Google+ Haband: 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Movember's Growing Accomplishments!


If you remember back at the start of November our very own Eric Seader joined the Movember Movement.  As a quick refresher Movember is a month long activity where men grow their mustaches to raise awareness for men’s health issues.

While Eric’s goal was to simply raise awareness, he did manage to raise $257.  The team that he participated on was able to raise over 12K.   In the United States over $13 Million was raised and Worldwide over $105 Million.  That totals $25 Million more the last year!

Eric said that he had a great time and can’t wait to do this again next year.  He hopes that he has impacted his friends and family to stay on top of their health!  To see Eric’s progress throughout the month check out the time-lapse video bellow of his moustache growing in over the course of Movember!



Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Duke's Journal #3 - The Salvation Army & The Holidays

Duke here, with some very happy news! You might remember that back in August, we started a promotional campaign to benefit The SalvationArmy. The way it worked was simple:  For every 1,000 brand new “Likes” that we received on Facebook, we pledged to donate $1,000 in first-quality Haband merchandise directly to The Salvation Army. We ended up getting just over 4,000 new “Likes” — and I’m pleased to officially announce to all of you today that The Salvation Army has now received our donation.

But that’s not all! Because the Holiday Season is so near, we decided that even though those 4,000 “Likes” translated into a $4,000 Haband merchandise donation, we’d like to do more. So we did — by increasing that donation to merchandise totaling $6,000!  That way, we are (hopefully) accomplishing the greatest possible good during this time of year when so many people need it most.

The Salvation Army picked everything up early on the morning on 11/29 from our Georgia warehouse and I wish you could have seen the excitement on their faces.  I think it’s safe to say that they were thrilled with the size of the donation – and that’s something that YOU, our customers, helped make happen!

I’m sharing a few photographs from the merchandise pickup below and be sure to check our Facebook page for the rest. Thanks again to ALL those who made this possible, whether by giving us your “Like” or by sharing our promotion with your own Facebook friends. It’s always been a kind of company motto that “Nice People Work at Haband” but it always warms my heart to see that Nice People shop here, too!

Your friend,

Duke




Friday, November 11, 2011

11/11/11

Today is 11/11/11 – Officially, it’s Veterans Day (thank you very much to all those Haband friends who also happen to be Veterans, this country’s a better place for your service) but unofficially, today is Corduroy Day! (All those 1’s lined up like that 11/11/11, looks very much like the groovy nature of Corduroy fabric – get it?)

Anyway, it’s definitely the corduroy time of year, so I thought I’d take this unique opportunity to put up some links to a few of Haband’s most popular corduroy products! After all, there won’t be another Corduroy Day like this for another hundred years!

Ladies Fit Forever Corduroy
Men's Stag Hill Corduroy


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

November, Now Officially Known as Movember

Eric, Day 1
“During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.”

Movember, is a great cause that Haband’s very own Eric Seader is participating in raises funds and awareness for men’s health issues.  While their goal is overall men’s health they do focus on prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.  I did a Q & A with Eric to find out more about this cause and why he is participating:

Why are you participating?
I am participating because I believe it is a fun way to raise funds and awareness for a great cause. From my own experience, men have a hard time discussing their health issues and avoid going to the doctor even when they think something may be wrong.  I think my moustache, as it begins to grow, will be a great icebreaker to start conversations about the awareness of prostate and other male cancers as well as overall men’s health.

Have you done this before?
This will be my first time participating as a “Mo Bro,” but I donated to the cause the previous 2 years.

What is your goal?
My primary goal is actually not a financial one. Men are 24% less likely to go to the doctor than women. If I can get my friends, family, and co-workers to go in for their annual checkup, I feel like I have met my goal.

I am also looking to raise funds for the cause so that awareness can be raised worldwide throughout the year and so that we can continue to work towards a cure for all types of cancer.

What kind of mustache are you aiming for?
This will be the first time I’ve tried to grow a moustache, so I’m not sure how quickly it will grow and how it will look. My favorite moustache style is the “Rollie Fingers”, but I don’t think it will grow fast enough in a 30 day period.

We at Haband believe this is a great cause and stand behind Eric 100%!  Be sure to check back as we are making a time lapse video of Eric's mustache and will update you on his progress. If you would like learn more here’s a link to the Movember Site: http://us.movember.com/about/

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Time to Get Our Pink On

As most of you are well aware, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This month at Haband we started a number of activities to raise awareness and some donations for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation.

