I can't wait, we have a big craft show here this weekend to.I've been going for a couple of years. I always get so excited to go in and see some of the new things people are doing. I have already went to 3 this year. I've seen a couple of new things done, and ended buying them. my fav is my snowman, which was clever he's made out of wood and about 30inches tall and on a stake in a galvanized pail then she set him in concrete to keep him standing, and used pine cones and greenery to hide the concrete put a string of lights in too, and of course he's all dressed up too. He's very cute. I have put him outside by my front door to greeting every one. the best part he was only $35 dollars!!! I dont mind paying that, because I dont think I will be seeing him at walmart or any other store. Hand made is always better!!! shelly

Improving foot traffic: You have to reach people who are not connected with the school. Post a listing on Craiglist. See if your town will allow signboards to be put up at major intersections, or signs posted around town the day before. Alert any assisted living facilities or the like about the event. They are often looking for good ideas for short trips for their residents. Ask vendors if they will post a poster in their store (if they have a storefront). You can also go around town and see if any other stores would be willing to have a poster up for a week or two. And some completely unsolicited advice, based on this: "As I'm quickly finding out, filling all the different sub chair positions with parents is like pulling teeth. I'm about ready to bail myself. " Sometimes, when you really can't get anyone to volunteer to help, or not nearly enough people, then it's time to cancel holding that activity and time to come up with something else. Volunteers get burnout. And if not enough people in the organization are willing to do the work to pull off the fundraiser, then it's time to stop holding it. (Not this year, but for future years.) What happens is that when the announcement is made that the event is cancelled, either new people who care enough about it step forward to manage it, or everyone breathes a sigh of relief that they don't have to go through that again. There are other fundraising ideas out there. Maybe this one has reached retirement age.

I suggested this to my hubby-going to a restaurant or even going to one of their houses and he thought it was a total bad idea. He really doesn't want anyone else to see how bad they are in a public place and that his kids will not control the grand kids(we went one time to a restaurant with them and he said never again). Plus his kids are extremely bad house keepers(you can not even tell what color the carpet is) it makes him feel uncomfortable which it does me too but hey it would be better at their house where everything is totally wrecked then it would be at our house where they destroy everything in site. The Oncologist gave me some nerve pills but so far I've been somewhat afraid to take them because she said to only take them when I absolutely need them...that's scary. I'm just thankful that the step kids do not stay overnight, which they have in the past and flooded the bathroom while I was in the recliner after a treatment with Chemo-last overnighter. Their Mom won't even have them over her house, she meets them at a restaurant....imagine that! I can't get their Dad to budge on that one. Their Dad even told me yesterday that he would "help" clean up whatever they do to the house.It does bother him but like I said he will not tell them to please watch the kids because he's afraid they won't come back...at times it would not hurt my feelings if they didn't since they are so disrespectful. Thanks for the advice! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

jim, your's was a rare experience. A gift for a kid put into a balanced, conservative mutual fund will produce returns many multiples of the original amount over the medium to long term. If you look back in history to almost any time interval, investments in so-called blue chip companies or, better, mutual funds for diversification, produce returns far superior to fixed income investments like bonds or bank accounts. Or mattresses.