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The last post talked about the importance of recognizing and thanking your employees, and the value of education as a reward.  It’s clearly an investment that benefits both your employees and your organization.
Here are the top reasons to school your employees:

1.     They feel valued

As Beryl Companies CEO Paul Spiegelman explains in his Inc. com article Deliver Value to Your Employees—Your Most Important Stakeholders, “if you want employees to take a vested interest in the company’s future, you must take an interest in theirs—at work and at home.”  When employers care enough to help employees develop professionally and personally, the employees feel valued.  Valued employees are happier and more productive.

2.     An educated employee is a confident employee

Without proper training, employees can’t fully use their skills and abilities and may become frustrated. With mentoring and education they can confidently serve clients, complete high-quality work, and contribute creative ideas. That makes any employee happy.

3.    The work seems more meaningful

The more employees understand about how one workgroup interrelates with other departments, the more they understand their impact on the organization and the value of their work.

4.     It’s fun!

A creative instructor can incorporate games and team-building activities into educational sessions, making even the driest-seeming topic lively and engaging.  You can offer rewards to celebrate successes (ice cream, anyone?).  We spend a lot of time at work; employees want and need to have a little fun.

5.     Education assistance is a popular perk as it can be expensive

Offering tuition reimbursement helps employees prepare themselves for future opportunities, whether it’s a promotion in your organization or a career move.

After all, as business consultant Rick Kilton, President of RWK Enterprises, Inc.,  points out:
“Here’s a familiar question:  ‘What if I train them and they leave?’
There are two answers:
‘What if you don’t train them?  They will leave.’
Or worse:  ‘What if you don’t train them?  And they stay?’”
Education is the best investment you can make in your employees. And they’ll thank you for it.
About Us
gThankYou, LLC  (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, WI and produces America’s favorite meaningful, affordable and convenient employee gifts.  gThankYou!® Certificates of Gratitude™ are one way savvy companies demonstrate commitment to valued employees and customers. The company is best known for its Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, Turkey or Ham Gift Certificates and Grocery Gift Cards.   Other Favorites include our Ice Cream and Pie Gift Certificates.

You say tomato, I say delicious!
Here at gThankYou!, we think some treats are to be enjoyed only in late summer: sipping lemonade as you listen to chirping crickets on a hot, starry night; homemade ice-cream dripping down the side of a waffle cone and onto your fingers; buying sweet corn from a farmer out of the back of a pick-up truck; and the glorious perfection of vine ripened tomatoes!
Although they are available all year-long, the waxy, dull tomato of January is no match for the real, locally-grown heirloom varieties, with their irregular shapes, and variegated colors.  From bright yellow cherry tomatoes the size of gum balls, to enormous red orbs the size of softballs, the time to enjoy tomatoes is right now– they are undeniably at their peak!
For the best produce, look in your grocery store for signs that say “locally grown.”  Buying from nearby farmers is great for the environment, your local economy, and your palate!
Celebrate the tomato by:

• Chopping them up with onions, cilantro, fresh jalapeno peppers and a squirt of lime juice for fresh salsa!

• Alternating slices with fresh mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and make your own Caprese Salad!

• Cutting off the top, and stuffing with your favorite chicken or tuna salad recipe.  Simply remove the seeds, hollow out the center, and let the tomato drain on a paper towel before filling.

Seize the day! Seize a tomato – and enjoy!
What’s your favorite summer tomato recipe?
About Us
gThankYou, LLC  (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, WI and produces America’s favorite meaningful, affordable and convenient employee gifts.  gThankYou!® Certificates of Gratitude™ are one way savvy companies demonstrate commitment to valued employees and customers. The company is best known for its Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, Turkey or Ham Gift Certificates and Grocery Gift Cards.   Other Favorites include our Ice Cream and Pie Gift Certificates.

