Looking Forward to Memorial Day and the Kick Off of Summer

May 14th, 2012

We all spent the weekend catering to every need of the women we love the most, but Mother’s Day has passed and now we look forward to the next holiday down the list (by the way, Happy Belated Mother’s Day to the best mommy in the world!)

While we all cherish the day dedicated to the people that brought us into the world, the next major holiday for the year excites me a little more, Memorial Day!  I say this for a few reasons

  • A three day weekend, and oh how I crave that extra day off to get a few extra things done around the house
  • Memorial Day Weekend has always been about catching up with friends and family, sipping on a few cocktails and hanging out on the lake
  • It’s the official kick off of SUMMER!

After a mild winter, spring in February and nothing but clouds and rain since, Memorial Day will be a welcome surprise to us all (and hopefully the weather will follow suit).  The anticipation of putting away our winter clothing for a few months, busting out our golf polos, shorts and sandals and having some fun in the sun makes us want to scream.

The first thing on the agenda will be to greatly improve my golf game.  After sneaking out a couple times already this spring, the only thing I will say is I NEED WORK!  Golf outings and events are a great to get people to show up for corporate events.  Along with some golf, expand your brand with custom printed golf balls, towels and gloves.

My newest endeavor for the summer will be sand volleyball.  I’ve never played in a competitively before and I think I went a little over my head when agreeing to join two teams.  While I may seem like I may know what I’m doing by my appearance and saying a couple flattering things about myself on the court, I probably look like a chicken with my head cut off out there.

My goal for the season is to at least look the part.  A promotional hat or visor, t-shirt or tank top and a cool pair of sunglasses should intimidate the opponent until my first opportunity to actually try and hit the ball.

There are other activities to look forward to if you aren’t into sports though.  Camping as always been big before where I am from.  Taking the weekend to get back in touch with nature, pull out the folding chairs and sit next to the first.  Help out the outdoorsman in your life with imprinted coolers and personal fans (because there is no A/C in the wilderness).

Last but not least, summer has always been a time to travel.  You’ve saved your vacation days, the kids are out of school and the weather is nice enough you don’t mind getting out from under the covers in the morning.  Custom baggage tags and luggage wraps protect you from losing your valuables when trying to see a million things in only a few days.

For more awesome tips for the summer check out our Top 10 Promotional Items for Summer/Outdoors

 

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The Perfect Gifts for National Nurse Week

April 25th, 2012

National Nurses Week is right around the corner and it’s time to start planning that special gift for the wonderful and talented men and women who participate in the nursing field.  National Nurses Week is celebrated starting on Wednesday May 6, along known as National Nurses Day, and runs through May 12 on Florence Nightingale’s birthday, the founder of modern nursing.

These professionals aren’t just in hospitals and doctor’s offices, but in our schools, homeless shelters and armed forces.  Whether they are your typical staff nurse or an educator, practitioner or researcher, nurses all have a caring heart and passion for the field they are in.  During this special week it is our responsibility to give your appreciation to those who take care of those who are closest to us.

Check out some of Blue Soda Promo’s top promotional gift ideas for the ones we put our trust in.

Coffee Mugs – Nurses may seem like superheroes with all the long hours and responsibility we put on them, but they are people too.  As much as we crave our coffee in the morning, nurses do the same – and I’m guessing a cup or two more if they are pulling a double, overtime, or working the night shift.

Tote Bags – These eco-friendly bags are the perfect gift.  Nurses always have a handful of items that they need to bring into the office and these light weight bags can conveniently fit everything they need in a fashionable way.  Plus with the large imprint area, they can show off which people really care about her!

Pens and Highlighters – We all need them.  In a nurses case, they depend on them.  Updating charts, taking notes, signature here, signature there, pens and highlighters don’t leave their side until the end of their shift.

Suggestion -  Syringe Highlighter, Syringe Pen

Stress Balls – We all complain about our job every once in a while, however at the end of the day most of us are dealing in manual labor, sitting behind a computer desk, or crunching numbers.  Nurses, on the other hand, deal with people every day.  People, that are typically in a fragile state and can be vulnerable.  They connect with them and make them feel comfortable which can be very stressful.  Help them get that release with custom stress balls.

Suggestion – Nurse Stress Reliever, Doctor’s Bag Stress Reliever

Memo Holders – With all the running around nurses do on a day to day basis, something is bound to slip their mind.  We typically think we are the most important person there and request the world from them.  Make their job a little easier and help them out with promotional memo holders.

