Awwww! I want your logo to be on this teddy bear's shirt!

Sometimes I see items I love so much, I just really want someone to order them.

I was infatuated with these bears as soon as I saw them.  They're so cute and cuddly!

The fur is the ultra soft kind, which makes me just want to sit and pet them all day.

  And look at that little shirt!  Or apron.  Or tie.  Or bandana.  Or lab coat.  Or scrubs.  Or sweatshirt.  Or golf shirt.  Or baseball shirt.

Teddy bears are obviously great for anything to do with kids, but as I can attest to with my love for these guys, adults dig them too.  They're great companions during long car trips.  It's hard to be in a bad mood with a teddy bear on your desk.  Just having them around the office gives a less stressful and much more personable atmosphere.  They even come as golf club head covers.

When I was first handed one, I immediately regressed back to childhood and started playing with it.  I couldn't help myself.

There's more than bears too!  There's puppies, koalas, pigs, cows, horses, monkeys, gophers (oh, gopher golf club covers!), polar bears, penguins, dolphins, otters, seals whales, buffalo, lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

I need everyone to order a bear or stuffed animal because they're just so adorable!

Back to School

Pens, pencils, and notebooks, oh my!  It's time to restock your school (and office!) supplies.  Here's what's new and trendy this fall.

One of our favorite items is an erasable highlighter.  Personally, I use these to highlight numbers in an industry phone book for my own quick reference.  When I get the new phonebook for the quarter, I pass the old one along to one of my colleagues.  If they come across a number they won't use, they can easily erase it with the other end of their own erasable highlighter!

They're also a great affordable giveaway, starting at $0.55 each!

A Sharpie Gel Highlighter came across my desk the other day, and I was really intrigued by it.  There's no ink, so no smudging and no mess.  It won't dry out, and will highlight anything, even glossy paper.  It's hard to describe what the highlighting substance is like, possibly close to a transparent crayon.

I suspect these will be a new standard, especially in households that might share highlighter-age school kids with smaller kids who like markers.  They start at $1.48 each.

While we're talking about annotating and marking, what I like even better than markers are sticky notes.  More than for leaving notes to coworkers, I like to use them to bookmark important pages in books.  They're great for shared or library books, because comments can be made on the sticky notes instead of on the book itself.  I like to have a variety of sizes on hand for different uses.

Prices range from $0.49 to $5.00 for simple booklets of flags, to large desktop caddys, to combos that include flags with rulers, highlighters, or letter openers.

Pencil and paper alone doesn't cut it for school anymore.  We're well into the 21st century now.  For example, I have a pen with a stylus on the end that I keep in my padfolio that also holds my iPad (with adjustable velcro to hold Nook, Kindle, and other tablet devices as well).  Starting at $17.96 for the set.

But the biggest technology needed for school is flash drives.  USB memory comes in a variety of styles now, including on pens, lockable, in fun shapes, and by reliable well known brands.  1GB seems to be the starting point in size now, and prices start at $5.83.

Summer Is Here!

There's no question that summer has arrived.  Here are the perfect products to help your employees and clients:

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Have Fun

Put your full color logo and picture on this PhotoVision Flyer.  This 9-1/8" frisbee has a 3" durable polyurethane disc to keep your colorful logo protected.  It also gives a nice balance to the flyer for some smooth flying.  Great for companies with bright logos or pictures!  Currently on sale at $1.80 for 200 or more flyers.

Sit back and watch the action in a Captain's Chair.  Perfect for golf outings, lemonade stands, tailgating, and any other outdoor events, or where you just need more chairs.  Has a canholder in each armrest and comes with a carrying bag.  Available with a full color imprint.  Currently on sale for $17.88 each for 24 or more chairs.

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Protect from the Sun

Everyone knows how hot the inside of a car can get while sitting out in the sun.  Protect the interior of your car from the sun's rays with a Car Sun Shade.  One piece construction made of reflective fabric.  Dual imprint area!  Folds down to 9".  Currently on sale for $7.50 for 50 or more shades.

Forgot your sunscreen?  Keep a Sun & Aloe Pocket Pack in your bag or car.  Contains an aloe vera gel packet and 2 SPF-15 UVA/UVB water-resistant sunscreen packets.  Four color process imprint in 2 locations.  Currently on sale for $0.91 per pack for at least 500 packs.

Speaking of sunscreen, don't forget to protect your lips too, with SPF-23 Lip Balm in cherry, spearmint, or vanilla.  Contains both UVA/UVB sunscreen protection and aloe.  Imprint is a full color decal.  Currently on sale for $1.04 each for 250 or more tubes.

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Keep Your Belongings

Keys don't float to the top of the water, but it seems like they come out of swim shorts awful easy.  They also tend to leap over the sides of boats.  Give your keys their own floatation devices with a Sure-Float Key Chain.  Has a nice big imprint area.  Currently on sale for $1.00 each for at least 250 key chains.

