Epic Merchandise Blog

Being in a relationship is wonderful. No one wants to be alone – people are hardwired to be together. But being in a healthy relationship is far more important than simply being in a relationship. You should never settle for a relationship just because you are afraid to be alone. A toxic relationship is highly damaging to your mental health and to your self-esteem. Being on your own is far better than being in such a relationship.

Six signs of a healthy relationship:

1. Mutual Respect. Your partner should respect your opinions and your boundaries. He should never ridicule you for speaking your mind, for being yourself, or for refusing to join in an activity.

2. Open Communication. People in a healthy relationship speak honestly and openly about their feelings. They feel comfortable discussing issues and are not afraid of their partner’s reaction.

3. Freedom and Space. People in a healthy relationship are able to keep identities that are separate from the relationship. Each of them has her own hobbies and interests. One partner never tries to get the other to give up seeing her friends, or drop out of activities she loves.

4. Equality. A healthy relationship is one where both partners are equal. There are no major power struggles, and input from both partners has the same level of importance and influence.

5. Unconditional Support. A good partner supports you, accepts you as you are, and never tries to undermine you or hurt your self esteem. A healthy relationship is about being there for each other in good AND in bad. You must feel that you can be yourself and your partner will still love you. If you feel you need to pretend to be someone you’re not, or you’ll lose your partner’s love and support, you’re not in a healthy relationship.

6. Honesty and Trust. Do you trust your partner? Doe she trust you? Have you ever caught her lying to you? Has he ever shown signs of extreme jealousy when he saw you talking with another man? Extreme jealousy, lies and mistrust are signs of an unhealthy relationship.

Relationships are complicated. Even a great relationship can have ups and downs. Even the most supportive partner can sometimes hurt your feelings. But the signs above are a good start for monitoring your relationship and trying to identify problems. If there are major problems, the sooner you identify them, the better.

Photo credit: Anatoly Tiplyashin

Nothing adds character and charm to a baby’s nursery quite like personalized wall decor. Don’t leave those walls bare! Bare walls always seem cold and uninviting, in any room of the house, and especially so when it comes to your baby’s nursery.

Planning and decorating a baby’s nursery is a lot of fun. The crib, the bedding, the rocking chair, and fun accessories such as toy chests, toy bags and diaper stackers all give the parents-to-be a great opportunity to tap into their creative side and create a warm, welcoming, beautiful space for their new baby.

Once you’ve come up with a theme for your baby’s room, it’s always nice to add a personal touch, and personalized wall decor is one of the best ways to do that. A great way to make the room truly unique and welcoming is to add a personalized baby room sign, which includes the baby’s name, her birth date and a short, sweet message. A baby room sign is also a great option for anyone looking for a unique, one-of-a-kind gift for the new parents.

The typical sign comes in blue for baby boys, pink or purple for baby girls, and includes all the important information, such as the baby’s first, middle and last names, her birth date, and any message up to 15 characters you want to include at the bottom, such as “Sweet Dreams.” Other favorite messages are “We Love You,” “Sweet Baby,” or “Happiness.”

One of the added bonuses of personalized wall art is that it helps to introduce and reinforce letter recognition and basic reading skills from a very young age. Most parenting experts agree that exposing young children to letters and words is one of the best ways to start teaching them how to read.

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Epic Merchandise offers a large, affordable selection of engraved gifts. Epic Merchandise provides you with great service and high quality products at very competitive prices. Shop with us and you’ll see why you can depend on our service, and count on your savings.

A great picnic requires very little effort. The entire idea, after all, is effortless dining in a casual setting. But successful picnics, just like any other event, do require some advance preparation: finding the right spot, selecting foods that are appropriate – and yummy – to eat cold, and packing and serving the food in a way that makes it look appetizing.

These six tried and tested tips will help you make sure your next picnic is relaxing and fun:

1. While a traditional picnic basket is romantic and pretty, you also need a good-size cooler to keep food fresh and keep it from spoiling. I used to resist using a plastic cooler because “they’re ugly,” but one needs to be practical too: if you don’t use a cooler, your choice of foods is extremely limited. A great way to combine aesthetics with practicality is to buy an insulated picnic cooler which also includes service for two or four.

2. Remember that serving food on real china and silver, and using cloth tablecloth and napkins, feels so much better than using plastic and nylon. At the end of the picnic, when you get back home, just toss the tablecloth in the washer and the dishes in the dishwasher. Avoiding disposable items is also a great way to help the environment.

3. A blanket on the grass sounds great, but finding a shaded corner with a picnic table and benches is far more comfortable than sitting on the ground.

