Translated (by a mom who spends much of her day working with college-aged kids who have a completely external locus of control)...  "Poor me. I am a victim.  Everyone is out to get me.  Poor pathetic me."

Immediately I asked Matthew if he told Ms. Latrice he wanted to do art or, in fact, if he asked her why it seems his name never got called to go to the art table.  "No" to both, he replied.  We spent the next fifteen minutes talking about what he might say to Ms. Latrice at school the next morning.  We talked about how he might tell Ms. Latrice he was feeling left out without accusing her of being mean.  In fact, by the end of the conversation we decided the best approach might be simply asking Ms. Latrice how she decides which kids in class get to do art and when.  

The next morning in the car I reminded Matthew of our plan to talk to Ms. Latrice.  He was getting cold feet and tried to convince me that I should talk to her for him.  I assured him he could do it and then we walked through the conversation one more time.  Once in the classroom, I held Matthew's hand as we walked up to the teacher and then I set the stage by telling her that Matthew had something he wanted to ask.  Sure he hemmed and hawed a little bit, but in the end he successfully spit out the question.

Ms. Latrice, like the pro that she is, immediately got on eye level with Matthew and quickly explained, because the art project was elaborate and required lots of help by the teacher and the teaching assistant, that she was calling students to the art table by rows.  He was in row four and she simply hadn't gotten there yet.  She thanked him for asking and finished off the conversation with a big hug.  Matthew skipped off with a smile on his face, proud of what he did, and more confident about his place in the classroom.  Maybe on that day Matthew learned that advocating for himself does not have to be scary and we can do it in such a way that people don't feel defensive or affronted.

That sort of interaction, according to Malcolm Gladwell's most recent book, Outliers, is called Concerted Cultivation and that practice, over time, can put children at a real advantage.  Concerted Cultivation can come in a lot of forms.  It can be coaching children through an interaction like the one described above or it it can be observing your child's innate interests and skills and then intentionally creating opportunities for them to engage with them.  Either way, this attempt to actively assess a child's talents and opinions exposes them to a constantly shifting set of experiences.  They learn teamwork, how to cope in highly structured settings, and how to interact comfortably with adults and to speak up when necessary.

Sometimes just assigning a name to an experience or set of circumstances allows us to talk about something, that earlier might have seemed too abstract or nebulous.  Using the phrase, "Concerted Cultivation," I can think of all sorts of situations growing up where my parents were trying to cultivate - in a concerted way - the interests, skills, and opinions of my sisters and me.  Here's one.  Before my sisters began high school at the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, my mother registered them for a summer-long experience exposing them to unique locations and experiences throughout the city. This did two things.  First, it built confidence in my sisters that they could maneuver city streets on their own and second, it gave them appreciation for the endless opportunities to which they would now have access.  

Here's a small example of where they might have missed an opportunity to cultivate.  I was a shy child who loved to fly low on the radar.  The less attention I drew to myself the better.  Consequently, when we ate a restaurants, I was always too shy to ask for a doggie bag.  In fact, I would beg my parents not to ask for a doggie bag, because even that was too embarrassing for me.  While my parents wouldn't abide by my "No Doggie Bag" rule, they never forced me to cultivate the skills/confidence necessary to speak up for myself and request a doggie bag just because, yes... I had the nerve to want to bring my leftovers home!  Of course, in the end, maturation took care of my "bone to pick" with doggie bags (puns are the lowest form of humor), but maybe some opportunity was lost to build my assertiveness at an earlier age.

So, now that we have this shared language of "concerted cultivation," tell me what you think.  Do you agree?  What examples might you have of doing it well or of lost opportunities?  Can you reflect on examples of how your parents might have done this (or not)?  This year we will celebrate Mother's Day by rolling up our sleeves and getting into the trenches of parenting.  Tell me your thoughts about "concerted cultivation."

Fab Five

Claudia here.  Take five on five five.  That's what I'm going to try to do.  Posting a five minute blog on the fifth day of the fifth month seems about as good a way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo as any (especially in light of the fact that I won't be traveling to Mexico any time soon).

4:32 a.m.  On your mark, get set, go.

I'm a working mom now and yesterday was the perfect storm.  Walk into day care and find out through casual conversation that this week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  I had NO IDEA and so, of course, show up empty handed on the first day.  Not good.

No time to dwell.  I have a full day of work ahead of me.

Driving home from work and remember that tomorrow (today) I get to craft the post for our blog.  What to do?  What to do?  Last week Heather suggested I do something for Cinco de Mayo.  Sounded great then.  But today I'm a working mom and I don't have time to do fun research about homemade maracas, fun Mexican dinner recipes, and interesting facts to share with kids, family, and friends. 

Tacos; red, white, and green place mats, and a pinata for dessert.  That's all I got.

4:34 a.m.  Three minutes left.

5:30 p.m. yesterday and I still have nothing for my son's pre-school teachers.  Stopped at party store for a sombrero so Richard could take a festive picture of me to post on the blog.  

Blog, teacher gifts, Family Fun for Cinco de Mayo.  My cup runneth over.

Zip through store and pick up sombrero.  See festive chili pepper necklaces hanging in my periphery.  IDEA!

A Red Hot Idea

You're a Red Hot Teacher 

and (Happy Cinco de Mayo)!

Who doesn't love a new accessory now and again?

4:36 a.m.

Teacher Appreciation.  Done.  Today's post.  Done.  Family Celebration? Hmmmm...  Help me out.  Five festive things we can do/eat at dinner...

