You've got to love Kickstarter, the website that helps people raise money for unique projects via crowd funding. And while far too many seemingly great campaigns never come to fruition, lots of people have made sure this project isn't one of them.

Fans of "Veronica Mars," a UPN/CW TV show that aired from 2004 to 2007, have taken to the site to raise money for (drumroll...) a movie! According to the New York Times, "On Wednesday night fans and supporters of that show about a wisecracking young sleuth (played by Kristen Bell) pledged more than $2 million to produce a 'Veronica Mars' movie, less than 12 hours after the fundraising drive was announced on Kickstarter." Now that's some serious fandom.

Even better, both Rob Thomas (the show's creator and producer, not the one from Matchbox Twenty) and Bell are behind the project! It's even got Warner Brothers' seal of approval.

So at 7:55 p.m. yesterday evening, Thomas tweeted the following: "Hallelujah! It's a green light my friends. I love you all, but particularly the donors among you." That's right -- it's a go! Congratulations to all involved.

P.S. We heard you might be looking for some nice "thank you" gifts, Mr. Thomas. Our promotional consultants have a few ideas! (Wink.)

In the weeks following Hurricane Sandy, gas prices on Long Island soared. But now, a month later, we're finally seeing the cost of gasoline go back to normal.

According to Newsday, "Regular gasoline averaged $3.829 a gallon in Nassau and Suffolk counties [last] Wednesday morning [...] down almost 34 cents from the recent peak on Nov. 11 when motorists waited in long lines." However, that average is still almost a quarter higher than they were last year.

Still, there's hope that prices will fall even more throughout the holiday season. The Herald Times Reporter explains: "The national average for a gallon of gas should fall below the $3.28 that drivers paid on Jan. 1." In fact, in some areas of the country, prices have already dropped below last year's average.

For those traveling in the coming weeks (2012 is expected to be the busiest holiday travel season in more than five years), the lower-cost gasoline prices are a welcome gift.

There is no better excuse for eating chocolate than it being the holiday season. And being that I LOVE chocolate, I am declaring myself a certified choco-holic.

I try to limit my intake, but when push comes to shove, I just don't have the willpower necessary to decline. With that being said, there are tons of ways to thank your clients and employees. And no, it is not too late!

Motivators is still offering rush service on tons of chocolate treats that will leave the recipient feeling lucky and loved. Personally, I favor the branded Monet Gift Boxed Chocolate. Aside from being able to brand the wrapper, you can also add your business card, or even a gift card to the inserts on the side cover.

Now, that is a thank you if I have ever seen one.

What's the worst thing a company can do during the holidays? Ignore them. Let's go over the top reasons your customers and clients deserve gifts this Christmas:

1. 'Tis the season

Everyone's already in a festive mood. Throw in a few fun giveaways, and they'll be ecstatic! Imagine being responsible for all that happiness?

2. You can't be a grump 

If you fail to acknowledge the holiday season, people are going to think you're a Scrooge. (Trust us, only Grumpy Cat can pull off that look.)

3. Feeling unappreciated stinks 

Your customers have supported you all year long; don't they deserve some love? Nobody likes being ignored. (Especially not Gretchen Wieners.)

4. The holidays can seem lonely 

Not everybody's got a huge family and lots of friends. Don't let your fans feel alone this holiday season! A small gesture can make all the difference.

5. They won't forget it 

OK, not every corporate gift will bring tears to your customers' eyes. But if you do it right (and print it with your logo), they'll always remember your brand.

So heed our advice and spread a little holiday spirit this season. You'll make a big impression that will last well beyond the New Year!

The other night my wife and I had a Christmas miracle happen a little early: three kids in bed by 9:00 p.m.! These days, with the twin boys and the 2 1/2 year old, this is unheard of. To top it off, the playroom was picked up, the dishes were done, etc.; we had nothing to do!

"Let's watch a movie!" I said frivolously. We ended up finding something pretty quickly on demand.

The wine was open and the stars aligned again. That morning my wife, while opening a new bank account for the twins, was given logo popcorn from the bank. Sadly, only one glass of wine and a handful of popcorn were consumed, and only about half hour of the movie was watched.

We found ourselves at 11 o'clock on the couch awoken by the cries from the other room letting us know that someone was ready to eat again.

With wonderful winter holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah fast-approaching, you're probably wondering how you'll be able to afford gifts for your staff. After all, the holiday season seems to get more and more expensive each year!

