The Draft

Lauren, Sarah, Kate, Jen and Katie already know how to live Highlowaha's Spirit of 218. Each of them carved out time from their already busy schedules yesterday to submit a 6-word essay on why their food blog should be selected to participate in the Second Annual Super Bowl Snack Throw Down.

But, they also took a leap of faith. Heather sent a random email inviting approximately 50 food bloggers to participate. Of the 50, only four foodies were courageous enough to delve into the unknown, to try something new, and to entertain the possibilities that could come from engaging with a new community of people.

Lauren, Sarah, Kate, Jen and Katie ... you are one of us. You are adventurous, open to creative possibilities, and are hopeful about the serendipitous fun that can occur when you take a chance. Welcome. We hope you'll stick around, no matter the outcome of today's voting. You'll grow to love us and I suspect we will feel the same about you.

Now to the business of today's voting.

Below is a recap of each woman's name, the state from which she hails, the web address for her food blog, and her 6-word paragraph. Review each submission then...

• Go to highlowaha218@gmail.com and send an email stating which TWO food blogs you would like to see compete in the Super Bowl Snack Throw Down.
  
• Solicit a friend, or two, who will vote by tonight, Wednesday, August 5, at midnight CST. Lauren, Sarah, Kate, Jen and Katie ... it's "legal" for you to muster up your own support.
  
• Tune in this Friday, August 7, when we announce the lucky winners and when we "Free For All" your suggestions for this season's secret ingredients.
  
• Tune in every day, but be especially ready on Friday, August 28. We will officially kick-off the season by voting for the first round of secret ingredients.
  

Here we go:

Jen

Massachussetts

http://www.beantownbaker.com/

"My favorite season: Fall = Football + Food"

Lauren

State Unknown

http://lacucinadilauren.blogspot.com/

"Food plus football equals fabulous time."

Sarah

Oregon

http://sarah-cooking.blogspot.com/

"Pick me to make yummy snacks."

Kate

North Carolina

http://www.goodiesbykate.blogspot.com/

"Military wife who makes HOO-AH snacks."

Katie

Colorado

http://busymomcookbook.blogspot.com/

"Mom who plagiarizes budget friendly foods."

Impressive group, huh? Nice job recruiting, Heather.

I've been forgoing daily announcements in an effort to keep posts short and manageable...especially for first-time-viewers. But, today I feel the need to make a few.

Announcements:

• Make a comment in the comment section at any point during the week and your name gets entered in the Altoid table, for a drawing this Friday.
  
• If you think this is fun, you WILL want to tune in next week for our three-day Creativity Triathlon. Three days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), three events. First place wins $100.00; Second place wins $50.00; and third place wins $25.00.
• Did anyone else catch Cristine's proclamation that Struble Suds is going to host a Dine By Design Gift of 218 Fundraiser in September? Dine by Design Struble Suds Style! I can't wait to see! Now we just need one of our foodies to show us how it's really done!
  

There is too much going on today to engage in our traditional Whack on the Side of the Head activity. Wanna make a comment? Revisit the past by celebrating Whacky Wednesday. Tell us something whacky about your Wednesday.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Pre-Season Line Up

We expect to have some visitors to our site today.  Welcome them the "Highlowaha Way." Show them how a blog, based solely on concepts of creativity and community will SHINE!

Our visitors are food lovers,  The occasion is start of football season.

Some background for those who were not with us last year at this time.  Facts, just the facts...

Highlowaha scoured the country looking for the craziest, zaniest, most over-the-top football fans we could find.  Turns out the Struble Family, in Naperville, Illinois fit the bill.  They've converted their basement into a full blown Packer Pub called Struble Suds.  Their set up is about as close to Cheers as you can get and still be zoned in a residential neighborhood.  Visit their pub and expect to be greeted with a steady stream of fans, printed t-shirts, mugs, a jumbo-tron of a screen, rows of reclining seats, a wall holding framed photographs of all the regulars, and a bottomless keg.  PACKER FANS! 

Once the right fans were found, we set the ground rules for the First Annual Highlowaha Super Bowl Snack Throw Down.  High:  We had great participation, voting for secret ingredients each week was fun, and the one-of-a-kind super bowl that AZLori won was great looking.  Lows: The cost of shipping weekly snacks to Struble Suds added up.  Aha: With a little bit of creativity and a lot of desire, you can find a better way.

