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.

Return of the calling card

Do you think calling cards are a thing of the past? Something that only business people use?

Think again.

Call them what you want -- calling cards, Mommy Cards or Mama Cards™ -- they are making a comeback. Rebecca Eckler, Francine Kopun and Jee-Yun Lee have all featured the use of calling cards by moms and dads alike.

Benefits of calling cards for parents:

• Announce a new job title of "New Parent" or "New Grandparent"!


• Ideal for arranging play dates! No more rummaging in purses or diaper bags searching for scraps of paper and pens. No more writing contact information on the back of your receipts!


• A convenient way to leave contact information with your child's playdate host, caregiver or teacher.


• Include your child's allergies or other medical information.

Where could you get such a thing?

Nightshade Creations offers a line of business cards for parents. Mabel's Labels have recently introduced their new line of Mama Cards available in five original designs.

Get yours today!

Get yours in time for the holidays!

Personalized Holiday Gift Tags

Designed to stick to presents, Holiday Gift Tags come in four great designs: Snowy Day, Festive Sparkles, Snowflakes and Celebration.

Available from October 20th – December 31st.

Personalized Holiday Return Address Labels

By popular demand, Holiday Return Address Labels are back in a fun snowflake design. Printed on evergreen, rosy red or winter night with white writing. Colours sold separately or in a mixed pack.

Available from October 20th – December 31st.

Earn $25 in Mabel Moolah™ right now!

Mabel Moolah™ is back!

Spend $60 or more on your next order and collect $25 in Mabel Moolah to use towards your next purchase!* It’s as easy as that.

* Read all the fine print at Nicole Lee's Mabel's Labels agent site!

Child safety concerns when using full name

Question:

My son has a common first name, Jack. There are two other boys in his class with the same first name and the same initial for their last name, so we'd like to get his full name "Jack Scott" put on his labels. However, we'd rather not have his full name on his bag tags, which would be clearly visible to strangers.

Can I order a combo pack and have the bag tags not have the full name? Or am I stuck ordering each of the label types separately?

Answer:

Mabel's Labels is conscious of child safety and appreciates your concern. It is possible to order a combo and request that the bag tags do not include the child's first name. (All of the other labels can be discretely positioned.)

Simply mention your request in the comments box on the online form, or call in your order (toll-free) at 1-866-306-2235.

Iron-ons vs Tag-mates™

Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!® clothing labels withstand the wear and tear of laundry and children beautifully! But should you get iron-ons or tag-mates?

	Iron-ons	Tag-mates™
	Iron-ons are the classic choice for clothing labels.	Tag-Mates™ are ideal for quick labeling – no iron necessary!
Size (approx)	46mm x 12mm (1-3/4" x 1/2")	21mm x 10mm (13/16" x 3/8")
Photos	(In contrast to the above photo, iron-on labels are currently manufactured with rounded corners.)
Method of application	ironing onto fabric	stick to clothing labels
Time to apply	3-5 minutes	5-10 seconds
Durability	Withstands washer and dryer. If label begins to peel, can reapply with iron. (Following original application instructions.)	Withstands washer and dryer.
Ease of removal	Many people are able to just pull them off by picking at a corner that has come loose over time. By design, however, the iron-on label ever so slightly melts to adhere to the fabric.	With a little effort, comes off cleanly. (Clothing in this case had been through numerous cold water washes and regular dryer cycles.)
Text size	The identical text will always appear larger on the iron-ons than the tag-mates.	It is possible to have larger text-size on tag-mates if you order the labels without an icon.
Limitations	Fabric must withstand the heat of an iron.	Clothing item must have a clothing tag. (Many tops are now made without tags.)
Advantages	Can be used on clothing, whether or not a tag is present.	Quick and easy to apply. Can be used on non-clothing items.
Hacks	- Double your iron-ons! - Removing iron-ons - Help! I've got more than one child! See all iron-on hacks.	- How do I label boots? - Larger size text for Tag-Mates™? - What else can I do with Tag-Mates™? See all tag-mate hacks.

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Disclosure: I'm a Mabel's Labels Buzzmama and I receive free products for my involvement in the program. I'm also a Mabel's Labels web affiliate and I earn a commission if you use the following link to purchase your Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!®

I was in the middle of my order and the power went out!

We've all been there. Right in the middle of placing an online order and suddenly you've lost everything because the power went out! (Or the computer crashed, or your 2 year old pulled out the internet cable.)

To borrow from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, don't panic.

If you regain access to a computer, look for the "Chat with a live operator now!" graphic in the top left hand corner of the Mabel's Labels website. Click on it to connect with someone online, during business hours.

If e-mail is your thing, send your questions or concerns to info@mabel.ca

Alternately you can call the order desk (toll-free in Canada and the US) at 1-866-306-2235, Monday through Friday, 9am – 8pm EST. (Business hours are subject to change without notice.)

Do child ID wristbands work?

Question: The new child ID wristbands sound like an interesting idea, but do they work?

Short answer: Yes they do!

Long answer: We were recently out on a day trip with offspring and friends with offspring. I provided wristbands to all the kids on our group. In the event they got separated from the adults they were each instructed to find a mommy and show her their new "bracelet."

