Singer-songwriter’s “I’m Me!” album and title track awarded top honors in IMA children’s categories.

ASHLAND, Ma. – (Jan. 27, 2010) Being herself obviously has paid off for children’s musician Charlie Hope. Her “I’m Me!” album and its title track were just named cream of the crop in the children’s music division of the 9^th Annual Independent Music Awards (IMA).

Hope’s debut CD “I’m Me!” was chosen as “Best Album,” and her folksy title track was awarded “Best Song”, sweeping the children’s category.  She is in good company with Dan Zanes, who won best album last year.

Released in July 2009 under the Little Maple Leaf Productions label, “I’m Me!” was among thousands of entries submitted by independent label and self-released artists worldwide. The eclectic field was pared down by a panel of judges, including notables such as Pete Wentz, Ricky Skaggs, DJ Spooky, The Black Keys, Suzanne Vega, Hanson, Aimee Mann, Bettye LaVette, Zooey Deschanel, M. Ward, and Judy Collins – among others.

“This is really exciting!” said Hope. “I’m really enjoying what I’m doing, and these awards are another confirmation that I am on the right path.”

Hope earned a bachelor’s degree in art therapy with children, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and has worked with children in preschools and privately as a nanny. Music abilities nurtured in her youth, found an outlet in these childcare settings, said the Ashland High School graduate.

“I’ve worked with children for many years at preschools and in the home and believe music is an integral part of a child’s well-being,” she said. “My desire to really pursue children’s music came out of the blue one day while reevaluating my career.  It was the obvious move…but it’s all in the timing.  When I heard the first mixes of the songs, I just knew. ‘This is it,” I thought. ‘Now it gets exciting!’ ”

A Canadian by birth, Hope currently lives in Los Angeles. However, many of her concerts still take place in New England, where she grew up. Her music focuses on elements relevant to children’s lives and gives a positive spin on things like naptime and new siblings.

“One of my favorite things about doing children’s music is the live shows. If only one child is jumping up and down and dancing to the music, it makes my day,” said Hope in an interview with her hometown paper, the Ashland Tab.

The IMA award comes on the heels of recognition throughout the children’s music industry.  Hope’s “I’m Me!” album garnered a Parents’ Choice Awards Silver Honor in October 2009 a Preferred Choice by Creative Child Magazine, and Favorite Kid’s Album by Boston Children’s Music.  Her “World of Dreams” lullaby CD was also honored with a Seal of Excellence Award by Creative Child Magazine.

“I’m so happy that the IMA judges recognized Charlie’s talent,” said Rob Wilson of Challenge & Fun, an Ashland wholesaler of children’s natural toys and distributor of Charlie Hope’s music. “She really understands children, and her voice is absolutely charming.”

IMA recognizes noteworthy albums, songs, music videos and album art designs from all over the world – particularly those artists “who follow their own muse.” To hear Hope’s music, go to www.charliehopemusic.com and click on the “music” tab.

Music fans have until June 25 to champion their favorite Nominees at The IMA Vox Pop Jukebox (Click Here) to determine The 9th Independent Music Awards ‘People’s Voice’ Winners.

Contact
Would you like to set up an interview with Charlie Hope? Call Rob Wilson at the Challenge & Fun Inc. office at 1-888-384-6200 or 1-508-881-7500.

Rob Wilson
PO Box 222
Ashland, MA 01721

Email: info@challengeandfun.com
Toll Free: 1-(888)-384-6200

Press
Release                                                                                            
            Oct. 19, 2009

(For
Immediate Release)

Challenge & Fun: “The ‘I’m Me!’ Children’s CD is a
Breath of Fresh Air.”

ASHLAND, Ma. – (Oct. 19, 2009) Warm and clear like a bee’s
best honey, the voice and lyrics of singer Charlie Hope
beckon the imaginations of her pint-sized listeners and their parents, too. Hope’s
folksy style also recently charmed some discerning panelists, who bestowed a Parents’
Choice Awards Silver Honor on her “I’m Me!” debut CD.

