The Bloghand sanitizerfiftyswag

5 Favorite Swag Items

What are my top five swag items? Well, here you go. Key chain. I can never have enough key chains.
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Author, poet, lover of words

Author, poet, lover of words
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As I prepare for the September release date of my children's chapter book, I have been thinking a lot about swag lately. As in what kind of cool giveaways can I offer with the book?

"I need good swag ideas," I said to my husband. "Do you know what swag is?"

He gave me a look, one that says: Do you think I live under a rock? Of course I know what swag is.

What he said was, "Yeah, stuff we all get."

I guess I'm the one living under the rock because I had never heard that expression before and it cracked me up. Stuff We All Get. Swag.

Our conversation got me wondering. What are my top five swag items? And I am not talking about the stuff celebrities get at the Oscars. Things like: fine jewelry, stays at Italian extravagant hotels, or a luxury rail trip. I've now nicknamed that stuff stag: Stuff They All Get. I'm talking about your basic trade show/corporate offerings: bottle openers, magnets and Frisbees. With no further ado, here are my top five swag items.

  1. Key chain. I can never have enough key chains. I seem to accumulate friends' and neighbors' keys as fast as I accumulate key chains. So each key get's its own personalized key chain.

  • Hand sanitizer. I love those little squirt bottles. I keep them in the car, my purse, my beach bag, and cosmetics case. It's a useful little gift.

  • Baseball cap. Great for painting, jogging, or throwing on your head when you run out of the house without brushing your hair.

  • Travel coffee mug. I don't go anywhere in the morning without a cup of joe. Those travel mugs come in very handy.

  • Jar opener. The round rubber one that helps you open jars of applesauce, spaghetti sauce, and pickles. I love them and the thing is, they really work!
    • What is your favorite piece of swag?

    Earlier on Huff/Post50:

    7 Things Post 50s Say They're Addicted To
    Cheese Puffs And Various Other Unhealthy Snacks(01 of07)
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    A handful of people cited various snack foods, especially cheese puffs or anything else that might leave a neon-orange residue on their fingers. If you absolutely must partake, at least go with the very best. Check out this taste test of 9 popular brands of cheese puffs. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb674f8e4b05271530a7150" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="13" data-vars-position-in-unit="13">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10506540@N07/7390405630" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="stevendepolo" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb674f8e4b05271530a7150" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10506540@N07/7390405630" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="14" data-vars-position-in-unit="14">stevendepolo</a>)
    iPhones, Kindles, BlackBerry Devices(02 of07)
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    Not surprisingly, many post 50s say they are hooked on their iPhones and Kindles, creating an army of digital device widows and widowers. With Apple just unveiling a top-of-the-line "iPhone 5S" and other lines of iPhones, this addiction is likely to be around for awhile. (credit:AP)
    Anti-Aging Lotions(03 of07)
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    Not that this is a bad thing, but a few people said they couldn't go a day without applying their Oil of Olay or some other anti-aging cream. (And, yes, a few women specifically mentioned Oil of Olay.) That's hardly surprising. The U.S. market for anti-aging products is expected to surpass $114 billion by 2015. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb674f8e4b05271530a7150" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="9" data-vars-position-in-unit="9">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25730352@N03/4239345153" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="WindyWinters" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb674f8e4b05271530a7150" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25730352@N03/4239345153" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="10" data-vars-position-in-unit="10">WindyWinters</a>)
    Words With Friends(04 of07)
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    Several post 50s mentioned their passion for Words With Friends. If you still haven't heard of the popular game -- which would make you the only person on the planet who hasn't -- check it out here. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb674f8e4b05271530a7150" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="5" data-vars-position-in-unit="5">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80634066@N00/5206099871" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Listener42" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb674f8e4b05271530a7150" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80634066@N00/5206099871" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="6" data-vars-position-in-unit="6">Listener42</a>)
    Cigarettes(05 of07)
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    Despite all the health warnings, lots of post 50s still love their nicotine. (credit:Getty Images)
    Facebook(06 of07)
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    Although technology has, in many ways, brought us all closer together, some people say they've started checking Facebook obsessively -- too obsessively. For tips on how to overcome a digital addiction, go here. (credit:AP)
    Coffee(07 of07)
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    Several post 50s said they couldn't start their day without a few cups of coffee. Want to stop consuming so much caffeine? Here's some information on how to break the habit. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb674f8e4b05271530a7150" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="1" data-vars-position-in-unit="1">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40245414@N07/9716464082" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Alex Gott-Cumbers" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb674f8e4b05271530a7150" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40245414@N07/9716464082" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="2" data-vars-position-in-unit="2">Alex Gott-Cumbers</a>)
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