It’s in the Bag…or Vintage-Wrapped Package

Someone once said, “The manner of giving is worth more than the gift” – who doesn’t love receiving and opening a beautiful package? At Wear the Cape, we’ve set up a wrapping “warehouse” (a.k.a. my garage, for now). But this garage is a gallery, adorned with our kids’  framed and hung artwork  to warm up the space (they love to proudly share their masterpieces, and the experts say it builds self-esteem – so, hey…why not?).

We aim for it to be an event when our valued Wear the Cape supporters receive and open each item that they buy. This special experience helps convey the importance of the message.

When you choose to show your support by making a purchase on our site, we mail you a present, beautifully-wrapped in vintage-style recycled paper, stamped with our Wear the Cape logos and finished with a big red bow. Why vintage? It symbolizes the time-honored values associated with kindness and good character.

And every item comes with a “Hero Tag”  that highlights what Wear the Cape is all about. It even presents potential scenarios to discuss with kids and to ask, “Which choices should be made?” You know….kind of like Cracker Jacks surprises, minus all of the calories and sugar. 🙂

Many of you have shared how much you appreciate that this little but chock-full-of-information Hero Tag facilitates a super important (fun!) dialogue that otherwise might not happen due to the daily sprint we call our lives. As we generate more revenue from the profit arm of our company, we will use the proceeds to reinvest in the design and production of new Hero Tags with more character-defining moments that speak to the issues that matter to you most.  We are also working hard to create other products that you’re suggesting and requesting that will help spread the kindness and character movement.

Stay tuned – more exciting choices are on the way! We’re confident that we’ll soon be able to dig out from under all the excitement and momentum that’s causing our first batch of products to fly off the shelves.  And that means you’ll have more opportunities to present the precious kiddos in your life with a ready-to-give present that gives back in more ways than one.

Once again, thank you for the AWESOME level of support. We can’t do it without you.

A Cup of Hope

A cup of _____

Less than a week ago when Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation successfully launched, an insightful woman commented that she felt like the WtC mission, tagline and kidkind foundation gave her a “cup of hope” – the phrase immediately wrapped its arms around me when I read it! There’s just something about sitting down, drinking something warm and toasty to nourish our bodies, our souls and our relationships. So rejuvenating, right?

That’s exactly what we want Wear the Cape to be in communities across the country, with you – our supporters – the cups full of hope. The overarching mission of both the brand and the foundation is to restore the power of kindness and good character; it’s meant to help communities regenerate with a renewed sense of values and respect for one another.

We are all running so fast every day. Our gadgets are sounding off; our inboxes are overflowing to the point of no return. There are bills to pay, activities to drive to and bosses to please. Some of us are so addicted to technology and the pressure to respond and be “on” that we may have even taken life threatening risks by texting in the car…while driving our kids! (Here’s my plug for no texting and driving: PLEASE, don’t do it! It’s so tempting but never worth it. The person sending a buzz your way can wait.)

All this goes to say that, for many, the days of taking the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, tea or cider have faded – but you can give someone a cup of hope every day by doing things like opening doors, striking up friendly conversation, or leaving a note on the car you accidentally dinged in the parking lot. For a few, the ritual has not been lost. I recently had lunch with a super cool friend from college named Laura. She’s one of those people who sparkles so brightly when she walks into a room that you can’t help but be swept up in her joy for her life. She appreciates every moment she’s been given on this earth.

Laura inspired me with a practice that should be so darn simple, but seems to be so complicated to achieve with all of our demands and devices. Laura told me that her job outside of the house sometimes allows her to be home when her girls get off the bus. She times their arrival, brewing a pot of coffee and making hot cocoa right before the girls return home. They then sit at the kitchen table and have a cup of “cheer” together as they discuss the day…the wins, the disappointments, the opportunities, whatever the case may be. Laura schedules that appointment with her kids like we would schedule any other priority.

My segment after school, however, resembles something like a traveling circus freak show, so I, for a moment, felt like a lackluster mom…but you know what? I’m working on it, I’m trying; everything we can do is all we can do. So here’s to all of us who are doing the best we can every day. Let’s raise a glass to giving others a “cup of hope” at every opportunity.

Cheers! And have a great week!

Crazy Heroes

Last November, when I was just in the infancy stages of my idea for Wear the Cape for all kidkind, I saw the below commercial by Coca-Cola Latin America and production company Landia. Using security cameras to capture people performing random acts of kindness, the ad encourages us to look at the world a little differently.

As John Yong observed, writing for TAXI:

Security cameras may be used to deter the bad guys from committing crimes, but occasionally they do capture acts of kindness by everyday heroes.

Some of the people in this video risked their own lives to help others, pushing vehicles off light rail tracks with an oncoming train (“Crazy Heroes”), and others just did what’s right, not what’s easy – running to return a dropped pocketbook (“Honest Pickpocketing”).

As Yong goes on to say:

These acts of kindness may take place unnoticed by many—but at least now, we get to recognize and appreciate the people who perform them.

I hope you enjoyed this brief but incredibly inspirational video as much as I did. Happy Friday!