Military Spouses Day draws attention to education challenges, and scholarship programs
Posted by: Queensboro on: May 5, 2011
Wilmington, N.C. – Military Spouse Appreciation Day is being celebrated tomorrow, Friday, May 6, 2011. It’s always on the day before Mother’s Day in the United States.
United States citizens have set this day aside to acknowledge the huge sacrifices and contributions of all of the spouses (and significant others) of U.S. soldiers – whether men or women.
Military Spouse Day has been observed since May 23, 1984, when a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan recognized the profound importance of spouse commitment to the readiness and well-being of military members. At that time, the U..S Secretary of Defense standardized the date – by officially declaring the Friday proceeding Mother’s Day as “Military Spouse Day.”
Each year, the U.S. President normally commemorates this day with a ceremonial speech and proclamation.
Michelle Obama Recently in N.C. at Camp LeJeune
On April 13, 2011, First lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden (the wife of Vice President Joe Biden) visited Camp LeJeune as part of a 2-day tour of military communities – to highlight the work of nonprofit organizations and businesses that support service member families.
They spoke to 3,000 Marines, soldiers, sailors, and military family members from Camp Lejeune, and also attended a unit-wide baby shower for 40 pregnant wives of service members. From there, they took their military spouse tribute from North Carolin on to Texas, Colorado and Ohio.
It’s Debatable Whether the T.V. show “Army Wives” is Realistic
Most everyone has heard of the hit TV series, Army Wives. It’s just been renewed on Lifetime for its sixth season, and is a lot of fun.
The fifth season, premiered Sunday, March 6 with 13 all-new episodes. The show follows the struggles, dreams and friendships of a diverse group of women — and one man — living with their spouses and families on an active Army post.
The series films in Charleston, South Carolina, and stars Kim Delaney (Claudia Joy Holden), Sally Pressman (Roxy LeBlanc), Brigid Brannagh (Pamela Moran), Brian McNamara (Michael Holden), Sterling K. Brown (Roland Burton), Wendy Davis (Joan Burton), Drew Fuller (Trevor LeBlanc), Terry Serpico (Frank Sherwood) and Catherine Bell (Denise Sherwood).
The series is based on the book “Army Wives” by Tanya Biank, who serves as a show consultant. Mark Gordon is the Executive Producer.
Military Spouses Often Struggle with Education, and Career Development
A study on military spouses by the Rand Corporation, however, paints a slightly different picture of those who stay behind.
Highlights of their survey find that:
- Military wives are employed at lower rates and earn less than civilian wives, on average.
- Civilian wives with the same characteristics as military wives actually have better employment outcomes than the average civilian wife.
- The majority of military spouses believe that the military lifestyle — including frequent moves, deployments and long hours that keep service members from assisting with parenting, and living in areas with poor local labor market conditions — has negatively affected their employment opportunities. Almost half believe that their educational opportunities have suffered.
- Military spouses work for different reasons, based on their own education level, their service member’s pay grade, and their financial situation.
Find out more about Military Spouse scholarships and other educational benefits here.
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Camo is Cool!
Right now, save $25-50% on the Port Authority Waxed Cotton Cap with Camo Brim. It comes in four camouflage colors: Dark Tan Timber Camo, Dark Green Realtree Hardwoods Camo, Brown Mossy Oak New Break-Up Camo, and Black Realtree Hardwoods Camo. Today, they are discounted to only $9.15 each, including your logo.
Celebrating in Style: Queensboro Offers 25% Off Sale for Cinco de Mayo!
Posted by: Queensboro on: May 4, 2011
Wilmington, N.C. -
Cinco de Mayo: What’s It All About?
Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for the “Fifth of May”.
The holiday of Cinco De Mayo, The 5th Of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico, and especially in U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population. (It is not, as many people think, Mexico’s Independence Day, which is actually September 16.)
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo has become increasingly popular along the U.S.-Mexico border and in parts of the U.S. that have a high population of people with a Mexican heritage. In these areas, the holiday is a celebration of Mexican culture, of food, music, beverage and customs unique to Mexico.
