Next in our How-To Recognition series is a focus on our new Happy Birthday recognition theme. Everyone has a birthday therefore every employer struggles with whether or not to celebrate employee birthdays in the office. I shared best practices on celebrating birthdays in the office in our Recognition TV Webisode today, and you can watch the recorded version on Baudville.com or Baudville’s Facebook page. Most of my tips, ideas and best practices are below.

Celebrate!
The official Baudville stance on birthdays is: celebrate! Birthdays are a great opportunity to let employees know that they matter, you value them, and to foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie. On the other hand, ignoring birthdays can be hurtful to employees. Ignoring a birthday sends a message to employees that the company doesn’t value what’s happening in their life outside of work. Acknowledging employee birthdays, in small but sincere ways, can improve employee engagement and loyalty to the company.

Be Consistent
For your birthday celebrations to be effective, they must be consistent! That means all employees receive similar treatment on their birthdays regardless of their position, department or manager. At Baudville, every employee receives a birthday card that is signed by the entire team on their birthday. This simple gesture means a lot, and employees look forward to reading all the well wishes from their co-workers.

Be Sincere
The number one rule with any form of recognition is to make it personal to the recipient. Before you create a company-wide birthday program, like our birthday card program, ask employees for their ideas. You’ll receive a wide variety of responses and some great ideas that you can use.

Keep it simple!
Since everyone in the organization will receive the same treatment on their birthday, you want to budget accordingly. Don’t spend a lot on elaborate parties or gifts, or create a program that requires a lot of your time. While a birthday celebration can be meaningful to employees, it shouldn’t be your top work priority.

Ideas for Birthdays!
Here’s what you really want, ideas for celebrating birthdays! I want to hear your ideas and current practices, too. Post a comment on this blog post sharing your best practice, and I’ll send you a set of birthday cards, free!

• Communicate birthdays by posting a sign on a public bulletin board, putting it on the intranet, in a company newsletter, the company blog or even corporate Facebook page.
• Decorate employees’ desks with balloons, banners and crepe paper before they get to work on their birthday. You can get all these decorations at the dollar store!
• Have the entire team sign a birthday card or certificate.
• Write a note inside our new Happy Birthday Character Pin and give a memento with your birthday wishes.
• Have everyone write a Happy Birthday Pocket Praise for the co-worker. It will be a lot of fun to open all those cards!
• Give the employee a Happy Birthday lapel pin so everyone knows she’s celebrating. To make it extra special, give her a casual day on her birthday, too.
• For a small gift everyone will like, stock up on Sweet Treats or Treat Bags. These Happy Birthday themed gifts are small enough you can give them to everyone and big enough to satisfy a sweet tooth.
• Bring in a cake or dessert to share with the entire team.
• Celebrate birthdays once a month by hosting a reception with refreshments in honor of the employees who just had birthdays. Everyone can join in on the camaraderie and dessert.

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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.

Peer recognition programs are very popular in organizations today. Peer recognition increases the quantity and frequency recognition is given, and it takes pressure off managers who are typically responsible for top-down recognition. We published a peer recognition white paper that explains the benefits of this type of recognition program– including improved culture, loyalty, job satisfaction and camaraderie.

Creating a peer recognition program is very easy thanks to existing, ready-to-use programs. We currently offer three peer recognition programs, and I’m going to give a brief how-to for two of them today.

Our Shout Outs Peer Recognition Program  (Allison wrote a great writeup of the program last January) is one of our most popular and certainly deserves to be included in our How-to Recognition series.

Shout Outs are simple to use, and you start it by posting the Shout Outs pad in a public location. It can hang on a hook, be displayed on a bulletin board or stand on its own. Whenever an employee wants to recognize a co-worker, she tears a sheet off the pad, writes her personal thank you note, and posts it in a public location. That way, everyone can witness the recognition. 

Here’s how one of our customers described the program:

“I was looking for a tool that I could use to motivate my employees and build a team atmosphere among them. I was already using ePraise, Making a Difference and Thank You note/pin cards as a morale booster coming from me.

When I first explained the Shout Out recognition tool, I noticed some hesitancy on some of my employee's faces. It took about 4 days before the first Shout Out was posted, and after that many more were posted very quickly. I had someone from another department post a Shout Out for one my employees.

When employees read the nice words that someone had written about them and it was posted in a public area, their demeanor changed. They were very proud of the job well done that they were recognized for by their peers. This is an awesome and powerful tool. I would recommend this tool to anyone implementing an employee recognition program. It works!”

