Arguably one of the most exciting components of any award show is the red carpet.  Everyone's always eager to see who showed up, who's wearing what, and what celebrities will say when put on the spot. 

Television personality Joan Rivers has long been known as the ruler of the red carpet.  But following eight-year-old Sophia Grace's appearance at the 2012 Grammys, there may be a new Queen Bee (even if she did take a short break to nibble on some promotional candy).  Check out the highlights of Sophia Grace and her cousin Rosie interviewing musicians before the 54th Annual Grammy Awards:

There's no denying the duo is adorable.  But what's more impressive is how on point Sophia Grace is.  Mashable reports that the young girl was particularly astute at "knowing how to get the big celebrities to talk to her, being aware of Taylor Swift’s wardrobe choices and of course, understanding the importance of Flo Rida’s shades."

All in all, I think the two girls made the occasion extra-fun.  What do you think?  Should the pair host more red carpet events?

With yesterday being Valentines Day many treats were going around the office, and ofcourse many are hesistant on eating that 2nd piece of promotional chocolate, trying to hold onto their New Years resolution.  Well not my daughter! She indulged in Valentines Conversation Sweethearts, , chocolate truffles and cupcakes. What was even better is that she wanted to share these things with her little cousin, ( I believe that was partial to me telling her about the dentist and what happens when you dont take care of your teeth). All in all, we had a great day! We learned to share, try delicous treats, and learned about the dentist.

Delis and restaurants everywhere are getting more and more technologically savvy, in their effort to improve sales.  While I was waiting in line at the local deli something new caught my eye.  There were promotional signs everywhere with QR codes on them.  With your smart phone you scan the QR code for your favorite eatery and text message your order in.  When you get to the establishment all you do is walk up to the express line, pay for you order and leave!  No lines, no hassle!  I though this was a fantastic idea and can’t wait to try it out.

We're closing in on Valentine's Day, and singles everywhere are scrambling to find a last-minute date.  Where do you turn for potential love connections?  Some will ask their friends to set them up with that guy or girl they've had their eye on, and others will end up at the local bar or pub, hoping to spot that special someone.

But if you're thinking about looking online for a date, you might want to think again.  According to one fraud protection agency, online dating scams increased by 150% in 2011.

Mashable reports that Iovation analyzed several online dating sites' hardware and software, and found that last year, "3.8% of all transactions it processed for online dating sites were fraudulent."  The fake accounts attempt to acquire personal information, redirect users to phishing sites, harass users, and more.

So if you're looking for love online this Valentine's Day, proceed with caution!  Otherwise, instead of receiving Valentine's promotional candy from a sweetie, you could end up with a big ol' mess.

Have you been contacted any shady Internet dating profiles?  Share your story!

Every Monday night, my friends and I get together to kick off the week right.  While many are dragging their feet in the beginning of the week due to a serious case of "the Mondays," Ryan, Joanne and I prefer to celebrate (and recover from) a weekend well spent with a weekly wing night.  We play video games, watch episodes of "The Office," and, of course, eat a massive amount of chicken wings from one of our favorite restaurants, Wing Zone.

Although we've had many, many wing nights, it wasn't until last Monday that I realized the award-winning franchise sends home custom food products with each delivery.  Check out the logoed bleu cheese dip in the photo below!

Unfortunately tonight I won't be able to make wing night, so I'm pretty bummed out.  But I certainly had enough chicken wings last night for Super Bowl Sunday to last me a few weeks!  Still, hopefully nobody will have to break our Monday night tradition next week.

Have a fantastic week, everyone!

Valentine's Day is less than two weeks away, and if your sweetheart is a fan of country music, you might want to check out this sweet treat.  Country pop music group Lady Antebellum's online store features a very special Valentine-themed promotional item for all the Lady A fans out there this month.

The Sweet Treat "Just A Kiss" promotional chocolate CD is the perfect Valentine's Day gift for any Lady Antebellum-enthusiast.  And, according to the band's Web site, if you order by February 6 it's guaranteed to be delivered by February 14! 

Do you recall when you could only sign up for Facebook if you were a college student?  Remember when you were only allowed to join Google+ if you'd received an invite?  There's something about exclusivity that gets people excited.  In a nutshell, we all want to be invited to the party (and we'll do anything to get in).

