Author Archives: brent

A Twitter Change Years in the Making

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FINALLY!!

Yesterday, Twitter made a move that has been years in the making by changing the character count for all users from 140 to 280. With this development, I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. I had been anticipating this change for two years and was starting to get antsy. The past month and a half was especially brutal as Twitter gifted select users with the 280 privilege. However, neither I nor @ccuchanticleers received the coveted longer tweet clearance, something that made me feel a bit left out.

But not anymore. The major Twitter overhaul is here and everyone can start composing dramatically longer tweets. With such a drastic change to one of the platforms on the Mount Rushmore of social media, is this a good thing?

Five years ago this month, I sent out my 15,000th tweet and 1,500th Instagram image. Since then, a lot has changed with both social media giants.

Well, it depends on who you ask. As is the case with every social media channel makeover, you will have users who detest any adjustment made simply because it is different. What Twitter did yesterday wasn’t just a minor tweak; it basically nullified the foundation of what the service was founded on. Thus, many Twitter traditionalists trashed the increase in characters, making their opinion known through…well…Twitter.

You also have Twitter users who are more accepting of the change. It is tough to be a 140 character precisionist. The freedom to now cram more words and emojis into a single tweet relieves some of the pressure of attempting to “get it all in.”

As for me? I take the same stance I always do when reacting to social media change. I don’t just accept it, I embrace it. What else can I do? As a social media professional you have no choice but to expect, and then capitalize, on changes. Today I asked our audience what they hope to see from our account with respect to the new character limit. A good percentage wants us to stick with 140 character tweets but the majority would like to see a combination of short and long messages. Also, it is very obvious that the last thing our audience wants is for us to use the max character count for every single tweet we send out.

Earlier today, I asked our users what they want to see from our account in respect to the Twitter character limit.

So I will move forward with using the increased character count when it is to our advantage. There is no need to abuse it. I will go about drafting tweets as if I only had 140 characters to work with and then fill in with more detail as needed. I have quickly found out over the past 36 hours that 280 characters gives you much more leeway than even I had imagined.

From a personal standpoint, I am excited for the change. I think it will vastly improve Twitter dialogue among users and I might start sharing excerpts from my blog when I publish a new post. I will take the same approach with my own account as I am taking with the Coastal account and challenge myself to only use 200+ characters when absolutely necessary. Until analytics say otherwise, I do think tweets closer to 140 characters will have more of an impact than tweets closer to 280 characters.

The transition period after such a change can be tough. But just give it a week or two and I am sure many of us won’t even remember when Twitter was synonymous with the number 140. Embrace the change! Don’t Blink.

The Harvest Hoedown Lunch With Mrs. Reser

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One of my absolute favorite things to do is eat lunch with my wife during the work week. It always feels special because it is rare when both of our schedules align. Sid has her class she must watch over (no, she doesn’t get a lunch break…she eats with her students) and it isn’t always easy for me to ditch campus in the middle of the day. However, about twice each year, the opportunity presents itself for me to head out to Palmetto Bays School and eat lunch with Sidney and her 2nd graders.

Today was one of those days. But this time around, there was a fun twist.

The Timberwolves of Palmetto Bays celebrated their Harvest Hoedown. The  staff dressed in festive clothing and, lucky for me, I got a sneak peek of Mrs. Reser’s outfit before she left the house this morning. 

A look at Sid’s outfit before she left the house this morning.

A special lunch was served in conjunction with the Hoedown. The school cooks prepared a delicious BBQ meal for the Palmetto Bays community to enjoy. I had the distinct pleasure of partaking in the feast.

This was today’s Harvest Hoedown menu.

I arrived at the school at 12:30 p.m. and waited at the cafeteria entrance. After a couple minutes, I saw a line of 2nd graders heading right toward me with a teacher in pigtails leading the way. From that point on, I had the pleasure of spending the next half hour with my favorite educator.

I spent time looking at this banner while waiting for Sid and her class to arrive. Go Wolfpack!!

