Looking for a perfect giveway for the summer season? Look no further! Motivators offers many products to keep you cool and comfortable this summer. Some great ideas include; koozies, coolers, water bottles, and sun umbrellas. My favorite is the custom iced tea bottle drinks, which are tasty and perfect for a hot summer day. These are great for trade shows during the summer, bbq, picnics and outdoor weddings. The label offers lots of room for printing and since these can be digitally printed, most logo's/images would work.

Thanks to input from many of my lovely coworkers as well as friends and family, Matt and I have decided to let Brodie make his way down the aisle off-leash. I'm pretty sure it won't be perfect... either he'll stop along the way to visit everyone he loves, or he'll take off and start sniffing out his surroundings, or he'll drop the pillow, or... there are so many ways this could go wrong... but I'm just going to let it be what it will be. Eventually he'll make it. In the meantime we just have to practice!

So, we went out a bought a ring pillow from Michaels on sale. Whenever anyone hands Brodie a soft toy he shakes and shakes it... which I normally think is pretty funny... but I didn't want him doing this with our ring pillow. So I thought that maybe if I tied a ribbon around it, and he held it by the ribbon, he wouldn't want to shake it. Mistake #1. The ribbon was loose, and as soon as it hit his mouth he shook it to death. So we tried it without the ribbon. I handed him the pillow and to my surprise he just held it nicely in his mouth.

Unfortunately there isn't much room in my apartment to practice, but we're trying. Matt and I stand on opposite ends of the longest stretch of space we can manage and have Brodie bring the pillow back and forth to us, only getting a treat once he's handed it to the receiver. Of course, inside in this controlled environment will be totally different than the day of with all of the distractions... but hey, it's a start.

He even added a bow in all on his own! Not sure how I feel about this though because our guests will be on the opposite end of it...

As I mentioned in my blog last week, we took a road trip to Orlando for our friend's wedding on Saturday. The drive was really easy (for me at least as the passenger) and we got there in about three and a half hours. The start of the ride was filled with on and off rain showers, but as we got closer the skies opened and it ended up being a really nice day.

We arrived at the hotel and met up with our friends around 2pm before heading over to the reception which was expected to start around 5. This gave us just enough time to relax, regroup and of course, get ready! We got a quick sneak peak of the bride and groom (separately of course) and they were both excited and so ready to be married.

After a beautiful ceremony, and exchanging of their vows, it was party time! I could not wait to see what the room would look like as the wedding took place outside overlooking the golf course. The wedding was straight out of Pinterest! Each and every detail was thought out and creatively executed. Lanterns hung from the wooded ceiling to give it a real homey feeling. Our place setting was a name card on a wine cork which I absolutely loved.

Huge wine glasses were in the center of each table along with flowers of all sorts. The decor was perfect as were the favors! Each guest had a wine glass in front of their place setting with a heart shaped wine stopper inside. The glasses said: I do with their names and the date. A big thanks to Jen and Mike for including us in their special day! We wish them a lifetime of health and happiness :)

Yes, that's right, "training." I have about six months to get my bounding Border Collie to walk nicely down the aisle as my ring bearer. And I'm not quite sure where to start...

To Leash or Not to Leash

The biggest thing I need to decide is if I want him on a leash or not. Brodie is great off-leash on walks or at parks. He wonders and does his doggy exploration thing, but he follows my general direction and practices a pretty reliable recall. If he starts to chase a squirrel or cat, for example, he stop as soon as I ask him to and comes running back to me.

The one exception to this is when he sees a person he recognizes or a dog that is excited. He calculates the distance between me and thing he wants to go to. If he's closer to me than what he wants, he waits. If he's closer to what he wants than I am to him, it's a toss-up.

Now if it's a person he not only recognizes but loves, I am sure to lose the battle. If we were walking along and he saw my sister across the street, for example, no amount of the "tone" or "eh" or yelling to him could stop him from running over to her. It's like he loses his mind for a half a second, but the half a second is just long enough to get him into trouble.

At the wedding, he'll see a whole bunch of people he knows and loves so I'm not sure he'd be able to resist going over and saying hello to everyone instead of completing his job. Now if I were to have treats, that's a different story... So what if he stays in the back and only comes when I call him at the time the rings are needed? If we practice this with treats, even with all the people, he'll come right to me. But then who holds onto him in the back until that point? And he'll be more likely to bark because he'll be all excited from running to the treat. Maybe on the leash will be best...

But then who walks him down the aisle? And how do I train that person ahead of time? And how can we practice to make sure he's not pulling? And should I have him carry the rings in a basket or tie them to his collar? And... oh goodness, this is going to prove challenging. I know the less stressful thing to do is to not have him there, but even though the canine kind he's still our son and not having him involved just doesn't feel right. So what do you think? How would you do it?

Only 23 days left and one of my closest friends I grew up with since elementary school will be moving to Turkey. It's so sad but yet at the same time such a happy moment for her. She is marrying the man of her dreams who moved back after completing his master's degree last year. She is an only child and will be leaving her parents, her friends, her whole life behind to start her new life. (I am actually jealous, because I always dream about moving to Turkey - just have not found the reason for it). So this past Sunday, we had a wedding party for her here since her actual wedding will be held in Turkey and we will not be able to attend (unless we all had an extra 2-3 thousand dollars to spare). We did a whole bridesmaid theme dresses - with her choice of color- aqua in different design dresses. She was a beautiful bride and it was a memorable time for all of us.

