Google Can Be Such A Whale

The past week has been a whale - or it feels like I am inside one waiting to be spit out on some foreign shore.

At American Promotions, we have been dealing with a major Google Algorithm change which has slammed our position in the Google Shopping feed, and we are desperately trying to ascertain which steps to take to move forward. I have been up until between 1 and 2:30 four nights in the last eight or so days, and fairly late on the other nights too, burning the midnight oil.

To memorialize this craziness, and in keeping with the purpose of this blog, here are a couple of Whale promotional products which you may find a way to use for your business.

Whale Stress Balls

Humback Whale Stress Balls

and a cool website on whale watching in Oregon near where I live.

Visittheoregoncoast.com

Leaf Journal - Custom Green Crush Cover

While considering products to feature on American Promotions front page for the spring season, I came across the JournalBooks Crush Series, and this gorgeous Leaf Print Journal in Green Crush. This journal is available in a variety of striking colors and patterns. There are even a few with a more masculine aesthetic.

One of the things I really enjoy about working in the promotional products industry is seeking our products which are useful AND delightful to touch and see. This certainly falls in that category.

A Son Who Loves Horses

I have a 2 year old son who loves horses. We don't own a horse. We tried to own a shetland pony last year, and after four escapes in a week, we concluded that we needed much better fencing than we were able to pay for, and we gave up and gave the horse away. It was a stubborn horse.

However, our 2 year old is the first to see every horse in every field as we are driving by, and when he chooses a book, it always has a horse in it, and if you tell him a story, then he wants you to make a horse one of the main characters.

We are unclear as to why horses became so central to this little guys thinking, but as we've raised each of our children, it is clear that God sends each of them with different personalities and proclivities.

H2Go Fusion BPA Free Bottle

Here is a water bottle with some tough, sturdy features. The H2Go Fusion BPA Free Water Bottle is made with tough acrylic with stainless steel accents and a big chunky strap which connects the lid to the base. It comes in eight bright translucent colors.

This is the water bottle for the person who goes their own road.

Little Mascots For School Or Business

Is your business or school represented by an animal mascot? Consider choosing a stuffed animal with a custom logo t-shirt for your next promotion or event. One of the best selling lines of stuffed animals in the promotional products industry is the Moseez line of 31 different critters which are ready to sport your insignia or message and show up at your next event. This line was created by our supplier It's All Greek to Me.

The biggest problem we have had with this line is they are so popular and so well made, that they are constantly selling out.

I live in Oregon, and the Oregon State Beavers and the University of Oregon Ducks are the two big state university brands. Pictured below is the Moseez Beaver and the Moseez Duck.

However, there are 31 different little furry creatures from which to choose. See if you can find yours here.

(I like the Moseez Cougar :)

Up Too Late and A Cool Backpack

I did a lot of work updating the backpacks on the website tonight. It is late. This is my second night up until 2 a.m.. We have had some problems with the website which are costing us substantially, and I have been scrambling to try to understand and fix them.

I found 18 plus bags and backpacks which I'm going to have the team load onto the website over the next week, because Leed's has some great new backpacks, especially in the sub $15 range, and I want to get some of them featured.

I'm enthusiastic about Leed's this year, because we have already done as much wholesale volume in the first quarter (almost) as we did most of the year last year.

The Leed's Coil Backpack is a great daypack or school pack for the money. It has a nice design and just enough features to make it interesting. It can be had for under $13 or in volume for under $9.

Two More Cool Hand Sanitizer Products

In my post earlier today, I mentioned a useful hand sanitizer product. I thought I would drop my readers a couple of quick links for two more neat hand sanitizer products.

The first is a Pocket Pump Hand Sanitizer Gel. This little gem is compact, clean and handy, and will tuck into even the smallest hand clutch or pocket. Pictured below.

The second is the hand shaped Hand Sanitizer. I'm always a fan of visual product puns and this one is a classic. Pictured below.

I Never Get This Sick!

I've been fighting this cold / stuffy nose / periodic headache now for more than two weeks. This is the first time I can remember in my adult life that a sickness has really taken hold like a clamp tightened around my throat and chest and then hung on for two long weeks.

Most people envy the my health. I'm one of those people (knock on wood) who simply rarely get sick. I usually miss less than a day of work a year due to illness. Even with this recent bout of sickness, I didn't miss a full day of work. Although, I did end up sleeping for an hour and a half literally under my desk when I felt terrible a little more than a week ago, and going home early a few days before that.

There are a lot of promotional items which can boast a health benefit. One simple and appreciated giveaway are these hand sanitizer bottles on a carabiner. They are convenient, inexpensive and make quick work of workplace germs. I hope whoever invented hand sanitizer was rewarded with a medal. Better yet, I'm sure he or she became rich.

Although, I use hand sanitizer occasionally, I'm not a mysophobic (the correct term for germaphobia). I think it is important to encounter bacteria in the environment regularly, but to maintain a boosted immune system and good nutrition to keep a strong bodily constitution. Even contact with small amounts of "bad" pathogenic bacteria is good for a healthy individual as it builds immunity. Here is a great article on this subject.

Good Value Fleece Vest

Sometimes cost is the primary factor in choosing corporate apparel or a gift. This is a well made light fleece sport vest which can be decorated with a company logo for under $20, unless the logo is really complex. I've always liked fleece vests. I went hiking here in Southern Oregon just a couple of weeks ago with my 10 year old son and some of his friends and other parents, and I wore a fleece vest very similar to this one, and it served my purposes perfectly, even shedding off a light rain. It is light enough that I can stuff it into a day pack. If you really want to stay dry, I'd take a packable waterproof shell to wear over the top as well.

There are a couple of other fleece vests which I really like available at American Promotions.

Ladies North End Microfleece Vest
Mens North End Microfleece Vest
Mens North End Down Vest (This is one I'm really considering getting for myself.)