About Kaitlin
@kaitlinolson
How We Give
It’s been a whirlwind year for us and as the end of our first year sneaks up on us, we have been evaluating the impact we’ve made in the local nonprofit community. Long story short, it’s not enough. So, we’re changing it up.
In order to really make an impact, we are going to partner with one nonprofit each year. Right now 10% of the sales from each design go to a different nonprofit. Starting in 2011 10% from all sales will go to one nonprofit that we will choose together. In addition to receiving a monetary donation, we will give time. Clint and I will both volunteer for the selected nonprofit on a regular basis and we will have Scared Panda volunteer days four times each year. This will allow our customers and friends to get involved in their community, to really make a difference.
In the next couple of months, we’ll meet with various nonprofits and narrow it down to three possible partner organizations. During the holiday season – from Thanksgiving until Christmas day – we’ll open it up to the public and let you vote for the nonprofit you’d like us to work with for the upcoming year. Consider your vote a holiday gift to the nonprofit you choose.
If you’d like to help us select a nonprofit or would like to be involved in Scared Panda volunteer days, sign up for our e-newsletter. We’ll let you know when voting is open to help us select a nonprofit and we’ll keep you up-to-date on events.
As we begin our search for our potential 2011 partner, let us know which Chicago-based nonprofits you’d like to throw in the mix.
- Kate
So, you want a free t-shirt?
Hold the Ketchup
Today we’re giving away a “Hold the Ketchup” t-shirt to one lucky Facebook friend. Interested? All you have to do is head over to the page and tag yourself in this photo by midnight. Tomorrow we’ll put all of those names in a hat and draw a winner – it’s really pretty simple.
Tag yourself, win a shirt and show your love for Chicago-style hotdogs.
- Kate
Ready for the weekend
We’re just a few days away from our first festival and, like usual, we’re scrambling to get things together. This week we received a few key items that will accompany us at booth 215. We still have a lot of organizing to do and things to pick up – just when I think I’ve got a grasp on what I need to do, 10 more things sneak up on me. That said, we can’t wait to get out there on Saturday.
Kick-ass banner by Replica Chicago
Balancing act – all our t-shirts we sell this weekend will be sold in the cool little take out containers along with those cool ‘Hello Panda’ cookies you see at the top.
Cupcakes on the Move
It’s no secret that I love food, but what people might be surprised to know is that not so long ago I didn’t like cupcakes, or any cake really. A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to write a review of More cupcakes before their opened their doors and after I left, I was officially on the cupcake train.
I recently had a chance to catch up with the owner of More, Patty Rothman, and she told me about the More Mobile that will be launching mid-August. You may be familiar with Flirty Cupcakes – the idea is similar, but I think it will outshine Chicago’s first cupcake truck. Part of the reason is because More sells a better cupcake and secondly, they have some really great ideas for the truck itself that will make it stand out.
For more information about this highly anticipated truck, check out the post I recently wrote for Gapers Block.
“Up North”
I’m about to head “up north” for the weekend. It’s been brought to my attention that when I refer to the little town of Battle Lake, Minnesota as “up north” that it’s a bit unclear to people where that really is. It’s a quaint, peaceful, beautiful town where the air and water are clean, people are overly trusting and at night, on the dock, you can see stars for miles. It’s also so remote that I’ll have no access to the internet during my couple of days there – and I’m kind of excited about it (no offense, internet). I’ll report back next week on what it really means to be “up north.”
Have a great weekend!
Kate
Re-Discover Chicago Sunday Morning (midnight – 5 a.m.)
This weekend is one of my favorites of the summer – on Saturday night my friends and I will go on a late night, 25-mile bike ride through Chicago. The L.A.T.E. Ride is a really great way to explore the city after-hours – from midnight until 5 a.m., the streets are closed off to vehicles and we’re free to bike, hang out and discover some of Chicago’s hidden gems.
We’ll finish the ride around 3 a.m. on the lake front and will stop somewhere to get some breakfast (Pick-Me-Up – hello pancakes!, Tony’s Burritos, perhaps a night cap at Carol’s?) then catch a few zzz’s before heading to one of our favorite soccer bars to watch the World Cup (go Netherlands!). All-in-all, sounds like a pretty awesome day to me.
If you’re at the L.A.T.E. Ride, look for the group of people decked out in Scared Panda gear and come say hello!
- Kate
Get Your Pizza On
When you’re in a city famous for a particular food or cuisine, it can be overwhelming when trying to decide where to get the BEST of that specialty food. Luckily for you, there are a few companies in Chicago who will take you around to some of the best pizza places in the city.
Chicago Pizza Tours stuck out to me because they take you to different neighborhoods and allow you to sample a variety of pizzas (they even stop at Italian Fiesta – a favorite of the Obamas). On this tour, you’ll get your deep-dish craving satisfied and you’ll get to experience some of the best non-deep dish joints in the city, including one of my favorites, Coal Fire.
For those of you partial to Chicago-style deep dish pizza, check out Slice of Chicago Pizza Tours. This company takes you to some of the most famous deep dish joints in town and, it’s a walking tour so you won’t fall into a pizza coma when you’re done with your journey.
Don’t forget to wear your Pizza Fight t-shirt as you explore Chicago’s pizza scene.
- Kate
Win a Free Shirt!
I recently had some time to get to know another local entrepreneur, Jess of Jess LC. I’ve been admiring her jewelry and reading her blog, Make Under My Life (try the Throw Out 50 Things Challenge!) for awhile now and have learned a lot about starting a new business, living life with intention and finding joy in everything you do. We decided to do a three-month ad run on her blog and part of that package is a t-shirt giveaway. Head over to her site, check out the interview I did and throw your name in the hat for a free t-shirt.
- Kate
Happy Summer!
Yesterday was the first day of summer and we celebrated by going to Yogen Fruz. I suppose it’s more accurate to say we half-celebrated, half-sought relief at Yogen Fruz. On a 15 minute walk home we managed to get incredibly hot and uncomfortable and needed SOMETHING to cool down. Yogen Fruz is one of my favorite places in the city and, for me, it was a pretty easy decision to stop in and grab a cool treat. We were greeted by a long line of hot, happy Chicagoans enjoying the first night of summer. Something about it made my heart smile. Maybe it’s because I know that in a few weeks people will be grumbling about the heat and the lines. But, for now, everyone seems to be taking their time and enjoying all that summer has to offer (including the sweat). Where is your favorite place to cool down in the summer months?
Food Trailers + Cupcakes
A couple of weekends ago, Scared Panda and friends headed south to Austin, Texas. One of our favorite things about traveling is, of course, the food. If you can’t tell from the three food-themed shirts we’ve produced, we love to eat. And searching out local food is such a great way to learn about a particular culture and social scene. During our time in Austin, we discovered, and fell in love with, food trailers. If you haven’t experienced this yet, please make it a point to do so. The best food we ate during our four days in the city was produced in a food trailer – tacos, crepes, snow cones, cupcakes and more. Here is a short video of Clint destroying a strawberry cupcake from Hey Cupcake! Enjoy.
- Kate