Here at gThankYou! in lovely Madison, Wisconsin, we think there’s no more enjoyable and tasty way to beat July’s summer heat than with a cool, creamy treat. And there’s no better time to do it, either. July is National Ice Cream Month, a designation launched in 1984 by the late former President Ronald Reagan, who was famous for more than his style of populace politics and love of Jelly Beans.
According to the International Dairy Food Association, more than 90 percent of people in the U.S. enjoy ice cream: The industry generates more than $21 billion in annual sales and provides jobs for thousands. About 9 percent of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream.  Wow.
So, what are the hottest ice cream flavor trends this year? It might not come as a surprise, but flavor-wise, vanilla continues to reign as the top choice among U.S. ice cream eaters, topping sales in both grocery stores and restaurants, says the IDFA .  Why?  This flavor is the most versatile, mixing well with toppings, drinks and bakery desserts.
In order, America’s top five favorite ice cream flavors currently are:

1. Vanilla
2. Chocolate
3. Cookie ‘n cream
4. Strawberry
5. Chocolate chip mint

Surprised?  Not us.  Data in the NPD Group’s National Eating Trends In-Home Database says the most popular ice cream flavors are: Vanilla (27.8 percent), chocolate (14.3 percent) and strawberry (3.3 percent).
But this doesn’t stop creative ice cream makers from coming up with all sorts of new concoctions every year. For some, the more strange the flavor, the better. (Maple Bacon Sundae cone anyone?)
So what’s your favorite ice cream flavor, is it weird or not-so-strange? And, tell us what you think about these new less than traditional flavors below.  Happy licking everyone!
[polldaddy poll=”5234595″] About Us
gThankYou, LLC is based in Madison, WI and produces America’s favorite meaningful, affordable and convenient employee gifts.  gThankYou!® Certificates of Gratitude™ are one way savvy companies demonstrate commitment to valued employees and customers. The company is best known for its Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Grocery Gift Cards.   Other Favorites include our Ice Cream and Pie Gift Certificates.

An early-season heat wave here has us throwing just about everything we wanted to cook on our grill this past week. Groceries I never imagined would grill up nice and tasty have become some of my family’s new favorites. Many of them come from the produce department.
Grilling vegetables intensifies and can change the very character of their flavor profile. We used a lot of plentiful and in-season veggies stocking grocers’ shelves now. According to the folks at Cooks Illustrated, grilling vegetables has become more common. They’re a quick and easy dish, not to mention very tasty:
“In general, vegetables should be cut to expose the maximum surface area to the grill, which helps them cook quickly and thoroughly. Smaller vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes and button mushrooms, need to be skewered to keep them from falling through the grill, as do slices of some larger vegetables like onions.”
Great vegetables to grill include zucchini and summer squash, endive and radicchio, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, fennel, asparagus, eggplant, beets – the list is almost endless.
Corn is also fantastic! Soak it in the husk (pull out the silks prior to soaking) for several hours and pop the ears right on the hot coals, turning frequently to steam the corn and intensify the flavor. Add a small lump of herbed butter inside the husk prior to grilling for a real treat.
Testers at Cooks Illustrated recommend using thin metal skewers to evenly, but bamboo skewers will work just as well if you soak them in water prior to use. Another method we like: heavy aluminum foil or an aluminum pie tin. If using aluminum foil, make it into a tray, folding up the sides. A pie tin works well if you poke small holes in the bottom. Place the foil or pie tin on top of your grill grate, and let the heat, turning often.
Regardless of your method – skewer, foil or pie tin – brush your veggies with olive oil or flavored oil prior to grilling.
Have a great time experimenting with grilled vegetables. Use them as a side dish or add them to pasta or sandwiches. Here are a few recipes to get you started:

• Cajun Spiced Corn from AllRecipes.com
• Grilled Asparagus with Gorgonzola Butter from the Grilled Asparagus Recipes blog

Please share your favorite grilled veggie concoctions with us here and happy summer eating to all!

At gThankYou, we’re  in the fortunate position to learn and share information about how corporate gifts – to employees, customers or friends — impact business. Study after study as well as documented experiences shared by firms we serve reveals that corporate leaders practicing workplace gratitude gain a lot of what we like to call Thanks Equity. It can be measured in engaged employees, loyal customers and a healthier bottom line.
As another year comes to a close, it’s fitting to look back and share the best information we’ve found in the past year plus, a best practices of corporate gifting of sorts.

1. Gaining worker buy in by offering an office picnic.
2. Making Thanks easy by lowering the transaction cost.
3. Recognition helps gain competitive advantage.
4. Giving builds customer loyalty.
5. Gratitude is the best recruitment and retention tool.

