Local Breast Cancer Donation Options

Though Breast Cancer Awareness is important all year round, the month of October is deemed Breast Cancer Awareness month. This gives people a chance to focus on its importance, contribute to research, and spread awareness across the globe. 

Skylight Creative Ideas would like to share some local breast cancer donation options so that you can contribute in your community! 

John Hopkins Breast Center Funds

John Hopkins medical center offers three different breast cancer fund options that work to improve evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of women with breast cancer.

●     Breast Center Education, Outreach, & Survivorship Fund: Donating to this fund allows John Hopkins Breast Center to continue their educational programs that teach women and families about breast cancer itself, prevention, awareness, early detection, and provide support to those who have been diagnosed.

●     Breast Center Quality of Life Research Fund: This fund supports new research regarding breast cancer survivorship. Breast cancer survivors deal with a multitude of long-term side effects from chemotherapy as well as permanent physical changes that can potentially be devastating. This fund keeps research going to provide solutions for post-treatment issues so that survivors have a high quality of life after treatment.

●     Patient Advocacy Fund: This Fund provides resources to educate healthcare providers at John Hopkins on the best ways to advocate for patients. This fund is geared more towards the psychological struggles that women encounter while dealing with breast cancer and all of the questions that they may have along the way.

American Cancer Society

Located in Baltimore, MD, the American Cancer Society is committed to their mission of educating the public about all of the issues that are associated with Breast Cancer. 

They provide services for both patients and caregivers to ensure the best care possible during this difficult journey. Their free services assist patients in managing their treatment and recovery while also providing emotional support.

The Tyanna Foundation

The Tyanna Foundation puts a different spin on breast cancer awareness by implementing several fun, interactive events throughout the year that help raise money for breast cancer awareness. 

This foundation was founded by Anne O’Brien, daughter of Tyanna O’Brien, who lost her life to breast cancer. She and her five sisters carry on their mother’s legacy through this foundation by working hard to make breast cancer more comfortable for patients.

Promotional Products: Bags 101

When it comes to promotional products, bags have one of the highest impression rates. In fact, about 31% of all U.S consumers own some type of promotional bag. 

Whether it’s a bookbag, tote, or shopping bag, these items are great for advertising your business because they are portable and people take them to a multitude of places. Here are some of the most popular types of bags to use when investing in promotional products! 

Bookbags

The great thing about bookbags is that they can be used for both children and adults. If your target audience is adults, consider investing in a high-quality, customized book bag that can hold a lot of weight. 

Typically, adults that are carrying book bags are using them to hold laptops or other creative equipment (i.e photography/videography equipment). 

A book bag is pretty much a walking advertisement, as anybody who walks behind someone with one on will notice the brand printed onto it. 

Tote Bags

A tote bag is a great promotional product because of its versatility in functionality. For women, a tote bag can double as a fashion accessory and everyday bag to store daily essentials inside of. Women typically carry their bags everywhere they go, making this a great item for advertising. 

Tote bags can also be used as a gym bag, storing weights, water bottles, yoga mats, and more! Many people go to the gym on a daily basis, so it’s sure to reach a large amount of people. 

Other great uses for totes are overnight bags, beach bags, and picnic bags! The possibilities are endless with your customized tote! 

Reusable Shopping Bags

If you are looking for a great way to promote your brand while also saving the environment, a reusable shopping bag is the perfect idea. Reusable shopping bags are similar to totes, but are made out of a different material that allows them to hold more weight. 

Plastic bags have shown to be harmful to the environment, so these reusable bags have increased in popularity over the years. In fact, some grocery stores don’t even use plastic bags anymore at all, only offering reusable shopping bags instead.

Luggage Bags

Thousands of people travel everyday, and if you’ve ever been inside of an airport or train station, you know just how busy they are at all times. The perfect way to gain some brand recognition is to sell customized luggage bags. 

The airport alone will give your bag exposure to hundreds of people at one time. Luggage bags that are high quality and have a nice design will stand out and are bound to get attention in a busy setting such as the airport, train station, or bus stop.

Contact Skylight Creative Ideas Today for Your Customized Bags!

Skylight Creative Ideas, Inc. has been a leader in the promotional products industry since

1977. Our goal is to provide top-notch customer service, innovative ideas, and high quality

products to help our clients exceed their marketing objectives.

Located in Bel Air, MD, we have access to over 750,000 promotional products and can help

your business with anything from awards to corporate apparel.

For more information, contact us at (410)-879-8401 or visit our website www.skylightcreativeideas.com to see all of the products we have to offer!

Sweet Treats: The M&M

The M&M is a classic Mars candy that we all know and love. These round, mini treats give us
just the perfect amount of chocolatey goodness in every one. Over the years, M&M’s grew and
evolved, offering several different flavor varieties. Here is all you need to know about the great
M&M.

The Infamous “M”

Many people think that the “M” on the M&M candies stand for Mars, which is partially true, but
there is more to the story. Frank C Mars founded Mars Inc. in 1911, but passed it down to his
son Forrest Mars Sr. upon his retirement.

Forrest Mars Sr. traveled abroad and noticed British
soldiers were eating small candies with a small center and hard shell, which was very
convenient for the summertime.

Upon his return, he found a new partner, William Murrie, the
son of the president of Hershey’s, and called their company Mars & Murrie. In 1941, the Plain
M&M Chocolate Candies were introduced.

Popularity Increase

When M&M’s first came out in the 40’s, they were only sold to the U.S Armed Forces. This is
because the chocolate candies were heat resistant and good for long travel. They are still
included in MRE (Meals ready to eat) rations for soldiers.

However, they began selling these candies to the public and by the 1950’s, M&M’s became so popular that many companies have tried to imitate it. This is when the “M” was stamped onto each candy to differentiate it from imposters.

