Good old summer. It always seems like when summer rolls around so do the summer weddings, pool parties, family picnics, nights on the town and a lot of dining out. I’ve noticed that every fancy shindig or special occasion I’ve gone to lately has had neat custom beverage napkins. They add such a nice personal touch and really provide a cohesiveness to the events I’ve attended.

What I really love about personalized beverage napkins is that they are not only budget friendly, but they also make excellent keepsakes. Have you ever been to a wedding or party that provided custom printed napkins?  Chances are that many people took home those napkins to remember the special day. I happen to have napkins from every wedding I’ve attended. They are safely tucked away into scrapbooks along with pictures of the bride and groom. Such an easy way to make a lasting memory.

If you keep your eyes out you will probably notice just how many different places utilize custom napkins. Next time your go to a bar or restaurant, look under your drink glass and I bet you’ll find a personalized cocktail napkin. You may even find them at the next family picnic or Birthday party you attend. Napkins seem to make the perfect little canvases for designing and showcasing any logo, artwork or slogan. Also, they are available in a rainbow of colors and a variety of styles so they can easily suit any event or match a theme easily.

Kick your next party, special occasion or advertising campaign up a notch and create your own custom printed napkins.

Until next time,

Abby Ink

Over the weekend I went to a friend’s backyard barbecue cook off. The party was a lot of fun, even though it is really starting to heat up around here. Along with the usual delicious spread of barbecue fixings, grilled meats, and cold drinks, my friend had these really neat custom stadium cups for everyone to bring home. What a great idea! Every time I reach into my cabinet and see my “2010 Hotter than Heck BBQ Cook-off” stadium cup, I’ll remember what a fun time I had at the barbecue.

The experience inspired me to look around for my ideal stadium cups and I have to say that Absorbent, Ink. has quite the selection. Stadium cups are available in any size you can imagine, and in a vast rainbow of colors. There are eco-friendly options, such as biodegradable and recyclable stadium cups for those conscious of the environment. They even have unique choices, such as mood stadium cups that change color when filled with cold liquids, as well as full color plastic cups that will wow people with eye-appealing graphics. If you’re looking for a low cost alternative, personalized plastic cups are an excellent way to promote on a budget, and they make clean up a breeze.

Whether you want to add a special touch to your next backyard barbeque, promote an important business event, or simply advertise your company, promotional stadium cups are a great way to spread the word.

Cheers,

Abby Ink

The 40th anniversary of Earth Day is coming up, on April 22nd to be exact. So now is the perfect time to start raising awareness! Earth Day giveaways and eco-friendly gifts are a great way to remind customers and friends to go green while raising awareness for your brand. Check out these unique green gift ideas to make your Earth Day events a sure success!

If you love plantable promotions, think about personalized seed packets. They make fun gifts that bloom. Custom seed favors are available with a variety of seeds, from wildflowers and organic vegetables to gourmet herbs. They are a great way to get people interested in gardening and an eco-friendly way to promote green thumbs. Who wouldn’t love receiving a gift they can grow into their very own plants? Everyone could use a little more green in their lives! Seed packets also provide a fun activity for kids and help them get interested in the environment.

Other great Earth Day gifts include reusable shopping bags that help cut down on the waste of paper and plastic bags. Add a green message and your logo to these environmentally friendly bags. People will really love their reusability and usefulness. Absorbent, Ink. carries a great selection, including; recycled bags, reusable non-woven totes, organic bamboo bags and 100% recyclable shoppers.

Eco-Friendly Sports Bottles are another excellent eco-friendly choice. They are convenient to use and effective for eliminating the litter caused by plastic one-use bottles. Reusable bottles offer a great alternative that is not only better for the environment, but they’re stylish too! Choose from; BPA free bottles, biodegradable bottles, recycled bottles and more.

As you can see, being more ecologically aware doesn’t have to be difficult. Try using greener alternatives when you can, recycle when possible, and spread the word. Do your part to save the planet and go green today!

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for winter to move over to make room for spring! Don’t get me wrong, winter is really nice and all, but it tends to stick around a little too long sometimes. After awhile, the lack of greenery and the task of bundling up to go outside makes me dream of warm weather and lush green landscapes.

Another thing that makes it even harder to wait for spring is Absorbent, Ink.’s new selection of Eco-Friendly Products. Absorbent, Ink has all lots of new seed infused products and seed packets that are really unique. What better way to leave a lasting impression than by printing your logo onto a promotional product you can grow? Custom seeded products can help sow the seeds of friendship while making your business bloom!