More innovative corporate leaders are recognizing the value of Thanks Equity. You probably won’t find it on any P&L, but it does mean a lot to an organization’s health. Please share with us your stories of how workplace gifting helps your company.

gThankYou (www.gthankyou.com) has made it simpler to customize your Employee Gift Program. A new batch of Holiday Enclosure Cards has been added to help tailor your year-end gift of Thanks. From heartfelt to fun, each card has a new, brilliant holiday image and message certain to make your gift special.
“Year end is a key time for companies to recognize achievement. We continue to add new gift cards to our selection to make it easier for leaders to customize their Thanks to each employee,” says gThankYou President Rick Kiley. “We’ll even imprint your corporate logo and name, and the name of your recipient onto each card.”
Choose from among these new designs:

• Festive Ornaments
• Starry Night
• Christmas Pets
• And more!

Adding enclosure cards to your order of Turkey, Ham, Grocery or Dessert Gift Certificates is simple. Just pick your card design, send us an optional message and logo and we’ll include a card for each Gift Certificate you order. We offer customization at no extra charge.
gThankYou Gift Certificates come with your choice of new seasonal, Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham, Grocery or Pie Gift Certificates online in a variety of denominations. They’re easy to order as well as simple and quick to distribute to employees who can then redeem them at nearly any grocery store for the Turkey, Ham, Ice Cream or Groceries of their choice. Learn more at www.gThankYou.com or by calling 888-484-1658.
About gThankYou.com
A popular choice for employee gifts and rewards, gThankYou® Gift Certificates help companies celebrate success! gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Find out more about gThankYou on the company’s website. Plus, read more about how Thanks can boost your company at the gThankYou.com blog (https://www.gthankyou.com/blog/). Contact: Rick Kiley, President, gThankYou, LLC, info@gthankyou.com, 888-484-1658.

Corporate America’s Top Employee Gift source gThankYou! has added new Pie Gift Certificates to its popular line of workplace gifts. Theses new gift certificates increase the array of delicious and thoughtful employee Gift Certificates and give employers more convenient and meaningful ways to recognize employee achievement and customer success.“Everyone loves pie,” says gThankYou President Rick Kiley. “Ours comes in every flavor imaginable without the inconvenience of lugging and storing, serving and slicing.”
Employers choose the perfect gThankYou Pie Certificate dollar amount for their reward and recognition program to celebrate sweet success. Denominations range from $5 to $10. Recipients can redeem gThankYou Gift Certificates at virtually any supermarkets for the pie or similar dessert they choose.
gThankYou Pie Gift Certificates can also be used to purchase cake, cheesecake or a similar treat.  Nearly all supermarkets and mass merchant grocers honor gThankYou Certificates.  Details are on the FAQ for Givers section of the gThankYou! website.
Personalize each Gift Card free of charge for employees or customers with one of the new Pie Enclosure cards, seen here, or any of the Company’s Enclosure Card options. New Pie Enclosure Cards feature an assortment of wedges arranged artfully on a plate, and a slice embellished with a creamy dollop. As a extra service, gThankYou prints your choice of free Enclosure Card with your company name and the name of the recipient; company logos can also be included.
Complete information regarding gThankYou! Pie Gift Certificates is on the gThankYou website.  Details include:

• Pie Gift Certificates main page;
• gThankYou! Information for Supermarkets and Grocery Stores;
• gThankYou! Free Enclosure Cards.

Famous for its popular Turkey, Ham, Grocery and Ice Cream Certificates, gThankYou is the top choice gift for employees. gThankYou Gift Certificates are as convenient and easy for firms to give as they are meaningful, appreciated and simple for employees to redeem.
About gThankYou, LLC. gThankYou helps companies celebrate with employees, customers and friends with Gift Certificates that are simple to purchase, easy to distribute and convenient to redeem. gThankYou Gift Certificates create an ideal opportunity for workplace leaders to recognize successes. gThankYou, LLC is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Learn More about gThankYou on the company’s website. And find out how rewards can boost your company’s bottom line at Celebrating Work, the blog of gThankYou.

Contact: Rick Kiley, President, gThankYou, LLC, info@gthankyou.com, 888-484-1658.

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gThankYou!, America’s employee gift certificate leader, announces New Free Enclosure Card designs.
What’s better than a triple scoop cone on a hot summer day? A free enclosure card from gThankYou that says “Thanks for a job well done!”.  Corporate America’s favorite employee gift source is pleased to offer four new free enclosure cards this summer to help make workplace gift giving more personal and simple.

