The Art of Giving

Remember the Zap Cancer Fundraiser I wrote about a post ago? I'm so excited to tell you that Sonia, along with her colleagues and friends, raised over $5000 for Nathalie! I'm humbled by the compassion and humanity of so many. Thank you, Sonia, for allowing from: Everyone to be a part of this gift.

And thank you Nathalie, I'm glad we made you smile. You are truly an amazing woman!

Paula

We Do GOOD Things

Remember Obama's tagline We Do Big Things at his recent SOTU address? Is it really about doing it BIG, or doing it WELL, how about simply doing GOOD. I mean doing good things, good deeds and perhaps even doing good things BIG.

Case in point: Zap Cancer. Talk about doing good things BIG! You know when your best friend gets a nasty cold and you're compelled to bring her chicken soup? Well, this is chicken soup on a steroids! It's a fund raiser for a colleague, it's an awareness bulletin about cervical cancer, it's generosity real-time, and it's an opportunity to do something good in a really BIG way! I invite you to take a moment and read about Nathalie. I challenge you to see if there isn't one moment or one instance that resonates with you, and and if you see fit, contribute. Take a moment and remember how good it feels to do SOMETHING.

I'm in awe of Nathalie's courage and tenacity to fight. I'm inspired by Sonia's humanity and kindness; and further blown away by the generosity of all of those who have contributed. It's truly amazing; and a really BIG good thing.

And as an aside, from: Everyone has agreed to forfeit all service charges for individual contributions; we're not capitalizing on the kindness of others. Just in case you thought we were making bank, we're not. We just know when it's right to do a good thing.

Paula

Keeping it Simple

It's awesome, the plethora of group gifting sites and apps gracing the space these days, further support that group gifts are a great idea. Our biz is plugging along, nothing earth shattering, no 'angels' beating down our door and no calls from Oprah or Bill (yet). We haven't developed an app or a feed or a this or a that. I keep thinking, what's next, where to go, how hard to push, how far to reach. And then I stop and take notice of what's unique and different about from: Everyone. 


Here's the rub - it's simple. We made it that way, on purpose, gosh darn it! Two moms, doing our mom jobs, chasing after kids, organizing class gifts and baby showers and voila - you mean we can figure out how to do all of this online and never have to beg another soul to 'drop their check in the mail' --- brilliant!


So here's to keeping it simple, really simple. No Facebook, no PayPal, no apps or downloads, no tricks or hidden fees and no registering so we can snag your info (just the Organizer!). Don't get me wrong I'm a chronic Fb-er, but my Aunt in Nebraska is not. And I have used PayPal, but my Uncle in Arizona does not. So again, here's to keeping it simple. Have email (and credit card), will travel!


Thanks for listening!


Paula

College Care Packages, Done Right

Shameless promotion - yup! And here's why ... My oldest son recently made his way back to the West Coast to begin his college career. So far so good.

Last week, I received a bubbly email from the Parent Association about sending Care Packages to the students. The timing seems great, they're just about missing home. Here's what didn't sit right ... they were asking for 100% parent participation to send sugar-packed, sodium-filled, junk food at a ridiculous price! I was mortified. I'm no health food guru, but come on people, send them something slightly healthy!

I started thinking ... would my son want a box of junk food or a few extra bucks to get what he wants. And wouldn't it be just as much fun (for me) and more nutritious (for him) to give him a gift card for Trader Joe's or Whole Foods so he can stock up on good grub? And what if Aunt Sue in Seattle and Uncle Max in Minneapolis want to pitch in and give him a few gift cards, like maybe one to Whole Foods, iTunes and one to Staples (because the mechanical pencils are so much less expensive there than at the campus bookstore)? I don't know, it's just a thought, and I like it.

So, I've created Gift Card Bundles at from: Everyone. Three different price points (but feel free to spend more) and 2-4 gift card choices from our entire lineup. How I would have loved a 'care package' to Trader Joe's, Starbucks, or Gap - yeah that's kind of cool! Anyhow, I'm really excited about this idea,busy  researching campus locations and nearby stores so from: Everyone can offer the discerning college student a smattering of choices and the happy parents some peace of mind!

Don't forget your manners

And this is why it's good to keep up on who's talking 'group gifts'! Blogs are such an awesome way to share information and learn something new. I use Google Blog alerts to keep up on a lot of things, who's saying what about me, what my competition is doing, and who's talking about group gifts.


