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For the Love of Coffee, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog

Starbucks Break Time Gift Basket

April 30, 2012

One of 1800baksets.com’s best-selling gift baskets and it’s clear to see why. Just about everyone loves coffee, and even better when it’s from Starbucks. This Starbucks Break Time Coffee Gift Basket comes with a whole lot more than just coffee though, it’s positively packed with all sorts of sweets, treats and extra gifts that will bring a smile to any coffee lover’s face!

The first thing you notice about this bountiful coffee gift basket is the beautiful green and gold bow that sits wrapped around the contents, Starbucks® official colors. A real dark willow basket with wooden handles holds a variety of coffees, tea, cookies, mix boxes and two very large white Starbucks® logo coffee mugs. This gift basket seriously has everything you could ever want in a coffee gift basket, and is even very well color coordinated with the dark basket, white and tan coffee and treat contents and the green and gold bow completing the gift.

So let’s examine what treats await us inside this supremely awesome coffee gift. Like I said, the two Starbucks® coffee mugs are huge! The coffee mugs are much larger than a normal cup and I can even fit my hand in them. This is a definite plus for when you need a large coffee or tea. These mugs will also come in handy when you want to add some marshmallows to your hot chocolate or dip biscotti in your morning coffee without spilling all over the place. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the coffee gift basket, and they’re just mugs.

For coffee, they’ve included Starbucks® Espresso Whole Bean Coffee and Starbucks® Sumatra Ground Coffee. For the whole bean coffee, this is for those of us who are lucky enough to have our own coffee grinder and enjoy having super fresh coffee in the morning. For the rest of us, just go into your local Starbucks® and they will gladly grind the coffee for you for free! They’ve also thought about those times when it’s either too late for coffee or you’re just in need of a warm drink and included a packet of Tazo® Tea (Calm and Awake Flavors), Starbucks® Classic Fair Trade Cocoa, and Starbucks® Marshmallow Cocoa! And yes, I’ve already gotten to the hot chocolates and they are very delicious and chocolaty and they go perfect with the other goodies inside the Starbucks® gift basket! I haven’t opened the tea yet…but that’s because I already have a box of the Calm flavor that I had previous bought from Starbucks®!

Now to the edible treats! Inside this Starbucks® coffee gift basket, they’ve graciously included Starbucks Selects® Vanilla Almond Biscotti, Starbucks Selects® Key Lime Cookies, Starbucks Selects® Honey Oat Biscuits, and my favorite part of all: Starbucks Selects® Scone Mix. I am just genuinely impressed that so many delicious treats are provided in this gift basket. The honey oat cookies are so flavorful and fresh tasting, I’ve already paired them with my own tea and they go perfectly together. I didn’t even hold back when it came to the key lime cookies, they lasted all of five minutes and I wish I had them back already! There are plenty of the vanilla almond biscotti to go around, and I’ve already incorporated one into my breakfast coffee each morning that was the other part of the gift basket, I will definitely need to run out and grab more soon. But let’s move on to what really impressed me, the scone mix. I decided to try my hand at making these and they came out perfectly (I’m attributing this more to the box mix than my ability to follow directions). I spread a little bit of butter and preserves, had them with some coffee…it was a delicious breakfast!

This Starbucks® coffee gift basket is the perfect gift for your coffee obsessed friends! Use it as a birthday gift, house warming present, a nice gift to celebrate a new job, when you get to the winter months it will be perfect for the holidays, no matter the occasion, this is the best gift basket to get!

Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

April 26, 2012
mothers day gifts

Welcome back readers!

I’m so glad that a lot of you are already using some earth-friendly tactics in your home and everyday life, and that a lot of you go to farmer’s markets (aren’t they the best?!). Nothing beats fresh fruits and veggies for me, and farmer’s markets usually have really great gifts there as well. Anyway, on to the winners! Congratulations to Natalie J Vandenberghe (April 20, 2012 at 10:15 am), Elaine C (April 20, 2012 at 1:41 pm), Rajat (April 21, 2012 at 7:38 pm), Noel (April 22, 2012 at 7:19 pm), and Esther (April 25, 2012 at 3:32 pm)! Please email your shipping information to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I can send out your avocado spa kit.