As fate would have it, we found ourselves in an area with a large play structure -- the kind that's at least two stories tall with slides and mirrors and multiple compartments into which parents are not always able to see. The kind where it's not uncommon to lose sight of your child for a couple of minutes.

Except that we lost sight of one of the children for longer than a couple of minutes. The remaining children were sent through the structure to find the missing child. No luck. A few minutes later my cell phone rang. The missing child had wandered out of the "play" area and shown a mommy their bracelet!

Thank you Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!® for your "my 411 wristbands!"


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If you're in a situation like this, as soon as you realize a child is missing, I recommend taking your cell out of your purse / backpack / pocket, turning it to vibrate and carrying it in your hand. The ambient noise at fairs or indoor playgrounds can be so loud that it's impossible for you hear the cell phone when it rings.




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Disclosure: I'm a Mabel's Labels Buzzmama and I receive free products for my involvement in the program. I'm also a Mabel's Labels web affiliate and I earn a commission if you use the following link to purchase your Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!®

10% off your next Mabel's Labels purchase

- clothing labels for camp and school
- return address labels for you
- Ultimate Back-to-School Combo
- stationery kits
- child ID wristbands and more!

E-mail MabelsAgent at NSCcards . com with a subject of "coupon"
to receive your coupon code for
10% off your next Mabel's Labels purchase!^#

^# By sending your e-mail address you agree to receive periodic newsletters from your Mabel's Labels agent. You may unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time. Coupon code expires August 2008.

Ultimate Back-to-School Combo and New Icons!

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

True Blue (berry blue, ocean blue and sky blue),
Juicy Citrus (orange, lemon and lime),
Tickled Pink and
Pack in Black.

The combo and the colours are available for a limited time only, until September 31st, 2008.

New icons!

Check out Mabel's four new icons!

• bicycle
  
  
  
• headphones
  
  
  
  
• skateboard
  
  
  
  
• skier
  
  

Introducing "My 411 Wristbands"

Tired of using a marker to write your cell phone number on your kid's stomachs?

"My 411 Wristbands" include the child’s first name, the parent’s first name and cell phone number and any allergies or special needs the child may have. They can be customized to fit any parent’s needs.

From the Mabel's Labels website:

Resistant to water, sunscreen, chlorine and perspiration. Available in 5 original designs.

The information on the wristbands can be whatever you like to a maximum of 50 characters. Information is printed exactly as you type it.

Mabel’s Labels will donate 10 percent of all sales of this product to Autism Speaks, an organization that promotes research and awareness about autism.

Sand toys: Marker vs Mabel's Labels

Why would you use Mabel's Labels on sand toys? Aren't markers just as good for identifying plastic toys?

You be the judge. The top image is a brand new bucket, freshly labeled with a black permanent marker and a Skinny-Mini™.







The bottom image is the same bucket after spending a few days in the sandbox with busy hands.

Can you see the difference?

The Backardigans have moved into the Mabelhood!*

Your backyard friends have moved into the Mabelhood! Available only in Canada, choose between The Backyardigans Label Pack or The Backyardigans Stationery Kit, customized with your name and favourite character.

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* only available in Canada.

Changes to the website!

If you haven't been by the Mabel's Labels website for a while, drop by and see the new changes!

Look for:

• Their Summer Camp Packing List (PDF)
• The new "Track My Order" feature
• Canadian residents need to have a peek at Mabel's new backyard friends!
  

Help! I've got more than one child!

What do you do if you have more than one child and don't want to spend a fortune on personalized labels for each one? Here are some ideas for you:

Solution A: Family name

From the FAQ on the Mabel's Labels website:

I have 2 kids, could I have half my order as "Jenny" and the other half as "Kate"?
Unfortunately we can’t split orders. But you might consider going with the family name, so everyone can share the labels.

Should you order the Classic Stickies you'll be able to give each kid their own colour (assuming you've got no more than three children).

Solution B: Give children have same initial

If your children all have the same initial (such as Nicole, Nancy, Nathaniel and Ned) you're all set. Get the initial with your family name!

What's that? You didn't name your children with the same initial and you don't want to rename them? No worries.... we have more ideas below!

Solution C: Two children -- icon / no icon

If you've got two children with a large age difference, you may be able to convince the older one that icons on the stickers are for little kids. Then order your labels with the family name and cut off the icon for the older child to use. The younger child will identify anything with the name and the icon to be theirs.

Be sure to round the corners when you cut as approximated by the red lines in the image to the right.

Solution D: Two initials

If you need labels for two children, Nicole and Mabel, you could order the label as shown to the right.





Then for Nicole, cut off the ",M" and the icon. Be sure to round the corners when you cut as approximated by the red lines in the image to the right.




For Mabel, you cut off the "N." Again, be sure to round the corners when you cut as approximated by the red lines in the image to the right.

Solution E: Two initals, short family name

If you have a short family name and need labels for two children, Nicole and Mabel, you could order the label as shown to the right.




Then cut the label in half, one for each child. Be sure to round the corners when you cut as approximated by the red lines in the image to the right.

Solution F: Multiple initials

Use all the initials separated by a "/" for Nicole, Mabel and Tricia. No cutting required!

I hope you've found an idea in here that works for you. If you have other solutions you'd like to share, please let us know!