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Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog, New Baby Gift Baskets, Party!

New Baby and Baby Shower Games

August 16, 2012

Welcome back!

Apparently the number 8 isn’t too lucky for a few of you, so just stick to not walking under any ladders! Of course five of you commenters are in luck and will be receiving a giant fortune cookie! Congratulations to Gary Narberes (August 9, 2012 at 4:16 pm), Karen Koch (August 9, 2012 at 4:21 pm), Melissa (August 9,2012 at 4:51 pm), Elaine C. (August 10, 2012 at 10:49 am), and Suzanne (August 15, 2012 at 10:14 pm)! Send your shipping information to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll send out your fortune cookies!

Is it just me or is the end of summer and beginning of fall “baby season”? I know a few people who are due around this time and nearly half of my family has a fall birthday. I realize there is a statistic about however many thousand people are born every minute, but in my small world, I feel like those minutes all gather around the change of the fall season. Feel free to let me know if it’s the same or different for all of you!

I enjoy seeing the new name trends every year and guessing what influenced them (how many Katnisses do you think we’ll get this year?). I would like to see more interesting trends for boy names. They get the short end of the stick, I think. Someone should start the petition for trendier boy names. Below are the top 10 names for girls and boys for the year 2011.

Top 10 Names for Girls 2011

Isabella (who saw that one coming…besides everyone)
Emma
Olivia (my hope is this was inspired by Olivia Newton John)
Sophia
Ava
Emily
Madison (I will never not think of the movie Splash when I see this name)
Abigail
Chloe
Mia

Top 10 Names for Boys 2011

Jacob (once again, color me shocked)
Ethan
Michael
Alexander (the Great!)
William (could shorten to Liam)
Joshua
Daniel
Jayden (Big Willy style, obviously)
Noah
Anthony

Of course with new babies on the way, comes baby showers and trying to find a gift that’s useful while still being cute (personally all tiny things are cute to me, especially baby gym shoes that will never even touch a single sidewalk and will be grown out of within a month). We have all the most adorable new baby gifts you could imagine here, including my favorite monkey baby gift. However, for those of you currently planning baby showers, let’s talk some fun and unique baby shower games so that no grown woman will ever have to smell a fake diaper with random mashed food in it again.

Baby shower game ideas:

Give your guests a list of television families and have guests list the children from the families. Some families to try: Full House, Brady Bunch, Arrested Development, Leave It To Beaver, Little House on the Prairie, Malcolm in the Middle, Partridge Family, Growing Pains, Bewitched, Step by Step, Cosby Show, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Family Ties, Modern Family.
Create a baby guide book with ideas from close family and friends. Sometime during the party, ask each guest to write down their name, relationship to new mom and then some helpful hints, baby advice, words of encouragement. This will be very helpful to new parents!
Cake Race. Have people race to build a diaper/baby gift cake using provided materials and reward those who finish first and/or have the most appealing diaper cake!

In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) tell me your own ideas for baby shower games, new baby gift ideas, or some interesting and trendy baby names! FIVE lucky and random winners will receive a prize of their own.

Have a great weekend!

Customer Appreciation, Thank You Gifts

Who do you want to send good fortunes to?

August 9, 2012

Welcome back readers!

As always, I appreciate all of your comments and answers. Personally, I would choose a lot of fruits with antioxidants like blueberries and pomegranate, apples, gouda cheese, and raw honey comb! One of my recent obsessions is raw honeycomb from Savannah Bee Company, I stopped there during my road trip and need to order some more soon. But enough about bees, let’s move on to prizes. Congratulations to Kelly (August 2, 2012 at 5:45 pm), ShellyAnn V. Ramcharan (August 3, 2012 at 12:08 pm), Bill (August 6, 2012 at 10:56 am), Jamekia Marrero (August 7, 2012 at 12:04 pm), and Gail (August 9, 2012 at 9:49 am)! Send your shipping information to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and you’ll each receive our Arbor Harvest Fresh Fruit Sampler Box!

Recently, I read somewhere that Chinese culture believes in certain numbers being lucky because of how they phonetically sound and the words they are associated with. Yesterday was 8/8 and was supposed to be a VERY lucky day because the number 8 in Chinese sounds like a word used to mean “wealth” or “prosper”. Perhaps I should have read that sooner and bought a lottery ticket! Today, 8/9 is supposedly lucky as well because 9 is a homophone of the word for “long lasting”. Maybe you can all tell me if you had a bit of lucky these past two days!

