Monday Mania

It's a busy Monday. But, would we really have it any other way during the holiday season?

Wow! What fun we had last night, sipping cocoa, watching Survivor, and having a cut-throat -no-holds-barred-Ornament Exchange! All I have to say is... watch out for those Schnepp Sisters! They can play a mean game of... Pirate Ornaments. Last night's participants are anxiously waiting to see the unwrapped version of the ornaments for which they fought so hard. We won't make them wait another second. The ornaments are listed by number and the individual who won them. Drum roll, please...

Thanks, again to those of you who caught the Spirit of #218 and made time to do something outside your normal schedule. I had fun and hope you did too.

Santa Claus or Bust!

Today, Cassie P - one of our fun and loyal readers - is taking a road trip to Santa Claus, Indiana especially for us. She is road tripping with a friend (Samantha), so that they may hand deliver our letters to the post office for an authentic Santa Claus postmark. Along the way, I've presented Cassie and Samantha with some "challenges." Join me in rooting them on. Then, later today or tomorrow, look on Highlowaha for Cassie's account of their adventures. It will be posted as a separate blog entry. Cassie's tasks include:

• Get a photograph in front of the cross streets, Kringle Way and Christmas Blvd.
  
• Have one of the 25 flavors of hot cocoa served at the Silent Night Cafe
  
• Select one of the over 100 candy canes from Santa's Candy Castle, home of the World's Largest Candy Cane Selection!
  
• Find out one fun fact from the Santa Claus Museum
  
• Volunteer to reply to one of over 15,000 letters mailed to Santa Claus this holiday season.
  
• Get their picture in front of at least 3 Santa statues (ideally holding a sign saying, "Merry Christmas from Highlowaha."
  
• Meet, and serve as HLA ambassador, to Melissa - our point of contact in Santa Claus.
  
• Of course, mail our Christmas letters and cards!
• Drive safely and have fun

Ornaments, Ornaments, Ornaments

As follow up to last nights Ornament Exchange, I thought we could spend today talking about some of our favorite and most prized ornaments. I've included one of our family favorites.

The story goes that Santa dropped this pocket watch in our living room one year while he was delivering presents to our house. That was the story we told Ricky when he was six years old and it still holds to this day. Ricky is, in fact, in charge of hanging the pocket watch on the tree each year. He's had fun sharing the story with Matthew and I'm sure he'll do it again when Jack is old enough. Ricky, of course, has made us promise that HE gets that ornament when he grows up and has his own family. I love that he's so adamant about having it. It means, in some small way, the tradition means something to him.

How about all of you? Do you have a favorite ornament or holiday decoration? Tell us about it? And, if you don't have one... how about sharing the favorite holiday ornament you've seen while out shopping this year.

As for me.. I am off to Houston for the day and won't be back until late tonight. I'll count on all of you to keep the community going and I'll look forward to reading what you had to say when I return.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Festival of Lights

Welcome to Highlowaha's 

First Annual Festival of Lights 

Tonight is an opportunity for us to spend a few minutes with new and old friends, made in our virtual community over the past ten months.  The Festival of Lights allows us to get a peak inside one another's homes and feel - if only for a moment - that we are part of each other's holiday traditions.  

Make yourself a cup of cocoa, sit back and enjoy the short slide show of your friends Christmas trees.  You might also take a second to view the slide show of wrapped Christmas ornaments, so you can identify the one you would most like to select.

Then, sign in by making a post and let us know you're out there.  At 8:15 p.m. (CST), after you've had time to "ooh" and "aahhh," everyone who submitted a photo of an ornament, will begin the Ornament Exchange.

Didn't submit a photo of your tree or an ornament?  No worries.  You can still join our party, by posting comments.

See you in a few... 

The How-tos of Tonight's Ornament Exchange

• To participate in tonight's Exchange, you must have already submitted your photo to Katie.
  
• Make sure you have posted a comment letting us know you are here.
  
• View the slide show of ornaments to determine which you would most like to select.
  
• You will be randomly assigned a number which will determine the order in which we will select ornaments.
  
