Tuesday, August 10, 2010

“Donate back-to-school clothes for needy kids at Seminole Towne Center this weekend - Orlando Sentinel (blog)” plus 3 more

“Donate back-to-school clothes for needy kids at Seminole Towne Center this weekend - Orlando Sentinel (blog)” plus 3 more

Donate back-to-school clothes for needy kids at Seminole Towne Center this weekend - Orlando Sentinel (blog)

Posted: 10 Aug 2010 11:08 AM PDT

August 10th, 2010 by jeanpatteson

Back-to-school outfits from Macy's

Seminole Towne Center in Sanford will be one of 20 Simon Malls across Florida to host "Look Smart. Book Smart," a back-to-school new-clothing drive for disadvantaged children, from noon-5 p.m.  Saturday and Sunday.

The drive supports Dignity U Wear, a statewide non-profit organization that partners with groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs, Creative Services, Hacienda Girls Ranch, Neat Stuff, The Beta Center, Voices for Kids of Southwest Florida and more. 

 The drive at Seminole Towne Center will be collecting brand-new clothing for Safehouse of Seminole, a nonprofit that provides a safe, confidential shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children. Items needed include tops, pants, shorts, underwear, socks and backpacks for girls and boys.

Also over the weekend, shoppers can visit the Back to School Safety Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the mall's Center Court.  The first 100 children will receive a free bike helmet and fitting from the Mix 105.1 Safety Safari.

For more information about Simon Property Group's "Look Smart. Book Smart" back-to-school clothing drive, visit www.simon.com.  For more information on Dignity U Wear,  visit www.dignityuwear.org.

Posted in Events, Fall fashion, Kids' fashion, Shopping | No comments

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Online swapping: Used clothing via the Web - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Posted: 10 Aug 2010 07:19 AM PDT

MIAMI —  Kelly Trella has found a way to get rid of her 2-year-old son's old clothes: She swaps them.

Trella was looking for a way to clear out her basement when she stumbled upon a magazine article about thredUP, a children's clothes swapping website. She signed up and has been swapping gently used clothes from her Meriden, Conn., home ever since.

"Its cost-effectiveness is terrific. It's really great to have an opportunity to share with folks around the country," she said.

ThredUP launched in mid-April and now has 15,000 members, and another 1,000 are being added each week. Founder and CEO James Reinhart says the Cambridge, Mass.-based company is trying to attract parents who are buying back-to-school clothes, which, he says, is one of the largest one-shot expenditures for families during the year.

That thredUP even exists is surely driven by the economy, but there are other ways to swap clothes.

The national retail chain Once Upon A Child sells new and gently used products. These days people who once only dropped off clothes are buying them, too, said Dawn Weston, owner of the franchise in Brandon, Fla.

"More people are being conservative. They are being conscious of what they spend," she said. "They didn't have to worry about it before. They still want their kids to have those really nice things, but they don't have the bucks to do it."

Online back-to-school swapping was a natural extension of clothing rental sites for grown-ups. At renttherunway.com, a $1,050 Herve Leger dress can be rented for $150, "to give every woman in American access to this Cinderella experience," said co-founder and CEO Jennifer Hyman. Expectant mothers can rent a pretty dress at RentMaternityWear.com.

ThredUP partnered with Boston charity Cradle to Crayons to give $1 from every swap to the charity to help clothe children and buy them school supplies.

The site sends 10 empty post office boxes to each customer. The customer browses the website for boxes of clothing. Once a box is found, the customer pays $13 for shipping and the box is sent to them by whoever currently has it. The customer then agrees to list a box of clothing and they're notified when someone picks it so they can send it off.

Swappers can choose what boxes of items interest them based on variables such as gender, size and season. There are no photos of the clothing, so decisions are pretty much based on brands and descriptions.

"The first box I got, I paid $13 total and I got 13 shirts. No stains. No tears. Yeah, they have gone through the wash a couple times," Trella said.

Trella said her son goes to day care full time, so she wants clothes that can get dirty, and the price is right.

"You are only shelling out a small amount of money," she said, "You are giving and you are getting. It's nice to share."

The basic membership to the site is free; premium is $29.99. The company relies on customer reviews to weed out the people who are giving clothing that is in bad condition.

Redbook Deputy Executive Editor Melanie Mannarino said an element of trust is involved for the people who use the site. The magazine featured the site in its August issue.

"It's almost friendly and neighborly," she said.

The risk is whether other people will have the same taste in clothing as you do, she said. But, it's not as limited as shopping at garage sales and thrift stores.

Mannarino said the site shows a shift in the American mentality toward saving and conserving.

"Now these clothes are going to go to somebody else who can use them," she said.

ONLINE: thredUP: http://www.thredup.com/ Once Upon A Child: http://www.onceuponachild.com/ Rent The Runway: http://www.renttherunway.com/ Maternity wear: https:// www.rentmaternitywear.com/ Cradle to Crayons: http://www.cradlestocrayons.org/

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School shopping can teach kids spending skills - San Luis Obispo Tribune

Posted: 09 Aug 2010 12:35 PM PDT

Ina Poecher heard about a back-to-school sale at J.C. Penney on the radio. So with a mental list of wardrobe needs for fifth grade, the Vadnais Heights, Minn., 10-year-old spent a recent Saturday morning with her head in the clearance racks.

In the past, her picks would have been paid for with her mom's credit card. Not this year. "With the economy being as bad as it is, we started a budget program. And we try to be within our means for the first time," Ina's mother, Kirsten, explained.

That meant first stopping at the bank to withdraw $60. The shift is OK with Ina.

"It's just showing me that you should actually watch your budget or you're just going to go overboard and, like, get all the expensive clothes and not watch for sales," she said, grasping a bag bursting with deeply discounted tanks, T-shirts and shorts.

