As we say, the best gifts don't come from a store, they come from a child.
If we could offer you any gift, it would be a glimpse of the world through the eyes of a child. The B. Quote Screensaver is as close at it gets.
We've designed this gorgeous screensaver framing the wisdom of wee ones by a lush, olive green, patterned backdrop that flashes bits of brilliance at you. The illustrations within the B.'s animate in unexpected, magical ways. It's elegant and subtle…and hilarious, poignant and sweet. This is not the same screensaver every day. It dynamically updates as moms and dads around the country (and the world) post their kids' words on our Quote Maker.
It's our gift to you. For Mother's Day—and every day.
Download it today and enjoy a smile, a laugh or a wise moment of insight every time you pass your computer.
One billion children (1 in 2 children in the world) miss out on their childhood as a result of poverty.
Those are stark, ugly numbers. They are the reason we at B. are so connected and committed to Free The Children. As sad as the thought of those children makes me, with mother's day approaching I feel a profound sorrow for their mothers. I cannot fathom the crushing feeling of not being able to feed, keep safe, or educate my kids. Or the devastating loss of not ever being able to see my beloved three thrive.
What do you want for Mother’s Day? Some peace and quiet? Flowers? Handmade cards? A new vacuum cleaner? Breakfast in bed? (I once got ALL my favorites combined onto one English muffin: cream cheese, strawberry jam, and tomato with salt and pepper — yuck! Ehem…I mean YUM, of course!).
We at B. wish all moms, grandmas, aunts, caregivers, and all who mother whatever it is THEY wish for on this special day.
But we also dare wish for something much much bigger—a more fair world, one in which all mamas get a chance to raise healthy kids…and wish a little for themselves too. We have big, medium and little ways you can help another mom far away. Today.
BIG Buy her a Mamas to Mamas goat, beehive, or training program that could completely alter the course of her life and her dreams. Baa Baa or beehive does not matter. This is a true direct gift. 100%.
MEDIUM Support her handicraft alternative income effort by buying yourself or someone you love a gorgeous, individually (and ethically) handcrafted gift from Me to We Artisans. Free The Children’s Adopt A Village sustainability model helps not just children overseas go to school and have access to clean water and health care. It also helps their mothers bring about change for their family and community through alternative income projects. With the hard work of mothers, whole families are empowered and lifted from the cycle of poverty.
Founder Roxanne Joyal, a founding member of Free The Children was inspired to found Artisans after witnessing talented Maasai beaders forced to travel daily to small tourist markets flooded with similar products, where they would sometimes sell their intricate beadwork at a loss. Today, the mamas are able to earn twice as much as before—without giving up their traditional way of life.
Gathered under acacia trees with their young children in tow, the Maasai mamas bead using art forms passed down mother-to-daughter through the generations, turning their traditional handiwork into a livelihood. By joining Artisans, each woman is empowered to build her savings and do things she never would have believed possible: improve her home, buy food and medicine for her family, send her children to school, and believe that her skills and her voice have value.
SMALL Buy a B. toy for the little person who made you or someone you love a mother in the first place. Bring some joy to a child, knowing 10 cents of your purchase goes to support the work of Free The Children, the world’s largest network of children helping children. May not sound like a lot, but as dimes add up they change the world. See for yourself how powerful you can B. in even the smallest of ways. Asante Sana (“thank you very much” in Swahili).
Little by little, the same way our babies grow, generosity can change everything. A gift from a mama to a mama, a mom to a mami, an abuela to an oma. A daddy to a mommy. No matter. Every little bit counts. We thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for what you already give by buying our toys.
My day (my month? my year? my life?) is already better and "berrer" after watching this little guy sing a song that in our home has been "Hey Luke" for 19 years.
With a huge thanks to Lennon and McCartney, and apologies for our family tweaks to their lyrics, I wish all kids everywhere the uninhibited joy and self-assurance to sing their hearts out and live by our motto: Just B. Just You B. You.
