Preface: 

For the past four hours, I’ve searched for this game to the point where it has made me physically sick. This marks the third session I’ve had searching for this game and not finding it. But this time, I discovered this subreddit. And, after going through others' requests and still no dice. I decided to make my own post. Here’s the problem: There’s a possibility this game does not exist; that I’ve compiled two games into one. I only have three mental images of this game, and they all take place before I was six or seven years old. I was born in 2005 and I remember playing this at libraries and at my daycare. I have already submitted a request to my local library on the search, but throwing out multiple lines. Here’s the template with the information filled into the best of my ability: Platform(s): Windows Computer - 95% Confident.
Genre: Educational - 60% Confident, Preschool / Toddler - 95% Confident, Mini-game Collection or Activity Center - 100%
Estimated year of release: Unknown, Popular or Standard for Daycares & Libraries in 2005-2011.
Graphics/art style: Jungle or Rain Forest Theme Very Detailed, Not Flat 2D
Notable characters: Animals, Cannot Recall Humans
Notable gameplay mechanics: Drawing Activity & Music Activity (Option to Play Xylophone)
Other details: Through my research, I know what games they are not.

• Jumpstart Explorers (Not as Guided) Jungle Rangers (Too Many People, Different Graphics) Rainforest Adventure (Different Graphics) Jungle Junction: The Great Jungle Race Jungle Jamboree Wilderness Wonders: Rainforest Edition Jungle Jive: Drawing and Music Medley Jungle Jam Session: Drawing and Music Madness (Nothing That’s Themed After a Popular Cartoon Character)

Installed on computers meant for young children. Like, you’d turn on the computer and you’d be in the game world, there was no desktop screen. I don’t believe these computers with these games were meant for anything else but for young children to play on, like a kid-mode to make sure we didn’t access the Internet.

Hello there!
We're a (16+ years old or older) Hetalia roleplay only server looking for new roleplayers to play with our large roleplay group. Our community is very friendly, welcoming, and active.
We accept 1ps, 1p Nyos, 2ps, 2p Nyos, micronations, and country OCs with many openings for 1p characters including Belarus, Romania, Iceland, Bulgaria, Turkiye, Greece and more.
Please be aware that upon joining you won't be able to see the full server as we require all new members to read the rules and fill out a small template. We also do not accept lurkers and require anyone who joins to claim a character. We are a group server but most roleplays are 1x1, and we do not allow for advertising for DM only roleplays.
About the Server:

• LGBTQIA+ friendly and any intolerance towards members of the LGBTQIA+ community will not be tolerated
• Rapids or full length lit posts (all depending on what works the best for you!)
• A responsive, respectful and active moderating team
• Plenty of fun OOC channels to chat in about other interests
• Voice chat and places to stream movies or games, sing karaoke, etc.
• Friendly and active roleplaying community
• Tupperbox and Pluralkit (and many other bots)
• Multiple AUs
• Events
• 18+ section (with ID shared with Mods)

AUs:

• Modern day Canonverse
• Rapids section with a character chatroom and a DM section
• Cardverse
• Hogwarts
• Modern Witch
• Pirates
• Pokémon
• Preschool
• Slice of Life (Human AU)
• Supernatural
• University
• Wild West

Please reply if you're interested and I will share a link with you. If there is a character you're interested in playing, please also reach out and I will let you know if they are available. Thanks!

