Photo by Transguyjay
Families know that it is summer camp time. Children look forward to this time and even parents look forward to it as a time when their children will develop new skills and make some new friends and just have some fun.

Whether your child goes away to camp or to a local camp, the “camp experience” involves great organization on the part of the camper and the family. It is so important that you get organized for your child ahead of time. Try our camp organization tips so your child will have a great summer.

1. When you register your child for camp – ask for the materials list. Many camps will mail it out as camp date gets closer, but most will provide it at your request earlier – which means you can get your shopping done earlier.
2. Labels in clothing are very important, especially for children attending a sleep-away camp. Add labels early – and remember if your child has a popular name and surname like Susan Smith to add their middle name too to avoid confusion.
3. Sending treats to sleep-away camp and day camp is a popular occurrence. Label snacks so campers know whose snacks are whose. Remember that many children today have peanut allergies – so don’t select snacks with peanuts in them.
4. Your child for sleep-away camp will have a large trunk to put all of their items in. Remember to put labels the actual trunk, both inside and outside so everyone knows whose trunk it is.
5. Many children are tempted to bring valuable items like a charm bracelet, favorite teddy bear or electronic devices to camp. This is often unwise as these items can become lost or sometimes “borrowed” by overeager campers. Sometimes these items are also hard to label – like a teddy bear or a piece of jewelry.
6. Give your child pre stamped stationary or postcards to write friends and family home while at sleep-away camp. Most sleep-away campers do have access to email. But many campers look forward to daily “mail call” and the best way to get mail is to send some of your own.

MaverickLabel.com They specialize in custom label printing and have cheap stickers and custom window decals for summer needs.

There’s something about Spring that just makes us want to get organized and start new projects. The birds singing and warmer air make everyone have a “spring” in their step and more energy to tackle all of those projects they’ve been putting off. So enjoy Spring and try these great ways to use labels to get organized and make life run a bit smoother.

Canning or making jams/jellies. Spring and summer are the perfect time to can fruits and vegetables or to make jam and jellies. You’ll certainly want large, clear labels that tell you exactly what’s in these jars so when winter comes and you reach for a jar – you aren’t opening a mystery!

Garage sale. This is one of the best times to hold a garage sale. Spring is a great time to clean out your closets and go through the kids’ toys to see exactly what they just aren’t using anymore. Garage sale shoppers always seem to linger more when a sale is well organized and they certainly appreciate prices that are clear. Using label stickers will mean everyone can read prices quickly – even if they do try to haggle you down a bit!

Preparing for summer camp. Now is the ideal time to get the kids’ gear ready for summer camp. Don’t wait for the last minute to find the sunscreen, bathing suit and their sandals or extra pair of sneakers. Get everything ready and put it into the trunk so it is ready to go. You’ll want to use labels to label the trunk and then labels inside every piece of clothing.

Organize your gardening supplies. Spring is when we see those lovely crocuses and tulips coming out in bloom. But every gardener knows to get those beautiful flowers takes a lot of hard work and effort. Organize your gardening supplies and use labels so you know where everything goes and to identify your supplies.

Get the beach gear ready. If your family lives at the beach in warmer weather, then now is the best time to get your beach gear prepared. Look for your bathing suits, aqua shoes, beach towels, sunscreen and beach toys. Use labels to designate everyone’s beach bag and organize your summer fun gear.

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Company I.D.s don’t sound like the most interesting topic. But let’s talk about this for a moment. You really should know exactly who is entering (and exiting) your building. Without company I.D.’s it is easy for literally anyone to slip in undetected.

You may think that your security staff is top-notch, that company I.D.’s are unnecessary and a waste of money. We’re not going to dispute your security team’s talents. Having company I.D.’s however can often make their jobs quite a bit easier.

Company I.D.’s can quickly be noticed on people’s cars before entering your company’s headquarters. One glance can tell your security staff is that person is authorized to be in your buildings. A company I.D. as a weatherproof label on their car is an easy protection system to have in place for your business.

