Tomorrow Eric and I are off to Vegas to meet my parents and sister in order to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday! Since he was turning the big 6-0 we said we would do whatever he wanted to do to and that is was ALL ABOUT HIM. Being a kid at heart (in other words, a 21 year old) he decided Vegas was a great option and then the planning began. We have been waiting for months for this trip, and now that it is finally here, it feels like tomorrow will never come.

With that being said, we (and by we, I mean I) am now running into the dilemma - to pack in a carry on or not. Please be advised that Eric and I each get a free checked bag with American Airlines, so it probably seems like a no brainer. However, since we get in late Friday night and leave Monday morning, Eric continues to remind me that it is really only 2 days, and that packing in a huge suitcase is plain, old crazy.

Doesn't he know me by now? Not only will I pack a suitcase, but I will probably also have a carry-on boat tote, that will be filled to the brim and most likely unable to be zipped (he hates that! OOPS!)

Luckily, I have my reliable personalized tote bag that serves two purposes. I can use it as a carry-on bag and also as a beach/pool bag. This way, I am killing two birds with one stone and actually packing less - see how I rationalize?

Anyways, we are all super excited for this mini-vacation so please stay tuned for next week's blog. There might be some promo items in store while we are in Vegas...

For most of us, cuts, scrapes and bruises are a part of growing up and learning the basic idea of gravity when we are young kids. And for some, this continues into adulthood.

The awesome Samantha (a coworker of mine) came into the office this morning with a fun story of how she took her two dogs for a walk and tripped over the leash, only to end up with cuts and bruises all over her knees and hands.

She described it as if it were a cartoon: Her feet got swept from under her and she landed painfully on her knee. Luckily, we were able to find a promotional first aid kit for her scrapes and scratches so that she was no longer hobbling through the office and, most importantly, no infection!

Lately, my friends and I have been discussing ways to make some extra money. We have talked about opening up all of these businesses together and having each one of us take care of something, so it's not too much for one person. Our latest idea was to work from home as a children's party entertainer. How hard can it be to dress up as a favorite character or clown and entertain kids for an hour and make $500?

Little did we know! Last night, I attended a 5th birthday party for my friend's daughter Azra. One of the members of the party planner agency came dressed up as Azra's favorite character, Minnie Mouse! Azra was so excited, she did not leave Minnie's side. Minnie Mouse played a few games with the out of control kids. She then changed into her clown outfit and painted all of the kids' faces, made each one a balloon shape, and made cotton candy for all of the 30 kids who attended. She was there for a total of an hour and a half and made money that most make in a week.

After witnessing all of the work required to pull off a job in the party planning business, we decided that we were not suited for the job. Neither one of us have the patience or talent to do everything this girl had done. We learned once again that things aren't as easy as they seem. Back to building new ideas and new dreams!

You've got to love when celebrities use their talent and fame to help others.

"The Voice" star Blake Shelton, who hails from Oklahoma, has vowed to do all that he can to support his home state after a tornado ripped through the town of Moore on Monday. According to Billboard, Shelton is hoping to raise money through a televised benefit concert.

"We'll know more about it in the next 24 hours," the country music artist told Billboard. "I'm hoping it will raise a lot of money. Obviously it will be televised and will happen really quickly."

Shelton might even call in a few favors from his "Voice" costars, including Usher.

Others who are not-so-famous are lending a helping hand in their own way. For example, Restore Joplin -- an organization that raised $250,000 to support victims of a 2011 tornado -- has launched a fundraiser, selling t-shirts that read "Restore Moore" for $20 apiece. One-hundred percent of proceeds from the promotional clothing will be donated to organizations in Oklahoma City to help with clean-up efforts. 

Image courtesy of RestoreJoplin.com

Know of any other ways to help? Leave a comment and tell us how!

The weather has finally warmed up here in the Northeast. This week we hit the 80 degree mark! Being that the Memorial Day weekend is coming up, it is perfect timing. Even though there are scattered thunderstorms here and there, it will not prevent me from utilizing my outdoor giveaways. With the 3-day weekend coming up, we have plenty of BBQs, get-togethers and outings planned. I have been looking forward to this for the past 6 months and I will have plenty of opportunities to use the sunscreen, frisbees, and BBQ sets I got samples of.  I cannot wait to be able to go out and enjoy the warm weather and have some good times outdoors with my family and friends. I hope everyone has a Safe and Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Now that our winter clothes are packed away, it's time to bring out the summer gear.

I love wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt. In case you haven't yet started on your spring/summer shopping, come check out Motivators' promotional clothing. We carry a huge selection of styles and brand names suitable for anyone of all ages.

Whether you're a mom looking for some comfortable clothes to run errands in or a dad looking for some golf polos, we have everything here to be your one stop shop.

This morning I read an article about how "skinny" has become one of the hottest phrases in the marketing world. And while the piece focused on food and drink, it got me thinking about other industries that employ the same strategy.

Consumer-research psychologist Kit Yarrow told Ad Age that "Skinny is the new 'baby,' as in baby carrots [and] baby spinach. It personifies food and makes it more endearing." But what about skinny jeans or skinny hair serum? If you ask me, the marketing power of "skinny" reaches far beyond what we eat and drink.

Heck, there are even skinny promotional products! Take our hot & cold skinny tumbler, for example: 

Do marketers really apply the term "skinny" to our clothes and hair products for the cute factor? I'm not sure I'm buying it.

If you ask me, it's pretty obvious that marketers use "skinny" in order to tap into the consumer's psyche. In today's looks-obsessed society, we're constantly being offered solutions for trimming down. I'd go as far as to bet that even something as simple as holding a skinny water bottle might make some people feel more slender.

What do you think? Is the term "skinny" in marketing meant to mess with our heads? Or is it, as Ms. Yarrow said, simply the lighthearted 'it' phrase of today?

It's always nice to come across promotional products in action. Each of us here spend our day processing who knows how many orders for different branded items, yet only so often do we actually receive them in our day to day lives.

Well it just so happens that a good family friend of mine works as a distributor for Hormel Foods. He works with supermarkets around the region to get his brands on their shelves. You may recognize Hormel itself as a brand name but they also distribute such brands as Dinty Moore, SPAM, Jennie-Os and Chi-Chi's.

Recently, Hormel proudly announced it had acquired the Skippy brand. The peanut butter everyone knows and loves would be joining the Hormel brands and family. 

So, in addition, to getting varieties of Skippy peanut butter what else did Hormel employees get? Why, peanut stress relievers of course!

It's a fun giveaway for employees and clients of Hormel to remind them in the simplest way of who Skippy is and what they do.

If they are lucky everyone will pass their giveaways around to family and friends -- the same way I received them -- and really get some nice brand recognition going!

Since I received my Promotional Econo Double Wall Tumbler, we have been inseparable. It is definitely one of my staple products for this summer.  Also its double wall design prevents it from sweating in the summer's heat. It comes in great fun colors that will brighten up your summer days and nights!  I really love this products, I have one at work and home.  It really helps me drink more water, which is necessary during the summer months! I've had to order more from my family and friends because they were always trying to steal mine! This great promotional product has my vote as one of this summer's must haves!

It's on the fridge!

I would be lost without my fridge magnets with logos from different businesses and organizations. They are my rolodex. We have everything from the local pizza place to the emergency contact numbers for the pediatrician's office and the local police and fire.

They used to be nicely organized on the side of the fridge, but now they are used to hold up the artwork from my three-year-old. We are running out of space, so I think it is time to buy a bigger fridge.