We kicked of the months activities at our main office in New Jersey.  We had a number of activities throughout the month starting by offering pink awareness bracelets for a donation and everyone  wearing one would be recognized as  supporters just by putting it on.

On Monday, 10/24, we organized a bake sale plus raffles every hour throughout the day.  We had a great turn out and you wouldn’t believe all of the baked goods we had!  Check out some pictures from the event to see some of the yummy foods we sold:




The end of the month wrapped up with one more mini bake sale plus a team picture where (just about) everyone wore pink. It’s a good thing that we all love our treats at Haband as they were the perfect way to raise donations.  I think the biggest treat of all though was seeing everyone pull together and raise money to support the fight against Breast Cancer.  All together, our employees contributed $1,666 of their own money! Then with some extra help from Haband to give us nice round number, our overall contribution for the cause was $2,000!  This money will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®Foundation through Jennie Marshall who participated in the 3-Day for the Cure Walk in Atlanta.

Great Job Team!!


Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Duke's Journal #2 - Mmmmm... Pumpkin Pie!

There was a chill in the air when I woke up on Saturday morning, and as I walked a few blocks for coffee and the morning paper as I always do (at least until it gets so cold that I have to drive), I could smell the unmistakable scent of firewood burning. The calendar might say that Fall got here a few weeks ago, but there can be no doubt that it has truly arrived now. And as far as I'm concerned that's great -- I love the Fall in New Jersey. All the fiery colors that burst forth as the leaves turn. Holidays like Halloween and later, Thanksgiving. And of course, football season!

It's also the season for some of the best food! Mrs. Duke made some pumpkin pie this weekend that was absolutely delicious. (She probably wouldn't like it that I'm telling you this but normally she just buys one from the store!) Anyways, I asked her for the recipe so I could give it to you guys - and here you go:

Ingredients:
  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 Butter Pie Crust dough disk
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
  • ¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
Preheat to 375°F and move the rack to the bottom ⅓ of the oven. Spray 9-inch-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Place dough in prepared dish and fold edges under and crimp, forming high border. Bake until edges are light golden, pressing crust with back of fork if bubbles form, about 7 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Reposition oven rack to center.

Puree pumpkin in processor or blender. Mix in sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt & cloves. Add eggs 1 at a time, pulsing after each addition. Gradually add cream, process just until blended.

Pour filling into warm crust. Bake until edges are puffed and center is set, about 1 hour. Cool completely on rack. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Enjoy! Hope your first "true" Fall weekend was filled with all the familiar smells (and tastes) of the season! And remember that Haband.com is your place for all the menswear, ladieswear, gifts, and gadgets for your home all year round!

Til next time -
Duke

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Duke's Journal #1 - A Little Bit of Magic?

Dear Friends,

For years, magicians have used the powerful combination of Smoke and Mirrors to create illusions that amaze and delight their audiences. Which I kind of admire because, let’s face it — it’s very entertaining! And there’s no real harm done, right? As anyone who’s ever seen the ol’ “saw-a-woman-in-half” routine knows, it’s an INCREDIBLE trick. But that’s still just all it is — a trick of the eyes, nothing more. However, these days it seems that the same kind of “smoke and mirror” illusions are now being used by my “colleagues” in the direct mail business!

But this time, it could be your WALLET that ends up getting sawed in half! Who am I talking about? Well, the “Maine” culprit I’ve noticed likes to offer free postage in nearly every catalog. Seems like a good deal until you realize how much their prices have gone up on everything else — they are just sneaking the shipping costs (and more) into the product price! Suddenly that free postage doesn’t seem so free, does it? Don’t fall for it!

The good news is, you don’t have to! Because you can actually shop Haband and get REAL savings with TRUE low prices that always beat the competition with NO SMOKE, NO MIRRORS, and NO TRICKS of any sort!

How do I do it? The ol’ fashioned way — through some strong negotiation and volume buying power! See, by dealing directly with the manufacturers, and by ordering not by the hundreds, not by the thousands, but by the HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS, I am able to get prices the other guys only WISH they could! Then, we pass those savings on to you! So when we get a good deal, YOU get a GREAT DEAL! I don’t have to resort to illusions and tricks, because when the prices are as low as ours, there’s no need to do that!

