In our last blog post we talked about how Valentine’s Day can be a special holiday not only for kids and couples, but for all the people we treasure, from friends and family to co-workers and beyond. In fact, many of us may feel especially inclined to share a little sweetness with the special people in our lives who won’t be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a romantic partner; to add a smile to a day when the whole world seems to be telling them that love is in the air for everyone else!  This is what makes a Valentine’s Day fundraiser so easy and enjoyable – people will love the opportunity to gift their friends a sweet treat, and you can hit your goals more quickly in the process.

I’m stealing the idea for the Valentine’s Day Lollipop Drive from my high school, which I attended more years ago than we will openly discuss here! However, I’m sure other high schools had a similar drive, so you might remember it even if we didn’t grow up together. While this idea worked out very well for my school, helping to raise money for the football team, it can also work to raise money for almost any institution where a lot of people work or visit every day.

The price you charge for the Valentine’s lollipops, or whichever sweet you choose, should take into consideration how many you think you can sell, and how much money you hope to earn. There should be a limit, of course – most people won’t spend more than a dollar or two on a small lollipop. But let’s assume you work with 100 people and everyone interested would want to send a special Valentine to 5 friends in the building. If even half of your co-workers participated and bought a $1 lollipop for 5 friends, you can bank $250 in a day! If your lollipop of choice is our Jolly Rancher lollipops, 9 bags would equal 252 lollipops, costing you just $36.81, leaving you with over $200 to devote to your fundraising goal. Pretty sweet!

As for where to sell the lollipops? If your building has a front desk or central area that most people will pass by throughout the day, these are good locations to consider. A secretary or other employee can collect the money for the drive, and keep track of who the lollipops are from, and who they will be going to. Near the end of the day – or the next day, if you want to be sure to capture as many sales as possible – someone can act as Cupid and deliver the Valentine’s lollipops to everyone. Whether or not to make it a secret Valentine is up to the person who purchased the pop!

One of the best things about Valentine’s Day candy is that most of it is quite cheap. One of the other best things is that it’s delicious, but you already know that! If keeping within a budget is a concern, first consider how many people you’ll be gifting, and who among those people will get a ‘bigger’ gift. For example, if you want to get something for 20 people, spend no more than $30, and 2 of those people will get ‘bigger’ gifts, you can opt for 1 box of Necco Conversation Hearts boxes for just $15.50 (36 individual boxes inside!), and 2 boxes of Cella’s chocolate covered cherries for your bigger gifts. For the smaller gifts, you can give 18 people two individual boxes of Conversation Hearts each – for the larger gifts, you can give each of the ‘bigger’ gifts people a box packed with 12 Cella’s cherries – and you can come in under budget at just $22.50!

Conversation hearts and Cella’s chocolate covered cherries aren’t the only thing on the menu at Blair. Our Valentine’s Candy collection also includes Jolly Rancher lollipops, Valentine’s Hershey’s Kisses, Hot Cinnamon Gummy Bears, and more. And don’t forget to swing by the pet shop for a special treat for your favorite furry, feathered, or scaly sweetie!

I recently came across an answer from Dr. Anthony Komaroff on CantonRep.com. The question? “I always thought chewing gum was bad for my teeth. But then a friend told me it actually helps prevent cavities. Who’s right?” Well, given the title of the article – Ask Dr. K: Sugarless gum can help prevent cavities – I’d say her friend is right!

The doctor goes on to explain that sweets-loving bacteria live in our dental plaque, and “get the energy they need to live by consuming sugars in the foods you eat.” But these bacteria aren’t just your run-of-the-mill freeloaders living off your hard-earned lunch! No, they aren’t content to just eat your sugars and call it a day, they have to take it one step further and produce acids when they eat your sugar. And the acids? Those can lead to the big bad of the dental world – Cavities! But your body doesn’t want these acids to win; it has a vested interest in protecting itself. So it brings saliva to the rescue – saliva that “washes away the acids.” And when you chew gum, you get your saliva production kicked up a gear, giving your body more ammo against the acid.

Just be sure that if you’re really interested in preserving your teeth you reach for the sugarless gum. An occasional piece of sugared gum can be enjoyed just like candy, but chewing it for long periods regularly will just be giving those bacteria a bigger bite. Luckily, your sugar free gum options are extensive and delicious! There’s Dentyne Pure, a personal favorite – Sugarless Bubble Yum, a kid-friendly classic pick – Trident Splash, with a flavorful middle – Orbit gum, an oh-so-popular pick (I’m chewing Maui Melon Mint as I type!) – and many, many more. Now get chewing, everyone!

