Mother of Six and Vice President of Promotional Products Business
I really liked and agree with today’s blog enty by Seth Godin’s, “Most and Least” .
You’ve seen this in countless organizations. A few people get in the habit of least, then a whole department does, and the next thing you know, it’s an entire airline. Least is contagious…………….
How many steps per day are enough to keep you trim and prevent obesity? A pedometer study of an Old Order Amish community showed that their average man logged 18,000 steps per day and their average woman logged 14,000 steps per day, and they had one of the lowest rates of overweight and obesity of any community in North America.
While typical North Americans find logging 10,000 steps a day to be a challenge, requiring dedicated walking time to accomplish, the Old Order Amish achieved it with ease with their typical daily activities. In fact, the only day their average dipped as low as 10,000 steps was on Sunday, their “day of rest.” The farming community was studied in March at a moderate-activity time rather than high-activity time of year such as during harvest.
96 Amish studied wore pedometers for a week and recorded their daily steps and other physical activity. Use of the pedometers and scales did not violate Amish traditions because they were borrowed. The participants were men and women, ages 18-75, in an Old Order Amish community in Ontario, Canada. The study was published in the January, 2004 “Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise,” and conducted by David R. Bassett, Jr. and associates of the University of Tennessee.
None of the men were obese, and only 2 of the women were obese, an overall rate of 4% obesity as measured as a BMI of 30 or more. This compares to 14.9% obesity rate in Canada and 30.9% in the USA.
Of note is that the obesity rates for this community do not compare to that of more sedentary Amish communities where they work in tourist shops and furniture factories. In those communities the obesity rate is similar to their non-Amish neighbors. It might be predicted that it is the high-activity farming lifestyle that keeps this Amish community lean.
The moral of this story: modern lifestyles have greatly reduced our everyday physical activity levels, yet we haven’t reduced our food intake to match.
If you would like to read the full article, see Walking.About.com
SOURCE: Bassett DR, Schneider PL, Huntington GE. “Physical activity in an Old Order Amish community.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2004 Aug;36(8):1447. Author reply 1448.
Zippo Promotional Products Division is dedicated to providing the highest quality products and service in the industry, supported by the Zippo guarantee, “It works, or we fix it free”.
“A lifetime guarantee on promotional products is unheard of, and certainly stands Zippo apart in the industry,” said Promotional Products General Manager Chuck Schreiber.
The word “Zippo” was created by Mr. Blaisdell in 1932. He liked the sound of the word “zipper” so he formed different variations on the word and settled on “Zippo” deciding that it had a “modern” sound.
The first Zippo lighters sold for $1.95 each. And, from the very beginning, they were backed by Mr. Blaisdell’s unconditional lifetime guarantee-”It works, or we fix it free.”
In the mid-30’s, Bradford’s Kendall Refining company placed an order for 500 Zippo lighters. These are believed to be the first company-advertised lighters produced by Zippo and are highly collectible. Today, companies continue to use Zippo lighters as an advertising medium and Zippo “advertiser” lighters continue to be among collectors’ favorites.
World War II had a profound effect on Zippo. Upon America’s entry in the war, Zippo ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the U.S. military. The military initiative led to the production of the steel-case Zippo with black “crackle” finish. The fact that millions of American military personnel carried the lighter into battle was a signifcant catalyst in establishing Zippo as an icon of America throughout the world. Supplying the military market resulted in full production for the plant. This enabled Zippo to be strong financially and made it a viable company.
Mr. Blaisdell passed away on October 3, 1978. He is remembered not only for inventing the Zippo lighter, but also for his generous and kind spirit. After his passing , his daughters, Harriett B. Wick and Sarah B. Dorn, inherited the business. In the 1980s and 90s , the company was owned by six members of the Blaisdell family, including his daughters and their children. Today, George B. Duke, Mr. Blaisdell’s grandson and Sarah Dorn’s son, owns the company and is Chariman of the Board. Gregory W. Booth is President and CEO.
