Perhaps after what we've taken to calling "Snacktober," with training and snacks and Snacktacular and snacks and Halloween and snacks, you've taken a turn to the virtuous and are snacking on lovely healthy things like this beautiful veggie plate. That's ok! Snacks can be healthy, too!

Here's a great article from Real Simple magazine featuring 9 healthy snacks (including this yummy cashew-butter treat)! Mmmmmmm!

I myself have been on a fruit kick lately. Just this morning I had some Skittles!

No matter what your snacking pleasure, you'll be thrilled to know we have a new Snacker of the Month! Susie P. is this month's lucky snacker. She'll be receiving her choice of snack -- healthy or indulgent -- simply because she posted a comment to I Luv Snacks!

You, too, could be a winner! Tell us what you think of the Word of the Week -- or what words you'd like to see featured there. Tell us if you've eaten all your kids' Halloween candy yet (I haven't, but I'm working on it!). Tell us what you had for lunch, or your favorite healthy snack recipe. Let the comments roll!

Mmmmmm... Snacks!

Fall snacks are wonderful, aren't they? 'Tis the season of pumpkin pie, apple cider, cider doughnuts, Halloween candy, bobbed-for apples, pumpkin bread, candy corn, and caramel apples! Learn how to make your own caramel apples with this simple recipe (thanks, eHow.com!).






If caramel apples are too healthy a snack for you (all that fruit, you know) or if they're too bad for your teeth, try this lovely recipe for caramel apple cupcakes from the Cupcake Bakeshop. They look just like the real thing, but with cake! How bad could that be?




Finally, congratulations are in order for our Snacker of the Month, Deb Lindahl. Deb received some double-chocolate cookies, home-baked by the very talented Deborah Gafka. The cookies were declared to be absolutely delicious!





You, too, could be Snacker of the Month. Each month, a name is randomly chosen from all comments written to I Luv Snacks. Every comment gets you another chance to win! If you'd like to comment, but don't know how, ask one of your friendly neighborhood ILS folks for help.

Snacker of the Month

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your mice! The race for Snacker of the Month begins again today!


Congratulations to Laura Hadjimitsos, September's Snacker of the Month!

Laura's name was randomly chosen from all those who left comments last month on the I Luv Snacks blog! Laura has chosen a chocolate snack, which will be delivered to her desk fresh from the oven later this week.

You, too, could win a homemade snack. Click below to leave a comment. The more comments you make this month, the more chances you'll have to win. I hope you're hungry!

Snacker of the Month

I'm pleased to announce that Gail Finegan is the winner of the August snacks drawing! Gail has chosen to receive my homemade brownies, with frosting, for her Snack of the Month.

You, too, could receive homemade snacks, if your name is chosen in the Snack of the Month drawing. All you have to do to be eligible is to leave a comment on the ILuvSnacks blog! Ask us a question about the new ILS. Tell us what worries you about the transition to a new system. Tell us a joke, or share a snack recipe!

In the meantime, be extra nice to Gail, and maybe she'll give you a brownie.

What's Your Favorite Snack?

Mine is brownies. Ooey, gooey, fudgey brownies that get your fingers all chocolatey when you eat them and that are impossible to cut into squares without losing a few to brownie smush. (Then you have to eat the smushed ones, of course.) Such brownies must be consumed with a tall glass of milk.

Queen of Inspiration (a.k.a. Head Cheerleader) here to announce our monthly blog contest. To inspire all you loyal readers to keep checking in for snack news and updates on Millennium, I'm offering bribes. Check in, and tell us what you think. Share your ideas, your concerns, and your questions, by clicking the word "comments" below. Make sure to leave your name, because once a month, I'll collect all the comments and draw the name of a lucky winner. If you're the winner for the month, yours truly will provide homemade snacks.

That's right; you heard it here first! One lucky commenter each month will receive home-baked brownies (or another snack to be negotiated with the winner)! My mouth is watering already.

Naked Queens

Thank you to everyone who came and contributed ideas to our Brainstorming Meeting. We know this group will do a fantastic job transitioning from GEAC Plus to Millennium!

From Naked Queen Beauty Pageants to Royal Parties, pop quizzes and extravagant prizes, many fantastic (and sometimes crazy) ideas were shared at today's Brainstorming Meeting. If you missed it or forgot to take notes, here's a few of the ideas* that came out of this morning's meeting:

Inspiration

-Use countdown clocks to alert the staff and public that Millennium is coming.

-Publicize everywhere-- on the catalog, the website, the walls, email, bookmarks, blogs, buttons, on the patio, and in the staff room. If it's electronic, print it out and post it where we can see it.

-Create a slide show that continuously loops on screens in prominent areas.

Education

-What's an RSS feed, anyway? Create a glossary of terms and a check-list of necessary-ILS skills. Award completion prizes to anyone who finishes the check-list.

-Practice makes perfect. Create training sessions that are self-paced and available in advance, so we can learn how to "auto-pilot" Millennium before it goes live...but don't schedule it too far ahead. We don't want to forget everything we learned!

- Not everyone learns the same (or is available at the same time!). Offer a variety of ways to learn--one on one, self-paced computer courses, large classrooms, small groups. Use real-world examples. Class times should be less than an hour and convenient to most of us. Evenings, early mornings, or early afternoons are great. Don't even think of scheduling anything between 3 and 5 p.m.

-Bribe us, please. Candy, pens, gas cards, special parking passes, paid vacations...training is much more fun with incentives!

Inspiration

-Be honest and address concerns. Answer the old "Where's my desk?" or "How does this affect me?" question.

-Create stations "Let Me Show You" stations and enlist volunteers to personally show patrons how to use the new ILS. Offer something to patrons who use "self-service" functions.

-Build a buzz. Have trained staff members wear pins that say "Change Agent"--when patrons ask what the buttons are for, staff can talk about the new ILS.

-Make it fun! Hold a GEAC funeral or a Millennium birthday party. Host an after-hours party for patrons, with live demos. Invite the public to design a logo.

Brainstorming Wrap-Up

If you like to talk, teach, or spread good cheer, we want you to join the team! The IDT Queens are looking for cheerleaders, trainers, and ambassadors to help make the transition to Millennium. Send us an email or sign-up in the Staff Room.

As for the limited-edition, very cool Harry Potter bags....the winners were Libby Heumann and Rose Prouty. Congratulations, ladies!

As always, we love to hear your opinions! Feel free to leave a comment below or send us an email. Don't forget to check back here on Thursday for a special surprise!

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*Ideas: this blog merely represents notes taken during today's brainstorming session. In no way does this blog imply that everything published will be done.