When you are so used to not seeing your significant other during the middle of the day, it is such a nice treat to enjoy each other’s company during the lunch hour. For someone who is married to a teacher, the pleasure is increased even more. You see, when we get together for lunch, there is never a dull moment. I get to walk through the cafeteria line, meet Sid’s students, and visit with her fellow teachers. I soak in the stares and giggles I get from the 2nd graders and I reminisce a bit about when I was in elementary school. It is great fun.

I had a very nice time with Sid this afternoon.

Thank you to Sidney for the Harvest Hoedown invite. I enjoyed myself while feeling so much pride for the amazing job you do. Don’t Blink.

Worth It? The Largest Deliverable Pizza in the World

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I am a sucker for food dishes on steroids. In America, we have a thing for taking culinary favorites and blowing them up to sizes that could feed a small army. Except for those who practice portion control and self discipline, who doesn’t love seeing a 10 pound burrito, a 10 patty hamburger, or a 10 scoop ice cream sundae?

I enjoy outrageously sized food items.

This is me with The Big Dog at Northern Quest Casino in Spokane during the summer of 2012.

I didn’t order this hot dog just for the heck of it. However, despite my fandom for big eats, I still look at value. Something that I recently saw on social media made me delve into deep thought.

My co-worker and friend Geoff Insch recently shared a video from a popular Facebook food page. The piece of content he shared showcased the largest deliverable pizza in the world, a 54″ by 54″ pie called “The Giant Sicilian.”

This is The Great Sicilian, a giant 54″ by 54″ pizza.

Now you must watch the video (click here) to really gain an appreciation for how mammoth this thing is. It takes multiple people to make it AND it takes multiple people to deliver it. The enormous size of the pizza was really put into perspective for me when I saw the box it is placed in.

The box it is carried out in is enormous!

Do you live in LA and want to order it? The Giant Sicilian can be cut into 200 medium-sized square slices and feed 50-70 people. The price tag? It starts at $249.99.

Before I criticize the product’s price based on volume of pizza, let me say this: I understand that Big Mama’s and Papa’s Pizzeria isn’t just selling 200 slices of pizza. Rather, the restaurant is selling a gimmick…oops…I mean experience.

When Geoff shared the video, he wrote “I know what I’m doing for my birthday party next year!” You see, this pizza isn’t just meant to fill stomachs. Rather, it is meant to draw laughs at family reunions, birthday celebrations, and overnighters. The surreal sight of seeing a giant pizza box taking up an entire room is memorable and outrageous, two things that can add character to any event. You could set up a hidden camera and make a video out of the reactions people will have when they walk in the room and see a pizza that has roughly 5,000 pieces (total guess on my part) of pepperoni on it. They will freak and it will be funny. I get it.

The pizza turns into the main attraction at your party.

So make no mistake about it, the “wow factor” of the Giant Sicilian is part of what you are paying for.

How do I know?

Well, you can easily purchase a greater volume of pizza from any of the major mainstream pizza chains.

If I lived in Los Angeles and had to feed 50-70 people, I wouldn’t dial up Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria. First off, I wouldn’t want the logistical nightmare of hungry humans circling around the giant box stabbing at square slices. Secondly, I would want to get the most value for my money.

So, depending on my mood, I would do one of the following…

1. I would buy 25 large $10 carryout pizzas from Pizza Hut. Not only would the total amount of slices be the exact same as the Great Sicilian (25 pizzas x 8 slices per pie = 200 slices) but the price ($250) would be identical as well. However, not only would the Pizza Hut individual slices be bigger than the Sicilian square slices, but the variety available would be much more diverse.

2. If I wanted to go under budget, I would dial up Papa John’s. The chain is famous for its $8 large 1-topping pizza with the promo code TXT8. I would buy 28 pizzas (26 pizzas x $8 = $208) and give the the hardworking delivery person a $15 tip and use the remaining $27 to buy soft drinks for everyone. The best part about this plan is that even with the tip and soft drinks, we would still have more pizza than if we opted for the Great Sicilian.

3. The final option would only occur if I was in a bad mood. I would go to Little Caesers and buy 40 of the $5 Hot-N-Ready pepperoni pizzas. Then, because of my despicable choice, I would take the $50 remaining and give it to charity to atone for my sin.