Do you recognize that logo in the image above? You just might if you’ve been shopping with us since the beginning at BlairCandy.com! We took a little trip through the Wayback Machine at Archive.org to take a nostalgic peek at what BlairCandy.com looked like back when George W. Bush was taking his first crack at the whole President thing, Train was filling the radio airwaves with “Drops of Jupiter” and we were all getting comfortable with being among those that got the opportunity to live in a new millenium! Yes, the year was 2001, and BlairCandy.com was celebrating it’s first birthday. Needless to say, there were oh-so-stuffed goodie bags full of candy at the party!

While our brick and mortar store here in Altoona, PA has been selling sweet treats for 73 years, and certainly isn’t about to retire, our online store hasn’t quite hit its teenage years just yet. In the world of online stores, 12 is actually pretty mature, although you might not recognize that maturity if you were at the office during one of the many practical jokes we play on one another! But when the time comes to get down to business, we set the jokes aside for a bit. We’re always learning, changing and evolving to better serve you, and aren’t afraid to mix things up in the quest to create the best buying experience for our customers. That experience includes bringing you tried-and-true tasty treats at pocket-friendly prices, new products that just might become old favorites, and creating an easy-to-navigate site that lets you find what you’re looking for fast while also being easy on the eyes! We see lots of ugly sites out there, and we don’t ever want to be one of them. J

To celebrate our 12th year online, we’re having a virtual party, and you’re all invited! Keep an eye on the Blair Candy Twitter, Blair Candy Facebook and Blair Candy emails for more information on superior sales and fun contests. We may have sprouted a few more gray hairs around here since we opened our online doors in the year 2000, but we still know how to have a good time!

2011 was a banner year for all of us here at Blair Candy, and we couldn’t be more thankful for it! We appreciate all of our loyal customers and can’t wait to ring in 2012. As the champagne corks pop and the bubbles flow this New Year’s Eve, our candylicious team is excited for all the New Candy for 2012! As you’re belting out Auld Lang Syne when that glittering ball drops (or prying your eyelids open to stay awake!), come along with us as we get ready for the sweets 2012 has in store for us.

M&M’s Mint Dark Chocolate – Mint and chocolate have long been refreshing pals, and they’re coming to us as the small, round chocolate candy favorites that we know and love. Dark chocolate is also known for its health benefits, so let’s clink to health and M&M’s Mint Dark Chocolate at midnight!

3 Musketeer Coconut – I certainly want 3 Musketeer’s signature chocolate-coated nougat to be a part of my 2012, and now that they’re adding coconut flavor to that nougat? Oh, what a slice of heaven. It has 40% less fat than most candy bars, so I can still stick to those weight loss New Year’s resolutions I’ll totally not keep this year!

Jolly Rancher Crunch n Chew – Jolly Rancher has continually reinvented itself, from hard candies to gummies and lollipops. We’d love to add some jolly to our 2012, and with their hard outside and chewy inside, we’re ready to sink our teeth into 365 days of cherry, green apple, watermelon, and blue raspberry.

Pez Muppets – Did you love the Muppets movie as much as we did? We can’t get enough of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Elmo and the gang, and they’re in Pez form for 2012! Keep a pack in your pocket, and you’ll be in for a sugary delight to make your 2012 a candy-coated one.

Our New Year’s resolution this year? Simple – make it a sweet one. As Ernestine Ulmer’s delicious quote goes, “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” Nostalgic Candy will never be forgotten, but oh, we’re toasting to a 2012 filled with candy and chocolate fabulousness. Happy New Year!

Here at Blair Candy, we’ve already got Valentine’s Day on our minds weeks before we’ve packed up the Christmas decorations and put our presents in their proper place. Don’t get us wrong – we aren’t ‘holiday rushers’! We like to devote our personal time and energy to the current holiday season no matter what it may be, but when we’re at work we have to prepare for the next special day on the horizon. And that is precisely why we were placing orders for Necco conversation hearts and Valentine Peeps while we were still listening to Christmas music and sucking on candy canes. Yeah, we can holiday multitask with the best of ‘em!

But our multitasking abilities go beyond this talent alone. We’re also good at multitasking while working – you know, answering an email while checking out the fresh candy stock while perhaps browsing Etsy.com a bit? And that’s precisely what happened this morning. Once I caught sight of the Necco conversation hearts – bags and boxes upon bags and boxes of sweet sentiments – I quickly remembered all the fabulous accessories the countless talented artisans of Etsy have whipped these sweet wonders up into, or used as inspiration for awesomeness!