One dating Web site has taken this strategy to a whole new level.  Online dating service Sparkology is not only invite-only, but the men who sign up must also have graduated from one of America's top educational institutions.

Founder Alex Furmansky dreamed up the site when he was a college student.  Mashable reports that Furmansky noticed women only gave attention to "the loudest most obnoxious guy at the bar." According to the University of Pennsylvania graduate, he was too easily overlooked: "If you’re looking for more than just a quick lay, and you’re not loud, it’s hard to find a partner."

The goal of Sparkology is to wipe out the grime that dominates the online dating industry.  Sparkology has therefore branded itself as "classy and sophisticated", a far cry from match-making services like Plenty of Fish and Match.com.  The Web site's founder actually "hands out personal invites sealed with a wax stamp to educated singles he approves of."  Sparkology also teaches men how to court a woman -- in November 2011, 50 male members were invited to an event to learn about fashion and fine scotch (no logo beer glasses here!).

So far, the New York-based online dating site only has around 1,200 members.  However, it plans to expand to new cities throughout the United States.

Do you find Sparkology's elitist approach to be appealing or insulting?  Let us know!

I think it may have been mentioned once or twice here on this blog, but if it hasn't been, this Sunday is the Super Bowl. It is completely fair to say that no other event during the course of a year captivates more attention than the Super Bowl. Due to this reason, companies choose this day to promote themselves. From the largest companies in the world, like Pepsi or Volkswagen to even the small businesses around the corner, everyone tries to get in on the fun.

                      This is the story of a small business that tried to get in on the fun.

One of the best BBQ places in Long Island, and maybe in New York, is Smokin Al's in Massepequa.  Fantastic BBQ food, without question.  Al himself announced via local news outlets this weekend that he will refund the cost of every Super Bowl platter purchased from him should the Giants win the Super Bowl. As word spread locals got very excited about the possibilities! Imagine your favorite team winning the Super Bowl and then getting the party you watched it during free.

So calls started pouring in. And then as it turned out the fine print came out. Minimum $200 purchase. One other thing, there was "limited availibility on the promotion." So by the time the story was announced, they were not letting anyone else join in. They say all publicity is good publicity. I say not if you excite the customers for nothing.

So if you are throwing a Super Bowl party yourself don't buy logo beer glasses if you can't get them for everyone, get promotional stadium cups for everyone!

The moral of the story, don't leave people out!

Grocery shopping is one of the biggest budget eaters for everyone. We allot a big percentage of expenses for food and other home/kitchen needs. Here are some ways to stick to your grocery budget and prevent over-spending on not-so-important items and food.

1. Analyze the goods you normally consume on a weekly basis. Make a weekly groceries visit instead of a daily trip. This will help you save gasoline, time and energy. Mark your promotional calendars with your scheduled grocery activity.
2. Make a weekly food plan for the family. Set a specific budget per meal. Make sure it’ll be healthy and balanced with nutrients the whole family needs.
3. Always be ready with your pens and promotional notebooks. List all your grocery needs on a weekly plan.
   
   

   

4. When going to the grocery store, always bring your calculator. Compare prices of the items and see how much money you’ll be able to save.
   
   

   

5. Look up and down at the store's displayed items. More expensive products are normally placed at eye-level to easily be seen and reached by consumers. Cheaper priced items can be found either on the higher or lower part of the display cabinets.
6. Although going to purchase groceries can be a good bonding activity for the family, teach your kids not to pick up unnecessary goodies that can make you exceed your budget. Instead of buying chips and candies, buy them fruits which are healthier and more nutritious.
7. Save all your leftover change in coin banks. You’ll be surprised how much money you’ve collected once you completely fill them up!
   
   

Staying within your grocery budget can be tough, especially when you’re just starting, but as the weeks go by and you get the hang of it, you’ll soon realize how much you can save. The money you've saved can even be used to buy something special to reward yourself for a job well done.

This past Thursday January 26th, Ken, Laura, Samantha and myself attended the SAAGNY winter showcase 2012.  The plethora of trade show items were amazing.  Any promotional product you could think of was there.  Any item you may want imprinted they had on display.  It really makes you think about how many of these items you come in contact with every single day.  We all had a great time walking the show and are looking forward to selling many of these item to our customers!