I don’t know how much stock I put in superstitions, but I do know that every once in a while we could all use just a little bit of luck to help us through our day. From the big things like buying a home or having a baby down to the little things like hoping for a stress-free day, it’s comforting to know that at least someone is out there concerned about your day-to-day and wishing you well. I know I have a few friends who could use a pick-me-up and some good fortune.

If you’re looking to lift some spirits, start with a phone call or letter to catch up on their day or be a source for them to rant to. Let them know that you’re there for them and really listen to everything they have to say. You can also send them something enticing and surprise them with your well-wishes.

Obviously, I love our Giant Fortune Cookie Collection and it’s perfect for our lucky (and some not so lucky) days ahead! View our whole collection Here.

Now I want to hear from you, in the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) who do you want to send some luck to? FIVE lucky winners will receive a giant fortune cookie of their own! Can’t wait to hear all about it.

Good luck if you need it and have a wonderful weekend!

Customer Appreciation, Father's Day, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog, Summer Time Gift

Healthy Gifts and Fruit Baskets

August 2, 2012

Welcome back gift basket readers!

How much have you all loved the Olympics? This and Lost on Netflix have been the only programs on my television for the last week. And there is so much more we can talk about! But first, let’s get to the “award ceremony” of our post first and send out some gift baskets! Congratulations to Marie Leclerc (July 27, 2012 at 3:13 pm), Jessica (July 27, 2012 at 6:48 pm), Melanie T (July 27, 2012 at 7:24 pm), Jill H (July 31, 2012 at 7:45 pm), and Joy (August 1, 2012 at 1:04 pm)! Send your information to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll send out an award winning treat!

Now back to Olympics! Like I said before, I’m normally a very avid watcher who sometimes gets a case of the “why-didn’t-my-parents-train-me-in-some-random-event-since-I-was-2-itis”. I thought I would be more passive in my viewing this year, but watching people balance themselves on a bar using only one hand or swimming faster than I can drive my car has left me feeling a little more motivated to get out there and exercise, eat healthier and at least attempt to organize my life. So far I’ve added a bit more fruit and vegetables to my daily nutrition and the occasional workout.

We always think that our healthy routines will be easy to maintain, and for a while they are! It’s only when you get to a time of celebration that you take that tiny step and end up falling down into excuses and extremely delicious cookies.

Which is why I want to applaud who ever made it okay to send out healthy gifts that promote clean living! Fruit gift baskets for all I say! Put together some ripe apples, juicy oranges, maybe some almonds, cashews, and fresh cheese, and you have a gourmet gift basket ready to be enjoyed and without any guilt. Believe me; I love sweets and chocolates as much as the next person, but sometimes you need a fresh break (and maybe some inspiration from an exceptional fruit basket).

If you have a friend you know is trying to keep healthy or maybe you’re tired of receiving tempting sweets for all of your celebrations, look to our amazing fruit baskets and healthier gift basket options! We offer the freshest fruits, nuts and assortments all delivered right to your door. Our fruit baskets are great for picnics, healthy snacks, or a great way to brighten someone’s day. We’re also entering marathon season! I know our healthy fruit and gift baskets would be enjoyed by any running or biker training for their races.

I want to hear from all of you, in the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) tell me what you would put in your own fruit gift basket or how you like to keep healthy! Five lucky commenters will win a fruit gift of their own.

Look forward to your responses, have a great week!

chocolate covered strawberries, cupcakes, Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Party!

Olympics 2012!

July 27, 2012

Hello Gift Basket Fans!

Our work picnic yesterday was great! A little hot out (especially after a few rounds of sand volleyball), but it was a fun change to be outside. Plus, it gave all of you some extra time to submit your comments! I think a lot of us agreed that food is the way to go in most cases, but it doesn’t hurt to get a little trinket to remind you of what great gift givers you have around you. Speaking of gift giving, I have a few gift baskets to award now. Congratulations to Gita (July 26, 2012 at 12:06 pm), Julie H (July 19, 2012 at 7:49 pm), Clara Ray (July 26, 2012 at 11:05 am), Teresa (July 19, 2012 at 11:18 pm), and Olivia (July 27, 2012 at 7:45 am)! You will all be receiving the All Smiles Gift Basket that comes with a $10 gift to use on your next purchase so you can choose which gift basket is right for you! Email your information to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll get your gift baskets out to you.

