It's my favorite time of year! With a name like Baxter "Be Mine" Freemont, I'm sure you can see why. I was adopted a couple years ago on Valentines Day, and February always reminds me of how fortunate I am. Therefore, I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who's interested in finding a new dog (we make great Valentine's gifts), to please consider adopting. I was hanging out in a Vegas shelter just a couple years ago, and now look at me.

To locate a loving, adoptable pet in your area, check here:

So now let's focus on those of you who already have dogs. What are you planning for Valentine's Day? It's very cold in most of the country, but we still love going for walks and playing fetch outside. For me, it doesn't get much better than when I can spend some time in my rocky driveway. What is it about rocks that just makes you happy to be alive? If you're set on waiting until Spring to start spending time outside, maybe you should consider a special snack, favorite meal or a new collar.

<---- Check out my new sweet tarts bandanna. Tina gave it to me a little early so I could enjoy it all season long.

Ok, here's the moment you've all been waiting for. Baxter's picks for the best Valentine's gifts for your dog:

2010 has been a  great year so far.  The holiday season was enjoyable as I got to spend time with my favorite friends and family.  Here are some photos of my canine friends.

Candy Cane
West Highland Terrier

Sporting a "Naughty or Nice" shirt

Naughty dogs escape from the house while guests are packing gifts in their car, causing other guests to head out into the snow for a game of "catch the dog".
Martha Washington
Shar Pei

Enjoying her new squeaky toy.  You can see remnants of gift wrapping in the distance.


Baxter Be Mine Fremont (that's me!)
Schnoodle

Here I am taking a break from the festivities for a quick pose.  Thanks for all the fun.

I wish everyone success and happiness in 2010!





All Photos by: Brandon Denby 2010

It's just what you've all been waiting for. Below are my picks for best dog gifts of 2009. If you have additional ideas, please post below. I don't want to miss out on anything great.

Something Snazzy - At the dog park or around the neighborhood, a new leash & collar set is guaranteed to make a statement. Afterall, what dog wants to wear the same thing day in and out? There are leashes and collars for every mood and occasion. Check out these great stores: My Dog Collars, Big Dog Boutique, Trendy Puppy.

Something Healthy - I love to go out for walks and bike rides with Tina and Brandon, but my leash sometimes gets in the way. I've included this Dog Bike Leash on my Christmas list this year. Exercise is so important, and I love it. Also, if you travel a lot like I do, check out The Container Store's "On the Go Pet Hydration System".

Something Warm - A new sweater is great for any dog who knows the meaning of "wind chill" and jumps out into the early winter snow only to recall how cold it is on those paws. Sure jackets are a nice idea, but dogs aren't really into bulky clothing. Here are some of my favorite dog clothing sites: Unique Dog Clothing, Little Pampered Pets, Five Star Fido. You can even make your own custom designed pet clothing at Zazzle. Since we're on the topic of warm, a new dog bed probably won't fit in a sock, but it's definitely worth a mention.

Something Fun - Toys, Toys, Toys... ropes, bones, squeaky stuffed animals... even rocks We love them all, and a new toy is always a winner. I'm not even going to mention where to find these since I believe that you can figure it out on your own. At the least, check out your local grocery store's dog food aisle.

Something Tasty - What dog hasn't stopped a time or two to drool over the gourmet dog biscuits in their local dog bakery? Many local communities have a dog treat bakery, and we always encourage supporting local businesses. If you don't find one nearby, there are many talented dog treat bakers online. Here are a few to get you started: Paws Gourmet, Barkley Square, Kool Dog Kafe.

Are you looking to add a little twist to your traditional Thanksgiving feast?  I'm not a big fan of cranberry sauce, but I love whole cranberries.  This stuffing is delicious with a Thanksgiving turkey. Don't forget to come back and let me know how much your family loved it.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Stuffing Mix (seasoned)
• 1 cup Apples chopped
• 1/2 cup Cranberries (dried)
• 1/2 cup Walnuts chopped
• 2 eggd Whites only
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1/2 tsp Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix together stuffing mix,apples, cranberries and walnuts. Melt 3/4 stick of butter mix with egg whites (yoke may be used if preferred). Add the salt and pepper if preferred. Mix well. You can stuff a turkey with it or put in to muffin pans or even in casserole dish, use last of the melted butter to top of muffins or on top of casserole dish. Otherwise, use all of the butter in the mix to put in turkey.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Carving a turkey can be simple.  
If you spend your time watching Rachael Ray, then you probably already know the proper way to carve a turkey.  It's actually very simple.