Hope’s
“lyrics are easy to understand and fun to repeat,” stated her Parents’ Choice
Awards (PCA) evaluation summary. “The a cappella songs are as singable as those
with instrumental backup. Each song – original or traditional – is buoyed by
her impressive use of voice and vocal sound effects.”

The Silver
Honor awarded for Hope’s children’s CD is one of only three silvers given this
fall in the PCA music audio category. Four music projects were given gold-level
kudos, and more than two dozen other musicians were commended for their work. The
Parents’ Choice Awards committees recognize only about 20 percent of all items
submitted for stringent judging. Categories include books, toys, DVDs,
software, TV, video games, magazines, websites and audio.

Hope
heard about her award via email and responded with the same sunny disposition
evident in her songs. “I was excited and called my mom right away,” the artist
explained. “Then once it was up on the Parents’ Choice website, I sent an email
to all of my close friends to let them know – as this is quite an honor,” she
said. “I remember just over a year ago – while writing and recording ‘I’m Me!’ –
I had looked up the Parents' Choice Awards.  Now…to be included with a
silver award is just great.”

“I’m
Me!” is geared for children 1 to 7 years of age. Hope also recently released her
second CD on the Little Maple Leaf Productions label, a collection of soothing
songs and lullabies titled “World of Dreams”.

“Charlie
Hope’s music is one of our sweeter products,” said Rob Wilson, the director of
marketing for Challenge & Fun,
a wholesaler of children’s natural and wholesome products. “The ‘I’m Me!’
children’s CD is a breath of fresh air.”

To hear
a song written and performed by Hope, check out the online music video clip
featuring her winsome train tune on www.charliehopemusic.com. The website also lists her
concert and event schedule.

The
Parents’ Choice Foundation was established more than 30 years ago by author and
educator Diana Huss Green, who envisioned a non-commercial clearinghouse to
help parents find the very best quality toys and learning products. Today, the
foundation’s award panel includes educators, performing artists, librarians,
parents, scientists and children who endeavor to evaluate products objectively.

“The
Parents’ Choice Awards committees look for products that entertain and teach
with flair, stimulate imagination and inspire creativity,” states the
organization’s website. “Judges are interested in how a product helps a child
grow: socially, intellectually, emotionally, ethically and physically. Among
the considerations of the jurors and judges: the learning value, the play
value, the appeal and the cost. A product’s originality weighs heavily in the
judges’ decisions.”

About
Challenge & Fun

Challenge & Fun,
Inc. was
established in 1998 to introduce beautiful, natural children's products not
readily available in the U.S.
market. Through the years, the product mix has evolved, but the company
has stayed true to its original objective while using only the finest materials.
Challenge & Fun currently features soft, organic
cotton
dolls and stuffed animals, as well as wooden blocks and fruits
and vegetables – all made in Europe. The
company has developed its own balance boards, manufactured from sustainable
wood here in the USA.

Contact

Do you
have questions about the “I’m Me!” music CD or Challenge & Fun, Inc.? Would
you like to set up an interview with singer-songwriter Charlie Hope? Call Rob
Wilson at the Challenge & Fun Inc. office at 1-888-384-6200 or
1-508-881-7500.

Challenge
& Fun, Inc.

Rob
Wilson

Director
of Marketing

PO Box 222
Ashland, MA
01721

Email: info (AT) challengeandfun.com

Toll
Free: 888-384-6200

###

Last spring four of our products were featured on TV at the same time. Keptin-Jr, Kallisto, Lana, and I Cherish Planet Earth.

Yard sales are a great way to find deals, and get rid of old stuff, while helping to keep products out of the landfill.  This story makes it clear that the CPSIA is making this a much more risky proposition.  Please don't misunderstand.  I do not condone selling recalled cribs.  However, reselling recalled items of any kind has been illegal for some time now.  That being the case, one has to ask WHY are some recalled items still being sold at yard sales and other places?  Additionally, given that the fines are intentionally astronomical, seemingly to encourage people to do their "homework".  Perhaps a lack of awareness?