Sunday, January 7th, 2024
o Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
o Why is there military involvement at the state legislature?
o Is there a class I can take in junior high on how to invest my money?
o Who is in control of outer space and space exploration?
o Is there a way to copy sewing patterns to make different size shirts?
o Who still sells fabric by the meter or yard or where can I order it from?
o Can I make my own pom-poms? (cheer / dance)
o How do I know how to search for something if I don’t know how to spell what it’s called?
o Why is flash photography sometimes banned?
o Is there a class I can take to learn how to be a waitress?
o Who can become a doctor for people in terms of school age?
o Who can invent their own board games or video games?
o Can someone post pictures of Friday night buffet?
o What is a trade person and how do I become one?
o Can I take the bus to the shopping center?
o Can someone post prices of Sunday buffet?
o Is anyone going to Las Vegas for spring break?
o How do I apply for an internship and do you make money at all from one?
o Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, popularity, purchase volume, and dollar [currency] value:
o Number 12.
§ Purchase activewear clothing and fitness and exercise-related apparel
· Top 2 favorite color palettes:
o White and teal (most popular)
o Red and orange
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per receipt is: $201.88 U.S. Dollar (USD) retail price
o Number 11.
§ Sign-up and register and make the full payment for one session of singing lessons
· Each session runs for 6 weeks
· Lessons are held once weekly and each lesson lasts for 45 minutes
· Average (ideal) consumer budget per session is: $280.00 USD retail sales price
o Number 10.
§ Purchase indoor running shoes to wear to the gym
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per pair is: $169.81 USD retail price
o Number 9.
§ Purchase scratch-off lottery tickets or snap-open (redeemable at the place of purchase) lottery tickets
· Average denomination per single play ticket is: $4.00 USD retail luck price
o Number 8.
§ Book and schedule and make the full payment for a shore excursion that relates to an already booked and scheduled cruise vacation
· Top 4 most popular shore excursions:
o Retail Markets Bus Tour (Playa del Carmen, Mexico)(most popular)
o Surf & Sun & Sail & Swim & Snorkel (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
o Campfire Cookout on the Beach (Maya Riviera, Mexico)
o Diamond Rings and Pretty Things (Brussels, Belgium)
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per person per excursion is: $4,999.99 USD retail sales price
o Number 7.
§ Make a hotel reservation (accommodations for 1 night) and make the full payment for a Valentine’s Day celebration that will take place sometime in the month of March 2024
· Top 3 favorite features of the hotel:
o Friday night availability in terms of occupancy (most important)
o Restaurant on-site or on the property or there is room service available between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and midnight
o Heated, indoor swimming pool
· Average (ideal) consumer budget per 1 night’s stay is: $199.99 USD retail sales price
o Number 6.
§ Sign-up and register and make the full payment and join an amateur hockey team for the 2024 season
· Average consumer purchase price, not including the cost of equipment is: $1400.00 USD retail sales price
o Number 5.
§ Play Bingo at a Hall or Event Center for a charitable cause
· Groups of 12 are the most common
· Average number of cards played per person per (game) play: 5
· Average total dollar amount played per person: $82.00 USD
· Average winner’s take: $190.00 USD
· Probability of a win: 1 in 41,991
o Number 4.
§ Play Chase the Ace at a Bingo Hall or Event Center in support of a non-profit organization
· Groups of 9 are the most common
· Average winner’s take: $4,118.00 USD
· Probability of a win: 1 in 12,361
o Number 3.
§ Prepare and make homemade guacamole
· As an add-on or topping for these Top 3 favorite dishes:
o Pizza (most popular)
o Hot pastry pockets stuffed with cheese and onion
o Marble rye bread
o Number 2.
§ Prepare homemade cupcakes from scratch
· Top 3 favorite flavors of batter:
o Vanilla (most popular)
o Red Velvet
o Birthday Cake
· Top 2 favorite flavors of buttercream frosting:
o Chocolate Bean Supreme
o Double Espresso Fudge
o Number 1.
§ Go out for dinner and eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet within the city limits or before the state line
· Top 4 favorite buffet features as advertised:
o Prime rib as a prepared menu item (most valued)
o Kids under 5 (years of age) eat free with a paying adult
o Omelet station as an evening menu enabled offering
o Bottomless soft drink, coffee, and tea included in the purchase price
· Average consumer purchase price not including seating fee or gratuity for groups of less than 12 per party (USD):
o Adults 18 – 54 years of age ($29.99)
o Senior Citizens 55+ years of age ($24.99)
o Young Adults 13 – 17 years of age ($19.99)
o Kids 10 – 12 years of age ($12.99)
o Kids 9 years of age and less (Free)
· Groups of 9 – 12 are the most common
· Average consumer purchase price per receipt is: $294.80 USD retail sales price
o 489 day record for the number of people…
o House-hunting and looking at homes and properties while accompanied by a real estate agent, a property developer (show homes), or the owner (for sale by owner)
o Record breaking numbers between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (time shifted to local time) for the purchase of:
o Lamps, including desktop, countertop, floor, end-table, ceiling-mounted, and chandelier varieties
§ +12,090% compared to the same 12-hour time period on the same date in the year 2022
§ +1,900% compared to any 12-hour time period on any date in the month of January in the year 2022
§ +465.% compared to any 12-hour time period on any date in any month in the year 2022
§ 4,718 day record for sales
§ Average (ideal) consumer budget per fixture is: $419.91 U.S. Dollars (USD)
Monday, January 8th, 2024
o Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
o What chores are considered housework and which chores are manual labor?
o What time do most babysitters get off work?
o Is there a way to change the font size to less than 8?
o Is a smoking jacket considered semi-formal dress or casual dress?
o How do I do up and tie a smoking jacket?
o What is a wrist corsage?
o What is a boutonniere?
o How do I find wordings for a debate argument?
o Is there a template I can use for an invoice and receipt book?
o What is Rangoon?
o Where do I buy the right serger for home ec class?
o How do I make a torte and what does the dish look like?
o Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, popularity, purchase volume, and dollar [currency] value:
o Number 5.
§ Book and schedule and make the full payment for an itinerary excursion that relates to an already booked and scheduled spring break vacation on land
· Top 4 most popular itinerary excursions:
o Tea and Crumpets on the British Isles (most popular)
o Waiting for the Dough (New York City, New York)
o Holding out for Dough (Atlanta, Georgia)
o Prison Break (San Francisco, California)
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per excursion is: $109.99 USD retail sales price
o Number 4.
§ Purchase a mattress new in the wrap
· Queen size mattresses are the necessary favorite
· Average (ideal) consumer budget is: $209.99 USD retail price