Here it is.

The new and improved Super Bowl Snack Throw Down: Take Two.

• Today by 8:00 p.m. CST.  Host writers of food blogs from around the country will compete in a 6-word essay about why they should be selected as one of two competing teams in our newly revised Superbowl Throw Down.
  
• Tomorrow, Highlowaha readers (plus anyone that our foodies gather) will select two winners by voting on which 6-word essays they think are best.  The two food blogs receiving the most votes will win.
  
• The two winning sites will compete each week during football season, to see whose football snack recipes posts the most wins.
  
• No mailing involved.
• Each Friday before the next competition, Highlowaha readers will vote between two secret ingredients.  
• The next day (Saturday), the secret ingredient will be officially announced.  The winning ingredient must somehow be incorporated into a football snack prepared by our two competing food bloggers.  Food bloggers will have 12 days to prepare their dish and to post a photograph and recipe.
• On a designated day of the week, Highlowaha readers will visit the sites of our competing food bloggers to check out their entries.  Then, return to the Highlowaha comment section to cast your vote.
• Recipes will be judged on the following criterion.  Creative use of the ingredient (you had to know creativity would be #1), most likely to be eaten first, best photograph, and "replicability" (chances that a clumsy, non-foodie like me could actually make the recipe).
• Competing food bloggers earn a score, based on 100 percentage points.  
• Each Monday morning the winner will be announced. 
• The food blogger at the end of the season with the most wins earns the right to compete against Highlowaha readers in the ULTIMATE snack throw down on Super Bowl Sunday.
• Sunday, February 7, 2010, Highlowaha readers go head-to-head with the reigning Food Blogger Champion, by submitting a recipe that, for this one time only, will be mailed to Struble Suds.
• Monday, February 8, 2010, gifts and treats, including a hand-crafted super bowl, will be bestowed upon the ultimate Second Annual Super Bowl Snack Throw Down winner!  And the crowd roars.

That's it.  That's the plan and Heather, Katie, Cheryl, and I are pretty excited.  We hope you are too.

Do you know someone with a food blog you want to make sure gets a crack at competing?  Forward them today's post.  It's not too late for them to get in on the fun.  Remember, 6-word essays must be posted by 8:00 p.m. CST.

Don't know anyone you think should compete?  That's ok, tell us how you are getting ready for football season.  But, do it in six words.

Signing off until tomorrow...

K.I.S.S. and Tell

August = Transition. Not only is August the start of grade school for young people and college students all over the country, but it is also the month that I safely tuck away last year's memories and prepare for another year of Keep-it-Simple-ScrapJournaling (K.I.S.S).

We're a blog of new ideas, so rather than cheat by dragging you through a repeat performance of an old topic, I'll let you peruse the posts as interested. The steps are as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Here's a little something to peak your curiosity...

Three kids.
One folder, one 60-page photo album, and one calendar per kid.

Three "treasure boxes." Ricky, Matthew, and Jack.
One folder for each year of their lives. Ricky is 16.
Each August, tuck away last year's packet and...

Start anew.

No fuss, no muss. One drawer per kid.
Each drawer contains a folder, calendar, and photo album.
Add, a few markers, some glue, and a couple stickers
(if I want to be really fancy).

Inside cover of each calendar, include a recent picture.

Curious about the specifics or just want a refresher course? Take some time to visit Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3. Tell us what you think or... share a tip you use for organizing memories.

Now for a totally new idea. This is a compliments of a woman I met through another friend. She and her husband share a journal. Here's the fun clincher...

They take turns writing thoughtful notes to one another inside and then hide the journal in non-descript places so the other person will find it!

I love it. Simple, thoughtful, and with the perfect element of surprise.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Strengths Quest Saturday: Introduction

Ask me to assemble a piece of furniture by following, letter by letter, instructions in a 30 page manual?  Torture!  Depend on me to keep your company in business by selling enough widgets?  You and everyone you work with will be eating Ramen noodles for dinner.

But... 

ask me to gather input by reading, watching, interviewing, or collecting information, so I may turn what I've found into creative ideas, develop a focused strategy for presenting new topics each week, and deliver them to a thriving blog community?  What an achievement!

