Posted on May 01, 2010 under corporate business gift |
I have an aunt who is one of the most thoughtful, giving persons I know. She sent a package to me that truly helped me through a very trying time in my life. I was at Band Camp late in the summer. Her own daughter had attended this same one a few years earlier. Band Camp is a week of rigorous instruction in which performances for football half-time shows, as well as week-end competitions are learned. It is an extremely strenuous activity, as choreography, music memorization, and fine-tuning skills are perfected.
The location of Band Camp is at a rather isolated, rural setting. Comfort is non-existent. The cabins in which we stayed are old, dilapidated structures which house spider-ridden, musty-smelling cots. They are arranged side-by-side and in bunks, accommodating as many campers as possible. Talk about living in “close quarters”. There is no other furniture in the cabin. Not only did we have to adjust to sharing personal space with fellow band members and their annoying habits, we had to sleep on lumpy, musty mattresses. Even though sleeping arrangements were uncomfortable, exhaustion from each day’s activity made these conditions a welcome respite.
Meals were shared in a cafeteria setting. The food, although filling, consisted of high-calorie, bland-tasting fare. Nothing was fresh; everything tasted like it came from a can…and it probably did. We were so hungry that we really didn’t care what we ate, as long as it was filling.
The week I attended Band Camp, the weather was hot, humid, and uncomfortable. Practices were brutal and the pressure of living in this kind of environment, as well as the mental and physical demands, made me miss home.
One day, about mid-week, I was particularly frustrated. The rigorous activity and the living conditions were getting to me. I was hot and tired. My muscles were sore and I was probably slightly dehydrated. My allergies were making me even more uncomfortable, depriving me of much-needed sleep. My muscles were sore and I was probably on the verge of dehydration. During a short rest break, my fellow campers and I heard the roar of a UPS truck coming down the lane. “Oh great”, I said. “Probably some more of that fattening food being delivered”, added my friend. Imagine my surprise (and delight) when the Band Director called out my name with his megaphone to inform me that it was I who had the delivery.
As I hurriedly tore the heavy box open, while fellow campers stood around and watched, I found a hand-written note from my sweet aunt, whose own daughter attended Band Camp a few years before. “I know how you need to keep up your energy. Enjoy!”
Inside the box was a colorful basket FULL of fresh, juicy fruit. There were red and yellow delicious apples, green Bartlett pears, red grapes, and bright oranges. Juicy nectarines and peaches were also included. Sealed packages of raisins, dried cherries, and banana chips were thrown in, as well. It was a bushel-full, so there was enough fruit to share with everyone! The colorful arrangement was so enticing, we began enjoying it immediately. The basket of fresh fruit was the healthiest we had eaten all week. We savored each nutritious mouthful. It gave us the boost we needed to make it through the week…physically and mentally.
Because of my aunt’s thoughtfulness, I look back at my Band Camp experience with fondness. Sending me the Fruit Basket turned out to be the encouragement I needed to keep me going…to keep me focused…to see me through to the end. It was such a great idea; I will never forget how much I appreciated it. In fact, I plan to send a deliciously fresh Fruit Basket to other band campers in years to come.
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Posted on Apr 22, 2010 under corporate business gift |
Do you happen to know anyone who has been feeling under the weather or sick for a while? Why not cheer up their day with a beautiful and tasty fruit basket?
Fruit baskets can be personalized for the special person that you are giving it to. They are usually filled with an array of fruits which can be picked specifically for the recipient or filled with a random assortment of fruit. They are usually made with ribbons and bows that can also be customized.
If the person that you are going to give the fruit basket to loves strawberries and kiwi, fill it up with those two fruits and they are sure to love it. What is their favorite color? Chose ribbons in their favorite colors or pick some ornaments that fit the theme that you are going for to decorate the basket.
Giving flowers is a very cliche gift. Not only does everyone else give flowers, flowers will only last for a short amount of time. They are pretty to look at but what else can they do for you? The gift of a fruit basket can do much more!
Fruit will serve several purposes when it is given to a person that is recovering from an illness. The fruit in the basket are packed full of vitamins that is sure to get them on the road to feeling better much sooner.
