Over the River and Through the Woods...

...to grandmother's house we go. Nine days and counting until Thanksgiving!

Today's post is dedicated all those brave souls who will be traveling by car or plane with young kids.

Confession.

I have a hard time throwing away paper towel rolls. They are fun-shaped and made from cardboard sturdy enough it seems that there ought to be life after dispensing paper towels. I have the same problem, by the way, with toilet paper rolls.

About a year and a half ago I did a post using toilet paper rolls to make beachy napkin rings for Matthew's birthday party. Today, paper towel tubes are center stage. With just a little effort on your part, paper towel rolls make the perfect Trip Tubes. Check it out...

Using the same technique I used when making a pinata for Matthew's teacher, crumple small pieces of tissue paper into round balls. Adhere balls to the paper towel roll using Elmer's Glue.

Fill tubes with items children can use to entertain themselves while sitting in the car or on a plane. Items I included were things such as crayons, coloring book pages, Mad Libs, toys cars, finger puppets, a miniature Magic 8 Ball, and countless other items stocked in the party section of Target, Walmart or your favorite dollar store.

Once chock full of treats, seal the ends. Guaranteed to make for an AMAIZING trip!

Or, how about wrapping the tube in a map and attaching a note wishing, "Happy Trails"

Or even wrapped in red paper with a wish for a"Dynamite Trip."

Now it's your turn. What other ways can we wrap these paper towel rolls to make for fun themed Trip Tubes? And, while you are at it, how about helping us generate other interesting items we might include in our tubes.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Planting Seeds

The air is crisp and the sky is overcast.

The arrival of fall gets me pondering and searching for touches to make Thanksgiving special. When a guest in someone else's home, I like to bring a thoughtful hostess gift. And, on the lucky years my family gets to host, I enjoy building something fun into our holiday tablescape.

Seven weeks away, it's time to start planting seeds.

This year the Paper Acorn will come to my rescue. Heather, who has an eye for spotting unique items in keeping with the spirit of Highlowaha (and whose birthday is TODAY!), invited Etsy, artist Jessica Wolf, to send us a sampling of her work. Though Jessica creates all kinds of custom packaging for weddings, parties, and gifts, she generously sent us a sampling of the four acorn boxes pictured above.

I LOVE THEM.

I especially love them filled with simply decorated acorn cookies and some fall colored shred.

For Thanksgiving I will commission Jessica to make me a collection of acorn boxes using colors such as gold, terra cotta, olive green, and other earthy tones. They will be perfect atop each place setting of china and filled with small treats.

Take a look. Paperacorn.etsy.com

Or, check out what I did last year. More amateur than Jessica's, but festive nonetheless.

Want to win the four boxes pictured above? Here's how...

"Bearing a tiny seed that will produce a mighty oak, the acorn reminds us that great results can be born of humble beginnings." Tell me about one of your great results, born from humble beginnings.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Thanksgiving Eve: The Final Push

I'll be quick.  If you have as many items left on your to-do list as I have on mine then you don't have much time to spare.

• Menu and shopping done.
  
• Napkins and table cloth ironed.
  
• Centerpiece underway.
  
• Craft project less than half done
  
• Silver still waiting to be polished
  
• Straightening and cleaning... no sense in starting too early.
  
• Boys outfits still need to be ironed.
  
• Come to think of it, what will I wear?  Dig through closet.
  

Then I had another idea.  Wouldn't Pin The Feather on the Turkey be a fun game to play with the kids?  Maybe I can eek in just one more project.  I think I have everything I need: white banner paper, paint, and paint brushes.  Draw the turkey, have the boys paint it, add tape to cut-out feathers.  If I want to get really serious, I suppose I could get a prize.

• Swing by Dollar Bin at Target to find a prize and some consolation treats.
  

Then I ran across a timely website and I started thinking... wouldn't Thanksgiving trivia at dinner be fun?  

No worries.  I'm not squeezing it into my list of things to do.  It's not exactly up my father in-law's alley and I don't have the time.  Maybe next year.

But you?  You could make it happen.  If nothing else.  Take a second and look at this site http://www.history.com/minisites/thanksgiving/.  It includes fun football facts; 15 things you didn't know about Thanksgiving; and truths about many of our favorite Thanksgiving myths.  If you haven't made place cards yet, you could place a question on the back of each place card!  Fun, fun, fun.

A couple more things then I'm done for today.

