SMA Blog Party - Uppercase Living Vinyl Going the Distance to Raise Awareness

I know a woman who dedicates her career to raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society because her dear friend's daughter was affected years ago. In talking about this she says, "When your friend's kids become sick, it's like your own kids are sick, and you have to do something." That is how I felt when one of our baby daughter's play group friends was diagnosed with SMA - Spinal Muscular Atrophy - over 8 years ago at the age of just 15 months. While all of our kids began standing up, then walking, Zeke was still crawling, and it became clear that he wasn't developing at the same rate as the other babies. Zeke's diagnosis was a devastating blow to his devoted parents, and heart breaking for us play group families. However, he has been so lucky to have parents who began getting him help immediately: various therapies, the appropriate appliances (from leg braces to power wheelchairs and everything in between; SMA is not an inexpensive disease to manage) enrolling him in clinical trials, all to give Zeke the best chance to live with SMA and be ready when a cure is found.

Before I go too much further, here's a little bit of information on SMA.

• It is the #1 genetic killer of young children.
• 1 in every 40 people, or nearly 10 million Americans, UNKNOWINGLY carries the gene responsible for SMA. Few have any known family history. 
• There is currently no treatment and no cure, but the National Institutes of Health (NIH) selected SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders. 
• Researchers estimate that a viable treatment and/or cure is attainable in as little as 5 years – IF provided adequate resources.  

Simply, SMA eventually impacts every muscle in the body hindering the ability to walk, sit, stand, eat, breathe, and swallow. The mind always remains unaffected and children with SMA are bright, sensitive, and playful in spite of their failing bodies.  There are 4 types of SMA which range in age of onset and severity of symptoms. Zeke, who has Type II, is able to do many things including sitting up, breathing and eating unassisted, writing. speaking, and of course, playing video games. He goes to school every day and is a popular student.

Another precious SMA baby, Gwendolyn Strong, is not so fortunate. Diagnosed with Type I SMA, she faces challenges in almost every aspect of her life. However, like Zeke, she is lucky in that she has parents who will stop at nothing to improve her quality of life and help find the cure for this cruel disease. What Bill and Victoria Strong have accomplished in terms of awareness, legislative impact and fund raising is quite incredible, and a true testament to the power of one Strong voice.

Today's SMA Blog Party is just one of their many efforts to raise SMA's profile. Obviously, my blog usually focuses on all the wonderful ways Uppercase Living products can be used to decorate your home, but today shows that it's about more than selling UL products. Zeke's mom, who is one of my best friends, was also one of my first customers (and continues to be a great supporter). She saw that a little vinyl can go a long way and that our products can also help raise public awareness. She rides around with the a simple but powerful expression on her minivan (modified for Zeke's power wheelchair of course) and donated two of these expressions to be auctioned  at a recent SMA conference.

I've posted here about various causes, such as Breast Cancer, but none is as close to my heart as finding a cure for SMA. That's why one of the first things I did when designing this blog was to add a the Unite for a Cure button on the side bar. For every SMA awareness decal purchased from me, I will donate $1 directly to the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. If you'd like to order one, you can design it directly on my website or contact me for help. Here are some other things you can do to help:

• Visit the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation Facebook page. Victoria will post about various fund raisers and opportunities to vote to get funding for crucial research. Lots of great links here too.
• VOTE TODAY to help GSF win $20,000 from the Jimmie Johnson Samsung Helmet of Hope contest, Go to VoteforSMA.com, select the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, enter the two security words, check the Official Rules Box, and then click "Vote Now." Do this every day through Sept. 29th.
• Purchase a lovable bunny from My Bunny and Me and choose to have your purchase support SMA research. 
• If you blog, blog about SMA today. The more people know about SMA, the better.

Tomorrow, I'll post details about my annual open house which I'm holding next week. But today, let's focus our collective love, energy and karma on all the families who live with SMA, mourn a baby who lost the fight, and the doctors and researchers who WILL find a way to end the suffering.

Thinking Pink Year Round

Some of you many not know that Uppercase Living offers FREE expressions every month to all of our hostesses and customers. The designs change each month, but there is almost always a seasonal choice to correspond with any upcoming holidays or just the change of the seasons. Our designers work several months ahead so that you'll have your expressions in plenty of time to decorate well before the holiday. That's why you'll see a Halloween option among this month's designs, for example. The August free gifts also include two choices to help commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which falls in October.

Personally, I'm thrilled that these expressions are available now for our customers. Unfortunately, cancer doesn't wait for a particular time of year to strike and so we need to be vigilant about it year-round. Check the girls regularly, talk to your doctor, get your mammogram...all that stuff, and that's not just limited to the ladies. Many of us have loved ones who have fought this disease and it's also nice to honor their battles throughout the year, not just in a particular month.