If you are looking for a gift for one of your coworkers, the fruit basket will be a wonderful idea. They can do so many things with the fruit basket that wouldn’t be possible with flowers. They could share the fruit with the office workers, take it home to their families, or even keep it at their desk and have a healthy snack whenever they want one.
Getting a gift for a male boss can be a very tricky thing to do. If you don’t know for sure what sports team he routes for or what he collects or likes a lot, what do you get him? A fruit basket is a great idea! He is sure to like it and will appreciate it a lot more than a nice flower arrangement.
The fruit basket is a very versatile gift and will be appreciated and enjoyed by anyone who receives one. When you are considering gifts for that special someone or for that person that you do not know so well, consider the fruit basket. A fruit basket designed particularly for someone is a very unique gift or just simply make it a collaboration of fruit. Either way, it is sure to be enjoyed!
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Posted on Apr 20, 2010 under corporate business gift |
Considering purchasing a gift can cause me to be uneasy: what should I give Alex for his fiftieth birthday? What should I give my wonderful father for his retirement? How can I surprise my husband with something sweet on our wedding anniversary?
Buying gifts is not my specialty. When I’m the one that has to select a present for someone, I am a complete wreck: what should I buy Aunt Sue for her retirement? What would my parents like for their fifty-first anniversary? How can I possibly surprise my husband on his birthday? And what can I possibly locate to congratulate my son, the young man who has everything, on the successful completion of his college career?
And even if I do locate the right thing for everyone, how can I easily send it to my Aunt Ruby who recently moved to Atlanta?
Can I surprise my pop with a gift at his volunteer job? And could I send George a terrific birthday surprise without driving to Fort Worth? How can I get a gift to my husband at work on Veterans Day? And could I send my parents a meaningful wedding anniversary gift without driving all the way to Baltimore
Fortunately, I recently found that ‘the perfect gift’ is available online: a gourmet fruit basket is quickly becoming the most efficient and expressive way to say, “I’m thinking of you!”
Given the wide choice of gift baskets available, it has been easy for me to select the appropriate present for everyone I have in mind. But the really great thing about purchasing gift baskets online is the perk of not having to become concerned about sending anything through the mailmyself or even worse—making a long trip! And, if I really want to surprise my husband on our anniversary, I can fill his day with hearts and flowers before he even comes home from work.
Since my discovery of gift baskets, the process of choosing gifts for my family (and my friends) has become painless! If you find yourself overwhelmed when it comes to gift getting, I advise you to consider gift baskets.
Maybe you think I am taking the easy way out, but for me gift baskets are heavenly sent. If I can find something that pleases my daughter, I know you’ll find a great gift for anyone you have in mind!
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Posted on Apr 20, 2010 under corporate business gift |
Our new neighbors have finally arrived next door. We’re anxious to meet them. They appear to be about our age and our children look forward to playing with theirs. Close relationships develop quickly on our street so we’re sure that our neighbors will become our friends. Can you think of a better way to greet these new neighbors than with a gourmet fruit bouquet?
A fresh fruit basket idea would be to have a few red apples, a couple of green pears, and a bright orange or two presented on a wooden cutting board. Add some red grapes and this lovely combination of color speaks for itself. Wrap pastel-colored cellophane around it all and tie a bow to the handle of the board to complete the package.
One of the simplest gift baskets would be to have a few red apples, a couple of green pears, and a bright yellow banana or two presented on a wooden cutting board. Add some red grapes and this lovely combination of color speaks for itself. Wrap colorful cellophane around it and tie a matching bow to the handle of the cutting board to complete the package.
A bigger fruit giftbasket could consist of a sturdy box, which can be used for storing other items later, filled with individually wrapped choices of ripe fruit. Just visualize juicy oranges, sweet plums, fragrant raspberries, and tangy grapefruit. The flavorful selection of these fruits stimulate any appetite.
Using an actual wicker basket is another way of presenting the fruit. Select a white or natural-colored basket. Healthy fruits of fragrant pineapple and distinctive coconut are surrounded by exotic kiwi. Add citrus selections of oranges, lemons and limes with aromatic bananas carefully positioned among them. This makes a fun, tropical fruit basket choice, which is appetizing, healthy, and very attractive. Top this off with a lime-green ribbon tied in a large bow.