Taking The Great Sicilian to the oven!

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Again, I completely understand that the Great Sicilian is not 100% about the actual value. However, it is fun to every now and then explore what exactly we are paying for and what is most important to us as consumers. Don’t Blink.

Sloan’s Big Photo Shoot

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I recently mentioned that Sloan received superstar treatment as she starred in her very own photo shoot. Two weeks ago this weekend, we took her to Brittany Mauldin Photography for a “sitter session.” Sloan (and mommy) worked with the photographer for about 45 minutes to create some visual magic.

Here is a behind the scenes look at Sloan’s photo shoot with Brittany Mauldin Photography.

On Thursday, we received the digital files. We were not disappointed! In my Sunday blog post, I want to feature the five photos from the shoot I liked the best. So, in no order, here are my favorites.

Our Girl

This was our favorite photo from the shoot. It describes Sloan perfectly.

Out of all the incredible photos that Brittany took, there was one clear cut favorite that Sidney and I liked the most. This portrait of Sloan melted our hearts. As Sidney said to me, “This photo captures everything we love so much about our little Sloany.” This image will soon be gracing the desks of some proud parents and grandparents.

The Tumble

I loved that Brittany was able to capture this.

This action shot of Sloan taking a spill is an inside look at our little girl’s gracefulness (haha) and a testament to the photography talent of Brittany. We loved that this moment was captured and that Sloan handled it with laughter.

Like Mother Like Daughter

This photo reminds me exactly of Sidney when she was a baby.

This photo shows off Sloan’s piercing and beautiful eyes. It also reminds me exactly what Sidney looked like as a baby. This image is natural and expressive, one that might look great in black and white.

Ready to Crawl (just not yet)!

These days, I gaze down at Sloan to find her looking just like this.

When Sloan plays these days, this is the position we usually find her in. Although she can’t crawl yet, she has at least mastered the crawling position. Because this sight is so familiar and because she has a wide open smile it makes this image another one of my favorites.

As Soft As A Baby’s…

This photo speaks for itself.

This photo is…well…cute. It highlights a little bit more of Sloan than the other ones and when others see it, they can’t help but express an “awwww” of delight.

Honorable Mention

Props

This photo earns honorable mention recognition for its use of props.

People who associate with me know that I love incorporating props into photos. Thus, I had to include this image on the list. Speaking of props, let me give some major ones to Brittany Mauldin Photography. We had not met Brittany until we went in for our shoot but we will return for future photo needs. She is an incredibly talented photographer who offers extremely affordable prices in a professional setting. To our many friends in the Myrtle Beach area who have little ones, Sidney and I highly recommend.

To view all images from Sloan’s photo shoot, click here. Thank you for tolerating me as I was “that parent.” Have a wonderful Sunday! Don’t Blink.

Thursday Rundown: Five Topics, Five Pictures

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Who out there loves November? While it isn’t in my “top 3,” it is definitely in the top half of how I rank the 12 months. Let’s get started with my latest Thursday Rundown…

In the Classroom – This past Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Katie Walker’s early education class. I present in lots of classrooms over the course of the academic year but this was my first time ever addressing a group of education majors. Asked to speak about social media presence, I made clear that it is important to embrace an active and public social media presence as opposed to a limited and private one. After I spoke, Dr. Walker asked if I would take a picture with her class. Well, of course!!

Hanging out with Dr. Katie Walker’s early education class moments after I spoke about social media presence.

My Current Energy Drink – Five years ago, I wrote about the best energy drink on the planet. However, Xyience isn’t available on most shelves here in South Carolina so I usually defer to the cheapest can of liquid energy I can find. For the Circle K that is located right next to campus, that happens to be a drink called Joker. A little hesitant to try it based on the price and the grotesque can art, I ended up drinking one anyway. It is now my go-to energy drink. Although I try to limit myself to one can every 2-3 weeks, I have actually downed TWO of them this week. For those who want a cheap boost that also happens to contain zero sugar and zero calories, Joker might be for you.

Although it might have one of the more hideous logos you will ever find, I drink Joker energy drinks every now and then.

