if you want to change, I would recommend Miss Zoot at zootsdesigns.com she has free blogger templates, some others, and they are very easy to work with and tweak to your heart's content.

sometimes the picture thingy distracts me because it moves and changes, lol. *easily distracted*

but i really like your site.

speaking as a "graphics design major", and you're totally free to ignore my advice,

I'd leave the other sidebar blank/as is.

You can delete Sixwords, yes? or just replace with text? I might take out the checkerboard sides of the top and around the edges of the middle column, replaced with solid bars; I feel like they compete with the VeggieTales-like swooshes in the background... solid bars (maybe heavier weight?) would give your eyeballs a place to rest.

I'd switch your picture with the Slugmom text and line the left edge of your photo up with the left of the middle column, then
combine the Slugmom.com logo with the Slugmom text box on top, none of it diagonal, Slugmom.com larger and/or different colored on top, all of the text left-justified, or make the box and text both right-justified over the right edge of the middle column.

The Walking Challenge pic *is* distracting/noticeable, and doesn't match the rest of your blog. I guess you'll have to decide whether you want readers to notice the Walking Challenge first or your blog itself first. If it was me I'd just have a text link; having it on top of your left column, maybe a different color, is enough "extra attention" for it. Then again I'm not a walker... :o)

hope that helps rather than just being annoying... :o)

It rolls.

Like a big, green rock it rolls.

I love it!!