Go Green for MCS Month!

MCS - Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

I thank Suzanne Olson for this article that was posted on examiner.com.

Go green for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Awareness Month
Green ribbons signify Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and May is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Month. But you probably won’t be seeing many green ribbons around.
Like AIDS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or Environmental Illness is one condition people just don’t want to think about.

Okay, we all know someone who reacts to a particular face cream or detergent.

And there’s perfume sensitivity. A lot of people can’t be around perfume, and that’s no big deal.

But, what if our planet was so polluted that some people couldn’t tolerate chemicals at all? These people would react to perfume, detergent, dryer sheets, paint, pesticides, carpet, glues, makeup, deodorant, and pretty much everything sold in stores.

They would be so sensitive to such a long list of chemicals, they would have stay away from people just to survive.

What if prevention and the cure for this condition, was the same: Everyone had to stop shopping. Not altogether; people could still buy natural, chemical-free products, but basically 90% of the products on the market would be in the “not recommended for your health” category.

Just like any polluter, industry would say Multiple Chemical Sensitivity doesn’t exist. Companies would say their products are safe. Insurers would say MCS must be psychological.

Lawmakers would stick their heads in the sand, except to avert the occasional political disaster. They might hold a meeting about toxic trailers or lead in toys.

And people would continue to get ill from bad products.

The truth is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity does exist and is already a problem at crisis proportions. The Social Security Administration knows it. The schools know it. Employers know it.

So, buy a little piece of green ribbon and wear it. And, even more important, go green. Go green for your kids. Go green for your friends. Go green for your relatives. Go green for your employees. Go green because you are sick of getting sick, and you want to live a long and healthy life. Go green, for people with MCS.

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Sorry for not having posted recently, I have been very under the weather with a Upper Respiratory Infection.

See our Website to find your Green Ribbons! www.RibbonsforaReason.com

A different kind of Drug

I think this is a great letter and wanted to share with everyone!

If you click on the newpaper picture above, it will enlarge for you to read!

Knowing about my customers

What is the difference from having a storefront and having an on-line business?

Having a storefront offers you the opportunity to see your customer, hear thier stories, get a sense of who they are and what they are about.

When you have an on-line store, it makes it much harder to know who your customers are. They come in the form of a name and a IP address. They supply you with an address and some form of payment, but you never really get to know who they are.

Do the business owners care who thier customers are? I mean more then demographics that tell us women between the ages of such and such make more impluse purchases then men. Do they want to know the stories behind why people buy what they buy? Or is it just another order, and more money in thier pocket?

Me, I want to know my customers. I love it when a customer actually sends an e-mail and asks a question. It opens the door for me to learn more about them. More about why they are interested in what they are looking at. What in thier life has lead them to find my store?

Over the last year, I have met so many people and I love having the opportunity to speak with them about why they have come looking for me. The stories they tell are heartbreaking at times, and I want to reach out to them and tell them it will be o.k. Other times the stories are great tales of survival and love!

Each and every customer that I have had the opportunity to speak with, has touched a piece of me. Left an impression on my soul. I can only hope that with the work I do, they are also feeling the affect of how someone cares about thier story, some cares about them.

I am honored to have the customers I have. I am honored to have met the people I have.

Someday, I would love to have a storefront where I could see my customers and hear thier stories from thier mouths rather then reading about them in e-mail. Until then, I look forward to reading the next e-mail where someone needs hope, someone needs love and someone needs faith. I'll be there to give it.

Until then.... LIVESTRONG!

Starting our Fund Raising for the LIVESTRONG Challenge

The LIVESTRONG Challenge will be here before we know it.

Just a couple of weeks ago, my husband decided to take the Challange. His intent at this time is to do the 70 mile ride in Philly on August 23rd.

I have to admit, I am very excited about this! Excited for him to do this, excited to be a part of it, and excited to be making a difference.

Our goal is to raise $3,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. We think big, and we intend to achieve our goals!

Many people have asked us if we are directly affected by cancer. Who isn't? If you are asking if we have cancer, No. Are you asking if someone in our family has cancer, No. We are concerned because Cancer is huge! Cancer kills. It makes people and families suffer. It can be cured. I want it to be before my children have to deal with it.

With my business, I hear the stories of people who are touched so deeply by Cancer. A woman not to long ago, reached out to me for help in picking out Teal Ribbon items for her sister who had just found out she not only had ovarian cancer, but cervical and uterine cancer too! Her story touched me deeply! While I do not know this person personally, her story touched me such a way that it made me want fight with her - fight for her.

I hear a lot of stories, and that is why I do what I do. That is why I want to raise funds to Cancer - For my friends, my customers, my families and all of you out there.

So for those of you who want to reach out and help someone, but you don't know who. Make a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Make a donation to help find the cures for cancer. Reach out and help others.

You can visit our website for more information on our LIVESTRONG Challenge at www.RibbonsforaReason.com.

Fallen Law Enforcement Officers

Here is a picture of the memorial bracelet I send out to family members.

As my husband and I are both Police Officers, learning of a brother or sister who was killed in the line of duty is a very emotional thing for us. So far this year, 41 Officers have been killed in the Line of Duty - 43 - all with families - most with wives and children. All who left thier homes that day to protect and serve thier communites, only to never return home.

Of these officers - 15 were killed by gun fire. 13 were killed by Automobile accident mostly when responding to an emergency call. 5 were killed by Vehicular Assault. The rest were killed by other reasons (accidental, assault, Duty related illness, heart attack, motorcycle accident, struck by vehicle and pursuits).

In April 14 Officer's lost thier lives while on duty. March recorded 12 officers down. California is ranked the highest in line of duty deaths with 6 this year. Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania have all had 5 this year.

Last year, I designed a Memorial Bracelet for Law Enforcement Officer's killed in the line of Duty. Since then we have sent out 40 bracelets to the wives, mother and other family members of these officers.

Today, I sat down and made 25 of these bracelets to catch up on this years line of duty deaths. It is one of the few bracelets I do not enjoy making, because of the reason behind it.

On Monday, 27 bracelets will be sent out to the families from the recent months. While we can not take the pain away for thier loss, we can show them that thier loss was not in vain and that they were Heros.

Heros Live Forever!

Please check out our Officer's Memorial Page: http://www.ribbonsforareason.com/category_s/197.htm