If you are a person who loves to enjoy their morning coffee or their energy smoothie before you get to work or to school or to classes, then you are going to need travel mugs. Better yet, make it a customized travel mug. Travel mugs are designed using the most efficient and practical way to carry your favorite beverage with you whether in the car, in the subway, in a taxi, train and bus. Travel mugs are a must have accessory for people who are on the go and travel a lot.

Travel mugs are something that is very functional and can be used for many years to come. For a more fashionable take, customized travel mugs are a perfect item to have on your office desk and to carry along with you anywhere you go. Customized travel mugs come in beautiful designs and sayings that are etched, printed or painted on the surface of the mugs.

You can customize it by including a picture of yourself or your family or anyone you want. This can be a great idea for Christmas or even birthdays or as a parting gift. Include a picture of yourself and that person together with sayings of love, wisdom, friendship, humor or famous quotes. The objective of this customization is so that the receiver of this mug will always remember you and the memorable times that they had with you. You put a smile on their face every time they see your travel mug.

Customized travel mugs with pictures also make great favors for weddings, bachelorette parties and even your baby’s first birthday. Take a picture of the baby and print it on these mugs and give it as favors to your family members especially the grandparents who would love looking at a picture of their grandchild while sipping together with their cup of coffee or hot cocoa.

For a humorous approach, skip the images and pictures and turn on your creativity switch because it’s time to add some really witty and funny taglines and remarks on the travel mug such as ‘Life is a riddle; unfortunately the answer’s not written on the back of anything-especially not this mug’ or to make your morning cuppa even more exciting, try a quote like ‘He was my cream, and I was his coffee – And when you poured us together, it was something’.

These kinds of quotes are mood lifting especially if it’s rainy outside and you’re thinking of an excuse to skip work and getting back to sleep. Combine a smile on your face from the quote together with coffee, it will warm up your insides and make your feel much better after the whole experience.

Brighten someone’s day by giving them a customized travel mug with the color and design that fits their lifestyle and style statement. There are many options to choose from and most travel mugs come with dual wall insulation and gloss finishing making it look nice and still be easier to clean.

Tote Bags

Tote bags have been around for a very long time, but it wasn’t till recently that they have really picked up in popularity. Perhaps it’s the environmental friendly qualities of these fun bags or possibly just a fashion trend but tote bags are everywhere from the grocery store to the workplace. A tote bag is a bag with two handles, an open top, and is generally square-shaped and made of canvas, polyester, cotton or even jute. Tote bags have generally long handles which can be used to carry-by-hand or carry over-the-shoulder. Tote bags are popularly used by grocery stores and other retailers as shopping bags and as personal bags for people looking for a picnic or lunch bag.

The environmental implications of these quality customizable bags are tremendous. Not only are tote bags reusable which combats the rampant and environmentally degrading use of plastic bags, but they can also be made of organic material which further enhances their eco-friendly value. The fact that these customizable tote bags are reusable means they can help reduce the amount of plastic bags which are made from fossil fuels and paper bags which are commonly not recycled.  There are tote bags for every occasion in which people would usually bring paper or plastic bags like lunch tote bags, picnic tote bags, business tote bags, beach tote bags, pool tote bags and insulated tote bags.

Eco-friendly materials that can be used to make tote bags include cotton, jute and recycled. Cotton is an organic material that is extremely strong when threaded and also very soft-to-the-touch.  Perhaps the most environmentally friendly material a tote bag can be made of is jute; jute is made of threaded plant fibers that are 100% organic, strong and biodegradable. Another eco-friendly tote bag option are tote bags made of recycled material; these environmentally conscious tote bags are unique and have environmentally conscious undertones.

When it comes to style, tote bags also pass the test. Because they are so commonly used, people enjoy being able to bring them to casual and more formal events. While tote bags aren’t as fashion forward as purses or briefcases, they can still be used at the office to carry files or miscellaneous items. The versatility of tote bags is one of the main reasons for their current popularity. Many tote bags come with multicolor designs and unique features like zipper, insulating interior lining and multiple pockets.

Discount Mugs.com is a Miami-based factory-direct distributor of promotional products. Though all of Discount Mugs.com products are of the highest quality, they particularly excel in the sale of drinkware items. Discount Mugs.com is the number one distributor of drinkware in the United States and has a vast inventory great for everyone.