o Number 3.
§ Purchase tickets and then see a movie at the movie theater
· Preferred runtime for these showings is: 61 minutes
· Average ticket purchase price (USD):
o Children 5 – 12 years of age ($5.99)
o Youth 13 – 17 years of age ($9.99)
o Adults 18 – 64 years of age ($12.99)
o Adults 64 years of age and older ($10.99)
o Number 2.
§ Arrange for childcare or hire a nanny or register a child for preschool or daycare at a facility or in an environment where enrichment education is offered as a part of the core learning plan, and this is for the upcoming summer months
· Average consumer budget per hour of care (where offered as) is: $42.00 USD retail sales price
· Average consumer budget per care day (where offered as) is: $321.00 USD retail sales price
o Number 1.
§ Schedule professional housecleaning or maid services as part of a new once weekly routine
· Average consumer purchase price per week for a 2 bedroom and 2 full bath home is: $400.00 USD retail sales price
o 9,892 day sales record for the purchase of:
o Water purifiers with an activated charcoal filter and a 12 cup capacity
§ These are called point-of-care units
§ The filters need to be changed and replaced every 2-4 weeks depending on the quality of the tap water and how often the purifier is used
§ Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per unit, including 4 disposable filters is: $199.99 USD retail price
o Record breaking numbers between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (time shifted to local time) for the purchase of:
o Fuel, 87 octane-rated gasoline
§ Average cost per liter (where sold as) is: $1.00 USD retail cost price
§ Average cost per imperial gallon (where sold as) is: $3.97 USD retail cost price
§ Average cost per U.S. gallon (where sold as) is: $4.01 USD retail cost price
Tuesday, January 9th, 2024
o Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
o How do I self-clean the oven on my own?
o How far is it to the beach from my hotel?
o Can I walk to the beach from the resort?
o Does anyone sell jelly sandals like flip-flops in the wintertime?
o Who still lets you swim with the dolphins like before?
o What do you need for a business to become a maid in other people’s homes?
o Is there a website that’s best for entertaining for couples and cooking for 2 or more?
o Who can I ask to come with me to buy a Valentine’s Day present for my girlfriend?
o What does a fishtail for hair look like?
o Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, popularity, purchase volume, and dollar [currency] value:
o Number 3.
§ Make road-trip travel plans
· For return (there and back) travel between the dates of February 19th - March 4th, 2024 inclusive
· Top 9 Road-Trip Travel Destinations:
o Cabo, Mexico (most popular)
o Monterey, California
o Seattle, Washington
o Lexington, United Kingdom
o Glasgow, Scotland
o Stockholm, Sweden
o Toronto, Ontario
o Tijuana, Mexico
o New York City, New York
· Average number of miles (kilometers) per return trip is: 483 miles (772.8 kilometers)
o Number 2.
§ Make arrangements or reservations for hotel / resort accommodations, air or ground travel, and equipment rental, and make a payment of at least 75% of the full purchase price, for an all-inclusive ski vacation package
· For travel between the dates of January 19th – April 1st, 2024 inclusive
· Groups of 7 – 24 are the most common
· Average (ideal) consumer budget per person, excluding lift ticket is: $4085.81 USD retail sales price
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price for a 1-day lift ticket is: $81.00 USD retail cost price
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price for a 2-day lift ticket is: $150.00 USD retail cost price
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price for a 3-day weekend pass lift ticket is: $225.00 USD retail cost price
o Number 1.
§ Go out for dinner and eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet within the city limits or before the state line
o 3,775 day sales record for the purchase of:
o Record players that play vinyl records, including 45’s
§ Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per record player is: $391.89 USD retail price
o Record breaking numbers between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (time shifted to local time) for the purchase of:
o Postage stamps
§ +9,811% compared to the same 12-hour time period on the same date in the year 2022
§ +812.% compared to any 12-hour time period on any date in the month of January in the year 2022
§ +14.% compared to any 12-hour time period on any date in any month in the year 2022
§ 218 day record for sales
§ Average denomination per postage stamp is: $1.43 dollars all currency
Wednesday, January 10th, 2024
o Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
o How do I make bundt cake and are there different size pans I can buy?
o Is there bronzer that stays on in the sun?
o What does it mean to have an acquired taste for something?
o Can you make licorice at home like red or black or green shoelaces?
o What is the proper book report format?
o Can anyone get a library card for free and where?
o How much does it cost for new home windows all around?
o Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, popularity, purchase volume, and dollar [currency] value:
o Number 9.
§ Go out for dinner and eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet within the city limits or before the state line
o Number 8.
§ Order take-out food from a local restaurant using a mobile device and a web-enabled application and have it delivered by a third-party food delivery service
· Top 5 favorite types or kinds or styles of cuisine:
o American (most popular)
o Chinese food
o Italian
o Sudanese cuisine
o Greek
· Home delivery for Groups of 9 are the most common
· Average consumer purchase price per receipt is: $181.86 USD
o Number 7.
§ Sign-up and register and make the full payment and join a men’s league amateur ice hockey team for the 2024 season
o Number 6.
§ Purchase a smartphone complete with a 1-year activation plan
· Average (ideal) consumer budget per smartphone is: $199.00 USD retail sales price
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per month based on a fixed 1-year contract is: $89.00 USD retail cost price
o Number 5.
§ Purchase a membership and make the first and last months monthly payment for a gun club that has a certified firing range, and this is in context of a legally acquired and possessed firearm
o Number 4.
§ Purchase a wedding band made of 14 karat white, yellow, or rose gold that is fitted to size
· Average (ideal) consumer budget is: $901.00 USD retail price
o Number 3.
§ Play Bingo at a Hall or Event Center for a charitable cause
o Number 2.
§ Play Chase the Ace at a Bingo Hall or Event Center in support of a non-profit organization
o Number 1.
§ Purchase tickets and then see a movie at the movie theater
Thursday, January 11th, 2024
o Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
o Does anyone still have candy on sale left over from the holidays?
o Where can I buy a crock cooking pot that can cook raw food?
o Is it hard to learn how to tap dance as an adult?
o Where can I buy a leotard and shoes for dance class?
o Who still gives acting lessons?
o Is it too late to sign up for the basketball team at school?
o Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, popularity, purchase volume, and dollar [currency] value:
o Number 9.
§ Sign-up and register and make the complete payment for snowmobiling lessons
