People suffering from Bieber fever all over the world are quite jealous of one little girl this morning.  Six-year-old Avalanna Routh, who's battling a rare form of cancer, scored a date with the highly sought after pop star just before what's arguably the most romantic day of the year:  Valentine's Day.

According to MSNBC, the young Boston girl was flown to New York City [Monday] to spend the day with Bieber "after an online campaign and a report by NBC Boston affiliate WHDH caught the eye of the pop star."

Their interaction was one of mutual admiration; MSNBC reports that the two signed autographs for one another, messed around with Bieber's hair, and played promo games. Afterward, Bieber felt compelled to Tweet:  "That was one of the best things I have ever done," he wrote. "She was AWESOME. Feeling really inspired right now."

Routh, who continues to fight an aggressive yet rare form of cancer called ATRT, claims she's loved the teen heartthrob since before she was born.  That's why she's affectionately referred to as "Mrs. Bieber" -- a term which spurred worldwide trending of the hashtag #MrsBieber once news spread about their special rendezvous.

I am a huge sports fan and love football and baseball.  The bleak few months after the Super Bowl are especially boring for me.  I don't watch too many t.v. shows and the cold weather makes it difficult to go to any outdoor establishments. I try to dabble a little in basketball and hockey but  it does not do much for me.  Thankfully, I have recently discovered Words, Scramble and Hanging with Friends.  I put my promotional iPad case on my iPad and I was ready to roll.  I have to admit, at first I wasn't sold, but after a little while I was hooked. Think I can't handle 20 games at once? No big deal!  Give me my promotional water bottle and a comfy chair and I'm all set. Thank goodness for a worthy distraction until my Mets are finally back!

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!

Many people don't realize the power of a stressball. Besides the various characters and shapes it comes in, something so small and simple helps if you are having a rough day. Our staff acutally put together a humorous video to show the how effective a stress ball can be. This is why I always have my handy promotional stress ball on hand for hectic days. My favorite one out of the bunch has to be this promotional laughing stress reliever. It play's a laughing sound which will defenitly brighten up your mood. So next time you are having one of those days, pick up a stress ball and squeeze away.

A few weeks ago the gym I belong to (Ballys) was sold to LA Fitness.  Thankfully due to zoning laws, they had to honor Ballys member pricing!  For customers not as lucky as myself and the other Levittown members, they had tons of promotional products to attract new members.  One of those items I found especially unique was the Dumbell squeezie stress reliver promotional stressball.  This will surely be a great way to attract new customers and have their friends discussing this clever promotional product.

There's no doubt -- trade show season is definitely in full swing! Two weeks ago, suppliers wowed attendees at the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada with a variety of new and exciting items.  This week, East Coasters are getting a look at all the latest and greatest promotional products at the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) Orlando Show. 

Motivators' Director of Strategic Development, Kim Laffer, is at the conference this week, and has been sharing some of her favorite trade show items via Twitter.  Let's take a look at some of those stand-out products! 

Here's an item that screams "unique" -- these tongue tattoos (Tungtoos) are just awesome!  Who could resist playing around with the fun promotional candy?  I know my little sister would love them.

Adorable doesn't even begin to describe this promotional puzzle from Melissa and Doug Toys and Puzzles.  And, according to Kim, they are available for customization with very low minimums!  What a great buy.

The trade show lighting is a bit off in this picture due to the camera's flash, but look closely and you can see this "Brand in a Can" is also a mini promotional clock!  It's a great giveaway for corporate events.

What's your favorite new product?

With a steady rise in e-commerce, there's almost always a sale. Whether it's during the holiday season or shortly after, June or September, there's always an opportunity for savings if you search for it.

Motivators is introducing free shipping for hundreds of Leed's items on the website. Motivators already has low prices and has the occasional promotional code for extra savings but this sale is a great way to pick up any last-minute gifts and is our way of thanking you for a successful year. So whether you want a custom imprinted watch or a promotional mouse pad, Leed's has the finest around.

It's a girl! Sunday, I attended my friend Gulizar's baby shower in New Jersey. She did not want a suprise or anything big. She just wanted just some close friends and family over her house. I decided to go over on Saturday to help her out with last minute things that needed to be done. Little did I know, her house was already full. Her mom and her mother-in-law came over with a bunch of other women cooking. We decided to get out while we can and went to another friends house to frost the cupcakes that I had made for the shower. We also did some final touches on the promotional gifts we put together as favors. Gulizar ordered customized tote bags, pens, notepads from Motivators for the games we would be playing at the shower. Gulizars small, intimate, shower turned out to be so much fun. I cannot wait to meet the little princess in two month. Her due date is February 14th!

$1,001,921,825.

That is how much money 2008's The Dark Knight grossed in worldwide sales. Who knows exactly how much the movie made in DVD sales and rentals. 

The film is #3 on the Top Grossing Films in the United States, just falling short of Avatar and Titanic. I saw the movie in theatres twice and continue to watch the movie regularly. When the movie came out in theatres, promotional products such as custom imprinted playing cards and custom imprinted t-shirts were in high quantities. To this day, stores continue to sell items from the movie.

While news of a conclusion to the series has been known, no footage had been shown until this week. A trailer for the conclusion, Dark Knight Rises, was released earlier this week is leaving people spellbound (the linked video has 1,119,935 views as of December 20) but continues to leave more questions than answers. The trailer features nemesis Bane, a taste of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Joseph Gordan-Levitt as a young cop who helps out Batman.

What kind of promotional products will we see for Dark Knight Rises?

Over the weekend the 3 little girls next door visited me, like they do every weekend.  They are all very hyper and act like little monsters.  And like they do every weekend they ran around,, ate all the candy and made a mess of the holiday decorations.  Midway through their routine I whipped out some coloring books that I got them for Christmas.  I was amazed by what happened next.  Not only did they sit down and start coloring, but they did it quietly for a good hour.  I think that coloring books make great promotional items.  All the parents will appreciate them.  Promotional Coloring Books are not just for Doctors Offices, but they are good for dentists, restaurant owners, children's clothing stores or anyone who interacts with children.