• Like Pirate Bingo, ornaments are allowed to be "stolen" three times by other participants, before the ornament becomes "out of play."
  
• Person #1 will select the numbered ornament she wants (in tonight's case it is all "shes"), by making a post in the comment section.  You are deciding exclusively on packaging, which is one more reason we must accept that "packaging is everything."
• Person #2 will decide if she wants to select a different package or if she wants the package you have.  She will post her choice in the comment section.
• Refresh your screen periodically, so you can be sure you are a viewing the most up-to-date exchanges (Refresh button should be in the top left hand corner of your computer).
• Remember, packaged ornaments may be stolen three times before they are out of play.
• The Exchange will continue until all 9 of us has selected an ornament.
• Tune in tomorrow morning for the final slide show, unveiling which ornament you won.
• Click on the comment section now to see who goes first...

Let me say thanks ahead of time, everyone, for participating in tonight's event.  You're living the Spirit of #218 and, in the process, hopefully realizing the magic of making time for the life's little things. 

Let's play... 

Countdown to the Twelve Days of Christmas: Part I

Good morning.  Today's post will come in two parts.  First will come the sharing of today's creative idea.  Then, later in the day, will come our families finished product.

So today we make our Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Tree.  We cut it out of paper, paint it green, decorate paper ornaments, and then I write a daily activity on the  back of each.  Each day for the next twelve days we will do some small thing together to celebrate the holidays and to build the excitement and anticipation of Santa's arrival.

So that's it.  I'll report back later and show you a picture of the finished product.  In the meantime... how about sharing an idea or two of activities you might include.  Remember, the name of the game is simple.  In fact, I like to build the activities around things we already do each day (taking baths, eating dinner, reading our nightly book, getting dressed, etc...).

Remember, Katie might still accept your pictures of your Christmas tree and ornament!  It's not too late to get in the game!

Signing off until later today...

Twelve Days of Christmas: Part II:

Here it is.  More than a little later (Sunday at 7:30).  Sorry.  Last night got away from me and we were hosting an out of town visitor today. 

The beauty of this project was that there was it was totally Matthew and Jack's.  I cut out the ornaments and the tree and the boys went to town coloring and painting.  It might not win us any awards, but to us, Rockefeller Center has nothing on us.  The twelve activities I settled on - which are still a mystery to the boys - are...

• Sing Christmas carols in the bathtub
  
• Mail Santa his letter
  
• Eat popcorn and watch a Christmas show
  
• Read a Christmas book to the kids in your class
  
• Wear red and green
  
• Drive around looking at Christmas lights
  
• Make snowman sundaes for dessert
  
• Visit Santa
  
• Make thank you cards
  
• Solve a Christmas puzzle
• Drink hot cocoa with a candy cane
• Bake Santa his cookies

Thanks for your creative assistance...

Free For All Friday: Final Thoughts, Friendship Parties, and Football

T.G.I.F.

Am I the only one waking up early because of the gajillion things running through my head?  I could fill a legal pad with all the things I want to do in the next couple of weeks, if only I would write them down.  But, if I take time to make a list I have less time to check the items off my list... and on and on the cycle goes.  Instead, I'll continue the same maddening cycle, subjecting all of you to my craziness along the way.

Today's post will be reflective of my mental state... a little all over the place, but important nonetheless.

The good news is that today is Free For All Friday.  If you hate what I have to say then declare mutiny.  Take the blog over and talk about whatever is important to you.  Still looking for a gift idea, packaging suggestions, or a slogan to go along with your gift?  Let the group take a crack at it.  Find a great bargain, a new recipe, or a holiday must-have?  Share it with the rest of us.  Glad it's Friday and ready to celebrate, vent, or reflect?  Lay it on us.  We love that stuff.

As for me... here's what I got.

Final Gift Ideas:  I can't stop.  I saw a few more things I want you to know about.  First, I saw a Girlz Own Bedroom Doorbell.  $11.99 at the Owl's Nest.  Wouldn't that be a fun thing for a young girl to have on her door?  For boys (or girls)...  Zoomorphs.  Picture animal parts... all sorts of animal parts.  Arms, legs, wings, claws, beaks, tails, etc....  Now picture them as separate pieces.  Kids can use the variety of animal parts to morph their own zoo animal (thus the name).   Ssshhh... I couldn't resist buying it for Matthew ($16.99).