P.S.  Winning cookie cutter...  Cristine's Big Mouth Bass.  If not in stock then Stacie's stork.  Still don't have?  Cheryl's soaring heart.

Signing off until tomorrow...  4:37 and 16 seconds.  Done.

Dig It!

Did you have a good weekend?

You know how when you see people for the first time on Mondays they often ask how your weekend was, but in such a way that they are really confirming your weekend was good?  Maybe it's a social norming thing.  Most people, when asking that question, are really only ready for the cursory response, "Great.  How about yours?"

Most people aren't really prepared to hear...

"Actually, pretty crummy.  My husband and I had plans to go out on Friday night and at the last minute our plans were derailed due to my husband's work.  I couldn't get hold of the baby sitter in time to tell her not to come, so she showed up anyway.  Instead of dinner and a social event at a local university, I went shoe shopping alone (didn't find a thing) and spent an hour in a bookstore reading a birth order book about how youngest children (that's me) are attention seeking and irresponsible.  The same national crisis that derailed our plans on Friday still loomed on Saturday, so Saturday was no better.  Rather than attend the annual art fair, we'd been looking forward to for months, we piddled around the house waiting for another work-related phone call.  No art fair and with it went my rationale for not tending to the eleven loads of laundry waiting to be done.  Sunday the phone call finally came.  While we weren't waiting around the house any longer for a phone call, I was flying solo with three boys."  

Add to it a couple of arguments, overcast weather, P.M.S. (T.M.I., I know), spotting only one (1) Beetle Bug all weekend, two baskets of laundry still to be folded, and as you can imagine... "No, my weekend was not great."

How about yours?

What does that have to do with today's topic - Kitchen Junk Drawers?  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  Normally my weekend would be chock full of so much activity, I wouldn't give our kitchen junk drawer a second thought.  But this weekend we were around the house more than normal and my panties were already in a bunch, so every time the drawer got opened and closed I couldn't help but notice exactly how junkie the junk drawer had gotten. 

The junk used to be compartmentalized in small black baskets (one for pens, one for batteries, one for appliance type stuff) until one day, Richard, the purist, decided he didn't like the baskets and got rid of them, opting instead for the purely junkie junk drawer.

As unnerving as this drawer is to me, here's an observation.  The boys love it.  To them, this drawer is nothing less than living their very own Indiana Jones adventure.  It's an archaeological dig and to them discovery is every bit as thrilling.  Tidy the drawer and the adventure is gone.  The drawer when messy peaks the interest of everyone - old and young.  It's a curiosity shop chock full of interesting chatchka.  Jack, two; Matthew five, and Ricky 16 can each, at some point during the day, lose themselves in adventures of our junk drawer.

The neat nick in me, though, just can't stand it.  This completely disheveled drawer is just screaming out to be emptied and sorted.  Like-minded things grouped together, items reconnected with mates living in other parts of the house, and blatant junk finally thrown away...

While the neat nick in me likes it organized, why "mess" with a neat thing?...   

So, what's up with your junk drawer?  Where in the house is it?  How junkie is it?  What's something interesting we would find if we rummaged around? And, when is the last time you dumped it out and started over.

One more thing... we're in the middle of a run for the roses, so today's another chance to win a Highlowaha prize.  Buried deep in the recedes of the Beeny Junk Drawer was a 3.5 oz. Cadbury Dark Chocolate Candy Bar, .27 cents, a gift card with a remaining balance, and a couple more items of interest.  Win a creatively packaged grab bag of treats from the Beeny Junk Drawer by doing the following...

Identify three things in our junk drawer, without repeating items already posted by another reader.  Be as specific as possible when identifying items.  It will make it easier for those who come after you.  Get your items right and your name will be placed in a drawing for the one of a kind grab bag.  While on the subject of winners...  Tera, you won Katie's Derby Hat Challenge.  Actual cost of Katie's hat was $5.48.  Tera came the closest without going over by guessing $4.08.  Congratulations, Tera! 

Signing off until tomorrow...

   

T'was the Night Before...

Claudia here. What fun would it be if we spared you all the behind-the-scenes mayhem?

So late last night, I decide I should call whichever of my other teammates was responsible for writing this morning's post. There are, after all, lots of prizes to be given away today and I wanted to make sure, whose ever day it was, that she made room for a list of winners in her post.

Call Katie. She sounds like #$%!. I ask her if Tuesday is her day. "No." she coughs into the phone. I tell her she sounds horrible and to go back to bed. Then it occurs to me there's too much noise in the background for her to have been asleep. "What are you doing?," I asked. "Watching Eight is Great." (or whatever the name of that crazy show is). "You should be at home asleep. You're sick." "Thanks, mom." she says lovingly. We hang up.

Next Heather. Pick up the phone to begin dialing. Heather goes to sleep early (beauty sleep, you know), so I'm already pushing it at 9:10 our time. Realize I can't remember her number off the top of my head. Blame it on my dyslexia. It's some combination of 7s, 4s, and 3s. I know that because, of course... 4+3 = 7! No. We're not going back to Las Vegas. After a few tries, BINGO. "Heather, are you... It's me, isn't it? I just called to ask who is writing tomorrow and suddenly I realized it's me! Gotta go."

Phew, I made it. Here I am! Cheryl, you were spared.

It's a good thing today is mine, because I have a lot to say.

Santa was a hit! By hook or crook, with many irons in the fire, and lots of grace under pressure (ask Katie about the saying one day. She'd love to explain) my halls were decked and we were ready for Santa to arrive for Matthew's Birthday party. A quick review for the party planners in us all. And, if you're just tuning in you should know my son, Matthew, decided at Christmas that he was going to invite Santa to his birthday party.

