October 24, 2010

Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Coworkers

Filed under: Gift Ideas,Personalized Gifts,Sponsors — Tags: , , , , , , , — Christmas @ 4:24 pm

You may spend more time with your coworkers than you do with your own family, so why skimp out on a lame gift, when you can get your coworkers something a bit more unique with equal or even less effort than trying to find a work-appropriate gift somewhere else.  Here are a few ideas for office gifts:

At work, everyone complains about being tired sometime. Help your co-workers get a leg up in the morning with a personalized coffee mug. Zazzle has lots of different styles of ceramic mug, and there are a bunch of designs for you to choose from, so you’ll be able to find the right mug for anyone in your department, even your boss!

Most of us don’t have the luxury of working from home, so whether by plane, train, or automobile, we commute. Whether you meet on the subway or carpool together, give your transit buddies something for the road. Zazzle’s travel mugs are a great gift for the co-worker who’s always on the run. You can order a design that has already been posted in the marketplace, or create your own travel mug with your uploaded pictures and text. Either way, your gift will surely brighten up the morning ride.

Every office has at least one person who loves to decorate their workspace with pictures of their pets. Your coworker might already have a desktop picture devoted to their beloved Fido, so why not make a mousepad to match. They’ll love it!

Most co-workers know how to have fun, but there’s always someone who’s all about business, all the time.  This type of coworker would probably appreciate a gift that’s practical.  In this case, custom postage is always a good way to go. Besides, if your coworkers have their own stamps, maybe there won’t be such a line at the office postage meter. Lots of people like monogram stamps for their versatility, but you can also make your own stamp using your own images.

If your workplace is a suit-and-tie establishment, maybe you should consider giving a necktie. Zazzle has a range of tie designs to fit anyone’s style, so spice up your coworker’s wardrobe with a tie from the marketplace, or flex your creative muscle and give a tie of your own design.

So, you see, Christmas gifts in the office don’t have to be bad. The key is to make your coworkers’ gifts personal, and make it something that they’ll like, since you do still have to see them for the rest of the year!

October 19, 2010

Popular Holiday Gifting Ideas from Zazzle

Filed under: Personalized Gifts,Sponsors — Tags: , , , , , , , — Christmas @ 4:15 pm

Christmas shopping doesn’t always have to be hard to do! Here’s a quick list of fun, easy gifts to give to anyone this holiday season:

Give your loved ones a good laugh with a funny t-shirt from Zazzle. Pick your favorite design for any type of humor, or upload your own images to make a funny tee of your own. There are lots of fun puns and other hilarious designs for funny t-shirts, so you’ll definitely find something that makes ‘em smile. For the humorless Scrooge in your life, there are still loads of other great t-shirts for nearly everything that you can imagine, so you’re bound to find something they’ll like. Finally, if your relatives are really hard to impress, try giving them custom embroidery. Professionally stitched with a range of colorful images or text, custom embroidered polos are a classy gift that can be highly personalized to fit even the pickiest taste.

Going along with the more personalized gift idea, photo gifts are also all the rage at Zazzle. Upload your photos and make one-of-a-kind t-shirts, mugs, postage, mousepads, calendars, and a whole bunch of other cool products with your unique picture. Photo gifts are not only a great way to preserve your special memories, but they are also very easy gifts to make. Zazzle’s design tool is super simple to use, and most products are made within 24 hours, which means that you can make last-minute gifts that are still meaningful.

Finally, here’s a fun bonus product that you may not have thought about: business cards! As boring as they might sound, business cards are actually quite versatile. One cute gift idea for moms is the Mommy Card. Moms who are always on-the-go love these calling cards. They are great for giving to caretakers and to other parents for emergency calls and for making play-date arrangements. Business cards also make great holiday gift tags, adding a nice finishing touch to presents of all sizes.

October 14, 2010

Top 10 Custom Products for Christmas from Zazzle.com

Filed under: Christmas Gifts,Sponsors — Tags: , , , , — Christmas @ 4:03 pm

Nothing’s worse than getting a boring gift for Christmas. Everybody likes something that has a little personality – a little unique something special to remind us how much we are loved – which is why Zazzle is a great place to shop for the holidays. Home to millions of customizable products, Zazzle has every kind of design that you can ever imagine. There’s definitely something for everyone on your list.

Here is a list of the top 10 custom products for Christmas from Zazzle.com:

10. Postcards

Not quite what you’d expect for a holiday-themed list, but postcards are a great way to send Christmas wishes. You can use one of the wintry pictures from the marketplace, or make a Christmas postcard with your own artwork. The best thing about sending a postcard is that it’s cheap and you can mail them all around the world with very little hassle. Besides, who doesn’t love getting a cool-looking postcard in the mail?!

