Monthly Archives

January 2012

chocolate covered strawberries, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog, Holiday Gift Baskets, Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day

January 26, 2012
Godiva® Valentine’s Day Chocolates Gift Basket

Welcome Back Readers!

We have A LOT of names to get through today, so I’ll just go right at it! Congratulations to Jenny S (January 19, 2012 at 4:22 pm), Teresa Skinner (January 19, 2012 at 5:10 pm), Doris (January 20, 2012 at 9:00 am), Jill Kinney (January 21, 2012 at 12:10 pm), Bessie Louise Burnsed (January 23, 2012 at 11:27 am), Carmen Guajardo (January 23, 2012 at 11:54 am), Marie Lujan ( January 23, 2012 at 1:26 pm), Ben G (January 24, 2012 at 8:18 pm), Dorinna Wren (January 25, 2012 at 10:46 am), and Hank (January 25, 2012 at 3:00 pm! Send your shipping info to amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll get your Starbucks gift baskets out to you!

Decadent Happy Valentine’s Day Truffle Cake Pops

Decadent Happy Valentine’s Day Truffle Cake Pops $24.99; Product Code:94360

Whew! Now that that’s settled, let’s jump right into Valentine’s Day! As a young girl in my 20s, I am pretty much obligated to enjoy Valentine’s Day and all the glitz and chocolates that come with it (which for the most part I do!). Personally, I could do without the color pink screaming at me from all sides (I’ve always been a blue girl myself) but man do I ever enjoy getting gifts or cards on Valentine’s Day. I like to think that this has been instilled in me since grade school when we would heavily decorate an old shoe box to house all the Valentine’s Day cards every kid in class was made to bring that day, and then read over the same “You’re cool!” message that was written by the people you liked once you got home (You’re cool, too Sean).

Well, I don’t have a decorated shoe box on my desk now and only one person is really obligated to send me presents on February 14. But I’ve learned that the gifts do get a lot sweeter, literally. I’ve been really good about this vegetarian thing for January (almost a month through!) so I will have no qualms whatsoever about eating my weight in Valentine’s Day gifts on the 14th; Which is a good thing too, because I really can’t choose what I want more out of our Valentine’s Day collection.

Godiva® Valentine’s Day Chocolates Gift Basket

Godiva® Valentine’s Day Chocolates Gift Basket $79.99; Product Code:96121

Our Godiva® Valentine’s Day chocolate gift basket is enough to make your mouth water just from the computer screen. It’s packed with small chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels, truffles, dessert bar, cocoa, confections and so much more. Also the basket is sincerely stylish enough to be used when it’s emptied.

Our Valentine’s Day truffle cake pops have definitely had their own feature in my dreams. We had a version of them for Halloween and at least 5 were consumed by me in one day…I just couldn’t resist. Our real chocolate covered strawberries don’t need any kind of introduction, but it’s always good to know that they are decorated for the holiday with cute little red kiss sprinkles!

Imperial Cherry Blossom Spa Gift Basket

Imperial Cherry Blossom Spa Gift Basket $59.99; Product Code:93348

Maybe you’re looking for a more relaxing gift? Our Imperial Cherry Blossom Spa gift basket is simply divine. I may be biased at the moment, because I’ve just recently discovered how much I love salons and spas now that I received a Christmas gift to go to one, but this gift basket is filled with all sorts of extravagant and indulgent gifts. There’s a spa mitten, sponge, body lotion, sugar body scrub, body oil, exfoliating shower gel, and much more! It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day for someone who needs some relaxation.

Since it’s not February yet, I need to go back to staring at pictures of salads and wait for the day when I can go into a sugar coma and wear sweatpants for the rest of the week. But FIVE of you lucky commenters will be able win some sweet Valentine’s Day treats early! In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) tell me what was your favorite Valentine to receive? Five lucky and random winners will receive the Godiva® Valentine’s Day chocolate gift basket!

Have a great weekend!

Customer Appreciation, For the Love of Coffee

Warm Wishes

January 19, 2012
Starbucks® Blends Gourmet Coffee Gift Basket Product Code:96329

Welcome back readers!

Just a quick note, thank you guys again and again to continue coming back here to read and comment. You’re all very sweet with great stories, I’m going to try to respond more often while I have time 🙂 Hope everyone is feeling great and aren’t actually in desperate need for our Friend on the Mend get well gift basket! You should all be feeling fresh and healthy after we talked about eating more fruits and greens. We’ve still got about five people who can enjoy these gift baskets anyway 😉 Congratulations to Melissa (January 15, 2012 at 1:54 pm ), Ann Mathew (January 15, 2012 at 2:25 am ), Emily (January 12, 2012 at 3:47 pm ), Ed (January 19, 2012 at 11:20 am ), and Mitch (January 13, 2012 at 2:08 pm )! Send your info to amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll send out your Friend on the Mend gift baskets!

