Easy Springtime Recipes

Are you dreaming of warm spring weather as much as we are? Now is the perfect time to start planning ahead by organizing a springtime picnic for the office. Start by putting together a menu with some lively recipes and gathering the right picnic essentials. Here are three easy springtime recipes that your co-workers will love.

1.     Pineapple Punch

Nothing says springtime like tropical punch. We love this recipe from Southern Living because it mixes the tropical fruit flavors of pineapple, orange, and mango.

All you need to do is stir together a 2-liter bottle of ginger ale, 12 oz. orange –pineapple juice, and 1 cup mango nectar. Add finely grated ginger, pineapple chunks, and fresh cut kiwi for added flare.

Wouldn’t this drink work great for your next team picnic?

   

     2.     Strawberry Tarts 

Tarts are perfect for eating on the go because they don’t require utensils to eat. Make these strawberry tarts for those who have a sweet tooth. Here is one delectable tart recipe to try from Ina Garten at Food Network.

Be sure to keep all your snacks and beverages fresh in an insulted lunch bag. It features snap closures and side ties to keep everything in place. Wherever your picnic destination is located, your food will stay fresh and in tact on the way. Our last springtime recipe features chocolate covered fruit that you wont feel guilty eating.

3.     Grape Poppers

Fruit reminds us of spring because it’s light and refreshing. Grape poppers are an easy fruit treat and perfect for a picnic! All you need is a bag of grapes, white, dark or milk chocolate, your choice of nuts and some toothpicks. The steps are even easier than the ingredients:

                   -Use the toothpicks to spear the grapes.

                         -Dip them in white chocolate. 

                         -Roll them in nuts. 

                         -Set on wax paper until dry.

                         -Enjoy!

Voila! You’re done!

Don’t forget to order your team members custom lunch bags to keep all of their yummy dishes fresh on-the-go.

What’s your favorite springtime recipe?

Creating a Fun Work Environment

It’s no secret that when employees are happy they are more productive, and more productivity equals more profit. So, we’ve complied a three ways to create a fun work environment to ensure employee happiness, which will ensure that profit margins won’t falter. 

Give employees flexibility
When it comes to dress codes, it’s important to offer flexibility in the work place. Employees won’t feel as restricted but instead they’ll be able to express their individuality. Offering your employee’s personalized apparel will not only make them feel a part of the team it will also allow you to feature your brand. If you’re in the market for quality summer apparel, we offer a wide variety of custom polo’s, and embroidery services. Are you using custom apparel to tell the world about your brand? 

Make lunch fun
Allow employees to enjoy their break in new ways by providing activities that they can participate in during lunch. Find out employee interests, whether it be gardening, knitting, or painting or offer workshops in their favorite subjects during the lunch hour. Providing a fun work environment enriches employee experience at work and shows employees that you care about their individual wellbeing as well as their professional goals and interests.

Boost team spirit
When employees work together as a team and feel a sense of belonging they are more productive. Host outings for all employees to participate in and get to know each other outside of the office. Try joining a bowling league or other recreational sports or take a weekend trip to foster teamwork out of the office.
 
Do you feel like your work environment is fun? What does your company do to build employee morale and ensure everyone is happy?

Tradeshow Trends

Tradeshows are a great way to reach potential leads for your business. Industries from tech to produce hold conferences throughout the year to discuss industry trends and to showcase products and services. In 2014, plan to make a lasting first impression with these tradeshow trends.

Engage your audience with data-driven learning experiences. These experiences allow your potential audience to engage with the brand, while providing your company with behavioral data and fill in the blanks of what people care about and their intentions of coming to your show. Use technology to figure out how people move within your space.

By focusing on conversation instead of hard sale tactics, your audience will have more of an opportunity to ask questions they believe are relevant to their business objectives. You should make your booth relevant to your audience to get their attention and be top of mind by accommodating their needs.

Create a space of comfort within your booth to hold meetings, sit and chat or hold a brief demonstration. Colors should be cool with a few light wood tones. The space should have a real world feel to increase the feeling of authenticity.

Stand out on the tradeshow floor by incorporating live music and demonstrations to capture the imagination of your audience in a branded way. This will increase brand awareness after the tradeshow.

Spend your budget wisely by creating an active brand and product engagement that makes sense to your target audience. Another way to spend wisely is to shop American Promotional Products for all of your tradeshow needs. We offer a wide variety of apparel and products from trusted brands.  By leveraging these tradeshow tactics you can turn your next tradeshow appearance into a success! 

Valentine’s Day at the Office

With Valentine’s Day on a Friday this year, it is time for a refresher on handling Valentine’s Day at the office. While some hopeless romantics are lovesick over flowers, candies and sweet nothings from their significant others, some people don’t care for a holiday that encourages doting on your loved ones. Valentine’s Day opinions can make the day particularly sensitive, so here are some ways we recommend handling Valentine’s Day at the office.

Gift giving should be done in a fair way. Just like in elementary school, if you bring in a Valentine’s Day card for one person, you bring them in for everyone. Not including someone in your Valentine’s Day gifts may cause their feelings to be hurt or can make them feel uncomfortable.

If you want to give gifts to some people, do it outside of the office. The same goes for flirting. Valentine’s Day can be seen as a time to express feelings for a person in hopes that your romantic interest is reciprocated, but it is best to keep your relationships out of the office.

Keep your emotions in check on Valentine’s Day. Three girls in the office received flowers from their boyfriend, and you are single. Emotions run high on Valentine’s Day, but you cannot let them affect your work. Instead, take a deep breath, leave your emotions at the door and focus on the task at hand – work.

