Fundraising for your local twins club!

As the Director of the Manhattan Twins Club, I often get asked how we deal with fundraising. Our club is run a bit different then most because of our membership size (we occasionally hover around 900) and location. One major difference is that our club barely makes money from our consignment sales. We charge each mom a table fee and we don’t take a %, but I know many clubs who bring home THOUSANDS with just a few percentage points from their sale. If your club is too small to do this, or you don’t have the (wo)manpower to run a major event, here are a five quick tips to help move your clubs bank account in a positive direction with thinking outside of the Consignment Sale box! Please feel free to add your comments and let us know how YOU do things in YOUR neck of the woods.

Step 1: What can you offer a sponsor?

Before you start fundraising, you need to think of what can you offer a sponsor or donor. You also have to think of what your club is looking to get, partnerships, sponsorship, battleships, lol. I couldn’t resist that last one.

Maybe you just want to get some free stuff for your members to add value to your dues. This is sometimes overlooked, but adding value could make it possible to raise your yearly dues adding a bit more cashola in the bank at the days end.

I personally find it’s pretty easy to get free stuff, $$ is a different story. But you can also use the free stuff for raffles to help you raise more $$.

“The Help” needs no help! Check out this week’s iTwinsDay for a chance to win “The Help” prize pack.

It’s been a LONG while since I’ve seen a movie that made me feel good. The Help did just that.I took my mom to see The Help last week, since both of us had heard so many good things about it. Since I had run the trailer for the movie a few months ago, on the Twiniversity website, I was hooked.

The Help was a book that I’ve wanted to read since it was published in 2009. Since it was the same year Twiniversity launched, I never had the time. So when the movie came out, I couldn’t wait to go.

The afternoon we got to the movie I got myself a medium popcorn and soda, (yes, I ate it all, and I don’t share! It’s my one condition on movie dates!), and sat through some AWFUL previews of some movies, that I would rather not discuss, but let’s just say, one is a remake of a great 80’s classic!

As the movie started, I already liked it. The setting in Jackson, MS, was the most picturesque backdrop to introduce Skeeter, a young, single, ‘wanna-be’ writer, who gets her first job writing for a local newspaper’s domestic column.

Reaching out for some household tips from the local ‘Help,’ Skeeter turns to career maids, who live a very different life then her own. The movie takes place during the start of the civil rights movement. You can’t help but to sympathize with these working women. And so the tone is set…The women can take care of, love and raise the children of the employers; but they aren’t able to use the same toilet as them, and are still pushed to the back of the bus.

10 Things Teachers Need to Know About the Twins in Their Classrooms

This fall, my twins will take honors biology. Together. They’ll also take honors geometry. Together. If we had our preference, they’d be in separate classes but since their school is small, it only offers one honors class per subject so we’re stuck. But they won’t be the only multiples in those classes–another pair of twins will be there as well a set of triplets, too!

Oh, boy. Those poor teachers.

As a record-breaking number of twins reach school age this fall, more and more teachers are finding at least one pair of twins in their classrooms (and often triplets and quads). For some, this is their first experience in dealing with multiples. But even if a teacher is a seasoned pro, there are some general Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to multiples sharing a classroom.

1. Just because twins are together in the classroom doesn’t mean they always want to be together. Many twins take comfort in just knowing that their cotwin is around so it’s not necessary to always pair them together on joint or group projects. In fact, many twins prefer to work with someone other than their cotwin. Working independently of a cotwin not only helps each to learn and develop at his or her own pace but it will also help you differentiate between the two.

Sad Reality: The choice made about one Twin Pregnancy

A recent article in the New York Times brings us the story of one woman’s choice, when faced with her twin pregnancy.

What are your thoughts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/magazine/the-two-minus-one-pregnancy.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp&smid=fb-share

Riding Toy Recalled by Radio Flyer Due to Fall Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Scoot ‘n Zoom children’s riding toy

Units: About 165,000

Distributor: Radio Flyer, of Chicago, Ill.

Hazard: The riding toy can tip over allowing a child to fall forward while riding, posing a fall hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm received reports of ten incidents with six injuries, including three where teeth were loosened or removed, and three with chin lacerations requiring stitches.

Description: The riding toy is red molded plastic with black wheels and measures 19 inches long, 11 inches wide and 13.5 inches tall. The riding toy’s model number 711 can be found molded on the underside of the toy. Units with a yellow UPC sticker underneath the product with model #711B are not recalled.

Sold at: Walmart and other retailers, and online at Amazon.com and Target.com from August 2010 through August 2011 for about $20.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled products away from children and contact Radio Flyer to receive a free replacement unit or refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Radio Flyer at (800) 621-7613 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s website atwww.radioflyer.com

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to:http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11305.html