Sign me up now.

The beauty of StrengthsQuest is now I know why I derive so much pleasure from participating in Highlowaha.  My signature themes are:

Strategic

Focus

Ideation

Input

Achiever

Welcome to Week I of Highlowaha's StrengthsQuest Saturday's.  Each Saturday for the month of August, readers will gather at Highlowaha to share what we've learned; reflect on how we see it applying to all facets of our life; swap ideas and tips; and discuss how, when applied, the principles of StrengthsQuest can actually improve our performance. 

This is only our second attempt at a Book Club gathering and I have high hopes for the outcome.  I'll be happy if participants hear something new, better understand something old, or feel compelled to try something different.  

To assist in our learning , I have asked three experienced StrenghtsQuest users and trainers to weigh in.  Jessica B., Melissa M., and Marcy H., have each agreed to visit our community at least once each weekend.  They will read what we've posted, make suggestions and points of clarification, and ask thoughtful questions when appropriate.  These next few weeks will be like all of our most meaningful learning experiences.  The more we put into it, the more we will get out of it.  I will introduce you to them in a little more depth next week.  For this week, trust me when I tell you they are no slouches!  

We will start off today by asking each person to share his/her signature themes and to tell us your first reaction.  Did the descriptors seem accurate?  Were you surprised?  Go one step further and share an example of how you see yourself using one of your strengths.  

Don't have your book yet, but don't want to miss out on the fun?  Have no fear.  You can pick a book up at any bookstore (not used), use the code in the back of the book to take the on-line survey, get your results immediately, and be back here before dinner.

Hurry up.  We want your company.

Signing off until Monday...

Free For All Friday: Boot Scootin' Boogie

T.G. I. F. Today we:

• Bid Katie a farewell
  
• Unveil the...
  
• Warm up for the HLA Creativity Triathlon
  
• Talk of two other HLA challenges
  
• Make plenty of announcements,
  
• and request your "free-for-alling" on two topics.
  

With no further ado, let the fun commence.

Now Departing: National Ice Cream Month

The moment many of you have been waiting for. One day left before bidding farewell, for another year, to National Ice Cream Month. Finally we are featuring July's celebratory cookie - compliments of Fancy Flours.

Background. Once a month Highlowaha partners with Fancy Flours to host a Cookie Cutter Challenge. I identify a holiday worth celebrating and you identify the cookie cutter I must incorporate into the celebration. It's a challenge, because many of you select the cookie cutter you think least likely or least related (i.e. National Ice Cream Month and airplanes, Richard's birthday and mermaids, Earth Day and porcupines). Once the cutter is identified, I have one month to make the cookies and "serve them up."

This month was a double challenge. Not only did I have to find the point of intersection between ice cream and planes, but I also need to construct (literally) the 3-D airplane cookies. Baking 3-D cookies are not for the faint of heart. In fact, I'd say the ideal resume of a 3-D cookie maker is part baker, part architect.

I haven't quit my day job, but still I'm pretty pleased with what I, and the rest of my flight crew, came up with. Take a look.

Now Departing: First Class Sundae!

You'll notice, we kept "decorating" to a minimum. Only the tips of the wings were dipped in chocolate. The cookie itself is so remarkable, we wanted to keep the main thing the main thing. Each cookie sat atop a mountain of ice cream surrounded by cumulus whipped cream clouds. Weather conditions changed as passengers showered their "plane" sundaes with crushed Oreos, coconut, sprinkles, nuts, or hot fudge.

For added touches, baggage tags served as napkin rings and boarding pass sleeves served as covers to our First Class Sundae invitations.

Two cookie tasks today.

First, win your own 3-D cookie cutter by making the winning suggestion (as judged by me, Cheryl, Heather, and Katie) for another occasion when you might use the airplane and the accompanying slogan.

Second. Help select the cookie cutter for next month. Theme?...

College campuses all around the country are gearing up to present their award winning orientation programs and welcome week activities to the class of 2013 (or so). I am sure there are impressive things happening everywhere, but the one program in the country I have the most fun following is the Orientation program at Bucknell University.