Rising Up to the Big Leagues – With Nikki Haley in the news so much on the world level, I felt I would share this photo I snapped from three years ago this week. When she was our governor here in South Carolina, she stopped by Coastal Carolina on her 2014 re-election campaign bus tour. As it was a big deal to have the sitting governor on campus, I covered her visit. Little did I know that just a little over two years later she would go from overseeing the state of South Carolina to serving as the US Ambassador to the UN. Talk about climbing the ladder.

I took this photo of Nikki Haley on the campus of Coastal Carolina in October of 2014.

Trick-Or-Treat Update – On Tuesday night, Sidney and I took Sloan around our cul-de-sac for her first ever trick-or-treating experience. As we visited the handful of houses, Sloan remained calm and sweet in my arms. We returned to our home and passed out candy to trick-or-treaters who happened to be older than 7 months. Although we didn’t keep an official tally, we estimated that 30-40 kids came to our door. My parents (who did keep a tally), on the other hand, passed out candy to 250 kids, topping last year’s mark of 224. Hope everyone had a great Halloween.

Dracula took a flamingo out trick-or-treating on Tuesday night.

Sloan Update at 33 Weeks – After being under the weather last week, Sloan is cruising into her 33rd week of life feeling great. Besides her health, not much has changed from last week’s update. In lieu of new developments, let me quickly relate something my wife said yesterday: Sloan is still experiencing so many “firsts.” Today she lived through her first ever November 1. Tomorrow she will live through her first ever November 2. I don’t want to let these days just pass by. Beautifully said, Sid!

This is Sloan’s photo collage at 33 weeks.

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Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Temperatures for our first weekend in November are forecasted to reach 80 degrees on both days. Going to try to get out and enjoy it! Don’t Blink.

A Weekend With Papa

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This past Monday, I dropped my dad off at the airport, concluding a short but sweet weekend trip to Myrtle Beach. Although he only had a few days with us, it was a memorable time. For tonight’s blog post, I figured I would use the format I often employ when writing about these special visits/trips and outline what we did by recapping each day.

A photo of my dad and I from the fun weekend we shared.

Friday, Oct. 27 – Dad arrived in Myrtle Beach at 10:30 a.m. after overnight flights. By the time the taxi took him to our house, I was just getting off work as I had taken a half day. I rushed to our home and as I approached the porch my dad swung open the door and gave me a hug.

We ate deli sandwiches for lunch and then we went off to the daycare center to pick up a very special little girl. My dad teared up when we walked inside the center and saw Sloan playing in the middle of the room. We loaded her up and my dad rode in the back of the vehicle with her.

We spent the early afternoon playing with Sloan. My dad held her, took lots of photos/videos, pushed her on the backyard swing and gave her plenty of kisses (he had to give her extra from grandma back in Spokane). Later that night we went to Sidney’s trunk-or-treat event at her school. My dad watched Sloan “trick-or-treat” at the various vehicles as Sid’s co-workers and the parents of her students remarked about how cute our little flamingo was. We then went out to eat at River City Café, a popular burger joint in Myrtle Beach. Returning home after our meal, he helped us put Sloan down for the night. Even though he slept through most of it (he had traveled across the country with little sleep), we concluded the night by watching game 3 of the World Series.

My dad was reunited with Sloan this past Friday after 3+ months.

Saturday, Oct. 28 – As Sid and I fed Sloan early in the morning, my dad came down to watch/assist. After the feeding and some play time, Sloan took a nap. My dad and I took the opportunity to grab breakfast. I took him to Broadway at the Beach where we ate at Paula Deen’s restaurant. Little did he know the treat that was in store (you have not experienced breakfast until you eat at Paula Deen’s). We feasted on the family style servings of grit cakes, potatoes, casseroles, pancakes, bacon, and more. It was the perfect hearty meal we needed to hold us off until tailgating later on in the day.

Some photos of us enjoying breakfast at Paula Deen’s along with dad feeding Sloan that morning.