Fruit baskets can be personalized, depending on your preference. We noticed a beautiful, wooden wine rack being moved into their home, so a bottle of wine could be added to the selections of fruit. In order to incorporate the fruit theme, a citrus peeler or a paring knife could be added, too. Hard tack or chocolate candies, or shortbread cookies, or even nut selections of almonds and walnuts would add an extra touch to the fruit basket gift, as well.
Fruit gift baskets can be offered in a variety of containers filled with every kind of delicious fruit you can think of. No matter which container you select for the fruit and no matter which fruits you choose to fill the container, it is a lovely, flavorful, and healthy option. What a wonderful “Welcome to the Neighborhood” gift fruit baskets are!
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Posted on Apr 19, 2010 under corporate business gift |
Finding the perfect gift to give to the person who has everything is pretty hard but the fruit basket never misses. Creating your basket to give as a gift is pretty simple and can be fun to put together. This then will be an appropriate gift for just about anyone on your list at Christmas, birthdays, for teachers or neighbors.
There are just a few simple supplies you will need to put together your git of fruit. You will want to have the container, scissors, colored shredded paper, heat-sealable plastic wrap, a blow dryer, ribbons and bows and yes, the fruit.
The fruit needs to be very colorful and of course as perfect as possible. No big blemishes or bruises. Traditional things go well in the basket like oranges, bananas, and apples but more unusual fruit gives the basket more interest like pineapple, mangoes and kiwi.
The container does not have to be wicker but that is traditional and some colored paper that is shredded will make a nice bed for the fruit to rest in the container. The larger fruit should be on the bottom or to one side with the little pieces of fruit resting around the bottom layer.
Sealing the basket up with the fruit to protect it will be easy if you use heat-sealable plastic wrapping material. This comes in a variety of patterns and colors but it needs to say that it is okay to use with perishable foods. Cut the wrap about three times the size of the basket.
Lay out the gift wrapping and put the basket in the middle of the wrapping. Then you ease the sides up to the center and at the top secure the plastic wrapping. Use a blow dryer and let the hot air seal the wrapping making in into a bag.
Now it is time to decorate your gift with anything you think the person receiving the gift will enjoy. Make your gift unique by adding flowers, ribbon, bows, or any kind of special decorative touches that will make it look as pretty as it will taste. Gift baskets with fruit a yummy and healthy and always something that lights up the face of the person who receives the gift.
If you are giving fruit to the same person you can change it up by adding chocolates or a special gift that is not edible but something the person would enjoy. Or you could simply add beautiful flowers.
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Posted on Apr 17, 2010 under corporate business gift |
Walking through a crowded store with my arms full of packages is not my first choice of hobbies. My mother adores shopping, but I did not inherit that part of her genetic composition. The part that I detest the most, however, is trying to guess what gifts everyone would actually enjoy and appreciate. I used to have this haunting fear that all of my shopping efforts would culminate in a rushed trip back to the store or, worse, out to the garbage can. I could never develop any sort of confidence about what to get my Grandma or dear Uncle Arthur. Now, I can enjoy the cute shops and the department stores, especially during the holidays, because I walk through empty handed, unhurried, with all of my shopping finished. I do all my shopping online, now. Well practically all of it.
Online shopping didn’t save my life all by itself. Just because I started using the Web before any of my friends, I still had to make the decisions. And then, around five years ago, or so, I discovered food.
That wasn’t very honestly phrased, because I discovered food when I was still an infant. But I didn’t discover food as a gift idea until recently. You see, at that time I received a gift basket full of hardly edible sausages, processed cheese spreads (mostly chemicals I think) and crackers that were about as crunchy as a rock. However, the poor quality of what passed as food in that gift turned out to be my inspiration. “What,” I thought, “If I had received genuinely good food?” How different that would have been, and how much I would have enjoyed it.
Since then, I have been busy conducting research (that’s just my word for “sampling”). I have found online vendors who offer genuine quality for about the same price that you can get that synthetic stuff at the mall. (You know the one I mean, but I’m not about to open myself to a libel or slander charge by naming the brand.) Just like the mall kiosks, the online shops handle all the shipping, gift cards, everything. I know that my gifts will be exceptionally pleasant surprises for all of my gift recipients.
The wide selection of quality gift foods available is truly remarkable. It ranges from live lobster dinners to a fruit basket; from cookie bouquets to live lobsters; from wine gift baskets to imported caviar or fine Wisconsin cheeses.
