Are you ready for the Mayan Calendar/Fiscal Cliff/Zombie Apocalypse?

So the Mayan calendar is thought to end December 21st, 2012. Does that mean the world will end too and we will need John Cusack to save us? We hear reports of a fiscal cliff and the resulting collapse that could be the result in the midst of an already challenging economic environment. Changing weather patterns could see a much colder, snowier winter than last with blizzards affecting many major areas in the country. And for heaven's sake, what about the zombies?! Do you really want to be unprepared for the zombie apocalypse? Do you?!

With so much uncertainty facing the end of this year it really pays to be prepared! Maybe you have heard of the National Geographic show Preppers that highlights the efforts of some to be ready for any imagined or even unforeseen catastrophe the future might bring. The truth is, peace of mind can go a long way in situations of uncertainty. 

To put your mind at ease, we have taken the time to do the prep work for you. See our list of the 50 vital supplies necessary to survive your stay in the bunker.

1. Water
2. Energy Drinks
3. Canned Meat
4. Canned Seafood
5. Dried Eggs
6. Honey
7. Syrups
8. White / Brown Sugar
9. Rice
10. Beans
11. Cooking Oil
12. Vitamins
13. Aluminum Foil
14. Garbage Bags
15. Powdered Milk
16. Garlic
17. Spices
18. Vinegar
19. Baking Supplies
20. Flour
21. Salt
22. Yeast
23. Shampoo
24. Toothbrush
25. Toothpaste
26. Mouthwash
27. Duct Tape
28. Laundry Detergent
29. Canned Fruits
30. Canned Veggies
31. Soups
32. Roach Killer
33. Ant Traps
34. Paper Plates
35. Cups
36. Utensils
37. Antibacterial Soap
38. Cooking Sauce
39. Cocoa
40. Water Enhancers
41. Window Insulation Kit
42. Crackers
43. Peanut Butter
44. Jelly
45. Teas
46. Coffee
47. Candy
48. Cereal
49. Bouillon
50. Salsa

Get them all now with the Prepper's Kit for one stop shopping!

Holiday Gift Ideas

It’s that time of year again!  Looking for some last minute gift ideas?  We’ve got you covered.  My Brands has lots of great gifts that are sure to please family and friends.  We’ve crafted a list of four types of gift recipients, check it out to see if anyone on your list matches ours!

The Cook:

When it comes to creating the perfect meal, “The Cook” knows best.  That’s why giving him or her a fabulous culinary gift is a great idea!  My Brands has a wide variety of cooking gifts, including premium gourmet products, well known brands, regional specialties and just about everything in between! 

Every great chef needs their own signature barbecue sauce.  Why not give them a little help?  A few of our favorite barbecue brands are Two Fat Guys, Open Pit, and Road Kill.

A truly unique cooking gift is a bottle of Wright’s Liquid Smoke.  Known by many as their “secret weapon”, Wright’s Liquid Smoke has plenty of creative uses.  It can be mixed into ground meat for hamburgers, added to marinades and sauces, basted on meats and is perfect for grilling.

The Fan:

Do the following words apply to “The Fan” in your life; fanatic, obsessed, and crazy?  Then My Brands has some great ideas for you! 

Prepare your fan for the big game with one our Game Day Boxes. Each box features corresponding college Duck tape, college candy by Kencraft, and tailgating food and gear.  You choose the 6 items you want to include in the box. We currently have 14 college team boxes and are adding to the list every day.  Don’t forget to select a gift box!

Looking for just college team themed items?  Look no further than College Duck tape or college candy by Kencraft. With over 70 colleges represented (and growing!) you are sure to find your Fan’s favorite team.

The Sweet Tooth:

Satisfy “The Sweet Tooth’s” cravings with something from our wide selection of candy and chocolates. 

If you’re looking for a chocolate gift, Ritter Sport chocolates are a premium treat imported from Germany.  With combinations such as Dark Chocolate with Marzipan and MilkChocolate with Hazelnuts, you can’t go wrong! 

Chupa Chups are fun, vibrant lollipops that are a favorite around the world!  They come in interesting flavors such as Mango Yogurt and Chocovanilla.

Laffy Taffy is a well-known candy that comes in tubs of various fruit flavors.  If your “Sweet Tooth” has a best-loved flavor, buy him a tub of his favorite!  Banana seems to be one of the most popular.

The Health Nut:

Help “The Health Nut” in your life stay on track with some of our healthy product options. 

Better’n Peanut Butter is a delicious, all natural, low fat peanut butter spread that is a dieters dream!  It comes in 6 awesome flavors that are sure to cause cravings!