It’s Margaritaville All Over the World!
Many restaurants and bars in the United States and Mexico promote Cinco de Mayo, with products and services focused on Mexican food, beverages and festivities, complete with Latino music (and usually a lot of margaritas!)
For example, Mixto Restaurant at 5 South Water Street, here in downtown Wilmington, N.C., will be featuring $5.00 burritos and Latin music tomorrow.
Quite a few cities throughout the U.S. also hold parades and concerts during the week following up to May 5th, so that Cinco de Mayo has become a bigger holiday north of the border than it is to the south, and being adopted into the holiday calendar of more and more people every year.
U.S. Cities, Like Santa Barbara, California, Celebrate in Style!
I’ll always remember enjoying the Cinco de Mayo Parade along Cabrillo Blvd. in Santa Barbara, California. It’s a grand celebration, with kids dressed up in colorful Mexican dress, running through the streets, having fun. Adults, too, love this day of partying!
In Espanol:
La fiesta del cinco de mayo es una fiesta mexicana que se celebran en muchas ciudades en los Estados Unidos. Muchas personas creen que es el aniversaio de la independencia mexicana, pero no es la verdad. Para conocer los orígenes de esta celebracion es necesario estudiar la historia de México a mediados del siglo diecinueve.
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Get in on the Savings!
Here at the Queensboro Shirt Company we’re also saying “Ole!” …
as we treat all new and existing customers to 25% off their order of logo apparel (including polos, tee shirts, dress shirts, light jackets, and more), through midnight on May 5, 2011!!
Shop now to save big.
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Some wisdom sayings to celebrate Cinco de Mayo
– “I think that the ideal space must contain elements of magic, serenity, sorcery and mystery” ~Luis Barragan
– “Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” ~Frida Kahlo
– “Somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether” ~Luis Bunuel
– “Respect for the rights of others means peace” ~Benito Juarez
– “Monuments and archaeological pieces serve as testimonies of man’s greatness and establish a dialogue between civilizations showing the extent to which human beings are linked” ~Vincente Fox
– “There is no point to samba if it doesn’t make you smile” ~Alma Guillermoprieto
– “It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees” ~Emiliano Zapata
– “If we are a metaphor of the universe, the human couple is the metaphor par excellence, the point of intersection of all forces and the seed of all forms. The couple is time recaptured, the return to the time before time” ~Octavio Paz
Why Choose the Queensboro Shirt Company? Our 4-Piece Minimum!
Posted by: Queensboro on: May 3, 2011
Wilmington, N.C. – In a continuing series of articles we’re exploring…
Question: What makes Queensboro different from other online Logo Apparel Retailers?
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Our Answer This Week: Our 4-Piece Minimum Order!
We’ve been in business since 1982. When we first started offering a four-piece minimum on all orders, it was rather startling.
Back then, Madonna was just coming onto the music scene … and most logo-apparel companies had 24-piece minimums to receive an even half-decent price on their products.
Some companies had even higher minimums than that. In many cases, you couldn’t get their best price without ordering several hundred pieces.
Our low four-piece minimum completely changed the way that embroidery and printing companies did business.
These days, in 2011, some logo-apparel companies actually advertise the fact that they have “no minimum order.” Buyer beware! At first glance, that might seem rather tempting. However, when you read the fine print it can actually be rather alarming.
Plain and Simple: How Our Pricing Works
On your first order, many of these outfits will charge you close to $100 to set up your standard-size logo. In addition to that fee, they will also tack on a $5 charge to place that logo on each item you order. So, if you’re tempted to order a $15 shirt, you’ll pay $95 for the set up and another $5 for the logo after you’ve shelled out $15 for the shirt. In the real world, do you really need a $115 shirt?
We Don’t Play Silly Pricing Games
Here at Queensboro, we’ve been servicing the needs of small to medium sized organizations for more than a quarter of a century.
