Girls Can't WHAT? Gifts

Olympic Medalist Angela Ruggiero Was Cut From Hockey Team at Age 9

gretchen — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:46:26 +0000

Angela is a four-time Olympic ice hockey medalist, World Champion, National Champion and Harvard University graduate with almost every honor and distinction in the book. Angela fell in love with ice hockey as a young child, but since she was a girl, there were very limited opportunities for her to play.

Angela says:

“I was told I “can’t” when I was 9 because I was a girl… I was cut from an all boys team my brother was playing on and was selected as first alternate.

Being told I couldn’t sent a message to me at an early age:

To prove I belong.

That moment provided me with the impetus to push myself harder than ever before…

A reason I was able to make the Olympic team at age 18.

Thank you to that coach!”

So, Angela made it her mission to be as good as, and even better than the boys… and she is!

Angela never let being a girl stop her. In fact, it just fueled her harder to reach the top. Angela even played in the CHL as the first female non-goalie to play professional hockey in the US.

When not training, competing or traveling the world (as necessary for her newly-appointed position on the International Olympic Committee Board), Angela runs a girls hockey school to make sure that girls all over have great opportunities to follow their own dreams as well.

Angela is a trailblazer in the international world of women’s ice hockey. She is quite an accomplished and passionate woman who is truly an inspiration to all.

Girls Can’t Be Lifeguards

gretchen — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:09:17 +0000

Being a lifeguard is not as easy at it looks. It requires intense training and the job itself id very demanding. Lifeguards must be alert at all times and ready to tend to emergencies at a moment’s notice.

Some interesting facts about lifeguarding:

Clara Barton, who heard about the International Red Cross movement while in Europe after the Civil war, founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1881.
In 1937 the Red Cross text for lifesavers, Life Saving and Water safety, was published, replacing a booklet, Life Saving Methods. The new text “an authoritative source of knowledge and information,” had no pictures of women rescuers.
Men are four times more likely to drown than women.

If anyone says women can’t lifeguard, just respond by saying “Girls Can’t WHAT?” The lifeguard designs are available in the Girls Can’t WHAT? Shop.

View all personalized gift ideas for girls

Lifeguard-Light Shirts

Lifeguard - Dark Postcards

Lifeguard - Dark Stickers

Lifeguard-Light Bags

Lifeguard-Light Hats

Lifeguard-Light Shirts

Lifeguard - Dark Bumperstickers

Lifeguard Red Cross Logo Buttons

Lifeguard-Light Postcards

Lifeguard-Light Bumperstickers

Lifeguard - Dark Shirts

Lifeguard-Light Binders

View all personalized gift ideas for girls

Cathy was the first woman to play in the National Adult Marble Tournament

gretchen — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:02:07 +0000

I grew up with 4 brothers and I was often told I couldn’t do certain things… but my grandmother told me differently and I valued her opinion to the utmost!

In 1992 I was the first woman to ever play in the National Adult Marble Tournament The Rolley Hole in Tennessee. I also in the early 1980′s was the first woman in the Marble Collectors Society of America to really study, learn and teach American Machine- Made Marbles from the early 1900′s-the 60′s.

I have helped with quite a few books and even my own little simple booklet KNUCKLES DOWN….A FUN GUIDE TO MARBLE PLAY is in it’s 5th printing. My husband and I also donated one of the world’s largest, most complete marble collections to the Toy and Miniature Museum in Kansas City, MO. www.toyandminiaturemuseum.org

I still teach hundreds of children how to play marbles every year and I NEVER tell any girl she can’t do it! Marbles is one sport that is totally equal… No matter the gender, the social class, the cultural background, the language, etc. I have played marbles in Japan, Ireland, Mexico, Canada…Dominican Republic….children everywhere can play equally together!

