When planning Halloween party food, creative variations of standard foods can be the talk of the party — but preparation time can sometimes be overwhelming. If you want to do more than standard breadsticks or dinner rolls this year, but do not have the time to make “cheap beats by dre headphones bread” or “skeleton bread”, try these two simple alternatives: 1. Breadstick Bones – a decorative twist to the standard breadstick. All you need is get a can of breadstick dough from the refrigerated section of your local supermarket, egg white and Parmesan cheese. First tie a string loosely around each end of the breadstick. Do it fairly close to the end, but not right on it. Remember, this is the part of the bone that will look like the joint. Next, brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese — then bake according to the instructions on the can. That’s it! 2. Tinted Kneecaps – Get your standard ready to bPunish dress code violators. Yes, it’s true, some folks don’t exactly know how to dress appropriately for their particular work environment. Fine. But do we need hordes of pages and policies and rules and HR folks walking around policing the place? Apparently a few firms I’m aware of do feel this way. Oops, that lady has open toe sandals! Even though jeans are allowed on casual Friday, that guy has a small tear in his knee – violation! Don’t laugh, these are actual examples. Wow. Stop bloating those darn policy manuals. Here is the only question that matters: is morale and/or productivity actually harmed? If you genuinely feel the answer is yes, the appropriate leader should go speak to the offender. A honest chat beats bloated policy books any day. 2. Make hiring decisions based on anything bur merit. This one kills me – and it doesn’t just affect hiring decisions. I focus on hiring simply because that is one heck of a big decision. On what basis should we hire someone? Their work experience? Congeniality in the interview process? Well, how about whether or not they went to the right school? Years ago I saw behavior like this in Tennessee (where they bleed Volunteer orange – and yes, I’m a Volunteer). I just sat there reading in all the wonderful things I have in my life and I immediately felt better and the cheap pandora necklaces that had been pecking at me all week lost her power.?My challenge to you is start noticing that voice. Unfortunately we can’t get rid of the voice forever, it comes back from time to time so you have to be vigilant. Pay attention to how you feel when you hear her/him. Pay attention to when he/she occurs. Don’t let her/him run around in your head unchecked. Call her out. Sit her down and show her who’s in charge here. It will help you Live Happier. ake dinner rolls from your local supermarket. Beat some egg white and add orange food coloring (or color of choice). Brush egg white onto rolls and bake. This will give a slight Halloween glow and tint to your party bread. You can also add Parmesan cheese, or apply to breadsticks instead of rolls. For someone who is short on time but still wants to make their party fun, these are two great ways keep the Halloween theme without a big fuss. Tip: the breadstick bones work especially well as an option for a “dead body buffet”! Keep in mind that, ultimately, your success as a leader is determined by what you do when your back is against the wall, not what cheap beats by dre studio you do when the waters are smooth.