Borrowed artificial Christmas tree from my in-laws. Pre-lit. It was perfect. Easy Peasie. Threw on some garland, ornaments, candy canes, and a few other chatchka. Holiday decorations adorned the mantle and were carefully placed in other visible parts of the house. Christmas music was playing, a welcome banner for Santa and friends, and a cut-out snowman for "Pin the Carrot on Frostie." The table was set in red and green with cups, plates, and napkins picked up at the after-Christmas sales in January. Even stockings were stuffed - one for each child attending the party to take home as a goodie bag.

We were set.

But no decorations or goodie bag could have begun to have compete with the arrival of Santa! He was perfect (with the exception of showing up in his Honda Element, instead of his reindeer sled). His beard was authentic, his wire rim glasses were an impeccable replica, and even his girth was the real mccoy. As it turns out, this Santa was contracted with the Macy's Day parade for 10 years. He does all kinds of modeling and photo shoots for Christmas paraphernalia, catalogs, and the like. Who knew?

He walked in the door (no chimney) and immediately took command of the room. He knelt down and personally greeted Matthew who actually didn't seem all that vexed by the whole thing. Santa took Matthew by the hand and led him into our side porch where the Christmas tree was set up and began greeting all the children. Some kids jumped right in. Others who were uncertain held back a little bit. But, ALL were quick to come around when they realized Santa had his red velvet sack of toys in hand!

Presents were handed out to all the kids, a portion of a book was read, and each kid got to ask Santa a question. What's it like living in the North Pole? How do you get in when there is no fire place? Is it hot or cold in the North Pole? What are the elves doing right now? Where's Rudolph? What's your favorite kind of cookie (chocolate chip and snickerdoodles in case you're wondering)?

Forty minutes and Santa was in... had check in hand (which by the way, he donates 100% of to the Salvation Army and last year he donated over $150,000)... and was out. The whole thing seemed magical and I genuinely think the kids enjoyed themselves. At that moment I felt like I was in the act of creating the spirit of 218. And what better feeling is there?

Take a look at some of the pictures...

And while we're on the subject of Santa... we have some prizes to give away. Two solid weeks of giveaways is what we promised and so that's exactly what it will be.

Let's begin with Saturday's 218 t-shirt. And the winner is...

Chaotic.

Visit the GallaRay to select the Ray design you would most like to have on a t-shirt. Then, email me your preferred size (cbeeny@lslog.com) and we'll get your shirt off to you in less time than it took me to mail off Brian's. Promise).

Next. The second digital key chain. The winner was selected by Tera for generating an especially creative idea about how to use digital photos. And the winner is...

Melanie

The Wilton Brownie Fun book, for a reader who pitched in and tried to help rename Cheryl's tongue twister of a recipe. And the winner is...

Tera

And finally... to one of the people who became eligible for the William Sonoma Brownie pan by revisiting us yesterday after 4:20.... The winner is...

Kat

who was first to post at 4:29

As for the piggy bank... still counting. Stay tuned though.

Oh, and one more pic. What do you think Santa is telling her?!?... (read Heather's comment in the comment section for information about this question and today's prize!)

Signing off until tomorrow when who knows who will show up...

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

Claudia here. Today is my son, Matthew's, fifth birthday. You probably expect me to spend time telling of Saturday's Christmas-in-April themed birthday party; about his carefully selected birthday present; or reviewing the highs, lows, and ahas of his fourth year.

All that can wait.

Today is the culmination of a five-year goal - the fruition of a project a full FIVE YEARS in the making. Here's the back story...

In March 2004, down the hall from where my office was located at Bellarmine University, the thoughtful women of the Office of Financial Aid presented me with a big white piggy bank. Stretched across the front are the words, "Matthew's College Fund." The irony of this gift coming from the Office of Financial Aid did not escape me. It was the perfect creative gift coming from the perfect people.

Knowing the grim reality of sending a child to college (never mind three kids), I immediately brought the pig home and Richard and I ceremoniously placed in it the first shinny quarter. The drop was long and the echo loud. Each of us took a guess at how long it would take to fill the bank. Me, the optimist, guessed 2.5 years. Richard, the self-proclaimed realist, guessed 3 years.

Side bar. Something you should know about me is that when I get fixated on something I can be relentless. I broke dollar bills when my total at the store was $5.01, just so I could get the $.99 in change. I rummaged through the console of Richard's car stealing his change. And, any money found in the laundry (including dollar bills) was immediately dropped in Matthew's CAVERNOUS piggy bank.

Back to the story line.

Two and a half years passed. Not full.

Three years passed. Still not full.

Four years passed. STILL not full

And then I became obsessed. Five years. That's it. Not a day past his fifth birthday until that pig is filled. I should tell you I thought the bank was full in December. Unfortunately, Matthew made it his business, and took great joy, in finding ways to squeeze in just one more coin.

Then last night it happened. Using a Thomas the Train engine the last coin was pounded through the slot and into bank. No matter how much we shimmied the pig, trying to get the money to settle, not one more coin would fit.

Not so smooth transition.

Somewhere around year two I decided once the bank was full that I would send Heather B., Dawn, and the rest of the Bellarmine Financial Aid staff a (Kimack) picture postcard to thank them for their thoughtful gift and to let them know how much money the bank actually held.

