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It’s the beginning of a new school year, and every parent with an active child knows what that means: it’s officially time for school sports again.  Maybe your daughter lives for field hockey, or maybe you have a son that can’t wait to get back on the football field.  Either way, you are sports parent now and you love doing whatever you can to ensure you’re involved and supportive.  You’ll happily drive the carpool for games back to back, and you have no issue getting the team snacks every now and then.  

 Since this isn’t your first school sports season, you know how important it is to keep the team and your kid motivated throughout the year.  After a few losing games or a heavy workload at school, staying in high spirits during game day can be a bit tough.  You don’t have to hire your own cheerleading squad to boost team morale when times get tough.  If you want to ensure everyone does their best and is happy to get on the field during game day, try these tips.

 Point out small victories

 Maybe the team didn’t win the game, but that doesn’t mean everyone did a bad job.  You noticed that Jacob made a great defensive move when the other team was close to scoring.  You saw that Amy blocked a hard shot.  You noticed Alex was kind enough to sincerely congratulate the other team.  Sometimes simply pointing out the things that went right during the game can pick up anybody’s spirit when they lose.

 Plan some activities after the game

 Why do you think so many coaches make it a tradition to go out for pizza after the team wins a game?  It isn’t because kids love pizza (although that may play into it), it’s because they know how important it is to foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie with teammates.  Your kids and their team members will feel more connected to one another and will be in higher spirits if they take the time to do things off the field.  Plan a team dinner, or a fun night at an activity center once a while.

 Go beyond jerseys

Uniforms are a great way to help people feel like they belong, but you have to take those off once the game is finished.  Something simple like custom embroidered patches could be sewn onto a jacket or backpack, and can double as a fashion statement and support for the team.  Custom t-shirts, bags, and other items can boost morale and help people really feel like they’re part of them.

When you were a kid, you spent every opportunity outside with your friends. You begged your parents for sleepovers, couldn’t wait to spend daylight hours on the block with the other kids, and loved going out to meet new kids. Your child does have a few friends at school, but they seem to spend more time online with them than in person. You know that your childhood experiences are going to be very different from your child’s, but it doesn’t seem like your kid has a lot of friends they can spend time with. You don’t want to dictate how they spend their free time, but you feel like your kids could stand to have social interactions that go beyond the computer screen. Your child may be a bit too old for play dates, but there are some things and activities they can do that can help them meet new friends.

Find a kid friendly meet-up group

You don’t want your kids to spend more time socializing on their computer, but the internet can help you find fun things for your children to do.  MeetUp.com has made it easy for people to connect with others in their area. A lot of adults have used it to find people that share their interests, but many people are unaware of how the website can be a great friend resource for children. You can connect with other moms that have children that have the same interests that your kid has, and plan individual times to get to know each other or to go individual group meetings.

Work on their social skills

Every parent wants to believe that their children are perfect the way they are, and these rose tinted glasses can lead to some not seeing that their children may have some flaws. Does your child willingly share their toys, or do they always have to be prompted to let someone else have a turn? Can your child be a bit too enthusiastic at times, and can make other children feel too shy to speak up? It may be time to start paying attention to how your children interact with others. Teach them about the importance of letting everyone have their voice be heard, and how to properly ask questions so they can get what they want.

Join the scouts

If you're like most college students, the fall semester is probably the last thing on your mind right now.  If you're part of Greek life, you've been planning for the fall semester since you took your last final in the spring semester. A lot of people tend to underestimate just how much time and planning goes into the average fraternity or sorority. To them it's all themed parties and social gatherings, but to you every big party and small get together came from weeks and months of planning. The beginning of the school year is an important time for fraternities and sororities since they'll be busy recruiting pledges. Some organizations have the advantage of decades of members and stories that practically help advertise the frats and sororities themselves. Others aren't so lucky. If you want to stand out and get the good pledges this year, make sure you follow these tips during rush week.  

