Picking the Perfect Backpack Size for Your Child

According to the U.S. Product Consumer Safety Commission, 5,062 children sought medical treatment for backpack injuries in 2017, including a number of injuries caused by bags exceeding 40 percent of a child’s body weight. Still, parents can help their kids stay safe and comfortable with just a few precautions.

  • Distribute Weight Evenly. Load heaviest items closest to your back and balance materials so that you can easily stand up straight.
  • Choose a Bag with Padded Shoulder Straps. Check that your packed backpack feels comfortable. If it doesn’t, determine what you can leave at home that day to lessen the load. You’ll also want to consider what kind of material the backpack is made of – nylon and synthetics are light yet durable.
  • The Bag Should Sit High on the Back. Make sure the height of the backpack extends from approximately two inches below the shoulder blades to waist level, or slightly above the waist.
  • Wear the Bag Only When Needed. Take your backpack off, keeping it close to you on the ground or on a bench.

If your child is complaining of neck, shoulder or back discomfort after they get home from school, it could be a sign of a problem. You may want to take steps to reduce the weight of the backpack or attempt to reduce the distance the child carries the backpack, lessening the strain on their little bodies.

Teacher Spend Hundreds out of Pocket on School Supplies

Parents aren’t the only ones who spend big on back-to-school supplies. Thousands of teachers around the United States offset their school supply budgets by forking over close to $600 of their own money just for the most basic of supplies. Some of the most sought-after items include staples, copy paper, holiday decorations and colored pencils, but, for many educators, the list has grown to hygiene items and clothing. It’s these day-to-day necessities that leave teachers scrambling to ensure they have the items their classrooms need to run smoothly.

Two-thirds of all classroom supplies are purchased by teachers, and more than 91 percent of teachers offset the lack of basic supplies for students that fall under the poverty line. The costs quickly add up, and out-of-pocket teaching supplies can equal close to $1 billion every year.

The Impact of a Well-stocked Classroom

Sadly, without these expenditures, many classrooms would lack the resources children need to learn or to participate in creative projects, and with the majority of public school students living under the poverty line, many parents simply can’t afford to pay for supplies.

When teachers are able to provide their impoverished students with adequate supplies, their learning experience is transformed – their limitations become opportunities and equality in the classroom environment.

Finding a Solution

The year 2018 has carried a continuous debate around education policy, school choice, vouchers and teacher training. Budgets are spread further and tax dollars are intensely debated. What we must remember is that students need tools to learn, and it’s incumbent on parents, school districts and policymakers to fight for these resources. Parents must urge their local school districts and state legislatures to adequately fund education, including instituting programs that outfit teachers and schools with the supplies students need in order to learn. Teachers must remain vocal about the supplies they need the most and advocate for the districts that have the greatest needs. We should not let a lack of basic supplies keep them from doing their jobs. It’s time to support our teachers, give them the tools they need and ensure that all classrooms are well stocked throughout the school year. Our children deserve better, and understanding there’s a need helps to create conversations about solutions.

It’s our hope that every classroom will soon have access to unlimited supplies pencils, pens, highlighters, chalk erasers, crayons, STEM toys, books and highlighters – simply, tools that help our children learn. The basics can seem so basic in the right light.

School Supply Costs Continue to Rise

From backpacks to binders, to USB drives and glue sticks, the rising cost of school supplies is putting a definite pinch on the average families’ budget. When families are simply unable to choose between the grocery bill and the school supply list, it’s our children that suffer, often creating a class system in our public schools.

Experts say school districts have considerably less funds for supplies, so they are forced to push the costs onto families or even more likely the teachers. Basic classroom staples like markers, construction paper, cleaning supplies, tissues, copy paper and printer ink become limited and must be stretched throughout the year. While the requests may seem like mild annoyances for a middle-class family, it can feel like an insurmountable burden for poor families, who already struggle just to outfit their own kids for school. Many parents have to make the difficult choice between basic grooming and hygiene necessities or back to school supplies, prior to the school year starting. It can just be too much of a stretch for them.

