The Finishing Touch

Join Blinds.com in the Fight Against Homelessness

Every once in awhile, I take a break from the world of window treatments to talk about a great cause. Today is one of those days. We at Blinds.com are BIG supporters of Habitat for Humanity. We donate all blinds sent back to us and extra product to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a resale home improvement store that new Habitat homeowners can buy from at heavily discounted rates.

October 5, 2009 is World Habitat Day, a day for citizens of the world to come together to fight for decent, affordable housing for everyone. As homelessness increases – it is estimated that over 100 million people are homeless – we need to raise awareness of this problem more than ever. If we’re standing idly by, we’re part of the problem.

You can donate to the cause online. It’s easy and safe. Your small donation will make a big difference in the life of someone less fortunate. Take a look at the photos below of the people that need your help:

Diego Manasyan is six years old. He lives his deserted and crumbling Soviet-era building. 

Future Habitat homeowner Linet Gesare Maroko with her son, John. They are pictured in front of the makeshift tent she and her family, including children orphaned by her sister’s death, currently occupy.

Please help out, raise money, and raise awareness for World Habitat Day, October 5, 2009.

Blinds.com Gives Backpacks & School Supplies to Children in Need

**Plus, why SMB’s should encourage employees to participate in community service together.

We remember what it was like to go back to school. Who didn’t want that perfect backpack, plus every item on the school supply list? When we found out how many children in Houston were without these essentials, we took action. The YMCA of Greater Houston is a hub for helping children. Its fabulous and well-run community centers and programs make it a great place to get involved. Needless to say, we were delighted to learn about Operation Backpack, an organization that collects backpacks, lunchboxes, and school supplies for children in need.

We began by setting up drop-off points at both Blinds.com offices.

 

Within 1 week, we had over 60 FILLED backpacks! Yes, each one was filled with all the supplies on the list. It was time to make the drop, but not before taking a group photo.

 

Sarah, Shannon, Ana, and I piled into the car, backpacks in tow, and made our way to the YMCA Houston on Stella Link. This is an unbelievable new building, with tons of fun activities for kids and parents.

We were greeted by a wonderful volunteer, Marvin.

We were also warmly received by YMCA Houston Executive Director Brandy Perryman (who was one of the coolest names EVER). He helped us carry bags in, posed for pictures with us, and couldn’t wait for Blinds.com to participate in more community programs.

Why This Matters

A recent Watson Wyatt survey suggests that “highly engaged employees miss 20 percent fewer days of work and are almost 80 percent more likely to be top performers. About 75 percent of them exceed or far exceed expectations in their most recent performance review. These workers also tend to be more resilient to, and supportive of, organizational change initiatives.”

Having engaged employees in your organization leads to enhanced performance by the organization as whole. As employees feel more attached to the company’s mission and vision, they begin to feel loyalty. Issues like children’s education enhance attachment to the organization when staff are encouraged to get involved.

When employees participate in community causes as a group, it helps them understand that their performances are directly connected to the company’s performance. By encouraging them to work together in the name of charity, camaraderie is established and professional connectedness develops. Not every business has an extensive bankroll to donate large amounts. Instead of cutting a big check, make an impact through the workplace by getting everyone involved with an ongoing program or special project like Operation Backpack. This requires very little money or time, and makes a real impact.

Watson Wyatt calls these “engagable moments,” and they equal a win-win for the organization, and the community. We encourage you to get your company behind a great cause. It will stimulate everyone’s creativity and drive. You might even have a little fun.

P.S. - Follow Blinds.com on Twitter for more on our commitment to social action.

Blinds.com Partners with Mommy Bloggers to Promote Child Safety

Blinds.com and Amber, blogger for Miracles on Mama Street have teamed up to raise awareness for window blind safety. After a family in her community suffered the tragic loss of one of their children due to unsafe window blinds, Amber decided to take matters into her own hands. She immediately replaced all of her corded window treatments with cordless ones. She also told everyone in her network about the dangers of having out-of date blinds and shades in their homes. They also replaced all of their dangerous treatments with safe ones.