Certainly some products have been documented to be unsafe and recalled.  I have heard that recalled items are listed somewhere on the CPSC website if you want to see if your crib, wooden puzzle, or plastic train is recalled.  However, this law goes beyond recalled products, it assumes that everything is potentially dangerous unless it fits a very narrow profile (see the guidebook) or has been tested…in the case of yard sales, by you the consumer.

If this is truly such a dangerous situation that warrants millions of dollars in fines, would it not make sense for the CPSC to do more than simply issuing a guidebook and our government to do more than simply pass a law with outlandish penalties?  I would think that public service announcements and serious PR would be called for. 

If the CPSC and our government is so concerned about yard sales it has passed such a harsh law, then why doesn't it publicize the law and really explain it to the American people so that we can save ourselves?
Perhaps the CPSC is worried there would be a backlash from "Joe &
Marylou Citizen" in Topeka, KS  and across the country when they
actually read the guidebook and realize that most NON-RECALLED children's products
they want to sell would be disallowed.

You see, what was NOT in this Fox News story is the myriad of other products that are perfectly safe, but potentially hazardous to your financial well-being.  For instance, if you sell a pair of children's pants with a zipper (most have that) you should be pretty certain it's lead content does not exceed the CPSIA regulations.  Now, remember, lead in zippers is not the same as nuclear waste.  It doesn't jump out and infect you.  It must be ingested.  That may well be, but if it has lead more than 300ppm, it is illegal to sell.  Did you test the zippers in the clothes that you sold last week?  How about testing for lead or phthalates in buttons? Or in the plastic toys?  None of these items should be sold without back-up (contacting the manufacturer or testing).  Oh, and don't even think about selling those old pre-1985 kids books….

Press Release

Sept. 9, 2009

Dr. Toy taps memory game
and children’s book by FocusBloom for top honors in this year’s eco-friendly toy
awards.

ASHLAND, Ma. – (Sept.
4, 2009) Little minds are fertile ground, and FocusBloom has been given industry kudos
for creating a toy that seeks to grow something vibrant and green in the
psyche of children.

The “I Cherish Planet Earth”
memory game and book set have been given Dr. Toy’s “Best Green Toy of 2009”
award, a distinction that sets it apart from the mass of other playthings manufactured
around the globe each year. The annual award gives recognition to novel green toys
produced and marketed in an eco-friendly way with safe and natural materials.
The awards showcase high-quality options available to green-minded consumers, encouraging
sustainable living practices.

“These 40 green products
constitute a small number among all the choices of play products available, but
we need to start somewhere,” says Stevanne Auerbach, the nationally recognized child
play expert known as ‘Dr. Toy.’ “As awareness grows, more families are thinking
and considering new directions that are safer, more balanced and healthier.”

The authors of “I Cherish
Planet Earth” – Margot Losa and Emily Kea – consider their picture book a “love
letter to Mother Earth.” In it they have paired beautiful artwork with text
that imparts green-living concepts to encourage children (ages 4-10) to be good
stewards of their environment and to appreciate the earth’s inhabitants.

These eco-friendly principles
are echoed in a matching game that comes with the book. Artful memory tiles feature
inspiring visuals and green affirmations such as “I love the forest,” “I recycle
and dispose with care,” “I celebrate peace” and “I pass things on.” To preview
illustrations from “I Cherish Planet Earth,” watch and listen to the YouTube music video clip by
children’s singer Charlie Hope.

“How our children see the
world in which they live is of ultimate importance. It’s vital to their growth
and future,” said Rob Wilson, vice president of Challenge & Fun Inc, a
natural toy wholesaler that distributes the award-winning eco-toy set. “That’s
why ‘I Cherish Planet Earth’ is so much more than your run-of-the-mill memory
exercise. The game reinforces the ideas introduced in the companion book, which
helps kids assimilate a love for nature, our planet and one another. Learning
and fun…it can’t get much better than that!”

Half a dozen activity
suggestions have been included with the book-game set to expand its educational
value. These application exercises allow children to respond to core ideas, helping
them retain the concepts long term.

