The Hidden Power of Smencils

Smencils are one of our most successful fundraising products! They are pencils that have a scent. There are many reasons to choose smencils instead of regular pencils this school year! Scent is proven to affect the user's mood and they are made from recycled material that is better for the Earth.

What are Smencils Made From?

When the idea of scented pencils came about in 2000, it proved difficult to scent wood. So, unlike regular pencils that are formed from trees, smencils are created with recycled newspaper. 172,000 Smencils can be made from just 430 newspapers! In this way, smencils are more responsible for the environment.

Besides smencils, we also offer smens! Smencils and smens are very fun products for kids to use at school and collect or trade with their friends. Once your child has one, they will certainly want more!

The Power of Scent

Smencils’ goal is not just to make writing fun, it is also to affect the user with the power of scent! Your sense of smell can trigger memories, make you hungry, and even boost your mood! Smencils release a scent that can be your child's favorite smell or remind them of a family vacation. It is said lemon can help a person feel more alert and focused. Try a lemon smencil for your student!

Another trick to try with your smencils is studying with one particular scent, say strawberry. Then when test time comes, use the same strawberry smencil. The words and facts you have studied will be more easily remembered when you harness the power of scent!

If you or your school is interested in selling smencils and are excited to get your hands on this popular product, the best distributor is Gifts 'N Things. We offer the absolute LOWEST price on the internet plus free freight! However, seasonal products sell out fast, so order early because there is a limited supply! VISIT ilovesmencils.com or CALL: (800) 468-7511 today!

Humankind Water: Your Child Can Help Save Lives

We recently sat down with internationally known speaker TJ Foltz of Humankind Water. Scroll down to learn about his organization's mission and how its exciting relationship with Gifts 'N Things will allow your child to help save the lives of other children through the donation of clean water. 

What makes Humankind Water's mission unique?

There are other organizations that give to the crisis, and we respect them. For example, the water "Ethos", sold in Starbucks gives a nickel from every bottle to the crisis and we applaud their efforts. But we give 100% of our net profits to fund wells and filtration systems in the hardest hit areas of the world. The only other organization we've heard that gives 100% of their net profits is "Newman's Own" (the late Paul Newman's charity), and they've given millions. We're not there yet, but that's something we aspire to achieve."

Why is clean water so important?
Clean water is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT philanthropic effort there is right now, in my opinion, for two reasons. First, how bad the situation is and second, how relatively easy it is to correct it. Few Americans realize this, but the combined deadly effects of bad water in drinking and sanitation makes it the number one killer of children in the world every day. 5000 kids will die TODAY for no other reason than they lack clean water. 

Second, the fix is relatively simple. No miracle drug to discover here, no race for the cure. God bless all those scientists and doctors looking for the cures for as yet incurable diseases, but the truth is you introduce clean water where there is none, and you reduce infant mortality to almost nothing, almost overnight. Of course food is important...it's critical. Of course vaccines and mosquito nets are all crucial. But if you have all those things in place and kids are drinking filthy contaminated water, it won't matter. That's why - just my opinion - but I'm forever saying, "Water is the lowest hanging fruit on philanthropy's tree."

Why should elementary students, parents, and faculty be excited about Humankind Water's relationship with Gifts 'N Things?
Before now, there were two motivating factors to doing fund raisers with Gifts N' Things. The first, let's face it...COOL PRIZES! I know I got fired up about that stuff when I was a kid! Second, I know a ton of kids and certainly their parents...really do care a lot about raising that critical money for their own school need. Whether it's a great, fun, educational trip, or to resurface the gym floor, the money you make is great for your school and it's important to take pride in that. 

Those two factors really ought to be enough. But now it takes a huge extra leap forward. Now, in addition to cool prizes (and good for the school) we just might save the lives of THOUSANDS of children in really needy situations. Imagine. For every student that participates, even if you only sell ONE item, Gifts N' Things will contribute [enough money to supply] clean drinking water for one child for a YEAR! That's amazing!


Closing remarks
One of the unique things about Humankind Water is that because we give away all this money for wells and filters, we have never ever spent a penny (yet) on traditional advertising. Never bought a billboard. Never took out a magazine ad. Never bought a tv commercial. Products today just are not successful without that stuff. But we ...somehow...have to be. And that's why we are dependent upon YOU to tell the story. Share it. Tell other schools. Do presentations. Like us on Facebook and go to the website. 

Above all, make sure you thank the great people at Gifts N' Things. I mean, look at the back cover of the catalog. That's a primo spot to sell some other item. It's costing them money to NOT put another yummy candy or crunchy cookie there. Thank you to Gifts N' Things and every other organization going out of their way to help Humankind Water be successful, because they know that our success actually means kids lives saved. Humankind Water LOVES Gifts N' Things!

Free Idea Fair Luncheons in Your Area

Over the next few weeks Gifts' N Things will host Idea Fair Luncheons around the region in appreciation for the hard working school communities. These informal luncheons will feature prize giveaways and a free lunch on Gifts 'N Things. Check the list below to see if a luncheon is being held in your area.

Commack, NY

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

11:30am-2pm

Good Taste Chinese Buffet

200 Jericho Turnpike

Mayfair Shopping Center

(631) 543-9583

Langhorne, PA

Thursday, March 27, 2014

11am-2pm

J.B. Dawson’ Restaurant

92 N. Flowers Mill Road

(215) 702-8119

Reading, PA

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Toscani - Wood Fire Grill

1101 Rocky Drive

(610) 678-4060

Center Valley, PA

Thusrday, April 3, 2014

11am-2pm

Melt

2805 Center Valley Parkway

(610) 798-9000

Wilkes Barre, PA

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

11am-2pm

TGI Friday’s (attached to Holiday Inn)

880 Kidder Street

(570) 823-9923

Harrisburg, PA

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

11am-2pm 

Red Robin

5125 Jonestown Road

(717) 540-8600

Exton, PA

Thursday, April 10, 2014

11am-2pm

TGI Friday’s 

301 North Pottstown Pike

(610) 594-6646

Lancaster, PA

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

11am-2pm 

J.B. Dawson’s

491 Park City Center

(717) 399-3996

Tannersville, PA

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

11am-2pm

The Chateau Resort

300 Camelback Road

(800) 245-5900

Fleetwood, PA

Thursday, May 1, 2013

11am-2pm 

Gifts ‘N Things

26 East Locust Street

(610) 944-1400 

If you attend one of our luncheons, be sure to ask how you can win a $50 gift card to Restaurant.com and a $300 Carnival Kit for your school.