Here is an inexpensive promotion ideal for a veterinarians, pet stores and grooming businesses. It is a dog bone shaped promotional magnet. The classic promotional items still can work great to keep your name in front of your customer. And the little secret is they are often still the most economical.

Jackets by North End and Ash City

The North End line by Ash City is one of our better selling outerwear brands at American Promotions. We sell lots of jackets and vests by this Canadian outerwear manufacturer. We seem to sell more of the womens styles than we do the mens. I encourage our readers to give them a look. Check out Ash City's nice website.

We offer a lot of these Ash City jackets and vests here.

The Office is Deteriorating

My wife and I enjoy the show The Office. Both of us studied English in college and my senior colloqium course was on American humorists. In my opinion, The Office is one of the great examples of American humor. The Office is actually based on a British sitcom of the same name, but this is a thoroughly Americanized version with its own characters and plot lines.

The show constantly riffs on the tensions, diversions and political correctness of the modern workplace.

We actually are not television watchers, so we usually rent it on DVD or more recently we watch it on Hulu (which I highly recommend for watching TV) We missed a good portion of the season 5 episodes, and I haven't taken the time to see if they are available on rental yet. I don't need to own them.

We watched episodes 2-4 last Friday night of Season 6, and I think the humor has become even more unnecessarily sexualized (it has always had a lot of wink, wink humor in it and a fair dose of sexual situations and relationships), but for the most part, it is done in at a PG - PG-13 level

Anyway, I still enjoy the show, but with more reservations than before, and I'm disappointed that it went up a notch in that type of content.

The Office has an entire swag culture surrounding it with all kinds of t-shirt websites and single piece imprinters like Cafe Press purveying apparel and aprons and stuff riffing on the jokes and one liners and the company name Dunder Mifflin. Naturally, NBC has its own promotional items and kitsch shop with promotional items based on The Office

Interviewing My Son

I had a memorable and important experience last Sunday night. I took the evening off from the computer, and I took the time to play two games of chess with my 10-year-old son and just ask him all types of questions about his life, what he is reading and thinking about, about his schooling and about his spirituality.

I frequently take the time to spend time with my children. I have six of them, and we have a Family Home Evening every Monday night, and a Family Council most Sundays. We also try to do a couple of family activities every month. This is in addition to our help with their schooling and so forth.

For awhile, I was also lunching with one of my children each Friday, but I have not done that for a couple of months and I need to get back to it.

However, last Sunday evening was a little different, because I actually approached it from the standpoint of having a one on one interview with my son, and seeking to understand his place spiritually and the things he like, the things he wants to accomplish and the spiritual condition of his heart and mind. It was a chance to really seek to know him. I have friends who do this over lunch or dinner with their kids.

My friend, Damian Idiart authored this article about the importance of periodic interviews with your children.

I highly recommend this practice as a way to strengthen family relationships and to combat the morally debilitating social forces which attack our children.

Custom Sandals and Flip Flops

Custom sandals and flip flops are now available at American Promotions. We offer a wide variety of customization options for this unique and creative promotional product. You can customize the colors of the straps, the fabric (where applicable), the footbed, the foam. Another awesome option is the ability to have a logo foot print, which leaves an impression in the sand in the shape of your text or logo.

If your club, business or organization is having a beach party or a reward vacation or cruise this year, custom sandals and flip flops will bring out the sun and the fun.

A Sweatshirt Blanket in Tie Dye

Sweatshirt blankets are among my favorite promotional items. They remind people of football games, picnics and their favorite school or college. I don't know anyone who doesn't love wearing a Saturday sweatshirt. And a sweatshirt blanket conveys that feel in a nonwearable. They are attractive to give as they can be rolled up nicely and trimmed with a custom hang tag.

One of American Promotions' suppliers has created more sweatshirt blanket options than any other supplier out there. MV Sport has created two separate sizes of blanket. The first is the most popular and is a large heavyweight sweatshirt blanket measuring 54" x 84". The second is a considered a throw (although it is about the size of most comparable fleece blankets). It measures 40" x 52". It is perfect as a baby gift or when you want to give away a nice promo blanket and save about 30%.

MV Sport has created sweatshirt blankets in most collegiate colors. They also have a line of "fashion" pattern sweatshirt blankets which include this awesome one in tie dye - very unique cool.

Another thing I really like about sweatshirt blankets is that they actually lend themselves more to screen printing rather than embroidery, and are more attractive with a large 1 or 2 color screen print than with a small embroidered logo.

American Promotions carries the full line of MV Sport sweatshirt blankets. Check them out here. The tie dye one is sold here.

Bamboo Photo Frame

I think this bamboo photo frame would make a nice eco-sensible holiday gift. Consider it for your promotional gift giving.