I didn’t actually plan for this, but last week’s Earth Day blog post was a great lead in for my new post today on unique and thoughtful Mother’s Day gifts! (Okay, so it only makes sense to a certain blog writer…) Mother’s Day is just around the corner, yet I’m a little ahead of the game. I’ve been thinking and planning for the last month about what to do for my own mom this Mother’s Day and I finally settled on a great plan the other week: I’ll be helping her with some gardening and landscaping in the backyard! This has entailed measuring the yard, drawing out plans and finding out where certain lines or pumps are, while trying to design a nice back yard space that doesn’t block their view of the pond behind the house(I will be lucky if 2/3 of this all gets done). My search history has been filled with Lowes, Home Depot and driving directions to local greeneries. I have never been happier to have a comfy writing job. Either way, my mom will be happy to pick out all the flowers, plants, trees, stones and outdoor furniture she wants and obviously she’ll enjoy spending the weekend with me even if we’re doing some hard work. Also after this, I will have solidified my place as the favorite child (not to mention, this gets me out of SO many other tasks). And who knows, maybe I’ll gain one muscle in my arms!

Need some other ideas for a great Mother’s Day present? Look no further:

Afternoon Spa Day
Maybe your mom isn’t into all that getting into dirt and greenery, in which case we think a nice day at the spa together for you two would be a great gift to give! You can always find a great Mani/Pedi combination deal for around $30 per person. If you’re feeling extra crafty, you should try out these natural DIY spa treatment masks featuring oatmeal, avocado, banana and orange from She Knows! Finish the day with a light lunch or dinner.

Pampering Breakfast
If your mom has always been a very busy woman, take this Mother’s Day to pamper and take care of her for a change. What better way to do this than a nice relaxing breakfast in bed! If she doesn’t already have one, pick up a nice and sturdy breakfast tray here or here from Target. (I have a bed tray of my own that was originally just for decoration, and now I use it more than I probably should!) Get to your mom’s house early that morning and prepare their favorite breakfast dish, ready to be brought up to them (or you could bring their favorite breakfast over and arrange it on plates to make it look homemade…we won’t tell!). You could also grab a new book, magazine, or their favorite paper to read in the morning. Spend the rest of the morning taking care of mom and letting her veg out for a bit, we know she’ll love it.

Shopping Trip
Never underestimate the power of a good day walking around the mall or window shopping! Plus, you should keep in mind all those times your mother took drove you to the mall or took you out shopping for things you wanted when you were younger! Mother’s Day is the day to finally treat mom to the all the things she wants.

Event Tickets
This would be the perfect time to take her out to see one of her favorite plays, musicals, or even a movie out at the theater she has been wanting to see. Check out deals on Groupon, Living Social or your local theater to see what events are going on. Make a full day of it and couple the show with either a nice lunch or dinner outing.

Of course, we always have some gorgeous gourmet gift baskets ready for Mother’s Day when you’re in a rush or don’t know what to include! My Top Three Picks of the Week:

mothers day gifts

Tell me in the comments section (1-2 paragraphs), what’s the best Mother’s Day gift you’ve given or received? FIVE lucky and random winners will receive the Gourmet Garden Tote Gift with Tools!

Have a great day!

Birthday Gift, Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Gift Baskets, Product Designers, Thank You Gifts

Earth Day

April 19, 2012

Welcome back readers,

I hope you all enjoyed the picnic post, because I seriously loved reading all your own ideas and recipes (I will definitely be remembering that frisbee/plate tip)! I feel very confident that all FIVE lucky and random winners will be putting this picnic gift basket to good use. Congratulations to Melissa (April 12, 2012 at 1:40 pm), Sharon R (April 12, 2012 at 1:59 pm), Riyan (April 12, 2012 at 8:44 pm), Shannon Schulte (April 13, 2012 at 8:44 pm), and Diana (April 15, 2012 at 9:18 am)! Email your shipping info to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll send out your picnic gift basket!

