I’ve spent the past 24 hours trying to get all my thoughts together and cleaning out the massive amounts of business cards and brochures that I came home with.

One thing I learned about attending conferences- you come home with a LOT of free stuff. I came home with a HUGE tote bag (which I got for free) full of stuff, and wanted to share a bit of what I brought back.

• 2 New Mouse pads
• 1 Travel Mug
• 2 Stress Balls (one in the shape of a turtle which my cat attacked as soon as he saw it)
• 1 Tape Measure
• 1 Shot Glass
• 3 Small Notebooks (these do not includes the mounds of free pads of paper that I swiped from the hotel)
• 6 T-shirts (The Google one is really cute, but my favorite is the freerange.org one- so comfortable and has a chicken on it!)
• 3 Tote Bags
• Infinite ideas!

I’m really excited to share with the rest of the Tell Them team some of the ideas I’ve had and the interesting new ways we can use technology to make our lives and YOURS even simpler.

Since our revamp earlier this year, Kelly, Katie (our illustrious Tell Them intern) and I have been trying to find ways to use our new logo. Seriously- we have tried to put it on everything.

Then we started getting questions from Tell Them members and people we were meeting about where they could get their own version of the bee. They would say that they want it on a t-shirt, or that it’d be great on a coffee mug. So, we started looking for ways to make that happen.

Presenting the Tell Them Zazzle store: products featuring the Tell Them bee and name. Now you can show your support for Tell Them and our efforts by wearing a shirt or carrying a great canvas bag and getting the Tell Them name out there.

Kelly loves the short-sleeved t-shirt (she prefers the one with large bee in front)…

…while I prefer the long-sleeved t-shirt with the hood (bee in the back).

There are tons of items to choose from. What will you use to help promote the Tell Them message? You can access the the store by visiting http://www.zazzle.com/TellThem, or visit our MerchStore on Facebook.

We thank each and every marcher who has joined the Tell Them network. In the days, weeks and months to come, we will keep a vigilant eye on policy issues and will keep you informed of developments. As legislation warrants, we will issue email action alerts that let you know it’s time to let your lawmakers know how you stand on a particular issue.

March 23, 2010: a historic day for all of us who have come together to change the future for so many in South Carolina. We thank you for your important role in it.

Headlines: Just like the old site, this area contains recent news articles about our issues: Access, Birth Control, Education, HIV/STIs and Privacy. The 3 most recent articles appear on the homepage, but if you click on Headlines, you’ll be able to access the full list of past articles.

The Buzz: This is our blog- and has been moved to a central location on our homepage. From here, you can read new blog posts and comment on the issues that affect you. This section is updated regularly, so check back for new posts.

From the Hive: This is one of our favorite new features. This area is for us to highlight what’s going on at any given point. From the more recent Action Alert to an interesting op-ed in a local paper to a volunteer spotlight, check out our From the Hive section for regularly updated tidbits!

Forum: This new area is meant for YOU- the Tell Them member. Here you can chat with other members across the state and discuss the issues you care about. We’re open for suggestions about topics, so if there’s something you’d like to talk about, email us at info@tellthemsc.org and we’ll start posting!

Explore the site and let us know what you think. We’ve been gearing up for this launch and are SO excited to finally be able to share everything with you. Look around, chat with each other (and with us!), and get ready to take action- the Legislature opens their new session on January 12^th, and we want to be ready for it!