We know that you don’t want to have to purchase several hundred pieces to get our best price, and we also understand that you don’t have time to play silly games.
With the exception of caps, visors, printed apparel, fleece, and other promotional items, our four-piece minimum lets you mix and match from most of the products in our inventory to meet your needs rather than ours. Since we don’t charge a set-up fee for standard-size logos or an extra per-piece fee for those logos, you’ll probably discover a pleasant surprise.
What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG)
The price you pay will actually be the price we advertise, with the addition of reasonable and transparent shipping fees.
AN EXAMPLE
An Example of Our Transparent Pricing
For instance, if you order a $14.95 polo, a $24.95 jacket, a $9.95 tote, and an $8.95 t-shirt, your bill will come to $58.80.
We will also charge you $14.50 to ship that order to any street address in the Continental United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). To put this in perspective, you’ll receive four items of your choice for a grand total of $73.30.
From our perspective, that’s a whole lot better than paying more than $100 for one shirt. It is certainly much better than having to find the room to stash hundreds of shirts just because someone offered you a bargain price on one item.
Even when we run sales, no matter how low our prices go, our four-piece policy always stands.
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We’ll put one of your logos on four of our products for a price that won’t strain your budget
Even our own Queensboro logo (right) pictures our 4-Piece Minimum Order advantage!
Due to processing requirements, if you’re ordering caps, visors, or printed shirts, we do require that you purchase four of those items. At the present time, we are unable to process orders that mix embroidered items with printed items; however, we’re happy to handle each as a separate order. If you need help, we’ll be happy to walk you through the steps.
Here at Queensboro, we believe that you should get the same prices that the big guys get.
We don’t ask you to make a major commitment, yet we’ll still back every item you purchase with our industry-unique “Unconditional Ten-Year Guarantee.” (Speaking of Our Guarantee… Well, that’s a whole other subject, just perfect for our next installment of: “Why Choose the Queensboro Shirt Company?”)
Stay tuned!
P.S. If you have any questions about our Four-Piece Minimum policy, please feel free to contact us at (800) 847-4478 – anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Thanks!
Basket full of Savings: May Day Traditions at Queensboro, and through the Ages
Posted by: Queensboro on: April 29, 2011
Wilmington, N.C. – As a new month of May begins this Sunday, let’s all make a promise to laugh and dance a little more. A wise friend always reminds me: “If you ain’t having fun, then you ain’t doing it right.”
Here at Queensboro, we all like to have fun – while we’re growing the business, and serving our customers well.
Surely, the tradition of dancing around the May pole is some fun that we’ve all but forgotten here in the United States. Let’s take a peek …
The History of Dancing Around the Maypole
May Day as a day for celebration dates back to the days before the birth of Christ. And, like many ancient festivals, it too has a pagan connection. For the Druids of the British Isles, May 1 was the second most important holiday of the year; it was when the Festival of Beltane held. It was thought that the day divides the year into half. (The other half was to be ended with the Samhain on November 1.) Back then, the May Day custom was the setting of new fire.
The beginning of May was also a popular feast time for the Romans, who came to occupy the British Isles. It was devoted to the worship of Flora, the goddess of flowers. It was in her honor a five day celebration, called the Floralia, was held. (Though, later in what was to become the U.S., May day observance was discouraged by the Puritans. )
The May Tree Tradition
In the Middle Ages, in fact, every English village had its Maypole (a.k. a May Tree). The bringing in of the Maypole from the woods was a great occasion and was accompanied by much rejoicing and merrymaking. The Maypoles were of all sizes. And one village would vie with another to show who could produce the tallest Maypole. Maypoles were usually set up for the day in small towns, but in London and the larger towns they were erected permanently.
Traditionally, trees have been linked to the May Day celebration, as well, as they are a symbol of the vitality and fertility of nature.
Anthropologist E. O. James notes that ” as a part of the May Day celebration, the youths in old Europe cut down a tree, lopped off the branches leaving a few at the top. They then wrapped it round with violets like the figure of the Attis, the ancient Roman god. At sunrise, they used to take it back to their villages by blowing horns and flutes.” The game (and ritual) of dancing and singing around a maypole – tied with colorful streamers or ribbons – has survived from the English tradition.
