A Close Call With Food Allergies

Cooper has grown up with Name Bubbles Allergy Alert Labels.
His medical information stays with him, from his cubby at daycare
to his backpack and ski gear, keeping caregivers informed.

In the winter of 2008, my husband and I began to understand the extent of our son’s (Cooper) food allergies. We had seen several indicators that he might be allergic to peanuts, but the symptoms were somewhat mild so we decided to keep him away from peanuts and tree nuts as a precaution.  I look back and cringe at how naive we were. 

The severity of his food allergy became crystal clear during a weekend morning play date at a friend’s house. Cooper had found a Reese’s Pieces on the floor and, thinking it was an M & M, he popped it in his mouth. Several of the moms were talking and sipping coffee when he came over to me holding his tongue, scratching it. It all happened so fast, he was gagging and tears were running down his cheeks. I couldn’t quite figure out what he was trying to scrape off his tongue until the hostess said he must have discovered a piece of candy her kids had been eating earlier that day. I had never seen him have an acute reaction like this before, and I didn’t have any medication with me. As I share this, I realize how incredibly lucky we were that day. My mom friend had Benadryl handy and we were able to stop the reaction.  With the incident fresh on my mind and heavy on my heart, I made an appointment with an Allergy Specialist as soon their office opened that following Monday. Life for the Brandriss Family would never be the same again.

The doctor made it painfully clear how lucky we are to have our son alive today. She didn’t pull any punches and the more I learn about allergies, the more I appreciate why she was so tough on us. After the first reaction, we should have immediately had him tested with an allergist. Cooper’s allergies now have the potential to send him into anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock, the primary treatment being an injection of epinephrine or the Epi-Pen Jr.

My husband and I do our best to teach our son to be independent, outgoing and try new things. Because we’re unable to have a watchful eye over him at all times, we use the Allergy Alert Labels for his school backpack, weekend ski gear, and Epi-Pen; which is with him at all times. Having his medical information front-and-center reminds his teachers, caregivers, and fellow parents that my little guy might need their help in an emergency. It puts me at ease to know Cooper has a constant reminder not only letting others know of his allergies, but reminding him to always ask an adult to read the ingredient label if he is going to have a snack that was not packed by Mom or Dad.

As the CEO and Founder of Name Bubbles, I hear from moms all over the world who order NameBubbles Allergy Labels, and know that so many families are coping with food allergies; many with multiple allergies and reaction variables beyond what our family has to deal with. Some kids can’t come into contact with their allergens; while our son can be in the same room with his and will only have a reaction if he ingests them.

To our allergy families: we would love to hear any ideas that you might have in modifying our Allergy Alert Bubbles to better suite your needs. We understand how important it is to inform our children, their friends, and caregivers. If you feel there are changes or improvements that could be made, we encourage you to send an e-mail to info@namebubbles.com or call 866-797-Name (6263).

Sincerely,

Michelle Brandriss

Name Bubbles Turns Three!

Wow, what a year! We wanted to share the celebration with you and give you a quick run-down on the changes that have taken place for the Name Bubbles Team. Our biggest change; we moved! Name Bubbles now has room to grow and grow we did. This year we doubled in size. Just months ago, desks and people were lined up in a hallway and team members would have to squeeze to get by.

Because we were growing so quickly, we considered and began shaping the culture of the company. It is our belief that happy employees will care about their work, which ensures a quality product and happy customers. We’ve also hired a full-time customer service representative to help you with questions or place an order over the phone. We are creating our Bubbles from the “Words We Work By”, which are our Mission Statement and the Core Values of our company. Both can be found in our About Us page.

One of the initiatives we are most proud of is our Giving Program. In 2010, the company donated $10,000 dollars to Water For People. In 2011, we created a Bag Tag Campaign that enabled our customers to take part. With every bag tag purchased, Name Bubbles donated $1.25 to the organization, by the end of the year the donations totaled an additional $14,000.

We have a lot of exciting plans for 2012. Please stay tuned and as always, THANK YOU for choosing Name Bubbles for your family members. We appreciate your business and love making your customized bubbles.