After breakfast we picked up drinks for later on in the day and returned home. My dad played with Sloan, taking more pictures and giving her more kisses. She laughed and clapped for her papa, delighting him tremendously. Pretty soon, my father-in-law arrived at the house. My dad and Mr. Sid had a great time catching up, just like two longtime friends picking up right where they left off. After about an hour or so, the three of us men drove to the campus of Coastal Carolina University. We pulled into the tailgating parking lot, set up some chairs, and chatted about guy stuff. About 90 minutes later, the girls (Sidney, Sloan, and my mother-in-law) arrived. Bringing with them a large spread, we ate a delicious meal.

Once we concluded with our tailgate, the six of us jumped on the shuttle and went to Brooks Stadium for Sloan’s first football game. We entered the venue and walked to our seats. We took turns holding Sloan as she sat patiently in our laps. A perfect angel for the entire first half, Sloan and the women left at the start of the third quarter as the temperature started to cool and our daughter’s bedtime approached. Us guys left in the fourth quarter as the rain started to fall and Texas State’s lead over Coastal increased. Despite the tough night for the Chanticleers, my dad loved every moment of his CCU gameday experience.

We had a great time tailgating and watching the game.

Back at our house, Sidney’s parents visited with us for a bit before returning to their home. We put Sloan down for the night and then my dad and I watched game 4 of the World Series.

Sunday, Oct. 29 – The early morning was spent watching Sloan play in the living room. At around 10:30 a.m., my dad, the little girl, and I went off to St. Andrew for 11 a.m. mass. It was my dad’s first time at that church since our wedding. Sloan couldn’t have been better during the service, waiting until after the homily to fall asleep. We then went to Walmart to pick up our weekly groceries before returning home. We ate sandwiches made out of leftovers from Saturday’s tailgate and enjoyed ourselves.

A couple hours later, Sid’s mom and sister came by to take Sloan shopping for shoes. With the little one out of the house, my dad and I ventured out to go souvenir shopping. My dad found what he wanted and then the two of us visited one of our neighborhood bars to enjoy a couple beers.

We returned home shortly after Sloan did. We took her and placed her in the high chair in a way that allowed her to face a giant orange thing. It was time to carve Sloan’s first pumpkin! My dad, with Sloan’s assistance of course, performed the entire carving. Before cutting in, he brought the pumpkin over to Sloan so she could examine it and touch it. When the carving was completed, my daughter was looking at a pumpkin that had a one-tooth grin, just like her! Aside from the pumpkin carving, we got into the Halloween spirit when Sidney dressed Sloan in her flamingo costume so papa could have a special viewing.

Photos of my dad and Sloan carving a pumpkin.

Later that night, my in-laws had us over for dinner. We ate chicken casserole and my dad couldn’t stop raving about it. We visited for a bit after dinner and then we returned home. We put Sloan to sleep and then we concluded the night just like the previous two by watching the World Series.

My in-laws, my dad,, and my daughter after dinner on Sunday night.

Monday, Oct. 30 – My dad drove with me to drop Sloan off at daycare. It was sad for him to say goodbye to his granddaughter but luckily Sloan was asleep, preventing her from seeing the tears in her papa’s eyes. I dropped my dad back off at the house and went to work. During the lunch hour I returned and we ate a quick sandwich together. I then took him to the airport. We both thanked each other and commented on how excited we were for late December when we would all be together again.

My dad and I right before I took him to the airport.

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Wow, with that recap it sounds like we did a lot. However, it was pretty mellow. My dad kept saying how “relaxing” the weekend was and as we drove to the airport he stated that things went exactly how he wanted them to. All of us, especially Sloan, already miss him. Don’t Blink.

Sloan’s First Halloween Costume

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It is time to end the suspense. For Sloan’s first ever Halloween, she is a…

Sloan is a flamingo this year!

FLAMINGO!

Sidney found the costume at…drum roll…Target. The best part is the pink fur that covers Sloan’s little arms. It reminds me of the fur that actual college and professional mascots use on their suits. Besides the fur that covers the arms, it is also came with a main body piece with an attached hood, pants, and shoes.

Sloan is as happy as a lark when she is in the costume. She smiles and flaps her arms, making her look like a real bird! Picking her up is fun because she is all cuddly. I think she will be sad once we put up the costume at the end of the night.

