I love to travel. Anyone who reads my blogs knows I always jump on the chance to go somewhere different, even if it is only for a day or two, even if it is only a state or two away.I'm lucky that I have a girlfriend that feels the same way. We have traveled as far away as Cancun, and as close to home as Mystic, CT. This Friday is her 25th birthday so what better gift could I give than a Labor Day weekend mini vacation? So, this weekend we are packing our promotional duffel bags and heading off to our nation's capitol, Washington DC. Here's the thing, we both have leased cars pushing the limits of mileage and flights are overly expensive. That didn't stop us though. One of the most popular ways to get to DC is by bus. When I did my research I found MANY different DC bus lines. Not wanting to put my wonderfully patient girlfriend through a miserable 5 hour transportation experience to DC I made sure to read many reviews of the different bus lines.Based on reviews, availibility and cost my choice was a line called DC2NY. They have a very easy to use website, good reviews, moderate cost and oh yeah, a free bottle of water. Now you may laugh, but they are the only line that does this. It is a very small thought that can do a lot to seperate themselves from a crowded field of competition. If they are smart, they give out promotional bottled water. That will keep the company name in front of their customer's face for the entire bus ride, maybe even when the ride is over and long after! They could probably get close to a month's worth of promotional bottled waters for .90 per piece! So, long story short, I'm very excited for my trip, hopefully along the way I'll find some more promotional products to come back with.

As the summer comes to close we enter fall. Fall may very well be my favorite time of the year, baseball enters the playoffs, football begins, the weather cools down and the holiday season starts up. More important than any of that though, fall means National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer Awareness Month happens every October to help find a cure and end an affliction that affects millions of women every year. There are walks, fundraisers, concerts and more all held to help raise money for the cure. We here at Motivators are here to help two-fold. We have an entire category of promotional pink items to help out for every occasion that charities and companies may need giveaways for. We even have a category of free rush promotional pink products! Probably, the most important way we help though is through the Carol M Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. For every order placed through the promotional breast cancer awareness category Motivators will donate 10% of the profits to the Carol M Baldwin Cancer Research Fund to help find a cure. So no matter what your event is this fall, consider a pink promotional product. You won't just be helping your company and your customers, you'll be helping millions of women around the world.

I love my job, I really do. As far as sales jobs go what can be more fun than being able to sell promotional animal stress relievers , promotional whoopee cushions and promotional rubber ducks all in the same day? I only wish I could be at more of the events these promotional products are used at!  It isn't a secret, people love free stuff. Especially when myself and my colleagues work so hard on perfecting these projects sometimes you can only wish you were there to see these pieces given and making people smile. Well this past Saturday was just an overall great day. A good friend of mine ,going on a decade, recently got engaged. As I am very close with the couple, when they decided they wanted to do promotional bags to announce the bridesmaids and groomsmen well of course they came to me first. For the bridesmaids, we went with the promotional Ensigns Boat Bag, it was pink trimmed and had plenty of room to be filled up with goodies for the girls. For the guys we went with the promotional Ogio Half Dome Duffel Bag. It's blue and black, its tough and it's big enough to hold everything you need for maybe a Bachelor Party to Atlantic City (or maybe Vegas anyone?). As with any order I put much care and consideration into making sure everything went right, but this time I got to be there to see it delivered.

I am happy to report all of the bags went over fantastically (it's a word, I checked). Everyone was very surprised to get their bags and they were all excited to receive them and couldn't wait to use them. Cheers to my friends and cheers to another successful promotional product!

Everyone is all smiles today at Motivators Central here in Westbury, NY. Is it because today was payday? Maybe. Is it because regularly remote sales reps Rhonda Blum and Greg Hill are in house today? Maybe, partially. Is it because Rhonda has brought in a truck filled with goodies and treats.

I can't say for sure but I am certainly leaning that way.