Cathy Runyan-Svacina
The Marble Lady
www.themarblelady.com

Bora Encourages Girls to Get Educated

Share Your Story — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:47:30 +0000

I had never had anybody say you can not do it because you are a girl. But I had seen people underestimating my ability. Like once I try to join a local flag football team and the coach thought I was a boy.

At first he shook my hand and we had small talk. Later, when I went in for a follow up to turn my paper. On my insurance card it says F and in the sign up sheet I put F as in female. He jumped back and kicked me out of my office.

I laughed it off, but as an Korean-American there are not alot of koreans in media sports. So already as a Korean, I feel like you can not do it. All I have to say is prove them wrong.

Somebody in the blog wrote a bunch of stuff about TRUTH HURTS and how somebody won the marathon by seconds. Well did they ever consider that it maybe the men might have started playing sports since he was younger? And he has a more support group than the female?

I ask everybody to read WHY MEN GET PAID MORE. It is reallly a good book. And anyways I really think woman and men are the same. I was even singing the song. I will tell you why.

Most the time people think I am a boy. I just go along not that I want to physically be a boy. People treat me exactly the same. It is how you see it and take it. Trust me.

And do not ever think just because there is no high school football team for a certain gender there are not saying you can not play football. When I was growing up there was no parks. Yep, no recreation center. None. Did it mean I can not go out and play?

Did you know long time ago black people could not be quarterbacks? Did you know in basketball you could not be a black point guard because it is the “captain” of the team and they did not want to give black people those kind of power.

Well guess what? Now we have a black president. We just need to keep positive. And did you know there is a girl baseball team in CA? Even a tackle football team? Start one in your community… go out there and play! Do what you want to do.

Do not try to impress by trying to fit in. I know one thing being a boy and a girl by societies mind. You have to learn not to care about other people because they really dont care about you. If you are good player people would die to play with you.

p.s. I hope everybody read this and get inspired. read books about women in sports and women in your race. and women this know the history. Before I could not even list basketball players in the WNBA. now I know a handful. By the way, there was a female kicker who played in the NCAA. Get educated! Stand up! Do not back down.

World Champion Poker Player Beth Shak Proves She is More Than a Pretty Face

gretchen — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:30:23 +0000

As a female in the traditionally male dominated sport of poker, Beth Shak has spent her entire professional career breaking down the barriers that female poker players are forced to face.

As a world champion poker player (who was also named world’s sexiest poker player by News of the World), Beth has had to prove that she is more than just a pretty face. She participates in the highest stakes tournaments such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour every year, and in her short professional career (she went pro in 2004), Beth has made it two World Series of Poker final tables and earned close to $1 million.

Now, she has earned the respect of all her competitors and has a HUGE fan base.

Beth says, “I’m so proud not only to be a successful poker player, but to be a successful woman in a male-dominated field. Thanks to the loyal support of Full Tilt Poker and my amazing fans, I have been fortunate enough to be the woman who brings this incredible sport into popular culture. It’s truly an honor, and it’s been one hell of a ride. I can’t wait to see what happens next!”

Beth Shak on Facebook

Post Office Now Approves of Women Working

gretchen — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:18:47 +0000

Yesterday I posted that The US Post Office Doesn’t Approve of Women Working. Confused by their rejection of my design on a postage stamp, I decided to submit two more variations to see what the real problem was. See if you can make sense of the results…

Here is the original image rejected by the Post Office:

This submission was a test to see if they were disallowing the actual road sign (it got approved):

This design, which has the same meaning as the original, was also approved. Go figure.

So what’s the deal? Why do you think the original got the thumbs down? Perhaps they thought we were calling the men “women” and that was insulting? Who knows.

Anyway, both variations are available in the Girls Can’t WHAT? Gift Shop. Get your postage now before the post office changes their mind.

