Actress Lindsay Lohan’s father, Michael Lohan, says that he wishes to patch things up with his estranged daughter. Mr. Lohan, a born-again Christian, says that he is seeking “reconcilitation and redemption…” and for his family to “get right with God.” I guess he blames himself for his daughter’s misdeeds.

We wish Michael the best of luck and have some ideas to help him break the ice with his daughter.

A brief case would come in handy to organize all of her legal and rehab documents.

A gift basket or food gift might encourage the pencil-thin starlet to gain a few pounds.

A health and beauty gift basket will help Lindsay relax and get back to her routine after her most recent stint in rehab.

A ceramic coffee mug might turn her drinking habit to a new, better for her beverage.

We hope that Michael and Lindsay are able to set their differences aside and develop a better relationship. Hopefully, he’ll consider a few of these gift ideas to help ease into the relationship.

Oh, the cubicle–a staple element of corporate America. For many, it may be difficult to “think outside the box” when you’re stuck in one. That wasn’t the case for cartoon man Scott Adams, creator of the well-known Dilbert comic character. Flooded with e-mails from discontented cubicle denizens, Adams saw the ‘ultimate’ product opportunity. He teamed up with IDEO, a design firm headquartered in San Francisco to create Dilbert’s Ultimate Cubicle.

‘Ultimate’ just might be an understatement. The fundamental elements of the Ultimate Cubicle are these square pieces called modules. The design and functionality of these modules can be customized by the cubicle dweller. The personalization goes beyond choosing a favorite color. Modules snap right into the walls or floor and the various features seem limit-less. A live fish tank module can be installed into the cubicle, and if you need an extra seat for a guest, pull out a chair–right from the wall. If you’re known for having a cluttered desk, floor storage modules that allow you to store stuff, stuff and more stuff pull open from the ground and push right back down to a smooth walking surface. Maybe it’s food that you’re trying to hide from your co-workers. A pop-up cooler will do just the trick.

No word yet on whether the Ultimate Cubicle will go into production, but it’s a bright idea that’s likely to wow any office worker. Until the opportunity arises to pitch to your employees or ask your boss about adorning the office with Ultimate Cubicles, consider these corporate gifts and desk accessories to fill the void inside your cubicles.

Personalized Digital Photo Frames

Mouse Pads

Technology Pens

Paris Hilton has announced that she wants to clean up her image. We wish her the best of luck and in order to honor this momentous event, we have some ideas to help everyone celebrate.

Toothbrushes and dental floss: in order to clean up her mouth and perhaps rid her of the phrase “That’s hot.”

Health and beauty gift sets: in order for her to clean up her act, she’s going to have to learn to take it easy and find new ways to relax other than bar hopping.

Wine Gifts: in order for her to host a more sophisticated group of friends. She’s going to need a more sophisticated drink than her former friends were into.

Hilton says that in addition to cleaning up her act, she will use her celebrity status for good. She plans to go to Rwanda in order to raise awareness of the struggles in the African country. We have products that will help her while she’s there as well.

First aid kits: in order to treats those scratches she’s bound to get from wearing those short skirts in nature.

Hand Sanitizer: in order to keep her hands clean without running water.

Back packs: in order for her to keep her dog with her at all times, and protect him from the elements.

We wish Miss Hilton all the luck in the world cleaning up her image. We can’t wait to see what she does next. See you on “Access Hollywood” Paris, best wishes!

Travelocity’s “Roaming Gnome” was stolen from its post at Northwestern University. The gnome was sitting at the school’s Transportation Center where it was taken by an unknown “gnomenapper.” No one has contacted school authorities for a ransom and no leads have been found on its possible location. We have some ideas to help the school find the inanimate spokesman.

Northwestern should purchase promotional products to aid in the hunt for the gnome. Perhaps baseball caps that read, “Bring the gnome home.” They could distribute bumper stickers with the campus police’s phone number or tip line. There are many possibilities including bracelets that raise awareness of gnomenapping and stress balls with a transportation theme.

Any of these products would help bring the gnome back to its rightful owners.

Hi there! I own a small business and would like to give my employees a holiday gift to show them how much I appreciate their work. Do you have any unique ideas? Thanks – Bobby

Hello Bobby,

Thanks for the question! It is difficult to think of unique gifts to give all your employees. Luckily, I have some ideas that will help initiate the gift giving thought process.

I want to first ask you what kind of business you own. If it is an internet company, you could give employees a new optical mouse for their computer with a personalized mouse pad. If you own a small restaurant, you could give employees imprinted cookware or glassware to use at home or at work. You do not have to give employees gifts that are themed around your business, but gifts like this are guaranteed to be used.

(more…)

Did anyone hear about the door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman in Iowa who donated a kidney to a potential customer? (Who knew that door-to-door salesmen were still around?) When he solicited the 35-year old man, the salesman learned that he suffered kidney failure because of high blood pressure and was undergoing dialysis. During their conversation, it was discovered that they had the same blood type and the vacuum salesman decided, after a conversation with his father and wife, to donate one of his kidneys to the ailing potential customer. The surgery took place in August and was a complete success.

How’s that for spreading good will to your customers? Probably makes you wonder if it’s possible to spread good will without giving away a major organ…or perhaps you’ve already given away all of your spare parts. Well, rest assured, organ donation is a little played out now anyway isn’t it?

Here are some gifts that can send a positive message about your company or organization that don’t hurt:

First aid kits. Show your clients you care about their well-being by giving them a first aid kit for those just-in-case situations that always come up.

Lip Balm. Who doesn’t hate chapped lips? Your customers can spend the dry season with perfectly moisturized lips and it will be all because of you.

Aromatherapy candles. The perfect accessory for the end of day ritual. Your clients will love that you want them to relax and take it easy.

There are many other products available that will help your company or organization spread a little good will. (Even if you’ve already gotten rid of your spare kidney).

Now this is customer service: The Benjamin Hotel in New York City is so concerned about its level of customer service, they offer a sleep concierge. The service offers a mattress specifically created for the hotel and a menu of different pillows, including one with iPod capabilities.

The woman who has the job says that they have done a lot of research on sleep in order to better serve their customers. They offer services such as a pre-slumber massage and special treats that are believed to make people sleepy.

Some may find this extreme, but we here at Absorbent, Ink. think that it is a step in the right direction and that we could all learn a little something from the Benjamin Hotel staff. Which makes us wonder: what have we done for you lately? What more can we do today?

By the same token, what have you done for your clients and customers? We can help you improve your clients’ levels of satisfaction as well. Provide your clients and customers with a special gift to let them know you care. There is a slew of corporate gifts to choose from. If you need help, just let us know.

The Consumer Electronics Show takes place January 7-10 in Las Vegas. To fill you in on the history of CES here are products and technologies introduced at CES include:

Blu-ray disc and HD-DVDdual format player, 2007
HDTV DVD players, 2005
Microsoft Xbox 2001
Digital Video Recorder (DVR), 1999
HDTV, 1998
DVD, 1996
Virtual Boy, 1995
CD-i, 1991
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), 1985
Commodore 64, 1982
Compact Disc (CD) player, 1981
Camcorder, 1981
Pong home console by Atari, 1975
Laserdisc player, 1974
Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), 1970

What are you looking forward to?