Business Pens

Why waste your budget on handing out expensive, matte flyers that are likely to be crumpled and thrown away, or putting up glossy promotional posters that will be irrelevant once your event is over?

Those publicity materials are, more often than not, regarded as ‘physical spam’ thrust into your hands by an eager salesperson.  In today’s troubled economy, brands and businesses are better off publicising themselves with useful items that won’t break the bank.

Thus, business pens (which are pens customised with your brand’s logo and information such as your website or contact number) are an excellent way to boost your brand, and here are some reasons why.

1)      Consumer Appeal

People are more likely to accept a business pen as opposed to other promotional material (such as brochures or stickers, which are often tossed into the nearest bin) as it is an everyday item that can be used for work, school, or personal projects.  As a pen’s lifespan is determine by the amount of ink it holds, a tip would be to order the sort with the tri-colour ink option – it will last for much longer and will not hurt your pocket.  This is because it is highly unlikely that they will dispose of your company’s business pen until the ink runs out – and by then, their exposure to your brand has been on a consistent, almost daily basis, which is more than enough to make a lasting impression.

2)       Cheap Cost to Create

Pens are incredibly cheap to customise into business pens. They are excellent advertising material for your company, and cost next to nothing when compared to the profits you will earn through the consistent exposure.  Just imagine this – a full page, coloured advertisement in the local newspaper is likely to cost your business thousands of dollars, and that is how much it costs per day to run your ad.

On the other hand, a business pen with your company’s logo, tagline (a very brief summary of the services you provide), contact information, and main website portal, will cost you significantly less, and still publicise your business effectively.  Instead of an advertisement that, on a tight budget, can only run for one day in the newspaper, it can be used by your target consumers again and again, reinforcing brand recognition.

3)       It’s Easy to Get!

Other forms of publicity (such as advertisements, commercials, websites etc) usually require you to hire outside expertise, such as commercial directors, talents, webmasters, advertising agencies and the like.  When you choose to use business pens to promote your brand, the companies providing these pens may have an in house designer whose services are at your disposal.  Even if they don’t, more often than not all you have to do is determine the colour of the pen, how your company’s information will be placed on it, the quantity you need, and voila, you will soon have your own powerful publicity tool, all in the form of a humble business pen!

Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are glazed clay tiles that come in all shapes and sizes.  They are also available in an assortment of colours and textures (marbled, granite, and so much more).   Thus, using them wisely in and around your home can really brighten up your living space.

So here are a few simple craft ideas using ceramic tiles that you can undertake in your spare time to create a really striking effect for your home.  And don’t worry – contrary to popular belief, D-I-Y projects do not need to involve large amounts of money or take up huge amounts of time.  All you need is some patience, an assortment of tiles, a generous quantity of ceramic glue, and you’re good to go!

1)      Funk Up Your Frames

If your door or window frame is of the usual plain brown wood variety, or just needs some redecoration work, funk it up with some ceramic tiles!   It will give your home’s interior a whole new look with minimum effort.  However, be sure to measure the width of the frame and buy ceramic tiles that are of a similar width so they do not overlap onto door and have a messy, jagged appearance.

Just pick a cheerful colour that will brighten up the surroundings – like fire engine red or turquoise – and use ceramic glue to attach the individual ceramic tiles on the frame of your doorway or window.  You can use the same tiles all over for a uniform, minimalistic note, or intersperse a whole rainbow of tiles together for a very groovy, bohemian feel.  With the wide range of ceramic tiles available in the market, the options are endless!

2)      Terrific Tabletops

Why spend obscene amounts of money on a readymade mosaic table top when you can achieve the same effect with some ceramic tiles and ceramic glue?  Just get a whole assortment of ceramic tiles in different colours for a beautiful, colourful mosaic effect.

But before you start doing over your table, be sure to have a rough idea of how you want to place the tiles as the overall effect is greatly dependent on initial planning and the shape of your table.   A few ideas include smaller circles within bigger circles that radiate outwards, or a giant asterisk shape.  Lightly trace the shape that you want in pencil so that you can stick the tiles along them a guide.  Or if you like a more random, haphazard appearance, carefully break the ceramic tiles, and carefully handle the bigger pieces when you stick them on patches of ceramic glue – in this instance, work on a small area first before proceeding to decorate the whole tabletop.