The back-to-school shopping season is second only to the holidays in terms of consumer spending. The average family will spend about $600 on school clothes, supplies and electronics this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

This presents a perfect opportunity for parents to teach kids about comparison shopping, assessing wants and needs, and stretching a dollar.

Molly Snyder of St. Paul, Minn., who writes a blog at http://www.theSnyder5.com/ after her three sons are in bed, uses back to school as a chance to teach the older ones, ages 7 and 8, "that you can't have everything be the best all the time. ... If you want the $15 lunch bag, we're just going to get the plain notebook."

As for clothes? Her sons don't care too much - yet. So she's able to buy off-season, on sale and a size bigger without consulting them. Six out of 10 parents who answered the retail federation's survey said their kids influence at least half of their back-to-school purchases.

When shopping at the Albertville, Minn., outlet mall last week, Tony Gleason's 7-year-old fell in love with a pair of Tony Hawk skateboard shoes. But the MassMutual financial adviser stuck to his guns and left without the showy sneakers. "We explained that those are trends and we have to buy what we need." They settled upon a couple of pairs that were on sale because they were last year's style. Many parents rely on the "if you really want it, then buy it yourself" philosophy, especially as kids get older and allowances increase or part-time jobs enter the picture.

When New Prague (Minn.) High School senior Rebecca Enrooth is eyeing a particular name brand, such as Miss Me jeans or Banana Republic blouses, she'll splurge on those items and make up the cost by purchasing basics on the cheap. The teen, who is on the Mall of America's Trend Board, buys her back-to-school clothes with a mix of money from her parents, earnings from waiting tables and money she makes selling her unwanted clothes at Bargain Betty's Consignment Shop in her hometown.

Enrooth's money-stretching tips:

-Buy basics in solid colors because they're easy to mix, match and jazz up. "You can always buy a cute pair of earrings to go with a simple black shirt."

-Repurpose what you have. She's planning to wear her sundresses throughout the fall by adding tights and a cardigan sweater and may buy a few more on sale because "I can wear them next summer."

-Never finish shopping before the first school bell. "I definitely wait to see what goes on sale and what I really like," she said.

-And her favorite way to expand her wardrobe without spending a cent? Swapping clothes with friends.

Darcie Gust's son and daughter aren't in school yet, but you'll still find the Burnsville, Minn., mom, who also blogs about her family at http://www.gustgab.com/, loading up on crayons and notebooks for various school supply drives. "This time of year offers a great chance to teach our kids about helping others who might not have as much as we do."

She stocks up on Crayolas for her family too. "(Back-to-school) also offers a chance to show them how waiting for certain times of the year to acquire new things helps us to afford more, versus just buying what you want when you want because you want."

How do you use back-to-school spending to teach your kids about money? Tell Kara McGuire at 612-673-7293 or kmcguire@star tribune.com.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Kara McGuire is a columnist for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. Readers may send her e-mail at kmcguire@startribune.com or follow her on Twitter @kablog.

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Nacho Figueras to Participate in Auction to Help Abused Children at the Canyon Acres ... - msnbc.com

Posted: 10 Aug 2010 10:39 AM PDT

ORANGE, Calif., Aug. 10, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Famous personalities, billionaires and celebrities are donating their time and talents to Canyon Acres' luxury auction aimed at raising millions to help abused children.

Among top auction experiences is a private polo lesson with polo star and Ralph Lauren model Nacho Figueras. How much would you pay for this unique experience?

Nacho Figueras is ranked as one of the world's best polo players – perhaps the best known among those not wearing a royal crown. Vanity Fair voted him the second "Most Handsome Man in the World" behind Robert Pattinson, but ahead of Brad Pitt. Sometimes called the "David Beckham" of polo. He is also the face and physique of Ralph Lauren, having modeled for the brand for more than a decade, making him the renowned face of the Black Label clothing line and World of Polo fragrances.

"Nacho Figueras truly represents the best of what Argentina has to offer: the best in polo and the best in values," said Barbara D'Amato, Board Member and Event Co-Chair at Canyon Acres and an Argentine herself. "He is among the most altruistic of polo players, with a clear priority and commitment to essential world causes, such as helping abused children towards a path of stability and productivity." 

"Canyon Acres is incredibly honored to have Figueras partner with us in support of abused children," said Clete Menke, President of Canyon Acres. "We are very excited to leverage Charitybuzz's technology to reach a whole new pool of support for our children. With a global audience and such unique auction items, we now have the unprecedented opportunity to more effectively deliver on our mission to provide hope, care and love to severely abused children who need it most."

The Canyon Acres: HELP ABUSED CHILDREN Auction has both live and online components, featuring exotic travel packages, unique celebrity experiences, and world-renowned corporate and golf packages. The Help Abused Children Auction is open to global bidders as well as event attendees starting August 3, 2010. View online auction and place your bid today at: www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/helpabusedchildren. 

For information about the golf event and auction, please call (714) 383-9335 or visit Canyon Acres on the web at www.canyonacres.org.

Follow the Help Abused Children Auction on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Canyon-Acres-Children-and-Family-Services/62483929228?ref=ts

ABOUT CANYON ACRES

Canyon Acres Children and Family Services is committed to providing homes, care, treatment and supportive services for abused, neglected and emotionally troubled children and their families. Since 1980, Canyon Acres has been serving children throughout Southern California, providing the highest level of care and therapeutic treatment to children who suffer from a variety of emotional and psychological disorders.

Canyon Acres gives children the nurturing, treatment and opportunities they need to grow up in safe, loving, and stable families. For more information about Canyon Acres Children and Family Services, visit: www.canyonacres.org.

© Copyright 2010, GlobeNewswire, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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