Children celebrate the day: by moving back and forth around the pole with the the streamers, by choosing a May queen, and by hanging May baskets (filled with goodies) on the doorknobs of friends and neighbors.
Whatever your age, even if you can’t gather around a may pole on Sunday, why not create and present a little may basket of your own to someone you care about?
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A May Day “Basket” – for all new Queensboro Customers
In the same spirit, this weekend, here on the Queensboro Blog – Behind the Seams, we’re offering a May Day special for all new customers. Visit our site, register and place an order of 4 items – with your free embroidery logo – and get a sample polo shirt for just $2.95. Here is the link.
Playing in the Rain? The Right Golf Apparel and Accessories Help Keep Your Score Low
Posted by: Queensboro on: April 29, 2011
Wilmington, N.C – There’s an old song that goes: “It never rains in Southern California.” Well, that just ain’t true! Whether it’s California, or in your neck of the woods, all of us – golfers included – must deal with the elements.
The Orange County Course web site offers a great list of the Top Ten Tips for playing golf in the rain.
Most of these golf tips have to do with having the right golf apparel and accessories to deal with the weather. Here at Queensboro, you can order golf products – with only a 4-piece minimum – with your logo imprinted for free. And, for all new customers in the Continental U.S., we offer Free Shipping on your first order.
Without further ado, here’s some food for thought…
Top Tips for Playing Golf in the Rain
1. Waterproof Gear – Having waterproof golf gear is almost a must. Rain gloves are great. Pants and jackets that waters slide off is a must. (The quick-dry Adidas Climalite Golf Polo fits the bill – shown at right.)
2. Keep Your Hands Dry – Always keep your hands dry. This means wiping your hands with a towel every time you see water in your hands. It’s not so much your hands that needs to be dry. It’s more important for you to not get your grips wet. (Here’s a great Velour Golf Towel – with your logo on it – for only $9.06 each – 4 piece minimum.)
3. Get an Umbrella – This helps shield the wind and rain from getting to you and your clubs. You can also hang your gloves and towels inside so you have easy access to them.
4. Wear a Hat – Not only to stay warm and dry but it keeps the water out of your face. (Nike’s moisture-wicking Dry Sphere Cap would be a perfect pick here.)
5. Bring Extra Towels, and Gloves – You will need it. Guaranteed. Always put towels on the top of your bag so you can wipe the shaft when you put your clubs back in the bag.
6. Keep Those Grips Dry – Non slippery grips are going to be key to good golf in the rain. Always wipe your grips and shafts dry as the grip is the only part of the golf club that you have contact with!
7. Rain Hood for Your Bag – An extra rain hood is sometimes necessary as well. The more layers you have on your bag, the harder it is for your clubs to get wet.
8. Take Your Glove Off When You Aren’t Hitting a Shot – If you are wearing it, rain will get on it. Instead, take it off every time you aren’t touching golf clubs and hang it inside the umbrella.
9. Know How the Rain Affects Your Game – When it’s raining, the balls don’t roll as far and it also won’t spin as much. Depending on how your shot trajectories are, it will require some adjustments. Make sure you are at least semi familiar with how your game will be in the rain before you start competing in a tournament during the rain.
And, last but not least, in life and on the golf course…
10. Don’t Rush – It’s extremely easy to start rushing when it’s raining but remember to focus and hit the best shot that the situation allows.
Enjoy!
Administrative Professionals lauded all this week; reward their unique contributions
Posted by: Queensboro on: April 27, 2011
Wilmington, N.C. -
Seems like all workers these days are wearing – and juggling – more hats. And, the team one works with is more important than ever before. You know how it feels, right? When a team is clicking, it feels like one organism with many heads, and arms – all working seamlessly together – in harmony.