Check out the selection of Seed Packets which are just perfect for any occasion. They are available in a variety of seed types, ranging from flowers and herbs, to organic vegetables. They are super for spreading a green message and may come in handy at garden parties, outdoor events, eco-friendly promotions, fundraisers and food co-ops.

Is the thought of utilizing plantable promotions growing on you yet? If not, consider looking for something a little different. Are you looking for more variety? Fortunately, we have some excellent ideas for turning over a new leaf. Absorbent, Ink. offers a great selection of Seed Infused Items that are just waiting to be customized by you. We have seed bookmarks, seeded gift cards, growable coasters and even seed paper calendars. Seeded items are perfect for libraries and bookstores, schools, business giveaways, green campaigns and so much more.

It is time to dust off the garden tools.

Think Green!

Abby Ink

Can I just say that I love love love football season?! I’m a bit of a fanatic. Honestly, it’s kind of sad. But I just love the atmosphere. The slightly chilly weather, the cheer of the crowd – and of course, the tailgating festivities. How could you not love all that?

We all get a little college football crazy around the Absorbent, Ink. offices. We’re mostly Kansas Jayhawks fans, but there is at least one K-State Wildcat and one Nebraska Husker on staff who are fanatics for their own teams. The rivalries can be pretty intense – but we still love them, anyway!

I started this post because I just watched the promo video for my team’s 2009 season and I must say, it got me pumped. Not only because I think it’s gonna be a great year (Champs ’09! Woot!) but also because it’s another season to show off my great Absorbent, Ink. items for tailgating and spirit wear.

Before any game, we will probably be eating, drinking and lounging at the tailgate with friends. If you’ve got a great group of friends or clients, you can personalize products to commemorate the season. It’s essential to have a lounge chair, a cooler, and depending on who’s grilling, an apron complete with grill utensils. A larger group of family, friends and clients could show their spirit in loud style with inflatable noise makers. Also, lanyards will show our spirit while making sure no one loses their keys in the stands. How sweet!

Now that I have all my Absorbent, Ink. spirit gear and tailgating props, I’m fully ready to cheer the ‘Hawks on! All these items can be printed to have any logo on them, so the options are limitless. With all this spirit, I hope your team will win a few games too!

Rock chalk!

Abby Ink

Woof! Woof! Hi, let me introduce myself. My name is Galahad and I am Abby’s Labrador. I have hijacked her computer because I am seriously tired of her talking only about human products. What about us animals? We like free stuff too. In fact, giving us free stuff will get you more customers than if you give the humans free stuff, just because they love us so much. Let me share a secret with you, the only way to have a satisfying and happy life is to make your pets happy.

So, now, the billion-dollar question is what pet products can I actually use for my promotions? Well, I have the trillion-dollar answer: Absorbent, Ink. (bless their hearts) carries so many Promotional Pet Products that I am salivating all over the keyboard just looking at them. They have the more traditional pet products, such as leashes, pet bowls and pet toys, and the funky stuff, such as pet bandanas (I can just imagine myself in one of those). There are even products for those stubborn humans out there who are still insisting on giving promotional products to humans. You can give those humans grooming mitts or a pet litter scoop that they can use to take care of us better.

Another product you can use is … oh, rats! Gotta go! I can see Abby heading this way with her you-are-going-to-get-it-now look.

Ciao, or in my language, rowf,

Galahad

Whether you’ve seen “Office Space” or not, everyone knows what “The Mondays” are. After a weekend full of nothing but relaxation and more sleep than usual, you wake up to the sound of your unrelenting alarm clock. You can press “snooze” as much as you want, but it’s not going to make your morning routine any easier. Making breakfast, brewing coffee and driving in traffic all seem to go that much slower on Mondays. And don’t even get me started about the moment you actually sit down at your desk; it’s as though someone clicked the “slow motion” button on the remote for the remainder of the day.

This is a subject matter that most of us can relate to. And since people like being understood and able to easily relate to other human beings, distributing promotional products that will distract your clients from their Mondays could be prove to be a very positive thing. Allow me to make some educated suggestions.

Everyone loves photographs, especially in this day-and-age when the only kind of camera to own is a digital camera, which makes picture taking, uploading and sharing so easy. People love to litter their desks and homes with framed pictures of family, friends and scenery. So why not make everyone happy and hand out Absorbent, Ink.’s Back to Back Photo Frames? These neat frames swivel, so you can choose two different pictures to place in each frame and decide which picture you feel like gazing at for the day (whether it be your significant other or your dog). Being able to freely swivel your pictures around and stare at your beloveds is a certified cheerer-upper.

