Blog Posts

Fall Forward

8/3/2016

It’s time… Time to look forward to hoodies and football, bonfires and pumpkin spiced everything. Time to rake leaves and sit at bonfires. I could go on and on about the bonuses of fall, but unfortunately, for thousands of kiddos and teachers (and fortunately for exhausted parents!) in our area, that also means it’s time to look forward to “BACK TO SCHOOL.”

For Fun Services, looking forward to fall means many things – it means the eventual slowing down of our corporate picnic season (although we do have events into the end of September!). It means gearing up for “Back to School” events (haven’t booked yours? Hurry! Dates are filling up fast!). It means filling school stores with prizes from our warehouse (Call for a catalog!). Biggest of all though, it means gearing up for our Santa’s Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop season.

Santa’s Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop traveling showcase dates are set, and our 2016 gift line is looking like the best yet! Tablets are all getting upgraded and improved for the season, and demos and training are available. Want to refer a new school? Get $50! Signing up new this fall? $100 free gift bonus.

As always, Fun Services, the ORIGINAL Santa’s Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop is a consignment based program, with free promotional supplies, free delivery (including restocking!), and custom gift selection at our showcases.

Fall means something different to everyone, but here at Fun, we look forward to serving you every season!

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June 02nd, 2016

6/2/2016

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The "upstairs" employees are Wendy, Sabine, Robert, Vickie, and Brandy (me). Here are our responses to some serious, thought provoking questions...

What was the best concert you ever went to?
W: 10,000 Maniacs
S: Kurt's (grandson in the band!)
R: Avenge Seven Fold and Papa Roach
V: Toby Mac and Chris Tomlin
B: Creed... all 3 times!

What is your favorite place in the world?
W: Bora Bora (French Polynesia)
S: Home
R: The Bondeck 40 in the eastern UP... and Home
V: Haven't been there yet. Right now it would be anywhere my family is all together.
B: Anywhere my family is.

If you could be any animal, which would you be?
W: Dolphin
S: Butterfly
R: Otter
V: Cat
B: Cat - lazy city!

What's the last book you read?
W: Gatekeeper Series
S: "Rediscover Jesus"
R: The Gallic War and Civil War - Julius Caesar
V: The Power of a Praying Wife
B: The Brilliance Series

What's your favorite movie?
W: Hunger Games Series
S: Pretty Woman
R: The Patriot or Gladiator
V: While You Were Sleeping
B: Princess Bride

Who would you most like to swap places with for a day?
W: President of the US (See what it's like)
S: Bruno (Fun's official work dog - he's a Yorkie :) )
R: Bobby (son, aged 5) - I would love to see the world through his eyes.
V: Anyone who has a personal chef :)
B: An artist or photographer - I'm so jealous of anyone artsy!

If you could visit anywhere in the world you've never been, where would you go?
W: Machu Picchu, Peru
S: Moscow
R: Alaska
V: Scotland
B: Italy

Who is your least favorite superhero and why?
W: Wolverine - he seems kind of stupid
S: Don't follow
R: The Legion of Superpets - Superman needs help from no one!
V: Ironman - he's too cocky!
B: Antman - what's the point of someone that tiny?!?

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News you can Use From Fun Services

3/31/2016

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A few items to note as we enter April!

First of all, GREAT news for our Santa Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop schools! Due to the off timing of Easter and Spring Break this year, we are EXTENDING our Loyalty Bonus Sign Up Deadline to April 15th! So for those schools who have earned that Loyalty Bonus, we need that customer agreement in by April 15 – remember, we do not need dates yet – those can be determined in the fall!

For the schools who don’t do Santa Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop with us, why not? Our loyalty bonus is another great reason to work with Fun Services – Schools that return year after year earn more and more money that can be redeemed as free gifts, Fun Bucks, or simply as a credit on your account to make your final bill cheaper!

Next, we switch gears from winter to spring – it’s time to start thinking about Mother’s Day, Graduations, Proms, Spring Dances, etc!

Did you know, we offer a Mother’s Day Gift Shop? Much like a Santa Shop, it runs during or after school, on a consignment basis. However, this shop focuses on gifts for mom and the special ladies in your child’s life!

We also still offer Wooden Roses as a great fundraiser for Mother’s Day, Graduation, Prom, or simply a great reminder that spring has arrived! Buy them for .50 or less, and sell for a dollar or more!

Another great idea for Grad parties, Proms, and After Prom celebrations is our PHOTO BOOTH! Great fun and memories alike!

Come to our showroom over Spring Break, and we can help you plan an event to remember! We’re booking fast, so call or visit us today!

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GRAD SEASON IS COMING

3/24/2016

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As spring slowly enters Michigan (and leaves… and enters… and leaves…), Fun Services is looking forward to summer!

Summer is of course, one of our busiest seasons. Not only do our corporate picnics start, but school is also ending. This means Fun Fairs, Ice Cream Socials and Field Days. We love all those smiling kiddo faces!