I do keep gift foods around the house, beautifully or cleverly arranged, for my guests who come to my house or for those whom I visit in person during those gift giving times. The Internet provides assistance to me even in these cases, because it is packed full of great ideas for arranging and wrapping gift food.
So help me thank the web (maybe Al Gore?) for allowing me to walk through an aisle of a store, empty handed, with a huge smile. I can do that, now, just to soak up the spirit of the season, whatever season it happens to be. I’m a tourist when I’m there instead of a frantic shopper.
Technorati Tags: food gift, food gifts, fruit basket, gift idea, gift ideas, live lobster, lobster dinner, wine gift basket
Posted on Apr 15, 2010 under corporate business gift |
A few days ago, I talked with a family friend who recently learned that his huge manufacturing company was closing his plant. He is actually more fortunat than most of his co-workers. He very recently reached the age at which he qualifies for early retirement, so he will continue to have a steady income. Those who did not reach that milestone of the specified number of years with the company will get a small severance package and be left to search for a job in that difficult market. That caused me to think about giving gifts for special occasions to those people who are experiencing difficult economic situations. I came up with a few ideas that make more sense than a piece of home decor or a new tie. Here are some of them:
A fruit basket is healthy, beautiful, yummy and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and then fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your neighborhood specialty store. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered directly to the person’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill that month.
A special meal is another way to remember a special occasion or holiday. One possibility might be to take the friend or family member to a popular local restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to recommend a couple of the more expensive entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering what they want. For example, you might say something like, “The crab legs are wonderful here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the tender and tasty filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.)
A final recommendation is a scrumptious dessert. Now, lets face it, nobody should indluge in too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves a chance to feel a little pampered. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a delicious pie or a New York cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.
You’ll notice a common feature in these suggestions. They all involve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, so much the better.
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Posted on Mar 17, 2010 under corporate business gift |
Please stop besmirching the good name of my favorite gift category–food gifts. Join the revolution by refusing to ship those obnoxious collections of unidentifiable cylinders claimed to be sausage and the awkward containers of processed cheese spreads. Extend the protest to include those tree killing enormous boxes that contain a couple apples or pears. I can find apples and pears that are just as good in my local super market.
You see, I love food gifts. I enjoy giving them, but I enjoy receiving them even more. However, when you send me something, please make it the same quality I give those on my gift list. Oh, and by the way, high quality is not the same as easy to buy from a temporary, seasonal kiosk in the mall. Food gifts deserve at least as much careful thought as that after-shave you bought your dad year after year in your childhood–oops, not a good example, perhaps.
Instead of that big brand name box of gelatinous cheese spreads from the mall, consider a selection of gourmet cheese from my home state of Wisconsin or wherever your favorite cheeses originate. Join me in endorsing the thankless labor of goats and cows rather than joining the chemical additive bandwagon. I would love even a small gift such as that more than the biggest box of the fake stuff that your mall displays.
A wine gift basket will be a perfect gift for the appropriate recipient. Do remember though that this gift is not suited for everyone. Like millions of other people, I haven’t had anything alcoholic in years, because I seem to be unable to handle it. While my sister would be properly grateful for a wine basket, I would not. Whereas I know how to chug and pour again, she actually knows how to slowly savor each sip.
In our mobile society, we all have a beloved relative or a dear friend who has moved to some distant location. Think about a present of a gift certificate for live lobsters or even lobster dinners. Granted, this is not a bargain basement priced gift, but sometimes we enjoy splurging on someone especially dear.
I made light of fruit gift baskets a while ago, but, if you take the time, you can find a basket of gourmet fruit–fruit that does not grown in my back yard. This can be a truly thoughtful gift for someone who is into fitness or who has started the sort of logical diet that allows the consumption of fruit.
See? If you give a food gift the thought that it deserves, stay out of the long lines at the mall kiosks, and hasten the journey of the boxes filled with fake cheese to the garbage bin, which is where they are going to end up if you send them to me. Join me at home some evening, shopping from the Internet. Just remember that you’ll have to bring your own wine, but I’ll supply the real cheese.
