Moms are always there to cook your meals, to cure what ails you and to offer you motherly advice. Everything a mother does, she does with her own personal touch. So don’t generalize your mom with others when it comes to Mother’s Day shopping this year. Give her a truly personal gift she can call her own – and one that will constantly remind her of you.

PERSONALIZED JEWELRY

What’s the best way to show your mom that you carefully selected a gift just for her? Have it custom made!  When it comes to personalization, the possibilities are endless.  From initialized jewelry to a family photo necklaces, having something that reminds her of her family and her special role will be a gift she cherishes forever.

A perfect custom made gift for this season is monogram jewelry. She’s probably admired the monogram necklaces being worn by her favorites, from the Real Housewives series to The View – it’s the gift she’ll never take off! Google “personalized jewelry” and you will find a variety of designs to choose from. (One of our favorite companies is Shame On Jane because the jewelry comes in a beautiful box that looks like a cake.) It’ll keep your mom up to date on the hottest trend, and at the same time, stay unique with her own initials

ShameOnJane jewelry — Something she can really call her own

ONE-OF-A-KINDS

Another way to set your mom apart from the rest is to get her a gift that’s one of a kind. That can include handmade items by you – things as simple as a card, a poem, or a picture collage. These kinds of gifts always tug at the heartstrings – and end up in a frame on the wall.

You can also buy a one-of-a-kind gift that carries special meaning. Maybe it’s a bracelet where proceeds are donated to a meaningful charity. Or an item that brings her “good luck.”  theFFS jewelry, for example,   lets you  create a special arm party that defines who your mother is –and how much fun she likes to have – but it also, according to the designers, contains “positive energy” which every mother can never get enough of.

Handmade bracelets from theFFS to benefit Hurricane Sandy victims

EXPERIENCE

When it comes to family, there’s something special about the kitchen. According to research, it is the one room people connect with emotionally – more than any other room in the house –even the bedroom!  The kitchen is where family memories are made and where lifestyles are defined.  So for Mother’s Day, it is fitting to buy your mother a kitchen “experience” that fits her family.

Kitchen Magic by Sabine Schoenberg

Kitchen Magic is a new book that outlines the latest trends and upgrades to inspire and celebrate your specific family Now that’s bringing your mom one step closer towards her “dream” kitchen.

If your mom likes saving (Who doesn’t?) you can consider an alternative option. Instead of giving her a particular gift, give her the gift that keeps on giving: a coupon book! With this option, you can get her coupons to local businesses or even get creative by incorporating different activities with or chores from family members.  Remember to start with the “breakfast in bed” coupon on Mother’s Day morning.

Take Mom on an “adventure” with Bonvoy Adventure Travel

Experiential presents hold a special place in a mother’s heart because it means they will be spending extra time with you. It can be something as simple as a girl’s day out for a manicure and pedicure – or as extreme as a vacation to Moab Utah to ATV against a desert backdrop. And whether you go for the pampering or the adventure, you’ll be able to enjoy some quality time together. This is her day — make sure she knows it!

We’ve been so fortunate to get to know such amazing people who pay it forward everyday. Their philanthropic efforts have touched the lives of many and inspired us along the way. They bring happiness to the dullest of days and spread their positive energy wherever they go. They make us feel good about what we do!

Earlier this month, we had the privilege to work with The Wounded Warrior Project. We spent time getting to know the director, Army Staff Sgt. Dan Nevins, who lost his legs after a bomb blast in Iraq, but never lost his spirit.

“I think this is my kilt,” a man said to us outside CBS studio.  This was the first playful glimpse we got of Nevins. From the moment he joked with us, to hearing his story and watching him on the runway in the From Scotland with Love fashion show; it was such an honor to meet a true American hero who has fought to protect our country and who inspires people everywhere with his story.

New York Giant super bowl champ, Steve Weatherford is a big supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project along with many other organizations. To help spread awareness of the event later that night, which supports the Wounded Warriors, we booked Weatherford and Nevins on various TV stations sporting kilts, yes KILTS!

Then it was onto the runway at the From Scotland with Love fashion show decorated in arm candy by theFFS! (See above).

Philanthropy is nothing new to Weatherford.  Whether he’s collecting gently used toys and sneakers, or walking in fashion shows to support various causes, Weatherford gives back regularly. He is constantly looking for new opportunities to help those in need and has spent much of his off season partaking in causes all over.

Recently, Weatherford teamed up with Second Chance Toys and Viacom in Times Square to deliver gently used plastic toys to children in need.

Second Chance Toys is a non profit organization that rescues and recycles plastic toys for children in need by donating them to community organizations. Because non biodegradable plastic is kept out of our landfills, Second Chance Toys is helping the environment at the same time.

When you were a kid, what was the one thing that would make your day? Toys!