A company I.D. should have your company name, an expiration date and some way to identify the employee. First initial and last name can be a quick way to do this. Or you can use a numerical system. Choose something that works well for your security staff. Most important is to have your label well-organized so it is easy to read and quick to scan. Many of your employees will be rushing into work, not thinking about the security staff trying to read their company I.D. weatherproof label. Make things easier on your security staff so when a problem arises, they can focus their full attention of this – instead of minute details.

Don’t think that company I.D.’s can be done “once” and then forgotten about, the trick is constantly monitoring them. Put someone in Human Resources in charge of maintaining records and keep them in close contact with your security staff. This simple precaution can keep a disgruntled former employee (or soon-to-be former employee) from stealing priceless company secrets and taking them to the competition. This monitoring system can also keep a former employee from giving their weatherproof label to someone else to enter your company headquarters.

In today’s day and age security is critical for every type of company. Fortunately putting security measures into place is often easier and more practical than many companies think it will be. Most employees adjust quickly to security measures – and quite often they appreciate the company that keeps its corporate location safe and secure. This also means the employees’ personal safety is protected as well.

With company I.D.’s on cars always use Weatherproof labels. No matter your climate, this will encourage the labels to have great durability and be long-lasting. It also means the Weatherproof label will stand up to that ice storm, hurricane or hot summer days you are facing.

Written by ID My Stuff.

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Just about every family goes to the beach during the summer. But what’s the largest complaint? “Uh oh….you forgot…..” You usually end up forgetting. Try our tips to pack the ultimate beach bag and you’ll always stay organized while having fun in the sun!

Be certain your bag for the beach is big enough. Most Moms will have the “big” challenge of choosing a good looking beach bad that won’t be big enough for their carrying needs. Don’t forget to keep a head count of your kids and don’t forget that your kids often bring friends so keep track of them too whether you are at the pool or the beach. You’re going to need that extra room in a big beach bag!

Towels, towels and more towels! All of the family members need 2 towels: One for laying on the sand and one to dry off after getting out of the water or showering at the end. That’s a lot of towels. Keep your towels organized by adding clothing labels to each towel so your towels come home with you. Pick color coordinated towels so they are easy to find on the beach lying together.

Sandwich bags aren’t just for sandwiches. Here’s an easy trick to keep suntan or sunblock lotion from spilling all over the inside of your beach bag: keep it inside a sandwich bag with a tight seal! This will save lots of time and frustration. Add a label to the outside of your suntan or sunblock so other families know this is your sunblock and not theirs.

Clear plastic labels are every Mom’s dream for beach trips when it comes to packing the ultimate beach bag. How many times have you come home from the beach…only to discover you are missing a sand pail and shovel? Add clear plastic labels with your child’s name or family name to keep everything organized for this summer.

Keep your lunch chilled and dry by placing it near the bottom of your beach bag. Many of the items you pack in the beach bag won’t be heavy such as your swimming suit and dry towels. The heaviest thing you will probably pack is your lunch – so you’ll want to keep it cool and dry by packing it in the bottom of your beach bag. Create a shady place under your umbrella for your lunch with your chair and your towel hung over the side.

Many Moms love to bring a good book (okay a romance novel!) to the beach while the kids play. Make sure your romance novel comes home with you by adding a cheap sticker inside the book with your information. The beach is a busy place and there are lots of other Moms with books, best to keep yours organized and with you at all times

by Lawrence Reaves

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With the high cost of flying, many families are turning to the old-fashioned road trip for their summer vacation plans. But don’t just get in the car and go! You’ve got to plan and organize to truly have the perfect road trip – it’s well within your reach.

Begin by getting directions from Google Maps, Mapquest or your favorite website. Use your GPS for step-by-step directions as you go. Tip: ask the person you are visiting for directions as sometimes there are unique landmarks you can keep an eye out for as you get close to their home.

