Although some people say the art of gift giving has fallen by the wayside in our fast-paced lives, I say not so! Lots of managers, companies, and coworkers give meaningful, memorable gifts to employees during the holiday season.

I know it may seem a little early to talk about gift shopping, but the time is here! As you plan your employee gifts for the end of the year, keep these tips for gift giving in mind for an effective and impactful gift moment.

1. Keep it Simple. Your gift doesn’t need to be extravagant in order to make an impact. Brainstorm gift ideas your recipients will appreciate, such as a favorite candy or desktop gift. Remember, it really is the thought that counts!

2. Shop Early. Holiday gift items are often limited in quantity, like our popular Spinner Ornaments. For the best selection, shop early!

3. Stick to your Budget. There’s no need to overextend yourself for employee gifts.  Shop by price on Baudville.com to find gifts that will fit budgets of all sizes.

4. A Gift is as Good as its Wrapping. Make your gift beautiful for the presentation! Always give a gift after its been gift wrapped. If you’re not very good with all that folding and taping, use a gift bag. A beautiful gift bag and matching tissue paper can make a memorable impression on the recipient.

5. The Presentation is as Memorable as the Gift. Giving employee gifts at the end of the year is a great opportunity for motivating your team. Think about what you will say when you present gifts to get the most bang for your buck.

DO NOT simply leave the gift on your employees’ desks while they are in the bathroom! Take your team out to lunch or organize a special team meeting with refreshments. By taking the time out of your busy schedule, you let your employees know their contributions are important.

Can you think of a gift that a boss or coworker gave you that was given just right: memorable and personal? Or do you have a gift giving horror story? Share it here!

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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.

For me, it seems like summer just decided to grace us with its presence here in West Michigan. While summer's rolling in, Baudville has been busy rolling out fabulous new products. A specific new set of products we are really excited about is the new Gift Sets.

Although Gifts Sets as a whole are not a new concept, we have launched two new Gift Set options. The new Journal, Pen, and Tote Gift Set includes a 100 page journal, coordinating pen, and a poly-canvas tote. The new Office Gift Set includes a 575-sheet note cube with coordinating pen, a 14 oz travel mug, and a kraft bag with tissue paper creating an outstanding gift presentation.  With the many Gift Sets available, you can mix and match providing an array of Gift Sets to recognize your employees and coworkers.

This week at Baudville we just got word of our company picnic  taking place in early August. If your company is having a picnic or company gathering this summer, field games are a great way to bring people together. Gift Sets are fantastic prizes for the winning team or individual. If you have 3-legged race, don't miss out on awarding the winning team with our new Teamwork Journal, Pen, and Tote Gift Set, or our new TEAM Office Gift Set . For an egg-dash, (set an egg on a spoon and run up and down a marked area, whoever still has the egg on the spoon and finishes first wins!) award the individual winner with our You are Truly Appreciated Journal, Pen, and Tote Gift Set, or our Making a Difference Office Gift Set.

Gift Sets have tons of practical uses for your employees and coworkers to use in the office or at home. At Baudville people like to bring tennis shoes to work and walk during lunch, totes make a perfect carrying case for their tennis shoes. I like to bring my totes to the beach, out for picnics, and to the grocery store as an extra reusable bag! Who doesn't need an extra pen and note cube or journal; I love to keep one by the phone in case I need to jot something down quickly. At Baudville, everyone has a travel mug or water bottle on their desk. Travel Mugs are great for coffee enthusiast, tea lovers, and just plain H2O aficionados, all of whom can use a mug on the go and at work.

Don't worry I saved the best news for last. By bundling and buying a gift set you save yourself or the company $4! Don't miss this practical summer steal!

*Don't forget to vote for your favorite summer team event stories on Facebook. The winning team receives Gifts Sets for the whole team! Vote now by visiting our Facebook page and like your favorite story (the team with the most likes wins).

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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.

I just returned from a vacation in Budapest, Hungary, where there was very little that wasn’t completely foreign to me. The language. The currency. The landscape. Really, pretty much everything.