Speaking of tonight, Sloan has had several dress rehearsals prior to Halloween.

She modeled the costume for me after it was purchased three weeks ago. Mommy put her in it and surprised me as I laid in bed on a Sunday morning…

Kind of a dark photo but this was the first time I ever saw her in her costume. Made my day!

Last Thursday, she attended the Hallelujah Fall Festival at her daycare in full flamingo garb…

Sloan sitting with her mommy at the Halloween celebration for our daycare.

Then, this past weekend, she melted her papa’s heart when she got in it for him…

Sloan modeled her costume for papa this past weekend.

Now it is time for the grand finale. We are minutes away from trick-or-treating and she is ready to go…

Sloan has her game face on and is ready to go!

Hope everyone has an awesome evening. Stay safe and wear your costumes proudly. We are humbled to have the prettiest flamingo in South Carolina. Don’t Blink.

Thursday Rundown Before Halloween

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Who out there is feeling spooooooky? This is the last Thursday Rundown before October 31 so perhaps one of the below topics will have to do with Halloween. Let’s get started so you can find out…

Decorating Your House for Halloween – Okay, my cover is blown. I am starting off the post with my scary topic. Our neighborhood loves Halloween. Many neighbors go nuts decorating their homes. In fact, two years ago I featured several examples. However, this year there is a house that goes above and beyond anything I have seen before. This particular residence has probably close to 20 witches/goblins/ghouls in the yard. Orange lights illuminate the door and windows. Spooky music plays at night. This picture doesn’t do it justice but it is pretty spectacular. I love the display but Sidney tells Sloan to close her eyes when we drive by.

This photo doesn’t do it justice but this house in our neighborhood is spectacular!

“Papa” Coming to Myrtle Beach – I am extremely excited to host my dad, or, as Sloan knows him, Papa, this weekend. He is leaving Spokane tonight and will arrive in Myrtle Beach around 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. My dad can’t wait to see our little family and attend the Coastal Carolina Homecoming football game on Saturday. I can’t wait either! This will be the first ever CCU game I attend as a fan (as opposed to working it). We have my dad for just the weekend but you can bet we are going to make the most of it!

My dad is coming to Myrtle Beach this weekend!

Life Is Tough – Don’t worry, two years after I sent out this tweet I am surviving. I still have my health, Sidney is still with me, and I actually still eat at Subway. Going through my Timehop today I saw this #FirstWorldProblems tweet and felt like I had to share it in the Thursday Rundown. Although it was a trivial, silly thing to express on social media, I am a Subway fanatic and am pretty particular about my sandwiches. Shoutout to my sister for giving me a Subway gift card for my birthday.

Here is a whiny tweet I sent out two years on this date.

World Series Reaction – I am with the rest of the country in that I was very disappointed the World Series didn’t end up with a Dodgers-Yankees matchup. God bless the Astros but I didn’t want to see a relatively new, former National League team in the Fall Classic. As you can guess, I am rooting for the Dodgers. I have always pulled for them and I even made a trip to Dodger Stadium to catch an entire series a few years ago. My dad and I will be watching Game 3 and Game 4 with each other this weekend!

Sloan at 32 Weeks – It has been an eventful week for Sloan. She had a big photo shoot over the weekend (more on that in the future) and then battled a fever for most of the work week. She went from feeling like a star to feeling like an oven. But she is now back to just feeling like Sloan. The major development as we approach Week #32 is her new love for phones. She likes to grab and play with the iphones of mommy and daddy. We figure she should be texting by Week #41.

Here is Sloan’s Week #32 photo collage.

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With a busy and fun weekend lined up, there will be no Sunday blog post. However, I will be back next week with more stories to tell. Thanks for reading my blog. Don’t Bl

Well Done, Target

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I am not a big Target fan. I find the chain overrated, deceptively overly priced, and uninspiring. However, deep down in my heart I do have a smidge of affinity for the store. Why? My wife loves the place.