To pack the trunk, first clean the trunk. Clear the trunk of all excess clutter before taking a road trip. Remember both kids and adults will likely bring back souvenirs from your summer vacation – and you are probably toting lots of luggage.

Always travel safe for your peace of mind. Pack a first aid kit and a car emergency kit. Make sure you’ve got an extra tire in case you need to change a tire. Add bottled water to your trunk for hydration in case you get stuck somewhere for awhile.

Stay organized to avoid sibling arguments and adult confusion. Clothing labels make vacation laundry much easier, as you may be adding a load in with another family’s. Clothing labels also ensure a hotel, motel or family friend will recognize your left-behind clothing just in case you do!

Create fun travel packs for each child to enjoy on the road. Include books or board books, soft toys or other fun games. Don’t count on your in-car TV to entertain them the entire way through. Label toys to make sure toys come back home with you after your vacation.

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Photo by pinlux

The dangerous relationships between birds and windows is one that comes in varying degrees. Sometimes it’s just a quick peck of bird meeting glass. Others it’s a small series of crashes and a flutter of wings. The worst, however, are the jarring impacts that resonate throughout an entire house, leaving you and your family members startled and often crippling or killing the bird. Sadly, these impacts are far more common than you might think. In an article for Audubon magazine, David Malakoff cited that in North America, window strikes kill between 100 million and 1 billion birds annually. According to an NPR story, Professor Daniel Klem of Mulhenberg College things that Malakoff’s estimate is too conservative, and that the real number easily exceeds 1 billion birds in the United States alone.

Why do window strikes happen?

It’s hard to know for certain exactly why window strikes happen, but observation has granted some measure of insight. The first, and seemingly most common, rationale is that birds simply cannot see glass. The transparency of the glass makes the window look open, and this is often complicated further by a window on the opposite side of the house. This causes what is commonly referred to as the “tunnel effect,” meaning that the bird believes that the two windows lack glass and thus represent a clear tunnel to fly through.

The other primary reason for bird strikes seems to be reflections. Windows in houses and buildings can easily reflect the environments around them. So, while the house or building certainly appears to be a house or building, the windows look more like wooded areas which are perfectly safe for flying.

Ways to prevent window strikes

There are a range of possibilities for preventing window strikes. The most effective method is to remove a window, or to completely cover it with something opaque and non-reflective like wood or cardboard. Granted, this removing a window is a bit drastic and not practical for the vast majority of home owners. Thankfully, with a little understanding as to why birds strike windows, home owners can reduce bird strikes with more people-friendly methods.

Covering Windows

While boarding up windows is an extreme solution, it does prove a point. Putting something between the window’s glass and the outside world can both alert a bird to a physical object and prevent reflection. The line for most home owners seems to be when such a covering moves from the area of protecting birds and into the realm of obstructing views. Home owners have several options like summer storm screens, to heavier plastic “shade cloth” and even the commercial CollidEscape film, all of which help to remove transparency and restrict reflection to various extents.

Silhouettes and Obstacles

Another tactic is to prevent the bird from coming  near the window. Some homeowners put blockades, such as a tree or bird feeder, in front of a window, particularly windows that are struck with some frequency. If you notice that your bird feeder is causing birds to strike your window, then moving the feeder further from your house would be a prudent move. Another popular method, which works to varying degrees, is to intimidate birds away by way of statues and silhouettes. A statue of an owl, or a cut out made to resemble a flying hawk can cause an errant bird on a collision course with a window to change course.

The Happy Medium

For many home owners, window strikes are infrequent happenings and thus can easily be remedied by merely moving a bird feeder or placing a hawk silhouette in a tree. For others, more permanent measures must be taken. However, for majority of home owners in areas with heavy avian traffic, there is a happy medium. Make part of the window more obvious with the application of custom stickers. Placing stickers on a window makes the glass less transparent and can break up reflections, minimizing two of the most common reasons why birds strike windows in the first place. Special sticker creating techniques can even make these stickers nearly-invisible to humans while birds staying perfectly visible to birds. Such stickers benefit birds while doing very little to detract from the value humans derive from said windows.