Now, I’m not really a big fan of winter…at all. I don’t like having to be stuck indoors all the time, and whenever I want to do something I have to take into account if it’s indoors, if it’s warm, will I be spending money that I don’t really have? Will I be seeing people? Do I need to put on real pants or can I just keep these comfy sweat pants on…? I think you all get my point.

Starbucks® Blends Gourmet Coffee Gift Basket Product Code:96329

Starbucks® Blends Gourmet Coffee Gift Basket $39.99; Product Code:96329

I’m a big coffee and tea drinker during winter. Well, more tea right now since I’ve tried to cut back on coffee for the month (which has honestly been really hard for me and my ability to get out of bed in the morning). Either way, warm beverages make for a cozy and happy Alex. I actually like sitting in Starbucks® to enjoy some coffee or tea with friends, but once it’s cold there are so many new factors to just wanting to enjoy a good cup of something warm to drink. First off, you have to drive. This is big inconvenience number one for me. If I had gone to school for differential equations, time theory, and Tesla, you bet I would be working on a teleportation device right now. Unfortunately for all of us, I saw the Jeff Goldblum version of The Fly when I was little and pledged myself to a life of words. Any Starbucks location will always be packed with other people who decided that since they drove there, they should probably just stay there to make up for even being out. And then there’s the pants thing (if we’re being honest, I would definitely go out in my sweats, I just don’t want to deal with the staring…this must be how celebrities feel!).

Starbucks Deluxe Coffee for Two $59.99; Product Code:94877 So, my big solution to enjoying hot beverages during a very cold and bitter season? Manifest Destiny your nearest Starbucks® location and just move in there! Just kidding! All you need to do is stock up on some incredibly awesome coffee and tea gifts. I’m sure I’ve posted enough about the Starbucks® Break Time Gift Basket so much that you all can draw it with your eyes closed, so I’ll just link to it  here. We have a new(ish) Starbucks® gift in that I think looks amazing. Our Starbucks® Deluxe Coffee for Two gift basket is for coffee-lovers everywhere. It includes a variety of coffee blends, ready brew, two chocolate colored mugs and more inside a fashionable tweed container. Pretty snazzy if I say so myself (yes, I just pulled out “snazzy”). We also have our loyal standby the Starbucks® Blends Gourmet Coffee gift basket with various blends of coffee and tea to last a few non-trips outdoors! There’s also our Starbucks® Warm Wishes Mug gift set that comes with smooth coffee, tea, two mugs, cocoa, cookies and more! All of these are great alternatives to help you stay warm, cozy, and make indoors a little more fun.

Are you stuck indoors for winter? How do you spend your winter season? Tell me in the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) and TEN lucky and random winners will win Starbucks® Blends Gourmet Coffee gift baskets!

Stay Toasty!

Customer Appreciation, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog, Uncategorized

Get Well Soon!

January 12, 2012
Friend on the Mend Doctor's House Call Kit

Welcome Back Readers,

You guys have a lot of great resolutions, I hope we all stick with them and make them a permanent thing! The following winners will definitely have a great head start. Congratulations to Will (January 9, 2012 at 5:07 am), Natalie J Vandenberghe ( January 8, 2012 at 12:41 am), Donna Joyce (January 6, 2012 at 10:12 am), Carol (January 6, 2012 at 5:37 am), and Jonathan Ammons (January 6, 2012 at 12:18 pm)! Send your info to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and we’ll get your Modesto Fruit Baskets out.

Friend on the Mend Doctor's House Call Kit

Friend on the Mend Doctor's House Call Kit $39.99; Product Code:94080

January, as we talked about last week, is the time for healthy resolutions, fresh starts, and eating right. Well, January also happens to be the worst time for flu-season and feeling like garbage no matter how many apples you eat. A few people in our office are already out with some sort of sickness, and I could do without a few weeks of coughing, sniffles, sneezing, and body aches. Last year during Chicago’s “Snowmageddon,” I was snowed into my apartment with a case of pneumonia. Literally every store was closed (mostly because it was covered in snow) and my contact with the outside world was limited to a few glances at the internet when I wasn’t dozing off from medication. At this point, I was pretty sure a dog sled team lead by Balto was going to be my only salvation. But luckily, I had a super awesome roommate who was there to take care of me and generally make sure I didn’t die. From my brief moments of consciousness, I know that she made me hot tea and cut up apples for me with a side of peanut butter so I could get some strength back and food in me. It was basically the best I could ask for.

It’s good to know that I have a really good friend who would take care of me and wish me well. I’m sure all of you have just as great of friends, and even are that friend who likes to help. So, if you’re looking for a nice Get Well gift to send, we’ve got you covered. Any fruit basket would obviously be a great choice because, well duh fruit. But let me highlight some of our specific gifts that I think will warm anyone’s heart (and mostly stomach!).

Soup’s On Gourmet Soup Collection Gift Basket

Soup’s On Gourmet Soup Collection Gift Basket $39.98; Product Code:96043

The Soup’s On Gourmet Soup gift basket looks absolutely delicious to me right now (especially after not being able to find a place that delivers soup to the office). It comes with several soups like chicken and rice, creamy potato, crackers, large soup mugs, and the actual basket looks great. This is gift basket is sure to brighten up any ill friend’s day.