Michelle Brandriss

Name Bubbles Top Ten For 2011

The Name Bubbles Team wishes you and your family a wonderful 2012!

As we begin a new year together, we thought you might get a kick out of the top ten serious and silly things that Bubbled Up for us in 2011: 

1 - Toms - We love these shoes, but more importantly we love how the company's One for One program helps kids of all ages throughout the world. Stay tuned for their super cute ballet flats coming out this spring, we can't wait!

http://www.toms.com/ 

2 - Water for People - Is an amazing organization that provides safe water for communities all over the world. They were our partnered non-profit for Name Bubbles' 2011 Bag Tag Campaign and we were able to donate over $14,000 dollars to the organization through your participation!

http://www.waterforpeople.org/ 

3 - Pinterest - A new and addicting social media tool, this site encourages you to 'pin' images of things you like to your own boards and share our finds with others. It's quick, easy and will pull you in from day one! http://pinterest.com/ 

4 - Fitbit - Lauren Rose, our Director of New Business Development, received her Fitbit for Christmas and has become such an advocate for the device that she has started a Fitbit community for Working Moms. http://www.fitbit.com/group/229CJP or to learn more about this great health tool visit, http://www.fitbit.com/ 

5 - Teal/Turquoise - Have you ever noticed that everyone looks great in the color turquoise? Well, we did and it quickly become our favorite color of the year. We found it in earrings, rain boots, tees, handbags, wallets, and accessories in 2011. 

6 - Infinity Scarf - If you live in mild or cold conditions, an infinity scarf is a great accessory that adds style to any outfit. With the different textures and colors, we hope these scarves will be with us for years to come.

http://etsy.me/infinity_scarf 

7 - Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds - Yum! These little nuts help tame those afternoon sweet treat cravings. They made the list because they're our healthy go to snack and someone always has a box of them handy.

http://emeraldnuts.com/ 

8 - Sophie The Giraffe - We find this classic chew toy hard to resist.  Both cute and a little bit creepy, Sophie is sold just about everywhere.  Who can argue with a baby's need to chomp on the foot or head of this quasi-cute giraffe? http://sophiegiraffeusa.com/ or http://www.giggle.com/Sophie-The-Giraffe/616324,default,pd.html 

9 - Royal Wedding - How could you not get swept up in the Royal Wedding? The weeks of media build up gave us endless opportunities to discuss marriage, dresses, and more. When the big day finally came, oh the hats! Those whimsical and wonderful choices kept us giggling for days. We loved it all, and of course we wish a long and happy marriage for the royal couple!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11767495 

10 - Tasteology - So, the reason why the Fitbit is making such a hit at Name Bubbles is because we are also food lovers! We often find ourselves perusing this site and using the tasty recipes at home . Thank you to everyone who posts those family recipes and what tricks you've discovered in the kitchen that we can all enjoy!

http://tasteologie.notcot.org/

Labels That Keep Winter Gear Coming Home

My eyes were barely open when I heard my husband discussing our weekend plans. The fact that it’s the first weekend of December means the Brandriss Bunch will be hitting the slopes. No more Saturday sleep-in for Mom. Skiing is what we do this time of year, every year; it’s something that means so much to my husband.

Even though I’ve been doing the ski family routine for years, it’s always a bit of a culture shock for me. Once I am on the hill I love it, but making it all happen at 6:30 am every Saturday morning is a lot for me. I’ve finally learned a trick or two but most of my prep happens the night before. My husband, on the other hand, amazes me…he usually whips up pancakes, dances a jig or two and loads up the equipment before my son, Cooper, and I clear the morning fog from our minds.

I married a ski fanatic, he grew up racing and lived as a ski bum in Colorado for a couple of years in his twenties. Our vacations and holidays almost always include snow. When I told him that Name Bubbles made the Vacation Issue of Ski Magazine he immediately took me out to dinner to celebrate. In his mind, Name Bubbles hit the “Big Time”! Over the course of dinner I made the mistake of mentioning how I had sent labels via FedEx with his name on them but they had already taken the photo for the issue. He was devastated! “You mean, I could have had My Name in Ski Magazine but you didn’t think of it in time?” He was right, it was a missed opportunity and - even worse - I told him about it. Ugh. What a great Christmas present that would have been for him. Perhaps the opportunity to be in Ski Magazine will come again, but you will begin to notice my husband’s name on many product shots - just to be safe. I’m certainly not going to make that mistake twice.