In the 70s and 80s, Zippo greatly expanded its overseas sales and marketing efforts. As a result, Zippo lighters are now sold in over 120 countries with Japan being the largest market outside of the U.S.
In 1993, Zippo acquired Bradford-based W.R. Case and Sons cutlery Company. Case is the manufacturer of premium collectible and sport knives, often designated “the world’s most collectible knives.” Case, established in 1889, has a rich heritage and many aficionados collect both Case knives and Zippo lighters.
The Zippo/Case Visitors Center opened in July 1997. It is a 15,000-square-foot facility that includes a store, museum, and the famous Zippo Repair Clinic, where the Zippo lighter repair process is on display. It has become Northern Pennsylvania’s most-visited museum.
Perhpas one of the biggest influences on collecting is Zippo’s ties to Hollywood and Broadway. The Zippo lighter has been featured in more than 1,500 movies, stage plays and televsion shows over the years. Zippo lighters have “starred” in such diverse productions as “I Love Lucy” “The X-Men” and “Hairspray- the Musical.” Often the lighter is a key prop, used as a device to more the plot forward or to relfect the personality of a character or time period being depicted.
In 2002, Zippo launched a major new product category with the Zippo MPL, multi-purpose lighter, a refillable butane utility-style lighter. Since then, several new products have been added to the Zippo product line .
In 2006, Zippo production surpassed the milestone of 425 million lighters since Mr. Blaisdell crafted the first lighter in early 1933. The lighter is ingrained in the fabric of both American and global culture. In marketing parlance, the brand enjoys and unaided awareness rate of more than 98 percent. That means 98 out of every 100 people surveyed have knowledge of the Zippo name and lighter without being coached in any manner, an astonishing recognition factor.
Today, though most products are simply disposable or availabe with limited warranties, the Zippo lighter is still backed by its famous lifetime guarantee, “It works, or we fix it free.” In almost 75 years, no one has ever spent a cent on the mechanical repair of a Zippo lighter regardless of the lighter’s age or condition.
To view full article, see vendor articles, Zippo Promotional Products .
Last Friday, June 22nd, my oldest son, Ben, married his sweetheart in the Salt Lake City temple. The occassion was peaceful and unhurried with mostly only family in attendance. People commented on how beautiful Brittany, the bride, looked. Brittany was radiant and all smiles. Ben was more subdued, but seemed very happy.
The sealer who married the couple challenged them to follow four steps throughout their lives:
1. Cherish each other
2. Speak softly to one another
3. Don’t go into debt, live frugal
4. Pray night and morning, make God a part of your marriage
I really liked that he didn’t give them too much advice, just enough for them to remember.
To witness the love between my son and his new bride, renewed my feelings of love and committment to my sweeheart of 27 years. Witnessing the love between Ben & Brittany on their wedding day last Friday, helped me to remember the zest, excitement, and anticipation of the day I married Ben’s father.
Thanks for reminding me how much I love your father. B & B, Ben and Brittany, I know you will have a happy marriage as you work each day to keep loving each other.
When looking for imprinted stress toys, there are so many choices besides the basic stress ball that it is helpful to find what you are looking for if they are in categories like animals, construction, medical, and sports.
One of my favorite animal stress toys is the pink pig stress toy.
A popular seller in the construction stress toy category is the hard hat stress toy offered in a variety of colors.
Pharmacies, hospitals, and doctor offices like to choose from a variety of medical stress toys like the capsule stress toy and the pill tablet stress toy .
Also, sport stress toys are good give-aways at all types of sports events.
My youngest child, Tyler, who is 13 is taking advanced swimming lessons right now. As I sit on the sidelines observing his calm demeanor, I am pleased with his happy disposition and progression. At moments as I watch Tyler, I have flashes of frightened feelings when I was a child taking swimming lessons. I was terrified of the water and had a constant stomach ache when attending swimming lessons.
