by Ryan Gripp, posted September 14, 2009 at 8:28 am
Are you ready for Football season? It’s finally among us. Last week the first games started. We have a great selection of officially licensed NFL products that are high quality and great for gifts. For the worker or for any household project you might check out the NFL Tool belts, made out of heavy duty material to withstand the construction site. It does include a holder for a full sized framing hammer and comes in the most popular 12 teams in the NFL.
For your kids you might look at the NFL Helmet coin bank. Encourage your younger ones to save money (which is finally starting to become popular once again). Unlike some coin banks, these have no calculators on them, which helps your child learn how to count money faster. At only $7.95 each, these make great birthday giveaways or a prize for getting an “A” on the report card.
by Mary Kearney, posted September 4, 2009 at 7:12 am
Why is planning your kids birthday party always so stressful? It should be fun and you should enjoy the celebration of your child’s birth. Here is some helpful tips to help be prepared and enjoy that special day.
- If possible try and start planning 4-6 weeks in advance so you don’t stress yourself out especially if ordering party favors on-line.
- Pick a theme. Once you have the theme down you can base the whole party around it, including the favors, decorations and party games.
- Remember this is kids, they are not going to remember or worry if the house is cleaned and what type of napkins were used. Focus on the fun games.
- Party times: I suggest 1-3 or 2-4, this way you do not need to feed the kids a meal, yes you need snacks but an entire meal is not necessary.
Involve your child and have fun, anyone else have ideas?
by Ryan Gripp, posted August 26, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Football season is getting closer and closer and here at The Lakeside Collection we are gearing up for it and you can too! One of the best steals of the season are the embroidered football backpacks. These handy backpacks can carry a laptop, school supplies or books and for only $12.95 and they are going fast! They feature a water-resistant nylon and plastic padded, adjustable straps and a carry strap for hanging. You can choose from the 12 most popular teams in the NFL, so get yours before they sell out! Great for the kids back to school too!
by Ryan Gripp, posted August 17, 2009 at 12:52 pm
One of the most popular candy items of all time is the Jelly Belly. In fact Jelly Belly’s go back a long way and made great strides in all of their flavors. Here is a brief history of them courtesy of Wikipedia:
David Klein (born in 1946) created the marketing concept of a new kind of jelly bean to be sold in single flavors in 1976 He approached the family operating Herman Goelitz Candy Company to manufacture it. Fourth generation Goelitz descendent Herman G. Rowland, Sr., and his parents had decided to expand the company’s products more than a decade before. The company was the first American manufacturer to make a gummi bear for the US market. They also made candy corn, mellocremes, gummi worms, giant jelly beans and mini jelly beans, which were the precursor to the famous Jelly Belly jelly bean. Confectioner Marinus van Dam was employed by the company to manage the plant and oversee new product development with Herman Rowland. Marinus van Dam was born in Ooltgensplaat, a township in Oostflakkee, Netherlands, on October 24, 1929. After obtaining a candy manufacturing degree in the Netherlands, he emigrated to the United States and went to work for the Herman Goelitz Candy Company in the 1960s. He rose to the level of vice president before moving on to other companies and finally starting his own business, Marich Confectionery.
Traditional jelly beans started out with plain, uncolored pectin centers that were merely sweetened with sugar. Only the outer candy coating was colored and flavored. The third and fourth generation of the candy family decided to produce a superior jelly bean to set itself off from traditional jelly beans. The centers for the company’s mini jelly bean were colored and flavored. This flavor enhancing process was also used on the outer candy shell. With the new generation of Jelly Belly beans the company used real fruit juices and natural flavors when possible to boost the taste experience further. The finished Jelly Belly beans contained about half the sugar of the regular jelly bean, and were more flavorful than the generic jelly beans sold in stores.
David Klein sold the first Jelly Belly jelly beans in an ice cream parlor, Fosselman’s, in Alhambra, California in 1976. The first flavors were Very Cherry, Tangerine, Lemon, Green Apple, Grape, Licorice, Root Beer, and Cream Soda.
With that we have two great choices for our Jelly Belly fans, the Christmas and Autumn gift packs. Each gift pack comes with over 39 different flavors sure to put a smile on either yourself or someone whom you choose to give a gift. Each gift pack is a steal for only $13.95, versus paying up to $18 or more for these gifts. These are a popular item and could very well sell out of stock, so be sure to get your orders in before we run out! What are your favorite flavors when using Jelly Bellies?
by Mary Kearney, posted August 6, 2009 at 8:15 am
Get organized and prepared to head back to school. Here are some tips for an easier transition:
- Talk about going back to school with your child and talk about all the fun it will be too, be positive
- Reassure your child if they are anxious
- Move their bedtime up a few weeks before school starts
- Do a calender or establish times for homework, tv, bath and bedtime
- Try and get reconnected with classmates to get your child excited about school
Get ready for back to school with a great priced Mead Backpacks or Lunch Totes and School Supply Stock-Up Values. Good Luck!
by Mary Kearney, posted July 30, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Hey Animal Lovers, does your dog love to play fetch? Try this 3-D Plush Ring Dog Toy with squeaker inside for only $4.95. Show you care, your dog deserves it! Or have your dog run in style with these doggone cute tees for your favorite 4-legged friend. Eye-catching Embroidered Dog Tees give any dog an edge on fashion with a little bit of attitude and a whole lot of cute.
by Ryan Gripp, posted July 23, 2009 at 7:16 am
Employee Appreciation Luncheons were hosted during the week of May 4, 2009. These annual luncheons are held to show our dedicated employees how much their hard work is appreciated. This is just one of the many things we do as a company to show our employees that we value their contributions. Lakeside has a long standing tradition of celebrating our employees through recognition programs, monthly birthday celebrations, and different events throughout the year.
Our Executive and Management teams prepared and served our 1,571 employees in each of our locations. This tradition is fun for all of our employees because the Executives and Managers enjoy being directly involved in providing the food, and the employees enjoy seeing their managers work hard to host this event for them. The menu consisted of grilled, marinated steak and chicken, salad and other various sides, veggie burgers, and cupcakes.
by Mary Kearney, posted July 17, 2009 at 8:21 am
Does anyone out there have a summer tradition they look forward to every summer? For me it is the weekly Friday ice cream truck with all the kids on the street. You can hear the melodic chimes of the truck a few streets away. Once it is heard by the kids, it is chaos with all the kids screaming and doing an ice cream dance, ahh to be young again. The tradition continues with them all sitting on the neighbor’s stairs to eat their ice cream that drips down their face onto their clothes, sticking to the sand and whatever else they have gotten into that day. Maybe we should make ice cream the 5th food group!
by Ryan Gripp, posted July 9, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Here at the Lakeside Collection we are celebrating the imminent release of the new Harvest Catalog. In this new catalog you’ll find hundreds of new items and unbeatable prices. Some of the items that I really enjoyed are:
The Quick Lawn Grass seed which is perfect for those areas in your yard that aren’t full of grass that your neighbors don’t seem to have a problem with. You’ll be the envy of your neighbors with this new quick grass seed and compete for the best looking lawn in your neighborhood.
If you are like me odds are, you love cookies. I simply love them. Thankfully we sell cookie sheets that are insulated and offer a great way to bake fresh homemade cookies. These cookie sheets offer triple layer protection with a combination of heavyweight steel and an aluminum radiant shield you get two sets for only $14.95, which you can compare to other stores that sell these for $14.95 for just 1 cookie sheet!
by Mary Kearney, posted July 2, 2009 at 7:23 am
Photo by Stuck in Customs
Article by Sherry Alvarez, Accounts and Order Processing Manager
The temperature outside is quickly rising and it is time to break out the sunscreen. Finally, you, your friends and your family can spend time outside. Do you enjoy camping, the beach or just being outdoors? There is so much you can do in the summer.
I enjoy many summertime activities like biking, camping and one of my favorite holidays, The Fourth of July. As far back as I can remember, The Fourth of July was a time when you had cookouts, you went to the local carnival where you spent your weekly allowance trying to win that stuffed bear while enjoying some cotton candy. You could barely wait to view the spectacular fireworks.
This is something that I now get to enjoy with my family and friends. Every year we go to the Great Lakes Naval Base. We bring our cooler of snacks and drinks, spread out a blanket and a couple of lawn chairs, throw the Frisbee around and then sit back and enjoy the entertainment. The big moment comes when they start the fireworks. They are amazing and although I’m not a kid anymore, I still sit there with my family in awe of the beautiful colors.
So whether I’m at the beach, in my backyard or enjoying The Fourth of July, I find all kinds of items at the Lakeside Collection to make these times even more enjoyable. Check our collection of coolers starting at $3.95 and couple that with our collections of throws and you will be set. You’ll probably want to sit down and our chairs start at a very low $6.95.
Soon you will be making great memories with your family that they will come to cherish as I do with mine!