Stickers used to prevent bird strikes can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Homeowners can make use of seasonal varieties like flowers for spring, snowflakes for winter, and even holiday images. These stickers can even be made in the images of predatory birds, thus mimicking the silhouette effects and adding to the sticker’s effectiveness.

The real key to preventing bird strikes is to change the status quo. This can be done through changing the locations of physical things – like bird feeders and trees – thus forcing birds to alter their flight paths. Or, it can be done though intimidation, via silhouettes of predators. Or, a home owner can change the bird’s perception of the actual window. Stickers, whether they are human-visible or not, make windows more obvious to birds, while screens and covering cloths negate the qualities (reflections and transparency) that make windows harmful to birds in the first place. The question for home owners is to determine which window strike prevention method works best for you.

Mark Trumper is the CEO of MaverickLabel.com, an industry leader in label and printing products catering towards the needs of small business owners. Maverick Label, the Internet’s source for cheap stickers and window decals, is found online at: http://www.mavericklabel.com

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Photo by gorickjones

In case you’ve been too busy playing Wii Fit in an effort to look great in your tankini this summer – or have otherwise been engaged – let us share with you the hottest trend in vacations: staying home. Staycations are vacations where you actually stay home and do fun things. No, they don’t have to be endless days of vegging out in front of the tube – you can actually do some pretty cool stuff. We’ve got some unique tips to help you plan a great staycation that will have your family truly feel like they’ve had a summer break.

#1 Clean house before your staycation. This may sound like work – and yes, it is work. But remember that when we go on vacation, we stay in clean hotel, motel and bed and breakfasts. Taking your staycation in a house littered with toys and dust is going to make you feel more stressed out than ever.

#2 Sit down with your family to plan some fun activities. It helps if you have some fun ideas, but be sure to ask for your family’s input on exactly what they consider fun. If you plan a day at a local museum and your children don’t want to go – this isn’t a pleasurable activity. But if your children would rather go to the local aquarium and admission is a comparable price – then this gives you a great activity to do for your staycation.

#3 Visit your local tourism website. Most counties and every state has an official tourism website and office to provide information. While most do deal with out-of-state inquiries – your staycation can greatly improve when you get information on all of the local attractions. Sometimes we are so busy that we just don’t know about some of our local jewels to truly enjoy them.

MaverickLabel.Com, a company founded to meet the growing need for a label source utilizing the latest technologies blended with old fashioned quality and customer service. They specialize in custom label printing and have cheap stickers and custom roll labels for summer needs.

Summertime is a peak time for label use. Families are more active than ever. With most families taking vacations, it is easy to see why families would need labels to identify things that they need. Let’s talk about the top summertime uses for labels.

1. Gardening. Many people enjoy gardening in the summer. Labeling the stakes in the ground, baby plants or your supplies helps you grow a beautiful garden.

2. Beach or Pool. Most families spend lots of time at their local beach or pool during summertime. This is an ideal time to use labels. Use labels to identify your beach/pool chairs, umbrella, label your bathing suit and swimming cover-ups. Labels can also be useful with some water toys for kids.

3. Summer Camp. Many children attend a day or sleep-away camp during the summer. Smart mothers have learned that labeling their belongings means that more of their belongings will come back with them at the end of camp!

4. Family Vacation/Staycation. Every family can use labels during their vacation/staycation. You’ll want to label everyone’s suitcases as you travel. You’ll add labels to everyone’s clothing. Adding labels to other items you use like a packed lunch as you travel, car care supplies or labeling everyone’s drinks just keeps you better organized.

5. Summer Barbeque/Party. Using labels can help you identify the mustard from the ketchup. It can also help you identify people’s drinks from one another. Using “Hello” labels at a party can be a great icebreaker as people get to know one another.

Labels simply get you through the summer. With a little organization and preparation, summer flies by – our favorite season. It’s always more fun during summertime! Waterproof labels will be a part of any good label kit for summer.