Probably our cutest gift is the Friend on the Mend Doctor’s House Call gift basket (pictured at the top of the article with the super awesome red basket). Absolutely adorable gift made to look like a doctor’s bag, complete with chicken noodle soup, word search book, bandage and nurse cookies, tea, honey straw, crackers, and more! I know that anyone who receives this will be more than happy to call you their friend.

Hopefully all you lovely readers are in tip-top shape, getting lots of sleep, drinking tea, and getting all your vitamins. Either way, in the comments section below (1-2 paragraphs), tell me a “Get Well” related story! I’ll be giving away FIVE of the Friend on the Mend Doctor’s House Call gift baskets to some lucky and random winners.

Fruit Club, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog, Teacher Appreciation, Thank You Gifts, Uncategorized

Healthy New Year!

January 5, 2012
Modesto Valley Fruit & Nut Gift Basket Product Code:96093

Welcome Back Basket Readers!

Modesto Valley Fruit & Nut Gift Basket Product Code:96093

Modesto Valley Fruit & Nut Gift Basket $54.99; Product Code:96093

Hope everyone had a wonderful break, holiday, and New Year! I spent some quality time with my family, friends, and more importantly my bed and Netflix subscription (Joking…kind of). I’m really excited to be starting a fresh year and, in all honesty, to be done with the Great Feasting period otherwise known as the combined months of October, November, and December. (I know, me getting sick of food? It’s like I don’t even know myself!)

Everyone loves food holidays, but after a while, meals just become obligatory and then I spend a whole day holding my sides in pain from too many bread rolls. So I’ve decided that my New Year’s Resolution is to make it through January being a vegetarian and giving up coffee, pop, and extra sweets. It shouldn’t be too hard for me since I don’t eat meat on a daily basis, but it will be a fun challenge and nice way to sort of detox. January is the time to start on our resolutions that will most likely be forgotten by the second week of February, but I might as well try it out anyway! Five days in and it’s really not that bad, of course I still have the rest of the month to go!

I figured for my beginner’s sake and for any of you lovely readers trying to keep your own resolutions, I would make this returning week about our fruit gift baskets and some healthy living and eating tips!

fruit gift baskets You all probably remember from early Fall and Summer when I would not shut up about apples. But apples really all the Superfruit for me. And lucky for all of you, most of our fruit gift baskets come with a healthy supply of delicious apples! All of our fruit gift baskets are very healthy and very fresh. These gourmet gift baskets are filled with mouthwatering fruits straight from the orchard, like Bosc, Comice, and green D’Anjou pears, Fuji and Braeburn apples, ripe oranges, delicious snacks like cheese, flatbread, nuts, and more. It’s a great gourmet gift to send or receive without any food guilt!

Healthy Tips

Drink more water. Water is now your best friend! Drink a glass of water in the morning when you wake up to replenish oxygen to your body overnight. Water flushes out your system and clears out toxins. Water also makes you less tired, gives you more energy, plus it eliminates headaches and aids in hydration. It could also help you eat less when your body is confusing thirst for hunger. Tea is a great alternative for if you’re bored with water.

Start a simple diet change. Slowly incorporate more colors into your food if you’re not used to change in meal plans. Adding bright tomatoes, leafy greens, corn, beets, cabbage, and fresh fruits to your everyday eating will make it easier to transition to a healthier lifestyle. Also eat healthier carbs like wheat and whole grain. A handful of nuts is great for an on- the- go snack and will help build up your protein.

Don’t quarantine certain foods. Putting a mental block on certain foods can be more destructive along the way. When you’re not eating sweets or salty treats you enjoy, your body only wants these items more. Instead, try smaller portions of your favorite treats, and try to slowly take them out of your eating schedule. Smaller serving sizes are a great tip for all around eating. Especially if you’re going out to a restaurant or an outing with friends, try to split items or order smaller plate foods. Wrap up some of your food to go and listen to your body when you think you’re full.

Exercise. (Duh, Alex!) Even if it’s just going for a short walk in the mornings, during your lunch break, or after work, it’s important to get your body moving. I know that all I want to do when I get home from work is curl up in my bed, especially now that it’s winter. But this is prime time for shaping up, before we get to Spring and Summer and feel too defeated to do any real workouts.

Breathe! It sounds silly, but taking some time to literally breathe is more beneficial than you think! DTake some time out to do some deep breathing and replenish oxygen to your blood cells. It doesn’t hurt when it comes to eliminating stress or tension either!

Hope this list leaves all of you as motivated as it’s made me! In the comments section below (1-2 paragraphs) tell me what some of your New Year’s Resolutions are or ways that you like to stay healthy! I’ll be giving away FIVE of our Modesto Valley Fruit & Nut gift baskets to some lucky and random winners next week!

Happy New Year!