· Lessons are held daily over the course of 3 days and each lesson is 4 hours in length with one 15-minute hot-chocolate warm-up break included each day
· Average consumer purchase price per person, including snowmobile and helmet rental is: $1,600.00 USD retail sales price
o Number 8.
§ Order take-out food from a local restaurant using a mobile device and a web-enabled application and have it delivered by a third-party food delivery service
· Top 5 favorite types or kinds or styles of cuisine:
o Mexican food (most popular)
o Chinese food
o American
o Greek
o Sudanese cuisine
· Home delivery for Groups of 5 are the most common
· Average consumer purchase price per receipt is: $105.83 USD
o Number 7.
§ Sign-up and register and make the full payment and join an amateur league American / Canadian football team for the Spring and Summer 2024 season
o Number 6.
§ Go shopping at a shopping mall and, generally speaking, browse the merchandise and service provision
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per all subtotal receipts per person is: $14.91 USD retail price
o Number 5.
§ Go out and eat dinner at an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant within the city limits or before the state line
o Number 4.
§ Purchase tickets and then see a movie at the movie theater
o Number 3.
§ Go shopping at a shopping mall and, generally speaking, browse the merchandise and service provision
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per all subtotal receipts per person is: $18.02 USD retail price
o Number 2.
§ Purchase a junior prom, prom, or grad dress, including 4 dress fittings and any necessary alterations
· Average (ideal) consumer gift price is: $1019.20 USD retail sales price
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price is: $905.81 USD retail sales price
o Number 1.
§ Purchase a men’s 4-piece dress suit for junior prom, prom, or grad, including 2 fittings and tailoring to fit
· Average (ideal) consumer gift price is: $1219.11 USD retail sales price
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price is: $812.91 USD retail sales price
o 477 day sales record for the purchase of a gasoline-fueled car in the style of a 4-door Sedan
o Average (ideal) consumer purchase price (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) per Sedan is: $19,051 USD
o Compilation of financing data:
§ Down payment (% of final purchase price)
· 1.0% (most common) > 5.0% > 8.0% > 10.0%
§ Term length
· 9-year (most popular) > 12-year > 5-year > 1-year
§ Interest Rate
· 4.95% (most common) > 3.91% > 4.01% > 8.00%
Friday, January 12th, 2024
o Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
o How do I make a resumé that sets me apart from other people?
o Is it too early for Christmas shopping?
o Who celebrates Chinese New Year and when?
o What is the best smelling perfume on the market as of today?
o Who does home cleaning out of their own home like a person or couple?
o What is the going rate for math tutors?
o Do people still do deep-frying at home or no?
o How do I start my own hotdog food cart?
o How do they make money at the Mint and can I watch?
o Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, popularity, purchase volume, and dollar [currency] value:
o Number 4.
§ Go shopping at a shopping mall and, generally speaking, browse the merchandise and service provision
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per all subtotal receipts per person is: $14.91 USD retail price
o Number 3.
§ Sign-up and register and make payment for a session of cooking classes in the style of Pastry cuisine
· Top 3 favorite class-prepared pastry delights:
o Double Chocolate Croissant
o Butter Tarts with Raisins and Nutmeg Spice
o Double Butter Tarts and French Onion Soup
Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per session, including all ingredients is: $400.00 USD retail cost price
o Number 2.
§ Create a short video of less than 4 minutes in length with the intent of uploading it to a social media site at some time in the near future
o Number 1.
§ Purchase a session package of indoor tanning minutes at an indoor suntanning studio or bar
· Average number of minutes purchased per person is: 200
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per session package is: $99.00 USD retail sales price
o 881 day sales record for the purchase of a Set of 4 winter snow tires off the rim
o Type of vehicle for which the purpose was intended, listed in descending order:
§ Truck (most common)
§ Electric car
§ Conversion Van
§ Sport Utility Vehicle
§ Gas powered 4-door car
§ Hybrid car
§ Electric car
o Average (ideal) consumer purchase price is: $1299.99 USD sales price plus levy
Saturday, January 13th, 2024
o Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
o What does it mean to make peach cobbler?
o Is there a way to bake cookies in an air fryer?
o Who has ballroom dresses on sale for a decent price?
o Is there a way to know what kind of countertops are in my kitchen?
o Is there a way to have someone deliver a newspaper to my house from somewhere else?
o Who still does taste-sampling at the store?
o What do I wear for ski trip? (the chaperoned trip with school for junior high and high school age students)
o Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, popularity, purchase volume, and dollar [currency] value:
o Number 4.
§ Order take-out food from a local restaurant using a mobile device and a web-enabled application and have it delivered by a third-party food delivery service
· Top 9 favorite types or kinds or styles of cuisine:
o Chinese food (most popular)
o Mexican food
o Japanese food
o American
o Italian
o Greek
o Sudanese cuisine
o Nigerian cuisine
o French cuisine
· Home delivery for Groups of 4 are the most common
· Average consumer purchase price per receipt is: $81.98 USD
o Number 3.
§ Sign-up and register and make the full installation payment for one session of traditional ballroom dance class lessons
· Lessons are held once weekly and the session runs for 10 weeks
· Each class is 45 minutes in length
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per session (not including shoes or costume) is: $199.00 USD retail sales price
o Number 2.
§ Sign-up and register and make the full payment for a session of cooking classes in the style of Italian cuisine
· Top 3 favorite class-prepared meals:
o Penne primavera
o Linguini alfredo
o Chicken parmesan on a bed of vermicelli noodles
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per session, including all ingredients is: $714.00 USD retail cost price
o Number 1.
§ Go shopping at a shopping mall and, generally speaking, browse the merchandise and service provision
· Average (ideal) consumer purchase price per all subtotal receipts per person is: $12.19 USD retail price
o 37 day sales record for the purchase of:
o Air conditioners, residential type, including ground sealed fixtures (the kind that are placed on a poured cement pad or on anchored cement blocks) and blow-through air conditioning units (the kind that are installed in a window or door and that are fixed to the sash)
§ Average number of British Thermal Units (BTU’s) per air conditioner is: 1200
§ Average (ideal) consumer budget per unit, not including the cost of installation is: $1999.00 USD retail price
o Worldwide Indices and Metrics
o The worldwide gross domestic product as of 4:00 p.m. central standard time today is: -1219.01
​
Source:
jenniferjoybrenleynyhof.com