We can’t possibly feature every conversation heart creation on Etsy.com that we love – after all, this morning’s search for ‘conversation heart’ yielded 872 items! But we’ve chosen 3 favorites that we think would make a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift for the conversation heart lover in your life. Just don’t forget to include a bag of conversation hearts they can eat, too!

Conversation Hearts Soaps – With an Etsy Shop name like SoStinkingSweet, we were already in love!  That love only got stronger when we started perusing her virtual soap shelves and found not only the adorable oversized conversation heart soaps, but also “Goodie Goodie Gum Drops” soap and soap on a stick that serves as a delicious-looking double for a Neapolitan ice cream bar. Getting clean just got even sweeter!

Conversation Hearts Valentine Cards – The Etsy artist behind the craftynikki shop creates some of the coolest, cutest Valentines you’ve ever seen! But for as darling as her set of Vintage Valentines are, it’s the Glitter Candy Hearts cards that have won me over most. Each set of 6 mini cards is just $3, making these aww-dorable and affordable!

Conversation Hearts Jewelry – If you’re looking for fun Valentine’s jewelry you can wear all year round, take a peek at the micahjonesstudio Etsy shop! Crafted from sterling silver, these pieces are as fun and fresh as costume jewelry, but have an unmistakable quality and wearability that costume jewelry often doesn’t. My favorites include the “Soul Mate” ring, which would make a truly touching gift for a partner or close friend, and the blue conversation heart necklace accented with a clear, heart-shaped CZ. Though I might like the second one so much because blue conversation hearts are my absolute fave! Well…blue and white. And pink. And yellow. And really every color except orange. (Sorry, orange!)

The Christmas shelves at your local big box store may be bare, save a few broken candy canes and chipped mugs filled with cocoa packets, but we’ve still got plenty of sweetness in stock. And if you order today before midnight (EDT) you can save 10% storewide! Simply enter the code “SANTA10” at checkout and 10% will slip away into sugarplum dreams.

Judging by the number of orders we’ve had rolling in, this was definitely a year for waiting until the last minute! (Don’t worry – most of us haven’t bought our Christmas candy yet either, and we work here!) The 10% savings will apply to whatever temptations you’ll find at BlairCandy.com, but we thought we’d put together a short list of popular picks to help keep your shopping short and sweet if you’re in a time crunch. Or should we say if you’re in a Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch?! It’s a mighty tasty crunch to be in, for sure.

Candy Cane Trees – Awesome for every age! With our 10% off coupon code, these cute and clever candy cane trees come in at just over a buck apiece, making them a fabulously affordable little gift – and, they’re already decorated. (With little candies, of course!) These also make adorable little ‘favors’ – perfect for adding extra seasonal spirit to your holiday table. Simply place a mini tree at each place setting, and step back to admire the festive forest of peppermint pretties!

Old Fashioned Ribbon Candy – A Taste of Christmas Past! Is it simply not Christmas until you’ve had your first taste of spun sweetness wrapped into ribbons? I’m with ya! This very box has found itself on the coffee table for Christmas as long as I can remember, and every year the pink and red ribbons are the first to go! I think a ribbon candy monster must sneak into my house at night and eat only the pink and red before company arrives. Because I would never do such a thing, oh no!

Pez Dispensers – Many to Choose From! I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t have a soft spot for Pez and the collectibly-cool dispensers those tiny tabs of sweetness come packed in. Kids and adults alike can’t help but smile at the countless incarnations of Pez that have rolled out over the years, and Blair is excited to offer 11 different sets to choose from. Each box comes packed with 12 individually wrapped Pez dispensers with candy. Your set choices include: Disney Princess Pez, Star Wars Pez, Hello Kitty Pez, Marvel Comics Pez and many more!

There is no denying the appeal of giving and receiving gift cards for the holidays. As fun as it is to shop for gifts, and open a shiny present full of promise, the simple fact is that even when we know which stores our friends and family love, we don’t always know exactly what it is they love in those stores. Or which color. Or which size. You get the picture! It’s not that we aren’t listening or aren’t attuned to the things they like, it’s just that the possibility for making a mistake can be pretty high, and mistakes mean waiting in long lines after the holidays to make exchanges and returns. And that’s only if they feel comfortable enough asking for the receipt!