If you're looking for a peer recognition program that ties behaviors directly to goals, take a look at our Spot On Peer Recognition Program. You get everything you need in one box, including Spot the dog who serves as both a traveling trophy and mascot.

In the Spot On program, every employee is encouraged to deliver personal thank you notes to their peers. Each note has a receipt that is deposited in the dog house and tracked by the manager. The employee who received the most notes wins Spot. Other prizes are also available, and some organizations choose to include a save and redeem element, too.

Spot has a robust free recognition downloads section with additional tools and resources that make implementing and maintaining the Spot On Peer Recognition Program easy. We recently added new resources, so be sure to stop by for more free Spot On recognition downloads.

Peer recognition programs  empower employees to be responsible for recognition and increase the amount of recognition that takes place. And with so many simple and affordable program options, not having a peer recognition program is sure to put you in the dog house!

Watch how-to videos on both Shout Outs and Spot On on Baudville’s video page.

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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.

Having fun at work not only lowers stress and improves morale, it can also increase productivity. I’ve see it first hand in our department, but this WorldatWork article does a great job of backing me up as well.  

If you need to have more fun in your office, our Positive Praise theme is an excellent place to start. Maybe you took the quiz in that link I just posted. If so, let’s see how you scored.

If you answered mostly no, I’m afraid your situation is pretty grave. You’re going to need to take serious measures to increase employee morale. For this, I prescribe:

Totally Wacky

In your next meeting, toss the Goofy Guy to someone who has a great idea or suggestion. It will lighten the mood, plus the “woo-hoo” sentiment on the back is perfect on-the-spot praise. The talking and bobble-head pens are another way to lift spirits. It’s pretty hard to scowl with one of these grinning back at you.

If you were about 50-50, then you need:

A Little Bit of Silly

These notepads come with a smiley-face pen for a lighthearted yet useful reward. The Appreciation Gift Sets feature a sweet treat for your team members to enjoy now, plus a fun keychain they can use every day. 

If you answered mostly yes, then you’re in good shape. You just need some:

Everyday Fun

Both the Pocket Praise and Cheers Kit in this fun theme have brightly-colored notes and great sentiments for day-to-day recognition. They’re just what you need to keep up the momentum!

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than nine years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

Award certificates are a great way to show off achievements, but I can think of a few reasons why a department manager might not use them for everyday employee recognition:

They’re more formal than some occasions merit. With the exception of a couple of our newer contemporary styles, most of our certificates feature ornate, sophisticated designs with traditional colors or foil accents. While these are just what you need for recognizing prestigious moments, they don’t necessarily fit the bill for day-to-day recognition.   

They take a little more time than an on-the-spot note. Baudville does offer easy-to-use templates for printing certificates, but you may not have time to download a template, type out your message, and run a certificate through the printer. (In truth, this only takes a few minutes, but I’m trying to make a point here…)

They require resources you might not have. If you work on the go or visit multiple locations—or you simply don’t have access to a computer or printer, certificates just won’t work for you at all.

Or will they?  

Ta-dah! Our new Day-to-Day Certificate Bundle Binder goes where you do and contains a variety of informal, all-occasion certificates that you fill in by hand. No technology required!

With theme sentiments that recognize everything from great moments to great attitudes, you will never be without a way to show appreciation for your team. Each binder includes tabbed dividers that organize 10 each of six different certificates for you to use when you want to:

Recognize all-around greatness. Maybe someone on your team helped out a coworker or finished a task ahead of schedule. The You’re Awesome certificate from our new Positive Praise theme and the Positive Mojo certificate from our ever-popular Exclamations™ theme are both perfect for when you need to acknowledge someone who goes the extra mile.

Say thank you. The You Are Truly Appreciated, Shining Star, and Thanks for All You Do! certificates are there when you need to show your team members a little gratitude—whether it’s for consistently providing great customer service or taking on extra work when you’re shorthanded.

Applaud a job well done. Ideal for when someone gives a great presentation, meets a goal, or completes a challenging project, the Great Job certificate says it all—simply.

Easy to use, ready for any occasion, and less than $1.00 each, these day-to-day certificates can’t be beat!

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than nine years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

Character Pins are one of our staple recognition products at Baudville, and they’re popular because they can be used in a variety of recognition situations. As a continuation of our How-To Recognition blog series, I share ten situations where Character Pins are a great recognition gift.