Yes, there will be a post tomorrow.  Many of you feel like family to me now, so I'd love it if you could check once during the day and let me know what you're up to.  When did you eat?  Are you watching football?  What was your favorite dish? Are you stuffed or going back for seconds?  You know, pick a topic and fill us in.

Today many of us will be hitting the road.  But, before you go...  Tell us what your thankful for this year.  I'll go first.  Mine is easy.  I am thankful my parents are still healthy.  And, of course, I am thankful for my three boys and a husband who is my perfect match.  Oh, and I suppose I'm also thankful for Starbucks, Sharpie Markers, and CNN's David Gergen.

Speaking of thankful... and then I'm done.  If you haven't already (and are able), consider purchasing an item for the family we adopted this holiday season.  Check out the Helping Hand link (top right hand corner of the page) for some ideas of what the family could use.  We are trying to bring closure to our portion of the initiative.  Christmas will be here before you know it and we need to leave time to get the items from Tera in Ohio to the family in PA, sometime between now and Christmas.  Items (or last minute donations) can be mailed to Tera at: 2590 N. Moreland, Apt. E22, Shaker Heights, OH 44120.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Turkey Talk

Announcements at the end...

Today's post is more about the aspiration of a creative idea than it is about the completion of a creative idea.  Thanksgiving is two work days away and my list of things to do is growing.  Iron napkins, steam table cloth, polish silver, straighten house, shop for final grocery items, oh... and crafts.  Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same if we didn't create some kind of festive craft for the dinner table.  The question is what?

Last year we wove fun Thanksgiving place mats.  Over, under, over, under, over, using fall colored construction paper and then laminated.  I'd love to show the place mats to you, but I lost them.  It's o.k. though. Remember, we try never to use the same idea twice.

We also used paint, feathers, foam, construction paper, and hot glue to turn a clay pot into a turkey.  It was a decorative way to display each person's account of those things for which they were giving thanks.  I'd love to show you that too, but it must be safely tucked away with the place mats.  

What about this year?  Not sure yet, but take a look at the three finalists...

Turkey votive candle holders

Corn on the Cob Crackers

Cardboard Turkey Basket

So, what do you think?  Which one do you think will make it to my dining room table on Thanksgiving morning?  Find out on Thursday when I post a picture of our table!

Now, how about you?  What preparations are you still making?  Finding recipes?  Picking out a new outfit?  Cleaning your house?  Tell us.  You'll feel better.

Now for some quick announcements...

• Christmas Conversation Cards: Sales were good yesterday.  We sold eight of the twelve boxes of Christmas Conversation Cards.  They make a great gift for a friend, neighbor, teacher, or holiday hostess.  Your family will also want a deck to help them get in the holiday spirit.  Order today and the beautiful box can be sitting on your dinner table by December 1.   $15.00, includes shipping.
• Helping Hands:  Today I mail a check to Tera for exactly $380.00.  Thank you to everyone who was able to get their check to me on time.  If you are still hoping to pay your Blog-a-thon sponsorship, please mail it directly to Tera Johnson (unless you and I have already made an arrangement).  Her mailing address is: 2590 N. Moreland, Apt. E22, Shaker Heights, OH., 44120.
  
• Paint the Town Red:  Yesterday I mailed Highlowaha's designated Regional Coke Directors hang tags, so that they may start a Coke Kindness Chain in their region.  Our goal is to keep each Kindness Chain going until Valentine's Day!  Wanna start one in your community?  Send me an email at cbeeny@lslog.com and I'll let you know how.  It's easy and the impact will be big!  P.S.  The holidays are coming, so make sure you have lots of Coke products available for your guests (then send Heather your Reward Codes).  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Check out the post from Saturday (11/22).  
  
• Highlowaha Friendship Party:  None of last week's participants was prepared to take on role of Party Host.  The invitation is wide open.  Volunteer to "host" (gather six readers and pick a topic) a party in February and earn the letter writing caddy I was prepared to give away on Saturday. 
  
• Festival of Lights Virtual Party:  Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 14.  Beginning at 8:00, I'll post a short slide show of all our readers' Christmas trees (and other holiday decorations).  Then we'll have a lively ornament exchange.  To participate, send Katie a picture of your decorated Christmas tree, menorah, or other holiday decoration.  Participating in the ornament exchange?  Send her a picture of your ornament unwrapped AND wrapped!  Deadline for submissions, December 12 at 5:00 p.m. 
  

Signing off until tomorrow... when there will only be one more work day until Thanksgiving Day!