In tough economic times, many of us have cut back quite a bit on buying non-necessities. That makes the gifts we receive all the more important, allowing us the little luxuries we may not need, but definitely want! Getting gift cards from our favorite stores helps us check some items off this wish list without feeling guilty that we really should have saved the money, paid a little more on a credit card, or put it toward any of the other million more practical things. Gift cards force us to treat ourselves to something nice without worry, and that always feels good! But the simple fact remains that they aren’t as fun to open as presents. And giving pretty presents is as fun as opening pretty presents. Much more fun than just a card for sure. Oh, the dilemma!

Don’t worry, we didn’t just write this post to let you know we share in your struggle. We wrote it because we have the solution! And, as it so often is, candy is the answer. A whole box full of candy, in fact. With a gift card nestled inside. You get to give the gift of choice, they get to go shopping without guilt, and you can wrap all that awesomeness up with some fabulous candy so they have a box to open and candy to open. This fairy tale practically wrote itself.

So which candy to put inside? Consider the ages of the people you’ll be gifting, as well as how much candy you want to put inside each box, and how much you’d like to spend. Our white empty candy boxes start at just $6.95 for 25, and can be easily personalized with stickers, markers, or glitter glue. You can also simply wrap them up with a ribbon or top them with a bow! To keep the filler cheap, opt for selections from our parade candy and bulk candy lineup. Options include: Jaw Breakers, Tootsie Frooties, Dum Dum pops, Goetze’s Caramel Creams and Jolly Ranchers. All tasty, all perfectly-sized for customized candy boxes!

Giant Gummy Bears – Nope, they aren’t an urban legend. Neither are they in a cage at a roadside carnival alongside the bearded lady or world’s tallest man. They’re right here at Blair, and they’re as delicious as they are delightful! These chubby fellas are a staggering 4 inches tall and 2 ½ inches across. Think of your average gummy bear and it’s easy to see one of these could serve as their gummy god or goddess! Packaged in a clear case to keep them clean between snackings (chances are good you won’t finish this all at once!), these make a really unique gift for just $3.50 each.

Giant Hershey Bar – This candy car isn’t messing around! It could crumble fun size bars with a passing glance, and leave classic size bars breaking into blocks with the sheer magnitude of its S’more-making possibilities. This Hershey bar is more than a handful or mouthful at a whopping 5 pounds. Yup, FIVE POUNDS of pure Hershey heaven. One weighs as much as some newborns! Two weigh as much as a bag of potatoes!

Giant Jawbreakers – Whether you choose ‘The Bruiser’ or ‘Psychedelic Sours’, these jawbreakers are a definite multi-day snack. Each box holds 12 individually wrapped giant jawbreakers, making these colorful candies less than $2 apiece. A fun take-home treat for a holiday party, or a sweet stocking stuffer for someone with quite a few socks to fill, we recommend giving your tongue a break once in awhile with these. The temptation to keep licking will be strong, but talking, breathing and drinking are important, too!

While everyone’s Christmas candy preferences vary, with the possible exception of Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees, which I’m pretty sure everyone loves, we have a few nearly foolproof ideas for adding Christmas breakfast to the stockings you’re in charge of stuffing this year. It is, after all, the most important meal of the day – even Christmas Day.

Marshmallow Christmas Lollipops – Ooey, gooey goodness in Santa and Snowmen shapes, these plump lollipops are almost too cute to eat. Except, well…no matter how cute they are I’ll eat them anyway! Just don’t eat them too close to the fire. Santa is a winter weather kinda guy, and we all know how well snowmen handle the heat. There’s a song and a movie about it and everything.

Milk Chocolate Hershey Snowman – Generously-sized at 3.5 ounces, this festive little fella is the perfect culinary complement to the Christmas lollipops above. Sometimes the simplest sweets are the best, and Hershey’s reminds us of that time and again with every holiday-themed incarnation of their classic milk chocolate bar. Or should we say mmmilk chocolate bar!

Gummy Peaches – With the marshmallow and chocolate food groups taken care of, it’s time to freshen the palate with something fruity and fun to wear on my fingertips. Yup – gummy peaches! Starting with the left hand, I push a gummy peach to the top knuckle of each finger, excluding the thumb. The right hand is next, and it’s admittedly a tad bit tougher with gummy peaches already on every finger of the left hand. Nevertheless, I press on! I then happily wiggle my 8 peachy digits at anyone who will pay attention to me, before consuming them one at a tasty time.

Now that you know a little more about my CMA, I’d love to hear about yours! Will you be sitting in your own recliner working your way through the candy food groups your stocking holds, or do have different traditions you’re looking forward to this year?