1. Office Birthdays. Give a Happy Birthday Character Pin to acknowledge an employee’s birthday. It’s both a gift and greeting card.

2. Anniversaries. Present a Happy Anniversary Character Pin to recognize an employee’s years of service. You can customize the pin with the number of years you’re celebrating.

3. Team Recognition. Recognize a team for the completion of a project by selecting a different Character Pin for each team member. For an extra personal touch, read the stories when you present the Character Pins for an award presentation the team won’t forget.

4. Holiday Recognition. Thank your employees at the end of the year with a holiday Character Pin that expresses your gratitude for all their hard work and optimism for the new year.

5. Volunteer Appreciation. Retain volunteers by recognizing their contributions and expressing your appreciation for all they do. I recommend a Thanks or Appreciation Character Pin.

6. Customer Service Week. Give front line employees something to display with a service themed Character Pin. We just released two new Customer Service Character Pins for this year's Customer Service Week celebrations. Be sure to check them both out!

7. Student Award. Want to make a child’s day? Present a Character Pin as a student of the month award.

8. Celebrate an Accomplishment. Make a big deal about a co-worker’s promotion, graduation or certificate with a Character Pin that recognizes her success.

9. Just to Say Thank You. It doesn’t have to be a special occasion for it to be the right time to tell someone, thank you. To make it memorable, write a personal note on the back of a Thanks For All You Do Character Pin.

10. Everyday Awards. Have a variety of Character Pins available, and present them to employees on a regular basis to say Great Job.

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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.

We offer a free service on our website called ePraise which are recognition ecards you can send to coworkers, peers, or anyone you want to thank or recognize. We have over 110 different designs for birthdays, anniversaries, teachers, nurses, volunteers, and to simply say thanks. 

Although writing a recognition ecard  seems like a pretty simple thing to do, many of use don’t do it. Why? We have every intention of typing one, but when the fingers touch the keys, we draw a blank. We have no idea what to say!

Here are a few simple tips that will help you type a recognition ecard that is meaningful, personal, and sincere:

1. Describe the action, behavior or result you are recognizing. Did you observe the person delivering excellent customer service? Did they provide a referral or a critical piece of information so that you could meet an important deadline? Did they help you out of a jam at the last minute? Be specific about what they did, not just "Thanks for a great job."

2. Explain why it is important to you or the organization. Did it help you achieve a goal or make your job easier? If possible, create the link between their behavior and the organization's values and mission.

3. Reflect back to the person. What is it about the way they did it? Talk about how their action reflects a personal quality of the giver, such as integrity, initiative, or follow through.

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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.

Whew, six weeks into my internship and I am just getting into the Baudville groove! I got my name plate on my cubicle and can finally clear a paper jam in the printer. But I am constantly experiencing new things about Baudville every day. For example do you know how we actually recognize our employees and co-workers?

Last week was a busy week of recognition for the whole company. We had baby showers, birthdays (mine!), casual days, and an entire company meeting. I‘ve never experienced so much celebrating with my co-workers before and who knew it would be such a blast!

I attended my first entire company meeting last week. I know what you are thinking right now, a “dull” meeting cannot include recognition. Absolutely it can and the best part, the meeting becomes exciting! Everyone gathered in a huge room located in our distribution center. Our CEO, Brad Darooge, gave us some encouragement for the upcoming six months and recognized us for achieving goals in the first half of the year.

Next, Cindy, the Human Resources Manager talked about how our Health and Fitness challenge is going thus far. (For those who don’t know, currently we have undergone a “friendly,” 10 week, Health and Fitness competition here at Baudville). On the first day of the competition we all received t-shirts displaying our work out pride. We received new water bottles to stay hydrated. Finally, she opened the floor for employees to share personal Health and Fitness goals. It was a great way for the whole company to encourage and praise people for a job well done.  

Since the whole company got together, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a mini competition. We were given plastic bags, scotch tape, string, and tissue paper. With these random elements we had to cushion an egg so that when it dropped it didn’t splatter everywhere. Whoever kept the yolk in their egg won points for their Health and Fitness challenge team. The absurd concoctions caused a lot of laughter and conversation in the days after.

I also found out this week that birthdays are a huge deal at Baudville. At the beginning of the month, birthday cards get passed from cubicle to cubicle and are filled with special notes or drawings. Then on your birthday, you receive your card with a little present inside. Lastly, you have to choose where your birthday lunch is going to be so co-workers can take you out to celebrate.