  • This year the supply list for an elementary school student costs about $650, up from an inflation-adjusted $375 in 2006,according to the annual Huntington Bank’s Backpack Index.
  • A middle-school student might run $1,000; up from $525. And sending a fully equipped high-schooler off to class can cost nearly $1,500 — compared to $800 just 10 years ago.
  • All together that’s an average of about $1,000 — nearly the same as the average U.S. monthly mortgage payment.

If there is more than one child in the household those costs can multiply and often begin to feel overwhelming. In fact, a recent research poll done by the nonprofit Junior Achievement, states 60 percent of U.S. parents struggle to pay for their school supplies.

Buying in Bulk Saves Throughout the Year

Buying school supplies in bulk is one of the best ways to save money, especially over the long run. If you’re looking for ways to get more “bang” for your buck as well as keep a nice hefty stock of items you use every single day in your classroom or in your student’s bag, then shopping bulk wholesale is the only way to go.

Check out these amazing products that you can use all season long.

The Organizations That Help

As the need for school supplies increase nationally, more organizations are attempting to step up to fill the need. Here are a few partners that currently support back to school and school supply shortages:

DollarDays Announces the 2017 Partner of the Year Awards

DollarDays, an online wholesale marketplace, is pleased to present the winners of its 17th Annual Partner of the Year Awards, an initiative that recognizes outstanding partner achievements across three prestigious categories – excellence, product innovation and supply chain support.

“We are incredibly thrilled to once again celebrate our partners and their continued dedication to providing incredible products and impeccable service,” said Shelly Chaney, DollarDays’ Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing. “Our partners continue to display a deep commitment to excellence, and I would like to personally congratulate the winners of this year’s awards, as well as thank all of our wonderful partners that supported us in 2017.”

Partners were selected after a thorough evaluation of criteria including annual performance, sales growth, technical support, logistical support, prompt service and new product launches.

Partner in Excellence Award: Bazic Products of El Monte, Calif.

Bazic has proven to be a reliable and flexible partner with innovative, great-quality products. As a leading partner for the DollarDays team, Bazic’s high performance and sales growth through 2017 made them the preeminent choice for the Partner in Excellence Award.

Product Innovation Award: Edge Imports, Inc., of Carrollton, Texas

First-time winner Edge Imports “edged” out the competition by investing in product research and committing resources to product improvements, innovation and improving collaborative processes. Their commitment to exceptional product launches and consistent inventory of on-trend products meant they led their category consistently month-over-month.

Supply Chain Excellence Award: David’s Wholesale of Dallas, Texas

With over 20 years of experience in the backpack market, David’s Wholesale was awarded the Supply Chain Excellence Award for outstanding support and service to the DollarDays team. With exceptional technical and logistical support, David’s consistently provided prompt service and incredible partner support.

About DollarDays
Founded in 2001, DollarDays is the leading supplier of wholesale goods for nonprofits, businesses and betterment organizations. By sourcing affordable products, backed by exceptional service and meaningful community engagement, we strive to inspire and empower our customers to accomplish their missions to improve the lives of people around the world. Recognized as the City of Phoenix Mayor’s Office “2018 Product Exporter of the Year” and Internet Retailer Magazine’s “B2B E-commerce Marketer of the Year” for 2016 and 2017, DollarDays is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit www.dollardays.com.

Internet Retailer Announces the Finalists for the 2017 Internet Retailer Excellence Awards

Internet Retailer, the world’s leading publisher of strategic e-commerce business intelligence, and B2B E-commerce World, today announced the finalists for the categories of the third-annual Internet Retailer Excellence Awards. The awards recognize the outstanding achievements made by innovative online retailers and business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce companies in the past year.

Internet Retailer and B2B E-commerce World will announce the winners at the IR Excellence Awards dinner banquet held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place hotel on June 7, 2017, as the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE 2017) convenes for its 13th straight year. Internet Retailer serves as the official media sponsor of IRCE, which will occur at McCormick Place West in Chicago from June 6-9, 2017.