Scrub Cap – My mom used to work in a doctor’s office and one way the girls in the office used to try and stand out were the fun, colorful scrubs they used to find.  Have a nurse(s) in your life that works in surgery or a place they need to have their hair up.  Give them some individuality with a custom printed scrub cap.

That’s all for now, but must sure to check out our full selection of Nurses Week products!

 

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Top Promotional Products for the Spring

April 10th, 2012

Spring is finally upon us!  Even though March 21 was the first official day, it seemed like the Groundhog lead us astray this year.  The oddly warm end of February early-March gave us a sneak preview of how much fun the Summer can be.  Over the last week, things have gone back to normal a little bit, sunshine with colder temperatures, but we are finally able to do things outdoors again like cut the lawn, ride a bike or throw a barbeque.  Now with that being said here are some of the top promotional products for Spring.

Umbrellas – Like the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers” so a custom umbrella will come in handy.  They are also great to throw in your golf bag, the trunk of your car or by the front door in case you are in a hurry.

Golf Items – I’ve already been on the course a couple times this year (an absolutely record for earliest time of the year I’ve teed it up), but I realized I needed golf balls, tees, glove and towel after the long winter.

Cowbells and Noisemakers – America’s pastime starting its new season is one of the main reasons April is such a fun time.  Beer, brats and a good baseball game is all you need to enjoy a Spring afternoon.  Custom cowbells and noisemakers add a little more when heckling your most hated rival.

Koozies – Nothing goes better with a cold brew than the custom koozie it sits in.  If you have a koozie in your hand you know you are outdoors enjoying the weather, relaxing and having a good time.

Polo Shirts – Finally, our arms can breathe again.  Even though they may be pasty white, give it some time in short sleeve custom printed polo shirts and get yourself some color.  Also another great item for the golf lovers in your office.

Sunglasses – Hopefully we are in for some great sunshine for a while now and don’t get caught squinting when our custom sunglasses sell for as low as $0.85 each!

Frisbees – Custom frisbees are the perfect outdoor activity at the park, tailgating or in the backyard.  A light breeze and comfortable weather makes tossing the frisbee one of my favorite things to do in the Spring.

While the list could go on and on, I need to get back to work.  Remember if you cant find something on our website please give us a call at 888-206-3047 as we have access to over 800,000 products that can be imprinted with your company logo on it!

 

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The Best Promotional Products for Tradeshows

March 26th, 2012

Tradeshows are a perfect way for companies to make quick, easy connections with others in their industry, new customers and long lasting relationships.  Question is, “how do we get them to come to us?”  Being stuck in booths for the majority of the time, companies need a way to entice people in to making the journey over to their exhibit.  This is why promotional products make sure a good tradeshow giveaway.  It’s that little extra something that draws them into a booth for a conversation.  And for companies, promotional products are that ever-lasting reminder that will keep them thinking about you.

tradeshow

The best promotional products are ones that last.  Something with small parts or made from cheap plastic are more prone to break.  They stay visible.  People who hand out items that sit on a desk or gets constant use have more of a likelihood of being remembered.  BSP also suggests that promotional items should stay relevant.  A custom pedometer may seem like a good idea, enforcing a healthy living, but when it’s imprinted with a law firm logo, what’s the point? And the more creative, the more impact.

With that being said, here are some of the top promotional products for tradeshows

1. Stress Balls – These squeezable stress relievers help relax people in the office.  They can be fun toys for kids and come in an absolutely enormous variety of shapes and sizes.  There is literally a custom stress ball or any type of company or occasion so you can’t go wrong.

2. Coffee Mugs – Custom coffee mugs are a great tradeshow giveaway because Monday-Friday mornings, coffee drinkers, caffeine addicts and socializers all have the opportunity to take a look at your imprinted company logo while at the coffee pot filling up on their daily fix.

3. Polo Shirts – This item gets people into the booth no matter what you’re selling.  Who doesn’t need a nice extra shirt for playing golf in or just another day at the office?  They are appropriate for any day of the week and still a fashionable choice.

4. Pens – Promotional pens have always been one of the biggest sellers in the industry.  Why? Because we still all have a need for them.  Even though we now live in a technology world, the pen is still a necessity.  Whether it’s writing checks, jotting down notes or twirling on your finger during a phone call, promotional pens will always around.  And the nicer the pen, the more use it gets and more use equals more exposure.

5. Tote Bags – Tote bags are maybe the best promotional item for tradeshows.  They are cost efficient, have a big imprint area and are always visible.  Tote bags are one of the most useful products at a tradeshow as well.  They hold all goodies you get there!  So while other promotional products may get stashed away, a custom printed tote bags stays with a person the entire day.