Hello declutter! I am working on a "donation guide" that will go in the "useful links" section. I'd like to ask you to read what I have come up with and add any other ideas or suggestions you may have. If you're from outside of the US, please let me know so I can highlight any ex-US options.
I will periodically post categories of the guide for review. If you have an urgent request, let me know and I will work on that topic next.
Today's topic is ARTS, CRAFTS, & HOBBY SUPPLIES.
FYI, the default for any "gently used item in good condition" is always going to be 1) donate to your local thrift store and 2) offer up on-line. My goal is to capture any less obvious donation (including recycling) opportunities.
And remember, trash is always an option!
Arts, Crafts, & Hobby Supplies
This includes: acrylic paint & supplies, aida cloth & cross-stitch supplies, adhesives, art storage containers, beading & jewelry making supplies, books, calligraphy tools, candle making supplies, canvases, cardstock, ceramic bisque & supplies, charcoal, coin collecting supplies, colored pencils, coloring books, craft paper, cutting mats, decoupage, die cutting, drafting supplies, drawing boards, drawing pencils, drawing pens, easels, elastic, embossing tools, embroidery floss & supplies, epoxy resin, erasers, fabric, fabric painting, frames & framing tools, full-spectrum lighting, gel pens, glue, ink pads, inks, interfacing, kilns & firing tools, knitting, kraft paper, lace, leather & leather carving supplies, light boxes, light tables, macramé cord & supplies, magnets, markers, matboard & matting tools, modeling clay, molds & casting, mosaics, mounting board, oil paint & supplies, paint brushes, paint palettes, paper crafts, paper maché, pastels, patterns, plastic canvas, picture hanging hardware, polymer clay, portfolios, pottery clay & supplies, printmaking tools, quilting notions & supplies, rock tumbling supplies, rotary cutters, rug making supplies, rulers, sandpaper, scissors, soap making supplies, stamp crafting supplies, stamp collecting supplies, stencils, tools, scrapbooking paper & supplies, sculpture & carving tools, sewing baskets, sewing notions & supplies, sharpeners, sketchbooks, spray paint, stained glass & supplies, stencils, stickers, stretcher bars, sumi-e inks & supplies, tatting cord & supplies, templates, tempera paint & supplies, thread, transfers, weaving supplies, washi tape, watercolor paint & supplies, wire sculpture supplies, wood & woodworking tools, wood burning supplies, wood carving tools, wood panels, wood turning blanks & tools, wrapping paper, yarn, zippers, etc.
Thrift store - anything in new or like new condition will probably sell the best. Check out the store and see what they have for sale. If your items are in similar or better condition, then chances are good that they will end up on the shelves. When in doubt, call and ask the store what they will accept.
Offer up on-line - know your supplies are going to a good home and put an actual face to your donation. This would be especially appropriate for used items in good but less-than-resalable condition. And you never know what crazy stuff other people want for projects.
See if there's a local arts/crafts swap group on MeetUp or on Facebook.
Craft Closet, Craft Exchange, and other creative reuse centers will generally accept used arts & craft supplies. Do a Google search for "Craft Closet + your zip code" or "creative reuse center + your zip code" and see if there are any opportunities in your community.
Many communities have an open studio that provides project space and supplies for a variety of arts & crafts for children and adults of all ages and abilities. Do a Google search for "open studio + your zip code" and find out if there is a studio near you.
Daycare/childcare providers, nursery schools, preschools, Head Start programs, Montessori educators, public and private school teachers, scout troops, after school programs, etc may accept gently used arts & craft supplies for their school/centeclassroom. Budgets are tight and teachers often have to pay for school supplies out of pocket. Contact the office or a teacheprovider directly and ask if they are interested in what you have to donate.
Retirement homes, nursing homes, and adult day care centers are always looking for arts & craft supplies for their residents and clients.
Domestic violence/sexual assault shelters, homeless shelters, and other supportive/transitional housing may accept gently used donations for their clients. Do a Google search for "women's shelter + your zip code" or "homeless shelter + your zip code" or "transitional housing + your zip code" to find contact information for any facilities in your area.
Your place of worship may accept gently used arts & craft supplies for religious education or childcare services. They may know of a specific individual or family in need. Do a Google search for "religion of choice + family services + your zip code."
There are a variety of social services that help support families in need, foster and adoption services, homeless and/or refugee populations, indigenous groups, victims of domestic abuse/violence, addiction recovery, disastefire relief, etc. Your municipal/county Social Services department or United Way Chapter should be able to refer you to a local organization that helps at-risk families in your local area.
Or do a Google search for "used art/used craft supply donation + your zip code" and see if there are any local programs accepting donations.