The Assistant Dean in charge of their program is one of the most visionary, most creative, and one of the biggest thinkers I know. Student staff at Bucknell must feel like they've returned to campus early, not only to selflessly serve new students for a week, but also to step foot into Disneyland. From theme to decorations, to leader treats, to table decorations, and promotional materials, there is no detail unattended.

Today we will gear up to celebrate Bucknell's orientation program. This year's theme? Tricky, that's what it is. The theme they will bring to life, under her leadership, is...

"O" Museum. She will transform portions of her campus to be exhibits of dinosaurs, air and space exhibits, a portrait gallery, and leader-created modern art. Maybe in early fall I will work with the Assistant Dean to feature pictures of her production. Then you can see the magnitude of what I'm so ineptly describing.

In the meantime... give me my cookie cutter. What's it going to be? Peruse the Fancy Flour museum of cookie cutters and find me the one you think I ought to have to use. Then tune in early next week to find out the winner.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Whack on the Side of the Head Wednesday: Weaving

LURKERS:  Read on.  Today is a Part II of yesterday's Lurker Appreciation Day.  Frequent posters... there's something in it for everyone.  Stay tuned.

Creative idea

Edison's Whack on the Side of the Head 

Lurker Appreciation, continued, and

A challenge

Watch me attempt to weave these four things together.

Creative Idea 

How about using a beach ball as a fun way to learn more about family members at a reunion, friends at a cookout, or co-workers at a office retreat?  Throw the ball from one part of the circle to another answering whichever question is closest to your right pointer finger.  

We'll play in a minute.  First we have a few more items of business.

Edison's Whack on the Side of the Head

Lesson #4:  Knowing.  For the innovator, knowledge must not be an end in itself.  Creative knowledge means knowing the potential of many things - forces, components, design elements, and so on - so that these may be combined into new or improved devices.

Apparently Edison was more of a practitioner than he was a theorist.  He considered the elements used to build his devices more important than any book-learned grasp of theory.

What does that mean to us?  Concrete, specific, intimate knowledge of our lurkers is more important than what any psychology book might say about the motivation-theory involved in converting a lurker to a poster. 

Hold that thought.

Lurker Appreciation, continued.

Yesterday we used a simple poll to learn more about our lurkers. And, we did. I was surprised to learn so many of our readers are between 35-45 and that posts of general inspiration are second only to those of creative ideas. I was not surprised, however, to learn that 92% of our readers SHINE!

Lurkers, yesterday was a baby step.  Today, we're going to ask you to go one step further.  Below is a list of the questions written on the beach ball pictured above.  Close your eyes and, using your right pointer finger, pick a question.  Then, go to the comment section and give us a more concrete, specific, intimate look at who you are.

Item 4 of 4, before we get the fun of the questions.

A Challenge

Open space.  Anyone who has ever taken a counseling class knows that, sometimes getting a client to share means that you, the counselor, must become comfortable with the awkward silence.  Would the 27% who said "planning on it" and 7% who said, "just ask" feel more inclined to share if our regular posters created space for them?  You know, not jumping right in and dominating the comment section?

Let's try.  Before any of our regulars posters provide their answers to one of the questions, let's get at least one lurker to post his/her answer to a question in the comment section.

I'll even sweeten the pot.  For every post made AFTER the first lurker comes out of hiding, I will donate $1.00 to Highlowaha's philanthropy, Gift of 218. 

Below is the list of questions, compliments of reader Peggy who made me the beautiful book you see pictured above.

What are your hobbies?

Where was your high school and when did you graduate?
Favorite thing to do on the weekend?
What's your favorite holiday?
What are some of your favorite sayings?
What was the first album you ever bought?
What was the best trip you ever took?
What is your zodiac sign?
Have you ever saved anyone's life?
What is your favorite snack?
What was your first job?
How did you decide on your career?
Describe in details a place you really love.
I am...
What is your favorite quote?
What are you thankful for?
Which song do you sing in the shower?
What is the last book you read?
What are 5 things you want to learn to do?
Who knows you better than anyone?
What's your favorite aisle in Target?
How do you best relax?
Do you have any siblings?
What do you never get sick of?
If $$$ didn't matter what job/career would you go for?
What is 1 thing you could not live without?
What's your favorite game?
Who is your hero?

Phew, four items of business woven together into a single Whack on the Side of the Head.  I'm tired.  

Signing off until tomorrow...