As a business owner I’m always on the look out for how I can get my brand in the public eye. A very common practice online are product reviews. Many bloggers provide this service. There are variations to what they do and how they do it. Each site is different and each mom has her own certain flair! I have not personally come across many Dad’s that do reviews but I hope to.

Another marketing strategy are the celebrity gift baskets. There are a number of companies that also provide this service. I have tried this method as well and have spent a good deal of funds in hopes that a celebrity will be so dazzled by my product that they have to have their child in it. In turn, I hope for more sales! What are the differences within these gift giving companies? What makes one basket so much different than the next? Is this money well spent for us small business owners? Are these celebrities simply donating your items to charity? Join me while I take a closer look and judge for yourself!

“Abigail Verna Glaser was a bright, charming little girl who grew up in Overland Park, KS. On July 31, 2001, at the age of 5, Abby suddenly died from what was later discovered to be Viral Myocarditis. Other than flu-like symptoms immediately preceding her death, there were no outward signs that anything serious was wrong.

With Dr. Towbin’s help, The Abby Glaser Children’s Heart Fund was founded, where donations are directed toward research in the field of sudden cardiac death in children.

For the past 6 years a 5K run/walk has taken place and now both Shannon and I have expanded our fund raising efforts by hosting A Shopping Extravaganza, with all proceeds directed to the fund. Last year our event, helped raise over $6,000.00 to the nearly half a million dollars that has been raised so far. With the help of your support, we are confident that further research will lead to better treatment and prevention of this group of diseases, thereby decreasing the number of families who will experience a tragedy similar to the Glaser Family.” - Candice Diddle

If you are in the Overland, Kansas area we hope that you can join in and help this worthy cause. The festivities begin October 4th  from 10am - 3pm at the Overland Trail Middle School: 6201 W. 133rd Street. Tell them Happy Panda sent you!

Happy Panda has made some great changes to our newsletter and if you are a monthly subscriber we hope that you will be pleased. We are moving our monthly wrap ups here to our blog and gearing up for Halloween. Are you looking for a cute Halloween design for your little one? Click on the panda with the pumpkin to see our collection of Halloween styles.

In The Public Eye:

Happy Panda products were reviewed by: Jamie, Centsible Mommy. Click the hyperlink to read Jamie’s full review.

We are so close to reading HOT on the voting meter. We would really like your vote and comments about our products! Please vote for Happy Panda during the Home Based 100 Competition held by Startup Nation.

Events and Contests:

We hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day vacation!

We were at the latest Baby Bites event: The Best Products Every New Mom Should Have, Tuesday September 16th, 5:30 - 8:30 PM at Saloon, York Ave (83 & 84). If you missed the Centsible Mommy contest there is still time to enter the Parenting Pink contest.

Congratulations to all of this month’s winners:

Our monthly subscriber winner – Karen Patrick in Ohio.

Centsible Mommy winners - AmandaSue Hurray in Wisconsin and Tamara Bennington in Florida. 

PMKU’s 1^st Blogoversary Party - AmandaSue, Kimberly @ AllAboutKimberly and Seeryus Mama

Features:

We have added cuties Nolan - 3 years, Avery – 11 months & Anna 3 months to our Happy Pandas page. These kiddos got rave reviews in our products!

Upcoming:

Abby’s Run For The Heart – October 4^th click on the hyperlink for details.

Quarterly Bloggy Carnival

Charity:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County

Pamela Kramer

President

“Both my boys had the opportunity to try out their Panda lap T shirts. They love them because of the adorable Panda on the front. I love that too, but I also like the fit of the clothes, and how soft the shirts are, and that they are tagless-which is great so because they do not scratch your little one’s neck.” - Jamie author of Centsible Mommy. To read her full review of our products please click here!

Thanks to all of you who have been sending your emails and well wishes for those of us trying to recover from the damages of Hurricane Ike. Happy Panda will continue to thrive and dress all the babies that we can. Thankfully our inventory was not damaged. Power has been restored for us and we are back online ready and willing to process orders. Special thanks to Margie Gunn for sending us this weeks Wordless Wednesday photo of her Happy Panda.

Thank you,
Pamela Kramer

Happy Panda would like to thank all of you who posted comments and sent emails wishing us well during Hurricane Ike. Happily our inventory is safe and sound and we have been filling orders as quickly as they have been coming in. We really do appreciate all of your support! Please be sure to visit our blogspot for Wordless Wednesdays.

Happy Panda will be watching Hurricane Ike very closely over the next few days. As a Texas company we are directly within it’s path. It is possible that our site could have technical difficulties due to power outages within the Houston area where our hosting site is located. In the event that we lose power it is also possible that emails and orders will not be replied to or processed until after the hurricane has moved from our area. We have taken every precaution necessary to protect our inventory. Please keep those of us within Ike’s pathway in your thoughts and prayers.