9. Photo cards

A step up from postcards, photo cards are bigger and glossier, and they look even better with your favorite family photo. Dress-up the whole family like reindeer and send some holiday cheer with your photo Christmas cards. Zazzle’s custom photo cards are great because once your loved ones have read your message, they can look at your beautiful pictures all year long. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving.

8. Greeting cards

Greeting cards are the classic way to send good tidings during the holidays. Zazzle’s card designers are amazing, and they really provide you with a range of amazing designs to choose from. Of course, you can also make your own greeting cards, if you are so inclined.

7. Buttons

Customized buttons make the perfect stocking stuffer. Whether you order them with funny phrases or funky images, custom buttons definitely look great pinned everywhere. More flair means more fun for everyone! You can also make a button using your own images, so that your loved ones can carry their favorite photos wherever they go.

6. Dog clothes

A great gift for Fido or your dog-lover friends, Zazzle’s dog clothes are an adorable Christmas gift for anyone’s furry four-legged pals. Zazzle’s dog shirts come in lots of different styles and can be designed with a holiday-related picture, or some fun dog humor. Just like the pets wearing them, Zazzle dog clothes have lots of personality!

5. Embroidery

In addition to printing images with ink, Zazzle also offers embroidery. There’s a huge library of customized embroidery images that can be stitched onto a variety of apparel options, including shirts, polos, and sweatshirts. The women’s embroidered Sherpa-lined sweatshirt makes an especially nice Christmas present. On top of all of that, embroidered text can be added for free.

4. Custom Shoes

Zazzle has a few different styles of classic Keds shoes available for complete customization. You can change the patterns and colors on the outside and inside of the shoes, and then change the shoelace colors, the trim, the stitching, and even the grommet colors. It’s amazing. Customized shoes are the perfect gift for fashionista family members. Kids and teens also love having their own unique sneakers.

3. Calendars

Personalized calendars are a great gift that can used year-round. Custom calendars are easy-to-make gifts for family members, friends, and even co-workers. Photo calendars are particularly popular. All you have to do is upload your favorite pictures or artwork. You can get a traditional 12-months 2011 calendar that starts in January or you can make a calendar that goes up to 24 months and begins in any month that you’d like. There’s so much versatility!

2. Custom T-shirts

T-shirts make amazing gifts all throughout the year and Christmas isn’t any different. With such a huge variety of designs, colors, and shirt styles in the Zazzle marketplace, it’s nearly impossible to find something that friends and family won’t like! There are custom t-shirts for almost any design theme that you can think of, and if there isn’t…well, then you can create your own! They even have t-shirts from cool brands like the Star Wars one above.

1. Photo Cups

The #1 gift for the holiday season is the personalized photo cup. The perfect combination of utility and sentimentality, the photo cup is a wonderful custom gift that can be used every single day, and it’s also a ridiculous easy, quick, and affordable gift. All you need is one or more of your favorite photos. Whether you use childhood pictures, or other fond memories, photo cups are a great way to show your loved ones how much you care. Zazzle has various types of photo mugs, photo travel mugs, and even beer steins, so there’s something for friends and family of all ages.

October 11, 2010

Christmas Tree Theme Ideas

Filed under: Christmas Gifts,Sponsors — Tags: , , , , , , — Christmas @ 2:09 pm

Your Christmas tree is one of the best ways to show off your individual style. You can create a tree that is unique and different every year, or build upon your theme year after year with new ornaments and embellishments. Here are some ideas for Christmas tree themes that will get you thinking.

Teddy Bears

An old-fashioned teddy bear tree is darling for any age. Begin collecting teddy bears of various sizes from tag sales and thrift stores throughout the year. Look through your house and see if you can find any teddy bear themed décor to include. Use all different sizes, colors, and shapes of bears. What matters is the consistent theme. If it’s a bear, it can hang on your tree. Tuck larger bears into the branches of the trees near the trunk so they don’t topple over. A popcorn or cranberry chain will give the tree a vintage appeal. If you want to make it look really retro, use all brown bears, the more worn the better. Add only ornaments made of wood or metal so it has a handmade appeal. When the season is over, you can either store your ornaments for next year and keep adding bears, or you can display your collection of bears on a hearth or mantle year round.