Be friendly

A lot of incoming freshman only know about Greek life from the movies and TV shows they watched, so they may be a little intimidated when they first get on campus. A lot of them have the image of the cruel frat/sorority head that can't wait to embarrass them, even though that image couldn't be further from the truth. We know that ultimately they're there to impress you, but you should be doing whatever you can to ensure that potential pledges are comfortable approaching you. Tell everyone working rush events to be on their best and friendliest behavior, and don't forget to smile.

Don't just talk about parties

Parties and events are the main reasons why people are interested in green life, but they're far from the only benefit of rushing. Talk about how your wide network of members has helped people find jobs after graduation. Mention how your organization does at least two charity events every semester. College is fun, but it won't last forever. If you can show pledges how joining your frat or sorority can benefit them later in life, they may be more inclined to join.

Stay on their minds

Today, trading pins are a standard part of many people's wardrobe, and are worn on special occasions by millions more. The President of the United States often wears a U.S. flag lapel pin, business leaders wear lapel pins in board meetings, and just about everyone has worn a lapel pin at some point. But while distinctive today, the lapel pin wasn't always so popular and is in fact a relatively modern invention. So what is the history of lapel pins, and how did they rise to prominence?

Originally, people did not commonly wear lapel pins. Instead, men wore boutonniere, literally a "buttonhole" flower. The boutonniere was typically a real, live flower that was fresh cut and tucked through the buttonhole on the left lapel. Although uncommon today, this was considered a standard accessory for men in much of the 1800s and into the 20th century. Flowers were a great choice because they were cheap, readily available, elegant, and added a dash of color to the wardrobe.

The use of boutonnieres peaked after World War I. In the years after the war, it became common to wear a read poppy on Remembrance Day (Armistice Day) to commemorate the soldiers wounded or killed in the Great War. This tradition remains today, but for the most part pins began to replace flowers during the mid-1900s. Nowadays, boutonnieres are worn mostly at highly formal occasions.

Instead, lapel pins have risen to prominence. One of the main reasons for this change was simply that the cost of producing custom metal pins came down. As pins became less expensive, they became a more attractive option. Lapel pins offer a number of advantages over a boutonniere:

Lapel pins are made to be durable. If properly cared for they will last a lifetime. Flowers on the other hand wilt quickly and must be replaced.

Lapel pins can be put on in just a second or two, whereas flowers must be carefully tucked into the buttonhole and secured.

Lapel pins are both a male and female accessory, in an age when both men and women commonly wear jackets. A boutonniere is traditionally meant for men only.

But probably the biggest reason boutonnieres caught on is because they are customizable. You can create a striking lapel pin for any cause or organization, from a church or nonprofit to a company, school or one-time event. People love to collect lapel pins and remember the reason they got them in the first place. Each one is loaded with significance.

Custom lanyards can really stand out. They’re great for easy identification of event attendees or authorized personnel, while also showing off your message or brand. But if you haven’t had custom lanyards printed before, you may not know what to look for to make the process go smoothly—and quickly—and get lanyards you’re happy with.

Here is our complete guide to help you.

Material & Printing Choice

You’ll want to make sure that your custom lanyard company has a good selection of materials to choose from, and that they have the right ones for you. Three of the standard materials you should expect include:

• Silk screen printed. For affordable custom lanyards, this is often the go-to option. Silk screen printing is the same method of printing used for high end t-shirts, and can deliver a vibrant range of colors in fine detail. The material used for this style is typically a flat polyester band. Although the polyester has a slight weave to it (like all fabrics), when viewed from even a few feet away it appears to be a smooth, flat piece of fabric.

• Tubular printed. Tubular shoelace material is another popular cost-effective choice for lanyards. The lace is flat, like a wide shoelace for an athletic shoe. However, it is woven of tubular strands which give it a more textured look than the flat polyester. This also makes it very strong and durable. When your custom design is printed onto the lace material, because of the texture it can look as if it is a woven design, without the added cost of actually weaving it in.

• Woven. This is the high end method of creating a custom lanyard. Your design or logo is actually woven into the fibers of the lanyard bad itself, making it impossible to rub off or fade.