Adora Calcium Premium Chocolate will change the way you think about calcium supplements.  Made from all-natural, premium chocolate, they come in milk or dark chocolate.

My Brands has a wide selection of sugar-free candy.  One of our favorites is Crystal Light SugarFree Hard Candy Fruit Assortment.

Oh Canada, We Proudly Announce New Lower Price Shipping Up North

My Brands is happy to offer shipments to Canada via International Priority Mail through the US Postal Service and Canada Post. This service, available now, will only be accessible for phone orders at this time, but will be added for online orders in the future. Consumers will find this option allows door to door tracking and much more competitive rates.

Many of our Canadian consumers may recall our change in shipping policies earlier this year. Due to a change in international shipping regulations we had added MyUS.com, and international freight forwarder, as our provider for all shipments out of country. Due to our location in Rochester, NY, we understood the additional cost in money and time being put on our Canadian customers by processing shipments through the MyUS.com port in Miami, FL. While MyUS.com is a viable option for international shipments, and will continue to be available, we knew we could find something better for our friends to the north. Our research with partners in the US Postal Service led to this new level of international shipping through My Brands. This will reduce the processing and handling time to bring your favorite brands across the Canadian border to your door with greater freshness and less expense.

To place an order to ship to Canada, please call 1.888.281.6400 and one of our customer service reps will be happy to assist.

What To Do About The Reports On Arsenic in Rice

Many have seen or heard about the Consumer Reports and FDA reports on arsenic levels found in rice. My Brands would like to provide some answers to the a few of the likely questions consumers may have as a result.

What is arsenic?
Arsenic is a natural element typically used to strengthen metal alloys and improve conductivity in metals. It is a known carcinogen however and is harmful when consumed beyond recommended levels.

How much consumption is too much?
Because this is a natural element found in water, soil, plants, etc. there is no way to really eliminate it all together, but the EPA has regulated a safe and tolerable amount acceptable in drinking water to be 10 parts per billion.

How does it get in the rice?
Some of the arsenic comes from historic uses of fertilizers outlawed in the past, but may still linger in the soils. But with rice specifically it is naturally more likely to absorb arsenic from the environment because it picks up the element as the rice paddy is flooded.

Does this mean rice is not safe to eat?
Not at all! The FDA is doing further research in all rice products to better determine the exact levels, but does not recommend altering your current intake of rice. As with most things in life, the FDA simply suggests the healthiest option is eating a well rounded including many varieties of grains. To give a little perspective, the Consumer Reports study showed about one gram of arsenic for every 115,000 servings of rice. That's a lot of rice!

Who Doesn't Love BOSCO?!

We are absolutely thrilled to add Bosco products to the lineup available at MyBrands.com. Bosco is an American cultural icon from the early commercials during the 50's to modern day Seinfeld episodes. Did you know this stuff was used by Alfred Hitchcock in the famous shower scene from the movie Psyco? That was Bosco Syrup swirling the drain! And it continues to inspire great works. Just ask artist Vik Muniz who has used it to create paintings including his rendition of The Last Supper.

But the real reason Bosco has been such a big hit for so long...the taste! Delicious in milk, over desserts, or just a quick squeeze into your mouth. Hey, why not?! Order some Bosco Syrup today, in the original chocolate or one of the other great flavors.

School Supplies – For a great first day back to school, meal wise, that is!

It is that time of year again to prepare to send the kids back to school, which means stocking up on school supplies for them, and energy for you. So we at My Brands have done some work to make that first day back easy for you and them!

FOR BREAKFAST

For the kids: The most important meal of the day is a delicious start with Krusteaz Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Vermont Maid Syrup and a Boost Kids Essentials.

For you: (In between taking the dog out, packing the lunches, getting the clothes out of the dryer, throwing all the kids supplies in their respective backpacks, and hopefully pushing them out the door in time for the bus) Coffee. Lots of coffee!! Millstone Colombian Coffee

FOR LUNCH

For the kids: A great and healthy meal of Bettern’ Peanut Butter Spread and Polaner Seedless StrawberryJelly Sandwiches, GoGoSqueez All Natural Apple Sauce, and Ocean Spray Trail Mix. Yum!

For you: (Running from meeting to meeting and trying to wrap up the monthly reports in order to be able to get out of work 15 minutes early to pick up the kids to make it to the soccer game and football practice) A handful of King Peppermints chased by a Boost Chocolate Protein Drink.

FOR DINNER

For the kids: A hearty and sumptuous Crock-Pot Stew prepared with Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners to ease the clean-up and served in the convenient Hefty Portion Pan for portability!

