1. Graduation Gifts

Colorful, themed lanyards can make a great graduation gift. You can surprise high school seniors with a lanyard with their new college name and logo on it, helping them show some school spirit and get excited for the future. For college grads, you can customize a lanyard with good wishes and encouragement on their new careers.

2. Charitable Causes

If you’re running in a marathon, organizing a fundraiser or participating in a charity, you can get custom-made neck lanyards to suit the special event. They’ll liven up the occasion and help spread the word so that more people get involved. You might want to hand them out to all participants as a thank you for their help or give lanyards to event organizers so that others can identify those in charge.

3. Parties

For a fabulous celebration, hand out custom lanyards to party guests. They’ll have an awesome party favor and keepsake to remember the great event for years to come.

4. Car Keys

Car keys have a way of getting lost, usually at the most inconvenient times. Keep track of your keys by attaching them to a lanyard and wearing it around your neck when you go out. They’ll always be on hand and never get lost again!

5. ID cards

Attaching a name tag or ID card to a lanyard is a great way to keep track of who’s who at a party or event. Corporate gatherings, charity events, and even class trips would benefit from having these creative name tags on hand.

Neck lanyards are important accessories with an endless number of uses. Make your life easier by taking advantage of these simple tools. Whether you’re a CEO looking for a better way to identify employees, or a high school student looking for a fun and memorable party favor, you’ll love these products.

So with Mother’s Day just behind us, and this week being National Food Allergy Awareness Week, the struggles of moms and kids with allergies has definitely been on my mind. And what I’ve learned most is that it’s all about information. Information that moms with food allergy kids are happy to give. And that information often comes with incentives as well, be that treats that are free of whatever allergen is the culprit, or teal awareness ribbons, which will remind the wearer and anyone who sees them to be mindful of what they’re eating when they’re in an area with a food allergy child.

Having a food allergy can be scary until it’s under control. My coworker knows this first hand. She’s had more than one faux heart attack getting a call from school that someone accidentally brought nuts into the classroom. Her son is fine though, and with increased knowledge of his condition, his teachers and classmates have come to not only understand food allergies, but to respect his differences and eagerly go peanut free in his presence.

If you know someone with a food allergy, tell them they have your support. It’s a big world, and awareness isn’t as high as it should be for something as serious as this. Having cards with info of good and bad foods to hand out is always helpful, and including a little “thank you” with awareness ribbons doesn’t hurt. Knowledge is power, and it’s also peace of mind for moms and dads, especially for my co-worker. Cause we want her son around for a long time: he rocks.

When I was little, I could get away with giving my mom a handful of dandelions and a kiss, and that served me well for a number of years. But now, as a grown up myself, I like to  think I’m a little bit more refined than that. Or at least that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself. Basically, I’m at the age where I want to give my mother something on Mom’s day that will hold up a little bit better than weeds. The kiss still goes over well, but nowadays I pair that with something like jewelry, lapel pins amongst them. Pieces that no only look pretty, but remind my mother that she’s important to me, every time she puts it on.

I know my mom would love me even if I still handed over nothing but dandelions and affection, but I think I’ll feel a little bit more confident showing up at my parents’ house this weekend with something a little more. And let’s face it, they know I work for a company that sells lapel pins, I think she would be surprised if she didn’t get one! So think outside the norm of flowers this Mother’s Day. Lapel pins are a lot more than a sales ploy: they make one heck of a thank you, as well.

There is a large surge of military vets becoming teachers once their service is done, and with Teacher appreciation day in the same month as Military appreciation Month, I think  these individuals deserve twice the thanks. Their job was not easy in fatigues, and it isn’t easy in dress slacks in front of a chalk board. So whether you’re a student, a parent, or just a member of the community, recognition pins are a great token of appreciation that go a long way and cost little.

And even if your teacher was not a soldier, they are still in charge of training our most precious commodity domestically: our children. They make our country stronger from the inside out and that’s an extremely vital job, not unlike fighting for our country from far away lands.

Teachers and vets have a lot in common so it’s not surprising many vets are becoming teachers. But regardless of a teacher’s background, they’re heroes every day in the classroom, and recognition pins make a good badge of honor.

Parades occur all over the country for vets and freshly returning members of the military, which puts the military in the spotlight and lets every day Americans get the chance to thank them for their service in a celebratory setting. Tokens of appreciation are exchanged from handwritten letters to small American flags, flowers and military lapel pins.

Memorial day weekend is when the biggest events occur, with city-wide celebrations and festivals opening up to thank service members. Many restaurants will offer free meals to veterans, and older vets will be out selling poppies for projects that help out other vets. I’ve seen these wire and paper poppies strung up on rear view mirrors and on dash boards the whole rest of the year after being given them, and while they fade in the sun, their cause is still fresh on the owner’s mind.

It will be very easy to find festivities in your area during the month of May, so make sure you get out to one and raise your glass and your voice in praise of the American military. Honor your family’s military history by representing them at parades and fireworks shows. Wear military lapel pins in the branch that your family hails from, and help celebrate the men and women who make this country great!

As a playful item, custom-designed pins are perfect for sports teams, vacation destinations and tourist shops. Pins can be giveaways to encourage attendance, promote a major business sponsor, or act as an entry ticket to a large outdoor concert or fair. Custom-designed pins can promote a travel spot, a museum, a historical home, or a park and tourist shop managers love them because their stores can earn a large return on a very small investment. People love to receive or buy a pin because it is a long-lasting keepsake that can be worn or displayed. For long distance travelers, a custom lapel pin is also the perfect space-saving souvenir.