So how much does the bank hold? This has way too much fun potential to just blurt it out willy nilly. No. Guessing the total amount of money in Matthew's piggy bank is exactly the kind of fun my friends at Highlowaha would enjoy. So how about this? You guess and whoever comes closest can win the final $25.00 Target gift card (leftover from our drive for RAK postcards)?
This might help.

• The bank weighed 52 pounds
• $117.00 in bills were found inside (I should mention that one day Richard asked me if I knew where his three missing $20.00 bills were. We found them last night).
• It was filled with pocket change, pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters (we don't discriminate against pennies).
• Beeny Family guesses: Matthew, $32.00; Ricky, $520.00; Richard, $880.00; Claudia, $802.18. Jack is barely two and most of what he says is still indiscernible, so I have no idea what he guessed.
  

Signing off until tomorrow...

Geranium Seeds

I'm making some progress on the corner of my world that I promised to work on this week, but still it needs a touch more inspiration. I'm not prepared for an unveiling just yet.  When I am (and it will be before summer's end), you all will be among the first to know. 

Do you have a favorite childhood book?  I do.  One of them is, One Hundred Pounds of Popcorn, a book I gave away last year to Stacie for winning a contest.  Another favorite is the story of a woman who buys a new geranium and places it at the center of her kitchen table.

Does anyone know the book I'm talking about?

I'd do anything to know its title right now, so I could share it with all of you. It would be the perfect end to our week about home decorating.  Actually, it would have been an even better start to our week about home decorating, but I only remembered the book this morning while taking a shower.

The story line is simple.  An older woman (at the time she seemed older, in retrospect she was probably twenty-something) purchased a new geranium to place at the center of her kitchen table.  So beautiful was the geranium, she had to replace the table cloth so it looked as fresh as her new plant.  Such a nice change was the table cloth that suddenly her kitchen curtains looked old and worn.  She made new curtains to match the new table cloth that matched the new geranium.  So nice was the new geranium, new tablecloth, and new curtains that suddenly the kitchen floor looked dull.  Off the woman went to wax the floors so that they would look as good as the new curtains that matched the table cloth that matched the new geranium.

So the story goes until eventually the whole house is freshened up - and all because of the new geranium she bought for the kitchen table.

How about you?  Do you have a symbolic "geranium" you purchased that inspired you to spruce up your home?  Or is there a "geranium" you have your eye on that would be all the motivation you need?  Tell us.

As for me... I'm off to buy a new geranium for my bedroom.

Signing off until Monday.

Free For All Friday: Easter Eve and So Much More

You should know that the four of us truly enjoy one anothers company and that we look forward to spending every Thursday night together so we can talk about our Highlowaha community.

I wonder if your ears were ringing.  

They say your ears ring when you're being talked about and we spend a lot of time talking about how much we are enjoying getting to know all of you.  Last night we talked about how much fun it was to get a peek into Chaotic and Peggy's worlds by seeing photos of their homes.  We also mentioned how nice it was to see Robin back on the scene and pondered where some of the oldies but goodies might have gone.  Longstanding reader, Nan, even stopped by the house for a few minutes and promised to come back again next Thursday night.

We could spend another day talking about interior design.  Andrea has more tips to share... Remember greenery in your home and make sure it looks fresh ; use catalogs to gather home decorating ideas and then visit discount stores to achieve the same look for less money; No roller coasters.  When you scan a room in your house you don't want the up and down lines of a roller coaster.  The goal is to pick furniture and hang pictures in such a way that there is one general line.

It's Free for All Friday, so why spend the whole day talking only about decorating and clean- sweeping?  

What else ya got that we can talk about?

We could brainstorm fun things to put in Easter Eggs.  Oops... Been there done that.  That was last year's Free For All topic.  And you know the rules...  creative idea a day, never repeating the same idea twice.  Check out last year's post for fun ideas.  http://highlowaha.blogspot.com/2008/03/free-for-all-friday-show-me-money-and.html

Favorite Easter candy.  How about that?

I polled Heather, Cheryl, and Katie.  Here are ours.  Heather: Papas Eggs (when she's in Northern Kentucky and get hold of them.  Cadbury Mini Eggs otherwise.  Cheryl: Robin Egg Malt Balls; Katie: Cadbury Mini Eggs (from the freezer); and me: Russell Stover Coconut Nests (with the three jelly beans neatly tucked in the center).

How about you?  What's your favorite Easter Candy?

Cassie, only one more week until your mom's big 80s celebration.  Need any last minute advice or ideas?

Respond to one of our topics or pose your own!

Signing off until tomorrow...

Mine...

Kitchen...

Closets...

Crafts...

Yours?????

Picture This!

It's Wednesday and I'm still working on my clean sweep.  Each day I've committed to spending fifteen minutes working on some small portion of my bedroom.  Maybe on Saturday I will reveal what I've been able to accomplish - I hope along with the accomplishments of some of you other brave souls.  A handful of you posted encouraging words or sent emails with suggestion for things I might try.  Thank you for not writing off me... or my bedroom.

Today we'll move on to Andrea's Tip #2.  Family Pictures.  We briefly touched on this topic yesterday, but today we'll go into a little more depth.  Here's what Andrea has to say...

"Update or add family pictures to your space.   This really personalizes your home, makes others feel welcome and makes you feel good too.  You do not need to worry about matching all the frames (unless you want that look)  -this way you can buy frames when they are on sale or use ones you already have."

A few more thoughts about pictures:

• Tallest to smallest: Whether they're on a table or a shelf, arrange the largest photos at the back and the smallest ones in front.  Photos, unlike many other collectibles, can sustain a little crowding.
  