As I’m sure you all have starred on your calendars, Earth Day is this Sunday! It’s truly important for all of us to know and be aware of how we impact our home and figure out ways to be more environmentally friendly. At 1800Baskets.com, we try to be as environmentally conscious as we can be. We love that our gift baskets can always serve another purpose when the products are gone, and most (if not all) of our gift basket content can be recycled! We even try to sell eco-friendly gifts at affordable prices.

Recently I was looking around for a small cleansing gift for a friend, so I figured I would check out our spa gift basket section. I just noticed that we started selling products and gift baskets from Crabtree & Evelyn! All natural materials, very environmentally conscious, and they come in such cute and stylish containers. Obviously, I have to have these (especially the avocado products!).

We also have a ton of Source Vérité gift baskets in our spa gift baskets collection. I wanted something a bit smaller though, and I saw these eco-friendly soaps that I thought could be a cute host/hostess gift or just something I could add to my stock pile for Mother’s Day gifts.

If you want to have fun with this weekend (or even week!) check out our friends at Cheryl’s who have an awesome idea for an Earth Day Party!

Want to get started on how you can do small or large things to help the environment this Earth Day without having to drastically change your life? Small changes help just as much as large changes, and it will be easier to stick with when it doesn’t affect you or cause extra work! We found this cool list of how to help here, so I’ll just highlight the very simple ones:

  • Change your lightbulbs
  • Turn off electronics (especially computers!) at night when you’re not using them
  • Don’t rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher
  • Recycle glass products
  • Go vegetarian at least once a week
  • Use one less paper napkin when you go out to eat
  • Wash your clothes in cold or warm water
  • Recycle newspapers
  • Plant a tree!
  • Use cruise control while driving to get up to 15% better gas mileage!
  • And many more great ideas here at 50 Ways To Help

So tell me in the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) in what ways you give back the environment or ways that you plan to start! FIVE lucky and random winners will be taking home Crabtree & Evelyn Avocado Sampler!

Happy early Earth Day!

Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Gift Baskets

Picnics!

April 12, 2012

Welcome back readers,

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter and didn’t eat their way into an early coma like I did! I asked that if any of you had some great desserts or decorations you made for Easter to send me a picture and thankfully one reader, Sharon, sent me a picture of some creative and delicious chocolates she made! Seriously awesome decorating skills on these chocolates!  It’s never too late to send it your own pictures if you still have them, especially if you tried out any of the recipes we’ve posted. Now, on with the show…

Last week I asked you all to vote in the comments section on what you wanted me to write about and the clear winner for the week has been picnics! Coffee and tea came in second with fitness following close behind, but clearly everyone is very excited about this nice Spring weather and can’t wait to get out and enjoy it (without breaking a sweat that is).

Picnics should be fun and easy, something you can throw together in a few minutes. So I have a couple of sandwich recipes that would be perfect for a Spring picnic, as well as a few suggestions to make your time outdoors a little more comfortable.

Peanut Butter Banana Sandwiches

This is an absolute favorite of mine! All you need is some bread, peanut butter (I prefer smooth), sliced bananas and you’re good to go. I like to add a few extras to my sandwiches for more flavor and components. I usually add some honey and granola mix, gives it extra flavor and a little extra crunch.

Peanut Butter Apple Sandwiches

Are you sensing a theme or my love of peanut butter? You can always substitute peanut butter for any other nut butter (almond, sunflower, etc.) or if you want to make it a super sweet treat you can add Nutella. For this “sandwich” I don’t actually use bread, instead I slice apples to be the holders. You spread peanut butter (or whichever you prefer) on the apple slices, add granola or chocolate chips (or both!) and stack the slices together to form a sandwich. It’s a fun and healthy treat that is very easy to make!

For picnics, you can generally use any kind of outdoor blanket or mat and you’ll be fine, but the problem always lies with where and how you’re sitting. Sitting outside is probably one of the more uncomfortable things since the invention of the sofa, so it’s hard to get used to (especially if your knees are about 40 years older than you are like some blog writers). So I have two cheap options for outdoor seating to make your picnic a bit more comfortable! Our first one is from Target, a reclining picnic seat. It seems like it would be nice for back support and easy to pack up and go with. I’m probably the clumsiest person around though, so I would find some way to keep falling back on myself. So I have a second option from IKEA for us…balance challenged people out there. It’s technically a stool, but it’s also very sturdy, wide and doesn’t seem like it would fall over on you! All the makings of an easy picnic seat (for me at least!).