 

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Promotional Products You May See When Mad Men Returns

March 19th, 2012

After being on the shelf for 17 months, the four time Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series returns on March 25 with a two hour season premiere. The creative geniuses at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce will be back to the way of lust, alcohol, smoking and mystery, but we here at Blue Soda Promo would like to explore some of the promotional products you may see in the upcoming season.

1. Pens

Promotional pens have always played a role in some way or another throughout the history of Mad Men. Whether it’s an executive like Roger Sterling signing a new deal, Don Draper writing a child support check, Sal Romano drawing up a new sketch or just around Joan Harris’s neck, the pen has always played a big part in the show.

2. Coasters

It always amazes me how in 90 percent of each episode you can find someone either smoking or drinking. No matter if it’s 7 in the morning or 10 o’clock at night at least one character is doing one or the other, most of the time it’s both. With that being said, no one wants to see rings on their expensive wood furniture so expect a coaster or two from time to time.

3. Coffee Mugs

Custom coffee mugs will be present as usual during the fifth season. The ad men will need something to wake them up after long nights of chasing women and a cure for last night’s hangover. I wish I had it as easy as some of those guys when it comes to getting up in the morning. No matter what the excuse, their time of arrival doesn’t seem to bother anyone.

4. Umbrellas

There is bound to be some rain in the next season. I mean how dramatic would it be if Don Draper moped around in the sunny skies after being kicked out of some estranged woman’s apartment for the umpteenth time. But the men can be gentlemen as well, offering some protection to their dates even if it’s only to get a little closer to them.

5. Awards and Recognition

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce may have their problems personally; however they have always been a top notch advertising agency. Their offices are full of awards and recognitions and bound to win some more! Don’t forget all the Emmy’s as well!

Wherever the writers decide to take the story in season five I’m sure we are in for a treat. And with all the recognizable promotional products in the show, way not stop by Blue Soda Promo and see if anything would fit your office needs.

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BSP’s Unbeatable, Never Fail Predictions for the NCAA March Madness Basketball Tourney

March 12th, 2012

It’s that time of the year again. The temperature is rising, flowers are beginning to bloom and the sound of birds chirping is starting again, but starting on Thursday nothing that’s going on in the outside world will matter as everyone will be glued to their couch for 12 hours a day watching the first round (or technically the second now) of the NCAA March Madness College Basketball Tournament. The next few days people will be filling out their brackets in some form or another. Whether is researching stats instead of doing payroll, eavesdropping on the person who won the pool last year, picking teams based on their mascot or solely on how cute the boys on the team are everyone has a strategy.

This year we have developed out our own winning strategy, combination that has never been beat only to share our predictions with you so you can baste in the glory of victory for the next year. Granted we aren’t going to share everything that goes into it as we want you to continue coming back year after year for this guarantee, but I will tell you this is 100 percent not computer generated, scientific, or a combination of brilliant basketball minds…just a little bit of guts, glory and an excuse for me to look at the bracket at work so here are my predictions.

Sweet 16
South
(1) Kentucky over (4) Indiana
(3) Baylor over (7) Notre Dame
East
(1) Syracuse over (5) Vanderbilt
(3) Florida State over (2) Ohio State
West
(4) Louisville over (1) Michigan State
(2) Missouri over (3) Marquette
Midwest
(4) Michigan over (1) UNC
(2) Kansas over (14) Belmont
Elite 8
South
(1) Kentucky over (3) Baylor
East
(3) Florida State over (1) Syracuse
West
(2) Missouri over (4) Louisville
Midwest
(2) Kansas over (4) Michigan
Final Four
(1) Kentucky over (3) Florida State
(2) Missouri over (2) Kansas

National Championship
(2) Missouri over (1) Kentucky

There you have it. We will give everyone else in your office a little bit of a chance by letting you choose how the sweet 16 teams get there, but even then I don’t think they will stand much of a chance. Make sure to check out our special March Madness section and get your cowbells and noisemakers out for an exciting week of basketball!

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The DVR is Full After a Busy Weekend – Celebrities, All Stars, Zombies and More

February 27th, 2012

Sunday nights have turned into the greatest night to watch television.  HBO and Showtime have targeted Sundays to air their own orginal programming with shows like Californication, Shameless, Eastbound and Down, Luck and Game of Thrones.  AMC has jumped on the bandwagon as well with The Walking Dead.  However, on top of that Hollywood and the NBA had most of their biggest events on as well with The Academy Awards and the NBA All Star Game.

So instead of losing my mind flipping back and forth between shows or the ability to freeze time to watch each of them in their entirety I filled the DVR with material for the rest of the week.  Here are the shows Im looking forward to watching this week.

