According to ELLE, it looks like the high-end retail brands aren't going to let their profits just ride off on the arms (or shoulders) of their clients. Houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Fendi now adding additional utilitarian logo tote bags to their bag collections so they can tap into this market - except their versions come at a cost.

What do you think? Would you carry Chanel's logo-embroidered $2,600 fabric and calfskin shopper? Would you consider purchasing or custom-ordering retail-grade promotional totes or bags for your next marketing campaign? Tell us on the comment section, our Twitter or Facebook page. We're interested in hearing what you think!

January is the month of Janus, the double-faced deity, who was famous for the ability to see what was in front and behind - an appropriate name for the first month of the year.

February is either from the god "Februus" or from februa, signifying the festivals of purification celebrated in Rome during this time period.

March is named for the god of war, Mars, which makes sense, considering this month's temptuous nature.

April most likely gets its name from "aperire", which means "to open," possibly in reference to the budding plants and flowers that appear during this month. However, some sources attribute the name to Aphrodite, the god of love.

May, the month of rain showers and flowers, comes from Maiesta, the Roman goddess of honor and growth.

June is from Juno, the wife of Jupiter because she liked to lay out by the pool and sip fruity drinks during the first month of summer.*

July and August owe their names to Roman emperors full of pride - Caius Julius Caesar and Augustus. Before these rulers bequeathed their monikers upon these months, they were called Quintilis ("five") and Sextilis ("six"), respectfully.

The final four months got their names from numbers - September was Septem ("seven"), October was "Octo" (eight), November was Novem ("nine") and December was Decem ("ten"). You probably noticed that the names of the months don't coordinate to their current numerical placement on our Gregorian calendar. It's because our year used to end in March, not December. When the year-end was changed, the names stayed the same.

Now you can say you've learned something new today. (You are welcome.) As you get back to perusing our site (and just like us, probably now have calendars on the brain), make sure to check out our desk calendars, wall calendars or pocket planners for some creative ideas for your organization. If you have any questions, simply call your account executive or contact us!

*May not be factual

You can create incentives that cater to any region, demographic or customer profile. Plus, (like we talked about in our related post Gettin' Tech-y with It: Five Fresh Ideas for Computers, Tablets and Cell Phones!), your clients are tuned into their electronic devices all day, so it's easy for them to redeem their gift and digitally interact with your brand, right away.

But don't take our word for it! You can hear it right from one of our great clients, Katherine, at TalentWise:

"The digital reward cards have been a huge hit at a number of different events we've invested in! This product is perfectly aligned with our company's message, which centers around provisioning customers with our products and services in an on-demand, paperless, one-step fashion," Katherine says. "We pride ourselves in being a technology-driven service provider and the digital reward cards paralleled our message in a unique way, and actually gave attendees something they really wanted (movie tickets)."

"We coupled the launch of our road show program and the usage of these cards during the time frame of a highly anticipated flick premiere, so attendees were more likely to engage with us to receive one," she adds. "A very clever concept that definitely increased the number of attendees we captured and engaged."

If Digital Rewards sound like a promotion that suits your needs, then call your account executive or contact us for more details!

Let's just be honest - one of the perks of working for a promotional products company is free stuff. And every now and then, you hit the jackpot - or in my case, the t-shirt jackpot. I received both a Bella Ladies' Baby Rib Crew Neck T-Shirt and a Canvas Men's Unisex T-Shirt in my size. (We're practically swimming in shirts over here, so finding a shirt is nothing special, but finding one - or in my case, two - in the correct size is a miracle.)

They've quickly became my favorite t-shirts. Both fit very well (they hug and drape in the right places), both shirts (and their decorations) have held up through weekly washer and dryer runs, maintaining their quality and size and (most importantly), they're comfortable. I mean, really comfortable.

You would think after owning shirts like these I would question why they were so comfortable, but I didn't. I was content to enjoy them in ignorance until I went to the 2012 PPAI Show in Las Vegas. There, I had the opportunity to visit the Bella + Canvas booth, and I learned that there was actually a reason why my cotton t-shirts were my favorites - because they're made from 100% combed and ring-spun cotton.

Of course, to understand 100% combed and ring-spun cotton, you need to understand its polar opposite - carded open-end cotton. This type of cotton is created from open end spinning or yarn created without a spindle. It was a process developed in the 1960s that both reduced the labor needed to create yarn and increased productivity. Imagine a spinning clothing dryer full of sheets and then think about pulling out one of those sheets as they are moving. The cloth will spin together as you pull it out. This is the concept behind open-end spinning, the process creates threads quickly and easily, so that they can be sewn into fabric, and then, apparel. While this process produces quick and affordable clothing (a good thing), it also makes the apparel less comfortable, as the fabric is coarse (a not-so-good-thing).

In contrast, ring-spun cotton is created with ring spinning, which means the threads are secured at both ends and are consistently and evenly rotated, creating a smoother, finer and uniform yarn with a tight knit - therefore making it softer, more comfortable to the touch and more resilient to wear-and-tear.

I found that pretty interesting, but I also learned something else that caught my attention - ring-spun cotton is what many retail establishments sell. It's because these stores want their customers to think their shirts are the best thing since sliced bread, making their business the place to go when their customers come back to purchase more.

We offer promotional apparel with both ring-spun and carded open-end cotton, because we like to provide options for all kind of organizations and their respective budgets. However, after experiencing my comfortable Bella + Canvas t-shirts, I am going to throw my two-cents in and recommend you consider a shirt made with ring-spun cotton for your next promotional apparel purchase, like our Canvas Men's Union Heather T-Shirt, our Bella Ladies' Baby Rib V-Neck T-Shirt or our super soft Alternative Unisex Eco Long-Sleeve Zip Hoodie.

Think of it this way - promotional apparel is a great investment because with one purchase, you can give away a product that gets hundreds, maybe thousands of impressions of its lifetime. Why not make it something your recipients are excited to wear again and again? It's more bang for your buck - and more eyeballs on your organization's logo.

Obviously, in my case, it's worked out for Bella + Canvas because I've been watching the clothing pile very carefully for another unwanted, Bella or Canvas t-shirt in my size.