Over the weekend was one of my best friend's wedding weekend! Jenna and I met in the first grade, went to school together through college, and now live a town apart. Needless to say I was very excited for her and her big day. Friday was the rehearsal dinner which was nice and relaxing. We got to have an amazing meal and hang out with our friends pre-wedding craziness. At that dinner she also gave her bridesmaids gifts (very generous). Each girl received a formal bag for the next day, earrings, some makeup, breath mints, and a beautiful promotional mirror. Saturday was the wedding, which was and is probably going to be the most amazingly extravagant wedding I have ever been to. And then Sunday was a beautiful brunch. Needless to say I am TIRED today, but the weekend was a ton of fun!

As you already know, over the weekend, Eric and I flew out to California for my cousin's wedding in San Diego. While three days is not nearly enough time on the West Coast, we had a packed weekend with so much family and fun. Since I filled you all in last week, I will spare the details of the trip itself, and focus on the incredible wedding that we attended on Sunday. Set on the gorgeous La Costa Resort and Spa, the backdrop for this wedding could not have been more beautiful. The ceremony took place overlooking the award-winning golf course and was truly breathtaking. The couple said there I do's and the reception followed at the Orchid Terrace where each table was named for a different place in California. You found your table name in a sandbox of small umbrellas with a tag identifier. Each detail of this wedding was more incredible than the next. It was as if they had thought of absolutely everything!

Feel free to browse some photos below of the highlights of the wedding. Be sure to take note of the promotional item as we all know a wedding isn't complete without one!

Here is a great shot of my cousin Jess with my sister and I. Isn't she the most beautiful bride?

Eric and I at our table. He is not an alien; it is just the microphone behind him! HAHA

I was obsessed with these centerpieces. They had live exotic fish and the best part was that the groom made them himself! Guests were able to take them home as an incredible memory of the wedding. If we didn't have to fly back to Miami, I totally would have brought one with me.

These two were totally "Mint to be" and the mints I had made for them were the perfect accent on each table. Guests loved the Small Tin of Signature Mints with a photograph of the bride and groom. Another great memory piece for a fabulous wedding! (I want to give a special thanks to the very talented Keri, our Art Manager as she designed the mint tins.)

Overall, I had an amazing weekend with my family that I did not want to end. Aside from the jet lag, I wouldn't change one thing. Wishing Jess and AJ a life of happiness and health together!

Although my high school graduation seems like it was just yesterday, a lot has happened in the last seven years.  My friends and I have all finished school, started new jobs, and are truly on our way to becoming "real" adults.  And on Saturday, one of my closest friends from high school is getting married.

This will be the first wedding I'll attend that's not for an older family member, so it's a bit strange.  However, it's also kind of exciting:  For the first time, my friends will be the ones running the show!

I can't wait to see my beautiful friend Nicole walking down the aisle in her white gown.  But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even more looking forward to the party.  From funny photos to sloppy, sentimental speeches, the celebration is sure to be memorable.

And of course working in the promotional products industry has got me pondering what types of personalized wedding favors Nicole and her husband-to-be will be handing out.  Candy?  Shot glasses?  Flowers?  The possibilities are endless!  

Congratulations to the happy couple, and may the wedding be a night none of us will ever forget!

It may be news to you, but certainly not if you work at Motivators. I am ecstatic to to say that on Thursday night I asked my girlfriend of 4 1/2 years to marry me. Of course she said yes! I was able to shock her by picking her up from work in a limo and taking her out on the town in Manhattan. It was truly a fantastic night.

Now is the beginning of an exciting time in our lives. For the next year or so, our lives will be consumed with planning all of the aspects of a wedding. From promotional wedding favors to a honeymoon, there are so many different things to figure out. That being said, we are going to do our best to enjoy every moment of it and not let it stress us out. Wish us luck, but hopefully we won't need too much!

My coworker and friend Stacie recently got engaged.  I couldn't be happier for her and her husband-to-be -- they seem like they're really a great match!  And although the wedding won't be for at least another year, I'm already stressed out for Stacie.  Planning the big day won't be easy! 

So when I stumbled upon a Mashable article about organizing the perfect wedding on the Internet, it immediately piqued my interest. Is it possible to plan a beautiful ceremony online?

According to Mashable, there are at least eight aspects of a wedding that can be put together with the help of popular social media sites:

1. Tools such as DropBox and Google Docs allow you to share important wedding information -- like contracts and spreadsheets -- easily. This makes collaborating with your partner a cinch!
2. Finding a venue you'll love is difficult enough.  Deciding on a site rental that also matches your budget can seem impossible.  Online directories such as VenueTastic and Here Comes the Guide can help you find accurate quotes.
3. If you want to go paperless with your invitations, you'll be happy to know that services like Pingg and Paperless Post allow you to send them digitally.  And if not everyone's Internet-savvy (grandma and grandpa), you can use social sites like Etsy and Ink Garden to create custom print designs.
4. What will your guests eat and drink? Some venues determine meal options for you in advance, but if not, you can book your celebration's eats with the help of review sites like Yelp.
5. Let's face it:  While you appreciate the thought friends and family will put into your gifts, there's nothing worse than receiving the same item from five different people. Online registry site MyRegistry makes it easy to aggregate several different lists into one to make sure you get everything you need. You can also browse online for personalized wedding gifts.
6. Utilize online directories like Wedding Wire to find the right minister for your wedding!
7. Your big day is sure to feel like a whirlwind.  Make sure you remember every detail by finding a photographer you'll love on Flickr.
8. If you trust your guests' tastes in music, you might like this unique way to build a playlist.  Sites like Turntable.fm let you create a real-time list of songs.  Guests can contribute to the list throughout the reception!

If you've got the time and energy to get everything done in-person, then that's great. But in today's increasingly busy world, I'm sure at least some of these online resources will be useful to you!  I know Stacie will be using one or two :).