Did you know that many of our items make fabulous gifts? It might sound crazy, but hear me out. If there's one thing this blog can teach you, it's that promotional products are everywhere and can be used for almost any occasion.

Let's be clear: Promotional items are more than just pens and bumper stickers. (Although those are great, too!) We pride ourselves on having more than 40,000 items -- including Christmas promotional products -- for you to choose from. Here at Motivators, we're passionate about helping our clients find a product their recipients will love, whether it's a warm and fuzzy fleece or a comely candle.

And here's why our giveaways ideal for the office: You can imprint them with your logo! Why spend more on a gift that does nothing for your brand? Our products promote your company or organization wherever they're taken -- whether they're used to dress up a cubicle or kept in the car.

So this holiday season, skip the lines at the mall and head to Motivators.com. We're excited to get to work on your corporate gifts!

I'm admittedly not the fanciest guy you'll ever meet. While I'm by no means a slob, I usually feel more comfortable in a hoodie in jeans than I do in a shirt and tie. So sometimes I have trouble finding gifts for my more chic friends and family members.

But thanks to Birchbox, all that's about to change!

According to its website, "Birchbox is the best way to discover new grooming, beauty and lifestyle products." Here's how it works: The company bundles together samples of top-notch home and beauty products, and ships them straight to your house once a month! It gives you the opportunity to try new brands without having to commit to a full-size bottle.

Birchbox makes an awesome gift, too. Purchase a subscription for a friend or family member, and the receiver will have a beautiful box of treats waiting at their doorstep every month! Best of all, there are several different price options, ranging from a three-month introductory package to the 12-month ultimate upgrade, so you can find one that matches your budget.

So if you're struggling to find corporate gifts for your more cultured comrades and coworkers, be sure to check it out! For more help choosing holiday presents this year, check out Motivators' Corporate Gift-Giving Guide.

Part of the reason Black Friday can be so chaotic is because great sales don't usually last. Everybody's got the same mentality -- get in line before the best deals run out.

But here at Motivators, we think the holiday season is crazy enough without having to line up outside your favorite store at 4 a.m. That's why our Black Friday sale is actually five days long.

No, that's not a typo.

We're offering 10 percent off the value of products ordered at Motivators.com beginning on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 22) through Cyber Monday (Monday, Nov. 26). Sound crazy? Maybe. But it is Thanksgiving, after all, and we really love our customers.

So while the rest of America is at the mall this Friday, why not order your corporate gifts from the comfort of your own home? We promise there won't be any lines.

For decades, Polaroid cornered the market on instant photography. But as digital cameras and smartphones grew increasingly popular in the 2000s, consumers became far less interested in on-demand printing and more concerned with high-quality shots. This holiday season, Polaroid will offer photography-enthusiasts the best of both worlds with its 10-megapixel Z2300.

According to Gizmag, the new camera includes all the features you look for in a digital camera -- a flash, LCD screen, SD card slot, etc. However, users can also choose to instantly print their photos, just like they did in the 80s! 

Design Taxi explains: "Capturing 10-megapixel images, the Z2300 allows users to print their digital photographs at a touch of a button onto Premium ZINK paper, which has a sticky back—effectively turning them into stickers." Photo-stickers! How cool is that?

If you're struggling to find a unique holiday gift this year, this item might be worth a look. Depending on your budget, it could even make a great corporate gift! (I imagine it'd be a hit at the company holiday party!)

If you're a Harry Potter fan, be prepared to be blown away. Researchers at Duke University and Imperial College London have taken a huge step toward proving the principle of invisibility by making a tiny cylinder invisible to microwave radiation.

According to The Atlantic Wire, "Previous efforts always had some incident light reflection, but this latest effort adjusted how the edges of a microwave cloak line up, making it diamond-shaped. This ensured that the invisibility was complete." However, the illusion is limited: It only works from one angle.

Professor David Smith of Duke University explained to the BBC: "It's like the card people in Alice in Wonderland. If they turn on their sides you can't see them but they're obviously visible if you look from the other direction."

Although the cloak can only make items invisible to microwaves (and not optical wavelengths), it's still a huge accomplishment. Microwaves are used for many different reasons -- including telecommunications and radar -- and more refined versions of the device could greatly improve microwave performance.

So, no, you won't be able to give invisibility cloaks out as corporate gifts this holiday season. But who knows what's possible in the future? With these findings, scientists are closer to creating a real-life invisibility cloak.