Twice yearly, Second Chance Toys holds toy drives all over to collect gently used plastic toys. Last weekend, we helped them secure a spot right in Times Square for their annual Earth Week toy drive, which was incredible! We had close to 100 Viacommunity volunteers who cleaned, tagged, and redistributed toys with smiles on their faces, and some even brought their dancing shoes.  We had another one at Smith Playground and Playhouse in Philadelphia with Sharrif Floyd, one of the top NFL Draft pick prospects.

This “recycled love” brings smiles to the faces of disadvantaged children all over.

Speaking of love, or should I say “Peace. Love. Light.,” even if it is just an email signature, the Freeman sisters are beaming positive energy. This is reflected in everything that they do and everything they make.

The fabulous Freeman sisters, designers of theFFS, are extraordinary people, to say the least.

Recently, theFFS has teamed up with Fashion Fights Cancer (FFC), an organization that nurtures the minds, bodies, and souls of cancer patients through Cancer Survivor Program fashion and design-oriented activities. They have created a line especially for the FFC and have, of course, put positivity and love into each and every piece.

They have also auctioned off one of their pieces at the Blacks’ Annual Gala in Miami to raise money for The Consequences Charity and Foundation, who provide educational resources and experience for at risk teenagers.

It was definitely a month of paying it forward for Maracaibo Media and our clients — the kinds of projects we feel so proud to be a part of!

by Amanda Barry

First live segment 5am!  Right before Chris’s first encounter with the icy water.

Normal people would find it very strange to have a dunk tank at the Bowling Green pedestrian walkway (next to the iconic bull), arguably one of the most windy parts of Manhattan, in the middle of October.  We dreamed up this event for our client Michelle McQuaid and TellYourBoss.com, to help her raise awareness of bad bosses in America on National Boss Day.  From the early hours of 5am, our symbolic “bad boss” was dunked by commuters in the notoriously stressed-out and over-worked Wall Street area.  Founder of TellYourBoss.com and author of 5 Reasons to Tell Your Boss to Go F**K Themselves, Michelle McQuaid was on site to provide her professional advice for those dealing with a bad boss.

This event, along with the national release of a study we helped craft on bad bosses in America, garnered widespread media coverage across TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and blogs, beyond our client’s “wildest dreams.”  Some of the ones we are most proud of: Wall Street Journal/Market Watch who we gave the exclusive to the night before,  Forbes who’s story on our study ranked most popular on their website  the day of the release, Harvard Business Review, who challenged bosses to do something to change the situation, Fox Radio Network , who broadcast a story in almost every corner of the country,, Good Day New York, who ran an exclusive in-studio interview with Michelle, and of course Fox anchor Lauren Simonetti’s live-shots from the dunk tank all day long to every major Fox Station across the country.  No wonder Chris’ lips were blue!

Talk about ending on a splash.  This great event and publicity experience marked my last big project at Maracaibo.  Next stop,  New York City at The Door!  Wishing everyone here at Maracaibo, both old and new, lots of continued success and we all know it’s never goodbye!

xx Kayla

xx

We hit the ground running with a  MiX Bikini mob at Grand Central Station.  ShameOnJane made it big with its hashtag necklace on the cover of  Seventeen Magazine (on new stands in October) and its twitter handle showcased on Good Morning America. 

Charles Oakley helped us launch the Moore-Trainer Resistance Bands (what Fox is calling the next big fitness craze since P90X) with appearances on 9 different shows on ESPN, a special feature on Fox Sports Extra — and a live interview on Good Day New York — where the anchors tried out the bands on air!

Chris Canty and the Chris Canty Foundation tee-ed off in New York to raise money for underserved kids across the country. And the organization also ran their first NY football camp in Washington Heights. Every major NY newspaper and television station covered these events.

We helped Second Chance Toys begin to move its mission forward — in a big way — with support from mom bloggers across the country.

Green Demolitions’ team up with Edie Falco was  finally featured in Working Mother, Success Magazine, and Mann About Town.

And we laid all the groundwork for the launch of a revolutionary new book coming out on how to make your bad boss better The book, along with a national study and movement for National Boss Day on October 16th, will make a big splash in the coming weeks.

Our fall promises to be just as action-packed as summer. We have National Boss Day, the Chris Canty Foundation Wine Tasting, the Annual Second Chance Toys Holiday Drive, and a special launch event for Moore Trainer…

Many thanks to this summers’ interns,  Shannon Fox,  Jaclyn Francis, and Neil Munroe,  for all of their hard work and outstanding results– and a very big welcome to our newest account exec and publicist Kayla Inanc! Here less than one month, she has already turned this office on its head with fresh new ideas — and action!

So long summer…bring it on fall!

The Chris Canty Foundation held it’s 7th annual “Camp of Champions” yesterday at George Washington High School in Washington Heights, New York.

The “Camp of Champions” is a youth football camp sponsored by New York Giant Chris Canty’s charity organization, the “Chris Canty Foundation”. The camp was started in Charlotte, NC in 2007 and is committed to elevating the quality of youth football skills for boys ages 8-16.