  1. The Academy Awards – I feel like I can knock this one out pretty fast.  I don’t care about what everyone is wearing, or really about who they are going to thank, so I will be able to turn the 3 hour event into about 30 minutes.  I just want to see who won so I can make sure to catch the ones I missed when they come out on DVD.  The Oscars always helps me fill my Netflix queue.
  2. The NBA All Star Game – After being pretty disappointed during the Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contests Saturday night I have my doubts this will be a good game.  It is an All Star game…so I will just fast forward to the fourth quarter when the best players are on the floor and teams start trying and hope they make a game of it.
  3. The Walking Dead – I will have to dedicated the full hour for my favorite zombie show.  Lights out and flashlight in hand because the new house I live in is a little creepy when the wind starts blowing and the weird noises coming from the lake.
  4. Showtime – I can never get enough of the incredibly cocky, quick witted, always getting into trouble Hank Moody on Californication.  If every novelist had such an entertaining life I think we would see more English degrees coming out of school.  After that I will get to my favorite dysfunctional family from South Side Chicago in Shameless.  I can’t imagine the amount of wine and bottle openers are used in those two shows
  5. HBO – Usually the best of all the original programming in my opinion, and I always save the best for last.  The second season of Game of Thrones is on the way back and it easier to watch an hour long show once a week to the 1000 page book.  I also like the combination of drama, gambling and Dustin Hoffman in Luck.  But nothing beats the offbeat, overweight, never censored mouth of Kenny Powers in Eastbound and Down for 30 minutes of straight laughter.

This post was brought to you by Blue Soda Promo’s custom hats.  Always imprinted with your company’s logo and sold at ridiculously low prices.  ENJOY!

 

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Jeremy Lin

February 21st, 2012

With the recent outburst of media attention surrounding the New York Knicks new point guard, Jeremy Lin, Blue Soda Promo thought it would be a good idea to hop on the bandwagon and take our shots at his game and throw in some promotional products along the way :)

The Good

Jeremy Lin has been an underdog his whole basketball career.  Even though he lead his high school team to a state title along with excellent grades, he wasn’t recruited by his dream school, so he accepted a scholarship to Harvard (not a bad second choice!).  He never made it to the big dance in college, however his performance landed him on the Golden State Warriors.  He was cut by two teams before landing with the Knicks as the third string point guard.  With the team struggling, star players Amare Stoudimire and Carmelo Anthony out, and coach Mike D’Antoni fighting to keep his job, Lin was inserted to the starting lineup against the New Jersey Nets.  In 36 minutes, Lin put up 25 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in a 99-92 win.

Lin has been starting ever since.  In the last 10 games the Knicks are 8-2 while Lin has been averaging 24.6 ppg and 9.2 apg.  Lin has become an overnight sensation.  He has become the NBA’s equivalent to Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, with 24 hour news coverage and debate surrounding Lin and the Knicks.  He has the number one selling jersey in the league and even the New York Stock Exchange has been on the rise since he emerged on the scene.

Even if he falls back down to Earth or never heard from again after this season, someone should give Jeremy Lin a custom award and recognition for how well he has handled all the fame and media attention over the past few weeks.

Better yet, Lin as become so cool, so fast Im sure he can pull off the sunglasses at night look.

The Bad

I have been one of the biggest critics of Lin since “Linsanity” exploded.  One, because I see flaws in his game and two, because I hate to see anyone get more attention than the MVP and best point guard in the league, my man, Derrick Rose.  The one glaring weakness to Lin’s game has been the turnovers.  In the past 10 games, Lin is averaging 6 turnovers a game with games of 6,7,8 and even 9 turnovers in a single night!  Yes, the point guard is demanded to handle the ball a lot in D’Antoni’s offense, but the decision making must improve for Lin to remain relevant in the league.  The game has become very guard friendly and people have deemed it the “golden era of point guards” with the likes of Rajon, Rondo, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Rose leading the charge.  If Lin wants to be in that conversation, he has a way to go.

The best thing I can think for him to do is study and we all know how well he must do that after graduating from Harvard.  Grab all the binders, journals, notebooks and planners, get organized and study the ins and outs of the offense.  Get in the film room and see how defenses are reacting and must adjustments.

The Ugly

The ugly has nothing to do with Jeremy Lin the person or player.  In my eyes the ugly comes from the media.  Like Tebow, I cant stand the constant news, analysis and debate over Lin.  Is he good or just a fad?  Does race play a picture in all of this? Where does he rank on some list or another.  Lin, Lin, Lin, Lin, Lin, Lin.  Its out of control.  There are 29 other teams in the NBA, 10 of which are probably worth talking about and probably 20 players currently better than him.  I would just like to see better overall coverage of the league and stop focusing a Lin’s great story.  I didn’t mind it the first week.  The second week he probably still deserved it, but we have come to a point where if he is this good shouldn’t we just be accustomed to it every night like Rose and LeBron James?