Amber realized that it still wasn’t enough, and that there were so many more people she could be reaching. She contacted us here at Blinds.com, and her cause touched our hearts.

Amber is reaching thousands of other mommy bloggers as well as parents dedicated to child safety. Please join the crusade to end senseless deaths like this by ensuring that your home is well equipped with safe window treatments, and that your neighbors’ homes are as well.

To make it financially possible for parents to replace dangerous, Blinds.com is offering 10% off our top rated and most popular product, the Blinds.com 3/8” Light Filtering Cellular Shade, when ordered with the cordless option. Simply use code “Mommy” at checkout.

To read Amber’s full account, visit her blog, Miracles on Mama Street, and support our efforts to increase awareness. Grab the button on the top left of her site, link to her post, and/or pass the 10% savings on to family and friends.  

Help us avoid heartbreak, and protect our children.

Sincerely,

Follow Amber and me on Twitter for updates and information regarding this special promotion.

Earth Day 2009! Go Green Without Spending a Penny

Today is Earth Day, and there are so many ways to love our planet and your wallet at the same time. If you can’t afford pricey solar panels on the roof of your house this year (who can?), and you're not quite ready to trade in your morning car ride for a morning bike ride to work, why not opt to make some free, easy changes? Show the Earth some love and commit to taking just a few green baby steps.

Going green does not have to be time consuming, and all-encompassing. Without making any major adjustments to your life, you can reduce your carbon footprint immediately. All you need is a little consciousness and dedication. Think of Earth Day as the first day of the rest of your green life. Commit to green habits and greener living. I surveyed the staff here at Blinds.com, and together we compiled a list of the 13 things we do that might help you too. Here’s how:

1. What to do: "Replace your dish and clothing detergent with eco-friendly brands."

Why they help: Okay, I can’t promise that the eco-friendly brands will be the exact same price, but I will promise that by making the switch, you’ll be releasing a lot less toxic, harmful chemical into our water systems. Check out this great review of eco-friendly detergents to help you pick the best one for you.

2. What to do: "Reuse your water bottles."

Q & A: Tom Rodgers, Green Team Leader at Springs Window Fashions

If you knew there was an easy, inexpensive way to shrink your carbon footprint, would you do it? That’s what Springs Window Fashions, makers of Bali and Graber blinds and shades, is helping customers do with window treatments. Tom Rodgers heads up the Green Team at SWF. Kind of sounds like the Superfriends of green living, doesn’t it? But that’s really what they call themselves; they’re a team of managers workings towards real solutions for everything from cleaner, more efficient manufacturing to helping their outside sales representatives use less fuel. SWF’s Green by Nature campaign focuses on continual examination and upgrades to eco-manufacturing practices, surpassing government standards of eco-building every year, and providing affordable, eco-friendly products to consumers.  

After reading about all of the great things SWF is doing to help the environment, I had to find out the intimate details from the man himself, Tom Rodgers. I hope you’ll find what he had to say as remarkable as I did.  

7 Things You Need to Know NOW About Cutting Energy Costs with Window Treatments

In spite of the “greenwashing” going on these days, it is critical that we call attention to the things we can do here and now to cut energy costs and generally use less. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to save some money, would it? Let’s face it, green terminology can be very confusing. R-value, u-factor, detrimental energy loss… it’s often difficult to decipher what all of this means. For starters, visit EcoHome Magazine . It is a wonderful resource, filled with easy-to-understand information and tips you can use to make your home more energy efficient. In regards to window treatments specifically, here are some things you absolutely have to know to make good, environmentally conscious decisions when outfitting your abode: 

Shock and Sadness Following the Strangulation Death of Child by Window Treatments

This morning, it was reported that a one-year-old girl from Greenwich, Conn. became tangled in the corded Roman shades that hung above her playpen. The blinds were purchased from an Ikea Store, and have officially been recalled. If you own IRIS and ALVINE Roman blinds, manufactured in India and distributed by IKEA Home Furnishings, purchased between July 2005, and July 2008, please return them to your nearest Ikea for a full refund.