Today (and well let’s be honest, the next two weeks) I am ALL over the Olympics! I’m counting down to the Opening Ceremony tonight, what surprises they’ll pull out, what secret thing David Beckham is doing for the ceremony, if there will be some mention of Harry Potter since the director is creating this whole thing (a girl can dream). Either way, 7:30 I will be tuning in. Also tuning in for Swimming, Track & Field, Gymnastics (how do they DO that?), Volleyball, and probably a few more events that catch my attention. All from the comfort of my couch of course. The Olympics (and watching any kind of sport in general) goes one of two ways for me, either I get really motivated to be active or I just watched, amazed, while eating very delicious non-Olympian food.

And it’s looking like this year will be falling into the latter category, especially after I found these adorable Olympics cupcake decorations from Williams-Sonoma. Yes, I know, making and eating cupcakes while watching the best athletes in the world from my television. If I make it into a viewing party with other people to help me eat these, would that make it better?

Are you going to have your own Olympics viewing party? Let me suggest one of my favorite desserts to include at your party. Our Junior’s Red Velvet Cheesecake! It’s got red and white, so there’s your patriotic colors. And have I ever mentioned how sinfully delicious this cake is? Very creamy without being too sweet, the red velvet crumble on top and sides, plus the cake portion mixes very well, and there is plenty in one cake to share! I had it for my birthday to be served to my whole family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, the whole 9 yards) and we have all sworn by it’s delectable nature since. 1800Baskets has also been running a special for 20% off, so now you really can’t say no! I promise, your party guests will absolutely love it.

We still have our Stars & Stripes Chocolate Covered Strawberries ready to order. And you can read a full review from me (along with some pictures!) here in a previous post!

You can find the Olympics Event schedule here.

Now tell me: In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs), which Olympic event are you looking forward to and why? FIVE lucky commenters will win a special prize next week!

Have a great weekend and happy Olympics!

Uncategorized

Gift Basket Decision Extension!

July 26, 2012

Hello Gift Basket readers!

We’re having our company picnic today for 1800Baskets! You all know how much I love picnics, so today is obviously going to be great. However, it’s a bit earlier than I usually post our weekly blog and I know that a lot of you get your comments in the day of. So instead of cutting it early, I’m giving you all another day to decide on your favorite gift basket!

Comment here or the previous blog and I’ll have some winners selected tomorrow around noon.

Have a great day!

Birthday Gift, Christmas Gift Baskets, Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Gift Baskets, Gift Baskets Catalog, Holiday Gift Baskets, New Baby Gift Baskets, Summer Time Gift, Thank You Gifts

Which Gift Basket Would You Choose?

July 19, 2012

Welcome back readers!

As always, I loved all of your Thank You Gift suggestions (and even better, some of you put down really great recipes and dessert ideas!). Clearly, whoever is lucky enough to receive a thank you gift from one of you is in for a special treat. And I have a few of my own gifts to send out! Congratulations to Cathy B*****y (July 13, 2012 at 12:01 am), Judy (July 17, 2012 at 9:08 pm), Amanda S (July 18, 2012 at 10:50 am), Shannon J. (July 19, 2012 at 10:16 am), and Pat (July 19, 2012 at 12:50 pm)! You will all be receiving our special All Smiles Gourmet Sweets & Treats Gift Basket! Please send your shipping info to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I’ll have your gift baskets sent out to you.

As I’ve said, I love reading through all of your comments (and sometimes even look there for future blog post ideas!). One comment I saw made me think of a really interesting topic that (of course) I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on. When making or receiving a gift, do you prefer an all food gift or do you prefer a gift with reusable objects?

I know this really depends on the occasion, but usually the rule of thumb is to stick with food gifts because you know they can always be used…or well, eaten. But sometimes when I get a gift basket full of my favorite things like new books, magazines, pens, and all corresponding items, I can’t help but love it more. And in a way, I think it says a lot that someone knew which things you would enjoy!

But as I said, you can never go wrong with food. Sure it’s around every day, but there’s something extra delicious about a gourmet treat that someone specifically picked with you in mind.