In 1954, the M&M Peanut Chocolate Candies were introduced and the color used to
stamp the “m” changed from black to white.

Out of This World

Mars & Murrie began to butt heads when M&M’s gained popularity, ending with Mars buying the
company back in only his name. In the 1980’s M&M’s made history by being the first candy to
go to outer space. The Columbia Space Shuttle chose M&M’s as their snack of choice to take
on their journey in 1981.

M&M’s made history again in 1984 when the Olympics named them the official snack of the
Olympics. During the 80’s, M&M’s also went global, reaching Asia, Australia, Europe, and
Russia.

Customized Candies

In 2004, M&M launched “My M&M’s”, an online service that allows consumers to customize
messages on their chocolate candies. This was a great advance in the promotional product
industry, allowing people to create customized candies for company events, weddings,
birthdays, and more.

Contact Skylight Creative Ideas Today for Your Customized Candies!

Skylight Creative Ideas, Inc. has been a leader in the promotional products industry since
1977. Our goal is to provide top-notch customer service, innovative ideas, and high quality
products to help our clients exceed their marketing objectives.

Located in Bel Air, MD, we have access to over 750,000 promotional products and can help
your business with anything from awards to corporate apparel.

For more information, contact us at (410)-879-8401 or visit our website www.skylightcreativeideas.com to see all of the products we have to offer!

The History of the Hoodie

The fall season is finally here and that means hoodie season is here as well! The cooler weather is the perfect time to put on your favorite hoodie and cozy up by the fire. Have you ever wondered where the hoodie began? Here is some insight on the history of the hoodie.

The First Hooded Garments

The word “hood” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “höd” meaning hat. The very first hooded garments are traced back to the 12th century. The outdoor workers wore capes with hoods and the Monks wore tunics with hoods.

The First Hooded Sweatshirt

The U.S apparel company Champion was founded in 1919. They were actually the first company to create a hooded sweatshirt in the U.S in the 1930’s. Founded in upstate New York, the original purpose of the hoodie was to keep workers warm during the cold winter season. Champion also sold sports kits to the U.S military which included hoodies for them to wear during training.

The Fashion Transition

Hoodies didn’t become a fashion statement until the 1970’s, starting with the Rocky movie. This movie told the story of a boxer named Rocky Balboa and he wore a hoodie throughout the movie. Around the same time, hip hop culture developed in New York and hoodies became an item of fashion. 

American designer Norma Kamali was one of the first to feature a hoodie sweatshirt on a catwalk. Universities also began embroidering customized hoodies with their names for students to purchase and wear to represent their schools. Hoodies have taken off ever since and their popularity doesn’t seem to be declining any time soon.

Contact Skylight Creative Ideas Today for Your Custom Hoodies!

Skylight Creative Ideas, Inc. has been a leader in the promotional products industry since 1977. Our goal is to provide top-notch customer service, innovative ideas, and high quality products to help our clients exceed their marketing objectives. 

Located in Bel Air, MD, we have access to over 750,000 promotional products and can help your business with anything from awards to corporate apparel. For more information, contact us at (410)-879-8401 or visit our website www.skylightcreativeideas.com to see all of the products we have to offer!

Do Stress Balls Really Work?

Life can be quite overwhelming at times and we don’t always have instant relief when we get stressed out. Stress balls were invented in the 80’s as a quick way to let off some steam. Often times, you will find a stress ball sitting on someone’s office desk. Some people may regularly squeeze them, while others seem to just use them as an office accessory. Have you ever tried to squeeze a stress ball when you feel overwhelmed? Did you feel any relief? Here is what you need to know about stress balls and their uses.

How Stress Balls Work

High stress levels can eventually begin to affect your physical and mental health. Maintaining a low level of stress really helps to improve your quality of life. There are several ways to relieve stress and stress balls are often overlooked. 

Typically, they are made of a gel and are designed to fit in the palm of your hand. When you squeeze the stress ball, it activates the muscles in both your hands and wrists. Releasing your grip then allows the muscles to relax. This repeated motion helps to alleviate tension and relieve stress.

Physical Injuries

Though stress balls are known to be for mental stress, they also are great for soothing hand and wrist injuries as well. It is a tool used for physical therapy when hand and wrist muscles weaken due to a sprain, arthritis, or daily use. To use the stress to rehabilitate muscles, you have to hold it in the palm of your hand and squeeze as tight as you can. 

Hold this tight grip for about five seconds then release the stress ball. You want to repeat this about 10 times in one sitting. You can also use a firm stress ball as a foot massager. Slowly roll your feet over the stress ball to relieve muscle tension and soreness.

Other Uses

Stress balls are versatile and don’t only have to be used when you are feeling tense. You can use a stress ball during work meetings to ensure that you are remaining alert and attentive. When you feel yourself getting tired, bored, or disinterested, use a stress ball to keep your hands occupied and help to keep you awake. 

Stress balls are great to use for gift bags at business trade shows and conferences since the workplace is the most common place to find them! You can also use a stress ball as a way to enhance communication skills in your home. If you are having a family meeting, use the stress ball to designate whose turn it is to speak. This helps to encourage healthy communication and listening skills

Contact Skylight Creative Ideas for Your Promotional Product Needs!

Skylight Creative Ideas, Inc. has been a leader in the promotional products industry since 1977. Our goal is to provide top-notch customer service, innovative ideas, and high quality products to help our clients exceed their marketing objectives. 

Located in Bel Air, MD, we have access to over 750,000 promotional products and can help your business with anything from awards to corporate apparel. For more information, contact us at (410)-879-8401 or visit our website www.skylightcreativeideas.com to see all of the products we have to offer!