4. If it rains on the day of your picnic, consider having it indoors. Having a picnic indoors is a lot of fun, especially for children.

5. Keep the food fresh, delicious and very simple: instead of cooking, stop by your local deli or supermarket, and buy fresh bread, cold cuts, cheese, boiled eggs, a tray of fresh cut veggies and fruit, lemonade and a bottle of good wine.

6. Don’t forget to bring insect repellent and sunscreen for everyone, and remind your guests to dress in layers and bring a hat.

When I think about a picnic, the first word that comes to mind is “effortless.” Hopefully, these tips will help you accomplish just that.

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Epic Merchandise offers a large, affordable selection of engraved gifts. Epic Merchandise provides you with great service and high quality products at very competitive prices. Shop with us and you’ll see why you can depend on our service, and count on your savings.

No doubt, the recession is impacting our buying habits. We spend less on ourselves, and we probably spend less on others too. Still, life goes on. People get married, have babies and celebrate birthdays. How do we give during a recession while sticking to our budget?

The best way to give during a recession is to forget about spending a lot and, instead, to make sure your gift is truly thoughtful. Before spending, ask yourself, what does the person want? Did he say anything, drop any hints? What would be useful to her and make her truly happy?

It’s OK to spend less – but make it personal. Consider this survey, for example, where it turned out that while men considered expensive roses to be the ultimate Valentine’s day gift, women actually preferred love notes.

If you’re aiming at making your gifts more thoughtful instead of just spending a lot, a great place to start is by taking the time to write a hand-written note instead of buying a card. There’s nothing wrong with a card, of course, but writing a few sentences in your own handwriting is so much more personal.

Personalized, engraved gifts are another great way to turn even a low-budget gift into something special the recipient will remember and cherish. Take a look at this pendant necklace, for example: it’s beautiful even without personalization, but engraving an initial on it makes it truly unique.

One of my favorite ways to give while sticking to a budget is to give homemade gifts. Ideas can range from gifts in a jar, to a “coupon book” with coupons for free babysitting or housecleaning, to a handmade recipe book with treasured old family recipes.

Once you focus on what people will actually enjoy, and accept that the best gifts are not necessarily the most expensive ones, it’s quite easy – and fun – to give great presents without spending a fortune.

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Epic Merchandise offers a large, affordable selection of engraved gifts. Epic Merchandise provides you with great service and high quality products at very competitive prices. Shop with us and you’ll see why you can depend on our service, and count on your savings.

Photo credit: monstershaq2000

Teachers are overworked and underpaid. Somehow this has become a fact that everyone just accepts. But as a parent, you want to show your appreciation at the end of the year. A great way to do that is to give the teacher a thoughtful, personalized gift that shows you care.

Since many families have more than one child, and each child has several teachers, the financial burden of buying teacher gifts can become prohibitive. This list of thoughtful, inexpensive teacher gifts will help.

1. Leather Wrapped Pen. This is one of those gifts that you know the recipient will actually use. It features an attractive leather-wrapped exterior that provides a solid grip. The cap has a sturdy clip which attaches securely to a pocket, a PDA, or a briefcase. The pen can be engraved with one line of up to 15 characters. Cost: $20.95

2. Pendant Necklace. A classic, timeless design makes this a beautiful gift for a female teacher. The pendant doesn’t need to be polished and won’t scratch or nick like sterling silver. Can be engraved with a single initial. Price: $18.95

3. Monogrammed Luggage Tags. Another stylish AND useful gift, monogrammed luggage tags in fun colors make luggage easy to find. Each tag can be personalized in monogram style with the teacher’s initials. Price: $21.95

4. Silver Plated Personal Cooler. This stylish gift can be engraved with the teacher’s name or any other message. It looks pretty while keeping the teacher’s beverage cold. Price: $23.95

5. Memory Picture Frame. With its smooth, curved edges and soft shine, this beautiful frame complements any decor. It holds a single 4” x 6” photograph. Engrave it with a simple “Thank You” and place your child’s photo inside for a truly memorable teacher gift. Price: $22.95

Another way to keep the cost manageable when shopping for teacher gifts is to join other parents, or even organize the entire class, so that each family contributes a small amount (say $5) that can be joined into a nice gift.

When wrapping the gift, always remember to include a personal letter from your child and a hand written card from you. Many teachers say that a personal letter is the most treasured gift of all.

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Epic Merchandise offers a large, affordable selection of engraved gifts. Epic Merchandise provides you with great service and high quality products at very competitive prices. Shop with us and you’ll see why you can depend on our service, and count on your savings.

Photo credit: peiqianlong