Kelly Montana!:  Have you seen Katie's challenge posted in yesterday's announcements? Tonight... James Madison (her school) versus Montana (your school).  Are you up for another challenge?  That's what she wants to know!  There's another ornament hanging in the balance, so let her know!  I heard her say you're "going down!"  Are you going to let her get away with that?

Virtual Baby Shower:  Kristen has generously offered to host our next Friendship Party, January 26-31.  In light of the upcoming baby arrivals, our next Friendship Party is slated to be a baby shower.  Bottom line.  We are looking for 6-8 pregnant women who will come together and form our guest list for January's party.  Kelly, Melanie, and Michelle (where are you)... you are welcome to join us.  In addition to our old standbys, we would love to pull in some new readers.  That's where all of you come in.  Who do you know that is pregnant and will you pass their name along to us?  We need 6-8 women who are due sometime between March and June or July. 

Texas Friends: Calling all women living in the North Texas area!  Kristen's sister in-law will be moving to the Dallas Metroplex area in the spring.  She's decorating a Texas Christmas tree (see post from 12/) and would love to attach the names of contacts her sister in law could call when she arrives.  If you are willing to help welcome Kristen's sister in law to our great state, please pass along your name and contact information.  Kristen's email address is: k_schnepp@hotmail.com. 

Festival of Lights and Ornament Exchange:  It's never too late to join the fun!  Here's a run down.  Festival of Lights will begin at 8:00 p.m. CST.  To participate, just email kklolkmeier@gmail.com a picture of you in front of a holiday decoration.  She must receive by tonight at 9:00 p.m (though, if she got it Saturday morning, she'd probably squeeze it in).    The Ornament Exchange will begin somewhere around 8:15 and should be done by no later than 8:40ish.  To participate in the Ornament Exchange just...

• Buy an ornament (50% off at most places right now)
  
• Send Katie a picture of it unwrapped.
  
• Send Katie a picture of it wrapped.
  
• Tune in at 8:00 this Sunday.
  

Football Throw Down:  Round One of the Football Snack Throw Down is over.  Thanks to the 14 of you who participated.  Special congratulations to Richard, Tera, Lori, Nicole, Maureen, Melanie, and Susan,  our seven skilled winners.  Here's what we have to look forward to...

• December 30, Richard vs. Tera (receive secret ingredient 12/19
  
• January 3, Nicole vs. Maureen (receive secret ingredient 12/26
  
• January 10, Melanie vs. Susan (receive secret ingredient 1/2
• January 11, winner of Richard vs. Tera goes up against Lori (who automatically advances).  Receive secret ingredient 1/2.
• January 18, winner of Nicole vs. Maureen goes up against winner of Melanie vs. Susan, (receive secret ingredient 1/9).
• February 1, SUPER BOWL!!!!! Coveted Super Bowl is awarded to the winner, (receive secret 1/16).

Cassie Goes on a Road Trip: This Monday Cassie heads on her road trip to Santa Claus, Indiana to hand postmark and deliver our Christmas cards.  Hopefully she's received a handful in the mail.  All you last-minute Louisvillians, maybe if you drop her an email at cpatterson02@bellarmine.edu, she will swing by and pick your card up before leaving on her trip.

Christmas Conversation Question:  If all else fails, how about answering today's Highlowaha Christmas Conversation Question... What is the strangest gift you ever received?

Signing off until tomorrow...

Claudia's Kids Pick: Boys Toys

It's official.  I'm allergic to my Christmas tree.  My head is clogged and my throat is sore.  That's my low for the day (good to get that out of the way early).  It's still too early to know what my "high" will be and same with my "aha."  Maybe I'll check back later tonight and let you know.

In the meantime, we have boys toys to talk about... a topic near and dear to my heart, as I have three.  