I’ve included a photo of the three of us and my son’s skis with his Name Bubbles at the end of the 2011 season. Labeling all of our gear is something that I do every year; I like to use the Bi-level Fun Bubbles for our skis, boots and poles. I typically provide my cell phone number in the tagline should someone need to reach me while we are at the mountain and of course to return any equipment that might get left behind. I also use NameBubbles Allergy Alert Labels on Cooper’s helmet and the front of his jacket indicating his peanut and nut allergy and they also have our contact information if the ski school needs to reach us. Of course, his socks, gloves and fleece are also stuck with personalized clothing labels; which ensured that were able to recover a black ski glove last year at the ski school because of his name label. Snow gear is expensive, so remember to bundle up and Bubble Up before you and your family head out the door. Keep your focus on the fun - not the lost and found. 

http://www.namebubbles.com/index.html

Harvest Time At Name Bubbles!

Harvest Time

Our office is all a buzz with team members discussing the various things that will make up their unique Thanksgiving celebrations. From traditions to travel arrangements, all our Thanksgivings will have one thing in common: Family, Food and Friends.

When creating Name Bubbles’ Harvest Theme Giveaway, we wanted our press-and-stick Harvest Labels to double as kid-friendly name labels and a possible family-friendly project. Thanksgiving is, after all, a time to give thanks, come together, laugh and love. The two projects – place cards and napkin rings - were easy and fun. You could certainly dress them up with Calligraphy with italic ink and monogram cloth napkins.

Another great use for our Harvest Labels is to claim Thanksgiving leftovers! Label your take-out and Tupperware containers with your personalized labels and you’ll be ready to whip up late night turkey sandwiches or another creative leftover recipe.

So, how can you get your own set of Harvest Them Labels? It’s easy. They’re our gift to you all month long, so if you haven’t received yours, here’s how it works: For every Value Pack purchase you make during the month of November, you’ll receive a sheet of eight (8) dishwasher safe personalized Harvest Theme Labels.

Don’t forget to share with us how you use them!
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Harvest from Name Bubbles,

Michelle Brandriss, Founder & CEO

Name Bubbles Stick Around For The Long Haul

We rarely remove the “rocket box” during the summer season, partly being lazy, but it’s also very useful for vacations and camping, especially with two dogs in the back. So in addition to the extreme cold of the Northeast, when we drive every weekend to the Adirondacks through sub-zero wind chill, road salt and car washes, our Bubble endures summer heat, rain and bright sun.


Over the past 2 ½+ years, where ever “Bessie” (my 2001 Subaru Outback) goes, our Name Bubbles have stuck around for the ride. As we’ve mentioned on our Web site, our labels are tough and tested, they’ll stick where you need them.

Our waterproof labels can be found at http://www.namebubbles.com/

Cooper Land

While attending my son’s Preschool graduation, which I know sounds over the top, everyone could see that the teachers and the kids worked really hard on their performances and it was a lot of fun. Before the children came out to receive their diplomas, the slide show of their time together was being played to the song “Don’t Blink”. To the teachers’ dismay and my very good fortune, the audio on the slide show presentation was skipping terribly. It was perfect, it kept me laughing; I didn’t want to focus on how quickly the last five years have gone by.

In the reproductive timeline of life, my husband and I met near the end; a day doesn’t go by that I don’t find myself very thankful that I am a mom. My biggest fear as a working parent is that I may miss something, a magical moment, during our time apart. I am sure this is something that so many mothers and fathers go through. Nothing seemed more difficult than the first few weeks we started daycare.

As we begin another chapter of life, I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed and I make sure that between the melt downs and stubborn streaks, we share as many special moments together as possible. I’ve included the Cooper Land (spoof on my son’s favorite game) collage that was made for his Preschool graduation and I am wishing everyone an easy transition into their new school, new class and daycare this fall. Thanks for listening and be well…Michelle