If you want some great picnic gift baskets that are all ready to go, we have some seriously amazing picnic options on our site right now! My three picks:

Well I hope you all enjoyed this picnics post and have some more ideas for the rest of us! In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs), tell me some of your picnic ideas and recipes! FIVE lucky and random winners will receive the Impromptu Picnic Cooler & Snacks Tote Gift Basket!

Happy Picnicking!

Birthday Gift, Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Gift Baskets, Party!

Happy Birthday…to Someone!

March 8, 2012
Great Big Happy Birthday Sweets & Treats Box Gift Basket

Welcome back gift basket readers!

I LOVE all of your suggestions and ideas for St. Patrick’s Day! I’m wondering if I can do a whole day of eating nothing but green eggs and rice krispy treats without getting sick…(we all know I’m going to try anyway!) Of course, we have some gift baskets to get out that you won’t hesitate to eat all day! Congratulations to Bernadette Cirigliano (March 1, 2012 at 5:09 pm), Mrs Judy Nutaitis (March 2, 2012 at 8:41 am), Sangita (March 2, 2012 at 12:03 pm) Lori (March 5, 2012 at 3:06 pm), and Kathy (March 8, 2012 at 2:46 pm)! Send your shipping info to amariscal@1800flowers.com and I can send out your Best of Ghirardelli® Gift Baskets!

If there is anything about the all-encompassing, freakily aware internet stalking system known as Facebook that I actually really love, it’s that it keeps track of everyone’s birthdays so that I don’t have to. Not that I don’t make a conscious effort to remember birthdays, but everyone past a select few friends and family members, if I don’t have the date written somewhere in a place I know I’ll see every day, I’ll be sending a lot of belated-birthday grievances. Thankfully for me, I live in the great age of technology where I have the internet to do all my thinking for me (Just kidding! Well, kind of. Let me Google the answer…) In all seriousness, I really like the birthday feature on Facebook and I’m sure it makes everyone feel great to see their page filled with Happy Birthday wishes and birthday messages from friends new and old.

Great Big Happy Birthday Sweets & Treats Box Gift Basket

Great Big Happy Birthday Sweets & Treats Box $29.99; Product Code:93839

That being said, I also think that this handy tool has made everyone a little bit lazy with their birthday well wishes. I’m not saying that you need to go all out for that one kid you used to have Calculus with 8 years ago, but I’m sure that your closer friends would appreciate something a little more thoughtful than “happy birthday, you” on their wall (I am extremely guilty of this sometimes). Brighten up someone’s birthday and surprise them with a fun, colorful and delicious birthday gift! And don’t forget to add a nice card with it for personalization!

I was sold the minute I saw there was a mini birthday cake in the Great Big Happy Birthday Sweets & Treats Box. Not to mention, the two birthday hate and cupcake decorated cookies look adorable. It also comes with lots of sweets and popcorn balls. This would be a great birthday surprise for someone to find at their desk, on the table when they get home. There are about 12 young kids to think about in my family and I never have any idea what they like from week to week except for sweets and candy, and lots of it. This would be such a cute birthday surprise for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins (you get the idea!)

Happy Birthday Chocolate Indulgence Gift Basket

Happy Birthday Chocolate Indulgence Gift Basket $34.99; Product Code:96479

I know you all will never get tired of chocolate gift baskets, so this Happy Birthday Chocolate Indulgence Gift Basket makes the perfect chocolate lover’s birthday gift. Filled with Happy Birthday greetings in the form of Cheryl’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fannie May® Cookies & Cream Bark, Fannie May® Bavarian Chocolate Pretzels, Fannie May® Mint Meltaway Cocoa, Harry London® Milk Chocolate Crispy Joys, Harry London® 70% Organic Dark Chocolate The Popcorn Factory® Butter Toffee Popcorn and more, they will definitely appreciate the birthday gift!