And we do it all without holding back on the features that are important to YOU! Things like Quality! Comfort! And yes, even Style! All this will probably make me look like a REALmagician to all the other guys out there in the mail order clothing business. But as I’ve shown, there’s no magic involved! I simply care about you, my customers.

Just don’t delay — because with prices THIS low now (at the start of the season instead of the end!) the BIGGEST and BEST VALUES are sure to disappear faster than you can say, “Abracadabra!” And that, my friend, won’t be magic either — it’s just what happens when you have the lowest prices around and millions of Haband friends who know a VALUE when they see one! Because, believe me, I’m not blowin’ smoke when I say, “You’ll Never Get a Better Deal!”

Your Friend,
Duke Habernickel

Friday, September 16, 2011

Salvation Army Donation Wrap-Up

Yesterday, we wrapped up our promotion to donate $1,000 worth of all-new, first-quality merchandise to the Salvation Army for every 1,000 new “likes” we got on Facebook. Our campaign was a huge success and we wanted to thank everyone for their help and support! While we fell a bit short of our goal to get to 10,000 likes, we did get close with just around 8800. That’s almost 4,000 new fans on Facebook!

Our promise was to donate $1000 worth of merchandise for every 1000 new likes we received and even though we missed our next milestone of 9000, we’re still going to round up and make it an even $4000 worth of merch. We fully support the Salvation Army and all the good they bring to our local communities and want to give them as much help as we possibly can!

We’ve alerted our warehouse to finish putting the goods together for our drop-off. Stay tuned to our page (and blog) for pictures of the donation effort. Again, many thanks to everyone who supported Haband and the Salvation Army!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Our Salvation Army Donation is Moving Full Steam Ahead

Our Salvation Army Promotion has been running for just one week and the response has been overwhelming!

For those of you that don’t know, we are donating $1000 worth of merchandise for every 1,000 new likes we receive on Facebook. We started last week with 5,000 and have picked up nearly 1,000 already and feel confident that our goal of 10,000 will easily be reached in a couple of weeks!

The support we have received so far has been nothing but positive! Our fans have shown that they LIKE us but also really support everything the Salvation Army does. Because of that support, we would like to take the following space to show some of what our fans have said:

Jim G:lets keep sharing this..let everyone you know about the promotion and lets help Haband help the Salvation Army..again..thanks Haband!...you are doing a good thing.”

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Eugene S:Good Job”

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Eva E:I have given to the Salvation Army for many, many years - this makes me glad to hear that you are also helping them. Of course I also purchased from Haband many things. Cheers to you!!!!!”Top of FormBottom of Form

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Laurie S:I applaud your generosity. If only all companies would do this on a regular basis what a better place this world would be.”

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Bradley B:Haband has great merchandise at great prices go to haband.com

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Pat H: I PURCHASE MY HUBBYS CLOTHES FROM HABAND-GLAD TO SEE YOU ARE ALSO HELPING THE SALVATION ARMY, CHEERS TO YOU!”Top of Form

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Harold F: “Glad to help Haband support the Salvation Army!”

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On behalf of the entire Haband team, we’d like to say “thanks” for the support you have shown toward us and the Salvation Army!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Haband Plans Salvation Army Donation



Haband has been thinking of great ways to give back to the community and we need your help! We want to donate $1,000 dollars worth of merchandise to The Salvation Army for every 1,000 new fans we get on Facebook. All that you have to do is click the "Like" button on the top of our Facebook page. Then, "Share" our fan page with your friends and family! We need you to help us reach our goal. We have until September 5th, 2011 at midnight to get 5,000 NEW fans. Give back to the community with just the click of a button- help us help The Salvation Army.

Click here to help us out! www.Facebook.com/haband

Keep checking back to see our progress!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Behind the Scenes at Haband

Ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes at a Haband photo shoot? Our team went past the cubicles into the studio to show you where the magic happens. You won’t believe how many people it takes to direct and run a photo shoot! Making the clothing look perfect on print can be a long process, but the photos come to life when the team uses their talent to create a masterpiece. We caught up with our friends in the studio to show you firsthand what goes on.





Interested in photography, graphic design, lighting, or anything else shown in this video? Leave a comment to let us know what you want to see next!

