Employee Appreciation Day is March 1st this year. That dreaded calendar flip day when you realize you didn't look ahead and now you're not prepared AT ALL. Well, have no fear! Here are 10 great last-minute ideas that will delight and impress your team!

1. Head to the local gas station or grocery store and pick up some candy bars - lots of them have appreciation sayings . Pass those out with a personal hand-written note to show them you're grateful for all that they do.

2. Stop by the local coffee shop on your way back from lunch and surprise your team with an afternoon pick-me-up. Sweet treats and coffee are best when they're a surprise!

3. Check out our FREE, downloadable Winning Ways to Recognize Your Stars ebook for some great last-minute ideas.

4. Can't get out of the office? No problem! Send a thoughtful ePraise to your team members. You could even leave an element of surprise in the note and bring them a special breakfast on Monday or grant casual days for the next work week.

5. Use our FREE downloadable Freedom Passes to let your team members out an hour early in honor of your appreciation for them.

6. Attach one of these download-and-print wraps to a sucker, candy bar, or another sweet treat to show your appreciation.

7. Hold an impromptu morning meeting and spend time publicly thanking each team member for their specific contributions to the team. Tip: Be prepared with notes before you head into the meeting!

8. Take your team out to lunch! Or order in if you can't get out of the office.

9. At a loss for words? It's ok, our Sample Employee Recognition Messages list will help!

10. Split your group into teams and have a friendly office scavenger hunt throughout the day. Use this idea list to get started, and modify it for your office environment.

Most importantly, have fun with your team! And, to never find yourself in this unprepared predicament again, check out our Recognition Survival Kits; they’ll keep you equipped for every recognition moment, every time.

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As a team member since 2005, Falon has worn just about every hat the ‘ville has to offer. She’s seen both sides of working life — as an employee and as a manager — so if it sounds like she knows what she’s talking about, we’re pretty sure that’s why. When she’s not juggling between the IDville and Baudville brands, she’s been known to whip up a mean diorama - just like that!

Baudville recently launched Team Shirts which provides hundreds of pre-made t-shirt designs with your logo in mind. Here’s why I believe custom t-shirts are just the gift for your team members on Employee Appreciation Day, March 1st, 2013.

1.    Team Shirts appeal to the whole team and build camaraderie
Team Shirts are great gifts that every team member will appreciate and cherish. Custom t-shirts create a sense of pride and accomplishment amongst team members in the workplace. Say thanks to your team during Employee Appreciation Day with a Baudville theme t-shirt and add your team members' names, an accomplishment, and your organization's logo to create a personal touch to the business t-shirt.

2.    Categories and designs you can't get anywhere else
Don't waste your day choosing different clip art and placement options when Baudville's talented designers have already done the work for you. Simply choose from one of our 300 designs, add your name, logo, or both and sit back and relax.  

Baudville offers three categories of team shirts tailored with your logo in mind. Smart Sayings provide fun sayings to show off your company spirit. Events provide designs for every business, school, healthcare, philanthropic, and religious events. Baudville Themes use your favorite themes plus your logo to help promote your organization’s message.

Team Shirt: Events - Squares Reaching EV 076

Don't see a custom t-shirt that fits your organization? Don't worry. Baudville has a talented in-house design team that is ready to help. Simply call us up at 1.800.728.0888 and we'll help you create the perfect t-shirt to fit any event and organization.

3.    A lasting reminder of your appreciation
Custom t-shirts are a gift that can be used time and time again. T-shirts are a constant reminder of your appreciation for your team members' hard-work and dedication over the year. Celebrate the important milestones your organization accomplished with a custom t-shirt.

4.    Have a companywide Team Shirt casual day
Purchase a company shirt for your team before Employee Appreciation Day. Pass out the t-shirts to your team members in the days before Employee Appreciation Day and allow them to wear their Team Shirt for a casual day on Employee Appreciation Day. Don’t forget to add your company’s logo and name to the t-shirt to make the day extra special.

 Team Shirt: Smart Sayings - Big Deal SS001

5.    Quick Turnaround
Once you have approved your t-shirts, Baudville will ship the custom t-shirts to you within five business days. This fast turnaround helps you celebrate Employee Appreciation Day on time and in style!