Santas from Yesteryear

If you are a collector, or just love Christmas, why not do an all-Santa tree? You can find Santas that look like they came from days of old (or really did). Santas can now be found everyplace from flea markets to dollar stores to antique shops. You can keep an eye out for Santas year round, or do a completely new Santa tree. Head out to find your tree and then add as many Santas as will fit. Trim it with white faux fur that you can find at a sewing or craft store. Add touches of red ornaments and the tree will take on a decidedly Santa feel. Top the tree with a Santa hat for an adorable finish.

Angels in the Air

Angels are hugely popular and you can find them in every price range. Visit Hallmark or discount stores for collections of angels that are unique. String your angels on silver thread or yarn. Do a silver tinsel background on the tree and top it with a metal and glitter halo. Since angels are so plentiful at Christmas time, you won’t have any trouble finding beautiful pieces to add to your tree. And you can also display them all year long since they are such a lovely addition to any décor.

Wrapped Boxes

Since Christmas is a time for giving, why not make a gift box tree? Wrap empty boxes of all different sizes and papers. Jewelry boxes of different sizes work well. Choose coordinating paper in different patterns and add bows. Hang your boxes all over the tree and your visitors throughout the season will marvel at your creativity. You might even want to hide a real present among the empty boxes and let your recipient try to find it. Some holiday gift baskets even come in some wonderfully colored boxes, these are always fun to collect and display in a whole new light!

No matter which theme you decide on, you can be sure that if you stick with coordinating colors, fabrics, materials, and shapes, you’ll have a tree that looks unified and well thought out.

October 8, 2010

Business Holiday Greeting Card Etiquette

Filed under: Gift Baskets,Sponsors — Tags: , , , , , , — Christmas @ 2:08 pm

If you’re in charge of sending out the holiday cards or holiday gift baskets this year for the office, you may not know just how to do it. What’s acceptable these days? Can you send a gift along with your card? Is it ok to hand write them? Is it expected?

Businesses have changed. Gone are the days of the staunch, formal office. Even in the most conservative offices it’s acceptable to be a little more relaxed these days. That doesn’t mean you can be lax in your holiday etiquette.
There are a few guidelines even in today’s more casual world. First off, select a holiday card that is on good stock and well printed. This is not the time to grab cards off the discount rack at the dollar store. You are presenting an image of your company and a person’s perception of your business is only as good as your last correspondence.  Spend the extra few dollars and get cards that are elegant.

Can you have your company name printed inside your cards? Sure. Do you have to? No. You can hand write a note. In fact, it is even more personal if you don’t have your company’s name printed on the inside of the card. A short note that says “happy holidays” is fine. Sadly in this day and age it’s not ok to say “Merry Christmas” as someone might get offended if that’s not what they celebrate. For business purposes, don’t include any mention to a specific holiday. You don’t want to risk alienating the one person there who objects to a certain holiday. So keep it generic.

Never use a rubber stamp inside your card. Simply stamping in “The Braxton Corporation” is cold and lifeless. Take the time to sit and sign the company’s name. Even if all you write is, “From everyone at Braxton” it’s much better than a rubber stamp. It’s perfectly fine to rubber stamp your company’s address on the outer envelope, of course.

Who should you send cards to? Everyone you do business with should get a card. From the biggest client to the courier who drops off your mail, send a card to everyone who is a vendor or business client. If you cross paths with a business from the outside, send a card. It’s not necessary to send a business holiday card to every employee internally in a large company. However, if you have fewer than 20 employees, why not go the extra step? Have the company president sign it and write a short message.

What you say in your card is just as important as what the card looks like. Nothing controversial should be mentioned in a holiday card. Never mention business. Saying, “Hope we win your account!” inside a holiday card is tactless. However, writing a heartfelt, “Looking forward to working with you this year” is ok.

Think before you send anything. What you might think is funny might not be appropriate for everyone on the recipient’s end. Stay away from any off-color humor or cartoons even if you think they’re hysterical, and you know the client will too. Often a secretary opens those cards and even hangs them without higher ups seeing them first. Err on the side of caution, and everyone will have a happy holiday!

October 4, 2010

Holiday Baking Tips

Filed under: Gift Baskets,Sponsors — Tags: , , , , — Christmas @ 1:51 pm

It’s so fun and rewarding to bake holiday treats with friends and family to help you. Even if you prefer to bake alone, there’s a satisfaction of knowing you created delicious treats that will spread cheer to everyone. What do some seasoned bakers know that would help you this year? Read on to fin out.