These are just some ways we have been recognizing co-workers lately and having fun here at Baudville. Other companies have been doing a great job recognizing as well. Tell me about some big or little ways you’ve recognized your employees or co-workers lately!

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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.

• Find the perfect card easily with the new selection layout
• Save time and schedule your ePraises with the new date and time scheduler
• Share ePraise with your colleagues, co-workers and friends to pass on the recognition with our easy to share buttons
• The recipient can easily print the ecard with a click of a button
• Easily allows the recipient to quickly send a special thank you ePraise to the ecard sender
• Quick links to top products and resources to help keep those recognition ideas flowing after you send your ecards

• Sign in to your Baudville.com account to save your ePraise history
• Use the handy tips writing guide to help you write the perfect note on any ecard
• Know exactly when the recipient views the ecard with the automatic email that is sent to you after pick up

So make sure to take advantage of this fanstastic free tool offered by Baudville and send an ePraise now!

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Kimberly is the Baudville Website Manager and star of our online product videos. She applies her knowledge of the web to create the ultimate online experience for Baudville customers.

Certificates are a popular award because of their low price point and easy customization capabilities.  Because Customer Service Week and year end award ceremonies are just around the corner, I wanted to take a more careful look at certificate design to help you prepare for the busy award season!

There are three steps to creating an impressive certificate award. First, choose your components, such as paper, folder, seals, ribbons, and frames. Second, format the certificate design with templates and award verses. Finally, make a memorable presentation to the recipient.

1. Award Components
A certificate starts with your paper selection. Depending on the occasion, you may prefer a more traditional certificate design, like our popular scallop design. Or you may prefer the glitz and glam the foil certificate designs offer. One of the main benefits of the foil-stamped papers is the addition of an award title. Certificates have a variety of different sentiments, including “Excellence,” “Certificate of Completion,” or “Academic Star.” Depending on the award occasion, the foil-stamped design can enhance your award.

Once you’ve selected the certificate paper, choose a folder or frame to display the certificate. Rather than presenting the certificate on its own, the added display tool helps to make a grand impression on the recipient and anyone witnessing the award. Choose a certificate seal to make your award look official, and add a ribbon for color.

2. Certificate Formatting
To simplify the certificate design process, use a template that is already formatted with the appropriate margins and spacing. Next, decide what you want to say on your certificate. Visit our Certificate Idea Gallery for inspiration and download our Sample Award Certificate Titles for ideas. An award certificate design usually includes a title, award verse, the recipient’s name, date, and the signature from a leader. The font you choose also contributes to the design. The award title should be the largest text on the certificate, and the recipient’s name the second largest.

Font choice is also an important part of your certificate design. If your certificate is for a formal award, such as a service anniversary, you will want to use a formal serif font. But if you’re having fun with certificates and using goofy award titles, you can have a little fun!

3. Memorable Presentation
The final step in the certificate creation process is presenting the certificate to the award recipient. Now that you’ve invested a lot of time and effort into carefully designing your certificate, you want to make sure your presentation hits the mark! Take time before your award presentation to consider what you want to say. Download our Award Presentation Guide for useful tips to help you prepare!

Do you consider yourself an expert certificate designer? Share your tips with us in the comments below!

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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.

As we continue to troubleshoot some of the HR issues that came up at SHRM 2014, I have to say I was pretty surprised that so many attendees are still feeling that lack of budget is one of them. I don't want to put Baudville out of business or anything, but I'm here to tell you that some of the best recognition is free or darn near

Sure, sometimes money talks and other times big shiny awards shout, but what's really important in most people's days are the small moments of appreciation and encouragement. If you think you can't afford a recognition program, you should know that, these days, you can't afford not to have one. And, if you follow these simple ideas, you can reap all of the benefits without breaking the bank.

The Magic Touch. High-fives, handshakes, and pats on the back are all perfectly acceptable ways of giving on-the-spot, totally free recognition. Served up strategically, by the right person at the right time, they have day-changing power. Trust me on this. I've experienced it firsthand.