Speed

The other factor that will influence how happy you are with your custom lanyards is speed. You want to be able to receive them quickly so they’re there with plenty of time to spare. Several factors influence speed:

• Clear requirements. Your lanyard company should be able to give you very clear, easy to follow requirements for submitting your design. This includes the resolution, the type of image file you submit, and any color requirements. They should be happy to explain these terms to you, or to have a designer sit down and create your design for you.

• Quick printing. A good custom lanyard company should have no problem handling both small or large orders and should be able to begin printing immediately when the final design is approved.

• Fast shipping available. If you need your lanyards in a hurry, they should have an expedited shipping method available for you to choose.

Pins are great for all kinds of events, but you have to make a difficult choice: will you buy stock pins or have a custom pin designed? The answer will depend on your event, your budget and your needs, but here are five questions you can ask yourself to determine which kind of pin is best for you:

1. Is this a well-known cause or event? This is the first question to ask yourself. Generally, you have a good chance of finding existing stock pins if your event is related to an established cause, holiday or organization. For example, if you want to give pins to runners in a Breast Cancer Survivors marathon, it’s a sure bet you can find a wide variety of pins for the fight against breast cancer without paying for a custom design. The same is true for things like patriotism, national flags, major holidays, and even some industries or movements. If you look at a specialty pin website, you will find a huge selection you didn’t know existed.

2. Is it for a veteran/military event? For any event related to the US military, you’re sure to be able to find not just one but a variety of pins that will fit the bill. This includes not just pins for specific service branches but often for individual units and conflicts, plus Support the Troops type pins.

3. Are the pins commemorative? Often, people who want to order a large number of pins are doing it to commemorate a specific event—a wedding, a conference, or a corporate milestone. This is where you should strongly consider a custom pin. It’s one thing, for example, to hand out a pin that shows hearts or wedding bells at a wedding, but it’s another if it says “Mark and Cindy 2015.” This personal touch makes the connection much more concrete and makes the pins as one-of-a-kind as the occasion itself.

4. Are you trying to establish a brand presence? Branding is another important use of pins, and another area where customization matters. Think about the kinds of situations where you would hand out a pin to clients or staff and what would make them wear them. Something classy but tastefully branded is often a good choice.

5. Are there any common images that would be a close match? For many occasions, stock pins will work fine as long as they relate directly to the message. For example, a generic heart or cupid pin would be fine for a Valentine’s Day party. And a stock cross will work in lieu of a branded pin for many church events. This is a way to save money without deviating from your message.

Most medical professionals are limited to what they can wear on the job. Undoubtedly it’s crucial to appear and dress suitable for your position with little attention given to looking stylish. But you can still show your love and passion for your profession safely while on the job by wearing and using small accessories. Whether you work in a hospital, physician’s office, dental clinic or other healthcare facility, there are practical and trendy accessories for every healthcare professional.

Pins

The traditional pin is always a favorite. You can wear a pin that identifies your role such as if you’re a registered nurse or pediatric doctor. You can also wear pins that simply express your passion for working in the healthcare field and helping care for others. Another idea is to wear awareness pin for a specific illness to honor survivors and help raise awareness. You may wear pins to show your personality to help your patients get to know you and feel comfortable around you. In any regard, pins are simple, unique and a great addition to your healthcare wardrobe.

Lanyards

Many know that the majority of healthcare professionals wear lanyards while on the job as required to. For the most part the lanyards serve to hold identification cards and to get in and out of the healthcare facility. While these items are very practical, they can be fun as well. Wear a lanyard with an inspirational quote or an awareness lanyard to show your support for a cause.

Pens

Anyone who works in healthcare can tell you with certainty that pens seem to instantly disappear. One minute you have five in your pocket and by the end of the day you’ve lost all of them.  From filling out information on forms, signing important documents and taking notes for yourself, you should always have a pen with you at all times. And what better pen than one that is personalized and professional so that you can write in style? Add a personal message or inspirational quote on it. You can also customize it by adding your name and title, which is one way to save yourself from never finding it again.  

Tote Bags

  The transition from wartime to civilian life can be extremely difficult for military veterans. Those who were wounded are faced with learning to live with limited mobility or the loss of a limb, while others have to cope with brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. There are approximately 23 million American veterans, and countless ways you can lend a helping hand. Here are some great ways you can offer your assistance to wounded veterans.