Note: there are literally a bazillion organizations that will accept donations of used arts & craft supplies at local drop-off locations or by mail - I am not going to list any of these specific programs.

Little Free Library https://littlefreelibrary.org/map/ some libraries may accept gently used arts & craft supplies but make sure to contact the homeowner or business before adding any non-book donations.
There are many resale stores that deal exclusively in craft supplies - most of them accept donations of clean, reusable art and craft supplies. Do a Google search for "used craft supplies + your zip code" or "recycle art supplies + your zip code" and find out if there is a store near you.
Recycling:
Most regular and glossy paper and non-metallic paper can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.
Art canvas and canvas board is not recyclable, but used canvases can be painted over and reused so offer up online.
Pottery/terracotta clay can be reclaimed: https://potterymakinginfo.com/news/recycle-clay/

If you know of any art, craft, hobby supplies that an be similarly reused/recycled (rather than trashed) please let me know so I can add it to this section and our upcoming recycling guide.

Staples (https://www.staples.com/stores/recycling) accepts crayons, pens & markers, and wooden & mechanical pencils.
TerraCycle has a Zero Waste Box for a variety of art supplies: https://shop.terracycle.com/en-US/products/art-supplies-zero-waste-box
Note: used artist's paints - oil-based paint and paint thinner are usually classified as hazardous household waste but I'm not finding any specific information on line - I'm waiting to hear back from my local waste management company and country recycling program for general advice on what to do with dried-out or spoiled art paints & other liquid supplies.

If there are any other art, craft, hobby supplies that are considered hazardous household waste and/or cannot go in household garbage, please let me know.

That's what I have so far. As always, any comments, suggestions, feedback is appreciated.

Introduction

Welcome to Nowtech Academy, where we believe in crafting magical memories for your preschoolers. This Christmas, we bring you a delightful Letter to Santa template designed exclusively for our Pembroke Pines community. Let the festive journey begin!

Why Write a Letter to Santa?

The tradition of writing letters to Santa is more than just a festive custom; it's a magical way for preschoolers to express their wishes and dreams. At Nowtech Academy, we encourage creativity and joy in learning, and what better way to do so than with a heartfelt letter to Santa?
Our vibrant Pembroke Pines community adds a unique flavor to this timeless tradition. Encourage parents to help their little ones incorporate local elements or share Pembroke Pines holiday traditions in their letters, making the experience even more personal and special.

Download Our Free Letter to Santa Template

To make this holiday season even more exciting, we've created an exclusive Letter to Santa template for your preschoolers. Download the template here and watch as your child's imagination takes flight. It's the perfect activity to enjoy as a family and share the joy of the season.

Tips for Personalizing the Letter

Discover creative ways to personalize your child's letter – from drawing pictures to including specific wishes or mentioning acts of kindness. Make this activity a bonding experience that not only spreads holiday cheer but also enhances your child's communication skills.

