What to Bring to your Office Christmas Party

It’s that time of year again for peppermint mochas, listening to Bing Crosby’s ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas’ on repeat and the annual office Christmas party. With all the holiday cheer it’s easy to forget to plan ahead. Are you having trouble deciding what to gift your co-workers and clients this year? Do you know what you’re bringing to the party? Don’t fret, you still have time.

Instead of the same old fruit basket, think about spicing it up this year with some of these unique and thoughtful holiday ideas.

Take the reins. Design personalized vests for your team’s Christmas 5k run for a cure to show team spirit and initiative.

•   Make homemade treats for an easy and inexpensive gift. Try chocolate covered pretzels or peppermint bark. Check out Food Network for recipes and more here.
• Be festive for the holidays. Decorate the office with an LED Christmas tree, a wreath for the front door, or Christmas cutouts for decorating the cubicles or common areas.
• Create a Christmas music playlist to play at the party. We suggest the classics including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole.

What are you planning for your office Christmas party this year? Share with us now.

Our team at APP wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Give More than Thanks this Thanksgiving

For most families, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and give thanks for their health, life, friends, and family. Busy schedules can make it easy to forget about all we have to be grateful for in our lives.  We must take a moment to remind ourselves of those struggling without a job, good health, or a stable community and  give back to  those in need. Here are a three ways you can help those less fortunate this thanksgiving:

1.       Donate a Turkey. Visit Thanksgiving For All to send a turkey to hungry families in need who would otherwise not have a Thanksgiving day meal.

2.       Walk for a cause in a charity Turkey Trot. Stay fit this Thanksgiving by participating in a charity run. Make it memorable with customized t-shirts or hats for the group. Turkey Trot proceeds typically go to your local food bank or charity so it’s a great way to support the community. Find a Turkey Trot in your area at http://www.active.com/running/turkeytrot .

3.       Visit hospital patients. For sick patients who don’t have family nearby to visit them, Thanksgiving can be a sad and lonely day. Call your local hospital to find out if there are any patients who would like a visitor. Bring them a gift instead of food; most hospitals have a strict food policy.

What do you have to be thankful for this year? Share with us now.

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Score a Touchdown This Season

Whether you are in a lifelong team rival such as Bears vs. Packers or a fair-weather fan, everyone has a favorite. The best way to cheer on your favorite football team this season is to show your team spirit with pride. Below are a few creative ways to demonstrate team spirit at your next tailgating party.

Do it Yourself (DIY) projects are usually a fan favorite because its budget friendly and the options are limitless. A terrific tailgating project is car art. Use temporary paint to decorate your car with football team colors, or draw on your mascot to show your team spirit all the way to the game.

Custom themed apparel is another great way to show you’re a true fan. Use our embroidery and screen printing services to create a uniquely yours custom t-shirt or jersey .

 Don’t forget about your pooch. Let your pet participate in the fun with our pet football jersey in sizes x-small to large.

If you’re throwing your own football party at home, score a touchdown with football themed napkins, dishes and recipes. Food Network has great game day snacks that any football lover would enjoy.

How will you show your team pride? Share with us now!

Be social! For exclusive new products, offers, and updates find us on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. For more ideas visit our online store to shop football décor and gifts!

Fall into Winter with New Apparel

Whether you manage an on-campus college store, an online corporate store, or a small business store, finding good quality products can be a challenge. The holiday season is just around the corner. Get into the spirit this year with custom products and apparel to spice up your winter inventory.

Some winter ideas for your store:

·          The Interlock knit turtleneck can be dressed up with a blazer for a networking event or dressed down with jeans on casual Friday.

·          Fleece vests are a cozy addition to any outfit during the winter months, great for outside team events, or a football game.

·         Our soft sweatshirts are great for college athletes, or relaxing weekends by the fire.

If you’re interested in more of our winter options visit us at our online shop  and click Corporate Apparel to get customizing today. Share with us how you’d customize your apparel.

