With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to get moving on ways to show your employees and clients how much they are valued. Here are a few inexpensive gift ideas to consider.

1. Gift cards
Gift cards can be purchased just about anywhere for just about anything. There are gift cards for major department stores, restaurants, specialty shops, online sites, and even gas stations. You can even purchase a Visa gift card to be used on anything, anywhere, for a small fee. Gift cards are often sold in multiplies of fives at big box stores for a discount. Costco and Sam’s Club regularly sell $100 worth of iTunes gift cards for about a $6 savings. Gift cards offer a wonderful ‘one size fits all’ kind of gift that clients and employees alike will find useful.

2. Motivational items
Whether simple paperweights and binders, or plaques and change holders, motivational sayings can be found on just about anything. Motivational items can be used to praise, encourage, or thank both employees and clients. Because people love to be inspired and appreciated, these gifts can help to strengthen loyalty from both the employee and the client.

3. Gourmet Chocolate or Popcorn
There are all sorts of mouthwatering flavors and varieties of both chocolate and popcorn. Choose anything from hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries to white chocolate truffles or delicious popcorn assortments in beautifully decorated tin cans. Incorporate your company’s branding on custom imprinted chocolate coins as the perfect way to show appreciation while promoting your brand. Any of these tasty treats are sure to please!

4. Picture frames
Everyone loves to show off their kids, grandkids, and adorable pets. Many people use them at both work and home, so you can never have too many. For a more personal touch, many picture frames can be engraved or have a saying placed on them.

5. Custom-made baskets
Gift baskets are always fun to give because you can have them custom-made and tailored to the personality of the recipient. If you know an employee is trying to eat healthier, a fruit basket is a great choice or perhaps a client always mentions that he enjoys fishing. A basket with artificial lures, fishing line and a few snack items to eat on the boat, would be perfect for him.

These unique and affordable ideas can be found online and are can be often purchased in bulk at discounted pricing. Hopefully, these ideas will get you on your way to finding the perfect gift for everyone on this year’s corporate shopping list.

The year 2013 will go down in history for many things, some more pleasant than others. By and large one of the happier highlights of the year will be the rare chance to celebrate two major holidays in one. This year Hanukkah coincides with Thanksgiving, giving families twice as much to celebrate. The first full day of Hanukkah falls on Thursday, November 28, the same day as Thanksgiving. This holiday convergence is so rare it has been dubbed “Thanksgivukkah.”

On Thanksgiving Day, American families will carve the turkey and light the second candle on the menorah on the same night. While the two holidays have shared the same space on the calendar before, the occasion is an extremely rare occurrence. So rare, that it last took place in the year 1888. But that’s nothing compared to the next time this pairing comes along. The next time Thanksgivukkah will be celebrated will not happen for another 70,000 years. Holiday table conversation will no doubt center on this rare event and the added significance of this particular Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. Thanksgivukkah is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.

There is more to the hybrid holiday than the sight of candied yams and sweet potato latkes on the same table. American Jewish families have much to be grateful for and much to celebrate. While the Thanksgiving holiday is quite different than the Jewish Hanukkah, there are actually more similarities than one might think. Thanksgiving and Hanukkah share much common ground. Both stories began with escape from religious persecution. Pilgrims flocked to the New World because they disagreed with the beliefs of the Church of England. The Jews in ancient times also fled religious persecution, as they rebelled against the process of worshiping Greek gods and false idols. Both groups sought freedom from tyranny and the chance to live and believe as they wished.

This special year, along with the turkey,stuffing and cranberries, parents and grandparents can celebrate Thanksgivukkah with traditional Hanukkah gelt. But we couldn’t let a once-in-the-next-70,000-years event take place without coming up with some special commemorative designs. Wait’ll you see the awesome chocolate coin designs we have in store for Thanksgivukkah 2013. Savor the season and the tradition with festive chocolate coins… Thanksgivukkah gelt! Get ’em while you can because you won’t see them again in this lifetime.

Ready or not, the holidays are upon us. In today’s fast-paced world where holidays and traditions can sometimes lose their true meaning in the quest for the newest iPad, Thanksgivukkah is so rare of an event that it deserves to have us acknowledge, if only for one day, what’s really important.

So get ready to carve that turkey & pass the latkes! Happy Thanksgivukkah, y’all!

Hope everyone has a very fun and very safe Halloween. Until next time…

I have nothing witty to say. Thank God this bit ends tomorrow.

Have a nice day.

Who has two bolts and loves the 80’s? THIS GUY!!