Now that we all have decided to ease up on the lazy happy birthday Facebook posts, tell me in the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) a great birthday surprise you’ve had or have done for a friend! FIVE lucky and random winners will receive the Great Big Happy Birthday Sweets & Treats Box!

**Next week Thursday I’ll be on a series of planes, trains, and automobiles (okay, really just one plane and corresponding vehicles) so next week’s blog will be posted on Friday (3/16) and winners announced then!

Have a great weekend, and happy birthday to someone!

Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog

Spring Gift Baskets Preview

February 23, 2012
Glorious Garden Sweets Spring Gift Baskets

Welcome back readers!

According to all of your answers in the comments section, I clearly have not been trying enough “exotic” foods (no fried insects for me please, I prefer to think that maybe the food that I’m eating doesn’t already purposely have bug legs in there!) I didn’t think anything could ruin my love of eggs quite like that half developed “delicacy” does…also, fly larva? I need some ginger ale stat! Anyway, we have some winners who will be receiving a tasty gift basket that’s not filled with octopus, tongue, or insects! Congratulations to Ellen B (February 16, 2012 at 7:37 pm), Franklin (February 17, 2012 at 9:34 am), Amanda Vogel (February 17, 2012 at 10:37 am), Matthew Mckay (February 17, 2012 at 2:10 pm), and Tiffany S. February 23, 2012 at 10:17 am! Please send your name and shipping information to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I can send out your gift baskets!

Glorious Garden Sweets Spring Gift Baskets

Glorious Garden Sweets Gift Basket $39.99; Product Code:96395

I don’t know if this is unique to the Midwest, but the weather channel informed me that tonight we have a “thundersnow” ready to hit the Chicagoland and suburban areas. For those of you lucky enough to not know what it’s like to live in the crazy weathered world of that Dennis Quaid movie, The Day After Tomorrow, a “thundersnow” is the mixing of a thunderstorm, heavy snow fall of up to 10 inches, and wonderfully strong winds that will ensure an extra 2 hours added to your commute! It will be gloom and doom tonight and probably tomorrow for sure. But by Sunday, I’m almost certain it will feel like middle of Spring. Seeing as I’ve already forgotten what the sun feels like and I’m prepping for my commute home driving at 10 mph, I thought we should take a look at our Spring Preview and dream about what it will be like to not wear a parka outside every day!

Flowering Fields Spring Gift Basket Gift Tower

Flowering Fields Sweets Gift Tower $34.99; Product Code:96392

Spring means floral and pastels, the smell of fresh rain and dew on grass (I’m so close to breaking out into a Sound of Music song and dance right now). I won’t even mind the apparent community of 200 geese that live in the pond in my backyard making noise in the morning! Just looking at the bright colors and flowers on these gift baskets and gift tower is enough to remind me that Spring time is close.

Our Flowering Fields Sweets Gift Tower is bright and bouncy with its orange, yellow, pink, lime green and red colors popping out from a white background. Packed with delicious gourmet foods like Cheryl’s® Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ghirardelli® Dark Chocolate Squares, Harry London® Milk Chocolate Crispy Joys®, and more, the gift tower’s bright colors won’t be the only part of the gift to delight!

Spring Has Sprung Gift Basket

Spring Has Sprung Gift Basket $34.99; Product Code:96391

The Spring Has Sprung gift basket has enough in the title to make me excited for the upcoming months. Inside you’ll find delectable gourmet treats like Harry London® White Confection Pretzels with Pink Drizzle, a Daisy-shaped Sugar Cookie, Spring Pastel Taffy, Eurostyle Biscuits, The Popcorn Factory® Pink Berry Kettle Popcorn and more! Not to be outdone, is our Glorious Garden Sweets Box Gift Basket in similar Spring fashion. This gift basket is filled with the finest sweet and savory treats perfect for a fair Spring day (real or pretend!). Honey Wheat Pretzel Braids, Cheryl’s® Chocolate Chip Cookies, Dragonfly-shaped Sugar Cookie, Assorted Fruit Slices, Spring Pastel Taffy, Robert Rothschild® Chocolate Fudge Pretzel Dip, Tazo® Zen® Green Tea and more can be found in this beautiful Spring gift basket and enjoyed by all!