Great bakers use fresh ingredients. That flour that’s been in your pantry since last May is probably not going to yield the tastiest results. That chocolate that’s been in the freezer over a year? Toss it. You’re going to spend the time and effort to bake for the holidays. You need to invest in good quality ingredients to make memorable treats. Go for the finest chocolate chips you can afford. Get fresh butter, eggs, flour, sugar, yeast, confectioner’s sugar and brown sugar. The better the ingredients, the better the outcome. Throw everything that’s expired out. Canned foods (like condensed milk which many recipes call for) do have expiration dates. Check them before you begin.

Once your pantry is cleaned out, you’ll want to stock it with the basics. In addition to the flour and sugars you’ll need to have on hand, you should also pick up walnuts, pecans, sprinkles, icing for decorating, chocolate chunks, unsweetened chocolate, condensed milk, shortening, non-stick spray and any specialty items like pignoli nuts.

Before you head out to the store, print out all the recipes you want to bake and then create one giant list of all the ingredients. You can find lots of holiday cookie recipes online that are easy to print in index card format for easy keeping.

With ingredients in hand, where do you start? If you’re baking for holiday gift-giving or sharing, now’s the time to clean out your freezer. Several weeks or even up to two months ahead, you can freeze cookies you intend to give out. So, you’ll need room. Start using up your freezer stock and you’ll have enough room to store the goodies.

When you bake, plan to do one type of cookie a night so you don’t get overwhelmed. Make double or triple batches of the same type of cookie and you can decorate in an assembly line fashion. The beauty of working on one type of cookie at a time is that you have everything you need out once and then you can put it away. You’ll have all the decorations you need for the one batch and then you can store them. The next day, move on and make the next batch in bulk.

Invest in a silicone mat for each cookie tray. This will help the cookies cook at an even temperature and prevent them from sticking. Have five baking sheets so you can always have two in the oven, two on the counter being filled and one with the cookies that are cooling.

Do all the washing up as your cookies cool so that your kitchen will be clean by the time you’re ready to decorate. Once your cookies are decorated, you must let them cool or the frosting will smear. Wrap cooled cookies in wax paper, then a layer of plastic wrap then a layer of tin foil. Or you can use locking bags that are made for the freezer. No matter how you choose to store your cookies, ensure that no air can get in. Air will spoil all your hard work as the cookies will not taste fresh when thawed.  You can also store your baked goods in plastic lidded containers. Just make sure they are airtight.

When you’re ready to bring out your cookies for the holidays, allow them to thaw on the counter before assembling them on your presentation basket or tray. You’ll be glad you spent the extra time to make your cookies ahead and freeze them in batches.

Now you can present your family or friends with wonderful holiday gift baskets that you’ve already made! Not only that, but it saves lots of work on the backend and you can actually enjoy the days leading up to the holidays instead of baking at a frenzied pace.

October 1, 2010

Create a Gift Basket

Filed under: Gift Baskets,Sponsors — Tags: , , , , — Christmas @ 4:12 pm

I love gift baskets! But what is up with most gift baskets these days? Yeah, they all have something that I love in them. But, just like boxes of assorted chocolate, there is always something left at the end that nobody wants. Whether it is the mint jelly or those lollipops with the worms in them, why do most gift baskets force me to waste? It is annoying. But I still love giving and receiving gift baskets because, for the most part, they are usually so versatile and wonderful. I don’t want to give another gift basket that ends in disappointment and dried out fruitcake. ChristmasGifts.com has come to my (and your) rescue! While searching on ChristmasGifts.com for some great gift baskets, I came across Design It Yourself Gift Baskets.

Design It Yourself Gift Baskets gives you the opportunity to create your own personalized gift baskets, so your chocolate lover friend can benefit just as much as your health food nut brother and your pimento loaf loving grandma. At Design It Yourself Gift Baskets, you can create gift baskets for any occasion and for anybody. Want to give a special couple a unique Christmas gift? Check out their Movie Buff Gift Baskets and give them a chance for a movie date night. Got a friend that only shops organic? Design It Yourself Gift Baskets has Organic Gift Baskets that are sure to please with yummy, healthy snacks. My personal favorite? Diaper Cakes. If you want to give a new mom or a mom to be a gift that she is sure to remember (and she will most likely copy your great gift idea), take a look at the Diaper Cakes under Specialty Themes. There really isn’t a better baby gift.

These are just a few of the amazing gift basket ideas that you can find on DesignItYourselfGiftBaskets.com. With this website and ChristmasGifts.com, you are going to be a gift giving guru this year. Everyone is going to love you!