Not sure what team shirt will fit your team for Employee Appreciation Day? Check out my favorites.

Smart Sayings:

Happy Friday! Today is a special Friday at Baudville because we’re celebrating Employee Appreciation Day. If you saw Brad’s earlier post, you know that we’re hosting the Summer Olympics a little early at the ‘ville. In honor of our Olympic Employee Appreciation Day, I have an Olympic-inspired High Five for Friday, too! Enjoy!

1. Summer Olympics in London. I love the Olympics! The bonus this year will be all the lovely British accents we hear! The games officially start on July 27, so mark your calendar!  

2. Baudville’s Guide to the Olympics. In 2010, we hosted the Winter Olympics at Baudville, and employees raved about the events. We’ve made all the event details and instructions available in our Recognition Resource Center, so you can host your own event.

3. Cupcakes. I have cupcakes on the BRAIN recently and am thinking about baking some delicious treats of my own this week. If you’re looking for some cupcake inspiration, take a quick stop at the blog Kevin & Amanda. This one in particular is calling my name!  

4. Celebration! Cinemas. I had the privilege of visiting Celebration! Cinemas this week and learning more about their culture. Each week, they have a ”Time Out” meeting where managers give updates on their goals and metrics. At the end, everyone shared a “liked best” for the meeting and gave major kudos to one another. It’s a great idea for any meeting!

5. Employee Appreciation Day! Employee Appreciation Day is always a fun event at Baudville, but this year the event has been taken up a notch! Check out all the gifts we received this morning!

I hope you're having a great Friday and Employee Appreciation Day! 

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

It’s Employee Appreciation Day, and instead of whooping it up with my team, I’m in Seattle preparing to wow attendees of the NAIS Annual Conference with our favorite IDville products. As I get set up, I can’t help but think about the whole Baudville office abuzz with energy.

If you’re a follower of the goings on here at Baudville, then you know that we always have a theme for Employee Appreciation Day. This year we’re harnessing the essence of the Summer Olympics, and with the help of our Spirit Team, it promises to be a memorable day filled with team building, medal-achieving activities for everyone.

While the theme may change from year to year, there is always one constant: a handwritten appreciation note waiting at each employee’s desk from their manager. It’s a great way to kick off the day, and gives the recipient a lasting reminder of their value to the company.

While I head off to limber up for my big day, I encourage you to take a moment to write a personal thank you note to every member of your team. After all, it’s your day to show some appreciation!

Do you want to host your own Office Olympics? Read our guide to Office Olympics in the Recognition Resource Center.

How are you celebrating Employee Appreciation Day? Tell us here! 

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Brad Darooge is President and CEO of Baudville and a positive mojo aficionado. He brings the positive mojo to work every day along with his bike. In addition to leading Baudville, Brad is also an amateur triathlete.

We had a great turnout for our first ever Employee Appreciation Day Pinterest contest. A couple of weeks ago, we announced a Pinterest contest in which you had to create a board and fill it with Baudville employee recognition gifts you would enjoy handing out to your teammates. We were thrilled when we received all of your amazing employee recognition boards!

And the winners are…(drumroll)…

Winner #1: Erica Seaver-Engel
Erica showcased an array of great Baudville products that would be a perfect addition to anyone’s Employee Appreciation Day. Check out the awesome captions she added for each recognition gift. Erica will receive a $150 credit to help further her appreciation endeavors!

Winner #2: Emily Cabrera
Emily pinned some great ideas on how to recognize your employees for Employee Appreciation Day.  We LOVED her picture of how she uses the Baudville Tell us About You Forms. What a great way to make your volunteers feel appreciated! Emily will receive a $75 Baudville credit toward her next Baudville purchase.

They’re not the only ones who posted some pretty cool boards! Check out some of our other entrants’ boards to help inspire a great Employee Appreciation Day.
  

Cindy Anderson

Cara Matthews

Robyn Stojakovich

Donna Deffenbaugh

Cindy Newman

Don’t forget March 2nd is Employee Appreciation Day. What are you going to give your teammates?

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Kendra is the newest Baudvillian. She is currently an advertising intellectual at Grand Valley State University, and is ecstatic about the change of atmosphere as Baudville’s web marketing intern. Watch out because this young professional just touched down at Baudville.