“I enthusiastically congratulate all 45 finalists for our third annual 2017 Internet Retailer Excellence Awards,” says Molly Love, CEO of Internet Retailer. “Our goal is to highlight best practices that all online retailers and B2B e-commerce companies can learn from. The finalists represent some of the fastest-growing and most innovative companies in e-commerce, and their accomplishments reflect the ongoing shift of purchasing—whether by consumers or businesses—to the web.”

Determined by a team comprised of Internet Retailer senior editors and e-commerce industry experts, the finalists for each of the 13 IR Excellence Awards categories are as follows:

  • Emerging E-Retailer of the Year: Chewy, Hollar.com, MeUndies, Purple, MVMT Watches
  • E-Retail Growth Award: Chewy, Leesa Sleep, Poppin, Ulta Beauty
  • Web Redesign of the Year: Califia Farms, Kate Somerville, Lowe’s, Oliver Sweeney
  • E-Retail Marketer of the Year: eBags, Target, Wayfair
  • Best Marketing Video of the Year: Pampers, Reef, SupplyHouse.com
  • Best Product Video of the Year: SupplyHouse.com, Sylvane, Vurtego
  • B2B E-Commerce Marketer of the Year: DollarDays, Lightning Labels, SupplyHouse.com, MSC Industrial Supply Co.
  • B2B E-Commerce Website Redesign of the Year: Cole-Parmer, PacknWood, Sullivans, Tech Data
  • B2B E-Commerce Player of the Year: Amazon Business, Cisco Systems, Garrett Popcorn Shops, Kimball Midwest, Tech Data
  • Mobile Commerce Award: eBay, Lancôme, RealTruck, Wayfair
  • Global E-Retailer of the Year: Anker, Benefit Cosmetics, Nike
  • Omni-channel Retailer of the Year: Amazon, Best Buy, DSW, Fabletics, Home Depot
  • Internet Retailer of the Year: Amazon, Dollar Shave Club, Nike, Ulta Beauty

“We were pleased to receive hundreds of nominations for our 13 categories of Internet Retailer Excellence Awards,” says Kurt Peters, executive editor of Internet Retailer. “The broad range of retailers and high quality of all nominations made choosing finalists difficult but ensured that when we announce the winners on June 7 at IRCE, we will be recognizing the leaders of the industry.”

Original article here:
https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2017/04/06/internet-retailer-announces-finalists-2017-internet-retailer-excellence-awards/

Preparing Your Business for the Cold Weather Ahead

The weather has been turning quickly, as temperatures across the United States are plummeting. For businesses of all types and sizes, wintertime brings about a lot of changes to store policies, hours, maintenance and inventory. It’s good to begin prepping your business now so you’re fully prepared for all that winter brings.

1. Prepare Your Online Store

Currently, over half of the [U.S.] population, or 190 million people, [shops] online. This number rises in the winter, particularly around the holidays, as people are less inclined to face the storms simply to conduct their shopping. If you want to make the most of wintertime sales, it’s highly encouraged to prepare your online store and marketing strategy so you can garner as many online customers as possible.

2. Choose Your Seasonal Product Lines

As you prepare for winter, you also need to begin bracing yourself for the holidays. With the holidays, you’ll likely be updating your inventory to offer more seasonal gifts that cater to Thanksgiving and Christmas shoppers. Begin scouting out the latest seasonal trends so you can choose inventory based around the hottest-selling items.

3. Prepare Your Parking Lot

The parking lot of a business is critical to keep maintained, particularly in the snowy months of winter. Potholes and cracks in the asphalt can be dangerous at any time of year, but, [when] coupled with the icy roads, [they] could be a recipe for disaster. Scan your parking lot for any holes or cracks, and have them paved over before the first snow.

4. Stock up on Needed Office Supplies

Come wintertime, businesses are much more likely to face late shipments than in summer due to poor road conditions that limit travel abilities for truckers. As such, it’s better to be overstocked on necessary supplies than understocked in the event a shipment arrives late. Take stock of all supplies that are used daily, particularly office supplies, and be sure to purchase more than enough in advance.