After hiking to the top of Gellert Hill on day three, we were met with colossal monuments, a breathtaking panorama of the Buda and Pest cityscapes split by the Danube River, and a humbling military fortress, complete with rows of artillery cannons. Yep, we definitely weren’t in Michigan anymore.

The unknown certainly sets the stage for great adventure; but there comes a point when it doesn’t hurt to encounter something familiar as well. So, imagine my delight (I may have squealed) when we rounded the Citadella’s main façade and bumped into this:

My friends giggled as I insisted on taking a photo of this lapel pin display; but little did they know how close to home I suddenly felt. Or, my home away from home that is: the ‘ville.

As I basked in my warm fuzzy moment, I also felt a deep thought coming on: that in a culture that seemed so dramatically different from my own, there was common ground in something as simple as a lapel pin.

In any setting—not just a military one—lapel pins portray honor and accomplishment. They’re a badge to be worn with pride and prestige. That’s why they remain one of our most popular recognition rewards. And, apparently, our Hungarian friends feel the same way!  

We don’t have one of the Magyar flag (yet); but we do have an out-of-this-world variety of exclusively-designed lapel pins for just about any occasion. Plus, we offer custom lapel pins, so if you can dream it up, we can probably do it.

And, here’s a little secret: our designers are currently working on a whole new batch of lapel pins. So, stay tuned!

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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for two and a half years and has worked in a variety of business settings for more than 17 years. Before becoming a professional writer 10 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

There’s a lot happening at Baudville this week! We’re starting our tradeshow season, we have new education products available on our website, and we’re gearing up for the big appreciation holidays (National Volunteer Week, Administrative Professional's Week, Teacher Appreciation Week, National Nurses Week - and that's just a few of them!). In addition to our general busyness, we’re currently competing in two industry competitions!

Last week, we were named a finalist in the Multichannel Merchants Awards for our Teacher Appreciation Week catalog from 2010. Our catalog was reviewed by a panel of judges who reviewed everything from design to copy to the marketing success of the catalog. We’ll find out on May 4th if we won a silver or gold award from the judging panel!

Right now over at Stationery Trends Magazine, two of our stationery products are competing for a Trendy Award. The Trendys honor the best in the stationery industry. Manufacturers and designers submit entries for the competition, and stationery retailers and those in the industry can register to vote for their favorites. Our Shout Outs and Peel and Stick Recognition Note Set are both competing in the office category.

            

If you’ve used either of these employee recognition products or simply think they’re pretty cool, please visit the Trendys’ website to vote for us! All you have to do it register, and you can assign your thumbs up to both of our products. 

Help us show the stationery industry that Baudville is the premiere choice for office recognition products!

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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.

Lapel pins are a traditional element of an employee recognition program. They’re often used to commemorate years of service, retirement, and major awards. In today’s technology driven world, it may come as a surprise that lapel pins are still a popular and desired form of recognition.

Lapel pins remain an effective employee recognition award because the recipient has a lasting and displayable memento of the recognition moment. The lapel pin acts as a mini-trophy that the recipient and show off to co-workers, customers, and even family members.

In my experience working with our customers, it’s obvious that lapel pins are a source of pride for the recipient. A pin can represent a significant achievement, like years of service, or demonstrate commitment to a cause, like volunteer appreciation.

We’ve worked with several companies to create custom lapel pin collect-and-display programs. You can read about Esurance’s program that recognizes associates for learning new skills in our Recognition Resource Center.

You can incorporate lapel pins into your employee recognition program to help gain management buy-in, too. Thanks to their low cost, lapel pins are a viable option for any organization!

Lapel pins are so popular, in fact, that we have just released over 30 new designs! All the new designs are exclusive to Baudville and available on our website. One of our new favorites in our lapel pin collection are the new LED lapel pins. Available in three themes, LED lights in the pins blink to draw special attention to the recipient.

There are lots of ways to incorporate lapel pins into your recognition program. Some of the most common uses for lapel pin recognition are:

- Recognize perfect attendance
- Honor years of service
- Provide on-the-spot recognition
- Volunteer appreciation
- Create a collect-and-display recognition program
- Give special recognition on someone’s birthday
- Present an affordable award with Character Pins
- Celebrate team accomplishments
- Recognize safety

How do you use lapel pins in your recognition program?