When you are done, it is advisable to purchase a clear glass top that covers the top of your table, as it will prevent your ceramic tile pattern from being damaged or dislodged by everyday use.   Happy experimenting and creating gorgeous looks for your home with ceramic tiles!

With Christmas around the corner, it’s time to take out the crystal, dust the chandeliers and put up the tree!  However, in light of the recession and economic crunch, holidaymakers everywhere have had to cut back on Christmas spending.   When a large chunk of your budget is devoted to buying gifts for your friends and family, as well as on your festive feasting, it is hardly surprising that less and less is being spent on home decorations.

But with a little improvisation and a few inexpensive items, wonders can be wrought!  Today, I will highlight a few ways to use brandy glasses to decorate your home for the festive season, add to your interior decor scheme, and other ways of using them in your home.

1)       As festive lights

Fill several brandy glasses with water until they are about a quarter full.  Then light a few tea lights and put one in each glass carefully.  The flame from the tea lights will reflect off the water and cause the glass to glimmer and sparkle beautifully.  You can also add small flowers into the glass, such as orchids, and use the glass as your table’s centrepiece.  Another option is to slip a small mistletoe garland around the glass, tie a braided length of red and green ribbon around it, or twirl silver tinsel around the stem of the glass.

2)       As dinnerware

Brandy glasses don’t just have to hold drinks – they can be used to hold food as well!   Here are a few examples of the sort of food you can place in them. You can fill a quarter of the glass with mayonnaise, before placing shrimps, and celery sticks in it for a delicious shrimp salad.  The glasses can also be used to hold dessert – a fuss free option would be to crush Oreo cookies in a bowl, before spooning it into the glass and topping it with ice cream and chocolate sprinkles.

3)       As decorative pieces

You can fill brandy glasses with small, multicoloured glass beads and use them as table   centrepieces.  Other options include chunks of cheap crystal, layers of coloured sand (or          coloured rice – it’s amazing what you can do with food dye!), and solid coloured glass marbles.            Be creative, and let your imagination go wild – great table centrepieces can make for             conversation fodder or can create an interesting topic to break the ice among your guests.

4)       As snack holders

Fill your brandy glasses to the brim with candies, gummy bears, M&Ms, or miniature peppermint canes!  Not only will they look lovely, but your guests will have lots of fun dipping into them and finding their favourite snack.  You can either leave them lying around the house where they can act as decorative pieces (but be sure to put the base of the glass in a small dish of water to avoid ants), or carry them around by the stem from group to group as you offer the nibbles to your guests.

Planning weddings are notoriously stressful and expensive.  That’s why we at Discount Mugs.com would like to help out by providing a list based on our customers favorite wedding favor items. While our most popular wedding favors are all in the glassware section there are plenty of items used as wedding favors at Discount Mugs.com. Customizing wedding favors for “The Big Day” are great ideas because not only can these items be used on your wedding day providing a more personal touch, they can also go home with your guests as gifts/souvenirs so friends and family members will have memorabilia of your special day.  Here’s a very helpful list of wedding favor items that are incredibly popular:

Wedding Wine Glasses: Wine glasses are classy items to have at a wedding. They are also good gift/souvenirs to give to guests. Customized wedding glasses have large imprint areas and can fit longer titles than most customizable wedding favors.
Wedding Martini Glasses:  Martini glasses are very popular because they add flare to the standard wedding favor glassware set.  Martini drinkers will particularly enjoy this at a wedding and having diverse glassware items is a great way to ensure your guests leave happy.

Wedding Votive Candle Holders: Nothing says romance like candles. And since weddings are a celebration of romantic love, customizable candles are extremely popular.  Get initial or full names printed on these candles to enhance the personal touch of the event.

Wedding Shot Glasses:  Weddings are serious and important events that bring your family and the community together, but they are also an event for people to “let their hair down” and a good way to lighten up the mood is with fun customizable shot glasses.

Wedding Champagne Glasses: This is perhaps the most important customizable glassware wedding favor item.  Without custom wedding champagne glasses the traditional toast and celebration of a wedding reception feel incomplete.