Let me preface this by saying, the list below of Claudia's Top Kid Picks assumes the boys in your life already have (1) a flashlight, (2) walkie talkies, and (3) binoculars.  These are all items that Richard - my husband - insists are a must.  Once Maslow's Hierarchy of Boys Toys is taken care of, consider my list.  

Also, let us know what you've picked out this season for the boys in you life.  Don't have any toy ideas to share?  How about answering this question from the, now-sold-out, Limited Edition Deck of Highlowaha Conversation Cards.  What is one Christmas present from your childhood you wish you still had?  Something immediately came to mind as my answer.  I'll post it in the comment section.

Schylling Grip-n-Growl

$5.99

 How about getting this for your favorite boy's bike.  When he pulls back on the grip, it sounds like the engine of his bicycle is revving.  An inexpensive, but fun treat to surprise a neighbor, nephew, or to put in a holiday grab bag.

Stomp Rocket

$15.99 ($12.99 at Owl's Nest)

Matthew first spotted this toy when some neighborhood boys were playing with it on our block.  He's wanted one ever since.  Simply attach the foam rocket to the launch tower and then jump on the launch pad.  The rockets shoots up to 100 feet in the air.  They make another one for older kids that goes up to 200 feet (kids have to be a little heavier to jump hard enough).

Skuut

$89.99 

My sister gave this bicycle to Matthew last year.  It might very well be the best present he will ever receive.  Matthew was three last Christmas and the timing for this Skuut was PERFECT!  It works just like a bicycle, only no pedals.  Matthew uses his feet to push off and glide himself from place to place.  The beauty of this is that, by virtue of "skuuting" for a year, Matthew now knows how to balance himself and learning to ride a bicycle will be made much easier.  This item is pricey, but it is worth every penny!

Frontier Safe

$11.50

 
It seems to me having a place to hide your top secret loot (marbles, coins, a whistle, pocket knife, and other boy gadgets) would be a fun gift for a favorite boy on your list.

Flip To Win Hangman

$12.95

This is another Melissa and Doug product (love them!).  I love this item, because it strikes me as fun, but practical.  Perfect for the car.  Perfect for a restaurant.  Perfect for an airplane or a doctor's office.  The pieces are attached to the board, so no worrying about lost pieces.  They also make a similarly designed Tic Tac Toe board.

Fortamajig, Single Layer

$69.95

Santa brought one of these to Matthew last year.  It is called a Fortamajig.  It's genius, really.  I wish I would have thought of it.  Imagine parachute material with velcro tabs sewn all over it.  The randomly placed velcro tabs allow your favorite little boy (or girl) to build a fort anywhere any time.  The only supplies necessary are trees branches or furniture to which the velcro loops can be attached... and a healthy dose of imagination.

Original Little Hands Card Holder

$3.99

A simple, relatively inexpensive item.  A set of these card holders with a deck of either Old Maid or Go Fish cards makes a perfect gift for someone on your list.  I've seen other brands, but this brand works the best.

That's it for today's items.  Hopefully you found something in my Top Picks that might work for one of the guys in your life.  Don't forget to answer today's question.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Santa Claudia's Top Kid Pick's: Girl's First

Announcements at the end.

Don't get me wrong, my boys are allowed to play with dolls if they want and one of Matthew's favorite colors is pink.  When I say that today we will look at items of that might be of interest to girls, it does not mean, "No Boys Allowed."  It just means the Owl's Nest had the items located in a predominantly pink section of the store.

The price range of the items featured (and photographed by Heather) are of varying prices . One thing they have in common... all, in some way, foster creativity.  I'll leave gadgets and battery operated toys to someone more qualified.

Already done with you shopping?  Let us know what you've purchased this season for the young girls in your life.  Some of us haven't even started yet (yikes, it's true!)  Also, we'll top each of the next three days of with a question from the inaugural deck of Highlowaha's Conversation Cards (SOLD OUT!).  Today's question... What is the most memorable holiday gift you remember receiving as a child?

Fingermax Finger Brushes

$16.95

Finger painting with a twist... or should I say brush?