However, sometimes it means that our kids are entering a whole new phase of their lives. As summer approaches, Graduation season is also coming.

Here are some great tips on planning your child’s open house with less stress!

Plan a buffet – it’s easiest for people to come and leave without planning a specific “time” to eat. Great buffet options? Taco bar, deli bar, or a dessert bar!
Get the best attendance by planning your event a week or two before or after graduation instead of graduation weekend.
Keep the younger kids busy with games, coloring tables (white paper on a table with dollar store crayons will entertain young and old alike!), or a bounce house.
Celebrate the grad! Everyone loves pictures – consider a slide show or scatter digital frames around instead of the old fashioned boards.
Keep cool! Fun Services has sno kone machines, slushie machines (MENTION THIS BLOG AND GET A MIX FREE!), and chill tables available!
Make sure you have room in case everyone arrives at once – tents, tables, and chairs are also available for rent here at Fun Services!
Decorating can be simple and green – flowers can be cheap, and planted after the open house. Pot small plants and flowers in school colors, and place on tables for a easy and beautiful centerpiece.

As always, Fun Services is here to make your event easy and smooth, but June fills up fast! Call today to reserve your event!

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March is reading month

2/29/2016

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Can you believe it's already March? One of the most important aspects of March for most elementary and middle schools is Reading Month. March 2 is Dr Seuss' birthday, and that makes March the perfect month to focus on reading!

Fact is, if a child reads for 15 minutes a day, for the entire month of March, they will read almost 90 thousand words! Obviously then, getting kids motivated to read is a big deal.

How can Fun Services help? Well, we can provide great rewards for meeting daily, weekly, or monthly goals for your class - or your entire school!

DUNK TANKS

One super exciting way to get kids motivated is to offer to put your principal in the dunk tank if the school reads over a certain number of books or minutes!

inflatables

Another great way is to offer time in a bounce house or obstacle course if they meet their reading goals! This is a great way to burn off some energy during the confusing early spring weather, and encourage kids to read!

brand new! prize packages

One SUPER NEW way we are helping teachers and principals meet their reading goals are through our brand new reading month prize packages! These combine perfectly themed prizes that are great for encouraging children to read and write as they work to achieve their minutes! AND if you order one of our prize packages, we'll send it to you FREE!!!! That's right, free shipping when you order one of our new prize packages exclusively during March!

We also always have prizes available to see in our local showroom, and in our catalog!

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That which we call a rose….

2/25/2016

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When you dream of getting a rose for Valentine’s Day (or Mother’s day, or buying one for that special love in your life), you imagine that perfect rose bud, or that perfect bloom….

You enjoy that big, beautiful, gorgeous rose for…. a day, or two, maybe a week…. but realistically, here’s what happens with that rose…

There’s no memory to that. No coming back to life. However, Fun Services has a way to keep those memories lasting forever…
Wooden roses! They are green, last forever, and are gorgeous!

They are also an easy, HIGH PROFIT fundraiser! You can buy roses in a variety of volumes, from .50 to .35 cents a rose. Sell them for a dollar at your Daddy Daughter Dance, Prom or homecoming, mother son events, and imagine how popular they’d be at lunch over Valentine’s Day! I know for $1, our school sells carnations… not as pretty, and they only last a day or 2!
Call us at 1-800-772-7587 for more information, or order using the form below!

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but...isn't winter your slow time?

12/1/2015

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Being known as a “carnival company,” it’s not an unrealistic question. We do corporate picnics and private rentals for games, prizes, inflatables, tents, tables, and chairs all summer long. Yes, there are some weekends we are so busy that we sell out of inflatables. So, it would seem like winter is our time to breathe, right? Not so much!
We have been extremely blessed with loyal schools that run carnivals in the fall and early winter months, so we were busy with events up to the end of October, and are beginning again with Christmas parties and events. So, we still have games, prizes, and inflatables going in and out.

We also do this “little” thing called Santa’s Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop. We are the original shop, have been running since 1968, and this year, we’re serving a record number of students across Michigan. We have programming elves, packing elves, loading elves, and delivery elves working 7 days a week from now until Christmas ensuring that our schools and students experience the BEST gifts we have to offer, including gifts personalized for Mom and Dad and the whole family, and LICENSED Michigan sports products like Michigan State Spartans, Michigan Wolverines, and the major Detroit teams – Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons! We are still booking schools every week, and still have availability for schools that would like to run their sale the week before Christmas break!

Busy enough? Christmas parties and events, Santa’s Secret Shop 7 days a week…. nah. We can do more! We’re also developing our Master Plan for 2016 – and that means finalizing our School Carnival Traveling Showcase Schedule, and booking carnivals and field days for Spring and end of School Year 2016 – that’s right, we’re already planning events for 2016!