Friday, June 24, 2011

May's Employee of the Month

It’s that time again…to announce Haband’s employee of the month! We apologize for the break in posting. The staff has been quite busy around the office and the selection process is getting more difficult. Competition is heating up! Although we’ve skipped a few months, we have a new recipient for May’s employee of the month.

CONGRATULATIONS GEORGE K!

George is Haband’s Facilities Manager. He takes care of the people who work at Haband and the actual building itself, making sure everything runs smoothly. He’s an outstanding member of the staff not only because of his hard working ways, but also because of his friendly demeanor.
Get to know George:




We’re looking forward to see who our winner will be next month!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Haband's Social Media Gets A Makeover

Haband is working hard to keep you connected, through social media, to the great deals you know and love from our company. We’re doing our best to keep you “posted” with great offers available through our Facebook fan page and Twitter page.

Recently, we’ve added several new and exciting features to Haband’s Facebook page, such as photos of merchandise with quick order links, a place to write customer reviews, and a “tab” that features the free gift of the week, which is updated weekly. With the enhanced Facebook page, there is more information available at your fingertips. The easy-to-use page helps you connect us; we want to hear what you have to say!

Our Twitter page is now better than ever. We are frequently “tweeting” the Deal of the Day, special promotions, and interesting articles that we’re certain you’ll enjoy. Don’t miss out! Mention our username, @Best_Web_Deals, in your tweet and we’ll give you a shout out!

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the social media world, you’ll want to check out Haband’s Facebook and Twitter to get news, information and updates available only to you!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Check out the NEW Features on Haband.com

We've added some more features to the haband.com home page. We have two new ones (just below the main product image) - our "Deal of the Day" and "Free Gift of the Week".

Deal of the Day
Every day, we showcase a different product and slash the price so low we don't advertise it anywhere else but haband.com! Some of these products are new to Haband, and others are ones that you've seen and (hopefully) love, but we've taken huge cuts out of the price. Watch out though, there is a time limit to these offers and you'll know just how much time is left by the clock ticking down just above the banner. When you see something you like, I suggest that you hurry and buy it right then as the clock doesn't stop for anyone and when they're gone at the price, they're gone!!

Free Gift of the Week
Also new is our Free Gift Banner - each week, we feature our Top-Of-The-Line Free Gifts for you to take with your order. Our goal is to find the best, most valuable, most spectacular Free Gifts for you and will offer them up for one week only on our home page. We reset the Gifts each Monday so if you ever find one you like, again, don't wait as you don't want to miss out! These Gifts follow our standard offer where they are Free with purchase - But, they are yours to keep even if you return the rest of your order. How's that for a Great Deal?!

I urge you to visit haband.com today and see what deals and freebies we are cooking up. Then, bookmark the page and check back often as Duke would say, "You'll Never Get a Better Deal!"

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Has it been a month already??

Wow! Time flies when you're busy... I just realized that it's been awhile since I last wrote and didn't want to let too much time pass before checking in with you all.

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that we're in development of a new game for you to play on haband.com and that I would provide details as we progressed.

I am happy to announce that the game is live and you are invited to test it out. Actually, you loyal blog followers are the first to get this announcement so you will have the opportunity to let me know what you think - sort of like beta testers, if you will...

I do want to warn you though, that while the game is fully functional, we are still uploading some great free gifts to be awarded to each level of completion. I can't speak about them yet, but do promise you that you won't be disappointed! (we should be all done before the weekend and if you're on our email list, you'll get a notice letting you know when it's finished)

So please feel free to head over to www.haband.com/colgame and kick the tires for awhile. I can assure you that this game is very addictive, so make sure you have some time set aside before you start ;)

As always, comments/feedback/etc. are welcome. Enjoy!


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Employee of the Month for February

A couple of months ago we started a new program at Haband - Employee of the Month!

Each month, a committee meets to decide who, out of all the outstanding employees at Haband, gets to be the current month's Employee of the Month. I will showcase each EOTM here and am working on some interviews for the first few recipients. While we put the finishing touches on December and January, I have February to share with you now, so apologies in advance for going out of order.

February's EOTM is Mary K. A Senior Inventory Control Buyer in our non-Apparel Department. She has been a Haband'er for 7+ years now and is responsible for making sure our shelves are stocked with everything from digital video cameras, to LED light bulbs, to battery chargers, to mops. If there's something you need for your house, Mary is sure to stock it and sell it - and do it for the lowest prices anywhere around!

