Back to School with Brother Canada Labellers - Review and TWO Giveaways!

Friday, October 01, 2010

This contest is now closed. The winners have been selected.

Yes, it's officially October! Back to School themes are coming to a close. School bags and markers are on sale along with other cool supplies. And students are settling into the routines as staffing models and class configurations are finalized. It's also the perfect time to develop and maintain organizational skills and habits that will make things less chaotic throughout the new school year. Now, with Brother Canada electronic labellers, organizing can be easy and fun!

Brother Canada has a wide variety of handheld labellers and I was uber excited to test out two of their popular P-touch models - the PT-1090 and the PT-1290. I immediately noted that the keyboard layout on the PT-1290 is similar to that of a computer keyboard (QWERTY) so naturally, I tested that one out first. I really love the design and how comfortable it is to hold while you configure your customized labels. It's easy to use when you're looking for a quick label but if you're looking for a more stylish look, it also offers 15 unique pre-programmed design patterns in the Deco Mode. You can easily access it by pressing the special D (for design!) button. Here are some of the other additional features:

2 Professional Fonts (Helsinki and Bohemia)
8 Font Styles (Normal, Bold, Outline, Shadow, Italic, Italic Bold, Italic Outline, Italic Shadow)
80 Built-in Symbols
Prints labels up to 12 mm (1/2") wide on laminated indoor/outdoor TZ series tapes
Easy view, 15-character LCD display
Prints 1 or 2 lines of crisp text
Mirror printing
6 Auto Formats and 7 Framing Options (Round, Leaf, Tile, Star, Heart, Square, Clip)
Built-in memory saves up to 9 of your favorite labels and more!

I absolutely love the ability to customize each label to your heart's content. It really makes them stand out from the old, conventional labels you used to see. And I really like that you can buy additional tapes in a variety of colours and sizes, too, so you're sure to find something that fits your labelling needs. You can also buy extra strength adhesive tapes as well. When it comes to installing the tape cartridge and batteries, it is pretty straightforward. The downside is that is requires 6 "AAA" alkaline batteries. I kind of wish it could take rechargeable batteries. However, there is an optional AC adapter you can purchase as well to help eliminate the use of batteries that will eventually get thrown out. Since my daughter was so eager to try it, I let my 5-year-old daughter type out her own name label for her lovely art kit that she received as a gift from her uncle. She did it rather quickly and could find the letters easily thanks to her early exposure to keyboarding! It sticks very well to the fabric case.

We even used one to label her cotton hoodie. I just threw it in the wash for the first time and it is still as good as new. I'm pretty excited about that. The technology behind the six-layered laminated tape makes it water resistant and noticeably durable.

The second model PT-1090 offers several of the same features. The main difference is that it has an ABC keyboard. I prefer QWERTY and am getting really good at texting using my cell phone so this took me some getting used to. But I do like that I can hold it with one hand while I chat on the phone with the other. You know, multi-task. Another great feature is the larger variety of symbols, 178 to be exact. And there are so many cute little icons which makes labelling my kids' stuff much more fun. Just check out how adorable these labels look on our little storage bins. You may notice that I chose icons that have the same beginning sound as the labeled item: cat for crayons, apple for art supplies, paint brush for pencil crayons, and paws for pens and pencils. (I know what you're thinking!)

As much as I love trying to be organized at home, I am making every effort to be more organized at work, too. I used my new Brother labellers and updated my filing tabs. I used the outline feature and a couple of my colleagues commented on how nice they looked. I tend to agree.

I am also getting in the habit of labeling all of my personal belongings, namely because I have a bad habit of leaving things behind in each of the classrooms I visit daily. I am also running out of my other personalized name labels so it was great to be able to label my new mini teacher cart. Isn't this thing adorable? The double-sided whiteboard can come off so I can easily place it on a table as a learning centre. So of course, I labeled both pieces. I swear, if I had a whole day to organize my office, there would be labels everywhere! (And there will be, mark my words!)

If you're a label nut like me, then you will be happy to know that two of my readers will get one of these Brother handheld labellers to help you get more organized! Yippee!

You can buy the PT-1090 from Brother.ca for $49.99 when you use the printable $20 mail-in rebate and the PT-1290 for $59.99 when you use the $30 mail-in rebate. You can also find a store near you by using the Brother.ca store locator.

Two incredibly lucky Toronto Teacher Mom readers will win either the PT-1090 or the PT-1290, both of which are up for grabs.

For your main entry, which is mandatory, browse through Brother.ca to find something else you might like to have. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post along with a way to contact you if you win.

For additional entries, you may choose to do any or all of the following:

Add my blog button to your site. Copy code is located on the right sidebar. (Worth 2 entries. Please be sure to leave two separate comments.)
Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
Become a fan of the new Toronto Teacher Mom Facebook fan page.
Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Tweet daily for additional entries. Feel free to use the following tweet:

Win one of two Brother Canada labellers @TeacherMomOfTwo http://ht.ly/2Ne9P

Contest ends October 21 at 10pm EST. Open to US and Canadian residents. Winner will be selected using Random.org and must reply to the notification email within 3 days or a new winner will be drawn.

Disclosure: I received two Brother handheld labellers as listed above for the purpose of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. The thoughts and views expressed in this review are strictly my own honest opinions.