At last week's ASI trade show, we all came back overwhelmed with new product knowledge, contacts, and promotional freebies. I do admit the best part about going to trade shows is the great new products we see and get. I came back with a personalized tote bag filled to the top with lip balm, promotional hand sanitizers, stress balls, promotional pens, promotional candy and so much more. Like most people, I am a weekling when it comes to the promotional food products they put out at the booths. Especially after walking around the show for hours, and once I get hungry, any booth that has food and candy, will get my attention! At last weeks show, after eating everything in sight, I have to rank this Chocolatier booth as my top choice. They had the best dark chocolate truffles I have ever had. After having a taste of their promotional chocolates, I felt like I was in Chocolate Heaven. Now, not only will this booth be embedded in my mind forever, they will surely by getting my business! 

Or should I say "happy promotional products day"?  Cinco de Mayo is a day of Mexican heritage, pride and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American civil war.  ORRRR better known as the day where we eat lots of Mexican food and drink sangria, tequila and coronas.  Everywhere you go on Cinco de Mayo there are promotional products.  From beer companies to restaurants (including my favorite place, MOES, see below) even local radio stations get in on the action.  There are hats and beads and cups and any other promotional item you can think of being passed out on this extremely fun day.  Plus this year, it's on a Saturday!!  Have fun, be safe and enjoy all the swag!!

This is an interesting time for sports fans. It's the calm before the storm, if you will. Baseball season is a few short weeks away, NFL hot stove is running rampant (please no Tebow references), the NBA season is in full swing, and although "no one cares about hockey Boomer", the regular season for hockey is wrapping up in another week or so. With the 4 major sports getting ready for some turning point in their seasons, college basketball is at its most exciting time! March College Basketball! It's the time when college basketball diehards and casual fans alike fill out their brackets, spend weekends at the local pubs receiving many logo March basketball products. Every college gives out tons of promotional products to help their students and fans cheer on their hopefuls for winning it all! So whoever you root for, wear your gear proud and good luck!

I've been experiencing a lot of back pain lately. Some people say it's a sign of getting old, others say it's a result of my daily activities. Either way, it’s not a wonderful feeling doing your chores with a painful back.

Upon doing some research, I found that it may be true that back pains are associated with the things we do every day, like working nine hours a day at your desk. Did you know that sitting puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing? It puts so much pressure on your back that it begins to hurt. Sitting at a 135-degree angle can reduce compression on the discs in the spine, so lean back slightly every now and then. You can put a pillow on your chair positioned right on your lower back. This will give you a good angle to support your lower back when you lean backwards.

And since most of your time is spent in front of your desk, you tend to be physically less active. Try to allot at least 30 minutes in a day to exercise. Bring out your running shoes, promotional towel and water bottle. A good 30-minute walk and some stretching every day will help ease the tension on your bones.

For women, back pains are usually associated with carrying a heavy shoulder bag. To combat the pain, pack only the things that you need every day into your bag. For example, you can remove coins and loose change as it adds up quickly. Some bags are heavy even when empty, and that’s because of the styles and designs – beads, studs, and metals that manufacturers puts in to make it more stylish. Motivators has a lot of totes and non-woven bags that weigh less and are easier to carry. These also come with different colors and designs so you can still feel stylish.

Did you know that stress is also related to back pain? When you’re stressed, your whole body clenches up, including the muscles in your neck and back. If this happens very often, it will lead to pain. When at work, grab a stress reliever. This will help you relax your mind and your body and hopefully ease pain.

Drinking plenty of water also helps in minimizing and preventing back pains. Back muscles frequently spasm when denied proper amount of fluid. Always bring with you your water bottle. You can never get too much water in your system. If the pain is no longer tolerable, you might want to give your chiropractor a visit; he or she can help you with more advance ways to relieve pain and discomfort.  Who knows?  You might even get a free spine keychain purchased from Motivators!

I, for one am not a big fan of football and this weekend coming up is just a regular weekend as far as I'm concerned. I certainly am aware of all the festivities and parties coming up and ofcourse I will not decline an invite to celebrate anything with my friends (yes, even if it is football). And even though my freinds are just having a small gathering, alot of people like to go all out for these superbowl games with promotional items such as logo beer glasses, football squeezies, and custom can coolers. Can't wait to see the new commercials!

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!

If you're like me, you're more interested in watching the Super Bowl's over-the-top ads than any of the game.  And that's fine -- after all, companies that choose to advertise during the huge event spend $3.5 million for a measly 30-second spot.  

This year, there's a lot of buzz surrounding one Super Bowl commercial in particular.  The catch?  Nobody knows what the ad is selling yet.

But let's talk about what we do know:  The commercial stars Matthew Broderick (who appears to be very anxious -- someone get him a promotional stress ball!), alludes to the hit 1986 film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and will air in full on February 5, 2012, also known as Super Bowl Sunday.

Intrigued? Check out a 10-second teaser for the advertisement below:

What do you think the ad is selling? Leave a comment with your ideas!

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.

Every year I think having a Super Bowl party will be fun. Watching an exciting game is intensified by others cheering and screaming at the television along with me, and the more the merrier, right? Not so much. I get that it’s a social experience. You have people over to your home, you provide food, maybe they bring some drinks... some talking is to be expected. But let us not forget the point of this gathering: to watch the Super Bowl!

I don't think my expecations are unrealistic. I'm not asking for dead silence - that's why they invented commercials. Though I pretty much always fast forward or mute commercials, the Super Bowl commercials are actually quite entertaining most of the time. So those are off-limits. Now we're down to in between plays. That's not so bad; there are plenty of breaks. Easy enough? Apparently not for some people.

Last year I barely got to watch the game because I had to play hostess to a bunch of Chatty McChattersons. I thought I had made the rules fairly clear. Guess not. Well, not this year. No Super Bowl party for me. I'd rather stay home with just Matt and Brodie on my comfy couch with chips and junk food and no one talking to me while the game is going on. Maybe that's a bit harsh. Maybe I'll miss having people over and surround-sound of cheering. Or maybe I'll actually get to see the game and it'll be the best Super Bowl yet!

My answer: Not to party
How do you plan to say goodbye to football season this year?