Designs include an Ice Cream Sundae (complete with chocolate sauce and acherry on top), a tempting Three-scoop Waffle Cone, a
Sizzling BBQ Grill and an a collage of Favorite Summertime Activities. All gThankYou Enclosure Cards are displayed on the company’s website.  Each design was developed by artist Amy Pierquet of Waterfront Graphic Design.
“There’s nothing more fun to eat than ice cream, and nothing that makes for a better celebration,” says gThankYou President Rick Kiley of the new card options sure to make anyone smile.  They’re the perfect compliment to our new Ice Cream Gift Certificates.
These cards make giving gThankYou Gift Certificates
more convenient and meaningful.  Add a custom message and  your company logo to personalize your gift, and make it more special.
A popular choice for employee recognition and reward programs, and end-of-quarter employee gifts, gThankYou Gift Certificates give employers the ease of selecting new Ice Cream, Turkey, Ham or Grocery Gift Cards in a variety of denominations. Employees have the convenience of deciding the type of Ice Cream, Turkey or Ham they want by redeeming gThankYou! Gift Certificates at any grocery store.
About gThankYou.com. gThankYou® Certificates of Gratitude™ are an ideal employee gift. Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, Ice Cream Certificates and Grocery Gift Certificates are favorites because they are fun, meaningful, affordable and appreciated by all.
Convenience is the top reason companies choose gThankYou Gift Certificates.  gThankYou Certificates can be ordered quickly online or by telephone, are easy to distribute to employees, and can be redeemed at virtually any grocery stores for the ice cream, turkey, ham or groceries that employees choose.  gThankYou Gift Certificates create a perfect opportunity for workplace leaders to recognize success.
gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com ) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Find out more about gThankYou on the company’s website. And read more about how Thanks can boost your company at the gThankYou Blog. Contact: Rick Kiley, President, gThankYou, LLC, info@gthankyou.com, 888-484-1658.
Certificates of Gratitude™ is a trademark and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

NEWS RELEASE:
Celebrate Success with New Ice Cream Certificates from gThankYou. Employee gift expert gThankYou has introduced Ice Cream Gift Certificates, a new and fun way for companies to engage employees and say “Thank You” for a job well done. Ice Cream Gift Certificates are the perfect, and tasty, addition of your company’s recognition and reward program.
I Scream, You Scream…
“There’s nothing more fun to eat than ice cream, and the season is upon us,” says Rick Kiley, president of gThankYou, Corporate America’s favorite employee gift source. “There’s nothing that makes for a better celebration with friends and the entire family.”
Fun Varieties
Choose gThankYou Ice Cream Certificates for a variety of celebrations:

• The Sundae –  good for one container of ice cream up to a $5 value
• The Double Scoop – redeemable for two containers of ice cream up to a $10 value
• The Triple Scoop — purchases three containers up to a $15 total value.
• The Ice Cream Social – up to a $20 value good for four containers of ice cream.
• The Extravaganza – up to a $25 value toward five containers of ice cream.
• The Ultimate Scoop – an ice cream lovers dream good for six containers at up to $30 value.

Plus, add $5 or $10 to your certificate for mix-ins and toppings like nuts, candies, whipped cream and sauce.
Each certificate is redeemable at any grocery store for any brand of ice cream, frozen novelty or similar frozen dessert in the appropriate denomination and container count. Employees can also choose the brand and type of toppings of their choice, if included in the certificate.
More Information
There’s a lot more information about gThankYou® Ice Cream Gift Certificates at the Company’s website, including:

• All about gThankYou Ice Cream Gift Certificates
• Information for Givers of gThankYou Ice Cream Gift Certificates
• Information about gThankYou Ice Cream Gift Certificates for Grocery Retailers
• Information about gThankYou Ice Cream Gift Certificates for Consumers
• How Ice Cream Gift Certificates Work

About gThankYou, LLC gThankYou helps companies celebrate with employees, offering Gift Certificates that are simple to purchase, easy to distribute and convenient to redeem for employees, customers and friends. gThankYou Gift Certificates create an ideal opportunity for workplace leaders to recognize successes. gThankYou, LLC is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Learn More about gThankYou on the company’s website. And find out how rewards can boost your company’s bottom line at Celebrating Work, the blog of gThankYou.
Already known for its popular Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates and Grocery Gift Certificates, gThankYou is the top choice gift for employees; as convenient and easy for firms to give as it’s meaningful and appreciated and simple for employees to redeem.
Contact: Rick Kiley, President, gThankYou, LLC, info@gthankyou.com, 888-484-1658.