The hostess expression above is displayed on a punched metal tile but would look just as great on our square Frameworks or on the wall with some pictures.

The more casual "Think pink" expression is perfect for a car so that your message of hope, awareness and encouragement can travel with you. But it also fits nicely in our rectangle Frameworks. It would also be great on a refrigerator as a reminder to reach for something healthy each time you open the door. These would also be perfect gifts for anyone who is currently fighting or has dealt with breast cancer in the past. You won't find these items in our catalog or on my website, so please contact me to find out how you can earn one yourself.

As a mother, daughter, sister and wife, as someone who has a daughter of my own and has had too many loved ones affected by breast cancer, I am eager to see this terrible disease cured once and for all. Therefore, I would be happy to organize a fund-raiser for any breast cancer organization and donate a portion of my sales to further research, provide mammograms and/or help care for patients and their families. If you're interested, please contact me. It would be my pleasure to be part of this crusade.

Calling All Fund Raisers

Whether you're a team mom, cheer mom, dance mom or someone who is working to raise awareness and/or money for a cause, Uppercase Living's brand new fundraising program might be exactly what your group is looking for. You can now offer your team or group a personalized decal to place on cars, lockers, doors or anywhere else UL vinyl can go.

Whether you're trying to raise funds for a team trip, new uniforms or even medical research, this simple program will let your group members publicize the cause while earning money for your goal. All you need to do is choose your design, pick a color and decide how much you'd like to earn. While you get your group mobilized to order decals, I'll take care of the all the details on the UL side. Together we'll make your group's fundraising efforts a great success.

Note: you can view a list of the different colors of awareness ribbons and the causes they symbolize here.

Timing is Everything!

We've always heard that the early bird gets the worm and all that. But really, who wants a worm? Sometimes, opportunity is not about being early but being right on time. And if you've thought about joining my Uppercase Living team by becoming a Demonstrator yourself, now is the time!

So you're thinking, "Come on. I can do this whenever. Why is right now better than next month, or this summer, or before the holidays?" I thought you'd never ask. Here are just a few reasons, aside from our outstanding product line, generous business plan and fantastic support and training, which are always in place:

• Buy Two, Get One FREE - If you sign up now, you'll be able to offer this great deal to your customers immediately. You don't even have to wait for your starter kit to arrive. And if you want to buy some things for yourself, then you can use your Demonstrator discount on top of the Buy Two, Get One FREE special.
  
• A Brand New Celebrations Catalog - Starting April 6, you'll have a brand new catalog, full of gift, favor, and decor kits for all the spring occasions coming up, to show your customers. From Bridal Showers to Father's Day, it's all covered with signature UL style and affordable prices.
• New Incentives To Motivate and Reward You - Look forward to earning extra rewards as your new business takes off with a bang! Just join my team by April 1 and I'll help you reach those milestones. How will you spend the extra bonuses you earn?
  
• Our New Fundraising Program - Offer your local sports teams a fun and easy fundraiser. The team moms will love you and you'll love supporting your community while your business grows.
  
• MY EXCLUSIVE CASH BONUS! - I'm offering a $25 BONUS to anyone who joins my team in March. You can choose cash, products or supplies. It's totally up to you! Here's the math: $99 Starter Kit - $25 Product Credit Included - $25 BONUS FROM ME = a brand new business for you for only $49!!!
  

So, there you have it. A lot of reasons why now is a great time to start this amazing journey. If you're still reading, then you're already mulling it over. Give me a call and let's talk about this great opportunity for a while. I'll answer all of your questions and then let you decide. When you weigh all the ways you'll benefit by jumping in now, I'm pretty sure you'll agree that there's no time like the present.

Prepare to be Inspired: Spring/Summer 2010 Catalog and Inspirations Incentive are Here!!

After all the teases and sneak previews, you can start shopping from our brand new Spring/Summer catalog today! In a few hours, you'll be able to visit my website to view all of the great new products and ideas you've been waiting to see.

In addition to tons of new expressions and new colors, we have added a few foundations accessories: metal plaques and Frameworks in white! You won't believe the 2 part Chalk Walls. Plus the Grande Format designs and new Decorative Prints. In my opinion, those will be the show stopper in this selling period.

As if all that weren't enough, our annual Inspirations Incentive is back and better than ever. Whether you want to buy some items, host a party to earn free and half price products, or become an Uppercase Living demonstrator yourself, the Inspirations Incentive makes now a great time to get more, pay less, or both!