Harness emotions the night before by baking cookies as a sweet treat to everyone in the office. Everyone loves a cookie, especially when emotions are high. It is a great way to help your fellow coworkers relax and enjoy the day.

A nice way for management to get involved in the Valentine’s Day spirit is gift giving. Show your employees how much you care by getting them something as simple as a personalized mug. At American Promotional Products, you can select from a wide range of tumblers, mugs, bags and other branded promotional products that are a nice way to say that you appreciate your people. 

What is Considered Business Casual?

In today’s lax society, it is hard to imagine going to work in a full suit and tie. While there are some offices that still require traditional business attire, most allow business casual. But, what is business casual?

Business casual is a term used to describe office dress code or clothing that is more casual than traditional business wear, while still looking professional. Generally speaking, business casual is a way for employees to feel more comfortable at work while still maintaining an appropriate level of professionalism. 

If you are uncertain what is appropriate for a business casual dress code, there is no harm in asking your boss or human resources. Also, observe how others in the office dress; it is a great way to gauge what is expected from your employer.

Business Casual Tips for Men

Collars are in! Whether it is a long sleeved button down shirt, a polo shirt, or a golf shirt, remember that collars are the most appropriate for business casual attire.

Tuck your tails! Your shirt should be tucked in and paired with an appropriate belt.

No tie required! Business casual does not require you to wear a tie, so relax, unbutton that top button and leave the tie at home.

Jeans are not considered business casual. This is where business casual goes grey. Some places allow you to wear jeans as part of their business casual attire, while others do not. Be sure to establish if denim is okay. Until then, wear khakis, dress pants or trousers.

Dress up your feet with formal leather shoes and dress socks. Oxfords and loafers are standard.

Business Casual Tips for Women

Women have more options than men do when dressing for business casual.

Keep length in mind when picking a skirt or a dress. An acceptable workplace hem falls just below the knee.

Khakis, linen or dress pants are all acceptable. If your employer allows jeans, skip the distressed look and go for a standard straight leg jean.

Top it off with a blouse, either tucked in or our, depending on the style. Do not wear overly flashy shirts or a blouse with a very deep neckline. Polos and button down shirts work for women as well.

Cold Weather Dressing Tips

As we go through the toughest winter months of the season, to stay professional for work, you need to make some modifications to your wardrobe, while still maintaining your business casual attire. Here are some of our best cold weather dressing tips for a business casual winter!

Cold Weather Dressing Tips for Men

Dressing appropriate for work and weather is important. A great wardrobe staple that will keep you warm on chilly days is a V-neck wool sweater paired with a long sleeved button down shirt underneath. This will add layers while still looking professional.

A cable knit sweater is another alternative for staying warm at work. 

A heavier material pant, such as khakis or corduroy, clean and pressed will help keep your legs warm while still maintaining business casual attire.

Your ability to perform at work will be impaired if you are too cold, that’s why outerwear and underwear are important to staying warm. Longjohns containing dri-fit technology will help keep you dry while working indoors, and keep your warm outdoors. Meanwhile, heavy winter hiking boots, a peacoat, a scarf, gloves and a hat are all a must while outdoors to keep everything from your nose to your toes warm.

Cold Weather Dressing Tips for Women

The long sleeved button down shirt with a blazer or sweater works well for women as well as men. Be sure to wear it with a nice pant, and a button down.

If you still enjoy wearing your skirts and dresses in the winter, invest in a pair of thick, or fleece lined tights to lock in heat and keep you warm.

Sweater dresses are your friend in the winter months, just be sure to your sweater dress is long enough to be appropriate for work and paired with opaque tights.

Boots and booties will keep your toes warm while still maintaining a professional look.

Outerwear and underwear are equally important for women. Dress for warmth with a peacoat, scarf, gloves and a hat, while wearing longjohns or tights under pant outfits.

Remember, dressing warm in the winter is important to your health as well as your work performance, but don’t let the weather deter you from dressing with business casual in mind. 

What is your favorite business casual cold weather dressing tip?

Making Promotional Fit Lifestyle

Comfort is important in today’s casual world; three-piece suits are no longer a requirement in the office and employees take full advantage of the fact that business dress code has become more lax. Corporate to casual attire requires a professional refinement, while still meeting the active lifestyle of employees outside of the office. Business casual attire should be able to float between the office, the golf course, the restaurant, or a weekend getaway without the individual feeling like they are wearing “business” clothes. Here are some ways to bring casual to business through apparel.

Lifestyle Brands

Maintaining the business casual environment is easy when corporate promotional apparel is made from lifestyle brands, such as Nike; allowing the apparel to easily transfer from in office to out-of-office. Providing brands that people want to wear will increase the likelihood that promotional apparel will be worn elsewhere.

Material

No one likes the feeling of wearing a uniform to work so scratch the itchy fabrics, and opt for soft fleece, or dri-fit material. Dri-fit technology is designed to be cool and breathable, while absorbing the moisture from the body. Dri-fit is great for a company promoting a business casual workplace as well as a healthy, active lifestyle in extracurricular activities.

Color

Don’t limit color options. A plethora of colors diminishes monotony of business casual attire, allowing for ease of flow from the workplace.

Business apparel does not have to be stuffy, however it should be polished. That is where American Promotional Apparel comes in. With top brands, comfortable materials and a wide range of color options, it is easy to take corporate promotional attire from corporate to casual. Whether on the green, in the office, or on the sales floor, American Promotional Apparel has everything your company needs for useable corporate promotional apparel.