Hallmark Moments and Milestones: TELL THEM, Indianapolis

Last week, the Hallmark Moments and Milestones Tour made a stop in Indianapolis, and brought all of their Hallmark goodness with them.

I’ve admitted to playing card store before, so it’s no surprise that their newest campaign, Tell Them What They Need to Hear got me right in the heart. Before I say anything else, let me open this blog post how they opened our session:

Everyone You Know Has Something They Need to Hear 

It’s a simple concept, really. It’s a simple concept, but in today’s world, not always the easiest to put into action.

We took a little time at the event to think about and then share who we need to tell something to-we even had pretty cards to print our ideas on.

Here’s the thing. There are a lot of people I need to talk to. Which is funny, because pretty much I’m “talking” on the Internet all the time. Real conversations are harder to come by. Talking on Twitter and Facebook is much like small talk at a party- you’re not going to get too personal or too deep on public social channels. There’s also the fact that some of the people I love the most aren’t online at all.

During the workshop, I started to formulate a plan. It’s safe to post here because my grandma is one of those people I love who isn’t online.

On October 17, 2013, my grandma will be 100 years old. I think a milestone like that deserves some pretty serious celebrating. I’m going to start the celebration this month, and tell my grandma something she needs to hear every month leading up to the big day. I’ve already written out her “Happy 100th Thanksgiving” card, and will mail it soon.

Tell Them. Go ahead. You’ll be happy you did.

A Hallmark artist starts with a block of wax, sculptes the ornament and then goes ot the craft store to design his clothes. Amazing!

During the event we also heard from Hallmark writers, and a sculptor of Keepsake Ornaments (truly amazing process). Christmas is a time when there are some really special things from Hallmark, including Keepsake Ornaments, recordable storybooks, personalized cards (and invites! and plates!) and their newest edition, Interactive Story Buddies.

The Discount Code: Are you already planning your Christmas cards? Hallmark can help. On Hallmark.com, you can design your own personalized cards, and Hallmark will even mail them for you. It’s kind of amazing. Invitations can also be designed, as well as party plates with personalized photos. Are you ready to create? Go to Hallmark.com and do just that. Then use this code BLOG30 to save 30% off your order!

The Giveaway: Just in time for the Holidays, dear reader, you have the opportunity to win an Interactive Story Buddy  (have you seen them? they are amazing)! Just leave me a comment- tell me who you’d like to gift the book to, or who needs to hear something you can tell them. Additional entries can be earned by liking Family Fun in the City, tweeting and following me on Twitter (just follow along with the fancy Raffle Copter).

Make sure you use your best email and I will pick a winner Wednesday evening, around 9pm. The winner will have 24 hours to reply, after which, if there’s no response, I will choose a new winner.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First Day of School! First Day of School! {and a Hallmark Giveaway}

{Edited: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for playing!}

We did it. The kids made it through their first day of school on Monday with flying colors. Four hours of swimming on Sunday ensured an appropriate bed time, and things continued to move along easily after that.

Lunch boxes, homework, and after school snacks have all made a comeback like they never left. The emails are coming in from the school list serve, and the fall calendar is filling up with school obligations.

Here’s the thing- this year, I’m not kicking and screaming that summer is over. I’m enjoying falling back into the rhythm of my half-days at the office and few hours with the Fox alone before picking up MaM. I love that the kids are both in the exact same classrooms as last year, and that they are reunited with so many of their friends.

My friends at Hallmark are celebrating back to school season as well, and sent me some goodies to help during those days that aren’t all A+’s and gold stars. They have a whole line of products tagged “Kids Encouragement”, and it’s full of ways to show your kids how much you care.

Their LunchBox notes are making a repeat appearance this year, which thrills me because  MaM LOVES them. I love putting them in her lunch box, and she loves getting them in her lunchbox.

They also sent an assortment of kid-friendly greeting cards (I have 14 nieces & nephews, so they will come in handy), some of which include *gasp* JUSTIN BEIBER!!!!!

 

New for this year is this adorable Bug ‘Em plush. This plush pal can be outfitted with treats a few different ways to show your kids how much you love ’em. Visit Hallmark.com/BugEm for all kinds of ideas on how to use this little guy. I haven’t quite decided when he’s going to make an appearance at our house, but I know he’ll be popular when he does.

{The Giveaway}

To celebrate back to school, Hallmark would like to send one lucky reader a back-to-school prize pack that includes greeting cards, lunchbox notes and a Bug ‘Em plush.

To enter, please leave me a comment telling me one thing you love about back-to-school time (or what you don’t love) and be sure you use your best email so I can reach you. For extra entries, feel free to do any of the following, and add an extra comment for thing you do.

1) Go like Family Fun in the City on Facebook and leave a comment telling me that you did.

2) Post a link to this giveaway on your facebook page and tell me that you did.

3) Tweet about this giveaway- something to the effect, “Celebrating Back-to-School with @HallmarkPR & @gotchababy, you can too! http://gotchababy.com/?p=2904”

This giveaway will be open through Monday, August 20th at about 9pm. The winner will have 24hrs to repsond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

Living On the Edge-News and a Giveaway

Back in April, I had the opportunity to attend Hallmark’s first ever Mom E-vent. It was lovely from start to finish, and MAM still talks about going to Kansas City and wants to go back. There was one part of the trip that I didn’t (couldn’t) say much about when I first posted about it, because it was top secret. Like we signed waivers secret. Like we couldn’t photograph secret. Like we were taken down a little hallway, through what looked like a maintenance hallway and led into a special area, a special area where products are developed.

So, anyway, since then, I’ve thought of those products. Partially because I couldn’t say a word about them. And that alone is enough to kill a chatty girl like me, so I am so relieved to finally type these words:

Hallmark has a new line of cards out just for moms! They are funny, funny, funny….and edgy. “You can write that on a card?” was asked more than once as we were looking at them.

And now you can look at them too. On the Edge of Motherhood is a new line that will have all moms laughing, because the sentiments ring true. Check out a few on Hallmark.com (remember, you can actually personalize and have these babies mailed for you, to your bff, right from your computer), and soon they may be in a store near you.

What? You want to see the actual cards??? Leave me a comment….because it’s giveaway time!! I will use random.org to pick a lucky winner sometime on Tuesday, August 4. Just leave me a comment on this post, telling me….telling me something. Anything. You choose. Good luck!!hot_card

For extra entries, after you’ve posted one comment for your first entry, you may:

Tweet about this giveaway using this :  RT @gotchababy Sassy new Hallmark cards available! Enter for a chance to win some! http://tinyurl.com/mptdko  (once you tweet, leave me a comment telling me you did so)

Post about this giveaway on your blog (leave me a comment telling me you did so)

Post this giveaway on Facebook (leave me a comment telling me you did so)