Junk mail has a funny way of creeping in and taking over our countertops and wreaking havoc in our lives. We flip through flyers thinking about the things we might need some day or the restaurants we haven’t tried or the next program we should sign up for. This junk then becomes another thing to do… maybe… someday. Then the junk gets thrown into the pile with the other unmade decisions.
So much for a paperless society, right! Information is coming at us faster than ever before in this digital age and we have tons of information at our fingertips when we need it. But still that junk mail demands its presence in our home.
If you’re ready to tackle the junk mail, start by managing it as it comes into the house. Just Say No To The Junk! When you bring in the mail, head straight to the trash and dump the junk.
Now here are a few ways you can get off of junk mail lists…
Take notice of any catalogs you might be getting and don’t need. You can call the company and ask to be taken off their list or sign up for a free account at Catalog Choice and they will do it for you.
Obviously.com has a comprehensive DIY guide to stop junk mail, email and phone calls.
Just like the national Do Not Call Registry, Forest Ethics is campaigning to start a national Do Not Mail Registry. In the meantime, they offer opt-out forms that will allow you to contact some of the largest junk mail offenders.
50 years ago my Aunt Joan was born. Hers has not been an average life. She arrived prematurely, possibly having an unfortunate run-in with the umbilical cord on the way out. Regardless of the cause, she has had a special place in our family because she did not develop in a typical manner.
From all accounts, it was not easy in those early years. The doctors made grim predictions about Joan’s future based on what they thought her IQ was. Grandma once threw a social worker out of her house for suggesting that Joan should be removed from the family and raised elsewhere.
She was the seventh born in a big Irish family and everyone rallied around their baby Joan, sharing feeding responsibilities and surrounding her with love and support. Joan was a part of that family and although it was a family forever changed, from their enlightened perspective, they were better for it. To this very day she lives with my grandparents who are in their mid-nineties.
Joan is a remarkable person. Embraced by a supportive school and staff, she has spent the last 25 years working as a classroom helper in a centre for children with special needs and who are medically fragile. Joan has a special place at Mabel’s Labels as well. She helps out when brochures need to be stickered, she decorates posters and cards for special events and contributes her famous brownies for staff functions. Most of all, she is our biggest fan. If you’ve ever been on a city bus and had the woman next to you ask if you have Mabel’s Labels, chances are it was Aunt Joan. She hands out her Mabel’s Labels business card to anyone and everyone – a business card which appropriately lists her job title as “Superstar”.
To get the full picture of the positive impact Joan has on those around her, let me tell you how her 50th birthday was celebrated:
- The school board threw a surprise party for her. 50 staff members and retired staff were in attendance to celebrate;
- Our family had a surprise dance party/open house. More people than I could count were in attendance;
- Of those people at the dance party, a ridiculous number of us were wearing t-shirts featuring Joan’s picture and the words ‘Joan is a Superstar’;
- Even the babies in the family got involved. They all wore custom-made shirts that said “Great-Aunt Joan is a Superstar”.
I know when we all have babies we want them to be perfect in every way. However, Joan has taught me that sometimes it’s only when they are not “perfect” that they are able to become Superstars.
The intrepid Melissa Blais tests the durability of Mabel’s Labels once again, this time with fabulous kids’ hockey team The Hamilton Jr Bulldogs.
With the help of ten-year-old Jake, four hockey pucks were labelled and thrown to their fate on the ice for the team’s one-hour practice.
Who would win: the Jr Bulldogs or our super tough Sticky Labels? Wouldn’t the labels fall off? Rip? Be nicked beyond recognition? Of course not! The final score was Mabel’s Labels: 4, Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs: 0
We LOVE American Baby magazine and are thrilled to be featured in their February 2010 issue. Check out their Crib Notes where you’ll find a sweet little section on Mabel’s Labels Founding VP and Mama of Many, Julie Cole. Titled “The Baby Business”, it describes how Julie gave up her law career for a more flexible schedule after her eldest son was diagnosed with autism. Julie volunteers with Autism Speaks and remains her son’s biggest advocate. It also pictures “A Mabel’s Label that works on shoes, snack cups and more”. See American Baby to discover which label is gracing the snack cup; it’s not the one you may think!
The Mabelhood is the sum of all blogs, combining posts from Mabel Labels' bloggers Julie Cole, Caitlin Madden and a cast of guest bloggers. The Mabelhood documents the daily dramas of a group of people raising families and a label making business, plus everything else in-between.
RSS