Let’s start off the month right with a few bonus puzzles for you to solve!

Inspired by one of the many puzzles featured by our friends at Penny Press, I’ve constructed two Escalators for you today.

Instructions: Write the 5-letter answer to clue 1 in the first space. Drop one letter and rearrange the remaining letters to answer clue 2. Put the dropped letter into column A. Drop another letter and rearrange the remaining letters to answer clue 3. Put the dropped letter into column B. Follow this pattern for each row in the diagram. When completed, the letters in column A and column B, reading down, will spell an appropriate phrase.

Here’s the clues for Puzzle #1:

I’ve also included an empty sample grid for you to fill!

Here’s the clues for Puzzle #2:

And again, an empty sample grid, if needed!

The answers reading down in both puzzles are equally appropriate for this month (and next month), depending on your mood!

Happy puzzling, everyone!