1.       Support the Wounded Warrior Project – The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a military and veteran charity dedicated to empowering injured veterans and their families.  WWP provides rehabilitation, activities and career counseling, and there are many ways you can help. You can host a fundraising campaign, make a donation, send letters, or provide monthly gifts like military coins or food to injured service members.

2.       Volunteer with Homes for Our Troops – Homes for Our Troops (HFOT) is a nonprofit organization that builds specially adapted, mortgage-free homes nationwide to veterans who were severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of the veterans the organization serves have sustained injuries, including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis or severe traumatic brain injuries. Along with building homes, HFOT also continues its relationship with the veterans to help them rebuild their lives. HFOT uses volunteers to build the homes and adapt existing homes to meet the needs of the injured veterans.

3.       Give a veteran a ride – The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization provides free transportation to veterans who are unable to travel to VA medical facilities on their own. You can volunteer with DAV to help transport disabled vets to their medical appointments.

A business's employees play a major role in its success, and it's important for businesses to praise employees for their contribution to their achievements.  Recognizing employees for a job well done can boost company morale and keep employees motivated to work hard. In honor of Employee Appreciation Week (June 6 -14 ), here's a list of some great ways to recognize outstanding employees:

1. Offer incentives for reaching goals – If your company has monthly, quarterly or annual goals, offer an incentive for accomplishing those goals. This will not only motivate your employees, but also it will reward them for their hard work. If your staff accomplishes the goal, you can reward them with free lunch, a casual dress day, gift cards, or branded pins, mugs or sweatshirts.

2. Recognize an employee of the month – Each month, ask your employees to nominate someone for Employee of the Month. It's encouraging for employees to be recognized by not only management, but also their peers. For each nomination slip, the employee should explain why the person deserves the award. In your office's monthly meetings, announce the employee of the month and award them a plaque and/or gift.

3. Encourage customer recognition – Along with management and fellow employees, it also feels great when you're praised by customers. Encourage your customers to recognize your employees who have provided exceptional service. This will also help your company generate positive feedback.

4. Offer flex days – If your employees have the capability to work from home, reward them with flex days. Allow them to work from home once a week or even once a month.  This is a great incentive that will be appreciated by employees, while being of no cost to your business.

Armed Forces Day is an annual holiday dedicated to paying tribute to the men and women who serve in the U.S. armed forces. The holiday is celebrated on the third Saturday of May, and this year it falls on May 16th.  Armed Forces Day was created on August 31, 1949 by U.S. Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson to replace the separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The unification of all of the armed forces under one holiday stemmed from the armed forces' unification under one department, the U.S. Department of Defense. Armed Forces Day was first observed on Saturday, May 20, 1950.

Here are some great ways you can pay tribute to our servicemen and women on Armed Forces Day:

1. Write Thank You Cards – Thank the armed forces for their service by sending Thank You cards. Encourage your children and their friends or classmates to create handmade cards for servicemen and women thanking them for their service and wishing them a Happy Armed Forces Day. It will not only be a fun activity for the kids, but also it will be sure to put a smile on the soldiers' faces.

2. Send Care Packages – Show your support for the armed forces by sending a care package overseas. In the care package, you can include challenge coins, Thank You cards, snacks, and toiletries. If you do not have a specific solider in mind, you can reach out to a website that offers care package services.

3. Attend a Parade – Many communities around the country will be holding parades on Armed Forces Day to honor servicemen and women. Check your local newspaper to find a parade in your area.

4. Educate Your Children – While you and your kids are participating in other fun Armed Forces Day activities, make sure you setting aside time to teach them about the importance of the armed forces and the holiday.

5. Display a Flag – Show your patriotism and support for the armed forces by displaying an American flag outside your home. 

Are you thinking about purchasing military insignia pins for you or a loved one? PinMart has hundreds of military pins for you to choose from! However, choosing the best possible military pin can be a bit of a challenge. With so many options available, how can you even begin to choose just one? When you ask yourself these three questions you’ll be guaranteed to choose the best one!