The Joy of Learning at Nowtech Academy

At Nowtech Academy, we believe in making learning a joyful adventure. Explore our preschool programs that seamlessly blend education with fun, ensuring your child's growth in a nurturing environment. This holiday season, let's celebrate the magic of learning together!
Join Nowtech Academy in creating festive memories that last a lifetime! Enroll your child today to experience a world where learning is an enchanting journey. Contact us at (954) 589-1530 and let this Christmas be filled with wonder and discovery!

Conclusion

As you download our Letter to Santa template, envision the smiles it will bring to your preschooler's face. At Nowtech Academy, we're dedicated to fostering joy, creativity, and a love for learning in every child. Share your experiences on social media using #NowtechMagic, and let's make this Pembroke Pines holiday season truly magical!

An experienced digital marketing agency has the marketing expertise to help franchise businesses develop robust strategies to generate profitable results across locations. Below, we explore the basics of franchise marketing and effective practices for each channel.

What is Franchise Marketing?

Franchise marketing incorporates marketing tactics such as print, digital, commercial, and radio advertising to raise brand awareness, maintain customer loyalty, and generate new business for a franchise. While traditional forms of marketing like advertising in relative publications and direct mail continue to attract new franchise leads, digital marketing in particular is incredibly effective for all industries and continues to be a crucial component to building a robust pipeline of potential franchisees.
Recent data shows 55% of marketing is digital, and the total digital advertising spend in 2021 was $436 billion. Digital marketing allows franchises to save time, money, and resources by automating tasks, leveraging digital platforms, personalizing customer experiences, and tracking key performance indicators.

Types of Franchise Marketing

Franchise marketing is typically split into two categories:

• franchise development marketing for the franchisor and
• operational franchise marketing for the franchisees.

Franchise development marketing includes marketing tactics the franchise owner uses to attract prospective franchisees to increase the number of units of the business. They are responsible for creating a successful brand and processes that can be used to open new sites across target locations using established guidelines and brand standards.
On the other hand, operational franchise marketing entails the tactics franchisors and their franchisees use to gain new customers and retain loyalty. They help to manage the franchise’s brand reputation to attract customers. This includes a variety of tactics from search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing to email marketing and running PPC campaigns.

How to Create Franchise Marketing Goals

Like any type of marketing, the first step to franchise marketing is to identify your campaign goals. This needs to be a unified effort from franchisors and franchisees so that all communications and marketing efforts are aligned. Marketing efforts across locations should benefit the enterprise as a whole. Otherwise, this can damage branding and lead to business fragmentation.
A franchise marketing agency like Elysium Marketing Group can help define your goal and target audience, create brand guidelines, and design a comprehensive marketing strategy that franchisees can replicate to build your brand and grow your customer base.

Biggest Challenges in Franchise Marketing Right Now

What to Include in Franchise Brand Guidelines

Franchise brand guidelines need to be detailed and clear so that they can be easily understood and duplicated by franchise owners. Guidelines should include everything from messaging to finer branding elements such as logo and logo usage, fonts color codes, and brand tone. The key is to make sure branding is consistent and scalable across locations to uphold a strong, positive brand identity that is recognizable to your customer base. Building brand awareness will help garner trust among customers over time and lead to brand loyalty.
A robust brand guideline should cover:

1. Company overview: All employees should be familiar with the history, mission, core values, and goals of the company.
2. Mission statement: What are the purpose and goals of your company? Your mission should guide all employees and business activities to unify your brand and inspire all employees.
3. Target market: Who is your target audience? Brand guidelines should be tailored to them and meet their specific pain points to offer a positive customer experience. After conducting market research, franchisors need to detail their target customer personas and their unique needs so your team can refine all business and marketing initiatives accordingly.
4. Design elements: Appearances always matter. The logo, font, color schemes, and imagery all play an important role in how your customers perceive your brand. Customers also need to be able to instantly recognize your brand across locations based on these elements.
5. Messaging and Tonality: Marketing, sales, and customer communications efforts need to reflect a unified message and tone to provide an integrated brand experience.

Consistent messaging entails using these elements for all business internal and external communications. From internal documents and presentations to web design, social media platforms, and direct marketing collateral, all employees need to adhere to the brand guidelines in place to ensure a powerful brand presence for your entire franchise network.

4 Effective Channels for Franchise Marketing

While each franchise has its own unique sets of marketing challenges, goals, and strategies, here are several channels to consider and best practices to heed.

Email Marketing

Email marketing enables marketers to drive traffic to your website, launch time-sensitive and personalized campaigns, offer promotions, and gather feedback from customers. Research has found for every $1 marketers spend on email marketing, they can expect an average return of $36, which is higher ROI than any other form of marketing. Franchise email marketing has a complex set of challenges in that efforts need to be cohesive to protect your brand image while simultaneously empowering franchise owners to use email across locations.