Technorati Tags: food gift, fruit basket, fruit gift baskets, gift idea, gift ideas, gourmet cheese, gourmet cheeses, lobster, lobster dinners, wine and cheese basket, wine gift basket
Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under corporate business gift |
For many years, the most popular gift to give to a loved one, friend or associate was a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The flowers would be admired on a desk top or counter for a few days and then the petals begin to wither. Eventually the flowers are thrown away. A gift that will give more pleasure and will serve a greater purpose is a fruit basket.
The fruit basket gift can be shared with many different people, or not if they chose not to share. They can also be made specifically for the person that it is going to by adding their favorite fruits into the basket. It will be made specifically with their favorites in mind. It will make it a much more personal gift.
To make it even more unique, you can add in strips of ribbon in their favorite
colors. You can even have it topped off with a giant bow that says happy birthday or congratulations. There are many bows that have messages. There is sure to be one for the occasion that you are looking for.
To get a fruit basket as a gift is an exciting moment. They will surely tell everyone that they know about the gift and will want to show it to anyone that is close. If the person that received the fruit basket is in a sharing mood, they may even open it up and offer it to their coworkers or family. That way everyone in the building could get a piece of the happiness.
Have you ever spent hours wandering around stores looking for the perfect gift for someone that you just really don’t know that well? Do you get them a nice bottle of wine? Do you get them an article of clothing? Well the best answer would be to get them a fruit basket.
If you take a risk and purchase them a bottle of wine or clothing or something along those lines, you may find that they do not drink wine and that you have bought the wrong size. That can be really embarrassing, especially if you have purchased the gift as a gift from a large group of people.
A fruit basket is the perfect gift for anyone that you are wanting to surprise. They are usually less expensive when compared to the soaring prices of a flower pot and they can just as easily be made into a basket filled with things that the person loves. Try it today. The person that you are gifting to will surely be surprised and happy.
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Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under corporate business gift |
Giftbaskets are soooo last year! Or is it last decade? Actually, I hope the correct response is neither. I’m actually a gift food merchant. Kind of has a special ring to is, doesn’t it? Granted, it may be less significant that solving the global warming problem or removing a pesky mouse from under your kitchen cabinet, but it’s an honest way to pay for the roof over my family’s head.
I can read your mind: “I’ll bet he never has a problem deciding what to give during the holidays; he just gives the same boring baskets year after year to everyone.” I want to disabuse you of your smug attitude! I actually have the same problems you have in deciding what gift is best for everyone on my list.
I do not give food filled bundles of joy to my entire gift list. Even if I did just give gift baskets to everyone, my choice would be only marginally easier than yours. At my store, we offer scores of fruit baskets, gourmet meals, wine gift baskets and far more than that, even. (I can hear you right now, begging me to tell you where this wonderful store is. A little patience is called for on your part.)
Before you bribe me (or threaten me) to share my store location with you, I want to tell you about my own decision making approach.
First, I decide on an appropriate category of gift. If Uncle Milton really has managed to eliminate his drinking problem after a decade of trying, I should not even consider the wine baskets. Instead, I think I’ll send him an assortment of gourmet cheeses and a fresh fruit basket.
Dear, dear Aunt Mildred is a great wine talker. I don’t think she truly enjoys sipping her wine, but she loves to try to impress everyone with what she knows about it. She loves to let everyone know the best vintage years, the kinds of grapes that are used in various blends and, most of all, how much she spent on the wine you just spilled all over her new carpeting ($95 a square yard). She’ll get a simple wine gift basket, but I’m not going to spring for the champagne! (I’m also not going to pay for the carpet cleaning; not after what that cat of hers did to my new coat.)
My nephew, Alfred, recently married his long time girlfriend. Frankly, it’s about time. It took him eight years to decide that she was worth parting with enough money to pay for a diamond and another five when he found out that it is customary to pay the minister who performs the ceremony. Alfred always loves to receive cash as a gift. Well, he’s not getting that from me. Instead, they’re getting a meal of live lobsters and the trimmings from me. Actually two, of course. My thinking is that this is the only way to get his bride out of the kitchen. Alfred would never pay for a restaurant meal, so, in a sense, I’m sending the restaurant to them. (They honeymooned by visiting me!)
Second, I decide how much I’m willing to spend on these losers.
My grandson is getting the latest video game system. Let’s face it; he is truly special.
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