This gal (apologies Ms. Post), Leigh, has a blog called 'Etiquette for the Modern Couple' you've got to check it out, it's good stuff. She wrote about the dreaded Office Gift, sharing appropriate strategies to manage the process. I had to respond and share my thoughts, as did she, in kind. Hopefully, it wasn't just her good manners that spurred her on! Here's what she said ...
 
Thank you Leigh for your post and I hope you get a slew of new readers, after all, manners and etiquette go a long way!

And BTW, anyone who's brave enough to list The Sound of Music as their favorite movie is OK in my book!

Paula

Thank you Stephanie

I just love it when people get it, and this woman is singing my song. Say YES to the gift, but say NO to the hassle ... check out Stephanie's post.

Thanks for the kudos Stephanie, we'll take 'em!

Geek Sugar likes from: Everyone

Wow, it's great to be noticed, thanks Geek Sugar!

Here's hoping a million Angela's jump on the virtual group gift band wagon.

Thank You Washington!

Call it good juju or good planning, but I'm happy to report that from: Everyone is catching on. A group of Executive Assistants in the gorgeous state of Washington have joined together to give a Thank You gift to a co-worker and they've used from: Everyone to make it happen. Leave it to the savvy EA's to know a good thing when they see it: make it simple, save time - no more passing around the envelope, no more collecting checks, and no more rushing out on your lunch hour in search of the perfect gift. Thanks for your support and we hope you'll spread the word!

You just never know ...

After a sluggish holiday season on the group gift front, I'm happy to report business is picking up at the start of the New Year - thanks everyone!

I'm not one to pass on causes, but this one feels different. I had an Organizer this week who was scrambling at the last hour to get her contributors to pitch in on a birthday gift for her boyfriend. Turns out they're a bunch of college kids from the west coast (shout out!) and they really like this guy. This girl was able to rally 13+ people in less than 24 hours - I was impressed. Makes me feel a little warm and fuzzy about the youth of our generation, a) wanting to show their generosity and b) being able to pull it off successfully in a limited amount of time. It turns out, time may be this young woman's greatest motivator. Read more about her and see if it doesn't pull at you just a bit (facebook link to Janet Liang). And if you're brave enough, register.

Thanks,
Paula

Group Gifts Make Sense

It's already November people, time to start thinking about shopping early for the Holidays. It'll be here before you know it, and we'll all be kicking ourselves - AGAIN! So put on your holiday thinking caps and get to it. And while your at it, give a serious nod to the idea of giving together. You might just save some precious time, gas, and money!

Group Gifts Make Sense. Times are 'financially challenging', no question, so pooling money together enables you to give more. If ten of you contribute $10 each, that's a heck of a nice gift card to Williams Sonoma for Aunt Sophie, or Eddie Bauer for Cousin Joe, right? I don't know about you, but I love getting gift cards and choosing what I really want, so much better that ten little knick knacks. And what about for the boss, did you get stuck with passing the hat around again? No worries, there are a plethora of sites (see previous post) that let you bypass that ardous task and still get your 'real' work done.  No one should have to beg for money, but anyone can send an email.

Organizing a group gift is 'green' - well, sort of right? It is if you do it online. There's no driving around wasting gas to collect money or searching for the perfect gift. Thanks for sparing the air on that one. I've even read that some companies are recycling gift cards; brilliant (kudos to Rodd Gilbert @ Earthworks)! It takes a minimal amount of your time to organize online, (and a minimal amount of electricty for your laptop), which leaves plenty of opportunities to bake cookies, get together with friends or just bask in the joys of the holidays.

Now go pour that second cuppa, boost up your laptop, it's almost Christmas people.

Happy Holidays,
from: Everyone

Shout Out of Thanks

As this business plugs along, I just think it's nice to say thank you to those of you who make it work along the way. To anyone who's just taken a peek to see what the heck a group gift is - Thank You. To the looky-lou's who take the time to set up a group gift in the name of checking out the competition - Thank You. To the spammers who can't help themselves - hmmm, no thanks. But mostly to the Organizers and Contributors, a huge Thank You for trusting your gut, for using from: Everyone and for providing great feedback to make your experience even better. I hope you'll continue to pass us along and share the gift of giving.