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This spring, it’s easier than ever to celebrate your company’s success with a fresh-picked gift from Corporate America’s favorite employee gift seller, gThankYou. A number of new spring card designs, each conveying appreciation for a job well done, are now available for easy distribution with Ham, Grocery or Turkey Gift Certificates from gThankYou.
“Workplace gifts have been shown to boost company success,” according to Rick Kiley, President of gThankYou. “To keep ROI high, it’s essential to engage employees. There’s no better way to do that than with a thoughtful, and useful gift.”
HR Managers and executives can add a personal touch to Employee Gift Certificates that recipients can redeem at any grocery store for a Ham, Groceries or Turkey of their choice. Choose cards that feature a cheerful Singing Bird, a Field of Flowers, Tulips, and a Lamb with Ewe. They make these employee gifts memorable and creates a reward program that gets results.

Convenience tops the list of reasons employers choose gThankYou Gift Certificates. Personalization – an added service used by most employers at no additional charge – includes a card design of your choice plus your company name and the recipient’s name printed on the Gift Card.
Order Ham Gift Certificates, Grocery or Turkey Gift Certificates easily online at www.gthankyou.com in $5 denominations from $10 to $30. Certificates are also simple to give, and are often distributed with payroll. Redeeming Certificates is easy, too. Employees can redeem Certificates at any grocery store for the Ham, Groceries or Turkey of their choice.
gThankYou Gift Certificates are the ideal workplace gift. They’re meaningful, affordable and appreciated by the entire family. They also offer the perfect opportunity for leaders to recognize workplace success. Most gThankYou customers give Company Gift Certificates to all employees in the company, division or workgroup at holiday times or the conclusion of a successful project, month or quarter. Learn more at www.gThankYou.com or by calling 888-484-1658.
About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou! are two of America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any Brand (Turkey or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any Grocery Store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime.  gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.
gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin.  Contact:  Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-484-1658.
Follow the Company Blog –  “Celebrating Work”.
Join the Conversation @gThankYou
Watch our gThankYou! YouTube Video – “Learn More About Us”.
“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

To the fortunate many who received gThankYou! Ham, Turkey or Grocery Gift Certificates recently, congratulations! Yours is a thoughtful and useful reward for a job well done!
To help you through the process of using your gThankYou certificate, I’ve created this handy primer designed to answer any questions. Since I, too, was the recent recipient of my first gThankYou Turkey Gift Certificate, I thought there no better way to help than to share my own experience
Told that my gThankYou Turkey Gift Certificate would cover $20 toward the purchase of any Turkey of my choice from any grocer, I went shopping. Here’s how it worked.
After settling on the exact Turkey I wanted – Kosher this year – I planned where to shop for the perfect size Turkey at a good price. I found the perfect bird at Trader Joe’s, a national specialty food retail chain that caters to the foodie crowd. The bird fit my criteria, and those spelled out on the certificate (it needed to cost at least $20).
Certificate in hand, I advanced toward the check-out. After I presented the certificate, my checker examined it and began reading the instructions. He was a first-timer too, having never seen a Certificate from gThankYou. A manager responded, and after he read the certificate instructions, completed my transaction.
After hardly the bat of an eye, I was done. It worked just like a coupon presented during the check out process. But this was better, because I was fulfilling a reward.
A few tips:

1. Pay attention to the specifics. Details on your certificate will tell you what the gift covers: Turkey, Ham or Groceries and for how much.
2. Certificates will have a good-through date. Use the certificate by this day to ensure you receive the full benefit of your gift.
3. Expect to wait a minute or two for verification from a store manager. Shopping during a slower time of day on a slower store traffic day will minimize your wait.
4. If you run into stores with questions, there’s a toll-free number on the certificate that managers or clerks can call on the spot.
5. Rest assured that the certificates are usable for any specified item at any store, even if they’ve never (as was my experience) processed a gThankYou certificate. It’s the real deal.

It was truly an unexpected thrill to receive a gThankYou Gift Certificate. I felt proud using it, and enjoyed serving the Turkey I purchased with it, which this year had more of a story. Share your experience getting and using gThankYou certificates, and serving the resulting meals.