See free, surprise goodies tend to have that effect on people. That's why we have such a large selection of promotional food products. All of the foods that would make your day can be customized and branded. There are promotional chocolates, promotional cookies, promotional mints and more! Personally though, as good as cookies and chocolates are, I'm all about the munchies. Thats why my favorite promotional food products are the promotional food tins. First of all, you get great exposure with a big imprint area, and the tin will stick around even when the food is gone. Trust me, the food will be gone pretty quickly. The best fills, as far as I am concerned, are pretzels and popcorn. Nothing beats the promotional 3 Way Popcorn Tin and the 3 promotional 3 Way Pretzel Tin. Give these out to employees to boost morale in an instant!

From what I am told, we are right smack in the middle of wedding season. It seems that it starts in the spring and extends into the summer. When all is said and done, and this particular wedding season is over I will have attended two engagement parties and a wedding, for now. These types of things have a tendency of just popping up around you. So being that I am surrounded by this wedding season I sense patterns, particularly promotional wedding favors. That seems to be the running constant between every single wedding themed event.Now, I personally, am not a huge fan of all of these wedding events. I'm not a Scrooge, it's just everything that goes with these events, the suit, the gift, is it on a work night?, if there is an open bar who drives?, and so on. However, that is why the promotional wedding favor is so important. In fact, it may be my favorite part of these wedding events (other than the open bar). So, when judging the promotional wedding favor I receive I judge it based on one of two things, usability or edibility. Is this something that I will be able to use in everyday life? If not, is this something tasty I can snack on? Two examples of promotional wedding favors that would fit these categories:

Paneled Tankard Beer Stein

OR

Jelly Bean Snap Top Tins

These are just two items featured in Motivators Promotional Wedding Favors theme page.So when planning your promotional wedding favors remember three words:

Usability

Edibility

Motivators!

One of my favorite things to do on earth is seeing live music. When I was ten years old, my mother took me to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Nassau Coliseum (yea, my mom is cool) and my life was changed for the better. I was awestruck by the collective energy in the arena, watching eagerly as thousands of fans gave their undivided attention to the four musicians pouring their hearts out on the stage. Something about the experience just felt so natural to me, the music being created on the spot and penetrating my ears, pure as the oxygen entering my lungs. It became an addiction for me right then and there, and I haven't stopped going to live shows since.

As I grew older, I became a student of music so naturally my tastes matured and changed. My ear became fined tuned, and this helped me to know what to listen for in a good performance. From here, I gravitated towards the art of improvisation. Whereas before, I enjoyed going to a giant venue like Madison Square Garden to watch a famous band perform their hits note-for-note, now I prefer to see a lesser-known band or musician in a small room. I listen carefully as they create inventive jams which no one, including the musicians themselves know what is going to happen until it does.  There is nothing more thrilling than watching the tension of a song build before it explodes into a peak, and has everyone in the room going wild. I think it's the anticipation and the unpredictability that gets me every time.

Right now is the best time of the year for live music, mostly because of the summer music festivals which are held around the country. The concept of the music festival has been around for ages, but was popularized in the 1960's with landmark events like Woodstock and Monterey Pop. Over the years the concept of the festival has evolved to the point where mega-festivals like Bonnaroo have multiple stages and promotions. Tens of thousands of people flock from across the nation to camp out in giant fields where dozens of musical acts are performing. The headlining acts are there to draw the crowds, but there are also plenty of lesser known bands that are desperate for exposure. These are the groups that you want to see, solely for the fact that they are so hungry for recognition that they put 110% of their energy into the performance. I have been to shows where the side-stage performer blew the main act away. It's always fun to be a part of an experience like that, turning to the person next to you after the show is over and saying, "Wow..who were those guys??"