Pins come in a variety of materials that provide options in artistic medium, durability and price. Cloisonné hard enamel pins have a smooth, glass-like finish and since they are not limited to standard rectangular or oval shapes, are often the most artistic and unique. Die-struck soft enamel offers an embossed look and feel that is easily customizable. A beautiful die-struck metallic can feature two-toned, multifaceted designs, as well. A terrific money-saver, etched soft enamel keeps costs low but can still be customized with colorful logos. Other customized options include photo-added designs, 3-D designs and rhinestone creations.

Pin Mart can take a design proposal and turn it into a work of art. Whether serious or playful, custom lapel pins offer a low-cost way to promote a cause, celebrate accomplishments or raise money. For a small investment, these little pins offer big dividends.

Whether it is a business, school or club, when an entire organization joins in a cancer awareness campaign, the effect can be felt both individually and collectively. Individuals will become more aware of their own role in fighting cancer, pay more attention to their  health, go for early screenings and learn about warning signs. Collectively, they will feel empowered to reach out to their families, friends, and the community at large.

When ribbons are worn in public, it draws the attention of the people who see them. They remind others to get screened for cancer, to pay attention to their diet, and to encourage their family and friends to do the same. This awareness also extends to the medical community and government, giving them added incentive to push hard for a cure.

Cancer awareness ribbons also encourage cancer patients and their loved ones to keep fighting. Depending on the treatment, cancer patients may have to deal with shots, IVs, chemotherapy, radiation, intensive medication regimens and terrible side effects. These brave individuals are often sick, causing them to miss out on work, school, and even family time — their relatives are often caregivers, putting their lives on hold to help their loved ones.

Walking into a room where everyone is sporting a colorful cancer awareness ribbon will be heartening to the person dealing with this terrible disease. Knowing that they have a host of people that support them may just be the encouragement that they need to battle side effects like fatigue, depression and anxiety. Cancer awareness ribbons are a great way to encourage everyone to fight the good fight and the first step is to order these ribbons for an event, business or organization.

There’s a saying that goes “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”, and I think that applies doubly for volunteer work. Volunteers do what they do for the love of the cause, be that animals, children, medical research, the environment or any number of other projects. They don’t get paid, the work is normally tough, but they show up day after day to do it again. That’s dedication, and it absolutely deserves recognition.

Volunteer lapel pins are a great “thank you” gift for volunteers, regardless of the project. I’ve had corporations call us up to order 5,000 of these for their annual awards dinner, and I’ve had individuals call up wanting 25 pins so that they could hand them out to the friends and neighbors who help them get their groceries into the house and keep their grass trimmed for them. Volunteering is so much bigger, more diverse, and rewarding than a lot of people give it credit for.

I wouldn’t recommend getting into volunteering just for the volunteer lapel pins (though that is obviously a perk), but whatever motivates you to dive into a project locally or globally, do it. And drag a friend along: they’ll be great company and you’ll build memories for a lifetime. And then you can rock your volunteer lapel pins together. Happiness is best shared!

Regardless, Earth Day is coming, and rain or no rain, this is the only earth we have, so I’m still going to fight for it, even as my socks continue to dry out after accidentally stepping into a deep puddle on my way into the office.

The truth is, most of us do next to nothing to reduce our carbon footprint, and equally true is the fact that it takes very little in order to do so. Consider the fact that roughly 75% of the things we throw away are 100% recyclable, and yet we only recycle 30% of that! I know it means taking a few extra steps every day though, which many of us really can’t squeeze in. So the other approach we can take as busy Americans is to patronize companies that go through those extra steps for us and create environmentally friendly products. And just about everything can be safely and effectively recycled if done correctly. Even lapel pins. We have a whole line of eco green pins available that are all made from metal discarded in creating other lapel pins. Perfectly good scrap metal that we simply remelt down, strike out, and voila! Eco green pins.

In a day and age when time is almost more precious than anything else, it’s not always going to be convenient to recycle. But if you simply make smarter purchases in your daily life, you can do your part for the environment without changing any of your habits. From recycled paper, E85 gas, and even eco green pins. So don’t waste any more time, not yours, or the environment’s. Happy Earth Day!

PS: Ma Earth, a sunny day here and there wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it? We’re drowning here.

Largely their contributions, while vital, go largely unnoticed if they’re doing a good job. As their purpose is to be the jack of all trades in the office, if they’re doing it right, the office runs without a hitch and everyone is happy. But that means a huge commitment of the administrative professionals, and next week is the week we make a special effort to thank them for all they do.

The 22nd through the 26th of April is the time to cater in lunch for support staff, get them a thank you card, or gift them recognition lapel pins. A good support staff does just that: supports the office. Is someone in the office killer on the phone with customers, putting out fires? Or how about the wiz who makes sure data is input perfectly every time so that reports fire without a hitch? And the multi-tasker who somehow juggles four projects simultaneously without breaking a sweat? Recognition lapel pins address each of these components specifically so that your administrative staff know not only that you’re grateful for them, but for what specifically you’re grateful for. There’s something to be said for that personal touch.

Whatever you do next week to thank your administrative professionals, just make sure it’s something! I know in this office we’re nothing without our receptionist. She’s so much more than that of course, handling customer service, order entry, special projects, you name it. In my opinion she should end up with a whole string of recognition lapel pins, though I’m not sure how comfortable it would be to wear quite that many pins at once.