Another snazzy idea could be T-shirts. Absorbent, Ink.’s Boxercraft Women’s Burn-Out Tees have that soft, worn-in, vintage feel to them, so recipients know they at least have that little bit of comfort waiting at home (or perhaps under their suit jacket) to get through the dreaded Monday. Printing your company’s logo and maybe a catchy phrase on the shirt will remind your clients that along with being a reliable business, you understand that it’s the little things that count when it comes to starting the work week.

Regardless of which promotional product you choose to provide as vaccinations against “the Mondays,” the main idea is to ease your recipients’ minds and remind them that time flies when you’re… well… maybe not having the most fun, but at least able to have a sense of humor about it all!

Here’s to getting through the work week,

Abby Ink

Here’s a little puzzle for you.

How do the following go together: origami cranes, etched wedding glasses and a Snoopy mug.

Give up?

It’s a small sampling of the things I found when cleaning out some old boxes yesterday. I have to admit, I’m a little bit of a “collector.” (In other words, I’m a packrat!)

After going through the sentimentality that the origami cranes brought back, I started to reminisce about my best friend’s wedding (no, not the movie). It was such a lovely wedding. We spent the night eating, dancing in a conga line and yes, even dancing the cha-cha slide.

At the end of the night she handed each guest the coolest goody bags – all personalized by Absorbent, Ink.! The bag was full of items decorated with the happy couple’s names and wedding date. I left with a customized match box, champagne flutes and a candle, all in a customized tote bag. I also happened to take my customized napkin. Don’t make fun – yes, I saved my napkin – unused of course! I thought the gifts were a really lovely way to not only thank the guests for coming, but to celebrate the couple’s new life together.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I must try to find someone who is dying for a Snoopy mug.

Ever the collector,

Abby Ink

American Idol has been on for how many years now? I remember the first season with Ms. Clarkson. My, has she come a long way or what? Eh, maybe she hasn’t, but that first season was something to remember. Then again, first seasons always are since they tend to make or break an entire series.

But that’s all beside the point. I won’t bore you with my view on television politics. I will, however, share with you some pretty interesting information I stumbled upon during my morning surf (on the Web. Wish I could say in the ocean, but then again, I’d probably end up in the hospital or something. Ah, and I digress). Michelle Bell, Counselor magazine’s senior editor, blogged back in November about “Rollabanas.” Rollabanas are nifty self-rolling mini banners that can be printed with full-color images or just words advertising and promoting your organization’s name. Besides being portable, the Rollabana has optional suction cups on its ends allowing you to stick the Rollabana to your car window or somewhere in your home or office. These promotional banners are an accessory and advertisement rolled into one. Absorbent, Ink. is now offering this unique product (currently ON SALE!) for you and your recipients to enjoy.

I bet you’re wondering what the American Idol punch line is gonna be, aren’t you? Two words: Justin Guarini. Memory not working for you? He was the curly-haired runner-up during season one. Still not ringing a bell? He also starred in the smash cinema hit (not so much) From Justin to Kelly alongside his former competitor, Kelly Clarkson herself! Really, the point is that Guarini is the spokesperson for Rollabanas. That’s right. He’s gonna stick these little banners all over his car windows and maybe even sing a tune about it (if we’re lucky).

Order these creative and out-of-the-ordinary banners for your organization today and remind your clients that the only time you suck is when it’s on their windows.

Justin Guarini 4ever,

Abby Ink

I am not really a huge fan of exercising. I don’t mind it, but it’s not the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning. But realizing that exercise is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, all I need is a little prodding (OK, sometimes a lot) to get into my exercise gear and head to the gym. But on days when I get off work late or when it’s raining and I don’t feel like stepping out of the house, I feel I have a legitimate excuse to skip exercising (Oh, happy day!). I leap at the opportunity to turn into a couch potato and spend the rest of my day in front of the T.V.

But one fine day, my boss just had to go and ruin my bliss. He handed out exercise mats and pedometers to all the employees and gave us all some good news (at least that’s what he thought it was). He happily informed us that research proves that when your employees exercise, it reduces absenteeism and improves the quality of work. Yoga in particular provides mental AND physical relaxation so, according to him, it’s the perfect exercise for us. So a friend of his, who is a hot-shot yoga instructor, was going to come in once a week and give us lessons free of charge. At that moment, I could actually see all my exercise-free days jumping out the window.

So, if your organization is looking for ways to get your employees to exercise, too, then Absorbent, Ink. has got you covered. Exercise and yoga mats and pedometers will definitely give your employees a push in the right (??) direction.

Oh, in case you are wondering … yes, I am still holding a grudge against my boss. It’s getting smaller. Like my tummy.

Still running,

Abby Ink