Ultimate Back-to-School Combo now with Teeny Tags™ !

This year's colour combinations for the Ultimate Back-to-School Combo are:

True Blue
Cotton Candy
Tickled Pink and
Nature Lover

The combo and the colours are available for a limited time only, until September 25th, 2009.

Kids too cool for name labels

Question:

My child think's they're too old to have their name on their water bottle, but would like a way of easily identifying their bottle from their peers look alike bottles. (We still have some classic stickies with their name on them.)

Any thoughts?

Answer:

Simply cut the icon off the classic stickies you own. (Be sure to round the corners for longer lasting wear.) Decorate bottle as desired.

Also works with skinny-minis™.

Bonus answer:

If you have children with sibling-germ-a-phobia (as in, "Ewww, I don't want to drink from the bottle top if he's used it before, even though it's been thoroughly washed") consider taking a thin slice of the same colour label and using it to match bottles to bottle lids.

End of year gift for teachers [rerun]

The end of the school year is approaching and it's time to start thinking about gift giving for your child's teacher or caregiver.

Moxie has some great posts with terrific comments about gift giving to teachers. Some of my favourite points include:

• "If you really want to buy a gift, please please please no cheese balls and teacher mugs or tchochkes or ornaments. The most appreciated gifts I ever got were books, office supplies, or gift cards to Borders and Staples."
• "The greatest gift your child can give is a handwritten letter -- something like, 'Ms. Maura, this is my favorite class. I really loved the project we did on X. I'm always going to remember you because of X. Thank you for teaching me X.'
• "So, the best gift is cash on the barrel, closely followed by gift cards to retailers so large and ubiquitous that they are cash equivalents. So cash it is for daycare providers. I don't know what we'll do for teachers once we hit elementary school. Gift certificates to places school supplies are found, plus other stuff, sound great."
• "Both schools I worked at had policies about accepting checks/cash."

If you feel like you want to send a tangible gift along with your child's handwritten note and / or gift certificate, add a Mabel's Labels Classroom Pack! For years, teachers have been telling Mabel's Labels that they need labels for the classroom.

Preparing for camp

Summer camp is just around the corner! What do you need to know to get your kids ready?

Mabel's Labels has a Guide to Packing for Camp (link to PDF version at bottom of page of Mabel's site).

To ensure your kids return home with all the gear they bring, get yourself a "camp/school pack" of labels! From Mabel's website:

The Camp/School Pack has all the labels you need for summer camp or school. This combo is a substantial savings, compared to buying each label type individually.

$34.00 for a pack of 15 Sticky Labels, 40 Iron-Ons or 50 Tag Mates™, 8 Shoe Labels, 2 Bag Tags.

Dishwasher/microwave-safe and UV resistant. Clothing labels are laundry safe.

And lastly, here's a clip of Julie Cole, Mabel's Labels VP and mother of six* discussing how to be prepared for the first day of camp. [Aired May 24, 2007 on CityTV's Breakfast Television.]



* she had another baby since this interview originally aired.

I need more than 20 characters on my labels!

Question:

My daughter's name is more than 20 characters long. Can we get labels with her full name on them? Or are we stuck using her initial and our family name?

Short Answer:

It depends on the label and how many extra characters you need.

Long Answer:

Give customer service a call at 1-866-306-2235 during business hours and discuss your needs with them. Typically they are able to accomodate requests for an additional character or two.

Bonus tip:

Want to include a phone number on your labels?

It's possible!

Contact customer service at 1-866-306-2235 during business hours and they'll do their best to meet your needs!

Double your shoe labels!

Want to stretch your Mabel's Labels dollars?

1. Cut your shoe labels in half vertically
   
   
   
   
   
2. Apply a "half moon" in each shoe. (Don't forget to cut the protective overlay in half too!)
   
   
   

Pros:

• twice as many shoe labels for the same price!
• it helps children know when they've got the right shoe for the right foot! (When the full moon appears, they've got it right!
  
  
  
  

Cons:

• It is time consuming to cut half-sized labels and their protective covers.
• The adorable icon is harder to see.
  
• You buy fewer shoe labels which means I earn less commission! (Booooooo.)

50% off select Mabel's Labels items! (Sale ends Dec 3rd at midnight.)

Items on sale include:

• The Neat Freak Combo Sold Out
• The Backyardigans Stationery Kit (Only available in Canada)
• The "Write On!" Stationery Kit in Cowpoke design
• The "Write On!" Stationery Kit in Bzzz design

Shop Now!
Because the sale ends December 3rd at midnight.

While supplies last. Check out Mabel's sale website for details.