I'm happy to report from: Everyone's been spotted on the East Coast. Keep it up folks, and thank you.

Paula

Meet the competition

I know, it's unsual to intentionally name one's competitors, but in this case, I think it's important, as each of us offers something a little different; that, and I believe in karma. Hopefully, the next time your in charge of the group gift, you'll look one of us up.

So, here we are (at least those that I know of to date):

from: Everyone
eDivvy
FrumUs
FromGroup
Lolligift
Socialwise
Wisheo

Take some time to peruse each site the next time it's your turn. Some offer gifts, others offer gift cards so your recipient can get what they really want. Some ask you to contribute a specific amount and others allow you to give whatever you'd like. Some ask you to register just to contribute toward a gift, and others are happy to have you participate without 'signing up'. Some charge for shipping and for others, shipping is free. Enough input, you can decide what works best for you.

Paula

Still not sure about the Group Gift thing?

Just in case you're not quite sure what the buzz is about Group Gifting, check out what people have said about from: Everyone!

Real Simple
Mommy Track'd
Simple Human
Today's Mama
Haute Today Gone Tomorrow
In Her Words

We think you'll agree, make it simple.

Group Gifting 101

Group Gifting saves you money; from: Everyone saves you time; it really is that simple. If you're trying to make your dollar go farther, especially when it comes time for gift giving, organize a group of friends to give together. For the same cost as sending a card or a small gift, you can pool your money and give a more substantial gift, from everyone! It's like getting more bang for your buck and that makes sense in today's economy.

And more, from: Everyone is all about the gift card - the gift of choice. Let that special person choose what they really want, either online or at a brick and mortar store. No more 'white elephant' gifts that sit in the closet collecting dust. Afterall, you want them to be happy right?

So get to it people, there are Teachers to Appreciate, Coaches to Thank, Brides to Congratulate and Babies to Welcome!

It's May already and time to think about the End-of-School

This school year has breezed by way too quickly for me. It feels like we celebrated the holidays, and all of a sudden I was looking for summer camp options. And now, we're into May and the end is in sight. For me, the end of the school year is kind of a push-pull. Intially, I'm happy to have some flexibility in our daily schedule; but soon enough, we're all looking for some structure. I'm joyful about celebrating all of my child's accomplishments of the year; and slightly saddened that they really are a little older. The perpetual Mom-Dichotomy!

Anyhow, as the year-end approaches and you start thinking about a gift for your teachers, remember to visit from: Everyone (http://www.fromeveryone.com/) the 'group gift' website. It makes more sense, now more than ever, to gather together to say thank you. It's not about extravagance; it's the gesture and thought that counts. And don't forget, as cute as all those crafty little things are, our teachers really do deserve something special for themselves; a gift card from Nordstrom, Borders, or Whole Foods - give them something they'd really love - a group gift from: Everyone.

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming!

Monday May 4th kicks off National Teacher Appreciation Week, with Tuesday May 5th, official National Teacher Day. What better time to show our appreciation for the teachers who make a difference in our children's lives.

With three children of my own, I've had my share of Teacher Day celebrations. From the grand scale luncheon to the smallest acknowledgment of thanks; every teacher deserves to know how much they are appreciated and valued by you and your child. Come on, we all like to hear a "Thank You" now and again.

So don't forget, mark your calendars - May 4th-8th is Teacher Appreciation Week!

So, you're the Team Mom, don't forget to Thank Your Coach!

Along with your normal duties of making sure everyone has their medical release form signed, coordinating snacks, drinks and transportation for the games, you're also responsible for organizing a Coach's Thank You gift at the end of the season. I'm a mom of three boys, so I've had 'some' experience here. Coaches don't need yet another plaque or mug or signed ball - they've got plenty of that stuff. Trust me, they either want a gift card from the local sports store or from their favorite restaurant.

So when it's time to tell him (or her!) thanks for teaching your kids, for being their role model and mentor - rally up people, be a good sport, let 'em know you appreciate their time and committment.

I know it's a tough time, the economy is in the tank and we're all feeling the pinch, but, if 15 parents pitch in $5.00 each, that's a nice gift.

And when you're ready to organize that group gift, check out from: Everyone it'll take the hassle out of asking, collecting, buying, wrapping and sending the gift - how cool is that?!?