5. Have a Disaster Recovery Plan Created

Disaster recovery plans are even more vital in winter, because there is much higher chance of the building falling victim to structural or technological damage. Have a plan in place that details what to do should your business lose power or be impacted by structural damage due to an intense storm. It’s wise to have all essential software and technology backed up to the cloud so business can continue to operate, even in the middle of a power outage.

In the wintertime, businesses have a lot more to deal with than in summer. The facility has higher utility costs, you’ll have more maintenance tasks ahead of you, and, all the while, you’ll likely see a drop in customers. By preparing your business in advance, you can brace your company for the worst possible circumstances. In turn, you can create more wintertime sales while avoiding the potential disasters that cost businesses money. Start stocking up on the supplies your company needs, so you always have enough on hand. Visit DollarDays today and start browsing.

Original article here: http://globalbizcircle.com/preparing-business-cold-weather-ahead/

Random Acts of Kindness Define Who We Really Are

Watching the news, watching the divisiveness caused by the elections and watching interactions in our daily lives, we realize we are living in very scary times—[a]nd everything we see and experience is amplified in the eyes of our children.

Children learn by watching adults. According to Love to Know, babies and toddlers learn by observing adults, even when we aren’t intentionally trying to teach them anything. Just watch as the toddler picks up any object and pretends to talk on it just like their parents are talking on their phone. You can teach your child to mimic loving behavior by being affectionate and making sure you accept their affection when they are ready. At the same time, if the adult cusses or throws things, watch how the child is quick to imitate. Preschool years are when children make a big jump in language, imitating the way their adults talk and the words they use, meaning these kids pick up on our tone of voice and the use of grammar. This is also the time they learn what to eat, so if parents routinely eat a variety of healthy foods, so will the kids, and, on the other hand, if adults eat junk food and fast food, this instills that pattern of eating with the child.

Adults can create positive modeling behaviors in kids. Read[ing] often to your child and let[ting] your child see you reading […] make reading a healthy and normal part of everyday life. Use polite words and speak kindly to others in front of the kids. Let your children see you doing the chores you expect them to do. Explain the consequences when you make a mistake so the child sees the results of negative behaviors. If the parent ends up doing good deeds, watch the kids starting to do good deeds.

You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth.

William Purkey, public school teacher

[According to Happify Daily], small acts of kindness […] like leaving a meal for a homeless person or paying off a stranger’s layaway balance at Kmart start trends, with more people getting in on the act because they are such feel-good stories. The benefactors are happy to have done a good deed, and the recipients are pleased to have been given a small but meaningful helping hand. [Studies have shown that] recipients of kindness want to keep paying it forward, and a single act of kindness inspires more acts of generosity; […] this chain of altruism [is called] “upstream reciprocity.” So the next time you drop a quarter into an expired parking meter, there is a good chance the recipient of that small act of kindness will be inspired to do a kind act for someone else, and on and on.

[James Fowler, a professor at the University of California-San Diego], says that since humans often mimic behavior they see in the media, like generosity, they become inspired to be generous on their own, often starting their own chain of giving. That is why role models like sports figures, politicians, movie stars and rock stars can inspire a wave of giving. [Conversely], these same role models who give off negative vibes can have an adverse effect on our […] kindness to others.

[Former NBA star Derek Anderson], one such celebrity for the positive, […] started the Stamina Foundation, which is teaching young adults how to [perform] acts of kindness. Last month, he held his acts-of-kindness gala at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, [perhaps] the best place on earth to hold this event, [considering] Muhammad Ali had such an influence on the youth of America.

[Y]ou don’t have to be famous to set an example of kindness. CBS News reports about Jesse Frank in Las Vegas, who lived on the streets in Houston before joining the Air Force. As an active airman, he has started […] B-Kind, [an] organization where he and his family help a homeless person each month […] with [support] from local businesses like the barbershop, eye doctor and dentist. […]

If you can’t come up with your own idea [for] an act of kindness, there are plenty of nonprofits [to which] you can donate. […] At Random Acts, your donations provide laptops to hardworking students, funding for dental supplies and […] flea medication for pet shelters, [among other causes]. Even in […] the American Red Cross, you can donate blood and money to help people you don’t know in the path of Hurricane Matthew. […]

Random acts of kindness come in all forms. Just giving someone an unsolicited compliment today will put a smile on both of your faces. Teaching a stranger how to tie his tie or bringing lunch to a neighbor coming out of the hospital brightens [the day for both of you]. Thanking a police officer or firefighter for their service, […] picking up the trash in a public park, or offering to babysit for a single mom just feels right. If we show compassion, our kids will show compassion. What we give to others in our lifetime defines who we really are.

