Did you know she turns 234 this 4th of July?

Round up your family and friends, and fire up your grills, the party is almost underway! While preparing for this quintessential American celebration, allow us to share a few ways that you can demonstrate your patriotism when stocking up on grillables at the local grocery store.

Purchasing products “Made in the U.S.A.” shows your support of safe and quality manufacturing practices. Now more than ever, it is important to be aware of what is in the products we choose to consume, where they come from, and their environmental impact. These not only have an profound effect on the health our families, but on that of the planet as well. Also, when you purchase American made goods, you support jobs for Americans!

Buying products “Made in the U.S.A” supports responsible business. Embrace your freedom of choice this Independence Day, and support companies that employ fair business practices.

Be SAFE, have FUN, and enjoy another SWEET 4th of July!

Each year an increasing number of countries, organizations, and individuals have been marking June 8th as an opportunity to celebrate the seemingly limitless services the world’s oceans provide for us such as generating most of the oxygen we breathe, helping to feed us, regulating our climate, cleaning the water we drink, supplying us with vital medicines, sustaining countless jobs, and offering a vast array of recreational opportunities.  During this time of heightened threats to our ocean due to the climate crisis and the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico it is even more pressing to appreciate all that the ocean does for us and to consider what we can do to protect this indispensable resource.

So this week celebrate World Oceans Day and get inspired to take action and connect with others in your community to keep our oceans healthy for this generation and generations to come.  For a list of World Oceans Day events in your area you can visit www.WorldOceansDay.org and for some ideas about what you can do to help our ocean you can visit http://SeastheDay.org.

Thanks to Surf Sweets for partnering with The Ocean Project and making it easier to make choices that are good for our ocean.

Join Surf Sweets and the Ocean Project in celebrating World Oceans Day with our #OceansDay Party on Twitter from 7-8pm CST. Great prizes will be raffled off every ten minutes!

Cheers,

Bill Mott

The Ocean Project

Spring fever is in the air, flowers are in bloom, and summer is just around the bend. What better opportunity to show how much you appreciate this lovely time of year than by celebrating EARTH DAY on April 22nd? This year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and many fun, earth-friendly events are planned in communities across the country. Search online to find events near you!

The start of spring and Earth Day are great reasons for all of us to get outside and celebrate our planet. Here are just a few easy ways that you can protect our environment:

• Reduce, reuse and recycle! Look for products with less packaging, take reusable bags on shopping trips, creatively reuse other products, and recycle what’s left.

• Buy organic. Organic foods are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides which make them a safer choice for your family and our planet.

• Commute without polluting. Use public transportation, carpool, walk or bike whenever possible. Plan your errands wisely to avoid unnecessary driving.

• Volunteer to participate in an Earth Day event in your community (check www.epa.gov/earthday or www.earthday.net for events near you)

• Spread the word! Engage your friends and family in Earth Day volunteer events. Share with them these easy tips for protecting our earth’s resources.

• Teach your children about how they can be good stewards of our planet (check www.epa.gov and other online sites for lesson plans)

And while we’re on the subject of protecting our planet, WORLD OCEANS DAY is also right around the corner. Celebrated on June 8th, World Oceans Day is a worldwide celebration of our shared ocean that helps make people more aware of the importance of the ocean in our everyday lives.

To celebrate World Oceans Day, Surf Sweets is hosting our second annual art contest for children aged 5-13. We have great prizes to give away, including tickets to your local museum, zoo, or aquarium, and a year’s supply of Surf Sweets candy! This is a great interactive opportunity to educate your children on ways to preserve our waterways and celebrate the diversity of life found in the ocean. Check out our website in May for more information on the contest.

As spring turns to summer and the weather warms up, don’t forget to take a minute to cool down with Surf Sweets candies. Our natural and organic gummy candies and jelly beans pack a refreshing wave of natural fruit flavor in every bite, the perfect treat to beat the heat!

Winter officially begins today and the Holiday season is in full swing. Santa is checking his list, trees are being trimmed, presents are being wrapped and family celebrations are being planned.

As you finish up your holiday baking, we wanted to give you some easy and fun ideas for using Surf Sweets candies as decorations for your favorite recipes. Our natural and organic candies not only taste delicious, but they make beautiful and colorful additions to cookies, cakes and even homemade ornaments. Use our jelly beans and gummy swirls as buttons and eyes for decorating gingerbread men and snowman cookies. Our candies are perfect for decorating gingerbread houses too. In fact, our friends at Allergy Free Grocery created a unique gingerbread house kit that includes our Surf Sweets Gummy Swirls. Check it out www.allergygrocer.com.

Here are two quick recipes for delicious holiday treats that you can make with your kids:

This Thanksgiving holiday, we would like to thank all of our wonderful customers. Your support has helped us bring healthier candy options to families across the country. We would also like to remember the worthwhile causes that partnered with Surf Sweets in 2009:

The Ocean Project – This year we helped The Ocean Project promote the first World Oceans Day (June 8, 2009) with our “Artwork for Kids Contest”. Kids across the country shared their amazing artwork themed “Why I Love the Ocean.”

Green Halloween – We also partnered with Green Halloween on ways to have a more earth-friendly Halloween. Their efforts don’t stop with Halloween. Check out their website as they continue to promote ways to enjoy the holidays that are good for people and good for the planet.

TreeSwing -Surf Sweets donates a portion of the sales of our new Sour Berry Bears snack packs for the next year to TreeSwing – an inspiring organization dedicated to improving the health of children and preventing childhood obesity.

Please help these valuable organizations by sharing their messages with your friends and family this Thanksgiving. And, don’t forget to include Surf Sweets in your travel plans – they make a perfect snack! We wish everyone a SWEET and healthy Thanksgiving!