When my dad dug a water hole on our farm so that our family could swim in private and without driving to town, I was finally able to relax in an unpressured environment, and gradually overcame my fear of the water. I will probably always have reoccurring childhood memories of frightening times at swimming lessons even though I am no longer scared of the water.
Of course, I didn’t realize when I was a kid that all I needed was a relaxed atmosphere to learn and progress at my own speed. I came to the realization as I raised my children that swimming lessons are a waste of time and money if you have a child that is frightened of the water. I have learned that it is best to take small children to the pool in a safe, relaxed family setting. Children thrive in an unpressured atmosphere, and although all six of my children progressed developing their water skills at different rates, they all learned to swim and they all enjoy the water.
I sincerely believe whether you are slow or quick to enjoy the water, everyone can learn water skills.
Jumpin’ Bouncin’ Putty can be used as a stress reliever or an executive toy. This fun item creates a fun, relaxed atmosphere to encourage team spirit or conversation.
The colorful putty shows up nicely through the clear container enhanced with your company logo. Jumpin’ Bouncin’ Putty is an economical and clever gift to remember employees, customers, and prospective clients.
My client orders 2000 USB flash drives a couple of times a year. It is important to supply this good customer with high quality flash drives. When purchasing electronic equipment such as jump drives, I have to be careful where I purchase them. I have to be sure my sources are reliable sources because there are lots of junky, cheap electronics that work temporarily soon to find their way to the recycle bin or the landfill.
I recently received feedback from my client that although the UD-15 Grace drive works great, the lid falls off when turned upside down attached to a key ring. I passed this information onto my vendor, and they promptly emailed me back to let me know that they sent a detailed report to the product manager to correct this problem. This is the kind of vendor I choose to work with that will help me solve problems quickly. I need to work with suppliers who give me a good product for a fair price and that will team with me to give honest, reliable service. If I want my customers’ continued advertising speciality business, I must continually strive to work with suppliers who will help me keep my customers happy.
The UD-05 King Pin flash drive has been a popular top seller, and is the choice of my top clients. Comes in rubber, glossy and metallic finishes, and is available in 64 MB to 8 GB.
One thing I have learned when looking for USB flash drives or any type of electronic goods, always get a quote. There is frequent price fluctuation in this industry. In fact, the manufacturers that don’t list prices will save you money because they are taking the time to give you the most competitive price possible. Manufacturers that list their prices are not taking the time to keep up with the price fluctuations so they must keep their price high at all times. So always get a quote.
The past 8 years I have been working full time plus keeping up with the demands of six children. I quickly realized that I had to find ways to save time when preparing meals for my family. Here are a few shortcuts that I use to save time:
Please share ways that you have found to save time when preparing meals for your family. I would love to hear from you.
Over the past seven years that I have worked in the promotional products industry, a consistent bestseller has been Leed’s padfolios. One of my favorites and seems to be a majority favorite is the Durahyde writing pad with a debossed imprint. Durahyde is a durable synthetic polyurethane material with cotton backing.
Another popular padfolio is the Leed’s Ultrahyde padfolio like the Manchester Zippered Padfolio. The Ultrahyde material is an upgrade to the durahyde and is made of a soft supple leatherlike poly vinyl material with cotton backing.
Although I sell more durahyde and ultrahyde padfolios, the combination scuba, ultrahyde padfolios like the Apogee Zippered Padfolio is a durable, sleek looking padfolio that appeals to many. The reason the material is referred to as scuba is just as you would guess, it is made from the same durable material as scuba diving suits.
Let’s not forget genuine leather as a great choice for padfolios. Top grain quality leather such as the Millennium Leather Writing Pad is made of, is at the top of the list when you are looking for a gift to be given with high prestige and value.
Durahyde, ultrahyde, scuba, and leather padfolios from Leed’s are a gift that is appreciated, professional, practical, and affordable.