For more details, read the release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. You  can also report a dangerous product or a product-related injury by calling CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visiting CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html.

Although the topics here are usually light, this issue is near and dear to my heart, as I have seen first-hand the dangers of window treatments, and want to help in any way I can by sharing all the information I have. Accidents such as this should make us even more vigilant about keeping our children as safe as possible, and staying as informed as possible about the dangers of corded blinds. MAKE SURE your window treatments meet safety standards put forth by Window Covering Safety Council and that you take all necessary precautions. Purchase cordless blinds and shades or make sure corded blinds have safety features that are available on custom-made products. Purchase shutters for all of your windows, which never have cords and are virtually indestructible.

Blinds.com employs in-house safety experts who are waiting to speak to you about how to child-proof your windows. Most of our experts not only have over a decade of experience helping parents determine the best choices, but are also parents themselves and have the products they recommend hanging in their homes. Let’s eliminate heartbreak like this by only installing the safest window treatments possible. Our children deserve it.

Sincerely,

More window treatment safety information:

Blinds.com detailed safety information

Blinds.com information regarding lead paint in window blinds and shades

Parents for Window Blind Safety

Child Safety Month? More Like Child Safety Year

October was Child Safety Month, and that really got me thinking. EVERY month should be Child Safety Month. One of the things I get asked most often is “What are the best window treatments for a kid’s room?” Many parents are squeamish about putting window treatments in their child’s room, for fear of dangling cords. Those are genuine and well-deserved concerns.

According to the Parents for Window Blind Safety, “there are window blinds and corded window treatments being sold at department stores, hardware stores and discount stores that do not have the inner cord stoppers on the products.”  All Blinds.com products are up to date with the most current technology and best quality inner cord stoppers, which is extremely important to our manufacturers and to us. Parents for Window Blinds Safety also urge parents to use cordless blinds, as they are the safest options. The added benefit? Cordless blinds and shades are extremely sleek and stylish and the option is available on almost all the most popular blinds, shades, and draperies (all shutters are cordless).

1. I love this aluminum blind with LiteRise from Hunter Douglas because it comes in so many colors, yet it’s affordable and almost child-proof. LiteRise is a fantastic cordless option.

Buy This Product

Blinds.com Fundraiser for Hurricane IKE

Blinds.com, in conjunction with the Houston Food Bank, is joining the challenge to provide 500,000 pounds of food per day to those affected by Hurricane Ike.

How can you help?
Support the cause by making a purchase and applying coupon code IKE and 50% of the profit from your purchase will be donated to the Houston Food Bank until October 17th.
Visit Blinds.com for details, learn about volunteer opportunities or make a direct donation.

The storm made landfall on the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island on Friday, September 12, leaving a trail of devastation that all Blinds.com employees are still feeling weeks later. Blinds.com employees took on the task, because they know first-hand what it feels like to be without power, water, and life’s conveniences after this storm.  However, they are grateful to still have the necessities and know many others have not fared so well.

In looking for an opportunity to support the community after the hurricane Blinds.com sought an opportunity to provide emergency assistance directly to those displaced by the storm.  We were impressed with the Houston Food Bank’s goal to provide half a million pounds of food a day to the burgeoning numbers of hungry, as well as their ability to feed an adult, child or senior citizen on just one dollar a day.   But we knew that with empty grocery stores and tons of food spoiled due to power outages they would need lots of assistance. 
Blinds.com has a history of charitable initiatives including work with Make a Wish and igive as well as employee volunteer projects like Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and Habitat for Humanity.  From Friday, October 3 until Friday, October 17th Blinds.com will donate 50% of all profits to the Houston Food Bank.  "We have wonderful customers around the country who want to help. Many of them participate in online charities like iGive.com, which we participate in as well. This is another outlet for them to do what they can," said Blinds.com CEO, Jay Steinfeld.