So if you’re having a wedding don’t forget to include all of these items in your glassware set. Also, if you want to get a great deal on these products go to Discount Mugs.com where we have the most affordable wedding favor items available. We encourage you to shop around and try to find someone less expensive because we know you won’t. So have a happy and affordable wedding from Discount Mugs.com.

Multifunctional Calculators

The advancement of technology in modern society is quite astounding. Cell phones, MP3 players and other handheld gadgetry are progressing in a way that makes previous models outdated after only a year of usage.  Many items are moving down the path of becoming obsolete like the Polaroid camera and beeper. The calculator is one particular handheld tech item that is decreasing in value because of the advent of calculator technology on phones and computers. As promotional products calculators have always been popular because of how useful they are and their undertones of professionalism; so in an effort to save this traditionally adept tool manufacturers have begun altering their designs to serve more than just the simple function of computing numbers.

DiscountMugs.com is a distributor of customizable calculators and has twenty different calculator products, most of which are multifunctional. Those which are not multifunctional have unique designs that are made for form and only a single product that resembles a traditional calculator. The non-multifunctional products tend to have curvaceous designs which allow for easier grip along with rubber outlining and a size that is conducive for pocket carrying.  The traditional-style calculator product still has slightly modern touch in terms of style and is the most affordable of all calculator products.

Multifunctional calculator items are the most popular of the products available because of their unique style and convenient features. As promotional products multifunctional calculators tend to grab attention and draw greater crowds than traditional-style calculators. The most notable multifunctional calculators are mouse pad calculators, notebooks with calculators and the unique business card holder calculator. Most calculators are used on a desk – in an office setting – which is why mouse pad calculators are so popular. Notebooks with calculators are great as personal and business planners. The business card holder is a truly unique business tool that is bound to attract attention; it is also solar powered which gives it an eco-friendly appeal.

Some of the more peculiar multifunctional calculator designs that have boosted the promotional calculator market are carabiner calculators, flexible calculators and fashionable ruler calculator. Carabiner calculators can latch on to key chains, bags and clothing for easy portability and constant access. Flexible calculators are made almost entirely of rubber which allows them to be bent, twisted and folded any which way; beyond the novelty usage of this item it also comfortably stored in a pocket or bag as it can form fit to any compartment. The fashionable ruler calculator is as thin as a standard ruler but with an embedded calculator.  The goal of promotional products is to attract attention and promote a business or organization; these multifunctional calculators certainly accomplish this objective.

The holiday season is a great time to show your friends and family how much you appreciate them. But it’s also a time to show your appreciation for employees, employers and other people for which you have professional relationships. If you’re a manager, owner or involved in the inner-workings of a company, customizable products are great gift ideas for the office. If you’re an owner or manager, chances are you’ll get gifts from many if not all of your employees and co-workers, an easy way to return the favor is to get customizable products at Discount Mugs.com and give them to all of your employees. Discount Mugs.com has high quality and affordable items that are truly perfect for holiday gift giving in a professional setting. Here’s a list of some of the most popular holiday gifts for the office:

The 16oz Executive Stainless Steel with Heat Adapter – This high-tech customizable travel mug is one of the most impressive personalized items available. The 16oz Executive Stainless Steel with Heat Adapter is self heating and come with quality features like double wall steel insulation, plastic lid with spill prevention slide lock, easy grab and go handles and a twelve-volt car lighter travel mug heater.  Of all the features the last was certainly the most exciting; this mug has an attachable adapter that keeps coffee heated while you drive. This means that your coffee will be just as hot when you arrive at your destination as it was when you first poured it.

Laser Engraved Sports Bottles – Aluminum sports bottles with custom printing have always been popular promotional products to give to employees or at events, but the latest trend has been laser engraved aluminum sports bottles. These laser engraved sports bottles not only allow for precise logo engraving, but also offer the option of individually customized products. For instance, if you have twenty employees and would like to get an aluminum sports bottle for each person you’d just send in a list of they’ll receive quality aluminum sports bottles with their name laser engraved it.