New Demonstrators
Have you been looking for a way to earn some extra money in the new year? Perhaps you need to pay off some holiday bills or want to save up for a summer vacation. Uppercase Living offers a great opportunity to set your own hours and make money sharing an exciting product that people love to hear about. The Inspiration Incentive gives you our Essentials Plus starter kit, usually priced at $199, for only $129. Not only do you save $70, but you also get a $100 product credit! You're basically getting everything you need to start your new business for only $29!!

Hostesses
You have a lot to gain when you host your own Uppercase Living party during the Inspirations Incentive. First, your Double Up rewards from previous purchases will become TRIPLE UP REWARDS. You'll add up to $375 to your guests' orders to determine your reward level. This is a great benefit and doesn't come around often. Also, if your January party reaches $400 in guest orders (before tax and shipping), you will receive one of our Spring Inspirations Kits absolutely FREE!

Customers
There's a treat in store for all of you who purchase our products during the Inspirations Incentive. Each order of $25 will allow you to purchase one of our pre-designed Inspirations Kits.

Each kit is individually priced and includes everything you need to create a fun, seasonal project. The kit components and vinyl colors have been selected by our designers. Each includes a Foundations piece as well as a 2-color vinyl expression. At first I was worried that it would be difficult to pick just one, but you get to choose one for each $25 increment of your order, so no worries there!

The hostess and customer Inspirations incentives are in addition to our regular monthly incentives which you will still receive with your order. The only thing you'll need to decide is whether you'll place your own order, host a party or a catalog party, or join my team and get started on a fun and profitable new venture. Whatever you choose, you'll have lots of help and support from me.

Great deals, free items and big savings. Plus a whole new catalog full of great ideas and inspiration. This is shaping up to be a happy new year indeed.

TONIGHT: Extreme Makeover Home Edition and a Contest

You can bet I have my DVR set for tonight's episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition. After waiting since July to find out how the team of designers will use our products, I'm excited to see them finally in the home. Mary J. Blige will be featured on this episode as well; it's sure to be a great show (in other words, pull out the Kleenex).

As if this in itself isn't exciting enough, I'm having a little contest to celebrate the occasion. All you have to do is send me an email to torreh@gmail.com and tell me which expressions or designs were used and which room each was in. So for example, you can say, the Bloom Growth Chart was in the playroom. You don't have to have the exact names of the expressions, just so I know which one you mean. Everyone who gets them all right will have her or his name entered in a drawing. The winner will receive (drum roll, please) a copy of our brand new Spring Summer 2010 catalog as soon as I get it in. If you're not local, postage is on me. I just might include a few other little goodies in your package too.

So sharpen those eagle eyes and make sure to email me your entry by 3 P.M. Pacific time Monday.

More Gingerbread Fun

It's officially November and as we all recover from our sugar comas and relax after that extra hour of sleep, I want to remind you that there is just a short time to get our cute fat-free, mess-free Gingerbread House kit.

I always recommend that my customers place this on a wall, glass door, window or refrigerator. Here are some more ideas for this fun kit. I think it will become one of those holiday items that your family looks forward to taking out and enjoying year after year.

• Place the kit on your front door with a note asking visitors to help decorate your gingerbread house. Watch it come to life during the holiday season.
• Use it as an advent calendar. Each day in December, add 3 pieces of "candy" to the house. In my family, that would equal one candy per child. You'll have a few left over by the time Christmas comes.
  
• Have a holiday Scavenger Hunt! Hide the candy pieces throughout your house and have your children find them before decorating the gingerbread house. You can stick the removable, reusable pieces on windows, doors, walls, furniture, appliances, even inside the sink.
  
• Take the kit to work! Apply it to a centrally located wall and invite colleagues to help decorate it through the season. No one will be able to walk by without adding their personal touch.
  
• Carry the holiday theme through your house. Use just a few pieces to decorate the gingerbread house, then use the rest of of the "candy" in a bathroom, front door, side lights, anywhere you'd like some more holiday spirit.
  
• Donate a kit to a women's shelter, group home, or any other organization that serves families. They will be so appreciative of something new to entertain and amuse their clients.

However you plan to use it, share your ideas here and don't forget that you need to order yours by Nov. 16th. Contact me for more information.

United for A Cure

As some of you may know, finding a cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a cause that is very dear to me. This disease, the number one genetic killer of children under 2 is caused by a gene carried by 1 in 40 adults. While SMA is a cruel and debilitating disease, there is a great deal of hope for those suffering from it. There are breakthroughs on the horizon both in terms of pharmaceuticals and stem cell therapy.

I've added a button to my sidebar where you can help fund the research that will lead to a cure. SMA is a tough, tough disease. But it appears to be beatable. I'm doing my part and hope you'll join me.

For more information on SMA, please visit www.curesma.org.