• One display per room: Determine where a grouping of photos will fit and place one grouping only in each room so as not to dilute their impact.
  
• Rearview photos: Avoid displaying photos on a coffee table or other surface in the middle of the room since the backs will always be visible.
  
• Photos with books: Photographs and books can coexist in a bookcase if you keep them well-organized, and on separate shelves.  In a small, three -or four-shelf bookcase, arrange the books on the top and the bottom with the photos in the middle.  In larger or wall-to-wall units, arrange alternating bays with books and photos for a clean, librarylike look.
  
• Black and white with color: Except for you purists, family photos in color or black-and-white can be grouped together on a tabletop.  But there's a strong visual appeal in keeping old black-and-white or sepia-tone photos in one area and contemporary color photos in another.

I found these three complementary frames on sale at Bombay Company (before they went out of business) This week's activity has finally motivated me to fill them.  According to Andrea, three of anything makes for a nice grouping.

Also, believe it or not... I taught Andrea a trick during one of her visits to my house.  According to her industry policies, she is not physically allowed to hang my pictures.  In other words, I have to be the one to drive nails into the wall.  I didn't want to waste my money (or her time) hanging my own pictures, when all I really wanted was the benefit of her expertise in clustering a group of framed family pictures on a big blank wall.  I used white paper and painters tape to hold their places until Andrea was gone and I could do it on my own.

Consider doing this as you work to rearrange art and pictures in your house or apartment.  

It could work with mirrors too!

What fun or creative idea you have for dealing with pictures?  

Katie or Sue, maybe you will take a second to talk about the great gallery of photos in your basement!  I love it.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Note to Self

Oh the pressure.

Yesterday I casually mention we were going to spend the week experimenting with decorating tips from my unpretentious decorator friend, Andrea, and immediately tales of people moving in, moving out, and getting organized are shared. I'm thrilled our timing is so perfect and will count on all of you to help make sure my content is up to snuff.

In a way today's post is dedicated to Peggy. More than once Peggy has commented that reading Highlowaha is a little like having a life coach. I love that. Truth is there are at least 100 websites you could probably visit to get real expert advice on home decorating. We can't compete on content alone - especially since I've already admitted to being void of the decorating gene.

But here's how we can compete. What we can't provide in original home-decorating-content we can make up for in being a supportive yet challenging community.

Here's what I propose. For the next few days I will share a tip or suggestion, followed by a 15-minute application challenge. You read the tip and then apply it to a corner of your home. Come back later in the day (or the next day) and tell us how it went. We'll coach each other through the process and maybe by the end of the week we'll each have something to show for it. In fact, consider taking a before and after picture and maybe I will post them on Saturday.

Fifteen minutes. No more.

Here we go...

Andrea's Tip #1: Declutter

Create a notebook with a page per room and make a specific list of every area you want to declutter or improve. Break it into areas that can be tackled in 15-30 minute segments. For example - top right drawer or upper closet shelf. Then devote 15-30 minutes a day (no more) to tackle each item on the list and then cross it off. We all like crossing off items on lists! This way you do not have to wait for an entire day (that never comes) to declutter the whole house.

To me, "A page per room" is the most important part of her advice. A page per room means that your list can grown and change. It implies this is not a one-time deal and that you will be adding on (and crossing off ) your list for a long time to come.

Commit today to getting your notebook and, if nothing else, labeling each page a different room in your house or apartment. Then brainstorm - stream of consciousness things you would like to do in order to spruce up your space.

I'll start by sharing a page out of my notebook. Master bedroom. Bed: get new pillows, new throw pillows, and a comforter to fit our new king sized bed; get new night stands and lamps; find end table and lamp for couch area; hang pictures; consider an area rug and a some kind of window treatment for bedroom window; deal with bookshelf; find better space for trunk of blankets.

So serious am I about motivating you to work along with me, I am actually going to share pictures of our bedroom. Sharing these pictures ranks right up there with last year's Reaching for 5,000 campaign, when I was fighting tooth and nail not to have to post a picture of me wearing a bathing suit. Our bedroom is the one room in the house most people never see, so it's easy to make it the most neglected. Take a look and you'll see that's an understatement.

My purse and work schedule will prevent me from tending to our entire room this week, but I will identify a portion of it to work along with you. Tune in tomorrow to find out more.

Now tell me.... what small space will you commit to working on this week?

Signing off until tomorrow...

Spring for a Decorator

Hunker down.  It's going to be a fun and long week of hanging out with yours truly.  Cheryl, Heather, and Katie are getting time off for good behavior.

Richard and I spent Saturday night at our friend's apartment.  His building is the the oldest apartment building in Dallas and is chock full of quaint nooks and crannies.  My favorite was the 16" book ledge that trimmed the entire dining room.  Steve had the shelf filled with interesting books about art, antique decanters, eclectic book ends, and all sorts of other notable curiosities.

In short... Steve was born with the decorating gene.

I was not.

I aspire to live in a cozy home that is well appointed.  I dream of nicely displayed art on my walls, well placed furniture, window treatments more imaginative than vertical blinds, and just-right accessories (but not too many.  I don't like clutter).  They say Libras appreciate aesthetically pleasing things and of me it is true.  My problem is my skill set doesn't match my aspirations and rather than do something about it I am paralyzed by my own sense of perfectionism. 

Then I met Andrea.

Andrea is an unpretentious, no-nonsense interior decorator who tells it like it is.  She spoke at a mom's luncheon I attended about a year ago.  The topic had something to do with organizational tips and with every minute she spoke I liked her more.  The icing on the cake was at the very end, when in 90 seconds she demystified every life-ling, grandiose belief I had about interior designers.

Frankly, I thought interior designers were only for rich people and we're not rich.  I imagined that by calling an interior designer I was entering a covenant from which I could never escape.  I thought by letting an interior designer in my house all sorts of expensive products would be thrust upon me and thousands of dollars later I'd be searching for new and creative ways to dodge her phone calls until finally she'd get the hint and cut me loose.

Knowledge is power.  Here's what I know now.  Andrea charges $85.00 per consultation.  She's been to my house twice since last year.  Both times I met her at the door with a legal pad full of specific questions and three hours later pictures are hung, furniture is rearranged, wall colors have been selected and suggestions (not high pressure edicts) have been made about future improvements.

Andrea is my friend and maybe by the end of this week she will be yours too.  This week - the first full week of April - I thought we would delve into some home improvements.  Andrea has supplied me with a short list of decorating tips which I intend to pass along to you this week.  Each day we'll tackle a suggestion and see what we have by Friday.

Are you ready for some spring cleaning and home improvements?  Have you already started or do you consider guilt-free clutter the silver lining to winter months?  Tell us!

Fun announcement:  Spring cleaning doesn't, by the way, have to be reserved exclusively for our homes.  Sometimes the most rewarding spring cleaning we can do is on our own person.  Check out some spring cleaning Katie did this past weekend!  Newcomers will be interested in knowing Katie (co-author and loyal reader) has the greatest, curliest, thickest hair.  Now it's just 9 inches shorter!!!!!!!  It looks great, Katie!

Check back for the next five days when, in a clean sweep, I will present an decorating idea a day!

Signing off until tomorrow...  

 

  

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Claudia here welcoming you back after a long, intense month of celebrating women, celebrating creative ideas, and celebrating women with creative ideas. What a month it's been!

Before putting the FINAL punctuation mark on our March Madness, two final announcements... Congratulations Lindsay! Your name was drawn as winner of the second deck of, "Women Who Ride The Trail of Truth" cards. Maybe you and your friends can put them to good use at your next, "I Love Food Club" meeting. Second. The recipients of the women you voted most deserving of the award "Woman Who Take the Cake" received their cakes yesterday. Having said that... Good-bye March and...

Hello April!

I think Heather, Katie, and Cheryl would join me in saying we are excited to return to the free-wheeling format we are used to. New day, new topic. No two topics connected, unless of course we get a wild hair and want to create a theme week. So what's in store for today?

Cookies.

Those of you new to the scene might not know 2008 was the year I learned how to pipe and flood cookies. I love this skill. I think I should be able to add it to my resume. You know, Claudia K. Beeny, Ph.D., Master Piper and Flooder. A sugar cookie is just a sugar cookie until you learn how to pipe and flood. Learn this skill and all of a sudden a sugar cookie turns into a million-dollar looking gift, suitable for the your most deserving teachers, neighbors, and colleagues.

"I'm Watching You" Halloween Cookies

"Luck-o-the Irish" Leprachaun Cookies

"SWAK" Valentiene Cookies

Then I had an idea. Introduce you to my all time favorite cookie cutter website - FancyFlour.com - the place dreams are made of. Here at the home of over 600 cookie cutters, the sky is the limit on creativity. There is not a person or occasion for which Fancy Flours does not have a cookie cutter. Need a cookie cutter in the shape of a wrench? Fancy Flours has it. Motorcycle? Got it. Helicopter? Check. Hockey stick, beaver, bathing suit, or chicken leg? Got it. Got it. Got it. And, got it.

But the introduction to Fancy Flours is just the beginning.

Then I had another idea. Challenge you to challenge me. So here's how it will go once a month for the next year. Each month we'll pick an occasion to celebrate. This month? Earth Day (April 22). Each month you will also be invited to browse the Fancy Flour website for the most outrageous, most unseemly, most ridiculous cookie cutter you can find. My challenge? Use the winning cookie cutter (determined by most votes or random drawing) to bake, decorate, package, and deliver a treat that connects your cookie with my holiday. For example, should we have started last month I might have been challenged to connect St. Patrick's Day to the Ostrich cookie cutter.

It gets better. It turns out Fancy Flours liked our idea too. They're playing along. Each month Fancy Flours will send us two of the winning cookie cutters. One is for me to use in the challenge and the other will go to a lucky reader.

Ready to play?

It's easy. Simply (1) click on this link to the site then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on cookie cutters. (2) Pick your jaw up off the floor and then select the one you think will pose the greatest challenge. (3) Make a post in the comment section letting us know which one you picked. Like the one someone else picked out? Cast a second vote for theirs. Thursday morning we will announce the winner. Now let's cook up some fun...
http://www.fancyflours.com/site/cookie-cutters.html

It's good to be back.

Signing off until tomorrow...

The Art of The Dash

What do marbling paper, tombstone rubbings, dog show photography, handmade wedding invitations, and the Creative Hands Art Studio all have in common?

They represent a SAMPLING of Sherry Aikman's creative outlets.  

Claudia here today bringing you the fourth of our four-part Women Who Inspire Us Wednesday Series, in honor of Women's History Month.  I'd like to say we saved the best for last, but that wouldn't do justice to the impressive Aunt Cynthia, Grandma McDaniel, or Katie's former boss, Shingi.  Let's just say, I'm no slouch and I upheld my end of the bargain by bringing you the Amazing Sherry Aikman.

First a quick rundown on how I know Sherry and then an overview of some of her many accomplishments.