Kids Paint Brushes

$12.95

I bought these paint brushes for Matthew a few years back and he still uses them at least a few times a month.  You can also purchase paint containers with covers in corresponding colors.  It not only reinforces differentiation of colors, but it also helps keep the red paint red and the blue paint blue.

Jewelry Box Sticky Mosaic Kit

$12.99

Heather spotted this item and I agreed that making your own jewelry box, sounded like something many young girls would think was fun.  I also love the fact that it gives her something to do over the holiday break... other than watch t.v.

Alex Link 'n Loop Scarf

$17.99

We thought of Stacie when we saw this and thought, with a little help from her, this could be a fun gift for the nine year old girl for whom we were browsing.

Fashion Design Studio by Creativity for Kids

$28.79

Fashion industry, watch out!  This kit provides all the essentials necessary for a young person to design her own clothing.  You could be inspiring the next great clothing designer!!!

Cahootie

$6.95

Why do I love this so much?  As a kid, I spent hours doing Finger Fortunes with friends.  It's relatively inexpensive, but seems to me that it would countless hours of fun.

Melissa & Doug's

Architectural Standard Unit Blocks

$42.95

 My mother bought these architectural blocks for my niece years ago.  She's eleven and still loves playing with them.  Incidentally, on our last trip to N.Y., my boys spent many an hour playing with them too.

Oriental Trading Company

Jingle Bell Rings

$4.99/dozen

This might not exactly foster creativity, but I think it makes for a great tie-on to the bow of just about any package!  I bought one mine for $2.99 (it is multi-colored), but Oriental Trading has a full dozen for only $4.99.

Announcements:

• Festival of Lights: Cassie, Maureen, Kristen, and I were the first to commit to Sunday night's fun... The Festival of Lights will begin at 8:00 and probably only go until 8:40 or so.  Surely we'll have some more takers by Friday night at 9:00 when pictures are due to Katie.  Just email her (kkolkmeier@gmail.com) a picture of you (and your family) in front of your Christmas tree, menorah, or any other meaningful holiday item.  
  
• Ornament Exchange: This will also take place on Sunday night, beginning immediately after the Festival of Lights.  To participate... simply purchase an ornament.  Take a picture of it unwrapped, then take a picture of it wrapped.  Email both to Katie at kkolkmeier@gmail.com   
  
• Yesterday's winners: I'm not sure why my original post of winners did not post.  Here's the shortened version.  Thanks to those of you who wrote a review.  Allison did not get my email in enough time to judge, so I deferred to my favorite elf.  Richard picked two numbers between 1-6 (to correspond with the six of you who participated).  Kristen and Tera were the lucky winners!
  
• Cassie Goes to Santa Claus: It's not too late!  Grab a card on the way to work.  Take some time over your lunch hour.  Zip by the post office on your way home.  In the Spirit of #218, don't miss this chance to send a child you know a Christmas card from Santa Claus, Indiana.  Cassie is road tripping to Santa Claus for us on Monday (12/15).  We want to send her with a full Santa sack.  Her address: Cassie Patterson, 103 Meadow Drive, Sellersburg, IN, 47172
  

Signing off until tomorrow...

Santa Claudia: Cooking Up a Yummy Holiday

From one favorite vice (books) to another (edible treats)!  In an effort to make the holidays magical for the children in, and around, our lives, we are spending this week exploring favorite gift ideas for kids.  If you tuned in yesterday, you saw my qualifier.  I have a bias toward gifts that foster foster creativity and leave plenty of room for a healthy dose of imagination.  Yesterday I shared favorite holiday book titles and many of you generously chimed in with favorite titles of your own.

Today we will talk about fostering the inner chef of the children we know.  We will do this early in the week also as a way of honoring and recognizing the "can-do" attitude that King Arthur's Flour exhibited this summer. While the Container Store was busy telling me why they couldn't sponsor a Highlowaha activity - thereby giving them great, POSITIVE exposure to all of you- King Arthur's Flour contacted me asking if we would like to try one of their new products for kids.  (For the full story, see post from 10/4 titled, "Just Say Yes)." 