A wonderful bonus of these festivals is the fact that the promoters of the event are environmentally conscious.  The Rothbury festival for instance has the Rothbury Think Tank, devoted entirely to the cause of finding energy independence. I have also seen representatives of organizations like Greenpeace handing out flyers to all the attendees of a festival in the past. If you are going to be attending any music festivals this summer, get on board with the "Go Green" mentality and check out some of our eco-friendly promotional products. There are plenty of environmentally friendly items that come in handy when you are camping out at a festival. Eco-friendly promotional towels are in super high demand at a festival setting, solely for the purpose of wiping the mud off your feet if it rains. Trust me, it has happened before. It's mighty tough to enjoy the music when you are covered in an inch of filth (There are no showers at a festival!). A lot of festival-goers don't care about the dirt and grime, but I have a hunch that my faithful readers are much more meticulous about hygiene. If you want to stay sanitary, clean your hands with some promotional hand sanitizer before you enjoy your veggie burrito with the rest of the hippies.

There are a ton of other promotional products that you can use to make your festival experience better, so feel free to check them out. Now you can rock out and dance the night away!

Let me start off by saying, that I've been playing Farmville for quite a while, but I go through phases. It's like I have an on again/off again relationship with it. I wasn't going to explain what Farmville is, but I guess I probably should considering the fact that my geekiness is often overpowering and I occasionally forget that normal human beings don't know what I'm talking about. Just last week I overheard one woman ask another, "So have you heard of this Foursquare thing?" and I wanted to smack my forehead, but Foursquare is another story for another day. Today we shall talk about Farmville.

Farmville (n): An online game created by developer Zynga with platforms on both farmville.com and facebook.com that allows users to create and maintain a virtual farm. Users plant & harvest crops, visit friends farms, fertilize their crops and collect rewards to gain experience and level up.

Farmville (n): The internet's Tickle Me Elmo.

Farmville (n): The biggest time waster to hit life since the internet itself.

According to statistics on Facebook, 53 million people log onto Farmville daily. It is, in essence a behemoth of a game that is taking over the world so much so that the desire to get exclusive items and Farmville goodies has moved into the offline world. Now 7-11 has gotten involved by selling exclusive Farmville items (read: promotional products ) that are branded with codes. Users then enter the codes into EarnPlayWin.com and receive exclusive items, with the ability to receive the uber prize of $200 Farmville cash. As someone who is a giant nerd, I can tell you, that's a pretty sweet deal.

In fact, its so much of a sweet deal that yours truly went to 7-11 yesterday to grab some stuff. In truth, it was right next to CVS & I was going there anyway. So, I bought a Farmville Big Gulp (which my mother attested as the reason I'm not married later in the day), Farmville Ice Cream, some Farmville Watermelon and an Iced Coffee which was also branded with a code. See, you need 5 out of 8 products to unlock the magic crop that can get you to those big bucks. So you see what happened? Farmville promotional products offered a call to action and I took it because I am a giant nerd, but nonetheless the action was taken. Update: I'm clearly never getting my hands on the Farmville Fun Slide for sheep as the last 7-11 I went was also out of Slurpee cups. Apparently this promotion is only going on for another week. I should get moving on buying that $1.99 bottle of Farmville water.

In conclusion, promotional products make people take action. Oh, and my mother was TOTALLY right. I should start stocking up on cats.

The fourth of July is approaching faster than a speeding bullet and it'll soon burst onto the scene with a blast of fireworks and sparklers. BBQs will be fired up, pools will be utilized and everyone will be ready to celebrate our independence. So what's the best way to do that? You think, I'm going to say "With promotional products, of course!" don't you? Well, after 4 years, I can't possibly be that predictable can I?

Sure I can. In all honesty, choosing 4th of July promotional items is an easy and effective way to spread your love for this great country, but more importantly...they're the perfect accessory to ANY party. How do I know this? Because 2 days later, on July 6th I celebrate my birthday and you better believe I do it with an all encompasing, full blow out themed party. What can I say? I love having a way of getting my friends and family together for the sheer purpose of giving me presents being the center of attention enjoying each other's company.