We have tons of gift baskets overflowing with delicious foods ready and on the go, but I definitely think our specialty gift baskets can hold their own! As far as new baby gift baskets, this adorable monkey gift basket is super sweet and will put a huge smile on mommy’s face.

If you’re looking for a relaxing gift, our spa gift baskets are divine. Check out this Lavender spa gift basket sure to relax and soothe whoever is lucky enough to use it! Or if you’re interested in a more active way to relax, this trendy and ready to go yoga gift set is perfect (and comes with some great essentials for your workout!).

Feeling a bit pensive? Our Thinking of You stationary gift basket is a real treat! Check out a review I wrote on this gift basket here.

So what do you think? In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) let me know which gift you prefer and why! FIVE lucky and random winners will receive a sweet prize next week.

Have a great weekend!

Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Fruit Club, Gift Baskets, Thank You Gifts

Thank You Gifts

July 12, 2012

Welcome back everyone,

I hope everyone had a fantastic Fourth of July holiday with a lot of relaxation and down time, it seems like there were also a few delicious cookouts had (yum)! A huge thank you to everyone who commented well wishes on my road trip! All of your comments were much appreciated. I got to explore some caves in Kentucky, see fireworks in Savannah, and lay around on Myrtle Beach (the best kind of road trip always involves a beach in my opinion). And now I’m back thinking of fun and exciting party and gifting ideas!

The only topic that comes to mind for me right now would be thank you gifts. How great is it to receive an unexpected gift that lets you know someone appreciates something you did for them!

Weddings don’t have the only corner on the market anymore! Thank you gifts can be the one thing that someone remembers from your party, event, or dinner. One of my friends had a housewarming party just to show off their new place and provided cute little “thank you gift bags” filled with candy for everyone who attended. For younger children’s birthday parties, I’ve seen a lot of decorated candy and caramel apples being used as thank you gifts that look so delicious (blame Pinterest for pointing me to all of those pictures)! You can also use larger thank you gifts for interviews or coworkers that you want to showcase.

Thank you gifts can also be a great memento from you to a friend that lets them know you were thinking of them and all that that do. Send a great gift to a friend who recently helped you move or provided much needed comfort during a stressful time. I recently made a thank you gift for a friend of mine filled with new books, comfort food, tea and things she would like just for always being my go-to person to call when in need and she surprised me by making her own gift for me the next time I saw her. Now we have a little tradition of creating sort-of care packages for each other!

Along with your thank you gifts, don’t forget to include a generous thank you note! It personalizes your gift more and shows them that you took extra time to appreciate them.

Below are some helpful Thank You Note suggestions:

Make your note at least three sentences
Avoid pre-printed or fill-in-the-blank thank you cards.
When thanking someone for money, don’t name the amount. Say “Thank you for the generous gift.”
Handwrite your notes if possible! Don’t print out thank you notes on your computer.
Don’t be generic, try to include some personality.

What do you guys think? In the comments section (1-2 paragraphs) tell me what would be a great Thank You Gift idea? FIVE lucky winners will receive a thank you gift of their own!

Uncategorized

Fourth of July Party Planning (or Tom Hanks Movie Marathon Day)

June 28, 2012

Welcome back readers,

LOVED all of your suggestions and stories in the comments! Fourth of July parties are always so fun because it’s summer and easy to plan, plus there are fireworks! Five of you lucky readers will be able to celebrate deliciously with our chocolate covered strawberries. Congratulations to Lisa Dion (June 22, 2012 at 8:17 am), Natalie J Vandenberghe (June 22, 2012 at 10:44 am), Serena Adkins (June 22, 2012 at 9:33 pm), Renee Adams (June 24, 2012 at 12:42 pm), and Maddy (June 25, 2012 at 3:44 pm)! Please email your info to me at amariscal@1800flowers.com and I can send out your strawberries!

I’ve been living on Pinterest this last week looking at all the cute 4^th of July recipes and patriotic decorations on there, so I’m definitely not done talking about Fourth of July party ideas!

Let’s talk about more Fourth of July decorations first. This Red, White and Blue garland on Etsy is so adorable and could definitely be used for further year round décor. Made with natural hemp rope, felt and string, it’s very lightweight and can be simply placed anywhere. Keep it up longer to celebrate the Olympics this year, for a primary color birthday bash, or Labor Day!