Well, that “smidge” at least doubled in size today. I read in the newspaper that Target is putting an end to what it calls the “Christmas Creep.” The phrase, which I really like by the way, refers to the tendency for many retailers to start rolling out the Christmas products and decorations well before Thanksgiving, sometimes even before Halloween. This year, Target will focus on actually promoting and recognizing Turkey Day before transforming its stores into mini Santa Workshops.

I am not a fan of Target but I really appreciate the move the company just made.

Look, I love Christmas. In fact, I love the Christmas season. But let’s be real, the Christmas season doesn’t start in October. I prefer to stay patient and wait for the good things in life. It makes them that much better when they occur. Busting out the Christmas trees and egg nog two months before the actual holiday normalizes and cheapens it.

Nothing has accelerated the “Christmas Creep” more than big box stores, malls, and other retailers. It has gotten completely out of control. These culprits have taken it to a level of absurdity. Thankfully, one of the big players is finally taking a stand.

Target says it will hold back on the Yuletide spirit because of feedback from its shoppers. Yes, the customers told the retail giant that red and green looks tacky with orange and black. Although Target might think in the back of its head that early Christmas green translates to money green, I am glad they are listening to the masses and putting a temporary delay on the madness.

As I said, I am not a Grinch by any means. I just value moderation and common sense. I don’t say this very often but well done, Target. Don’t Blink.

Halloween Candy Buy-Back

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Earlier this month, I wrote how parents can manage the Halloween candy earned by their children after trick-or-treating. I offered five educational ways in which the parents could reduce the sugar intake of their kids. Yesterday, I was informed of a certain method employed by a dentist in New Jersey.

Dr. Robin Lucas of Lucas Dental Associates introduced the “Candy Buy-Back” program a few years ago. Children within her practice could come into the office and trade their trick-or-treating loot for $5. For those kids on the fence about making the deal, a toothbrush was thrown in. The candy was then donated to different branches of the military.

The Halloween candy buy-back idea is a good one. However, I have one little critique.

This year it gets even better. In an unprecedented step, Dr. Lucas is extending her program to the entire community of Hoboken, New Jersey (as opposed to just her patients).

Let me begin by saying I love the concept. It sure beats the lame suggestions I came up with a couple weeks ago. But is anyone else scratching their heads about something?

I hate to sound greedy, but after wrestling around with this program all of last night I arrived at one critique: the kids aren’t compensated enough.

I don’t believe the $5 given to trick-or-treaters, especially those over the age of 8, is sufficient. I know, I know, I know, this is more about healthy habits and charity than getting rich. However, from a practical standpoint, I feel like kids who take the deal are leaving something at the table. I feel the money offered for the “buy-back” is lacking for two reasons*

1. The amount of candy obtained after a night out on the neighborhood by an average trick-or-treater far exceeds $5 in value. Many of us are aware of how much a medium sized bag of fun size candy bars will cost these days. Depending on where you shop at, you are looking at paying around $4. For most trick-or-treaters, they have already had the equivalent of a bag of candy dropped in their pillow case by the time they have finished the first street. After hitting up the neighborhood, most children have enough treats to fill a few different pinatas. Although no scientific study has been done that I am aware of, I would say that most kids walk home at night with roughly $15-$20 worth of candy in their possession.

2. The labor exerted by trick-or-treaters on the night of Oct. 31 also doesn’t match the $5 offer. If kids these days are anything like I was back in my time, they are most likely hitting the pavement for 2-3 hours on Halloween. If you take the low end, that means a child is receiving $2.50 per hour for his/her efforts. If you take the extreme end, it means the boys and girls of our society are toiling for roughly $1.66 per hour. Doesn’t add up to me.

For those children who are torn on whether to participate in the program, I would offer this advice: Employing honesty at all times, create a pile that you feel equates to $5 worth of candy. Then, for good measure and good will, throw 10 extra pieces on top. Bag up your pile and take it to the office of Dr. Lucas for your $5. Then, take your remaining candy and incorporate it into one of the educational ideas that your favorite blogger proposed.

Much credit to Dr. Lucas for thinking outside the box. Like I said, I adore the basis of the program. I just think it could use a little tweaking. Don’t Blink.