Teamwork: Harmony in the Workplace
Often, it’s that support person in your office who actually seems to exude peace. They’re literally bubbling over and make all the difference in the world in keeping you pumped and positive all day. I can think of several of people that fit that description – as I sit here.
Today is Administrative Professional Day.
There are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles.
The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) has declared this year’s theme as :”Celebrate All Office Professionals!”
For the first time, the IAAP is veering away from the traditional celebration of the day which is centered on administrative professionals. As the IAAP states: “The recession has hit everyone in the office. Downsizing has forced all of us to pull together and work harder, not just the administrative professionals in the workplace. The IAAP recognizes the hard work and sacrifice from everyone.”
Job Titles – and Job Responsibilities – Have Changed Over the Years
Since 1952, the International Association of Administrative Professionals has honored office workers by sponsoring Administrative Professionals Week. Today, it is one of the largest workplace observances outside of employee birthdays and major holidays.
In the year 2000, IAAP announced a name change for Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries Day. The names were changed to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of today’s administrative workforce.
Over the years, Administrative Professionals Week (APW) has become one of the largest workplace observances. The event is celebrated worldwide, bringing together millions of people for community events, educational seminars and individual corporate activities recognizing support staff.
APW is always the last full week in April. In 2011, Administrative Professionals Week is April 24-30 – with Administrative Professionals Day on Wednesday, April 27 (today!).
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One Stop Shop
Did you know that the Queensboro Shirt Company offers promotional and gift items – such as the latest pens, mugs, coozies, desk products, and tech accessories – with a low 25-piece minimum?
Our journals are also top sellers. All of these items can be imprinted with your logo – and given to your staff as a “thank you” — or to customers. The coozies are also great for trade shows during the summer.
Pure Water: Earth’s Hottest Commodity
Posted by: Queensboro on: April 25, 2011
U.S.A. — This week, at Queensboro, our watchword is “water.” For many years here in the U.S., citizens have taken clean water for granted, using as much of it as one wishes for not that much money. The times they are a ‘changin.
Perhaps, the most valuable commodity in the world today, and likely to remain so for much of this century, is not oil or natural gas. It’s pure water. And, that’s the case for consumers, as well as investors.
According to Bloomberg News:
“The worldwide scarcity of usable water worldwide already has made water more valuable than oil. The Bloomberg World Water Index, which tracks 11 utilities, has returned 35 percent to investors every year since 2003, compared with 29 percent for oil and gas stocks and 10 percent for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.”
“There is only one direction for water prices at the moment, and that’s up,” said Hans Peter Portner, who manages a $2.9 billion US Water Fund at Pictet Asset Management in Geneva.
In addition, the problem of unsafe drinking water becomes even more problematic when we understand that 95 percent of the world’s cities continue to dump raw sewage into rivers and other freshwater supplies — making them unsafe for human consumption.
Just what can we do as consumers?
1. Get involved at the local level. Ask for and study local water quality reports, and then demand corrective action if the levels are not above par.
2. Change your thinking.
Yes… it’s simply profound. Dr. Masaru Emoto, the author of The Hidden Messages in Water and The Healing Power of Water, has conducted some powerful research, showing that positive words and statements have effects on the structure of water itself, and thus effect the whole Earth, as well.
Dr. Emoto has spent most of his career exploring the interconnectedness between human beings and the environment. His famous research with water presents a simple and profound message: don’t underestimate the power of thoughts. They have the ability to transform the world.
Most people first heard of Dr. Emoto in 2004 when the hit movie “What The Bleep Do We Know?” was released. In the documentary-style film, Dr. Emoto’s findings on the energy of thoughts are demonstrated.
His central premise is that human beings can affect the shape and molecular structure of water just through conscious intention. Water from bottles that were labeled with positive messages have intricate structures and shiney, diamond-like reflective qualities. Those that were labeled with negative thoughts have deformed, collapsed structures with black holes and yellow tinged edges.
The resulting shape, color and structure of the water crystals actually changes via human intention.