We had a little fun with the interview and created an animation as if she were on TV speaking to a prominent nighttime talk show host. Click the play button below to watch our newest creation with the interview transcripts below. As always, comments are welcome.





[Ed.] What month were you picked for Employee of the Month?
[MK] February.

[Ed.] Were you surprised that you were picked for Employee of the Month?
[MK] Absolutely. Very humbled.

[Ed.] What's your title at Haband?
[MK] Senior Inventory Control Buyer.

[Ed.] How long have you worked at Haband?
[MK] A little over 7 years.

[Ed.] What do you love about your job?
[MK] Diversity. No box is the same.

[Ed.] If you weren't at Haband and wanted another occupation, what would you be?
[MK] An interior designer.

[Ed.] What's your favorite color?
[MK] Red.

[Ed.] Do you have a hobby?
[MK] Hiking.

[Ed.] What's your favorite food?
[MK] Thai.

[Ed.] What's your favorite place to eat?
[MK] Bensi's.

[Ed.] If you were stuck on an island with a Haband employee, who would you like to hang out with until the ship found you?
[MK] Very difficult to pinpoint to one person. We have such a colorful assortment of people working here, each with their own distinctive personality and each impacting my life in a different way. Picture being on an island where everything is green. You need blue, red, orange, etc. to feel complete. Or as best you can on a desert island.

Friday, February 4, 2011

It's Still Winter...

...and it doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon. I realize that Punxsutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow and that should mean an early Spring, but it just doesn't seem possible! After the 'stormiest' January on record and a major storm at least once a week, it seems like Winter is here to stay for awhile.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE Winter and enjoy all the snow and outdoor fun that comes with it, but realize that I am probably in the minority with these feelings.

I found this picture online and wanted to share it with everyone.
I'm sure there is some PhotoShop trickery involved, but real or fake, it probably best sums up what everyone else thinks about Winter - hope you enjoy!



Thursday, February 3, 2011

Coming Soon!

If you're a follower of our Blog (and receive email or visit our site haband.com), you know that we've been working on some online games for you to play and win cool gifts. The first game we launched was a memory game similar to the old TV show Concentration®.

We've been hard at work since that initial launch and are putting the finishing touches on our next game. It's a classic-style Columns® game and the graphics and gameplay are absolutely outstanding! (a big "Thank You!" to All Things Media) To whet your appetite, I'm including some screenshots of the game. When we're all done, I'll send an update with details where you can play, so check back often - this game is very addictive and I know you'll enjoy!

BTW, that last shot is my high score - level 10 baby! I'll issue the challenge now for you to beat that when the game is live. Comments always welcome and be sure to check in and tell us your score.





Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Video Update - Animation!

If you're into creating home movies and noodling around your computer with video and special effects, let me introduce you to a great online tool - Xtranormal! Here you can select from several character sets and background scenes. You simply type in the dialog, add in some hand and facial gestures and publish! The online version is free to create your videos, but if you want to publish them to a blog or YouTube, you have to pay a nominal fee. You buy Xtranormal Points starting out at $10 and use them to buy special characters and settings and to publish your final product.

And, it couldn't be any easier! In fact, Xtranormal's motto is "If you can type, you can make movies". Have a look at my first attempt below, as always, some feedback would be appreciated. Have fun and feel free to check in with any creations of your own. Happy editing!




Wednesday, January 12, 2011

New to Haband.com - Video!

Hello, and Happy New Year!

It's been awhile so I wanted to check in and let you know that we're still here. In addition, I wanted to share with you a new feature to our web site - video!

Some very talented folks from our Art Department have been creating videos to showcase our products (Jen and Shavonne, and a myriad of aspiring actors from around our halls). We've been adding them to our web site as they are available and been Tweeting and FaceBooking the links, but in case you missed all that, I invite you to check out YouTube now to see what we've been up to. You can go to http://www.youtube.com/user/HabandVideos or simply go to YouTube and search for "Haband" and you'll find everything.

And in case you aren't familiar with YouTube, each video has a section for you to comment or give a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". If you see something you like, please let us know. If you see something you don't, which I'm sure you won't ;) let us know as well.

Here are two of my favorites, but please head on over and watch them all!