This is the third year
DrToy.com has honored eco-minded companies and children’s products made from
sustainable materials and sold with minimized packaging. Products like “I
Cherish Planet Earth” are evaluated on toy safety, the messages they teach
children about Planet Earth, their use of natural resources, and other green
principles. The 48-piece matching game and book set is printed on recycled
paper, uses vegetable oil-based inks, and comes with a cotton drawstring pouch
– all made in the USA.

I Cherish Planet Earth is available online at:
Amazon
Three Sisters
MyToysMart.com
Tree Hollow Toys
My Little Green Room

About FocusBloom

FocusBloom,
the producer of “I Cherish Planet Earth,” is a privately owned small business
based in Rainier, WA, dedicated to creating products with meaningful
content, detailed artwork and affordable pricing. The company strives to
manufacture its products locally, using recycled materials, vegetable inks and
minimal packaging. FocusBloom is part of a “1% for the Planet,” a global group of
companies that donate a percent of their sales to a network of more than 1,500
environmental organizations worldwide.

About Challenge & Fun Inc.

Challenge
& Fun, Inc. was established in 1998 and is headquartered in Ashland, MA.  This wholesaler
of natural children’s products markets safe eco-friendly toys and other beautiful
merchandise often not readily available in the United States. Although “I Cherish
Planet Earth” is a USA-made item, many of Challenge & Fun’s products are
made in Europe of natural, organic, Fair
Trade-certified materials. Most of the company’s soft toys are either certified by
Oko-Tex or by GOTS. Challenge & Fun is a member of the Toy Industry Association , ASTRA and the Organic Trade Association.

About Dr. Toy

Dr. Auerbach, who has a PhD
in child development, is one of the nation's leading experts on children's
play, toys and products. She has more than 30 years of professional experience
in this arena. To see a full list of Dr. Toy’s top green products for 2009, go
to: http://www.drtoy.com/awards/2009-green-products-list.php

Contact:

Do you have questions about the
“I Cherish Planet Earth” book and game set, or wish to set up an interview with
book author Margot Losa or illustrator Emily Kea? Go to http://www.focusbloom.com/contact.asp
and leave a message, or call Rob Wilson at the Challenge & Fun Inc. office
at 1-888-384-6200 or 1-508-881-7500.

Challenge & Fun Inc.

Rob Wilson, vice president
PO Box 222
Ashland, MA 01721
Email: info (AT) Challengeandfun.com
Toll Free: 888-384-6200

FocusBloom

P.O. Box 1220
Rainier, WA 98576
www.focusbloom.com

###

This game is perfect, they just match up the symbol on the die, such as a sun, tree, moon, or star, and they move their playing piece to the next spot with such a symbol.

Game play is similar to "Sorry" (without getting sent back to home) in that you have to move each of your pieces out from your corner and move around the circuit.

The other fun thing about this game is the board goes together as a puzzle. 

Normally this game retails for $25.  It is currently on sale for $12.50, but we will be giving two out this Friday to two lucky Facebook Fans.

This game is made by Heros in Germany. Ages: 2-4   Number of Players: 2-4

Get ready for summer fun!  I don't know how the weather has been in your area, but in the northeast, we have seen rainy day after rainy day.  Today the sun has finally showed itself.  So we are going to celebrate by giving away 2 Furnis Sun Hats! (one to the lucky winner, and the other to another fan that is their friend). These cotton hats are made in Sri Lanka by a local manufacturer that is certified Fair Trade.

If you are not a Facebook fan yet, come join the fun, we give away two prizes per week .  As we get more fans, we will get more prizes!

These sun hats normally retail for $12-15.  I see the green hat is on sale on Amazon right now for as low as $11.99 (only 2 left at the time of this blog entry)…get them while they last!  If you prefer the pink heart hat or the blue duck hat they are also available on Amazon.

It isn’t often that our product can “cross pollinate” but mixing Charlie Hope’s song “Loved” (from the newly released “World of Dreams” Lullaby CD) with the I Cherish Planet Earth green game & book set, seemed like a natural fit.  We think the end result turned out pretty good.  What do you think?

You can listen to more of Charlie Hopes lullaby’s on myspace, and see the artwork for I Cherish Planet Earth on our flickr page.