Hard to talk about fostering the creativity in our children without talking about engaging them in the kitchen.  One night of watching the Food Network is all you need to be convinced that cooking and baking are great ways of expressing creativity.  Seems like a perfect match to me and so here we are.

If you haven't finished shopping for the children in your life, consider giving them the gift of time in the kitchen (with you or another adult, like grandma).  King Arthur's makes six kids mixes, ranging from "ABC Twists" to "Rainbow Snack Cakes," to "Chocolate Chipper" muffin mix, "Cowboy Oatmeal" muffin mix, "Snickerdoodle" cookie mix, and "Pizza Crust."  The mixes are only $5.95 per mix.  Packaged with a rolling pin ($1.00 bin at Target), a chef's hat, or an apron, and you have a great gift idea - still for under $20.00.

Last week we mentioned the value in treating a special someone in your life to an ongoing gift.  The idea being that what we don't spend in money, we make up for in sentimentality.  Cookie cutters seem like a great example of this to me.  I can't help but think what fun it would be to present a special child with a new cookie cutter each year - the idea being that we "break it in" together.  Start when the child is young and by the time they are 18, he or she has a nice little collection (not to mention a slew of memories and a well developed skill of cookie decorating).  King Arthur has a nice selection of seasonal cookie cutters.  I'm especially fond of the snowflake (packaged beautifully with the book, Snowflake Bentley).

Today I want to give away the four baking mixes, generously donated to me by King Arthur's flour.  The question is, how?

• Do I pull from my RAK box?
  
• Have you tell who you will share the treats with, so I know they will go to good use?
  
• Swap it for a fun Christmas cookie recipe that you post in the comment section?
  
• Solicit your funniest holiday kitchen story?
  
• Or, maybe I should try to repay King Arthur's Flour in some way.  I could send you to their on-line catalog and have your enter the drawing for kids mixes by reading your review of the item of your choice.
  

Don't like #1.  Too easy.  Number 2 puts me in the roll of judging one story over another.  I don't like that.  Numbers 3 and 4 are ok and could make for interesting and entertaining reading.  Suggestion #5 feels right too.  Good karma, you know?  Do something nice for our blog community and we will go out of our way to help you.  Yeah, I like #5.

Visit the website at kingarthurflour.com  

Look the on-line catalog and stop at the first thing that catches your eye.  Tell us what it is, why you like it, how much it costs, and anything else about item that you find interesting.  I'll separate the four boxes into two bundles.  I don't want to judge, so I think I'll contact Allison Furbish at King Arthur and see if she will help.  Don't fail me now readers.  Show Allison and King Arthur's what a fun, engaged, and appreciative group we are.  Reviews, reviews, reviews.  We want lots of reviews.

Announcements:

• Cassie Goes to Santa Claus:  Let's not send her empty handed.  Today or tomorrow are the last two safe days to send Cassie a card that she can bring for an authentic Santa Claus postmark.  All you have to do is fill out your card, address it to the whichever child you've picked to be the recipient. and put a stamp on it.  Then, stick it in an envelope and send it to Cassie Patterson at: 103 Meadow Drive, Sellersburg, IN, 47172.  She'll deliver cards from anyone - frequent commenters and lurkers alike!!!!  First time readers or veteran readers.  Just make sure it gets to her by Saturday.
  
• Commit:  Festival of Lights and our Ornament Exchange are this Sunday, December 14 at 8:00.  I'd love to get an idea of who is participating.  Don't be scared to commit.  Participating is easy.  Just submit a picture of you in front of holiday lights (tree, menorah, your house, etc...).  Submit it to Katie by Friday (12/12) at 9:00 at kkolkmeier@gmail.com.  To participate in the ornament exchange just submit a wrapped and unwrapped picture of your ornament to Katie by the same day and time.  We are a community.  This is a fun way to celebrate the holidays together!  Remember, this is a patch yielding event!!!!  Mary Beth, Susan, Kristen, and all you others who have recently received patchwork denim, this is the perfect chance to increase your collection of coveted patches.
  

Signing off until tomorrow...