Stylish Must Haves For Camp

Camp Essentials

The time you spend preparing your little ones for camp can be a great opportunity to spend quality time together before they go. We put together this list of a few special items that can go along on the journey.  

Camp List

A great backpack

While Dakine backpacks may be a bit more pricey than the average sack, the quality and construction makes this bag last and last. I bought my Dakine years ago and it still looks brand new. Like the boy’s pack featured below, my pack has two adjustable straps on the front which are designed to hold a skateboard. I actually use them to strap in my towel after a day at the beach, that way no sand gets inside my bag! 

1.      Boy: Dakine Point Wet/Dry: This pack is equipped with a waterproof pocket designed for a wetsuit, but is perfect for a camper’s soggy swimsuit. We like it in the Fremont print.

2.      Girl: Dakine Prom 25L: Comes complete with insulated cooler and deployable water bottle pockets perfect when hunger strikes on the trail. The Lolani print is our favorite. 

Shoes

Back in the day, my water shoes were not only a style nightmare but also offered about as much foot protection as a sock. These new shoes are quick drying, with strong rubber soles. So feel free to skip through a stream and run up rocky terrain with no worries.

3.      Boy: Columbia Youth Drainmaker, a quick-dry shoe perfect for running or puddle jumping

4.      Girl: Adidas Kids Boat Lace, Breathable open mesh shoe to eliminate soggy steps

Hydration

Bobble water bottles filter water in every sip with a replaceable carbon filter. “Every filter equates to 300 single-serve bottles. After a year, you’ve removed thousands of bottles from the environment.”

5.      Bobble Water Bottle, Stay hydrated with this BPA, PVC free bottle

Name Bubbles

Of course you want everything you send off to camp actually making its way back home. Label your camp gear, toiletries, and backpack with our waterproof, weatherproof labels. They even stand up to sun block and bug repellent!

6.      Name Bubbles Camp Pack, 108 waterproof press-and-stick labels

Parent Tip!

Mail a letter the day before your camper heads out so it arrives on his/her first full day of camp.

Name Bubbles Supports Literacy Across America

Though I live thousands of miles from my hometown, I make a point to visit once or twice a year and to catch up with dear friends and family members. It is during these precious moments that I hear about their lives, children and very often, their work.  For many years, one of the amazing women in my circle of friends, Lisa, has been the Principal of a public elementary school in a pretty rough part of town. She has talked about the challenges that her students face and how she and her team of teachers have worked to overcome budget shortages, foster care placements, and have helped students’ families during difficult financial and emotional times. To her students, she is Principal Hall at Bell Avenue Elementary School; to me she is Lisa from the dorm room down the hall and I am very proud of her.

During my visit home last fall, she mentioned a reading program she and the teachers at her school wanted to implement. She’d lined up volunteers and the city was helping but she needed money to buy the books. My wheels started turning; I had not identified a non-profit or cause for the Name Bubbles Giving Program for 2012 – in my mind, literacy or more specifically, raising awareness and helping to provide books for underserved children would be a wonderful commitment from Name Bubbles. That’s how it started.

I’m pleased to say that my friend Lisa, or Principal Hall, will be launching her school-wide reading program today – just in time for Read Across America Day.  She told me that she is holding an assembly, a kickoff party of sorts, and she will be presenting an over-sized $5,000 dollar check from Name Bubbles for the purchase of the new books. We are both very excited and believe the school's new books and help from the volunteers will have a positive, lasting impact on the students lives.

In addition to the reading program beginning at Bell Avenue Elementary School in Sacramento today, Name Bubbles has launched its Giving Program for 2012. We have committed an initial $10,000 dollar donation to a national organization dedicated to delivering free books and literacy resources to children and families who need them most. Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the United States.

In our own effort to raise awareness about literacy and the fundamentals of reading, the company created a sheet of eight (8) personalized learning-themed labels for young children that are available for purchase with every label order. We know that building awareness makes a difference and are very excited about our Giving Program and RIF’s mission, to motivate young children to read. By working with children, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life, RIF can address the organization’s highest priority; reaching underserved children from birth to age 8.

Be sure to stay tuned and watch for the many wonderful programs Reading Is Fundamental has planned for 2012.   

Sincerely,
Michelle Brandriss

Name Bubbles Allergy Alert Labels

I wanted to share a peek into my son's daycare cubby. Having a child with food allergies, I tend to batten down the hatches and label everything.

Recently I had a casual interview and was asked what inspired Name Bubbles. As a working mom I had used labels from several other companies, but I became kind of frustrated with their limited options for styles, colors, and personalization.

This became very necessary with Cooper's food allergy - one of his allergies is a little unusual and is found in a lot of candies and baked foods. I wanted to be able to add all of my contact information and instructions right on the label. This level of customization was not available before Name Bubbles. So really I was designing around my own needs and I am happy that our labels have also helped other parents with medical alert labels and detailed allergy labels.

Name Bubbles 15% Off Holiday Promotion

Remember the Name Bubbles 15% off holiday promotion during checkout and let your friends and family know about the special savings.

The offer expires 1/1/2010

Bubble Up through the New Year!

Promo code: Holiday

Name Bubbles Labels Help Ensure the Grinch Can't Steal Christmas

That warm and fuzzy time is approaching - along with all the excitement and confusion that reigns in most households - it's the holidays! Remember Name Bubbles for those stockings and gifts for nieces and nephews, help the little ones keep track of Santa’s bounty throughout the year.

With Name Bubbles you’ll always know which item belongs to whom, long after the holiday decorations have been put back in the attic; plus, they’re easy to customize and purchase online at http://www.namebubbles.com/. The Name Bubbles team wishes you a very warm and happy holiday season.