For those of you that didn't already know, National Teacher Appreciation Day was on Tuesday, May 7th. It is very important to thank our teachers for all of their hard work and effort in shaping our youth each and every day. With that being said, I was so excited when my mom texted me a photo (yes, she now knows how to text pictures) of the gift she received from her school on Tuesday.

These sticky note holders are a great teacher gift! Not only can the teacher leave them on his/her desk, but they also have a nice plate which can be branded on the front. The leather look is very classy and I know firsthand that all the teachers at her school really love them!

So, next year make sure you reach out to the teachers in your life and get them something special. Motivators has tons of amazing gifts for the people that really make a difference and others to help you represent school spirit!

Whether you're holding a BBQ or promoting a sale this Memorial Day, you're going to need a lot of red, white and blue.

Did you know that Motivators offers a great selection of American promotional products? We've got everything from patriotic stress relievers to star-spangled beach balls. Let's take a look at our top three Memorial Day giveaways:

1. USA beach balls

For a patriotic twist on a classic summertime toy, choose our star-spangled beach ball. This fun product is perfect for everything from pool parties to summer sales.

2. USA maracas

You're probably thinking "in what way are maracas patriotic?" But these red, white and blue noisemakers are perfect for shaking up the annual Memorial Day barbecue.

3. Seeded paper holiday cards

Memorial Day is the perfect time to get to work on the garden. That's what makes this seed paper holiday card so great! It's got a beautiful flag design on the cover, and contains seeds that when planted will sprout in a week or less. Mail them home to customers to promote your holiday sale! 

Which patriotic giveaway is your favorite?

Much like many of my past blogs, this one is going to talk about how much exposure your brand can get at bars and restaurants. St Paddy's day is a perfect example. 

Everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's day and everyone wants to have a good time. What better way than by giving out promotional products that party goers will keep and use after the parties are over? All you basically have to do is throw it at them!

From the bartenders or the host or hostess, or even through raffles and drawings. These items will go home with the people, and if they are useful enough, be used again and again. Don't have a good idea of what to give out? Call one of the specialists at Motivators to help you out! We have over 50,000 promotional items to help people remember your business. We also have a very user friendly website to help filter your choices!

Motivators Holiday Party was a success! Tons of delicious food, great fun with co-workers, and awesome giveaways to win with our Motivators Bucks. This is my third year in a row winning a cool prize; am I lucky or what?

This year I walked away with a nice set of Riedel Vinum wine glasses. Now I can drink my wine in style -- and you can too! Custom wine glasses are a perfect gift idea for many occasions such as corporate parties, house warming, anniversaries, executive gifts, and of course raffle them of at holiday parties just like ours!

On November 9th, my friends and I attended the International Great Beer Expo in Belmont Park. For the price of one ticket, available to you were samples of dozens upon dozens of brewers from around the state as well as around the country. Most brewers had multiple beers there to sample, and there were ciders and wines, as well.

It was a fantastic event; with unlimited samples of great beers and great wines, what more could you ask for? Great promotional products of course! They did not fail to meet expectations on that end either.

Of course, everyone was greeted with a branded shooter glass that held about 2 oz. That was only the beginning, though -- I would end up leaving with promotional bottle openers with key chains from Samuel Adams and Yelp, as well as temporary tattoos from Angry Orchard Cider and Port Jeff Brewing Company.

Unfortunately, there were even more products that I wasn't able to get my hands on, like customized wristbands and branded playing cards. That was just what I saw with my own two eyes, too. I can only imagine there must have been more than I missed.

I have to give credit to Samuel Adams and Yelp, though: they hit it on the nose. What is the best way to make a lasting impression on attendees at a Beer Expo? A bottle opener to open their beer! Great job! 

On Sunday, Team Motivators attended the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Jones Beach, NY. Of course, being a promotional products company, we didn't show up empty handed. The Motivators crew made sure to bring along plenty of swag!

Our pink and white beach balls were a huge hit. People loved receiving these awesome breast cancer awareness promotional products -- they couldn't believe we were giving them out for free! It felt great to be able to give a small gift to the amazing people helping to make a difference.

The Motivators staff also wore special sunglasses so everyone could recognize us during the walk. Check them out: 

 Thanks to everyone who helped support Team Motivators!

I'm always jealous of my coworker Ali. Why? Because promotional giveaways seem to just flock to her. (Seriously! Browse her company blog posts and you'll see what I mean.)

But last night I realized that I too own a ton of promotional products.

As I opened the kitchen cabinet to reach for a cup, I noticed that we've actually dedicated an entire shelf to drinkware imprinted with various companies' logos. Check it out -- there's everything from a simple St. James Dental Care sports bottle to a massive Coke glass. How is it possible that I never noticed them before?

It got me thinking about all the imprinted giveaways I use every day. Whether I'm getting a drink of water or getting into my car, promo items help make my life easier. And, of course, I'll never forget the brands that gave me these useful gifts. How's that for great advertising?

P.S. For the record, I'm still a little jealous of Ali and her extremely exciting, freebie-filled life.

Last night I had to stop at my local Target for some Shampoo and Conditioner before going home. Needless to say what should have been a five minute trip lasted an hour. I was overwhelmed by all the back to school sales that were going on.  Back to school shopping is such a big deal this time of year. This is the second year I am out of school, and it makes me miss all the fun shopping I used to do.  Back to School Promotional Products, are a great way to spread your brand this year. You can give them away to your employees to give to their children, or send them out to all of your favorite customers. Put a smile on a child's face this back to school season!  

What's a Happy Meal without your free toy? If a new law passes, we'll be forced to figure the answer out on our own. Due to the rise in child obesity, the government is cracking down on fast food restaurants and all food venders in general. Nutrition information is beginning to pop up alongside menu items and high sugar drinks are being banned from schools.
                             
Now a Californian mayor is taking actions to remove toys from the Happy Meal. The concern is that these enticing toys attract children to McDonald's where the selection of healthy food is slacking. These promotional toys have become a staple of the McDonalds experience and I can't imagine a Happy Meal without them
                               

The best alternative to nixing the toys altogether is for healthy choice items to come with a freebie. I can say for now, that the toys will remain. No one wants to order an Unhappy Meal.
 

Today is a special day for all you Apple iPod fans, Apple's rock 'n' roll-themed event, will showcase new versions of the iPod, iTouch, Nanos, and so much more. The iTouch is said to come with a camera while current iTouches have dropped in price dramatically on the Apple site. The new Nano will have a new taller screen making it easier to read. Live coverage starts at 10am pacific time over on CNET you might want to check that out, with all this new news hopefully this will send stock prices up or maybe it will be a glimpse of Steve Jobs after his liver transplant that might get everyone hyped up. Apple I hope you got all your tradeshow giveaways in order because the world is watching. P.S. where is my Apple tablet?!!!