For you: (Resigned to your new life of living out of the car for the next several months, taxiing around the kids, their equipment, instruments, friends, and the dog. Oh no, THE DOG! Hurrying home to feed the dog and get back to pick up the kids from evening activities) Mr.Pink Ginseng Vitamin Drink.

Colgate Octagon Soap - the magical mystery soap

With the recent announcement from Colgate that Octagon Soap will no longer be manufactured, the frenzy has been on for those loyal consumers to find the last bars. Like Charlie searching for the golden ticket, calls, Internet searches, and referrals are all up! Thanks to My Brands' unique relationship with Colgate we have been able to allocate a significant portion of the remainder of inventory that came off the line before production was halted.

So if you're looking, now is the time to grab some before it is gone! And who wouldn't want some?! eHow.com suggests possible uses for the all-purpose soap including cleaning laundry, dishes, the stove, and wood working. But that's not all, while I'm sure these are not all confirmed by Colgate, consumers have raved about it's ability to tackle a whole host of other ailments. It has been rumored to handle poison ivy rashes, clear acne, and act as an insect repellent. One caller even suggested it removed growths on her neck and prevented her husband's toes from having to be amputated!

(Inserted disclaimer: My Brands, Colgate, and everyone in between, do not in any way suggest you rely on Octagon Soap as a solution for medical, or heaven forbid, surgical needs. While we appreciate the consumer's enthusiasm and love for the product, we have the sneaking suspicion that these statements are a bit of an exaggeration and not viable when tested against actual medical standards.)

Get your Colgate Octagon Soap before it is gone! Click here to purchase.

UPDATE: My Brands has sold out of its inventory for Colgate Octagon Soap. This product is no longer being manufactured by Colgate, but should they ever decide to start up production again, we will be ready to bring it back to you. In the meantime consider of of the other options we have an a replacement for Octagon Soap at mybrands.com.

We Love Train and our Two-Ply Hefty Bags!

So I'm sure you must have heard Train's latest hit, Drive By, by now. If it weren't for Carly Rae Jepsen, it would probably be the song of the summer. So take a listen! Enjoy your summer, and don't forget to get your two-ply Hefty Bag here! Especially if you are heading to a Train concert this summer.

"Drive By"

On the other side of a street I knew

Stood a girl that looked like you

I guess that's déjà vu

But I thought this can't be true

'Cause you moved to west LA

Or New York or Santa Fe

Or wherever to get away from me

Oh but that one night

Was more than just right

I didn't leave you 'cause I was all through

Oh I was overwhelmed and frankly scared as hell

Because I really fell for you

Oh I swear to you

I'll be there for you

This is not a drive by

Just a shy guy looking for a two-ply

Hefty bag to hold my love

When you move me everything is groovy

They don't like it sue me

Mmm the way you do me

Oh I swear to you

I'll be there for you

This is not a drive by

On the upside of a downward spiral

My love for you went viral

And I loved you every mile you drove away

But now here you are again

So let's skip the "how you been"

And get down to the "more than friends" at last

Oh but that one night

Is still the highlight

I didn't need you until I came to

And I was overwhelmed and frankly scared as hell

Because I really fell for you

Oh I swear to you

I'll be there for you

This is not a drive by

Just a shy guy looking for a two-ply

Hefty bag to hold my love

When you move me everything is groovy

They don't like it sue me

Mmm the way you do me

Oh I swear to you

I'll be there for you

This is not a drive by

Please believe that when I leave

There's nothing up my sleeve but love for you

And a little time to get my head together too

On the other side of a street I knew

Stood a girl that looked like you

I guess that's déjà vu

But I thought this can't be true

'Cause

Oh I swear to you

I'll be there for you

This is not a drive by

Just a shy guy looking for a two-ply

Hefty bag to hold my love

When you move me everything is groovy

They don't like it sue me

Mmm the way you do me

Oh I swear to you

I'll be there for you

This is not a drive by

While staying at the Hilton Chicago, I was pleasantly surprised to find Bonne Maman Preserves served with their breakfast buffet. It is a wonderful spread with bright natural flavors. Bring home the delicious cherry preserves or any of their other fine Bonne Maman varieties!

Greetings foodies! My Brands: Unwrapped is a new blog for MyBrands.com that we plan to use to bring you lots of great content around your favorite brands and products. Check back often to find:

• Recipe ideas
•  Manufacturer updates
• Product reviews
• Meal planning tips
• Guest Bloggers
• News
• And so much more!

Your feedback is more than welcome and we look forward to using this format to encourage and create good discussions around the brands we love! Until next time…