Tag Archives: Safety

03.05.12
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ATTENTION ALL CAMPERS!


This year scores of children will hear the school bell ring signaling the end of another school year and the beginning of summer camp season!  While the kids are dreaming of long days with friends playing and having all night fun in their bunks, their parents will be busily preparing their summer wardrobe trunks with hopes that  what clothing and other personal items leave their home will someday return! Thanks to LOVABLE LABELS your child’s belongings have a fighting chance of making their way back to your home! In addition, this award winning company has awesome products, many which are created to keep your child SAFE and organized!

Now I need to tell you that I received the LOVABLE LABELS in a cool multi-pack! ( I even got permission for a GIVEAWAY- so read below to participate! )  Not only were there the camp labels but also tons of colorful ways to place your child’s name and ownership to books, lunch boxes, key chains, luggage tags and much more! Have a child in daycare with lots of “stuff” to label- like boots, coats, lunch box and sippy cups? No problem! LOVBLE LABELS to the rescue as each design can be unique to your child.  Their name on brightly colored press on labels (no miserable tape or sticky stuff here!)

Now here are some very IMPORTANT and LIFE SAVING reasons why LOVABLE LABELS are A+… they have the ability to alert people in your child’s lives as to FOOD and other ALLERGIES! Imagine placing an important WARNING LABEL on your child’s lunch box, school folder or lunch payment card with information about peanut or egg allergies (to name a few!)  If you want you can have these labels personalized to include name and an emergency contact phone number.  Excellent for children who are low or nonverbal, such as with children who have Autism.  The applications of  LOVABLE LABELS are endless!

Enough of my glee with LOVABLE LABLES,  check out the slideshow which spotlights this great product for yourselves! To learn more/ order click HERE. (Come’on you know your curious!)

Follow them on TWITTER, too! @MyLovableLabels and FACEBOOK: lovablelabels.officialfanpage

****To be eligible for the Random Giveaway Contest of a free pack of PERSONALIZED LABLES  Sponsored by Lovable Labels do the following:

Comment here

Go to their FACEBOOK PAGE and LIKE THEM

If you TWEET- become a follower on TWITTER.

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Disclaimer: I received a complimentary multipack set as part of the LOVABLE LABELS promotion.   I am donating this set to a student in a local shelter. (The name on the labels is A+ STUDENT!)  

05.24.10
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Why I Created Sign Language for Emergency Situations- ASL, English and Spanish


It has been about five weeks since the first run of my newest video- Sign Language for Emergency Situations -ASL, English and Spanish appeared at my front door.  I carefully opened the huge boxes and looked at the “zillion” copies that were all over my living room floor.  How funny, that this little DVD carried so much history with it… none which is reflected on the DVD itself or its’ cover.

You see, I first decided to create this DVD on a date that will be easy to remember- Sepember 11, 2001.  It was a date in which many families, including mine, were intimately impacted by the days’ events.  I had a brother and a cousin within sneezing distance of the World Trade Center that day.  I had other relatives and numerous friends who all had Manhattan addresses. I also knew that many deaf individuals resided in NYC and wondered how terrified were they on that fateful and tragic day when communication was minimum at best and fear was at an all time high.

That is the day I decided that I wanted to be part of the communication solution for those in the deaf community.  I know that my brother benefited from the use of a being able to ask questions of others that day as he walked the streets looking for a way to get home.  He was able to assist others with the information he received and be a benefactor of the generosity of total strangers.  He also can hear.

But, what about the people who were not able to communicate during all the flurry of madness.  Pencil and paper was not practical when there was so much happening and the need for safety was tantamount.  If only the emergency response workers knew simple signs such as –  EVACUATE, GO INDOORS,  ARE YOU HURT?,  WHO IS MISSING?,  WHAT IS YOUR NAME? EXPLOSION! DO YOU NEED HELP?

It took me  a long time to wrap my head around the events of 9/11.  But, then it came to me-  I need to develop a DVD to help people who speak two of the four most common languages in the United States get assistance during natural disasters, medical crisis or on a day that is unthinkable ! (Sorry I don’t speak Chinese, the third most common language).  So, with help from my friends, especially Karina Prizont Cowan, I developed Sign Language for Emergency Situations with ASL  and narration in   Spanish and English.  The entire DVD is signed and open captioned – for all to have access.   I queried people who were first responders, students and deaf friends to preview the DVD keeping in mind that the audience would be hearing.  Modifications were made to the video (yep it was a lot longer!).  We also decided to add the Sign Language for Emergency Situations mini-chart that accompanies the DVD as an enclosure.  The last piece was two super endorsements- Alison Rhodes the Safety Mom and Mackenzie Kelly of NORCAL Ambulance.

Then I began to think how can I get my product to people who could it could benefit most.  Twitter, Facebook, friends and good old word of mouth were very effective.  Harris Communications- a large distributor of products for the deaf and hearing community who wish to learn ASL, etc.  hopped on board immediately.   I was so happy to receive many words of encouragement.  Hilary Bilbrey took my DVD to a safety conference and was so kind to give me feedback from the very people who I wanted to reach- emergency personnel!  Dozens of phone calls later I had talked to people from all over the country who wanted to know how to access the product, workshops and more.

Then the most interesting thing happened…. we sold out.  The emergency cards (which we ordered separately and as an enclosure to the DVD) sold out!  Then the DVD started to fly out the door- we have a few of those boxes left- but not too many.

So, on behalf of all those who helped make the tragedy of 9/11 to have a positive outcome via my little company, Signing Families ™-  I thank you.  And, to show that this is just not a business opportunity,  my company will continue to donate a portion of all proceeds to charitable organizations that help children and their families.

Also, note that great things happen when friends help friends-  Alison Rhodes, Hilary Bilbrey and myself will be joining together to be a “safety package”.  We want to help children, families, educators and organizations by providing services,  products and workshops.  If you are interested in learning more please contact me at Info@SigningFamilies.com

To contact Alison Rhodes about her SafetyMom.com consultations please go to http://www.SafetyMom.com

Hilary Bilbrey and her Brecker Bunny Series can be found at http://www.InspiredbyFamily.com

Here is the trailer to the video that is now available: