Don’t quote me, but…

“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” ~Mark Twain

“Money won’t buy happiness, but it will pay  the salaries of a large research staff to study the problem.” ~Bill Vaughan


Barbie goes bald for kids affected by hair loss

In a very ‘bald’ move, toymaker Mattel has announced that it will start distribute bald versions of the popular children’s toy to hospitals early in 2013.

The move grows from from an online petition to create a bald Barbie because “losing hair is a hard thing to deal with, especially for little girls.”

Jane Bingham, of Sewell, N.J., started the Beautiful and Bald Barbie Facebook page on Dec. 20 after she lost her hair last year to chemotherapy after treatment for follicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a blood cancer, which upset her 9-year-old daughter.

Her goal was 1,000 “likes” in a month. They reached that in five days, and, at last count, stood at more than 150,000 “likes.”

“I love that both companies are making these dolls,” said Bingham, 42. “It shows kids from a young age that you’re not dependent on who you are by your hair.”

Mattel has a “policy of not forwarding unsolicited product ideas to our design teams,” the company has said. It didn’t create the doll in direct response to the Facebook group, “but they helped us realize how important this was for us to do,” said spokesperson Alan Hilowitz.

Bingham and Rebecca Sypin, the Facebook group’s cofounder, say the company told them privately in February it would make a bald friend for Barbie.

Toymaker MGA Entertainment also told the women about its plans to create bald dolls, proceeds of which will go to charity. Its bald Bratz and Moxie Girlz dolls hit toystore shelves this summer.

Barbie’s bald friend, whose name hasn’t been released, will not be sold in stores.

Rather the company will donate the dolls to children’s hospitals in Canada and the United States and a few charities “to get the dolls directly into the hands of children who can most benefit from the unique play experience,” said a statement from Mattel.

“It’s great that the doll is going to sick children, but it should be available to everyone who wants one,” Bingham said. “Hopefully Mattel will change their mind again.”

Sypin’s 12-year-old daughter, Kin, lost her hair to chemotherapy last year after being diagnosed with leukemia. The Los Angeles-area woman said the campaign is about making young girls with hair loss feel beautiful while raising awareness for childhood cancer and hair loss diseases such as alopecia.


Moore-McLean Achieves ‘All Star’ status again for 2012

TORONTO, ON — March 15, 2012 – Moore-McLean Insurance Group, an Independent Insurance Brokerage providing commercial and personal insurance products to consumers and businesses alike, has received the 2011 All Star Award from Constant Contact®, Inc., the trusted marketing advisor to more than half a million small organizations worldwide. Each year, a select group of Constant Contact customers are honored with the All Star Award for their exemplary marketing results. Moore-McLean Insurance Group’s results ranked among the top 10% of Constant Contact’s customer base.

See the press release.


Are you moving? Here are some tips on how to ensure a smooth move.

TIPS ON HOW TO PACK WHEN MOVING:

  1. GET ORGANIZED: Don’t discount the value of lists.  They keep you on track and help to ensure that nothing gets missed or overlooked.  Best of all, there’s a certain sense of accomplishment when you can cross off something that you’ve completed.  One way of putting lists to use is to categorize everything by the timeline in place.
    1. One month before you move: book your moving company and notify utility companies of your new address, gather boxes and packing supplies.
    2. Two weeks before you move: complete a change of address form at the post office, gather tape and labels, start packing non-essentials such as decorative items, pictures, off-season clothing, shelving, linens.
    3. Day before you move: confirm with moving company, remove curtains.
  2. PACK ROOM-BY-ROOM: By packing things up room-by-room, you’ll be more organized upon arrival at your new home and better equipped to put your essentials back in place in an order that makes sense.
  3. TOSS IT, SELL IT, OR GIVE IT AWAY: Even veteran movers can attest to the fact that several months after they’ve settled into their new home, dozens of boxes remain unpacked in their basement.  Why?  It’s clutter and excess that they’ve lugged from home to home over many years.  Why take that stuff with you?  If you haven’t used it in the last 12 months, make a decision about where it needs to go: Charity, Kijiji or the dump!
  4. USE APPROPRIATE PACKING MATERIALS: Although newspaper is handy and abundant, it can leave an inky mess on delicate or fragile items.  Consider visiting a moving supply store and stocking up on quality white or recycled packing paper.
  5. BOXES: Yes, big boxes hold more, but the more you put in, the heaver they are to carry, and the more risk there is that they’ll be dropped, damaging their contents.  Ensure that you have a variety of box sizes on hand, and resist the temptation to pack every little corner of your boxes.
  6. LABEL ALL 4 SIDES OF EACH BOX: Nothing’s worse than trying to find a particular box when the label is on the side toward the wall.  Be sure to label all sides of a box.  Consider colour-coding the boxes by room or family member to make it easier to locate much needed belongings.
  7. DON’T PACK YOUR LINENS; USE THEM TO PACK OTHER THINGS: Kill two birds with one stone by packing delicate or fragile items in your sheets, towels and even curtains.  Wrap framed prints in bed comforters and encase them in cardboard.
  8. PLAN AHEAD: Although that springtime move is weeks away, there’s no reason to wait to get a jump on things.  The more you do now, the less you’ll have to do later, and the less stressed you’ll feel.

March Break isn’t the only thing that starts this weekend…

If you’re like me, twice a year when it’s time to change the clocks, you struggle to wrap your mind around what this means in terms of sleep; Will I lose or gain some of that shuteye I cherish so much.  Well, here it is, the ugly truth:  You lose an hour.  Now that that’s covered, let’s get on to some more serious business.

You’ve heard it before – this is nothing new – but for some reason, people still don’t head the advice about routine home maintenance and safety that comes with the changing of the season.  So here it is once again, in list form to make it simple.

This weekend, in addition to changing the clocks, be sure to conduct the following routine Home Maintenance duties:

  • Test and replace if necessary the batteries in your smoke and CO detectors.  Make sure these are functioning properly, and be sure that every member of the family – the kids included – is familiar with the sound of the alarm and what it means.  Any used batteries should be disposed of properly.  Retailers such as Canadian Tire have facilities or drop boxes for the proper disposal of batteries.
  • Clean out your eaves troughs, gutters and downspouts.  You’d be surprised at the accumulation of debris that can cause backups resulting in leaks and water damage in side your home.  Pine needles in particular are a common cause of blockage.
  • For those who aren’t die-hard year-round grillers, the warmer days bring on a desire to fire up the barbecue, so be sure you’ve got a full tank of fuel, and check the lines for cracks and leaks.
  • It’s quite disturbing to learn that many of us hold onto vitamins, pain killers and medications long after their expiry.  Conduct an inventory of what you’ve got in your medicine cabinet, and get rid of anything that’s expired.  Take this opportunity to ensure that kids, grandchildren and visiting youngsters can’t reach these dangerous drugs.  It’s also an ideal time to replenish your first aid kit.
  • Switch your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent lights.  They might cost a bit more upfront, but will more than make up for the expense over time as they use only 25% of the electricity and last 10 times longer.

 


Moore-McLean Insurance Group is very excited to announce two additions to its executive team.

MOORE-MCLEAN INSURANCE GROUP LTD.

ANNOUNCES TWO NEW APPOINTMENTS

Moore-McLean Insurance Group is very excited to announce two additions to its executive team.

 

TORONTO, ON – March 6, 2012 – Chris Mildon has joined the firm as Executive Vice President, Sales.  Chris is an experienced insurance sales professional and brings more than 20 years experience to the Moore-McLean Insurance Group.  Chris was a senior partner at Insurers Financial Group (IFG) and played a key role in growing the firm into one of the largest independent brokerages in the GTA. Chris will focus on creating a unique and strong sales culture through the recruitment, development and mentoring of Moore-McLean’s sales team, resulting in significant growth for the office and its partners.  Chris can be reached at chrismildon@mooremclean.com or by phone at 416-364-4000, Ext 225.

John “Jack” Goad will be joining the firm on March 19th as Executive Vice President.  Jack has many years of experience with regional independent brokers and most recently was a senior vice president and partner HKMB HUB International.  Jack’s primary focus will be to develop large accounts and programs and provide technical insurance expertise to the commercial sales and service teams.  Jack can be reached at jackgoad@mooremclean.com or by phone at 416-364-4000, Ext 227.

Please join us in welcoming Chris and Jack to the Moore-McLean Insurance Group.


We’ve got you covered!

Whether you’re looking for personal or commercial insurance, life insurance, group benefits or a group home and auto insurance program, the Moore-McLean Insurance group will work with you to get a quote quickly.  We pride ourselves on our high level of customer satisfaction, and look forward to serving you.

Did you know that if you’re looking for a personal home insurance and property quote, you can quote yourself online?  It’s fast, easy, and user-friendly.  Best of all, you’ll get the best rates for the coverage you need.  Visit our quoting tool and get rates quickly.

Or, if it’s auto insurance rates you’re shopping around for, visit our auto insurance quoting tool.  It’s a valuable tool for those trying to decide on a vehicle choice and looking for related premium rates.

Need help or advice on insurance matters?  Call the Moore-McLean Insurance Group today, and let us help you protect what you value most. 1-888-404-0000

insurance@mooremclean.com

www.mooremclean.com


Unfortunately, not Florida-bound this March Break

Regrettably, we can’t ALL head south for the March Break.  So, if you’re like me, and stuck in town for a long week  of “Mom, I’m bored…” from your kids, you might consider looking into what’s happening locally.

Need a starting point?  Help has arrived!  Toronto4kids.com has a multitude of ideas, and maybe even some discounts, to help you get out and about with the kids and fight off that Spring Break Boredom.  With a little bit of luck, you might just survive March Break with your sanity intact!  LOL!

Check out what’s happening in the city over the next couple weeks: http://www.toronto4kids.com/Kids/Family-Fun-Activities/March-Break-Fun-on-a-budget-Toronto.html

 


Give to others simply by playing a game.

Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber celebrated his 18th birthday in style today, with the gift of a $100,000 electric sports car from his agent, Scooter Braun, and his good pal, Usher, live on the Ellen Degeneres show.  Bieber in turn gave back by surprising a devoted fan with a face-to-face visit.  Yes, ‘giving’ is the word of the day, and you’re invited to take part by playing a game.

“A game?” you ask.  But yes, and the best part is, it’s as easy as logging into your Facebook account.

As we learned on today’s episode of the Ellen Degeneres show, WeTopia, a Facebook-hosted interactive game, through its partners, funds real-world projects such as schools, needed medicine for young children, and hot meals.  It’s easy and fun to play, and makes a difference in the lives of others.

Check out WeTopia and play the game of giving.