You can check out a small collection of our early Spring Preview here!

In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) tell me what you’re most excited for this Spring and we can all hope it comes back really soon together!

Have a great weekend with normal weather!

Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Gift Baskets, Valentine's Day

Unique Valentine’s Day Gifts and Ideas

February 9, 2012
Love is in the Air Balloon & Sweets Product Code:96122

Welcome Back Baskets Readers!

zack morris saved by the bell valentines day

I wonder how much Zack spent on gifts for Kelly/every girl guest star on the show...

A lot of great deal breakers from your comments! I consider myself an expert Television watcher and at least 10 of the deal breakers you all commented on have happened on various episodes of Full House and Saved By the Bell; I feel like we all should have had these important life lessons ingrained into our brains by now (maybe it didn’t work because the moment wasn’t accompanied by some situational theme music or a long speech breaking the third wall from Zack Morris or Danny Tanner). Point being, aside from telling you all the television shows I know better than my own memories, is that I never knew these deal breakers happened outside of my television screen!  Anyway, winners! Congratulations to Danielle Levins (February 2, 2012 at 4:19 pm), Janey B. (February 3, 2012 at 7:26 pm), Lucy (February 7, 2012 at 6:49 am), RAJ (February 9, 2012 at 12:35 pm), Adrian (February 9, 2012 at 3:21 pm)! Email your shipping information to amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll send out your Valentine’s Day treat tower!

Love is in the Air Balloon & Sweets Product Code:96122

Love is in the Air Balloon & Sweets $29.99; Product Code:96122

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away! Are you all prepared? Do you have Valentine’s Day plans or non-plans? Maybe Valentine’s Day gift ideas? I will be doing everything very last minute, so I foresee a more “homemade” Valentine’s Day gift in my near-future project list. If you’re feeling rushed on time for Valentine’s Day planning, don’t fret! I have a few fun and interesting ideas for unique and loveable Valentine’s Day gifts.

If you’re looking for a unique spin to the traditional Valentine’s Day gift, 1800baskets.com has you covered! As we all know by now, I’m not a big fan of pink, but even I think this Valentine’s Day gift is very adorable and could be great decoration for after the holiday. Our “Love is in the Air Balloon & Sweets” gift basket would make for a great surprise for any sweetheart this Valentine’s Day. Containing Cinnamon popcorn from The Popcorn Factory and foiled-wrapped heart chocolates, it’s the perfect spin on a traditional Valentine’s Day gift (also the contents taste amazing!).

If you want to get more creative, we have some select gift baskets perfect for a romantic Valentine’s Day celebration. Try out our “Irresistible Valentine’s Day Wine Gift Basket” or “Romantic Evening Red Wine & Lindt® Truffles”, both equipped with delicious wine and fine chocolates. Have this gift ready to present with the promise of an intimate night in together. A great way to show you planned something romantic for this Valentine’s Day.

Romantic Evening Red Wine & Lindt® Truffles & Irresistible Valentine’s Day Wine Gift Basket

I recently went to a friend’s wedding and they had a really great and romantic idea that could be used for those of you who are looking for a more home-made idea. They had a series of empty and decorated wine bottles with different year increments on them (like 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, etc) and had all of their guests write small notes to them for each anniversary. So when they reach that anniversary date, they will read all the sweet notes everyone sent to them on their wedding. I think an idea of this that would be cute to try out is to get a few empty bottles, decorate them with certain dates or events and have some little love notes inside for your significant other to read later!

Another great home-made gift is to make a coupon book (this is a good stand-by for any celebration!). One of my friends went to a family Christmas party where one of the members decided that instead of everyone buying them gifts, they would rather have everyone pick a piece of paper hanging on a string from her ceiling fan, on each piece of paper was a chore or task to do. Personally, I think that’s brilliant and I’m a little shocked I didn’t come up with it first. Obviously, you can change around the book to more romantic, Valentine’s Day related things or coupons that relate directly to you.

What are some unique Valentine’s Day gift ideas that you have? Let me know in the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) and FIVE will win the Love is in the Air Balloon & Sweets Valentine’s Day gift basket!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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, 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!