“Who’s up for a game of poker?” That’s what I heard this weekend when I was hanging out at my friend’s house. I hadn’t ever played a game of poker before, but was intrigued and interested in learning the rules. I tried my best in my first game of poker but, all I can say is that I’m glad we weren’t playing for real money. I’d be in debt! Hah! While I think it will take some practice to get the rules down, poker is a really great activity to do with a group of friends.

Not only is poker a way to socialize and have fun, it’s also a great way to advertise! If you’re looking for winning promotional products, Absorbent, Ink. has an ample selection of Custom Poker Chips to personalize with your logo or slogan. Our quality poker chips have a professional look and feel that will really make your custom imprint stand out from the crowd. We also carry Personalized Poker Sets that make incredible gifts which will complement your artwork and keep your advertisements looking fantastic. Poker chips and poker sets are perfect for business promotions, casinos, charity tournaments, giveaways, corporate gifts and so much more.

Whether you want to advertise, give a memorable gift or leave a lasting impression, custom Poker Gifts are an effective way to put the odds in your favor.

Raise the bets!

Abby Ink

It’s that time of year again – tax time!  Last night I sat down determined to file my taxes. I gathered up all of my paperwork for the year and got my tax documents ready. I sat down, powered up my handy tax preparation software and filed electronically from the comfort of my home office. I was done in a matter of minutes and pleased to find that I’ll have a nice refund headed my way soon. Excellent! I realized that tax time is a great time to start saving. Seeing my tax return made me think – what better way to promote saving than with promotional piggy banks!

I checked out Absorbent, Ink. and discovered a great selection of imprinted piggy banks. The assortment includes everything from recycled piggy banks and sports shaped banks to plastic piggy banks and breakable ceramic piggy banks. Plastic piggy banks are an outstanding way to advertise businesses, especially financial institutions, tax preparation companies, credit unions, and banks. Custom banks are also perfect for educational campaigns and for encouraging people of all ages to save.

As you can see, personalized piggy banks make a fun and practical promotional investment any time of the year. Give the gift of saving with custom coin banks from Absorbent, Ink.

Start saving,

Abby Ink

Oh boy! It is really heating up around here. The sun is out in full force and the weather has changed from drab to fab. All of this summery weather can make it a little difficult to stay inside the office all week long. Sometimes you just want to escape the indoors and take pleasure in the gorgeous weather. This inspired me to look for fun summer items that can be enjoyed outdoors. So check these out:

Getting down and dirty can be really fun with Absorbent, Ink’s excellent selection of garden tools sets. They are excellent gifts for gardening enthusiasts and make doing yard work convenient and even fun! It is so relaxing to dig around in the dirt, grow your own plants and just enjoy nature. It is important to step away from the office, turn off the computer and put your green thumb to use every now and then.

I have to admit that two of my favorite things are food and the great outdoors. What better way to spend a weekend afternoon than enjoying both at once! Pack up one of these picnic sets and head to the park or beach for a wonderful day of fun in the sun. I love picking a scenic location, getting out the blanket and just relaxing with a picnic basket full of goodies. Personalized picnic sets would make a really memorable gift that packs a big promotional punch.

If grilling for the gang is more up your alley, check out Absorbent’s selection of personalized barbecue sets. Throwing meat and veggies on the grill, hanging around the pool and drinking cold beverages with friends is the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon. The grill masters in your life would love receiving custom barbecue sets any time of the year. So, throw another shrimp on the barbie and get to grilling away!

Just can’t pull yourself away from the office? Absorbent, Ink also carries a great selection of unique corporate gifts to keep morale high in the office. Co-workers will love receiving personalized desk items, business card holders and other great gifts to decorate the office.

Go have fun in the sun!

Best wishes,
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

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

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

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

Chuck Norris – America’s own personal hero. I don’t know when Chuck Norris jokes became such a fad, but they did and it is hilarious. Best known for his role on “Walker, Texas Ranger,” Chuck Norris is a keen, lean fighting machine. Since we recently received an order from Chuck Norris’s official Web site, chucknorris.com, for our Dual Star Key Tags, I have decided to dedicate this blog entry to the man himself.

Here’s a list of facts about Chuck Norris from chucknorrisfacts.com:

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

Chuck Norris counted to infinity – twice.

Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch – HE decides what time it is.

Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.

There is in fact an “I” in Norris, but there is no “team”… not even close.

There is no “ctrl” button on Chuck Norris’s computer. Chuck Norris is always in control.

Have you had enough? Probably for today. But thank you, Chuck Norris, for choosing Absorbent, Ink. as your promotional products provider! We can all learn a thing or two from Chuck.

Love,

Abby Ink.