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3 Ways To Customize Your Wedding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A woman’s wedding day is one of the most memorable days of her life. This milestone is an event that can takes months of planning, tasting, and shopping to prepare for. Many brides want their wedding to be unique and personalized to their style and taste. Here are a few ideas on how to customize your big day.

 

·         Custom shirts.  Make your Bachelorette party extra special with custom shirts for all the ladies in your wedding party. Add the date of your wedding, each of their names, and a personalized design or quote to the back of each shirt.

 

·         Custom invitations. Separate your wedding from the rest with custom made invites. It sets the tone for your wedding day, and can be a great way to showcase your personality.

·         Custom party favors. Wedding favors can be a tough gift to buy for your entire guest list. Give customized treats or choose a gift that your guests can use again.

 

Planning a weddings are a stressful yet fun experience. Make it your own, and enjoy the process as it will be your big day before you know it. 

 

For more wedding ideas visit our online store to shop more customizable products!

 

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Have A Haunting Halloween Week

Looking for fun ways to spice up a dull office this Halloween? The holidays can be the perfect time to build company morale, liven up your cubicle, and get to know your co-workers. Here are a few ideas on how to inject some frighteningly fun events into the workplace.

1.       Cubicle decorating contest.  Provide employees with a specific set of items, including paper, markers, streamers and tape. The winner with the most creative cubical décor wins a gift such as a Leather Wrapped Tumbler Gift Set.

2.       Pumpkin carving contest. Provide pumpkins and tools to those who entered. Give contestants 1 hour to complete and turn in their finished pumpkin project. The winning pumpkin can be showcased at the front of the office for the month, announced on the company Facebook and Twitter page, and awarded free pumpkin spiced lattes for the week.

3.      Halloween themed lunch.  Tell employees to come in costume for the day. Plan a spooky themed lunch menu including items such as, marinated mozzarella eyeballs with olive irises, mummified cheesy pasta, or an 8 legged spider cheese ball. This can be a great way to let loose, and get to know your employees and co-workers in a fun spirited environment.

Have any other spooktacular ideas to add? Share with us now!

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For more ideas visit our online store to shop our Halloween décor and gifts!

 

 

Not Kanye’s Work-Out-Plan

Starting a fitness routine is one of the best ways to get your body and mind healthy. Here’s 5 ways to help you get your health back on track.

1.      Assess your Fitness Level

Most people have a general idea of their fitness level, but it’s important to know exactly where you stand. Here are some measurable ways to track your fitness level. Start by getting a fitness journal to record the following. Measure your pulse rate before and after you walk 1 mile. Record how long it took you to walk 1 mile. Record the number of push-ups you can do at a time. Measure your waist circumference just above your hipbone. Lastly record your body mass index; you can easily calculate your BMI here.

2.      Design your Fitness Plan

Although it’s easy to say you’ll work out every day it can be unrealistic with a busy schedule. It’s important to have a plan in place; you’ll be more likely to stick with it. When you are formulating your fitness routine, it’s important to think about your goals. What do you want to accomplish, is it weight loss, an increase in muscle, or just tone up? In general most adults should aim for at least 150 moderate intensity activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity.

3.      Assemble your workout gear and apparel

It’s important to have all of the necessary equipment and apparel in order to make your routine a reality. Whether you’re working out at home, or joining a gym finding new work out apparel makes you feel good. This will promote self-confidence and encourage a fresh start.

4.      Get started

If you haven’t worked out in a while, start out slow to allow your body to get back into the rhythm of your new routine. If your schedule is busy, try breaking up your workout instead of doing it all at once. Frequent 15 minute high intensity workouts can have a greater affect than long less difficult sessions.

5.      Monitor your progress

Revisit step 1 in six weeks to record your progress in your fitness journal. If you find yourself loosing motivation, try working with a personal trainer, check out a new class, or work out with a friend. Keeping your goals in mind will help you stay on track and help you get to a healthier you.