Speaking of things that tend to get lost during summer, I'm sure to always keep a spare set of sunglasses in the car.  The problem is where to put them?  Now, you can keep your sunglasses handy but out of the way with a Sunglass Visor Clip.  It clips to your visor and secures the bridge or stem of a pair of sunglasses safely inside the soft foam insert.  Currently on sale for $1.79 each for 500.

Selecting fun or useful seasonal products keeps your company in the forefront of your customer's mind.

Stone Paper

When I first heard about stone paper, I imagined writing on hard sheets of limestone with a piece of chalk.

 I got it 1/4 right.  Stone paper is in fact made from limestone, along with calcium carbonate and HDPE plastic.  But, it's as thin and flexible as a sheet of paper, and writing on it, in pen or pencil, is a breeze.  (Admittedly, I haven't tried writing on it in chalk.  It's probably wonderful.)

As you may have guessed, no trees are harmed in the making of stone paper.  In fact, less waste is generated in creating this paper than regular paper.  Replease 1 ton of regular paper with 1 ton of stone paper and you will save:
6 million BTU of energy
20 trees
167 lbs of solid waste
236 lbs of atmospheric emissions
and 7480 gallons of waste water.

Eco-friendly: check.

Wait, if this is made out of stone, will it last forever?  Nope, it is completely biodegradable.

But can it be recycled?  It sure can, just like any other paper.

Stone paper has some other convenient properties too.  Not only is it chemically benign, it's naturally anti-bacterial.  Great for doctor's offices, schools, and anywhere else lots of hands touch the same sheet of paper, especially during flu season.

It's also great for backpacks and purses, because it's tear resistant.

Finally, what I think is the coolest part, it's waterproof.  Yes, waterproof paper.  Sorry kids, you can't use the, "I dropped my homework in a puddle," excuse for this paper.  In fact, I need to borrow a dog, it may even be, "The dog at my homework," resistant.

And at a price point of $3.00 - $3.80 each, a 5" x 7" notepad would be an affordable, eco-friendly gift for your employees or clients.

Tritan - Better Than BPA Free

BPA stands for bisphenol A. BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s.  In particular, BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics often used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles.  Some research has shown that BPA can seep into food or beverages from containers that are made with BPA.  The National Toxicology Program at the Department of Health and Human Services says it has "some concern" about the possible health effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. (source: Mayo Clinic)

BPA remains controversial, and research studies are continuing.  It is now very rare to find a water bottle currently being sold that still contains BPA.  BPA free is now standard in drinkware and other plastic products.

Enter the next stage in plastic: Tritan.  Not only BPA free, Tritan copolyester is chemically benign and is a medical grade polymer.  In addition, it is dishwasher safe, has glass-like transparency, and is shatterproof.

Tritan is just coming onto the drinkware market, so it's not widely available yet.  Here are two items that are made with Tritan plastic:

Olympian 28 oz Tritan Bottle
    Spill-proof lid equipped with soft plastic straw provides an easy drinking experience
    Silicon seal prevents leaks
    Easy carry handle convenient for travel
Prices range from $4.00 - $5.40 each for a one color imprint.

Element 16 oz Tritan Bottle
    Soft silicone mouthpiece offers an enjoyable drinking experience
    Elegant bottle is sleek with slim hour glass shape providing an ergonomic grip
    The easy screw top closes flush with the removable silicone seal that prevents leaks
Prices range from $4.99 - $5.91 each for a one color imprint.

Keep an eye out for more new items made from Tritan plastic when making your drinkware choices.

Natural Insect Repellent

There's no doubt that we had a mild, pleasant, and even warm winter in Indiana this year.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association says that even though we had a mild winter, we don't have to fear a scorching summer, temperatures should only be in the higher end of the normal range.

But as you make your outdoor plans this spring and summer, there is an aftereffect from this mild winter that you do need to consider: bugs.  Due to the forecasted increase in bug populations, state health officials are urging Hoosiers again this year to take steps to protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases, including Eastern Equine encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis and West Nile Virus.

As you plan your picnics, reunions, golf outings, charity walks, and other outdoor events, make sure you are well stocked with insect repellent.  Take this unique opportunity to spread awareness of your brand by having natural, blant-based repellents with your company logo.

Natural Insect Repellent Wipes are a great low cost solution for single use.  Wipes range from $0.47 to $0.94 each.

Natural Insect Repellent Sprays fit easily into a pocket or purse.  You'll get more exposure in a reusable spray; every time your customer uses it, they'll see your logo.  These pocket sprays come in 0.34 fl oz, 0.5 fl oz, and 1 fl oz with a pump action sprayer.  Prices range from $1.85 to $2.56 each, and four color process imprints are available.

Insect repellent is a practical promotional item, and something your client will be using anyway.  Keep your company at the forefront of their minds, even while they're away from the office.