Made In America

I don't usually foward emails that were sent to me or post things from these emails, but this little bit of info is worth sharing. We are going through hard economic times, unemployment is it's highest since the Great Depression. People are losing their homes at record pace, more and more family pets are being abandoned to shelters and even being left to suffer with no food and no water inside of foreclosed homes.
As you know, Just Bubbly is a small American based business which creates handcrafted, unique bath & body products right here in the USA (more specifically the shores of Rockaway)and I am always promoting and buying products that are made in America.
Here is a little info from an email that was sent to me today from a friend and fellow crafter. She challenges all of us to Buy American!

Let's All Do This

"In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else and perhaps even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her!!
My grandson likes Hershey's candy. It is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more.
My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.
This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 6 light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs andcompared the stats - they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO20and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - theUSA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio .
So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here.
So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets....yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA ! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!
So my challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!
If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time!
Stop buying from China ...........(We should have awakened a decade ago......)
Let's get with the program.... help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U.S.A. !!!

Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain."

I think this really speaks for itself.

The Shows Are All Over.........

And now we have to make the soap (and all the other stuff)!

Yesterday was the last day of the New York International Gift Show. It has been a long 30 days for me, traveling from Philly to the New York shows. If the New York and the Philadelphia show are any indication of the where the economy is heading, then there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Sales were brisk and plentiful. Buyers were buying without hesitation. Customer confidence and spirits were high.

The buyers for both shows were out in full force, all looking for the newest and greatest items to fill their bare shelves with for now and the Fall/Winter '09 season.

Philadelphia brought out record numbers of buyers from as far away as Virginia and Delaware. Buying trends in Philly were for immediate delivery as well as Holiday. Biggest interest at the Philadelphia Gift Show was our ever expanding Back To School Educational Line including the newest editions of Crayon Soaps and antibacterial Foam 'n Go.

The New York Show brought international buyers from as far away as Russia! You got it - Just Bubbly will be found in retail shops in Russia this Fall! Also Panama, the Dominican Republic and other far away lands. Domestic buyers at the New York International Gift Fair included many from California, Texas, Illinois and Washington state. East coast buyers as usual were out in heavy numbers.

I enjoy the trade shows, they give me the opportuntiy to interact with my customers and get valuable feedback from them on buying trends and the wants and needs of the retail customers. At the NY show I was so glad to see so many of my wonderful customers like Ellen from Soapmarket in New Jersey, Courtney from The Blue Horse Boutique and Kevin from MXYPLYZYK in New York to name a few. I also get to see some of my old exhibitor friends like Ronnie & Jerry of the Puppet Workshop, John & Alma of Almas Designs, Kristel & Andrea of Semaki & Bird and so many others who I have grown to be very good friends with after 25 years of trade shows. Funny how time marches on - through all these years of trade shows, our children have been born, grown up and are now adults. I can still see Kristel from Semaki & Bird working at the shows pregnant with her daughter Grace who is now 8 years old! Our children have grown up together and our friendships have survived the test of time.

Working at the trade shows is not easy. The days are long and tiring. Both the buyers and exhibitors fight the clock - how to get ALL the shopping done in only a few days. We exhibitors stand all day, talking about product, trends and ideas with buyers and other exhibitors. Buyers walk miles of isles looking for the perfect products to fill their shelves. Twice a year we meet to look at the past and try and predict the future. Some of my best product ideas have come from customer chats at the gift shows. While I am glad the shows are over, I am also sad that it will be another 6 months before we all meet again!

Foam 'n Go Antibacterial Waterless Hand Cleaner a must for Back To School.

New for Back to School is our Foam 'n Go Antibacterial waterless foaming hand cleaner.

Back to school means back to dirty hands! Be ready for the back to school rush and shared germs. With the health agencies forecasting a major return of Swine Flu (H1N1) this fall, the CDC says "Clean Hands Save Lives." Our Foam 'n Go Antibacterial Waterless Foaming Hand Cleaner is a must for every students lunch box and is also a great idea for keeping in your grownup purse or backpack. Not only is it perfect for lunch boxes and backpacks this cleaner is a must for all kids and adults alike! Keep one anywhere you need to assure you can have clean hands. On your desks at work, in bathrooms, your cars, outside in your yard, even pack one for the beach! We made it practical and fun as usual! Packaged in a clear pump container, Foam 'n Go is available in 2 sizes - 50ml (1.7 oz.) and 75ml (2.4 oz.) and comes in Kid friendly scents like Strawberry and Grape Soda and not just for kids scents like Beach and Pink Grapefruit.

Simply place "one pump" of foam onto dry hands. Rub hands until gone. This is a no rinse hand cleaner making it perfect for after lunch clean up. Contains active ingredient Benzethonium Chloride in addition to Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. Complete in covered pump top foaming bottle, children will enjoy cleaning their hands while stopping the spread of bacteria.

Order early so you are sure to have your for the first day of school!