View all personalized gift ideas for girls

Women Working Road Sign Prints

Women Working Road Sign Magnets

Women Working Road Sign Binders

Women Working Road Sign Buttons

Women Working Road Sign Hats

Women Working Road Sign Bags

Women Working Road Sign Postcards

Women Working Road Sign Skateboards

Women Working Road Sign Shirts

Women Working Road Sign Mousepads

Women Working Road Sign Stickers

View all personalized gift ideas for girls

Mixed Martial Arts Needs Your Support in NY

gretchen — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:37:03 +0000

This article is a guest post from Alexia Krause:

With the New York state deficit hitting $8 billion, steps need to be taken in order to right the ship that is the state’s budget. Recently New York Gov. David Paterson stated that the projected deficit for the upcoming fiscal year has grown by an additional $750 million. There’s no doubting that the Empire State is in dire straits trying to fix their deficit. As a result, the state has been forced to cut, reject, and outright shut down many state programs in order to make some type of movement out of the red and into the black. Many of these budget cuts (like closing down state parks and cutting funding to public schools) were rampant and have cast an unfavorable light on politicians in Albany in the eyes of many New Yorkers. However, something must be done in order to fight the ailing state economy. As coincidence has it, a good fight might just be the answer to the budget problems.

On June 16th, the New York State Senate passed a bill to legalize MMA in the state in an effort to help amend the state’s financial problems. Opening the floodgates for MMA in New York would be more of a benefit to the state than it would to the MMA Industry. Mixed martial arts competitions like UFC, among others, have been banned in the state because many lawmakers felt it was too brutal of a sport (even though other legal sports like football and hockey can be just as- if not more- brutal). With the passing of this new bill, fans will finally be able to support their home state and local venues. MMA events would potentially have access to one of the most active metropolises in the world- New York City. Fortunately state legislators have finally come to the realization that legalizing MMA will open access to a new revenue stream that it gravely needs.

By welcoming MMA in the state, as much as $11 million in economic activity could be generated for each event held. This activity ranges from salaries paid to venue workers, to an increased interest in martial arts training academies and dojos, and to tourism dollars spent in the surrounding area. At every step of the way, tax revenue is generated. Governor Paterson expects over $2 million generated annually if the bill is passed. The MMA organization UFC (who would play a large role in scheduling events in the state) is broadcasted in over 170 countries, made $5.1 million in Pay-Per-View sales in 2007 alone, and averaged 30.6 million viewers in that same year. This type of outreach is bound to benefit the state and bring thousands to events, thus helping the economies of struggling New York state cities.

Income generated from events isn’t the only way that this bill will help bring money to the state of New York. In fact, the broad reach of allowing MMA to be legalized is something that will affect participants in the sport from top to bottom. For example, people who run mixed martial training gyms and programs will see a huge revenue-generating boost in enrollment that will give many young women the chance to train and compete in their home state. This bill may even have the effect of preventing violence instead of causing it (which opponents of the bill argue) because it will allow many kids to go someplace safe after school.

Studies have shown that when at-risk children train in a disciplined sport such as MMA, they are less likely to become involved in criminal or violent activities. When you take a closer look at all the young women in the sport who aspire for something greater than a sparring match, this is a big deal. A sport that includes athletic role models like Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos should be sanctioned in one of America’s most populous states. This is not just a financial argument, but it’s also an equal right issue that must be addressed. By passing this law in New York it opens up a new area to both men and women who want to compete on a larger level. This is one of the most important aspects of the bill from a human perspective, and one of the greatest reasons why this bill needs to be passed.

The New York budget is going through one of its worst economic times ever, but by legalizing MMA, it can help to fight back against the deficit and make a difference in the lives of millions of New Yorkers.

Update:

As of the morning of June 29th, 2010, the state assembly quashed the proposed bill which would legalize the sport. The efforts to block MMA in the state are led by a Mr. Bob Reilly, Assemblyman of the 109th district. You can read some of his stances in an interview conducted by Ben Fowlkes of cagepotato.com last year. If you visit that link, pay careful attention to his inconsistencies and question-dodging. This man claims to be a lifelong fan of boxing, but some of his comments in that interview are quite surprising.