1. Let it cool.  Turkeys take hours too cook so we're all excited about carving into it as soon as the thermometer indicates it's time.  However, your turkey will retain juice for flavoring if you let it cool down for a few minutes before you carve in.
2. Find a sharp knife and remove the leg/thigh section entirely
3. Cut straight down into the middle of the turkey along the breast bone to remove the whole breasts one at a time.  Place the breast on a plate and cut into slices for a great presentation.  

Here's a great video example of how to carve your turkey.  Click here to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GCdkuQoLrY

Make a wishbone.
The wishbone custom dates back to the late 1600s.  One person stands on each of the two sides of the wishbone, holding it by the tip with only two fingers.  They pull the wishbone until it breaks and the person left with the larger side will have a wish come true.

The wishbone of a turkey lies between the neck and breast.  Get in there, and you'll find it. You must let it dry out before attempting to break it.  It will take a few hours.

Don't forget about leftovers.
One of the best things about Thanksgiving feast is a weeks worth of leftovers afterward.  Here's a list of some of our favorite things to do with leftover turkey:

1. Turkey Sandwiches (obviously, right?) - Get creative.  Add some mashed potatoes or cranberry sauce to kick this up a notch.
   
2. Turkey and Fruit Salad
3. Turkey Chili
4. Turkey Stroganoff
5. Turkey Breakfast Pizza

Freeze it.  Worried about having too much turkey?  It's true. By the third day of Thanksgiving, there's a good chance your turkied out.  Not to mention, leftover turkey in the refrigerator only lasts for 3-4 days at most.  Why not take half of your leftover turkey and freeze it?

Here's the proper procedure:  Two hours after the turkey comes out of the oven, put it in shallow containers in your freezer.  Turkey will stay good in your freezer for about three months, and it's a great option to have on hand during the cold months for soup.

I think Peter (Office Space) said it best when he said, "It's a problem of motivation... The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care."  What are you doing to keep your employees motivated?

With possibly one of the toughest market years in history behind us, many employees have had more than their fill of added responsibility, hard work and stress.  Younger employees are less driven by job security, and they don't think twice before jumping on an opportunity with your competitor.  Now that we're seeing an increase in job openings, ask yourself this, Why will your employees choose to work with you over the next opportunity that comes their way?  Each year, we find some common threads of innovation in Fortune's 100 Best Company's To Work For list.  These are just a few of the ways that America's favorite employers are retaining their valuable talent:


1. Work Life Balance - Yes, this is a big one.  We're living in a time where mom's are able to hold down a full time management position while taking care of her family and her personal health and fitness goals.  While some people are more effective in the morning... early in the morning, others are more productive or creative at 11PM.  We're not all the same yet corporate America still embraces this 9-5 mentality (8 - 7ish if you're working in New York City).  Small things can improve your employees productivity.  Here are a few options:

• Half day Fridays during the Summer months
• Work from home options... even only one day per week can be a huge boost for employees
• Flexible hours
  
• Allow Employees to work out during business hours as long as they put in a full day's work
• Personal Time - Allow employees to have an hour to themselves each day to work on personal projects - This is straight from the Google handbook.  It encourages personal projects.
  

2. The Extra Benefits - Although employees love healthcare, retirement and so on.  It's going to take a little more than the norm to set yourself apart from the competition.

• Free Yoga Passes / Gym Membership - Healthy employees are more productive.
  
• On-site Child Care
• On-site Fitness Facility
• Loans or incentives toward a computer, vehicles or real estate
• Employee Referral Rewards
• Dry Cleaning Services
• Transit benefits such as TransitChek or commuter vehicles for employees

3.  Team Building Events and Outings - They say that couples who play together, stay together.  That goes for teams too.  In many companies, employees go to work and go home without learning about all of the interesting things that their co-workers do on the side.  I once sat across the hall from a blues musician who played gigs in the local area for about a year before it spontaneously came into conversation one day.  The more you know and like the people you work with, the more productive you can be as a team. 

• Winery Visit - Most states have a wine region these days.  See if you can locate a day trip where interested employees can go wine tasting and/or learn how to make wine.
• Food Class - Find a local chef who will conduct a one-night cooking class for the group
• Take the team out for lunch once per month
• Lunch & Learns - Employees take turns learning about something of interest to them such as a new software program or social networking website and presenting it to the rest of the team.  You provide the lunch, the employees bond as they learn all sorts of new things.
• Corporate Parties - Many companies schedule a corporate party around the holidays, but what about a costume party at the local pub, a summer beach bash or a treasure hunt around town.  If your company is very laid back, you may opt for a bar crawl.  There's a good chance your employees are hanging out at the bar for happy hour anyhow. 