Public Displays of Appreciation. This next no-cost recognition idea comes from one of my favorite virtual consultants: Harvard Business Review. Giving verbal props to a deserving employee at an all staff or a more private team meeting is a meaningful form of acknowledgement that gives the recipient a pride-worthy and memorable moment. You only spend a little bit of your time, but you earn ten-fold in employee satisfaction. Here's an abridged version of HBR's advice:

"…because recognition is a powerful motivator, you need to find ways to give it. Try sending written acknowledgment, like a thank-you email with senior management copied. In team discussions, recognize behaviors that people should continue. Hold sessions focused on positive feedback and have everyone share what they appreciate about each team member, whether specific contributions or general strengths. Finally, share credit publicly." (You can read the entire tip of the day here.)

Group Love. If you're operating with little or no recognition budget, you can still build a culture of recognition, by inviting everyone's participation. Peer-to-peer recognition not only takes pressure off managers, but, by nature, it costs little or nothing. Think small notes, Shout Outs™, free downloads, and free ePraise. Make these tools accessible to your team and provide incentives (like casual days) for participation, and you'll achieve a robust program for less than a daily trip to the vending machine.

In Michigan, we are blessed with super-great summers (usually), where you can find families soaking up the sun on the beaches all over the state. I love spending my summer weekends on the lake! If you ever get a chance to visit Michigan, I recommend doing so in the summer time—it's gorgeous!

About 50 miles west of Baudville is a town called Grand Haven or, during the summer months, "Coast Guard City, USA." Every year, Grand Haven hosts the Coast Guard Festival , which is a ten-day event to honor members of the US Coast Guard. Over 340,000 attend the festivities that include parades, a carnival, ship tours, fireworks, and more!

This year the festival ended August 3rd. It usually begins the last week of July and ends right around August 4th, which happens to be Coast Guard Day. Though Coast Guard Day is usually just celebrated internally among service members, Coast Guard Festival is a great way to celebrate those men and women externally!

So, if you know anyone who is currently in the Coast Guard or has served in the past, send them an ePraise today, or a Shout Out™. Let them know their job doesn't go unnoticed!

Or, if you get the chance to come to Michigan, be sure to visit Coast Guard City, USA!

Did you know that in the next five years, a whopping 18% of the workplace could retire? Yep, the Baby Boomers (the generation born between 1946 and 1964) are getting to that age when they're ready to trade cubicle walls for wide open spaces, business casual for casual-casual, and the daily commute for quiet stroll around the neighborhood.

Are you prepared? We're not just talking about ensuring that you have adequate staff who are well trained to fill the shoes of those soon to move on...we're also talking about the fun part: the retirement party!

It turns out, a lot of our customers do have employee retirement on the brain—and we know this because they've been asking us for tips and ideas on how to celebrate, what to give as retirement gifts, and best presentation practices for honoring retirees.

I've started creating some information for those searching for help, and my first article featuring top retirement gifts is now available in Baudville's Recognition Resource Center.

Check it out and stay tuned for more as I continue this series through the month of August!

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Allison is currently living out the elaborate fantasy she described to her now-former staff and colleagues in early 2001. With a hearty dose of courage and absolutely no plan of action, she abruptly left her middle-management job to become a writer—and today she is doing just that in her role as Baudville’s Senior Content Writer. She’s here to tell you everything she’s learned in her 20-years+ professional life, plus a lot more. She’s wordy like that!

So many of us have cell phones, iPads, tablets, desktop computers, laptops: every electronic device you can think of. We are constantly on them all day long! It's the power of technology that has taken over not only work life, but our home life too. There are numerous studies out there about how much time we are spending on our electronic devices nowadays, but I want to touch on something that is getting lost: the hand-written note, and the power the hand-written note can have on someone.
 
For years and years my mom would make me write a thank you note to my family members after every Christmas or birthday. They would all read the same, "Thank you so much for the… I loved it. Love, Jen" And, every year, I never understood why I would send basically the same card to the same person. But it wasn't until I got older, I realized it wasn't what the card said, but it was the gesture of writing the card that was important.

The power of the hand-written note may have gotten lost over the years, but you can bring it back to your office! Here a few quick tips that will help you make it just a little easier!

1. Stock up on stationary. From greeting cards, to our Caboodles® and mini note cards, we have every theme, design, and size for all your hand-written note needs!
2. Schedule time throughout the week. Set aside maybe 15 minutes each morning to write your notes and then they are taken care of and you won't forget. Make it part of your daily routine!
3. Be professional, but personal. Don't make it too stuffy, but make your colleague feel like you didn't just write this note to everyone in the company! Add a personal touch to it. Maybe bring up something you recently talked about. Let them know you appreciate them!
4. Check spelling and grammar. If you want, have someone proof read it! It's better to be safe than sorry. I'll be the first to tell you someone proofreads my blog every time before it gets posted on here.