I am usually looking for a stress ball after a full hour of rotation when I see 5 or 6 stories on Lin and the Knicks and the Bulls get a 15 second highlight.  My message to the media that covers the game would be actually pick up your pens and take notes, there are some other good stories out there, you just have to look for them.

 

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To the Sweetest Customers Around…Happy Valentine’s Day

February 14th, 2012

Today is Tuesday February 14, Valentine’s Day.  Cupid is flying above us , everyone is wearing red, eating chocolate and love is in the air.  While I could take time to tell you about how awesome each and every single one of our promotional products are, instead I’m going to list some of the reasons why Valentine’s Day is a great holiday.

While sometimes there can be a debate that Valentine’s Day stinks, it’s a Hallmark holiday or just another day, there are plenty of good reasons why today is special.

  1. The Food – Even though Valentine’s Day doesn’t rank up there with Thanksgiving or Christmas, today is another day or great eats.  Either someone at home is concocting something delicious in the kitchen,  made reservations at a five star restaurant or simply having dessert over wine before bed, people are definitely treating their taste buds today.  And don’t think I’m excluding anyone from this conversation, even at work people tend to fill the community tables with sweets, treats and other desserts.  P.S. This is my personal thank you to everyone who filled our tables this morning.  Everything was amazing
  2. Cards/Presents – Yes today is another day we get to look forward to opening custom cards and presents from people that know us best.  You may be receiving a card from grandma and grandpa with a little extra something in it (for me its been $5 for like 15 years straight), chocolates and candies, a teddy bear, or if you were really nice or someone truly loves you maybe something more.
  3. An easier day, pleasant attitude and smiles – We may not get today off some work, however things around the office always seem to be a little brighter on a day like today.  Smiles on everyone’s faces, people always seem to be in a better mood and if your lucky you might hear, “this can wait till tomorrow, go home and enjoy your night.”

You can also say that Valentine’s Day is a great holiday if you love the color red, work for commission at Victoria’s Secret or because it’s the first real reason to cheat on the diet you committed to on New Year’s.  Whatever the reason, Happy Valentine’s Day from everyone at Blue Soda Promo.

 

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What Promotional Products Would You Need to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

February 10th, 2012

This Sunday, one of AMC’s hit television shows, The Walking Dead returns with the final six episodes of the second season.  If you haven’t seen the show, it’s a definite must-watch.  I wont give away spoilers, but the basic concept of the show is zombies, zombies, zombies.  It’s a combination of all the great movies of its genre like, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later and  Zombieland all rolled up into a great hour of television every week.  I mean who doesn’t want to see the undead get their heads blown off multiple times to end your weekend.

Which got me thinking about what I would need if the zombie apocalypse actually happened.  Lets say one day I went into a deep coma for an entire year (the reason can stay a mystery).  In that period of time a virus has spread throughout the country.  Slowly, the infected become sick and weary, they develop high fevers and seem to pass away.  Until they wake up enraged with red eyes and hunger for blood!

Now, I wake up droggy and disoriented in the Blue Soda Promo offices, the place has been ransacked and destroyed, luckily our warehouse is still full of promotional products, what would I need to survive?

The first and most important item would have to be a flashlight.  In this new dreaded world, electricity Im sure will be scarce and I will be wondering through some pretty dark places.  I have seen way too many horror movies to know that you never know what’s around the next corner.  I would need to shed light on every nook and cranny to ensure my safety.

Another little known fact about surviving the zombie acopalypse is you will need plenty of clean water.  I would probably be traveling, looking for others, or a safehouse, I would have no idea if the virus has gotten into the water stream and I will need some way of carrying it.  That is why I would probably grab a couple of thermoses.  They come in big sizes, a closed cap, and don’t leak so I wont have to worry about them spilling and ruining the rest of my materials.

I would look to pack a blanket, an extra pair of clothes (especially a warm hat, jacket and Polo Shirt because who knows I might meet someone on my journey and I’d like to look nice), and anything with a sharp tip, some of our awards and rocognizitions may make for a good weapon.  I would steal a drawstring, pack my things and see how long I could survive.

Luckily I wont have to make any of those decisions and will be sitting comfortably on my couch Sunday to see if Rick, Shane, Glenn, Dale and the rest of the gang all survive through another week.

 

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