4. Take an interest in your employees. - When was the last time you asked your employees how they were doing?  Take him or her out for an afternoon cup of coffee just to chat.   When employees feel appreciated, they will work harder for you and they will stay longer.  Find out what makes each of them tick.  Are they motivated by money, by personal time, by gifts, by appreciation?  Figure it out, and mark it in your calendar to tend to their needs on a regular basis.  Knowing you care may be all they need.

5. Company Image - Employees want to work for a company that they can respect.  They want to work with a manager who portrays enthusiasm and integrity.  How many of the following are you currently doing?

• Greener Office - Look around.  How many printers are sitting around your office at this moment?  How many of them have printed paper sitting on them that never got picked up? There are many things you can do to show employees that you're being environmentally responsible.  Doing something good each day (even if it's recycling once piece of paper) makes that person feel that they've contributed to the greater good.  For tips on making your office greener, visit Go Green.
  
• Internal Social Network - Encourage employee communication and openness of new ideas for the company through an internal social network.  This will give each employee a level playing field for suggestions.  Some of them may be so small yet so powerful that you can even implement them today.
  
• Personal Emails - Send out enthusiastic weekly emails to your employees updating them on company successes.  Forget the newsletter system, this one should come straight from your email account.  Give a semi-public shout out to those employees who really excelled during the week.  Again, this bridges the gap between upper management and the bottom floor.  If you don't have a direct relationship with the bottom floor, get feedback from their managers on who deserves mention in your weekly shout out.
  

What works for your company?  Leave us a comment with your innovative ideas for boosting employee morale!

Economically, last year's winter season was a bit gloomier than usual.  Smart companies will take this opportunity to get themselves noticed and remembered with a thoughtful gesture or seasonal gift for their clients!

Rather than heading straight to your favorite promo company, give this one some thought.  What would you like to receive as a gift... a personal gesture of thanks may go further than a key chain with your logo on it?  Afterall, it is the thought that counts.  These are our picks for the Top 5 clients gifts for this season!  Remember: creativity will get you far.




1. The Client Gift Basket - A themed gift basket is always welcomed with open arms.  If you're looking to hit all of your clients with one general gift idea, a gift basket is usually the way to go.   Potential themes are as follows: Fall, Halloween, Environment (Green), Breast Cancer Awareness, Wine, New Years, Coffee, Sports, Animals, Winter Wonderland.  Consider implementing a theme that goes well with your brand and incorporate your corporate colors if possible.

Contents:

• Something permanent - Add something permanent that can potentially be kept in your client's office as a reminder of you. 
• Something handmade or baked - This will always pull on their heart strings. Adding your company colors into cookies or baked goods is a great way to bring your brand into the basket without being over the top.
  
• Something that reminds them of your company - As mentioned above, cookies with your brand colors work.  In addition, maybe you add a coffee mug or a planter with your logo for their desk (again, this is dependent upon theme).  Try to keep the logos to a minimum, but it's a good idea to have it in there somewhere.
• Thoughtful Card - Handwritten cards are few and far between in this digital world.  A handwritten note will always be noticed.
• Donation Certificate - In the case of a foundation or organization theme, a donation may be a necessary addition.  Organizations are usually able to print multiple certificates for use in client gifts or to provide you with a digital certificate that may be printed or reproduced.
  

2. Tickets To A Show or Sporting Event - Put your relationship building efforts to good use.  Have you learned over the years that your client loves the NY Giants or Broadway?  They're surely to be impressed that you were listening.

3. Baked Goods / Handwritten Card - If you're looking for a budget option that still gets you noticed, maybe your time is a good investment.  This may also depend upon where your clients are located in proximity to your office.  Keep in mind, some baked goods are shippable.  Try not to choose items which will melt or crumble easily when shaken around a bit.  As mentioned above, a handwritten card will get you noticed.  It adds that humanistic element that many companies are lacking today.

4. A Unique Must-Have - If you're better at shopping than baking, and you still want to be remembered, go with something unique.  There are always new innovations like travel mugs that plug into a car lighter.  If you find something that your clients don't already have and will want to use, that's a great gift.  At the sake of sounding repetitive, I have to mention... if you're purchasing a gift, you must put a handwritten card with it to be effective.  You need to lend a personal aspect to this gift.

5. Gift Certificates - If you're working with clients all over the country, consider checking Yelp.com for a highly rated wine bar or restaurant in your client's area.  Everyone loves to be taken out to dinner (and/or drinks), and they'll be thinking of your during (and in remeberance of) this experience.  Therefore, be sure to pick out a nice place, and send a note to let them know how much you appreciate them.  Also, gift certificates are a great way to save on shipping if you're dealing with numerous clients in multiple locations.