Chris was joined by other current and formal NFL players including Jason Pierre-Paul, Michael Boley, and Adrian Tracy in teaching youth football players the fundamentals of the game. Over 350 kids enrolled in the camp and had the privilege of being taught by the athletes they see on T.V. every week.

The next event planned by the foundation will be a tailgating fundraiser for the Giants home opener at MetLife Stadium against the Cowboys September 5, 2012.

There was an extraordinary about of press coverage at the event that included NY Daily News, the StarLedger, the NY Post, Double G Sports, ESPN and the Wall Street Journal.

The new twitter necklace comes in silver, gold, and rose gold-dipped — and can be bedazzled in diamonds upon request. Prices run from $120 to $850.

The Twitter necklace joins an already sassy line of pop culture jewelry including text-inspired pieces such as FOMO and HotMess, zip code necklaces that remind people exactly where they came from, and the company’s signature “Reminderings” that boast messages from “suck in stomach” and “rock that new body,” to “register…return” for the bride and “trade up” for the newly divorced. And let’s not forget “smile for the camera,” and “flirt with costars” for celebrity Jane fans.

Blackburn is always eager to help those in need, especially when it is something that involves kids!

On Saturday, June 2nd, Blackburn will be Kicking Cancer Overboard by participating in a charity fishing benefit that offers free cruises to cancer survivors.

Kick Cancer Overboard offers people that have been affected by cancer a chance to get away from everything that they are going through. It allows them a break for a few days where the most important question is not how to pay for the next medical bill, but whether to play bingo, get a massage or sing karaoke.

This event gives people the opportunity to spend a relaxing afternoon fishing with two-time Super Bowl Champion Chase Blackburn.Each ticket includes an autograph and photograph with Blackburn; there will be raffles and prizes given out throughout the event.

This event is not just for the person who likes to fish, or is good at fishing, but for the person who likes to tackle a challenge and who is eager and likes to help others. For more information on the event, or to purchase tickets please go to: www.kickcanceroverboard.com.

Stories that cover the event:

NY Post           Giants101           Giants101

This isn’t the only thing Blackburn has done to help the less fortunate…

In early February, Blackburn spoke at a press conference for Trinity Choice Communities. He shared his turn-around story with inner-city school kids, in hopes that they may have a game-changing moment of their own.

His visit marked the official kick-off of the revitalization of McGinley Square – a historic neighborhood in Jersey city – that is poised for a turn-around of its own.

Stories that covered the event:

NJ.com           NJ.com         Jersey City Independent

The Chris Canty Foundation held its first annual Champion Golf Classic, Monday, May 14, at the prestigious Manhattan Woods Gold Club in West Nyack, NY.

New York Giants fans got to rub elbows with members of the Giants, uncluding Canty himself, who with his brother Joe, and his father, Joe Sr., organized the eventto help raise money for the Chris Canty Foundation. Groups of four were paired off for the outing, and then each four-some was joined by one of the many celebrities who were at the event.

Players and friends gathered for the  charity golf outing, including: NY Giants coach, Tom Coughlin; teammates, Terrell Thomas, Chase Blackburn and Hakeem Nicks; and other sports celebrities were in attendance.

The Golf Classic is one of the many fundraisers the foundation runs throughout the year for underserved kids around the country. Here is the link to the foundation: www.chriscantyfoundation.com for more information.

Coverage of the event included articles in the

Daily News

Journal News

and Double G Sports

and broadcast reports on

Fox 5 and

News 12

My first week was nothing like I thought it would have been. The first few days were like any typical first few days at a new job. I learned how to work the databases, my new email account, and I reviewed the company’s clients.

Today, on day three, all the action began. Today, I got to see first-hand, the world of Public Relations and Publicity. Waking up at 4:30 a.m. was not exactly something that I am quite used to, but what I got to experience three hours later was something I never dreamed of happening.

At 7 a.m, we arrived at Fox 5 News Station in New York City where we had arranged for New York Giants Defensive Lineman Chris Canty, number 99, to be interviewed by sports anchor Duke Castiglione on Good Day New York. We were helping Chris promote his upcoming golf charity event.

We met him in the lobby and made our way up to the studio. We waited in the “green room” while several interview guests went on before Chris. Then it was time to go into the studio and watch right behind the cameras as Duke and Chris made their way to the interview couch on set.

Duke interviewed Chris about his charity, the Chris Canty Foundation, and about his charity golf tournament taking place on Monday, May 14 at Manhattan Woods Golf Club in West Nyack, New York. Then he invited up Chris’ dad, Joe Sr.

Me, Duke Castiglione, Chris Canty and Joe Canty Sr. on set after filming.

Being on the set at Fox 5 Good Day New York was amazing. It was so cool to see how everything works. And the segment came out awesome… Take a look!