Sherry and I met while I was working at Southern Methodist University in the mid-90s.  She was tucked away in her corner of campus cranking out some of the most amazing graphic work I'd ever laid eyes on.  She could take anything and make it look like a million bucks.  And for someone who ascribes to the belief that, "packaging is everything," her talent did not escape me.  

Before long, I had Sherry designing every stitch of paper that came out of my office.  If I'm being honest, I actually dreamt up creative projects for Sherry to work on just so I could have an excuse to be around her.  We were a dream team.  I dreamt it and she turned my ideas into reality.  Every where I moved Sherry moved with me - at least by email.  When I moved to Georgia I still had her designing brochures.  When I moved to Kentucky I had her busy creating logos, t-shirt designs, and since moving back to Texas I have tried roping her into as much HLA fun as possible. 

She's done a couple favorites for me.  First was the handmade wedding invitations she made for for Richard and me.  Here's proof of how remarkable they were.  Richard and I had a total of 45 people at our wedding (people, not couples).  Of those 45 people,  seven guests gave us framed copies of our invitation.  If that isn't commentary on what a beautiful piece of art her invitation was,  I don't know what is!  

The other favorite was an invitation to my graduation reception.  Every letter of every word of every page of my dissertation was written on the top floor of Starbucks in Athens, Georgia.  So connected to the Starbucks staff was I that they agreed to shut down the top floor so I could host a reception of family and friends.  I sent Sherry a black and white photo of me and she, in turn, sent back (from Texas) the most beautiful invitations made of earthy colors, a touch of green, and lots and lots paper layers.  The invitations were nothing short of works of art.  She capped the whole thing off by sliding each invitation into a cleverly cut Starbucks pastry bag - made to look like a vellum sleeve.

But Sherry's career as an artist is far more esteemed than hand making one-of-a-kind invitations for me.  As noted in the opening, Sherry has dabbled in everything from marbling paper; paper weaving; rubbing tombstone faces to show their unique textures; photographing statuaries; photographing dogs at dog shows; and recently traveling to places such as Poland, Germany, Belgium, and Argentina to photograph (and video) past and present assaults on human rights.  So versatile is Sherry, that she admits her other passion was her short stint running a kids art studio in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Sherry embodies everything I love about people born with the gift of artistry.  She has an amazing eye for color and texture (and other important principles of art that I couldn't even begin to have a clue about) AND... she is generous beyond measure with her gifts.  She finds a way to pitch in and help with any request made of her and everything she produces looks like it had her blood, sweat, and tears poured into it!

My intent initially was to share a template Sherry gave me years back that could be used to make a small treat box.  Somewhere in my move I lost the template and Sherry couldn't put her hands on another copy in time for today's post.  I have faith I will get another copy and when I do, I will pass it along to any interested readers (hopefully in time for Easter).  In the meantime, I thought we could celebrate Sherry today by sharing excerpts of a poem called, "The Dash" by Linda Ellison.

Let there be no misunderstanding... Sherry has never been more full of life and verve than she is right this very minute.  It is her intrigue with tombstone rubbings, photographing statuaries, and the way she lives her life, that made this seem relevant.

I read of a man who stood to speak

at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

from the beginning... to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth

and spoke of the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all

was the dash between those years.

So when your eulogy is being read

with your life's actions to rehash...

would you be proud of the things they

say about how you spend your dash?

Sherry is my pick for a woman who inspires me and my creativity, in large part because of the way she lives her dash.  By virtue of sharing her creativity, Sherry profoundly touches the lives of people around her.  Sometimes it's by creating a handmade invitation so beautiful and so notable that it literally redefines the occasion.  Other times, when applying her creativity to matters as important as human rights, her work gives voice to those who otherwise don't have one.  

If my dash can be half as long and half as bold as Sherry's will be, I will render my time here on earth meaningful.  How about you?  Who do you know with a dash so inspiring you want to tell us about him or her?

Signing off until tomorrow...

Leprechauns and Cowgirls

Change in plans. Katie was nice enough to let me (Claudia) steal this day from her. She gets that when your blog is about creativity and a creative idea comes up, you have to be flexible enough to go with it. That's what we're going to do today. We're going to follow the creative energy of Children's Courtyard in Grapevine, Texas. Stay with me if you're if you're still looking for an award winning St. Patrick's Day idea to use with your kids, neighbors, students, residents, family, or friends. I think you'll be impressed.

No worries for those of you who were not ready to switch gears for the originally scheduled Women's History Month programing. We will still feature questions for you to answer from the game, "Cowgirls Ride the Trail of Truth." It's the perfect way to join in community and to continue getting to know one another.

First, St. Patrick's Day. Yesterday morning I walked into school and immediately noticed this box sitting on the counter in Jack's classroom. Immediately drawn to anything that sparkles, I asked Ms. Psasha what the box was all about. She explained that the decorated box was a "Leprechaun Catcher" and that every classroom was making one. St. Patrick's Day is less than a week away and Children's Courtyard wasn't going to leave leprechaun catching up to the Luck-o-the-Irish. Instead, each classroom put on their creative caps and dreamt up exactly what they thought it would take to catch themselves a magical leprechaun and his pot of gold. To me this activity is brilliant - not only because it fosters creativity, but also because it helps to build a sense of excitement around this simple holiday. Check them out and tell me if you have a favorite leprechaun catcher?





This is a great weekend activity for just about any group of kids (young and old).

Now the questions...