Love,
—Gisela
Hey Luke, when something's bad Take a sad song and make it better Remember to let All into your heart Then you can start to make it better
Hey Luke, don't be afraid You were made to go out and get her The minute you let Life under your skin Then you begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Luke, refrain Don't carry the world upon your shoulders For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool By making his world a little colder Na na na, na na, na na na na
So let it out and let it in, hey Luke, begin You're waiting for someone to perform with And don't you know that it's just you? Hey Luke, you'll do The movement you need is on your shoulder Na na na, na na, na na na na, yeah
Hey Luke, when something's bad Take a sad song and make it better Remember to let All into your heart. Then you begin to make it better Better, better, better, better, better, oh!
If Mother Earth could dial a phone, surely she would. We all know the damage pollution causes, the dangers of global warming, the disapperance of animal and plant species. It's sometimes easy to get discouraged and wonder what you can do. We at B. firmly and whole-heartedly believe in the words of English philosopher Sydney Smith:
We have fun with this. Take a look here at a collection of B. Green messages from our packaging. The words of our übertalented (and überhilarious) copywriter Amy Flanagan infuse our brand with mirth and merriment. Not a day goes by we don't giggle around here!
And we get serious too. We promote Earth911.com on our packaging because this website is one-stop source for where you can recycle almost anything, at a location near you! It's the largest and most comprehensive recycling directory in the USA. Try it; you'll be amazed. I used it to find a place to recycle a dozen tangled, mangled strands of non-working Christmas lights that had been taking up space in my basement for years.
This Sunday, April 22, is Earth Day 2012 and the Earth Day network is mobilizing a billion acts of green. Millions of people around the globe of all nationalities and backgrounds will Mobilize the Earth by voicing their appreciation for the planet and demanding its protection, standing united for a sustainable future and calling upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part.
Join in? Even by just showing our kids how to shut the lights or the faucet off we help a little. And lots of littles add up to a lot.
A lot of the magic of holidays for little ones lies is the mystique. Dewey morning eyes light up to see an Easter basket full of goodies or a yard stocked with bright eggs peeking out from behind the begonias. Imaginations run wild wondering what color the Easter Bunny is, how high he can hop, and how fast he must run to make it to everyone's house before morning. And no matter how much guessing takes place, no one ever knows how to answer those questions for sure.
It's been quite a while since I woke up to find Easter treats waiting for me. But this year, I had the joy of joining Gisela and her family for the holiday weekend. After dinner on Saturday (and once little Rio conveniently went across the street to play video games), all the 'big kids' gathered in the living room. Mounds of candy were dumped into a humongous pile on the floor, and we got to work filling 1000 plastic eggs for the 17th annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt. (Can you believe a family would host this for 17 years straight?!) Every time I looked up to grab another egg or piece of candy, I had to marvel at our motley group. Here we were, teenagers, college kids, parents, and friends, all sitting together on a Saturday night, working toward a common goal.
Just as we were nearing the bottom of the candy pile, Gisela upended the last bag of plastic eggs onto the carpet. Almost immediately, teenage Sydney noticed small pellets of mouse poop interspersed with the eggs. While Syd screeched off to wash her hair (the bag had been emptied more or less over her shoulder), the rest of us got to work cleaning up. The plastic eggs soaked in the sink while we ate slabs of strawberry rhubarb pie laced with vanilla ice cream. Then the evening wound on a bit longer as we dried eggs one-by-one, swapping stories the whole time.
As I pulled pink and green and yellow eggs out of the soapy water, it was clear that the magic of the holiday doesn't fade as you get older. It does, however, shift. When you're little, the Easter Bunny gives you something to look forward to, something to talk to your friends about. And each time he pays a visit to your house, it stokes the ever-churning furnace of your kid curiosity. As the years pass, Easter (like many other holidays) becomes a great excuse to spend time with people you care about, and planning the festivities gives you something to talk about with your friends. On top of that, if you're lucky enough to have little ones in your life, you might just have the chance to play Easter Bunny. And I can't think of anything more magical than that.