Don't forget to just take the time and add a personal touch to someone's day by sending them a hand-written note. Your gesture will go a long way!

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Jenny became a Baudvillian in 2013 and started out as a member of our sales team. She seemed to have a creative knack for Marketing and joined ranks with Krista in 2014 as Baudville's second Web Marketing Coordinator. She loves our products and probably owns every piece of drinkware we have to offer! Equipped with great knowledge of our customers and products, she's excited to help make your web experience even better!

As I mentioned in my first post in this series, in the next five years many members of the Baby Boomer Generation will be retiring. They could be leaving companies they've been with for 40-plus years or five years—and, while honoring them in a meaningful way is a must, the way they are celebrated will likely be different depending on their years of service. 

The Informal Get Together. Over the years, in your working life, you've probably had colleagues leave your company for new opportunities. How do you sendthose folks off? Maybe you host a happy hour or afternoon party with close coworkers and present a casual parting gift with hearty well wishes. Consider a similar retirement celebration for your retirees who don't have as much longevity with your company. Make sure to have a card signed by everyone and an appreciation gift as a memento of their time with your organization. Our Dedicated Service Award Card Gift Pack makes an ideal gift, and comes (conveniently!) in graduated card values. They'll appreciate the gesture and you'll give them a proper goodbye that's befitting the situation. 

The Semi-Formal Celebration. For somewhat longer-term employees, consider a more involved retirement celebration. If you have a large meeting area or lunchroom, you can plan an onsite catered event or potluck (and there should definitely be cake!) with everyone in the company invited. You'll want to have some structure to your party—with a welcome announcement and a presentation with a prepared speech and keepsake award for your retiree. Our Jade Glass Trophies are a customer favorite that are priced just right for the occasion.

The Elaborate and Formal Ceremony. Imagine what it would be like for those who have worked for your company for most of, or their entire, careers. They probably started in entry-level roles, and, over the years, established themselves as mainstays of your organization—and contributed a great deal to your success as they grew. These are your most important honorees, as they represent loyalty and dedication you want others to emulate. The location of these types of retirement celebrations should be offsite at an upscale venue, and involve not only colleagues, but the retiree's friends and family, as well. Our Event Planning Checklist will help you with the fine details, but also schedule in extra time for a speech from the retiree and any attendees who want to say a few words. Remember, this will be a proud and memorable moment, and the retirement award you give from your company will communicate respect as well as the weight of the occasion. Baudville offers a beautiful selection of premium trophies—many of which are exclusively designed by our talented artists.

However and whomever you commemorate, take these ideas into consideration as you plan your retirement celebrations. And, don't forget: our recognition specialists are at your service if you need help! Give us a call today at 800.728.0888!

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Allison is currently living out the elaborate fantasy she described to her now-former staff and colleagues in early 2001. With a hearty dose of courage and absolutely no plan of action, she abruptly left her middle-management job to become a writer—and today she is doing just that in her role as Baudville’s Senior Content Writer. She’s here to tell you everything she’s learned in her 20-years+ professional life, plus a lot more. She’s wordy like that!

Today is a special day that doesn't get a whole lot of attention or recognition: Senior Citizens Day. We're here to shed some light on the meaning of this special day and give you ideas for what you can do to celebrate! 

Senior Citizen's Day was proclaimed by Ronald Reagan on August 21st, 1988. In his explanation, Reagan wrote, "For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older — places in which older people can participate to the fullest and can find the encouragement, acceptance, assistance, and services they need to continue to lead lives of independence and dignity."

So, today, do a little something extra for any senior citizens you come in contact with. Hold the door open for them, carry their groceries to their car, volunteer at a nursing home, or call your grandparents just to say hi. But, while doing those nice little extras, do yourself a favor and engage them in conversation. Senior citizens have experienced so much during their lives; their life stories are so interesting and full of history. I promise, if you take the time to listen, you won't be disappointed!

Set aside some time today to show the seniors in your life how much they are appreciated and cared about!

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Krista is the 'ville's Web Marketing Coordinator. She came to us in 2012 as part of our stellar Sales team. Using her experience with Baudville customers, she helps create an online experience we're sure you will enjoy! Being the chatterbox she is, she truly misses talking with all of you so don't be shy and drop her a line!