Stay tuned also for announcements about Charlie Hope’s upcoming northeast concert tour August 28-Sept 15th.  She will be performing at two music festivals and returning to many of the stores that hosted her in early July, as well as performing in New York & Connecticut.  We will also be working to get concerts set-up in southern California, where she now resides.

This week's prize giveaway on our Facebook fan page is the I Cherish Planet Earth green game & book set.

I Cherish
Planet Earth
is much more than simply a book or a game.  The book introduces children
to our multi-faceted natural world.  It introduces 24 different nature
& earth loving affirmations such as “I love the forest” “I honor all animals” “I
conserve water” “I grow a garden” etc.  Each affirmation is lovingly described
alongside soft, beautiful pictures that bot h engage and delight.

Included
as a companion to the book, is a small sachet with 24 pairs of beautifully
illustrated tiles reinforcing each affirmation. 
If fact, that is a key element that separates this game from other
classic memory or pair matching games. 
According to the creator, Margot Losa “I remember so clearly, the
morning I drove my daughter to school, when the idea came to me like a flash,
to recreate the classic game with affirmations (never before done as far as I
know) and that it should be meaningful, about going green and about mother
earth!

Indeed,
I have seen this first hand.  As I have
read the book with my children, then played the memory game with my children, I
can see them relating with each concept as they turn over one tile and we read “I
conserve the water”, then another tile and we read “I protect the delicate”
etc.

However, what really gives these affirmations, and the entire book for that matter, meaning and soul is the beautiful illustrations by Emily Kea that accompany each affirmation.  

This truly is a teaching tool that lends itself to so much more than simply reading a book or playing a game.  It comes
with a number of suggested extensions for engaging children further, whether in
a classroom or at home.  These include:

-                   Sharpening
memory:
Take a game piece, look at it for 30 seconds, close your eyes, bringing back
the picture in your mind.  Now tell all the different things you remember.

-                   What is
happening?
Make up stories & skits based on any of the pictures;

-                   What does it mean? Look up the
meaning of terms such as cherish, respect, honor, value, etc.;

-                   Discussion
time:
At the end of the game have each player look at the matching pairs they have
collected and discuss their meaning.  Talk about how we are a part of
nature and how it sustains us.

-                   Take action: Discuss
different ideas and decide the Earth-friendly changes you can make and commit
to in your life, home and neighborhood.

The
picture book helps build meaningful understanding, while the memory game
reinforces those ideas. The game extensions broaden thee are well considered
and offer the opportunity for communication, creative self-expression, and
action.

This
activity set is about appreciating and preserving nature and our planet. It
inspires all to learn about and care for all life, from the tiniest flower to
the greatest forest. It is a natural addition to any go-green program, at home,
in the neighborhood, at school, or within the community.

Of course I Cherish Planet Earth is printed
in the USA using vegetable oil based inks on recycled paper.  It is produced by FocusBloom which is a member of 1%
for the planet.

I can go on an on, but of course I am a little biased.  Let's see what others have been saying:

I Cherish
Planet Earth gives a lot of bang for your bucks! Everything together in one
small package offers more than a book or game or affirmations separately. This
layering affects different areas of the brain, so you end up not just learning
about something but having an experience!

-Annie
McCandlis, School Principal

My fourth
graders and I spent over two hours discussing the affirmations and images on
each card – and we didn't even get through half of them in that time!

-Kris Hemion,
Teacher

How wonderful
this story is! It's truly amazing and the artwork compliments this perfectly. I
honestly get the chills reading through this book.

-Michelle Pugh,
Graphic Designer

Other Details:

Size: 7¼ x 9½”
Wt: 6.1 oz
No. Pgs: 32
Retail price: 16.95

BUY NOW!

This video features model trains from the Marklin booth in Nurnberg, as well as model (and real) trains in Thailand.  If you like the music you can hear more on cdbaby.  Charlie just finished a successful concert tour at children's stores across Massachusetts, finishing at the railway themed amusement park Edaville USA. 

We are now planning a concerts in southern California and a second trip to Massachusetts at the end of next month.