Never forget—our kids are always watching us.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/random-acts-of-kindness-d_b_12755834.html

A Nation Built by Refugees

Today, the number of displaced people in the world is at its highest level ever, according to CNN. We have surpassed World War ll numbers, when the world was dealing with the most devastating event in history. [Approximately] 65.3 million people are away from their home today, [or] one out of every 113. […] Anyone watching the news knows what is causing this devastating number.

We lose [sight] here in the U.S.A. that, since our founding, we have offered freedom and opportunity to refugees fleeing the world’s most dangerous and desperate situations, according to the Department of State’s Bureau of Refugees. Our refugee resettlement program reflects the core values of our country and has a tradition of [being] a safe haven for the oppressed.

Refugees have been coming to our shores since the pilgrims fled religious persecution and were searching for a place to freely practice, which is the very heart of American identity. Other seekers of religious freedom found a home in the colonies, whether they were Protestants fleeing persecution by Catholics or Catholics fleeing persecution by Protestants. Starting in 1846, English colonialism stripped the lands of the Irish, and two million people fled Ireland, whose country population today is still below what it was in 1846. Between 1845 and 1855, one million Germans fled to the U.S.A. to escape economic hardship. The Civil War temporarily reduced the refugee flow, but then it began again, with four million Italians coming to America between 1880 and 1924, [along with] two million Jews from Russia and Eastern Europe. […] Another one million Mexicans came because of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.

Fast forward to the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, when the American Cuban population was 71,000 and, today, has grown to close to two million. [T]he Vietnam War brought 125,000 Vietnamese in 1975 and another 280,000 between 1978 and the mid-1980s. Since 1975, the United States has resettled more than three million refugees from 70 different countries.

Refugees coming to the U.S.A. have shown spirit, toughness and strength. Their backgrounds are diverse — from doctors, scientists and journalists, as well as those who have never even used electricity. Most refugees seize the chance for a new start. They pay taxes, attend our schools, serve in the military, and make our communities more vibrant and diverse. After five years, refugees can apply to become American citizens. Many of our top citizens were once refugees, like Albert Einstein and former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger.

Today, 28.5% of all new businesses in the U.S.A. are launched by foreign-born Americans, according to the Kauffman Foundation. In Silicon Valley, the technical heartbeat of our country, immigrant founders started 52% of all new companies, reported by Inc. Magazine. Our country has a long history of foreign-born Americans creating businesses, from Alexander Graham Bell to Sergey Brin of Google. Forty percent of our current top Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or a child of an immigrant.

America has hundreds of nonprofit organizations that recognize the importance of refugees’ contributions to our country, and these organizations also have the compassion to help those in need worldwide. The International Rescue Committee helped 23 million people in 2015. Asylum Access helps refugees with basic human and legal rights. Many faith-based organizations like Catholic Relief Services, HIAS and Islamic Relief are dedicated to helping refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands because of who they are, including being ethnic, religious or sexual minorities. All of these organizations are dedicated to helping refugees rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. Save the Children is working to help displaced kids in refugee camps with basic needs. The World Food Program is the largest humanitarian agency fighting the hunger of these refugees. All of us should be helping with donations to any of these nonprofits. […]

With 65.3 million people displaced in this world, we cannot, in good [conscience], live our lives as if nothing is wrong. These refugees have been forced to flee their homes by violence, persecution and instability. Everyone […] deserves shelter, basic services, medical care, and the chance for their children to go back to school and parents to begin work again. Helping refugees is not just up to the governments around the world; [e]very American should be playing a role, whether it is volunteering to help or donating so others can help. All of our families were, at one time, refugees coming to America.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/a-nation-built-by-refugee_b_12315096.html