Chalkboard Cups
Chalkboard mugs, with a writable/erasable finish. serve triple duty as coffee holders, personalized place cards and take-home gifts. Cost: from $3.21. promotions.advanceweb.com
Good Scents
Olfactory branding company 12.29 mixes exclusive scents for special events. The company can even create candles, fine fragrances or ambient sprays for guests to take home. For cost information, contact the firm. 1229scent.com
Good Read
Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality (Doubleday) is a hilarious book by Jacob Tomsky. The former hotelier recounts his experiences working in nearly every department of a New Orleans luxury hotel and shares all of the industry’s behind-the-scenes secrets. Cost: from $13. Amazon.com
Creative Cards
These singular business cards from JukeBox, available in five types of 100 percent biodegradable wood, can be customized with rounded corners, textured/colored backings, embossing and more. Cost: from $195 for 250 cards. jukeboxprint.com/wooden_business_cards.php
Artful Cleanups
McGillycuddy Natural’s milk soaps come in elegantly molded shapes and designs that are almost too lovely to use. Cost: $4.50 each. (518) 584-8485; shop.mcgillycuddysoap.com
Clothes Keepers
Flight 001’s Go Clean line of heavyweight nylon bags store those pesky “souvenirs” of long trips: wet bathing suits, muddy shoes and dirty laundry. Cost: $52 for the F1 Go Clean Set, which includes four bags. flight001.com
Bento Fix
Laptop Lunches’ bento boxes include interior containers of varying sizes to keep fruits, veggies, salads and dressings separate. Available in a number of color combinations. Cost: $23.99 per box. laptoplunches.com
Flight Check
Routehappy.com allows users to compare those oh-so-critical aspects of a plane trip, including in-seat power, Wi-Fi, on-time statistics, entertainment, passenger ratings and more.
Ice Cream Revisited
House-made artisan ice creams were named one of the National Restaurant Association’s top culinary trends for 2013. Try Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams for one-of-a-kind flavors such as goat cheese with red cherries, Queen City cayenne or Buckeye State. Cost: $12 per pint. jenis.com
Chocolate Romance
Theo Chocolate’s Aphrodisiac Confection Collection includes eight ganache confections in unique flavors including licorice, cinnamon, fig fennel, tequila lime, dulce de leche and ginger. Cost: $17.60 per collection of eight pieces. theochocolate.com
Sustainable Sweets
Endangered Species Chocolates sources its cacao from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and donates 10 percent of its earnings to nonprofit wildlife conservation groups. Cost: from $1.99 per bar; pictured are bulk smooth milk chocolate squares, $44.99 for 160 pieces. chocolatebar.com
Rice Krispie Sticks
New York City-based Abigail Kirsch Catering pops a Rice Krispie treat on a stick and smothers the square with crushed graham crackers, mini marshmallows and milk chocolate. Ask your catering contact to create similar treats. abigailkirsch.com