NEW YORK & FRAMINGHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–This summer, Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) and DoSomething.org teamed up with the stars from ABC Family’s hit show Pretty Little Liars to encourage teens and Staples customers nationwide to make a difference. The collective efforts raised $810,000, the most ever in campaign history, for the fourth annual “Staples for Students” national school supply drive.

The cast of ABC Family’s series — Lucy Hale, Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, and Shay Mitchell – teamed up with Staples and DoSomething.org to kick off the national school supply drive in May starring in a public service announcement to encourage teens to join the cause.

“Throughout the entire campaign, we have seen teens rise to the occasion. The donations Staples collected will help students across the country get their school year off to a great start, and I was just so happy to be part of such a meaningful cause,” said Troian Bellisario.

Young Hollywood stars also supported the campaign by attending the Staples for Students event at the Globe Theater at Universal following the Teen Choice Awards. Along with the stars from Pretty Little Liars, actress Olivia Munn and singers JoJo, Jason Derulo and others joined teen volunteers to fill hundreds of backpacks with school supplies for Boys & Girls Club members in Los Angeles.

“I was so honored not just to host the event in Los Angeles, but to also be one of the spokespeople for this year’s campaign,” said Ashley Benson. ”I am truly inspired by the teens who came out to do something to help kids in their communities.”

All summer long, Staples customers were able to give back to their local communities by dropping off new school supplies or making a donation at the register with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting local students. Since 2008, the campaign with DoSomething.org has raised more than $2.5 million for youth throughout the country.

As part of this fourth annual campaign, Staples also provided thousands of backpacks filled with supplies to Boys & Girls Club members in communities affected by this year’s devastating tornadoes, including Tuscaloosa, Ala., Joplin, Mo. and Springfield, Mass. so children in those hard-hit areas could go back to school with the supplies they need to succeed.

“It’s been amazing to see our customers and the many teens who donate their time and energy during the summer to benefit this great cause,” said Christine Mallon, vice president of retail marketing at Staples. “We thank everyone for coming together to ensure students in our local communities will have the tools they need to succeed in school.”

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–When school’s back in session the life of the average mom gets even more hectic! With sports, family time, play-dates, and in many times full-time jobs, moms have even more to juggle and schedule. Dana Hilmer, the Lifestyle Mom, shares some helpful and time saving tips to make back to school easier for the whole family.

Efficiency is key for moms these days. Dragon Go! is a free app from Nuance allows you to simply speak to your iPhone to instantly find and experience the content you want on the mobile web, with direct access to the content providers you know and love. No more scrolling through several pages, apps and links. You can quickly and easily find reviews for local business and restaurants, book restaurant reservations, find local and online shopping, buy movie tickets, and so much more.

With sports, crafts, and busy activities every day, the school year means more laundry. You will want a really effective gel detergent that sticks to stains and leaves laundry clean and fresh. Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Power Gel Laundry Detergent combines the classic cleaning power of baking soda with twice the OxiClean stain fighters to help beat tough stains the first time.

Breakfast is STILL the most important meal of the day. Jimmy D’s Breakfast Minis are a satisfying and easy way to start the day off right with a breakfast that includes protein. They’re two mini croissant sandwiches with Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage; with 230 calories and 11 grams of protein, you can feel good about giving them to your family. Pop them in the microwave and they’re ready in less than 2 minutes, so even on the busiest mornings your family can enjoy a great breakfast.

It’s healthier AND more economical to pack lunches. King’s Hawaiian Original Sweet Mini Sub Rolls and Dinner Rolls will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. It’s a family-owned recipe that comes in a variety of sizes perfect for any type of appetite. This delicious bread is sure to make any sandwich tastier!

Finding wholesome snacks can be difficult. Perfect for a kids’ lunchbox, or for mom when she needs a break, Keebler Granola Fudge Bars are a tasty snack the entire family will love. These granola bars are a good source of fiber, have 10g of whole grains and no high fructose corn syrup.

This release is provided by YourUpdate.tv for whom Dana Hilmer is a spokesperson on behalf of the organizations referred.

For more information, please visit www.lifestylemom.com or www.yourupdate.tv.

Consumers looking for unique and helpful baby items will love the newest Parent Tested Parent Approved award winners. Whether it’s a SwaddleDuo™, a Peek Away Nursing Pillow or a Bumbo Table Companion, you can feel confident in your purchases when choosing PTPA tested products. These, among others, have recently been awarded the coveted PTPA Seal of Approval.

PTPA Media is North America’s largest parent tester community – a credible third party resource for parents with over 40,000 volunteer parent testers.
“Seeing the PTPA Winner’s Seal on a product package or website helps parents identify products that have been tested and recommended by other parents. It’s like shopping with your best friend,” says PTPA Founder and CEO, Sharon Vinderine.

Since 2008, PTPA has evaluated thousands of products and services from leading manufacturers and emerging brands. Because independent parents evaluate these products in their own homes, PTPA winners are chosen based on merit and consumer experience – not on commercial considerations.

