Happy New Year!  The new year is off to a great start.  We just got our twin boys on a sleeping schedule and a couple nights of almost sleeping through the night.  My wife and I have actually had a few minutes to start thinking about each other and our goals for the upcoming year.  So far, We have setup a couple of bike trainers in our basement.  We have only been at it for a few days but it is great!   Instead of sitting on the couch watching something on tv, we have been retreating to the basement to pedal the bikes and watch a little tv but more times then not we are joking and talking about the day or pushing each other to exhaustion.  A couple of times to get thru the tail end of a workout we have been chatting up the promotional water bottle that we have that night.  Every water bottle we have documents a time or event that we have done some sort of biking event.  Whether it was our first century together, that brutal ride that seemed like it was uphill and raining the whole time or that club ride that had great pie and wine at the end.  Cheers to 2013, I hope it is a great for everyone!

It’s true that water bottles can cure most illnesses, but don’t take it literally.

Harmful body toxins have the ability to enter our body through a number of different ways, especially in the food we eat. Water washes out most body toxins that when left within our system can cause discomfort or harm. I believe that people who take more than 8 glasses of water a day have a healthier body system.

That’s how a custom water bottle helps you. Having a water bottle handy always can make it easier for one to drink up, get refreshed and continuously cleanse their body system anytime. Fewer toxins in your body mean less build-up of harmful bacteria that normally cause ailments.

Also, did you know that by the time a person feels thirsty, his/her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount? And anything more than 1 percent loss of body fluids could result in dizziness, headaches and even heart palpitations. Always have your promotional water bottle within reach to keep you constantly hydrated.

Aside from the good effect that it has on you, having a water bottle also helps in saving our environment. It discourages the act of consistently buying, using and disposing plastic bottled water. By the way, did you know that a single plastic water bottle can take up to 500 years to decompose? But that’s something I'll discuss in another blog...

I still cannot believe it! My younger brother is turning 10 on Friday December, 9th! He of course is very excited and is always a years ahead of his actual age (thinks he is turning 11). My mom and I on the other hand are ready to burst into tears at how fast he is growing up.

In celebration of this amazingly handsome, smart, young man who is entering the double digits, we are having a birthday party on Saturday. This Turkish culture we have, the birthday is not just for kids, but the mothers are invited too. My mom has already started cooking and baking all this yummy Turkish food. We ordered the  birthday cake from our favorite bakery up the block from the house and I ordered the promotional gifts from Motivators.com for the kids goody bags. My mom liked that Motivators had Promotional Products that were made in the USA and eco-friendly promotional products so I went with custom water bottles that will be imprinted with "Thanks For Attending Duhan's 10th Birthday". I did not want to neglect all the moms that would be attenting, so I figured I would reward them as well. I ordered flexi vases with the same logo which I would give to them with a flower attached as thank you. I hope everyone enjoys this special day!

Some people get really into their video games.  And who can blame them?  Online multiplayer gaming allows users to step inside a new world when they turn on a game, and in a way they are able to lead new, exciting lives.  With Xbox LIVE, gamers can even create virtual avatars to represent their likenesses.

Now, gaming enthusiasts can delve even further into their fantasy worlds.  Xbox LIVE has teamed up with CafePress to print images of users' avatars onto embroidered apparel.  Check out the Mashable video below which outlines the process:

According to Mashable, the new service takes "gamer vanity to a whole new level."  Gaming enthusiasts can imprint their avatars onto items like custom water bottles, flip flops, and t-shirts -- the perfect promotional gift idea for Xbox lovers.  I can think of at least a few of my friends who'd get a kick out of it!

If you are looking for a simple easy gift for this holiday season look no further then Promotional Water Bottles.  They make the perfect easy gift.  They are a great way to display your logo, they don't get thrown away, you use them all year long and, you are helping out the environment.  Every day I make several trips to the water cooler to fill up my promotional Arctic Sports Bottle.  The holiday season is growing closer and Motivators offers 1 Day Rush promotional aluminum and stainless bottles. We are also offering for a limited time during the Holiday season Free Shipping on select Leeds business gifts. This is includes several Logoed Leeds Drinkware promotional items! Don't wait till last minute this year, order now and treat your customers, clients and employees to a fun holiday treat!

My Ex-Tumbler,

I remember when I first saw you; your translucent blue color just mesmerized me. Your 32 oz. capacity made me look forward to being with you. Your carabiner just excited me knowing that I could be with you wherever I went.