Of course, there’s always fundraisers like chocolate dipped pretzel rods and wooden roses ($1 retail fundraisers? Yes, please!), private bounce house rentals (got a heated garage? We’ve got a way for the kids to burn off some steam!), church youth group events (got a big gym? Think ARCHERY TAG!), and much more going on……
So, with all that in mind…. what can we do for YOU this winter to make it FUN?

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SWITCHING OVER

3/26/2015

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It’s that time of year…. time for everyone to switch over.

We’ve sprung forward in time, from DST to “regular” time. People are switching their winter wardrobe for spring digs. Boots, hats, and snow pants are making their way back into the closet, and rain boots and umbrellas are making their way out.

Here at Fun Services, we are excited for spring!

We’re crazy busy booking school carnivals, field days, and corporate picnics. We’re also providing “E*G*G*stra” fun to the many easter events hosted by local churches. (It’s not just about eggs and chocolate bunnies anymore!)

Spring is our way of looking forward to a great summer!

What are we excited about?

New equipment

Events at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan International Speedway, and other GREAT Michigan locations

And we are loving all the school carnivals that are happening at the end of the school year!

So, what about you?

What are you excited about this spring?

Let us know!

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Christmas in February???

3/12/2015

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Ugh. If I hear Christmas mentioned this time of year, I want to cry. Normally, I hear it in the form of my 5 year old telling me he is adding something he saw on TV to his "Christmas list." Well, pal, it's only February.... Santa will probably forget by then!

However, here at Fun Services, we think cross-seasonally (yes, I made that up). That means we're thinking end-of-school year carnivals in October, summer Corporate events in March, fall fundraising in July, and Santa's Secret Shops and Holiday Gift Shops in February.

Why do we do this? This is the best time of year to meet up with other Fun Services from around the United States this time of year to to see and set up the new line for 2015. We get great new items, get to talk to other "Elves" to see what worked for them and what didn't, and tell them what is working and not working for us. It's a time for us to breathe and reflect.

In that respect, we love to see schools preparing early with us. This helps not only us look forward to 2015's Santa's Secret Shop, but there are important aspects for you, too.

First, it allows YOU to prepare - line up your dates, your space, your volunteers. Getting those items lined up early takes the pressure off in November.

Second, it allows you time to get to know us and our line. There are other companies that do services like Santa's Secret Shop, so we'd love to prove to you why WE are the original - and the best at what we do - and have been for over 40 years. We visit with schools at Traveling Showcases in various locations during February and March, host schools here at our warehouse in Bellevue, and will come right to your school!

Third, the LOYALTY BONUS! If you complete a customer agreement and return it to us by March 31, 2015, you qualify for our Loyalty Bonus discount. This discount starts at 5% back in Free merchandise, Credit or FUN Bucks, and increases as your time with us increases! PLUS $50.00 Referral bonus if you bring us a school who hasn't used Fun Services before! PLUS $100 bonus if you hold your shop before Thanksgiving break!

So just because Santa is on vacation doesn't mean we are here at Fun Services. We are looking forward to 2015, and working with you!

Psst - I mentioned our Traveling Showcases.... Come see examples of our Santa line, new Carnival games and prizes for 2015, and great fundraising ideas! Check out our website at http://www.myfunservices.com/travel-showcase.html to check dates of a location near you - you can even RSVP online! There's no showcase near you, you say? No problem! Give us a call - we'll come to you!

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Tailgate Toss, Monster Wheel, Pumpkin Patch and More.....

10/1/2014

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....those are just some of the FUN games you may use
FREE of charge if you purchase prizes from us
(or you may rent the games without prize purchase).

Want to be THE BEST Halloween site on YOUR STREET?
We offer Cotton Candy and Popcorn Machines, Edible Candy Art and unique non-candy items like Spider Rings, Halloween Kid's Temporary Tattoos, Pencils and much more! Book a Halloween or Fall CARNIVAL package worth $500 or more and we will provide FREE CONCESSION SUPPLIES with the rental of any 1 of our popular machines: SWEET and FLUFFY Cotton Candy, REFRESHING SNO KONES or MOUTHWATERING POPCORN!

If you REALLY want to be the TALK OF THE TOWN, let us come in with the PHOTO BOOTH!!!

Whether it is for your Church Harvest Fest, an office lunch or a Holiday party, Middle School or High School event - everybody LOVES the PHOTO BOOTH.Mention this BLOG and get a
FREE SCRAP BOOK (no other discounts apply).
CALL: 1-800-772-7587
NOVEMBER and DECEMBER dates are filling up fast!

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Forward>>

Fall Forward

June 02nd, 2016

News you can Use From Fun Services

GRAD SEASON IS COMING

March is reading month

DUNK TANKS

inflatables

brand new! prize packages

That which we call a rose….

but...isn't winter your slow time?

SWITCHING OVER

Christmas in February???

Tailgate Toss, Monster Wheel, Pumpkin Patch and More.....

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