Laser Engraved Executive Pens – Executive pens are high-end writing utensils made out of stainless steel or wood and have quality designs and features. These products can be ballpoint pens, twist top pens, or just regular top pens but have the unique option of custom laser engraving. It’s truly amazing how great logos look when custom laser engraved. The finest promotional pen available at Discount Mugs.com is the Margate Silver Net Barrel Pen, instead of traditional rubber or leather grip this pen has interwoven metal material that is quite aesthetically pleasing. Laser engraving also provides the option of personalizing these pens for your employees. Each pen could have the name of an employee and the company logo making it more of a personal gift.

Holiday Beer Mug

As we usher in the “most wonderful time of the year” with family coming home, presents being given and general merriment – there’s certainly plenty to celebrate; Beer mugs embody this celebratory spirit with their fun loving undertones and casual style. This year families and friends will gather to celebrate the holidays and usher in the New Year with a sense of hope and renewed bonds with family which makes it such an important time of year. Popular glassware items for holiday celebrations are wine glasses, whiskey glasses and coffee and tea glasses. Other popular items are beer mugs which are very comfortable and fun glassware items. Beer is a popular beverage during the holiday season with many brewers creating special beer for this specific time like Sam Adam’s Winter Lager and Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale. Customizable beer mugs help people enjoy their holiday beer drinking traditions in style with the personal touch of customization.

Types of beer mugs you should be looking for during the holiday season are hardy yet festive mugs like the 17.75oz Hamburgo Beer Tankard. This custom beer tankard holds more beer than the standard pint glass and has fabulous glass panel designs.   These glass panels create a greater structural integrity for the mug itself along with increasing the aesthetic appeal of this quality beer mug. The 17.75oz Hamburgo Beer Tankard also has an oversized handle for easy gripping.

A personal favorite is the 12oz Glass Sports Beer Mugs which have unique designs and amazing features. The 12oz Glass Sports Beer Mugs hold less beer than the average pint glass but look amazing and have an oversized handle that makes holding the mug comfortable and simple.

If you want a more unique product for the holiday season this year, try the Libbey 16oz Boot Glass Mug which is the standard size of a beer mug only it’s shaped like a boot. This boot shape makes it very appealing as a gift item because it’s so unique. Boot glass beer mugs are particularly fun products that allow people to really enjoy themselves in a silly humorous way.

Beer mugs are festive items that are also incredibly versatile.  Because these beer mugs are customizable, they can be designed for any holiday or event. Create a custom beer mug to celebrate: Christmas, Hanukah, New Years or any holiday. Events this beer mug could be used to celebrate are birthdays, family reunions or weddings that happen around the time of other holidays.  So make a toast to your family, friends and quality beer mugs this holiday season.

If you’re like a majority of Americans, you have yet to get all the Christmas presents for your friends, family and co-workers. It really is difficult to find the right gift for those who bring so much joy to your lives. The complicated criteria for Christmas presents look something like this: something personal but very useful, high-quality but low-cost and modern but timeless – no wonder holiday shopping so stressful. Consider customized Christmas gifts for this holiday season. A customized Christmas gift is one that has custom designs and logos on a useful product like a coffee mug or key chain. Here’s a list of gifts to get your friends family and coworkers.

Friends – DiscountMugs.com has a variety of customizable products that would be perfect for your friends no matter what sort of activities they enjoy. If your friends are very social get them custom beer mugs or beer glasses, these items customized with their name, nickname or funny slogan will certainly be memorable. If your friends are more into the fitness and physical activity scene, personalized sports bottles would be appreciated especially if they are into biking and running.

Family – Customizable products are great gifts for family members because they add a personal touch a beloved family member deserves. Certain items like custom printed coffee mugs and commemorative plates can be given as gifts while personalized key chains and customizable pens are probably best as stocking stuffers. T-shirts are also a great gift to give family members to commemorate a memorable Christmas occasion.

Co-workers – Whether you’re getting customizable Christmas presents for co-workers, employees or clients certain items really go over well in office settings. Travel mugs are particularly popular and with DiscountMugs.com’s vast inventory of products you’re bound to find a product that fits your recipients.  Other custom office supplies like notebooks, portfolios, personalized pens and mouse pads are also universally accepted in the workplace.

Whether you’re getting Christmas presents for your most beloved family members or acquaintances, everyone appreciates the personal thought that goes into customized product gifts. Use these customized Christmas gifts to create new and build old relationships in a way that is both thoughtful and affordable.