We’ve been through a lot. You were with me when I started here at Motivators. I’ve seen a lot of promotional water bottles and tumblers, but none of them compared to you. You accompanied me to the hospital when my wife was giving birth to my son. You were always there during my early morning jogs, my badminton sessions with my wife, and just about anywhere I went. We’ve had great times together, but now, as much as I would like to keep you, I just can’t anymore.

Your accidental fall from the third floor of our house is something that I never expected would happen. I know it was my fault and it pains me a lot everyday not having you with me. I thirst for your presence, literally. I thank you for all the days that you were with me, but now I just have to let you go. I know I’ll find another promotional water bottle, but the times we had will never be replaced.

Today I enrolled in FAT CAMP.  It is run by the local boot camp company.  It is a small group of 15 chosen by application to compete in a 8 week challenge to better themselves and the opportunity to win cash and prizes. kinda like price is right meets the richard simmons morning workout tape.  Today was day one, as my wife said "'. the easy day, you get to be FAT ".  We got our intro packet; a complimentary custom backpack with the workout companies name on it and we got a custom water bottle with the same logo and other various booklets and notebooks for keeping track of our progress.  They did inform us that the custom backpack could hold alot of weight and to make sure we bring it to every clas..hmmmm.. wonder what the day 2 challenge will be. 

Before I became part of the most outstanding promotional products company in the business, (Motivators, of course—are there any others?) I thought that any water bottle that looked and felt like metal was definitely made from stainless steel. Through working with those bottles, I’ve realized, hey, there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye (yes, I’m a fan of Transformers)!

So, aside from customized stainless steel water bottles, I discovered that aluminum water bottles exist, too. These two bottles differ in weight, design, durability and even price.

Aluminum is lighter and the material is thinner compared to stainless steel, which is heavier, somewhat thicker and sturdier. It’s easier to bring along an aluminum water bottle just about anywhere because of its light weight.  But if your destination requires rugged physical activities where you need your water bottle with you, like hiking, biking, etc., go for the stainless steel bottle.

 Research shows that stainless steel is safer than aluminum. Although some reports claim that aluminum can cause Alzheimer’s, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) states that there is no direct link between aluminum and the disease. With that, we can just relax and not be disturbed by it.

Stainless steel material is considered safer because it does not leak chemicals, even when used for a long period of time.  This material is even widely used in our kitchens as utensils, pots etc.  Stainless steel is also easier to clean, which makes it resistant to bacteria build-up.

The alloys are lined to prevent the metal from leaking into the water. If the lining inside an aluminum water bottle is damaged or scratched, you may notice a difference in the taste of the water. This can happen in some cheaply manufactured logo aluminum water bottles which, I assure you, we don’t carry at Motivators. 

The next difference is the cost. Most aluminum water bottles are more expensive than stainless steel water bottles.  However, design, size and shape definitely affect the price, as well.

In the end, whichever of the two you decide to purchase, be sure to wash it out with soap and water before you drink from it.  If you want to be more thorough, use baking soda and vinegar.

Going to the beach is a fun time to spend with family and freinds, but as we all  know it can get very messy and overwhelming. That is why I love my beach buddy mat! Other than just being a wonderful promotional item, I can use it as a beach mat and as a bag all in one. It is also big enough to fit my favorite promotional products that are essential when going to the beach. I like to throw in a few custom water bottles in my bag to make sure I stay hydrated and a few printed suncreen packets. This beach mat/bag keeps me organized and I dont look like that crazy lady with a million bags and blankets on the beach :-)

Before getting married, I thought about some of the goals that I had. Goals that, if reached, would make me feel like I was being a good husband. Last night, only 3+ months into the marriage, I achieved the most important goal on that list.. the wife accompanied me to a Knicks game, which meant that she had been with me to see each of the four major US sports leagues! Our second date was to a Mets game; we went on a Motivators outing to an Islanders game; we saw the Giants "play" the Panthers in December; we watched the Timberwolves "play" the Knickerbockers.

Working in this industry, we always notice the sports promotional items at these events. The Knicks team store was selling custom water bottles. The fans in a selected section of the crowd were given promotional thundersticks. I never thought about where those items came from before I worked here. Now I pretty much anything can be imprinted.

As far as the game goes, the Knicks destroyed the T-wolves, 132-105. It didn't make up for the embarrassing 50 point loss against the Mavs, but hopefully it gave the guys some confidence. Laurie asked at one point, "What's a Knick?" and after my answer, "A Knickerbocker," wasn't good enough, we looked into it further when we got home. Turns out Father Knickerbocker was the symbol of New York during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Who knew?

*Important note: Sarcasm does not always translate through the written word.. Bringing Laurie to sporting events was not a goal I had when thinking about marriage. Nor does it make me a good husband. Making her watch many, many games on TV does!