For more men’s and women’s fitness apparel and products visit our online store at www.app-co.com.

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Let's Play Ball!

Creating a work softball league is a great way to build team spirit and comradery among co-workers outside of the office. A co-ed softball team is a good choice because it’s perfect for the seasoned athlete as well as the beginner, offering something for everyone to enjoy.

Here’s some tips on starting your own work softball league!

1.      Poll coworkers for their interest before you start planning the league. Talk to everyone so you understand the overall interest in forming a softball league.

2.      Bring up the idea with management, emphasizing that a recreational softball league is a good way to foster teamwork and build morale in the company. Let them know the degree of interest in the company, you may be able to get some funding for the league.

 

3.      Decide how to structure your softball league. If you work at a large company, different departments can function as individual softball teams. If your company is small, look for other small companies to play against.

4.      Start a softball committee with a few co-workers to help with decision making and planning.

5.      Create the rules with your softball committee. Decide how many people should be on each team, whether to play slow-pitch or fast-pitch softball, if you want to give out awards, and consider how often your team will play.

6.      Investigate costs and equipment. Find out if anybody in the company has softball equipment to donate. If not, order company-inspired logoed T-shirts for your team uniform, along with necessary mitts, bats, and protective gear.

7.      Hold an organizational meeting after work, inviting anyone who's interested in joining. Bring a signup sheet and explain the rules and fees, letting people know how often they'll be playing.

8.      Create a bi-weekly schedule, and send out e-mail reminders the week of to your team.  Remember to be safe and play ball!

For more softball equipment and apparel visit us at www.app-co.com!

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Favorite Fall Finds

We love fall at APP, it’s one of our favorite times of year. What’s most fun is watching the leaves change from green to orange, feeling that first crisp breeze on the way to work, and weekends full of football. 

Fall is a time of change for all of us, including new apparel, sports, and weather. To make sure you’re prepared take inventory of what you want to keep, toss, and donate. Here a few of our fall favorites, and must-haves to help you spice up the new fall season.

 

Our Fall Favorites:

1.      Run for a cause with style in our breathable fitted moisture-wicking pants. Guaranteed these will be your next workout favorite!

2.      Be cool and cozy at your next office meeting in a classic Port Authority interlock knit turtleneck. (This would also look great customized with your logo.)

3.      Make your company’s greeting cards special this year with personalized prints! You can choose from a variety of our custom fall designs and themes.

4.      Bring the outside in with festive fall décor accents. Spice up your board room with a center piece full of cozy fall colors; stick a friendly scare crow at your reception desk, or decal leaves to your office window.

For more fall ideas and décor visit our online store to shop our fall apparel and products!

 

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Last Minute Labor Day Tips

Labor Day marks the end of summer, and the beginning of back to school days, political elections, and most importantly the celebration of the contributions of workers. Relax and celebrate the fruits of your labor this year by enjoying a no-fuss Labor Day party!

5 tips to Making Your Labor Day Party Care-free:

·         Keep your signature sangria cool in our Vino-2-go thermal wine glass while you relax by the pool. Martha Stewart has a great fruit sangria recipe, it looks so refreshing!

·         Stay relaxed this weekend by gifting your grill master with a new set of stainless steel BBQ tools. Let him do all the cooking for you today.

·         After lunch let loose with a care free game of Frisbee. For fun party favors get custom Frisbees made for your guests to take home at the end of the night.

·         Need to cool down your champagne for a night cap toast? Wet and wring out a dish towel, wrap it around your bottle and set in the freezer for 15 minutes.

·         Lastly make sure to enjoy your time with family and friends this weekend. Celebrating each other’s hard work is what’s most important this Labor Day.

For more back yard BBQ ideas and décor you can visit us at www.app-co.com or search over 5,000 of our customizable products here.

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