PTPA Media is a recognized source by the media for credible and reliable recommendations for their audiences. Recognized TV personality, PTPA Founder and CEO Sharon Vinderine has presented PTPA Award winners on over 40 morning shows including the Rachael Ray Show, Fox and Friends and Canada AM.

Here are just a few of the innovative new products to receive the PTPA Winner’s Seal of Approval for their most recent 2011 campaigns:

Baby Gourmet Organic Baby Food – Great for growing taste buds this 100% organic and conveniently packaged baby food offers healthy meal variety for on-the-go babies.

Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers – Proven leakage protection made especially for squirmy, wiggly babies at changing time. Easy, fast changing time you’re going to love.

EmBelle Baby Bibs – Drool in style with these adorable bibs! These well-made character bibs will have your doctor or ballerina-to-be looking too cute.

Gummi Mat – The knobby texture allows young children to be able to easily pick up first foods from their trays. The non-slip mat reverses for seasoned diners.

Aleva Naturals™ Sleep Easy™ Baby Wash – Soothing and relaxing blend of lavender and chamomile oils to help baby into a restful sleep.

ErgoPouch Sleeping Bag – Babies love sleeping soundly in their sleeping bags. They help prevent entanglement in covers while preventing overheating. (PRWeb)

Fortunately, encouraging empathy in young children can discourage such behavior. Empathy is defined as the ability to put oneself in another person’s shoes and recognize and respond to what that person is feeling.

Building empathy helps children to consider other people’s feelings and offer expressions of understanding. It can be as simple as giving a hug, getting a towel to help clean up a spill, or sharing a box of crayons with a friend.

“The early years of life appear to be critical for the development of children’s sympathy and caring behavior,” said Dr. Nancy Eisenberg, Regents’ professor of psychology and editor of Child Development Perspectives. “Children who attend to and respond to others’ distress and need in the late preschool years are more likely to be caring and helpful people in adolescence and early adulthood. Thus, it is critical that parents and teachers be aware of ways that they can foster their children’s positive behaviors early in life.”

The 24-hour preschool television channel Sprout has de signed a campaign to help. “Kindness Counts” supports the development of empathy in preschoolers by promoting small acts of kindness that matter big. The long-term campaign includes a series of PSAs, digital and social media components and programming tie-ins with the ultimate goal of logging 1 million acts of kindness across the country.

Parents are encouraged to visit www.SproutOnline.com to add their child’s act of kindness to the Kindness Counter. Select acts are highlighted on the air during the channel’s live morning show, “The Sunny Side Up Show.” Parents can also find articles and expert advice on the value and importance of developing empathy in young children.

You must determine the different risks that your youngster might be exposed to so that you can guard her or him. They are depression, rebellion, addiction, legal rebellion, academic pressure and violence.

A child’s teenage years are likely the most testing years that parents should endure. Because teenagers battle with the changes that are occurring within them, they’re really vulnerable to several bad influences present among them.

Depression

Teenagers at risk for depression aren’t an unusual incident. Colleges have student consultants specially educated to guide adolescents dealing with the start of depression, which could be caused by various exterior and interior elements afflicting him. Depression is an early indication that could indicate more severe risks and need to be dealt with without delay.

Rebellion

Most young children rebel at a certain stage or other. Adolescent rebellion comes from pent-up disappointment, confusion and anger. The main reason teenagers rebel originates from a single desire: the need for attention. Teens often feel ignored and desire the attention as well as approval of the people they look up to. They are at an age where they are assessing the waters and struggling with defining their particular personality and place within the modern society.

Addiction

Teenagers believe it is very challenging to manage all the perplexing changes which perpetually surround them. Due to this and pressure from peers, teens are really susceptible to addiction and substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol are two of the most risky aspects that could be present in a teen’s life.

Lawful rebellion

Some teenagers consider breaking the rules to a whole new level and are occasionally goaded by their good friends to destroy the law. It breaks a parent’s soul to know that their child has been detained even for the slightest reason. This should clearly be a red flag as lawful rebellion can lead to catastrophic problem and ruin bright futures.

Instructional pressure

The demands of educational excellence could place substantial stress on an adolescent. The need and drive to succeed in order to achieve entrance into top schools and universities can take its toll on your child’s mental well being. To help keep depression and also rebellion at bay, it is very important as a parent to make sure that your adolescent approaches his studies with a wide open mind and is not pushed to take classes and do things they are not comfortable with. Encourage and motivate your kid even when they are not performing as well as you hope they’d. Usually, adolescents desire their parents’ acceptance, and you need to do your part to comfort them with the knowledge that you will always be there for them no matter what.

Violence

Each time we hear of a college shooting, our blood works cold. There’s no question that teenagers experience stress and pressure that if not well-contained can bubble up to the surface in a volcanic spit of frustration. Adolescents today are exposed to brutal films and violence from their buddies in school. From hallway bullies to big time thugs, your child may be vulnerable to the physical and mental pain that may be inflicted by his friends. Become meticulous at all times for behavioral changes, and spend some time getting your kid to trust you enough to seek your protection and advice.

You must safeguard your adolescents from the very actual dangers that these threat pose. Identifying the issue is the first step you can take, but careful attention has to be paid to help them out of it.