    1. What branch are they in? The military isn’t all the same. There are several different branches including the army, marines, navy, coast guard, and air force. Before you buy military insignias or pins for a loved one, make sure you know which branch they are in. You wouldn’t want to buy an air force pin for someone who was actually in the navy. Another safe option would be to buy a more general pin such as one that says “I support our veterans” or a simple American flag pin.

     2. What division are they in? If you want a pin that is really unique and stands out, try getting one that matches your loved one’s specific division. Keep in mind that divisions usually refer to the army. It can refer to the Navy, but a Navy’s divisions are much different than the army’s. The army is made up of several regiments and brigades that shouldn’t be hard to find a pin for. You’ll want to ask your military loved one to be sure of precisely which division they are in to make sure you choose an appropriate pin if you decide to go this route.

    3. Who will the pin be for? Before making a purchase, carefully   consider who you are buying the pin for. If you are buying the pin for yourself than you have the most freedom. You can choose a pin to match your loved one’s branch or division or a pin stating that you support them. If you’re a military wife or mother you may want a pin to reflect that, too. If you’re buying the pin for the actual military individual you might want to consider whether or not they are active or retired. Pin Mart offers several pins for retired military individuals. These are a nice way to show your respect and honor retired vets.

When February rolls around, most teachers start to think of way to incorporate black history month into their regular curriculum.  Some schools require that teachers include black history month in their lesson plans, and others allow teachers to choose to teach it.  Either way, February is an important month for black history, and most teachers want to teach it in a way to honors past great black leaders and keeps students of every color engaged.  There are some people and lessons that seem to pop up every black history month, but it doesn’t matter what you plan on teaching.  If you want to have a poignant and engaging black history lesson, remember that you keep these things in mind.

Don’t regulate black history to one month

February may give you a good reason to teach about important people and events in black history, but you shouldn’t only teach about black history during February.   African-Americans and people of every color have played important parts in American history, and they should be honored throughout the year.  Be sure to point out the role that minorities have played in history throughout the year, and let your students know that people of a variety of races, religions, and creeds helped build the country.

Tie lessons into current cultural events

If you want your students to be able to understand the important role history plays in our lives, you have to show them how history can affect people today.  When you talk about the harmful role segregation played in society, make sure you talk about how certain aspects of society can be divided among racial lines.  When you talk about school segregation, talk about how many schools are still very racially divided.  Don’t feel the need to sugar coat your language when you talk about it.  Students of all ages can understand racial issues when the correct language is used.

Get students involved

Don’t make the mistake of making black history month all about reports and dioramas.  If you want to keep your students engaged, give them projects that will keep them active.  Instead of having them write a book report, have them get in a group and act out a pivotal scene in black history.  Give out different pins that represent different flags of African countries, and have students learn about the current state of important African countries.  Go to museums and look for talks at your local library or university to take your students to.

Many of us belong to groups, some of these groups are secret others are well known.  These groups can range from a military squadron or platoon to a book group to a police department.  Some of these groups will last us a lifetime and some will impact us for a lifetime.  Just one example is military personnel who understand the importance of a group and many will always identify with the group that they served with while on tour. 

One way for a group to signify to each other that they belong is through the use of challenge coins.  Challenge coins’ exact history is foggy, but they are believed to have first been used by military personnel in WWI and WWII.  It was during this time that the first coins were struck and certain squadrons used them to identify each other.  If they were captured and trying to escape from behind enemy lines the coin could be shown to allies to prove to them that they were in fact from a certain squadron, especially if their dog tags had been taken by their captors.

The naming of challenge coins came from the custom of challenging a person who claimed they were part of a group.  The challenged person was required to display their coin, if they failed to produce one they were supposed to buy a drink for the other person.  If they did manage to produce a coin then the challenger had to buy drinks for both of them.  While this custom isn’t the norm anymore the coins still carry a lot of meaning.

Giving out challenge coins to your group can help build unity and solidarity.  While the coins were originally found in the military, they’re use has begun to spread.  Many organizations such as police departments, fire departments and others have begun using the coins.  They are a great token for members to hold on to, so that even after they retire they will be able to carry the challenge coin around with them so as to always remind them of their time with the group.