So Thanksgiving is next week. I can't believe how fast time is flying. Feels like just yesterday when it was the beginning of the summer and we were looking forward to the sun and beach and sand. Now everyone is looking forward to the holidays - a time of family, friends, gifts, and travel. This is the time of year when those courageous ones pack up and flock to the CROWDED and BUSY airports, so they can fly to visit their loved ones. Though with the economy the way it is and people afraid to spend much money, airlines have been running very competitive promotions. For instance, last week, an off-peak flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu was selling for $244 with Delta airlines, while during the summer tickets were running at about $1000. It is not just the travel industry running crazy promotions for the holidays. With black Friday in a little over a week, many are epxecting a deeply discounted shoppers experience this holiday season for everything from toys to electronics. Even Motivators has a "Free Holiday Rush Service" available on many products right now - perfect for those procrastinators with a tight budget.

Anyone who works in a cubicle with fake "walls" up all around them knows that mini cubicle clips are a MUST-HAVE. Afterall, you have limited desk and drawer space, but a gagillion things you need to see up in front of you all day long, like notes and calendars and phone numbers and pictures, and… you get the idea. Just sit at my desk for a couple of seconds and you can count at least 10 of them immediately. Not only is it a great little gadget to put your logo on, but it is something that your customer will have in front of them at all times throughout the work day, so it forces your customers into recognizing your logo. Next time you send out custom imprinted wall calendars, don't forget to include the custom imprinted cubicle clips as well.

So this year the holiday season seems to have started earlier than usual. Yesterday, I went to the mall and realized that people were doing their Christmas shopping already. With the economy on the down side, retail stores have started their "holiday sales" earlier than usual to stimulate sales. It is not just about the Christmas gifts though. Holiday greeting cards are just as important as the gifts themselves. And it is not just Christmas and New Years. I mean we are already in November, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Wouldn't it be great to give a thank you card to all of those who deserve the acknowledgement on the day meant for giving thanks with this Custom Thank You - Thanksgiving Greeting Card from Motivators.com.

So when people think of promotional products - most think of pens, calendars, apparel, office accessories, etc. Recently, however, Laurie and I requested a sample of the Paperwhites Single Bulb Pot Set. This is not your everyday promotional item, but I can guarantee you it is a perfect promotional giveaway for many occasions (just put your logo / imprint on the pot and get your name out there! Laurie may even consider this as a cool centerpiece for her wedding reception - Laurie & Bill, Blooming with Love...). We got the sample about 6 weeks ago and it was nothing but an onion-like bulb, some polished rock fillers and a 100% biodegradable bamboo fiber pot. Amazingly, right in front of our eyes, we saw it bloom into a colossal 16" plant that is not even completely bloomed yet. Everyday we come in, excitedly measuring the size of our plant, astonished at how big it has gotten. On average it seems to grow about 1/2" to 1" per day. Make sure to keep an eye out for this great new promotional item on Motivators.com! 

With the economy going through such tough times, everyone is worried about how it will effect them. That is why it is essential that businesses, as well as individuals, start counting their pennies. It is time to be spending wisely and making the most out of every dollar. Especially with the holiday season right around the corner, it is crucial that money is spent wisely. The dollar store is starting to become my best friend lately. Anything you buy just $1. Even better than the dollar store is Motivators promotional giveaways UNDER $1. Nothing beats that!

After being on a plane for ten and a half hours, I do not want to be air traveling again anytime soon. Thank goodness for the Aero Snooze Travel Kit (and Dramamine!!). Without it, I do not know how I would have been able to make it through flight without losing my mind. There were four babies, all under a year old, all sitting next to me, all crying at the same time!! Even though the Dramamine works wonders and helps me to fall asleep instantly, I don't know what I would have done without the earplugs to block out all the noise.

I was speaking to a very nice customer on the phone this morning, and he asked me which sports bottle I recommended for the sporty, gym-goer. Automatically I thought of Leeds 19 oz. Nook Active Sport Bottle. Not only is it a sleek-looking water bottle, but you can also store your keys and other small items in this cool multi-functional item. It is just perfect! No more carrying keys or lose change in your pockets with the risk of them falling out when you are working out. Just throw everything into the compartment of this bottle and go!

As Laurie pointed out, Halloween is just around the corner - so what does that mean? Stock up on your halloween candy because the last thing you want to do is run of out goodies on Halloween. I remember when I was a trick-or-treater myslef (way back in the day), we would not only go from house to house within my neighborhood, but we would also visit our local stores on the main street. That was the best part. Visiting all those stores and getting handfuls of candy and chocolate; just thinking about it, makes me want to dress up and go trick-or-treating. My favorite treat was the bags of M&Ms and the small snack bags given out by my corner store. And to think, I was able to eat all of the chocolate and candy and treats without worrying about how many calories I was consuming. How I wish I was a kid again!!

I don't know about a lot of people, but every time I travel, my biggest problem ALWAYS is weighing the bags before I go to the airport. I don't want to pay the additional fees and penalites for having oversized or heavy baggages. OK, the size of the luggage I can control, but sometimes, the weight of it I cannot. The last time I traveled, I had 4 bags (for me and my husband) and there was a 50 lbs limit per bag. Of course it was not fun trying to put a huge bag onto a tiny digital scale trying to figure out the weight. The last thing I wanted was to go to the airport and be told that I either have to pay a fee or empty my bags to make sure it is within the weight limits.  So when I saw the Gemline departures luggage scale, I immediately wanted to get one. It is perfect. No more guessing games, or trying to balance luggage on scales. It is now easy as 1-2-3. Just check out the Motivators TV demonstration.