Franchise Email Marketing Tips

Set Up a Central Account
It’s important to manage email marketing efforts for all locations from one central account. Franchisors can then set up user permissions to franchisees and/or a digital marketing agency to ensure control, efficiency, and automation. Each user should understand their individual responsibilities and levels of access to avoid mishaps.
Share Templates & Creative Content
Build branded, mobile-friendly email templates in whichever email marketing platform you use (e.g. Constant Contact, HubSpot, MailChimp, etc) that can be shared to unify communications. You should also make certain any user who needs creative assets (logo, images, etc) or certain tools can access them to create a cohesive experience across all units.

Paid Advertising

Franchises can use paid advertising or PPC (pay-per-click) on both local and national levels to position their brand in front of target audiences across locations. Search engines like Google and social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram allow users to target audiences based on factors such as location, age, household income, parental status, and beyond. By targeting specific demographics, franchisors and franchisees can increase online visibility and generate more traffic.

Franchise PPC Best Practices

• Conduct keyword research to see what your customers are searching for, how competitive certain keywords are, and the cost per using certain keywords and phrases
• Use long-tailed, specific keywords to earn more relevant traffic at a lower cost
• Invest in designing a high-quality ad for users that will attract more clicks
• Use a template to keep campaign information and designs consistent
• Adjust campaigns based on performance – this can include changing keywords that aren’t performing well or using new ad copy
• Optimize landing pages to reflect your PPC ads

Local Franchise Search Engine Optimization

Solid organic search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, especially local SEO efforts, are important for captivating qualified leads. Each location’s individual web page needs to be optimized for local-based searches to increase visibility online, boost traffic to individual franchise locations, and drive sales. For instance, if a preschool program in Philadelphia, PA has researched that target customers are searching “preschool program + Philadelphia PA”, it would be wise to optimize landing pages and content to include those keywords. That way, franchisees can reach customers in their individual locations.

SEO Best Practices for Franchises

In addition to optimizing landing pages and content like blogs, marketing efforts should also include:

1. Encouraging online reviews: Asking customers to review your business can help your web page rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) when customers use certain keywords.
2. Setting up your Google My Business Profile to make it easier for customers to find you based on their local searches.
3. Adding structured data to your website: Search engines use structured data to gather more information about your website’s content, which can lead to better rankings on SERPS.
4. Building backlinks: Backlinks are links from other webpages that lead to your website. Getting high-value backlinks from respected websites will improve SEO.
5. Ensuring backend information is optimized: This includes url links, meta descriptions, image file names and descriptions, alt tags, and more.

Franchisee Labor Force Franchise Franzy

Franchise Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is crucial for any business, and franchises need to be even more savvy when it comes to employing social media marketing strategies. Franchisors and franchisees must be on the same page in regard to branding guidelines and coordinate for SMM efforts to result in success.

How to Be Successful in Franchise Social Media Marketing

1. Establish Brand Guidelines

Having guidelines in place will help all account users understand the parameters and how they should interact online. Factors to consider include:

• What are the logo, image, font, type kit, and color scheme restrictions?
• Where can franchisors and franchisees access shared media?
• Will there be individual location pages or one page for the entire enterprise?
• How will the franchisor’s page support franchisee accounts?
• What type of content will be shared?
• What is the tone for communications?
• How often should content be posted?
• How should account users respond to customer inquiries and concerns, and who will address them?

Franchisors and franchisees can guarantee consistent brand messaging by creating templates that franchisees can customize to suit individual locations. Note that it’s important for all users to have joint access to a shared media library so all users can leverage content.

1. Identify Goals

Like all digital marketing strategies, franchisors need to create realistic goals they expect to achieve by using social media to promote their services and products. An experienced digital marketing agency can help identify goals to meet long-term business objectives. Goals should be concentrated, timely, and measurable. Examples include earning x number of followers in a specific amount of time, increasing social media traffic by a certain percentage in a specific amount of time, generating a certain number of leads, and boosting conversions or sales.

1. Schedule Posts

Schedule posts in advance through Facebook Manager, Hootsuite, or similar tools to make the process streamlined for your team. A social media manager or marketing account manager can create a social media calendar, schedule posts, and monitor online engagement for you by responding to comments and messages. This will help maintain your online presence and build trust and customer loyalty.

1. Post Relevant Content

Building a relationship with target customers is understanding their pain points and the content that speaks to them. All posted content should be on brand and relevant to your customers. Examples of good content include product or service launches, company news, customer testimonials, in-depth explanatory content, and timely, related news.

Collaborate With an Expert Franchise Marketing Agency

Elysium is an award-winning digital marketing agency that offers a comprehensive approach to franchise marketing. Our team has the industry experience, knowledge, and framework in place to manage all aspects of franchise marketing on a local and national level. As an International Franchise Association (IFA) partner, we have exclusive access to the latest marketing strategies, best practices, resources, and networking opportunities to support both franchise companies and their franchisees.
From content strategy and backend SEO services to managing Google Ads, Elysium Marketing Group can help companies grow their business with cost-efficiency in mind. For a free consultation on our digital marketing services, please fill out our contact form, or call (484) 684-7420 to speak with a team member.