A peek at the NEW Teacher’s Lesson Planner!

Posted on April 25, 2016 by admin

Teachers have always been near and dear to my heart. My mom & dad were both teachers and many of my besties from grade school went into the field of education. A few years ago, some of my teacher friends were complaining about how few choices they had for lesson planners and classroom decor…. “all we have to choose from are covered in googly-eyed apples and dancing rulers!” It was then that I knew my team could help…EC Teacher’s Lesson Planner to the rescue!

Each year we launch a new edition and here are just a few “sneak peeks” inside! We updated the inside pages, refreshed the designs, added more pages for notes in between the months and added more options (like metallic!) After all, these gals are stylish and inspirational, so should their Lesson Planners be!

I’m so excited about this newest edition of the Teacher’s Lesson Planner – I love listening to customer feedback, having focus groups with my friends and getting to the bottom of exactly what changes can be made to make it even better. I hope you agree, but I think this year may be the golden* (wink) or even the rosy* (wink wink) year for the #ECTLP!

Check out our latest video debuting the newest version of the Teacher’s Lesson Planner!

#VIPlanner Sneak Peek: Design

Posted on April 22, 2016 by admin

Hard to believe this will be the 10th Edition of the LifePlanner™, I feel like this (planner) party is just getting started! Our #VIPlanner program gives you early & exclusive access to the biggest “party” (aka: launch) of the year!

This week we are giving a sneak peek into the inspiration behind this year’s interior design theme of the LifePlanner™. While in the process of a much anticipated home remodel, I’ve been so energized by all the patterns and tile designs. I fell in love with this idea of a modern take on concentric circles, and after collaborating with my design team (and the pantone library of color), “Midcentury Circles” was born!

Then, after another long overdue project of clearing out my closet, I came across this skirt I wore on Christmas 15 years ago when pregnant with my twins. It seems that I’ve always had an eye for this timeless midcentury modern framework and I’m thrilled to weave it in and out of the new LifePlanner™ collection.

I hope you love this aesthetic as much as I do… “Midcentury Circles” makes its debut in subtle places throughout the book and is the perfect splash of color to brighten and inspire.

We are SO excited to reveal even more about the 2017 LifePlanner™…stay tuned and welcome to the #VIPlanner pre-party!

Putting the FUN in Fundraising: Hearts of Hermosa 2016

Posted on April 20, 2016 by admin

With more cuts in state funding of public schools, it’s becoming more and more challenging to get the support we need to get the education our kids deserve. Years ago, our precious school had to cut our our music program and we fight each year to save our library and other valuable assets that can’t survive without the funds we raise in our community.

Our largest fundraiser of the year is called HEARTS OF HERMOSA and we literally pop a (huge) tent in a parking lot in the heart of Hermosa Beach.

The committee of volunteers is incredible, and the key is making it FUN so others want to get involved! We have to learn how to get creative on a budget so here are some tips to help YOU put the FUN into your fundraising!

Without a big budget for beautiful blooms, choose simple florals that make a big impact. The cascading green Amaranthus was the perfect compliment to the large Hydrangeas and made it easy for a team of volunteers to arrange at all the sponsored tables. Call on local businesses to fill a “swag bag.” Promotional giveaways are great marketing for many small town shops and everyone loves to leave with a party favor!

Don’t leave out the crafty moms! This hand-painted broom started at $50 and really complemented my evening’s look!

Create unique and one-of-a-kind auction items that people will want to fight for! We have each classroom create a special project for the silent auction and I am always blown away by the creativity! Precious photos and wall art always seem to get the highest bids.

Don’t forget to call on your local photographer to provide a photo booth!

Create a committee to solicit donations from your favorite companies all over the country! It is tax deductible for their business and it will hopefully bring more eyeballs to their products and websites.

As a business owner and donor myself, it feels good to give back! We get hundreds of requests each month for donations and just couldn’t keep up with the inquiries. Soooo, we are automating this process through the website and hope to be set up soon to send an EC Donation Kit to support your cause later this year!

How to throw a goodbye party you DONUT want to miss!

Posted on April 18, 2016 by admin

When it comes to goodbye parties, I like to keep them lighthearted and upbeat. One of our team members from our Los Angeles office was fulfilling her lifelong dream to move to her dream city and we decided to honor her with a fun and celebratory party, because while we were sad to see her go, we were so happy to see her follow her dreams!

A love of donuts inspired the decor, theme and food for this party and we really went all out!

It was a (bitter)sweet way to say goodbye!

Spring Cleaning: Desk Decor

Posted on April 14, 2016 by admin

Spring is here and I’m itching to get cleaning! Today’s blog post is all about what you can do to clean up your workspace and infuse it with some adorable (and easy!) touches that will help you stay organized and look polished and stylish! I took over one of our desks in the office for a total makeover and absolutely loved the results & am ready to show you how to recreate them on your desk!

First up : one of our new motivational acrylic blocks is the perfect paperweight. It does double duty by providing essential function while also inspiring and adding stunning metallic detailing to your desk decor!

While you may use your quote acrylic block as more of a functional tool, display a favorite photo or memory on your desk on a chic acrylic block! (How gorgeous is this wedding snapshot from our social media maven?!)

A medium acrylic tray is the perfect way to hold your desk accessories, office knick knacks and other miscellaneous items. Avoid adding clutter to your desktop and show some personal style with a gorgeous patterned tray.

A rose gold mint julep cup is a trendy way to store loose pens or other supplies (also obsessed with the rose gold scissors from Anthropologie!) Any mug or cup will do to wrangle these loose items, but I went with the rose theme. If you can’t tell I’m kind of obsessed.

A clear acrylic file folder holder from the container store is the perfect way to keep file folders organized. I mixed and matched geode folders in different color ways for a system that organized documents related to different departments.

Flowers get expensive and and are hard to maintain, so I like to choose longer-lasting plants like this adorable succulent. Not only does it match the color scheme of the overall desk, but it barely needs any attention and it is too cute. Of course the key to keeping it all together is a LifePlanner™ or TakeNote™ Notebook. (Pictured is the stunning new In Bloom Rose Gold NoteBook!) A carry-all clutch is the perfect way to transport your book and protect it from any wear and tear from home to the office.

The final product! It’s really that easy! Now I’m inspired to tackle mine….