In the past, I've encompassed such themes as "My 24th Birthday Fiesta!" which was a celebration of the 1 year anniversary of my 23rd birthday. And when I turned 25, everybody was "all in" for my huge Casino themed party. I'm fairly certain that one was really an excuse to buy giant inflatable dice, but whatever. Last year, my birthday was so low key I don't even remember what I did, but this year i'm coming to the conclusion that I missed partying too much and that I have to bring it back. So what's my theme? Well, that's a very good question, but I'm thinking I may try and be funny with an After the Fact 4th of July Party. Go with me on this...

I could do a shout out to parties of the past with promotional USA maracas. I could ensure that no one scuffs my tables with promotional star shaped coasters. I really do have endless possibilities when it comes to my choice of 4th of July promotional items.

So the 4th of July means one thing...my birthday is fast approaching! And if I need to be planning this now, then you need to be planning your 4th of July promotions now. So, what are you waiting for? Go!

I get fads. I do. Approaching the almost 30 mark, I can safely say that i';ve been around for quite a few of them. 

In the beginning, like all children, it was all about teddy bears. Most specifically, it was about a bear (aptly named Teddy) who could talk to you. You'd throw a cassette in his back and he'd tell you a tale. No, my four year old self loved nothing more than my Teddy Ruxpin.

Then, there were slap bracelets. These fun items are still around to this day and I can say that I wore one last year at an 80's themed party. Slap bracelets were good times, until they got banned in schools.

Later on in life, I remember begging to go to the stationery store with my mother to see the latest selection of Pogs when I was in elementary school. I remember pleading for $5 to buy the newest slammer.

This past week on vacation, I was helping my best friend sort through a bunch of her old toys for her daughter and we found a book about the relative value of beanie babies. Remember them? I had about 50 and loved each and every one of them, until I didn't. Little did I know how much this stuff would be worth one day.

And when Beanie Babies proved to be "not tech savvy enough" for all the kids out there, we moved on to Tamagotchis. Remember these little digital creatures that would beep when you needed to feed them or clean up their virtual poop? They were unique enough to be banned in schools.

For the little kids out there, when 1996 hit it was all about Tickle Me Elmo. I mean, he giggled when you tickled him. What could be better?

Apparently, what could be better would be a fad that would incorporate the technology of a Tamagotchi and the fun of a Tickle Me Elmo, but for the older kids.  They had the cuddliness of a beanie baby and the technology of a Tamagotchi. They spoke their own language and I learned that if thrown into a wall, they would develop a speech impediment. Of course, I'm talking about Furbies. They were like the 90s version of Teddy Ruxpin (who is still awesome on every level imaginable.) Personal note: I had the gray one. :)

And now, it's been many a year since I've given into the fads that have taken over life as we know it. I've ignored the Snuggies and everything else that's come along but it seems as though I simply can't ignore the latest craze: Silly Bandz. These shaped rubber band bracelets are now the hottest thing for kids, and there are some adults out there who are partaking in the craze as well. Our own Carolina showed me her Statue of Liberty shaped Silly Band and as I logged into Facebook the other day, I saw that my friend Mary had uploaded a photo of the Penguin shaped silly band she'd gotten. In her non-defense, she did just go to see Backstreet Boys, so she knows plenty about fads. (Says the girl who is seeing New Kids on the Block a week from Friday.)

The truth of the matter is that above all else, people remember these fads and when they're hot, kids will do anything they can to get their hands on them. Want to really be popular with them? Why not give out custom rubber band bracelets? We proudly offer a selection of rubber band bracelets that you can imprint your logo upon. They'll stick in the memories of recipients and is there a better way to get people to remember your branding?

I can't believe it's been almost 12 years since I graduated high school. I didn't know it then, but the Graduation promotions that were handed out that day would become a part of my future. We received, among other promotional products, custom keychains with the year 1998 on them. Of course, if you're getting these for the current graduates, you'll need the 2010 version.

There are definitely cooler Graduation giveaways around these days. Who wouldn't love a Photo Friends Graduate Bobblehead? That would've definitely been found in my room. The Custom Die Cast Graduate Clock is a classy option for graduates.

I'm sure I'll continue finding occasions from my past that foreshadowed my future in the promotional products industry. I wonder what will be next.