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Cool even on a Steamy Day
Water polo, anyone? Queensboro carries an assortment of Performance Polo Shirts made of CoolDry fabric. This technologically advanced 100% poly material is designed to rapidly wick moisture off your skin and disperse it into the air. As a result, you stay cooler and dryer during your most intense days. And instead of a Nike or Adidas brand, these high quality polos will feature your company’s logo.
Fabric Facts: What Type of Material is “Pique” Knit?
Posted by: Queensboro on: April 22, 2011
Wilmington, N.C – From time to time, we like to share information with you about the different types of material that are available on the Queensboro Shirt Company web site. With any of these materials, you can have your company’s or organization’s name set onto the items.
Know Your Fabric –
The more you know about the features of the apparel we offer, the better equipped you’ll be to choose the best type of fabric for each particular occasion, and each of your orders.
Today, we’ll be exploring the term “pique”.
Take a peek at Pique
Here is a close up photograph of pink pique fabric (as shown):
Pique Knit: Pronounced “P-K”, this is the fabric that is most associated with the original Lacoste Alligator Polo shirt. Also sometimes called mesh, pique is characterized by a textured fabric face with lots of tiny holes and a fabric back that is smooth. The construction is designed to pull moisture from the skin and wick it into the air, keeping the fabric, and the wearer, relatively dry and cool. Before the days of high tech and high performance Polyester yarns, Pique was the original performance fabric.
In the 1920’s, pique fabrics were an innovation that was used in the first use-specific athletic wear, particularly in the original tennis and polo shirts, as athletes began to move away from participating in sports in long sleeve button down shirts that covered up all skin!
The extraordinary comfort of this fabric soon popularized it for less serious athletes, and the rest, as they say, is history! (Please note that due to the surface texture of pique, embroidery can sometimes be a bit of a challenge on this fabric, particularly small letters or details.)
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To learn more about other types of fabric, visit the Queensboro Glossary — a helpful content page that explains many terms relating to apparel, shirts, sportswear, golf wear, and business casual fashions.
Earth Day 2011: Queensboro Offers Eco Friendly Logo Apparel at Discounted Prices
Posted by: Queensboro on: April 21, 2011
Wilmington, N.C. – Tomorrow is the 41st Earth Day! It was started back in 1970 in the United States to get people to rally around environmental issues. Over 20 million people participated that year. And, the whole world took notice!
Soon, Earth Day was being celebrated in over 170 countries across the globe.
Earth Day 2000 was the first year that the Internet was used as the principal organizing tool, and it has proved invaluable domestically and internationally. We’ve all seen that whether it’s blogging or tweeting during international events, the web now is a major factor in bringing attention to important issues and causes worldwide.
The same holds true for promoting policy changes which benefit our environment.
The wisdom from an Old Cree prophecy sums up the intent of Earth Day quite nicely:
“When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.”
Tee up for Savings
At Queensboro, we offer eco friendly, organic clothing all of the time. This week, in celebration of Earth Day – during our Easter Sale – we’re offering 100% cotton organic tee shirts – with your logo embroidered on them – for only $10.44 each (regularly priced at $19.95). That’s a 48% discount.
This tee is soft, comfortable, and durable, and protects the Earth, too! It’s certified organic, and dyed and finished with azo-free chemicals (environmentally friendly). And, it meets the Ecological and Toxicological Association of Dyes and Organic Pigment Manufacturers eco friendly requirements.
It comes in five earth tones: olive (as shown above); white: black; navy; and charcoal heather.
Here is the link to this Earth Day discounted offer.
Participate in Queensboro’s First Annual Virtual Easter Egg Hunt
Posted by: Queensboro on: April 21, 2011
Wilmington, N.C. – At The Queensboro Shirt Company, we do everything online — even Easter Egg hunting! This afternoon, get ready to search through the Queensboro web site to find the virtual “eggs” – and win a free item added to your order.
More details later … so stay tuned.
Happy hunting!
P.S. Our Easter Sale is in effect at 9:00 a.m. today, too, so you’ll save even more on your order.
Shop the Queensboro site today.