Although this decision is a big setback for the industry, this is not the final word for the measure. New York is one of only 6 states which blindly ignore this sport. With your support, new revenue and jobs can be still created.

Alexia is a lifelong fan of sports and fitness. Recently, she’s been smitten by Mixed Martial Arts. She is happy to be representing MMA Industries, proud suppliers of MMA gloves to athletes around the world. Alexia continues to bring you the latest news in the mixed martial arts world on everything from the most advanced MMA equipment to the newest MMA shirts.

The US Post Office Doesn’t Approve of Women Working

gretchen — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:16:26 +0000

Each time I create new designs, they have to go through an approval process by my vendors. In order to put designs on stamps, they have to be authorized by the US Post Office. In the five years I have been creating these designs, I have never received a rejection noice for any of my artwork.

Until today.

Apparently the US Post Office does not approve of my “Women Working” sign. Here is their reasoning:

Design incorporates material the primary purpose of which is to advocate or protest any particular religious, social, political, legal or moral agenda of any person or entity.

Now what I want to know is…are they referring to the “Men Working” part or the fact that it is crossed out to say “women”?

What would happen if I left it as “Men Working”? I think I might alter this design to see if that would pass. Hmm… devious, aren’t I?

Does the US Post Office have no sense of humor?

What do you think? Post your comments below.

View all personalized gift ideas for girls

Women Working Sign Hats

Women Working Sign Stickers

Women Working Sign Shirts

Women Working Sign Keychains

Women Working Sign Shirts

Women Working Sign Aprons

Women Working Sign Mugs

Women Working Sign Magnets

Women Working Sign Buttons

Women Working Sign Bumperstickers

Women Working Sign Shirts

Women Working Sign Binders

View all personalized gift ideas for girls

Drag Racer Alexis DeJoria Breaks Barriers in Male Dominated Sport

gretchen — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:26:02 +0000

Girls Can’t WHAT? asked Alexis if she had ever been told she couldn’t race cars because she was a girl…

Yes! A couple big names in the sport of drag racing, guys that have been around since the beginning, have said:

“There is no way a girl can drive a Funny Car and be successful. They just don’t have the strength to wheel these things.”

At this time there weren’t any females competing in Nitro Funny Car and the girls driving Alcohol Funny Cars were few and not very competitive. This was before Ashley Force and I started driving them.

I’m not going to name them but one of them I was considering driving for in the future and is a very respected man in this sport.

Needless to say I’m sure they don’t feel the same any more…

Best Travel Mug I’ve Ever Owned

gretchen — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:28:10 +0000

It might seem a little weird that I’m this excited over a mug but I seriously am.

I love this mug!

I freely admit that I’m a bit obsessed with making sure the products my designs are placed on are of good quality. So obsessed that I own and use just about every item I carry in my shop, including this travel mug.

Pushing the Limits

This week I had the opportunity to put my favorite drinking cup through some extreme testing. The temps here have been pushing 100 degrees all week and I’ve either been out by the pool working or at my daughter’s softball game. Each time I loaded my mug to the brim with ice and tea before heading out.

The Results?

At the end of 4 hours in the intense summer heat, my tea may be gone, but I still have ice! That’s right. This mug stays super cold. Even sitting outside in direct sunlight.

I’m so impressed that I think I’m gonna pick up a few more for the family. Can’t you see my husband sporting a pretty pink soccer ball mug at my daughter’s next game?

I haven’t had a chance to test this with hot liquids but I’m betting it’s just as good. You know I’ll be sporting one at the next home town football game. Can’t wait to enjoy my hot chocolate in this insulated travel mug. Yum!

Speaking of school, Girls Can’t WHAT? has a nice variety of back to school ideas. Kiss the Barbie themes goodbye this fall and choose empowering designs that you style yourself. See our Back To School Guide for details.