Last week Heather laid the ground work for each of our Saturday posts in March. She explained that, in January when I attend Misty's Annual Potato Soup party, I became acquainted with the game, "Cowgirls Ride the Trail of Truth." The game comes with a box of thought provoking questions in the following categories: Sex & Body, History & Experience, Family & Friends, Spirit, Shadow, and Taste.

Today I will share a card of six questions, allowing you to pick your favorite question and to share your answer with the rest of us. If questions such as these can be used to help us get to know one another better, then imagine how much fun you could have asking them of your closest girlfriends. Consider planning a coffee, brunch, or lunch with your friends and letting these questions be your guest of honor. Or, what about mailing each of your girlfriends one question in a envelope with a self-addressed stamped envelope (do it on one of Peggy's great looking cards and score extra points) with the hopes they will mail their reply? What a fun way to honor the women in your life during the month of March AND to maybe learn something new about them!

Here are today's questions. Tune in next weekend when Katie actually gets the chance to serve as hostess (without being usurped by me) and presents you with another set of questions:

• How do I feel about getting older?
• Who is the most influential person I know?
• How do I feel when I hear a man praise his wife?
• If I could be invisible for a day, I would hang out at...
• When did I maintain a disguise?
• If I found out I had a life-threatening disease, who would I tell first?

You've got all weekend to answer! Answer one or answer them all.

Signing off until Monday...

March Madness: California Coast

Congratulations to the California Golden Girls who will be coasting right into Highlowaha's March Madness Semi Finals. Yesterday was a picture perfect day with close to 60 people voting on the next best way to preserve our favorite photos - Animoto videos or Shutterfly's Photo Books. In the end the newer... and "free-er" Animoto won out (my dad would cringe at my use of a non-word).

Special thanks to the Derby City Darlings, who under Melanie's leadership put together a formidable line-up of creative ideas. Today we will peek inside the play book of the Derby City Darlings to see what else they had up their sleeves. Since it's Friday, we will also Free For All about other topics of interest.

Idea #2
Bottle/Sippy Cup Bands: You know those rubber “LiveStrong” bracelets that became oh-so popular a few years ago – it seemed like every cause had a different band for a while there and some people are still wearing them. Well some ingenious mother came up with the idea to create a similar product that fits around a child’s bottle or sippy cup with the child’s name. The band is dishwasher & microwave safe, won’t wear off like permanent marker or adhesive labels, and, can be used again and again on whatever bottle/cup is needed that day. I know of several church nursery helpers who are singing the praises of this product! http://www.littlepiddles.com/custombumpyname.html

Idea #3
Our Favorite Website: Flylady.com: Short on time and tired of the clutter in your home? Visit www.flylady.com . From the website, “FlyLady uses the Sidetracked Home Executive (SHE) system as a basis for organizing her home and her life. She adds humor, spunk, and a dose of common sense to her advice, but be prepared - FlyLady does not allow whining.”

Idea #4
Reusable Paper Towels: Striving to be green, but can’t live without the ease of a role of paper towels in your kitchen? Order these reusable paper towels, made from fabric to match your kitchen decor, that snap back onto a roll after being washed so they are ready to use again! http://hyenacart.com/prod_details.php?id+79973&vid+1898

Idea #5
A Bright Idea =’s a REALLY COOL Lamp: Do you have an item in your house that you have been hanging onto or that you just don’t know what to do with? Is there a room that needs a light fixture, but your tired of the same ole same ole lamps? Why not create a one of a kind original lamp. Stores such as hobby lobby, home depot, Lowe’s and many others sell various kits to create one of a kind lamps. Have a stack of old books, drill a hole down the middle and make a lamp How about a really cool mason jar, or vase? The sky is the limit, literally. This is an idea that Ray is sure to love! http://www.nationalartcraft.com/subcategory.asp?gid+1&cid+156&scid=226

Now some Free For All Topics...

Jack's Dog Party: Jack and his pack had fun at last Saturday's birthday party. Soon after guests arrived they used pom poms, glitter, foam cutouts, sequins, ribbons, flowers, and pipe cleaners to decorate party hats worthy of a Dog Party. Afterwards we read, "Go Dog Go," ate lunch out of dog bowls, played pin the dog tag on the dog collar, ate a dog bone shaped cake, played some more, and then sent guests on their way with a "doggie bag" in hand. Doggie bags included a small stuffed dog, a tennis ball for playing catch, dog bone shaped cookies, and dog stickers. The nicest surprise of the day? Richard found Scoobie Snacks - cinnamon cookies shaped liked dog bones. Final note: If the kids were a bit older I might have had them hunt for dog bones or play every dog's favorite game - BINGO! Brainstorming a future party of your own? Let us help.

St. Patrick's Day: Earlier this week, Erica suggested we generate ideas for celebrating St. Patrick's Day with our family and friends. If you were around last year at this time you might remember my telling you about Shamrock Shakes. Here's the Reader's Digest version. Every St. Patrick's Day, my mother gave me enough money to treat me and a friend to a green Shamrock Shake at McDonalds (I guess there are enough Irish people in New York to warrant this once-a-year specialty drink). Soon after meeting Richard and Ricky ten years ago I revived this favorite childhood memory. We make our own shakes using plenty of green dye (that's the fun part) and sipping them through (hoisted) McDonalds straws (all shakes are better when sipped through a McDonalds straw). How about you? What ideas to you have for making St. Patrick's Day extra fun for your family and friends?

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Almost one month into our new year and one or two of you have taken a second to share what you like and dislike about our new format. We want to hear from the rest of you. Tell us what you think.

Signing off until tomorrow...