Other Independence Day Decoration Tips:

Use a solid color cloth for your table or displays and sprinkle red, white, blue and silver star confetti
Fill small vases, glasses or buckets with sand and stick sparklers inside as a “fireworks bouquet”

Now that we have the decoration ideas out of the way, we can move onto more Fourth of July recipes! These “Flag Favors” are so adorable and easy to make. Just a few candy straws, round candies or M&Ms and a rectangle bag, and you have a patriotic party favor ready to go. If you want to show off your culinary skills, try out this truffle cake pop recipe at MyJuiceCup.com! (Also send some to me!)

For an incredibly simple and delicious summer treat, try out this idea we found on Pinterest! All you need are a box of ice-cream sandwiches, sprinkles, Popsicle sticks (optional), and cupcake liners (also optional). Skewer sandwiches with Popsicle sticks, press sprinkles to ice cream sides, and serve on cupcake liners to reduce mess!

No Fourth of July party would be complete without some fun games to play! Some of our favorite Fourth of July party games:

Sack Race
Three-legged Race
Egg & Spoon Relay
Water Balloon Fight (it’s going to be a hot day!)
American History Bingo

If you’re looking forward to a small gathering or need to move the party indoors to avoid the heat, rent and watch these Fourth of July favorites:

Forrest Gump: I refuse to believe there is a person alive who hasn’t cried once during this movie.
Independence Day: It says it all in the name, also Will Smith!
The Music Man: Everyone loves a good musical!
Miracle: Americans winning at Hockey, come on.
Apollo 13: Tom Hanks the most likeable man alive again, need I say more?
Saving Private Ryan: Obviously there is a theme other than America here.

There will be no blog next week because a certain blog writer will be road tripping for this holiday week! But I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July (or Tom Hanks movie marathon). Blog will resume Thursday July 12.

Of course I’d love to hear from you in the comments or on Facebook! What are your plans for Fourth of July?

chocolate covered strawberries, Customer Appreciation, Feedback, Party!, Summer Time Gift

Stars & Stripes Chocolate Covered Strawberries

June 26, 2012

fourth of july chocolate covered strawberries

Everyone loves chocolate covered strawberries, especially when they’re so seasonally decorated in the good red, white and blue!

Our Stars & Stripes Chocolate Covered Strawberries are an absolutely decadent treat that will have you feeling more patriotic with every sweet bite. Fresh-picked and ripe strawberries are hand-dipped in and festively decorated to perfection. You’ll receive six strawberries hand-dipped in dark chocolate and decorated with red, white and blue candy stars. As well as six large strawberries hand-dipped in white confection and drizzled with patriotic red, white and blue confectionary designs.

I loved these decadent berries and felt a lot less guilty eating so many of the dark chocolate covered strawberries, convincing myself that since it’s dark chocolate it would be okay! I have no excuse for the white confection strawberries other than they were too delicious to resist and I wish I had about 20 more of them. I currently have a few freezing to enjoy later, they end up tasting like a strawberry chocolate smoothie.

With Fourth of July coming up soon, these chocolate covered strawberries would be perfect for a Fourth of July party dessert or a great party prize. Be sure to send these to any military relatives and families you know to celebrate the season, or just order some as a great treat to snack on with you and your family on your way to see 4^th of July fireworks!

Orders come in 6 or 12 chocolate covered strawberries and require overnight delivery.

Party!, Summer Time Gift

Patriotic Caramel Apple with Candy Stars

June 26, 2012

This Patriotic Caramel Apple from 1800Baskets.com is one of my absolute favorite summertime gifts to share with you all! With Fourth of July just around the corner, you need something festive and delicious to display at your patriotic bash. This candy apple gift screams red, white, and blue in a delicious way!

Every order comes with a large and tart Granny Smith apple which is hand dipped in rich, gooey caramel and covered with dark chocolate; if that weren’t enough, it’s sprinkled with red, white and blue star sprinkles and then tied with a festive red bow for finish.

These candy caramel apples would be great to use for a table centerpiece or to give out as a party game prize for your patriotic guests. I could see this as a cute “just because gift” for a friend or coworker.

If you have a sharp knife, you could cut this apple to be more shareable. I was sharing this with family and sliced into more bite size pieces for easier enjoyment of this super rich tasting dessert. I would have put pictures, but I couldn’t keep everyone away from it fast enough!

Whichever way you decide, I know you’ll enjoy this great summer gift!